Will Speech from the Throne address critical business issues, asks Canadian Chamber of Commerce

(OTTAWA) – November 23, 2021 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Perrin Beatty, issued the following statement ahead of today’s Speech from the Throne.

“Today’s Speech from the Throne will give the first clear indication of the government’s plans for this new Parliament. The business community will be looking for a clear message from the government that, among other issues, it understands the magnitude of compounding risks of supply chain breakdowns and inflationary spikes.

As our members come to terms with the likelihood that supply chain disruptions will take a year or two to unwind, they need to see measures in the Speech from the Throne to address the difficulties facing Canadian businesses.

The business community is also increasingly concerned about the need to pump the brakes on runaway spending. A spending plan is not an economic growth plan, and inflationary risks demand a pause and a rethink of where our economy finds itself. Business leaders want a strategy to balance the books, grow our economy beyond our anemic, pre-COVID, 2 per cent annual rate, and a serious plan to make our tax policy competitive with our G7 counterparts.

As all businesses have made a rapid pivot towards the digital economy during the pandemic, they will be looking for measures that support our digital economy transformation through improved cybersecurity and privacy legislation.

As the pandemic slowly winds down, it is important for Canada’s political leaders to set out clear priorities, and economic growth should be at the top of the agenda. It is the only path that can allow us to pay for our social goals and climate ambitions.  Today’s Speech from The Throne will be a test to see whether our government recognizes that the hard part starts now.”

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

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For more information, please contact:
Emily Walsh
ewalsh@chamber.ca