Highlights of January 19 Canadian Chamber of Commerce Meeting With Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Parliament may not be sitting, but the work of government continues.

On January 19, 2009, Prime Minister Harper met with a small group of businesspeople to discuss Canada’s economy and what needs to be done to strengthen the recovery. It was a good, wide-ranging discussion that allowed me to raise a number of issues of concern to businesses across Canada.

To try to give the Prime Minister the most current information available, last week we invited members of our Board of Directors and the more than 300 Chambers across Canada to let me know how the economy is performing in their regions and sectors and to share what they have been hearing from members, customers, employees and suppliers. What they told us was extremely useful in providing the Prime Minister with the most current information possible. I will also share what they have told us when I take part in prebudget consultations with Finance Minister Flaherty on Wednesday.

What were some of the themes we heard most often from across Canada? First, we found a strong consensus that the recovery is starting to take hold, but that the turnaround is both fragile and uneven as you move from region to region or from sector to sector. We received a clear message that, while the government should continue with stimulus that is already in the pipeline, it should not add to what has already been promised for the coming year if it means increasing the debt. Second, there is growing concern that we need a concrete plan to eliminate the deficit over a reasonable period and to start paying down the debt incurred during the recession. Chambers recognize that this will be a painful process, but they feel that a plan is badly needed if we want to avoid passing on a crushing debt load to our children.

Some of the other themes that came up from our consultations were that we need to increase out efforts to build and diversity our international trade. Many members commented that the Prime Minister’s recent visits in Asia were an important recognition of how much our prosperity depends on international trade. They also expressed their concerns to us about the need to resolve the Buy American issue and to keep our border with the US open.

We also heard from many Chambers about challenges smaller businesses are facing in attracting investment and obtaining credit. And they expressed their concern about the possibility of increases to Employment Insurance premiums that would add to their cost of doing business and discourage new hiring. Increased payroll taxes would undermine the ability of businesses to compete and would discourage them from creating new jobs.

The government will continue to gather input over the coming weeks between now and when it presents its budget in March. As the voice of Main Street Canada, the Canadian Chamber Network throughout the country will play an important role in this process and do everything we can to promote a strong and prosperous economy.

Honourable |L'honorable Perrin Beatty
President and Chief Executive Officer |Président et chef de la direction
Canadian Chamber of Commerce | La Chambre de commerce du Canada
420 – 360 rue Albert Street | Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7

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