October 6, 2015 – A balanced assessment of the policy commitments of all three major parties from an Ontario business perspective.
The 2015 federal election comes at a pivotal time for Ontario. Our businesses face increasingly fierce global competition for investment, markets, and talent. Sectors of traditional strength are still recovering from the economic downturn.
A series of concurrent public policy initiatives threaten to weaken Ontario’s competitiveness and our investment climate. Now, more than ever, we are looking to our federal political parties to demonstrate an understanding of—and provide solutions to—Ontario’s economic challenges.
Spotlight Ontario assesses the Conservative, NDP, and Liberal party campaign commitments as they relate to nine key policy areas that matter to Ontario businesses, including infrastructure, Employment Insurance, and economic development.
The report commends all parties for their commitments to lower the tax burden on Ontario’s small employers. However, the report also expresses disappointment in the lack of attention given to key issues for Ontario businesses, including improved funding for the province’s regional economic development funds. The report also raises a number of red flags and calls on all parties to consider how their commitments will impact Ontario’s business climate.
Read the report.
Summary of our assessment
