GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
 Advocating on your behalf
 

In 2019, CIQS hired a consultant to conduct an environmental scan of government officials and staff to ascertain their understanding of the quantity surveying profession and familiarity with CIQS and its designations.  CIQS followed up by hiring an Ottawa-based government and public relations firm to create and implement an official plan to advocate the benefits of having a Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) as a member of the team for every stage of a government project tender process.

Beginning in the fall of 2020, the CIQS external relations committee has implemented phase one of the advocacy plan, resulting in several meetings (virtually due to the pandemic), with federal government officials, such as:

• Wayne Easter, MP for Malpeque, PEI and Chair of the Finance Committee
• Steven MacKinnon, MP for Gatineau
• Claire Churchill Smith, Parliamentary Assistant to Maninder Sidhu, MP for Brampton East
• Kate Proctor, Senior Policy Advisor - Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
• Michael Kram, MP for Regina-Wascana
• Gerald Soroka, MP for Yellowhead
• Nathan Bessner, Policy and Atlantic Advisor, Infrastructure Canada

FEDERAL/INDUSTRY REAL PROPERTY ADVISORY COUNCIL
(FIRPAC)

CIQS became a member of FIRPAC in 2019 and has been an active member at their meetings in Ottawa since.  The meetings are created to hold open discussion on high level policy issues between senior representatives from each of the member organizations.  Agenda items include discussions regarding planning and management of Federal Real Properties, such as 

• facilities management,
• quantity surveying,
• landscape architecture,
• construction,
• heritage, and
• interior design

with the intent to open constructive dialogues with relevant Federal government departments.

PROMPT PAYMENT & ADJUDICATION

CIQS participated in the advocacy effort to fight payment delays on construction projects in Canada.  Bill 142, Construction Lien Amendment Act, 2017, advocates for prompt payment and became law in Ontario on October 1, 2019.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLE

This spring, CIQS was invited to join the Construction Industry Roundtable which discusses potential ways forward for the construction industry during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior government officials from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) enable this conversation, with the aim of supporting industry in providing clarity and certainty to the industry during these challenging times.

The Construction Industry Roundtable discusses challenges and solutions related to continuing construction during the pandemic (essential vs non-essential, health and safety protocols, contracting concerns) and include senior level presentations from PSPC including Steve MacKinnon, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).