CFIB Statement on Bill M216

Summary:

• CFIB supports efforts to reduce regulatory duplication in B.C.’s housing sector and welcomes commitments to advance the core principles of Bill M216 through other policy avenues.
• Municipal permitting delays and administrative burdens continue to drive up costs for small businesses, as documented in CFIB’s national research on renovation and construction approvals.
• Expanding professional reliance models beyond major infrastructure projects would help cut red tape, particularly for small businesses that face disproportionately higher regulatory costs.

April 9, 2026, Victoria, BC – In response to MLA George Anderson’s request that the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills to conclude consideration of bill M216, Professional Reliance Act, Ryan Mitton, BC Director of Legislative Affairs for CFIB, issued the following statement:

“Reducing regulatory duplication and unnecessary reviews must remain a priority for B.C.’s housing sector, and CFIB looks forward to seeing that work continue elsewhere. We welcome commitments from the B.C. government to continue advancing the core principles of Bill M216.

“CFIB’s report Flushing out the nonsense: An analysis of municipal renovation permitting across Canada highlights how the administrative burden associated with even the most basic construction permitting and approval processes can place significant additional pressure and costs on small businesses.

“Delayed approvals result in delayed projects, which means delayed compensation for builders. Some small businesses may have to turn to personal savings to keep projects going and to keep their business afloat.

“We note that BC has already endorsed a professional reliance model for major infrastructure projects. In the future, all businesses—regardless of size—should have access to similar processes that cut red tape. CFIB research shows that smaller organizations bear a disproportionately higher cost of all government regulation—over $10,000 per employee per year, of which $3,839 was spent on unnecessary red tape.”

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For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:

Ryan Mitton, CFIB
Ryan.Mitton@cfib.ca

About CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 103,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.