Montréal, August 19, 2021 – The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal today unveiled the business community’s five priorities in the leadup to the federal election. As is customary, the CCMM will not take a position in this election campaign. It is, however, asking all stakeholders–including the candidates and parties running to form the next federal government–to take note of the issues it is presenting today and make their positions clear.
Solving the labour shortage problem
“Labour availability is the most important issue affecting our businesses. It could limit their investment and growth,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “Immigration is one of the solutions that should be prioritized to counter the labour shortage. We are asking the parties to commit to substantial improvements in the administrative processes leading to permanent immigration in order to make Greater Montréal more attractive to international talent. The next Government of Canada must work closely with the Government of Québec to ensure that applications for permanent residence are processed in the same time frame as for other Canadian provinces.”
He added: “The federal government must also commit to not renewing the CRB beyond October 23. We must encourage as many workers as possible to return to work so that the sectors particularly affected by this measure, such as the restaurant and hotel industries, can recover fully.”
Providing targeted assistance without increasing the tax burden on businesses and individuals
“The government must remain responsive to the needs of businesses and maintain general assistance programs until the end of the year,” said Mr. Leblanc. “We stress the importance of moving on to targeted support programs for sectors that are still in difficulty, such as tourism and certain segments of the cultural sector. We are also calling on Canada’s next government to commit to not increasing the tax burden on individuals and businesses over the next four years, while embarking on a path to a balanced budget.”
Meeting our environmental commitments and speeding up the integration of clean technologies
“Canada’s next government must be bold and ambitious in meeting its international commitments to reduce greenhouse gases,” said the CCMM President. “To this end, we call for the rapid establishment of a rigorous and binding government accountability framework. Innovation and new technologies will be key levers in meeting this challenge. The government must support the adoption of clean technologies by businesses in all sectors and make the Canadian government procurement process a major purchaser of these solutions. It must therefore commit to changing the rules for awarding public tenders to include environmental criteria.”
Promoting increased interprovincial and international trade activities
“To be sustainable and successful, the economic recovery must be part of an ambitious policy to internationalize our companies and develop new markets. The federal government will need to provide funding and expand our international trade missions,” he added. “Strengthening interprovincial trade must also be a priority in the current recovery. Increasing and facilitating these exchanges will require sustained leadership at the federal level and increased collaboration with the provinces and territories.”
Committing to the development of Montréal’s strategic infrastructure
“The CCMM calls on the parties to commit to drawing up a clear strategy for federal government intervention in the strategic assets for which it is responsible,” said Mr. Leblanc. “First, this means giving Aéroports de Montréal enough support for it to meet the challenge of resuming international travel. At the same time, Canada’s next government must commit to further developing our public transit infrastructure. Among the major projects, we are asking for significant commitments for the rapid implementation of an efficient rail link in the Quebec City-Toronto corridor, as well as strong support for the repair and extension of the Montréal métro.”
The paper is available on the CCMM website.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
With a network of 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Quentin Janel (replacing Dominique Talbot)
Media Relations Advisor
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel: 514 871-4000, ext. 4052
dtalbot@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
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