The Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA) says the reason for the delay in releasing Bruce Reynolds and Sharon Vogel‘s report on the Construction Lien Act relates to the recent cabinet shuffle.
The review, a joint undertaking of the Ministry of the Attorney General and the then Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure (MEDEI) was submitted to the former AG and the former Minister of MEDEI more than two months ago.
COCA says in its Construction in Ontario newsletter: “Following the June 13th reassignment of ministers, the review falls under the aegis of the new AG Yasir Naqvi and the new Minister of the new Ministry of Infrastructure, Bob Chiarelli. (Infrastructure was carved out of the former MEDEI as a new “stand-alone” ministry.) Both ministers are staffing up their new offices.
“Often when a cabinet minister is moved from one portfolio to another, he or she will bring their own staff of loyal advisors with them to the new position and these people have to get “up-to-speed” on all the files in their new ministries. Also, Naqvi has a new chief of staff, David Phillips and David Black is returning to government as Bob Chiarelli’s chief as staff, COCA says.
“It’s been four weeks since the cabinet change. The release of the report can’t be too far off.”