The drop in fines on construction sites “worries” Québec Solidaire

Photo: Christine Muschi The Canadian Press “Le Devoir” revealed on Wednesday that the number of fines issued by the Quebec Construction Commission had fallen by more than half on construction sites since 2015, going from 10,544 to 4,009 in 2023.

Isabelle Porter in Quebec

Published yesterday at 5:48 p.m. Updated yesterday at 11:05 p.m.

• Quebec

The “drastic” reduction in fines paid on construction sites by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) should not reassure anyone, including Labor Minister Jean Boulet, argues Québec Solidaire.

“It worries me that there is a drastic drop in the fines that are paid. I’m not sure that everything is going well in the construction industry,” said party leader Alexandre Leduc on Thursday.

Le Devoir revealed on Wednesday that the number of fines issued by the CCQ had fallen by more than half on construction sites since 2015, going from 10,544 to 4009 in 2023.

However, the Commission sees this as proof that the rules are increasingly respected. Minister Jean Boulet, for his part, said that this was “perhaps” the case.

“It’s a little short,” according to MP Leduc. “That’s not at all what I hear on the ground. »

On Wednesday, the liberal opposition said it wanted to “monitor” this issue. MP Madwa Nika-Cadet then wanted to ensure “that we don’t have any “big nonsense” on the various construction sites” and “that there is no slackening”.