Canadian Chamber of Commerce Pre-Budget Submission Aligns with HRAI Messaging

Blue text on a white background Description automatically generated

HRAI is a supporting member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.  HRAI President and CEO Sandy MacLeod is an active member of the Natural Resources Committee and VP Martin Luymes is Co-Chair of the Workforce Strategies Committee. 

Like HRAI, the Chamber last week submitted its 2024 pre-budget recommendations to the federal government. The submission was informed by insights from member councils and committees and includes several proposals that align with the submissions made by HRAI-Canada.  

The submissions are organized under six themes: the need for building trade-enhancing infrastructure, easing the burden of doing business, facilitating the transition to net-zero, enabling an innovative economy, attracting and retaining talent and leading in life sciences.  

The Chamber represents 200,000 Canadian businesses of all sizes and from all regions and economic sectors in Canada. 

Extracted below are some of the highlights of the Chamber submission. 

To see the entire submission, click HERE. 

Build Trade-Enhancing Infrastructure 

Clear priorities on trade infrastructure projects that yield measurable economic returns are critical. Government can work with provinces, the private sector, communities, and Indigenous peoples to resolve supply chain challenges to enable the Canadian exports the world needs. 

  • Commit to long-term investment through a Canada Trade Infrastructure Plan.  

  • Expand abilities to head off preventable threats to supply chains. 

  • Abandon introducing Anti-Replacement Worker Legislation. 

  • Act to reduce interprovincial trade barriers by establishing a public registry. 

Ease the Burden of Doing Business 

Regulators and businesses must work together to prevent undermining Canada’s economic growth and competitiveness. To avoid losing the next generation of talent and innovation to competing nations, government must avoid imposing new business taxes that further drive away investment. 

  • Launch a comprehensive independent review of the tax system.  

  • Accelerate regulatory modernization. 

  • Add an economic and competitiveness mandate for regulators.  

  • Ensure regulatory alignment.  

  • Align SR&ED tax credit criteria with the ITA.  

  • Preserve the spirit of Bill C-208 provisions for family business transfers.   

Facilitate the Transition to Net-Zero 

A plan is needed to encourage capital investment that will make Canada a global leader in sustainable finance, while producing and exporting sustainably produced energy, carbon dioxide-removal technologies, clean fuels, critical minerals, and finished goods. 

  • Increase funding for Indigenous participation in natural resource development.  

  • Maximize the impact of existing flow-through share tax credits. 

  • Lower financing costs to put mines into production. 

  • Encourage investment in currently uneconomic minerals. 

  • Develop a standard definition for “net-zero aligned investment.”  

Attract and Retain Talent 

Attracting and retaining top talent while increasing productivity is vital to Canadian businesses. However, many sectors struggle to find and retain the talent needed to grow. 

  • Continue to decentralize the immigration selection process and support local solutions built by communities to address community workforce needs.  

  • Develop strategic, skills-based immigration programs aligned with regional labour needs.  

  • Expedite and reduce the complexity of foreign qualification recognition. 

  • Collaborate with provinces/territories to enable enhanced upskilling and reskilling to meet labour market needs. 

Lead in Life Sciences 

COVID-19 made the value of the life sciences sector clear, highlighting Canada’s shortcomings in domestic manufacturing and exposing a vital requirement to get Canadians the medicine and medical technologies they need, when they need them. 

  • Include the life sciences innovation ecosystem in deployment of the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy. Integrate real-world evidence (including building science data on the role of HVAC systems in occupant health, safety and well-being) to support decision making and accelerate adoption of innovation. 

To see the entire Chamber Pre-Budget Submission , click HERE. 

For more information, contact Martin Luymes at 1-800-267-2231 ext. 235 or email mluymes@hrai.ca.  

Back to Newsletters