COCA Newsletter – August 2018
Federal Prompt Payment Update
Regular readers of the COCA monthly newsletter will know that many months ago construction lawyers Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel were engaged by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to conduct an expert review and prepare a report including recommendations, regarding promptness of payment and adjudication in respect of federal government construction projects.
Ministry Of Labour Health and Safety Research Grant Program on Hold
The Occupation Health, Safety and Prevention Innovation Program and Research Opportunities Program are currently on hold and not accepting applications. The Ministry of Labour is reviewing its grants programs and will provide additional information once the review is complete. Updates on the programs will also be available on the MoL website.
Impressive Action on Promises Made and Other Initiatives Not Promised
Here’s what was promised in the Throne Speech and the subsequent actions taken by our new government.
Standing Committees Elect Chairs
All Standing Committees of the Legislature with the exception of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and the Standing Committee on Justice Policy met last week to elect their chairs and vice chairs. The Standing Committees and their chairs and vice chairs are as follows:
Bidders Question RFB for Line-By-Line Audit
One of our new government’s key pledges to the voters of Ontario is to reduce the size and cost of government. They promised to do this mainly by finding efficiencies. Moreover, to find efficiencies, they promised to conduct a line-by-line audit of the government’s finances, to scrutinize the books as never before with a fine-toothed comb.
Bill 5 on Track to Become Law Before Summer Recess
One of our new government’s key pledges to the voters of Ontario is to reduce the size and cost of government. They promised to do this mainly by finding efficiencies. Moreover, to find efficiencies, they promised to conduct a line-by-line audit of the government’s finances, to scrutinize the books as never before with a fine-toothed comb. The government needs to find these efficiencies in order to pay for promised tax cuts and spending increases.
MPPs’ Compensation
The item in this publication about the election of Standing Committee chairs got us thinking about the subject of the salaries of elected officials at Queen’s Park. MPPs’ current salary scale was set in 2008 and subsequently frozen in 2009 and there is no opportunity for an increase until April 2019. Salaries are surprisingly low given the high level of responsibility and for the 24/7 demands of the job.
COCA’s 2017 Year In Review
COCA’s 2017 year in Review includes A Message from the Chair, The President, A Review of the Work by COCA’s Committees and a look back at COCA’s 2017 events.