Comprehensive, Pro-Growth Policies Needed in 2018 Election: Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Ontario's business advocate provides platform recommendations to drive economic development

TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released Vote Prosperity, a platform and campaign outlining the Ontario business community's priorities for the upcoming 2018 provincial election. Vote Prosperity provides a series of proactive recommendations that all of Ontario's political parties should adopt to ensure growth for the province's economy.

"Ontario businesses are the backbone of our economy, supporting working families across the province, and that's why the chamber's and board's of trade across the province will take the message of Vote Prosperity to every candidate in every community," said Richard Koroscil, Interim-President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce. "The foundation of our prosperity is shifting and policies and regulations need to shift with it. Ontario's business community is prepared to be bold and with Vote Prosperity we are seeking to motivate our political leaders to follow."

In releasing the platform today, the OCC will strengthen the political narrative between now and the 2018 election. Vote Prosperity is based on four aspirational pillars for Ontario:

1. Strengthen business competitiveness: Rising input costs, especially those costs deriving from government regulation and policy, are the most common and acute concern of the business community in Ontario.
2. Foster Job Creation: A robust labour market consisting of good jobs is essential to prosperity for all Ontarians.
3. Build Healthy Communities: Building strong communities through adequate and affordable housing, sustainable health care, and good infrastructure also supports business prosperity and growth, which supports those communities.
4. Improve Government Accountability: Poor implementation of government initiatives can result in resource waste, political frustration and disruption for ordinary citizens, as demonstrated by a series of policy failures under governments of all political stripes.

"Ontario businesses have made it clear that the ever-rising cost of doing business from all levels of government has hindered their ability to prosper and grow," added Karl Baldauf, Vice President of Policy and Government Relations "Our objective is to achieve coherent, comprehensive pro-growth policies from all political parties.  Our recommendations provide a prosperous path forward because when you vote for prosperity, Ontario wins."

The platform provides eighteen unique recommendations that will help bolster Ontario's long-term economic future, while also addressing the pressing issues Ontario currently faces. Some of the eighteen recommendations in Vote Prosperity include:

• Reinstating scheduled reductions in the Corporate Income Tax, standardize the Business Education Tax and reduce the Employer Health Tax.
• Conduct and publish the results for a comprehensive review of the electricity sector, including an objective economic impact analysis assessing the full range of inputs that make up the Global Adjustment (GA), and then pursue cost-reducing measures based on the results.
• Focus on strategic growth policies by ensuring that land use planning and development regulations are aligned, to increase density and create more housing stock.
• Create a meaningful plan to tackle the debt and more towards balanced or surplus budgets.

Over the coming months, ahead of the 2018 election, the OCC and its local Chamber network, will be voicing the concerns and recommendations outlined in Vote Prosperity with political parties and local MPPs and candidates. During the election, local chambers will be hosting debates where Vote Prosperity will be the primary focus of discussion.

Vote Prosperity outlines a number of current issues Ontario businesses face and includes original data from the OCC's member network. To learn more about the platform visit www.occ.ca/voteprosperity2018.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is Ontario's independent, non-partisan business advocate.

SOURCE Ontario Chamber of Commerce