Conservatives fail Canadian workers in the building trades

NDP Industry critic Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain) made the following statement on the defeat of her bill to provide skilled trades workers with tax deductions for certain work-related travel and accommodations:

Canada’s building and construction trades are the biggest private sector industry in this country. They employ more than a million Canadians and contribute tens of billions of dollars to our GDP.

However, while some regions of Canada have high unemployment, others face labour shortages. In eight budgets, the Conservatives have failed to take any action to address this problem.

The NDP proposed a practical solution by introducing this bill to provide construction workers with a tax credit for travel and accommodation expenses incurred to secure employment.

Canadians in the construction trades have been asking for this law for the last 35 years. By voting against this bill, the Conservatives have allowed partisanship to stand in the way of good public policy.

Canadians deserve better.

New Democrats remain committed to making life more affordable for the men and women who have literally built our country. They deserve nothing less.