Ontario’s struggling economy needs the support of the federal government — that’s the message the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to push.
The chambers this week called on the newly elected federal government and local MPs to fulfill their election promise to make Ontario’s economy a top priority.
In letters to Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre and Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce identifies three near-term priorities for the feds: Rolling out new infrastructure dollars; reinstating the mandatory long-form census; and moving forward with tax-relief measures for small businesses.
“It is paramount that the newly elected government deliver on its commitments to Ontario,” said Karen Hourtovenko, Chair of the Board, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. “In the near term, more than anything, we want to see increased federal investments in trade-enabling and productivity-boosting infrastructure
The chamber network is encouraged the federal government appears to be moving forward with its promise to re-introduce the long-form census, which ensures employers have access to reliable labour market data and allows businesses to predict and adapt to trends in the labour market.
When it comes to small business, Justin Trudeau’s new federal government has vowed to cut the small business tax rate from 11 per cent to 9 per cent, but the chambers want the government to work with the business community to design and implement the tax cut.
The letter also encourages the Trudeau Liberals to address the gap between what Ontarians pay to the federal government and what they receive back – currently estimated at $11 billion. For too long, says the OCC and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Ontario’s economic challenges have not been adequately addressed by the federal government.
