The province instituted a mandatory system to take money from builders in exchange for nothing. It is a pretty good deal for the government.  They get to take a lot of money and offer zero value in return.  Over time I am sure the government will ratchet up the cost and headache associated with retaining the licence.  That is what a bureaucracy does over time, it scope creeps and and causes more grief for those under its influence.

Now that I have a licence to do what I was doing before, without a licence, and for free, I wonder if I am a 'better' builder.  I could argue that I am the identical builder before and after the licence was issued but there is one key difference, I have $600 less each year to actually fix stuff that breaks.  The next time I have to fix something, I will just dig deeper into my pocket to find more money rather than invest it in some productive activity such as building more or better houses.

I'd like to see at the end of the year how much money the government has confiscated during this process, and to what benefit, if any, the money has been used for.  I am convinced the money will mainly go to some lucky bureaucrats in Edmonton who will graciously pocket the money while on vacation enjoying their paid time off.  I'd wager after a year the licence has had zero benefit to anyone outside of those recipients of the fees.