Calgary Chamber urges focus on business support and economic recovery for new parliament

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Deborah Yedlin, issued the following statement on priorities for parliament:

Calgary, November 23, 2021 – “As the House of Commons resumes sitting, the Calgary Chamber encourages the federal government to focus on several key priorities to support businesses through next phases of the pandemic and establish strong foundations for economic recovery.

“Alberta has long been a strong contributor to Canada’s economic growth and prosperity. As we face the existential crisis posed by climate change, the province – with its young, educated and skilled workforce – is poised to lead the country in the energy transformation needed to achieve our global climate targets. The path to addressing climate change is through leveraging expertise and the knowledge resident in the energy sector, which will be important as we seek to reduce emissions locally, nationally and internationally.

“We’re at a critical inflection point, with a pivotal opportunity to transform global challenges – like climate change – into economic opportunity and set our economy on the path to long-term sustainability and prosperity. To get there, we need thoughtful public policy that will spur investment, attract talent and create new economic opportunities for people of all backgrounds.

“On behalf of the Calgary business community, we urge the federal government to prioritize the following:

• Provide pandemic supports to ease the ongoing challenges businesses and non-profits are experiencing due to a slow and uncertain recovery.
• Invest in programs that facilitate job creation and hiring, especially for women and historically marginalized communities.
• Remove barriers to cross-border mobility for business and leisure travel, including eliminating costly PCR testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated individuals.
• Work with provinces to urgently advance and implement childcare agreements, acknowledging the labour shortage is impeding our economic recovery.
• Address supply chain issues and rising costs to business, particularly in light of increasing inflationary pressures and market access challenges exacerbated by the B.C. floods.
• Consult with key sectors on the implementation of the climate commitments made at COP26 and work collaboratively with industry to ensure we can meet national emissions targets.
• Implement a competitive investor tax credit to incentivize the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage technology.
• Bolster infrastructure grants that focus on revitalizing downtowns,  fostering vibrancy and stimulating key commerce, community and cultural hubs.
• Fund clean tech research and development through academic institutions and technology accelerators, including support for the Pathways to Net Zero collaboration.
• Work with provinces to decrease interprovincial trade barriers and increase labour mobility.

“Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to establish a carbon tax, which has since provided funds to support critical research and development aimed at mitigating carbon emissions and addressing climate change. Our history of innovation in energy and energy systems positions the province to be a leader in developing viable solutions that ensure the long-term sustainable development and use of our natural resources. As the new parliament convenes, we urge collaboration between federal and provincial governments to capitalize on the opportunity in front of us. This, alongside forward-thinking investment and policy will position Canada as a fair, competitive and inclusive place for businesses to grow and succeed.”

About the Calgary Chamber

The Calgary Chamber is an independent non-profit, non-partisan business organization. For 130 years, the Chamber has worked to build a business community that nourishes, powers and inspires the world.

For media inquiries, please contact Arianne Brady, Communications Manager, at media@calgarychamber.com or at 403-750-0414.