2023 Federal Budget
Canada’s 2023 Budget Must Address Declining Productivity
(Brockville Ontario – March 27, 2023) – With the economy facing global headwinds, Canada needs competitive investments in innovation, productivity, and sustainable economic growth. However, growth cannot occur without significant and sustained investments from the private sector – and those dollars will flow where productivity is highest. Today, Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the 2023 Federal Budget Submission to lay the path for business predictability and competitiveness.
“Businesses across Leeds Grenville continue to face challenges as a result of labour shortages, health system vulnerabilities, inflation, and the phaseout of temporary government support programs,” said Pamela Robertson, Executive Director . “Canada’s 2023 Budget must focus on creating a competitive business environment by eliminating barriers to growth, building growth-enabling infrastructure, modernizing fiscal policy, and unlocking the potential of key sectors such as clean technology.”
The 2023 Federal Budget Submission includes recommendations to:
- Drive economic growth by fast-tracking talent into Canada, reforming employee insurance to reflect the needs of today’s workforce, eliminating barriers to growth such as unfair taxes, and expanding access to procurement opportunities to small and diverse businesses.
- Build resilient communities by delivering on the promised Canada Mental Health Transfer to support access to urgently needed mental health and addictions supports and services, accelerating investments in digital and broadband infrastructure, building affordable housing, and taking meaningful action on economic reconciliation.
- Modernize regulation and fiscal policy by removing barriers to interprovincial trade and labour mobility, reforming the tax system, and introducing common-sense regulations for a variety of industries, including cannabis, hospitality, and tourism.
- Unlock the green economy byincentivizing investments in clean technologies,promoting Canada’s energy on the world stage, recognizing nuclear power as green infrastructure, developing critical minerals supply chains, and supporting clean transportation options.
“We would like to see the federal government present a clear strategy for economic growth in their 2023 budget. Following the turbulence of the last few years, now is the time to see measures that provide businesses with predictability and spur productivity,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, OCC.
The recommendations outlined in the OCC’s federal budget submission were developed with businesses, associations, post-secondary institutions, and chambers of commerce and boards of trade from across the province.
READ THE 2023 FEDERAL BUDGET SUBMISSION HERE.
About the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce is part of a network of Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade that exist in virtually every community across Ontario and Canada. The Chamber network consists of 65,000 businesses provincially and 170,000 businesses nationally. Locally, the Chamber has over 300 members and is recognized as this area’s official “Voice of Business.” This voice is an effective force in influencing issues and legislation affecting your business and our community. It is a membership based and not-for-profit association that is led by an elected volunteer Board of Directors.
About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, not-for-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. The OCC’s mission is to convene, align and advance the interests of its members through principled policy work, value-added business services and broad engagement to drive competitiveness and economic growth in the province.