Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act

Members, Bill 20, Construction Prompt Payment Act, has been read a third time and has passed third reading.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act

Members, the question is third reading of Bill 20, intituled Construction Prompt Payment Act.

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act

The committee on Bill 20 reports the bill complete without amendment.

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Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

I would certainly agree that that broader discussion on lien act reform is still going to be needed. I appreciate that there are limitations, in the context of the consequential amendments to this bill, to what can be done. I’ll just maybe quickly read into the record what the B.C. Construction Association included in their press release on October 7: “The B.C. Construction Association remains committed to working with the provincial government to deliver on payment certainty. That includes lien act reform, which is absent from this legislation. A modernized lien framework that includes progressive and mandatory release of lien holdback is essential to ensure contractors and subcontractors receive payment in a timely manner.” We do have agreement on the fact that further changes are going to be necessary. I guess some of those changes that the B.C. Construction Association is looking at couldn’t be completed in amendments that we’re talking about now. I am just wondering if the Attorney General could offer some comments on the limitations of Bill 20, on why, overall, more couldn’t have been done in the context of lien act reform.

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Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

I appreciate the opportunity to join the committee stage deliberations on Bill 20. I haven’t been asking questions so far, but I’ve been following along pretty closely in the bill and appreciate the Attorney General and her staff — all of the effort to answer these questions on behalf of the public, just making sure we have a good understanding for the public record. I’ve certainly been a proponent of prompt payment legislation for some time. I’ve witnessed, in major project construction, the challenges for subcontractors when there is a dispute between an owner and a prime contractor and how long that takes, and this is important. But the consequential and related amendments, particularly to the Builders Lien Act, I think are an important part of this. I know we’ve talked about the Builders Lien Act earlier in the discussions on the bill. Obviously, as we’re getting to now, the changes that will come to the Builders Lien Act, I think it’s just important for the construction industry to know what those are going to look like. The Builders Lien Act itself. The Attorney General will recall that it has not had a substantial update to that legislation since the 1990s. It is something that is a little bit long in the tooth, I would say, in terms of legislation in the province, but it is long-standing. So there is a precedent of contractors who are used to using this process, of owners who are aware of it. The legal community is very aware of it. It’s just important to understand how the changes to the Builders Lien Act are going to work in practice. With that, on clause 52, perhaps the Attorney General could just provide a brief update on the addition of “‘any demolition or removal of any of these things and’ after ‘and also includes.’” What’s the effect of that, just so that the construction industry is aware?

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

Members, I’ll call the committee to order. We’re continuing Committee of the Whole for Bill 20, Construction Prompt Payment Act, on clause 44.

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Hon. Mike Farnworth

BC NDP

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

Before I call the orders, I just want to notify the House…. I know that often this time of the year, there is an issue of will we finish early, or will we be sitting till the full December 4. I know that there is often the discussion in the halls, but I will inform the House today that sometimes things are unavoidable. The government will be tabling one more piece of legislation on Monday of next week, so there will be plenty of work to keep us occupied until the fourth of December. With that, I call, in this chamber, continued committee stage on Bill 20. In the Douglas Fir Room, Section A, I call continued committee stage on Bill 25.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/20/2025

The committee for Bill 20 reports progress and asks leave to sit again.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

Good morning, Members. We’ll call this chamber back to order where we are contemplating Bill 20, the Construction Prompt Payment Act, and we are at committee stage.

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Hon. Mike Farnworth

BC NDP

11/20/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

Hon. Speaker, in this chamber, I call continued committee debate on Bill 20. In the Douglas Fir Room, Section A, I call committee stage on Bill 25.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

Committee for Bill 20 reports progress and asks leave to sit again.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

All right, Members, we’ll call this House back to order, where we are considering Bill 20, the Construction Prompt Payment Act, and we will hear from Richmond-Queensborough.

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Hon. Mike Farnworth

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

In this chamber, I call continued debate, committee stage on Bill 20. In the Douglas Fir Room, Section A, I call continued committee stage on Bill 25.

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Lorne Doerkson

Conservative Party of British Columbia

11/19/2025

Bill 31 — Energy Statutes Amendment Act, 2025

Committee for Bill 20 reports progress and asks leave to sit again.

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

I’ll call the committee back into session. We are continuing Committee of the Whole on Bill 20, Construction Prompt Payment Act, continuing on clause 42.

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

I call the committee back to order on Bill 20, Committee of the Whole, Construction Prompt Payment Act, continuing on clause 42.

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Hon. Brittny Anderson

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

I call resumption of committee stage debate on Bill 20, Construction Prompt Payment Act.

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

The committee on Bill 20 reports progress and asks leave to sit again.

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Mable Elmore

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

I’ll call the committee to order. We’re continuing on Committee of the Whole for Bill 20, Construction Prompt Payment Act, on clause 41.

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Hon. Mike Farnworth

BC NDP

11/19/2025

Bill 20 — Construction Prompt Payment Act (continued)

In this chamber, I call committee stage on Bill 20, Construction Prompt Payment Act. In Section A, the Douglas Fir Room, I will be calling Committee of the Whole on Bill 31. I would just like to inform the House that when committee is done and the bill comes back for third reading, it will be a confidence vote. In the Birch Room, Section C, I call committee stage on Bill 25.

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