Category Advocacy

Following last month’s federal budget, Finance Minister Bill Morneau defended Canada’s corporate tax regime and cited regulatory issues as a priority for dealing with Canada’s competitiveness problems.

While there is no credible defence for our hopelessly outdated tax system, he was correct that Canada’s regulatory systems have put Canada at a competitive disadvantage. As we outlined in a report a few months ago, Canada absolutely needs a comprehensive review of our uncompetitive, cumbersome and inefficient tax system. Given the Minister’s post-budget assertion, it is an opportune time to take a quick walk through the good, the bad and the ugly of federal efforts to address Canada’s regulatory competitiveness problem.

The good: In its November 2018 Fall Economic Statement, the federal government proposed an ambitious regulatory reform agenda, largely based off our recommendations in our May 2018 report, Death by 130,000 Cuts: Improving Canada’s Regulatory Competitiveness.

The bad: Budget 2019 had little to no progress to report on fulfilling those Fall Economic Statement commitments.

The good: Both the Fall Economic Statement and the Budget stated the federal government will consider legislative changes to make regulatory efficiency and economic growth a permanent part of regulatory mandates. This is a key recommendation of ours and is one of the most important changes needed in the federal regulatory environment. Many regulators are currently not giving appropriate consideration to economic growth and competitiveness impacts in their decision making because they are not required to.

The bad: There is very little time left in the parliamentary calendar before the federal election for the government to actually introduce and pass new legislation.

The good: The Budget introduced the concept of ‘regulatory roadmaps’ and provided $220 million in funding for three regulators (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and Transport Canada) to make their regulatory systems more user friendly, to use novel or experimental regulatory approaches and facilitate greater regulatory cooperation and less duplication.

The bad: If the activities listed as part of these ‘roadmaps’ sound like something all regulators should already be doing, it is because they should be. While the roadmap process will lead to regulatory improvements in these areas, businesses are looking for more than three regulators being given $200 million in funding to do the work they are already supposed to be doing, according to the government’s own regulatory management policies.

The ugly: The job of leading federal regulatory reform falls to the President of Treasury Board, and the federal government started in 2019 by shuffling three different Ministers in and out of the role in three months (apparently it’s all Scott Brison’s fault). No, it is not Scott Brison’s fault. In fact, we owe him thanks for proposing the federal government’s regulatory reform agenda. However, the instability at Treasury Board raises serious questions about the department and the federal government’s ability to live up to its regulatory commitments.

What should Canadian businesses take from all this?

The good is that the federal government recognizes the regulatory problems confronting Canadian companies and has made a series of promises to start resolving them.

The bad is that most of these promises have not been fulfilled. Canada’s regulatory problems continue to be a serious problem for our economy, and there is little time left before this fall’s federal election to make substantive progress.

The hopeful is that all political parties put systemic regulatory reform at the centre of their election platforms. This will position the federal government to start working with the business community on the first day after the federal election to continue working to eliminate these systemic, incessant, self-imposed barriers to economic growth.

This “5 Minutes for Business” was authored by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, one of whose members is the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce.

With a recent Ontario government announcement of new legislation intended to cut unwanted regulations, also known as “red tape,” the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce is open to hearing from members with specific stories about how they are impacted by needless bureaucracy.

As part of our ongoing advoacy efforts on behalf of all members and at all levels of government, we’ll be making sure those stories are heard.

”The fact is, governments at every level have had a habit of adding needless regulation over the years, with complexity translating into extra work but not a lot of value for the business,” said Chamber president and CEO Shirley de Silva. “More often than not, those regulations simply add cost, which makes not only businesses less competitive but makes the price of goods and services more expensive.”

Share your story by email (CLICK HERE) or reach out anytime to the Chamber office: (519) 336-2400. We’re listening!

News of a Provincial Government initiative that would see the creation of a Central Procurement system for the public sector has some members of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce concerned about the effects such a strategy would have on small and medium-sized businesses that currently supply goods and services.

Whether it be hospitals, school boards, or other bodies that might fall under such a system, questions about how a Centralized Procurement System would help small businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area are being raised.

We want to hear from our members and local public sector organizations so that we can take your concerns to the OCC and to the Ontario Government.

Plans are beginning for a roundtable discussion on Centralized Procurement.

Stay tuned as these plans begin to take shape.

Earlier this week, representatives of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce made the trip down the 402/401 to Queen’s Park to participate in “Advocacy Day,” an initiative organized by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

With the provincial government approaching the one-year mark of its mandate, Advocacy Day is a forum to share ideas on how to foster a competitive business climate and strong, prosperous communities.

Attending on behalf of the local Chamber were Chair Ryan Bell and CEO Shirley de Silva (pictured).

“These are a rare but welcome opportunity for Chambers across the province to present a united front when it comes to putting forward our voice on issues that are critically important to all our members,” said de Silva.

This year’s event, which took place on Monday, March 25, included:

—Queen’s Park question period
—Town hall meetings with government and opposition MPPs
—Small group consultations with senior government officials
—Closing reception with MPPs

“Increasingly, those in government look to businesses—as represented by the Chamber of Commerce—for leadership on issues that drive the economy, not only for our area but across the province,” said de Silva.

Representatives of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce—Board chair Ryan Bell and President and CEO Shirley de Silva—will be heading to the provincial capital later this month to engage with legislators and their staff as part of Advocacy Day 2019.

The event, which is organized by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (of which we are members), will include visits with several Provincial Government ministers and staff, with opportunities to have conversations outlining the position of businesses regarding various issues.

The full-day event will include attendance at Queen’s Park question period, town hall meetings with government and opposition MPPs, small group consultations with senior government officials, and a closing reception with MPPs.

‘These conversations are very important as we continue our advocacy efforts on behalf of Chamber members,” said de Silva.

“Although this is an event that brings together representatives from Chambers across the province, we’ll be making sure that issues that are of local importance are part of the conversations that take place.”

The Advocacy Day event takes place on Monday, March 25 at Queen’s Park in Toronto.