ICBA ADVOCACY UPDATE: Voters Starting to Pay Attention to Bad B.C. Budget

KEY POINTS

• New private member's bill would ban union-only conditions from government construction contracts. Long shot to pass, but puts open procurement on the radar.
• ICBA's province-wide poll found nearly two-thirds of decided voters view the B.C. Budget negatively, it’s underwater even with NDP supporters, and undecided voters reject it 49% to 11%.
• After ICBA and others met with the Deputy Minister of Labour, the BC Employment Standards Branch has updated its guidance to clarify that only doctors and nurses can grant a 27-week unpaid leave.

FAIR PROCUREMENT ACT

Today, BC Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens introduced The Public Sector Construction Projects Procurement Act, a private member’s bill that would ban union-only conditions from public sector construction contracts – no more requiring contractors to sign collective agreements or employ union members just to win government work.

It's a long shot; the BC Legislature’s own website acknowledges private member's bills more often “motivate government to respond” than actually pass. But that's not nothing. This bill puts the issue on the record, would force a debate, reaffirm that the BC Conservatives would repeal the Community Benefit Agreement monopoly for the building trades unions, and sends a clear message to the Eby government: open, fair, merit-based procurement is what B.C. taxpayers deserve.

We’ll keep you up to date on its progress. Click HERE for our news release.

BC BUDGET FALLOUT

British Columbians have had enough. ICBA commissioned a province-wide poll on Budget 2026, and nearly two-thirds of decided voters view it negatively. It’s underwater even among NDP supporters, and undecided voters reject it 49% to 11%. That last number should keep David Eby up at night. A two-minute ICBA video breaking down what the budget means for homebuilding hit 150,000 Facebook views over a single weekend. People aren't just unhappy – they're finally paying attention to the trouble B.C. is in. ICBA President and CEO Chris Gardner has the full breakdown, including the crosstabs, HERE.

In case you missed our other budget commentary:

• Chris discussed the budget’s negative effect on homebuilding (Province)
• ICBA Chief Economist Jock Finlayson explained the fiscal mess David Eby has made (CKNW’s Jas Johal Show on YouTube)
• ICBA VP-Advocacy Jordan Bateman called the Budget “awful for construction” (Journal of Commerce)
• Jock charted the growing debt (ICBA Economics)
• Chris and other B.C. business leaders called for the government to roll back their half-billion PST hike (Global BC)
• Jock and colleague Ken Peacock implored the government to improve conditions so businesses can invest here (Business in Vancouver)

One piece we didn’t write, but was very powerful, was this Globe and Mail editorial lambasting the NDP budget for its overspending and dangerous debt: “There is a fiscal time-bomb buried in the depths of the budget, that is ticking away and is likely to blow up… Whatever pressure the government is feeling comes from its deeply ingrained habit of irresponsible spending.”

UNPAID LEAVE

We've been working with Langley Chamber, the Surrey and White Rock Board of Trade, and Delta Chamber to get some clearer rules around the 27-week unpaid leave for employees which the NDP Government brought in last year. We joined them in a letter and participated in a meeting with Deputy Minister of Labour.

Last week, the BC Employment Standards Branch updated their guidance online to reflect that the 27-week leave can only be granted by a doctor or nurse, not other health professions, which was one of the inconsistencies we flagged in our meeting and letter. Small win, but at least it means physiotherapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors won't be able to trigger the leave.

ICBA continues our work on these and other advocacy files on behalf of our members – if there’s a public policy or red tape issue your company is facing municipally, provincially, or federally, that you could use some help with, reach out to us at jordan@icba.ca.