Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance Regarding Bill C-59

Canada’s competitiveness is slipping. Our productivity continues to decline. This means Canadians are poorer overall, have fewer opportunities to pursue their personal goals, and have to pay more just to stay where they are. We must pursue growth if we are to maintain our standard of living and continue to provide the services Canadians require.

Bill C-59 signals that the government heard the business community on issues such as addressing our housing needs and the importance of ensuring workers can work in any community where and when their skills are needed most. We all agree on the need for measures that will help build our homes, support businesses in finding the right talent, and ease the burden of doing business in Canada.

We welcome amendments to the Excise Tax Act that should assist in the creation of much needed housing supply. That said, C-59 presents an opportunity to go further to help Canada tackle the housing crisis and restore affordability for Canadian families.