TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2003

 

PROJECT STREAMLINING A FAST-TRACK TO COST OVERRUNS

 

VANCOUVER… New legislation that proposes to “fast-track” major construction projects will be a disaster for taxpayers, according to the chief spokesperson for the Building Trades Council. “Haste makes waste and arbitrarily short cutting the approval process is an invitation to mistakes and cost overruns,” according to Wayne Peppard, Executive Director of the umbrella group representing 35,000 union construction workers.

 

Section 11 of Bill 75 (the Strategic Projects Streamlining Act) authorizes sweeping powers that will over-rule all existing statues with the exception of the Agricultural Land Commission Act and the Environmental Assessment Act. “It’s outrageous that the government is enabling itself to sideswipe its own legislation,” Peppard said.

 

The new Act would allow the provincial cabinet to ignore regulations by local government that ensure that construction process approvals meet community needs and standards. “Why is the government introducing these new sweeping powers that over-rule local authorities after just having devolved control to communities through the Community Charter and the Safety Systems Act in the same legislative session?” Peppard asked.

 

“The new power given to cabinet through the Strategic Projects Streamlining Act is an insult to local authorities and to the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG),” Peppard said. “One must be wary of creating a culture of haste that will permeate the entire 2010 Olympic process.”

 

“I am highly suspicious of the motives behind the introduction of the new Strategic Project Streamlining Act,” Peppard said. “This appears to be another payoff to Phil Hochstein and the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association who contributed more than $146,000 to the election of Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals. Expediting construction with Orders in Council could be seen to enable the Premier and his cabinet to cut backroom deals with their friends,” Peppard said.

 

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For further information contact Wayne Peppard at 604-916-0027 (cellular) opeiu 15

 

For further information contact 

the BCYT-BCTC office:  604-291-9020

 

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