Making it Canada's Moment: a COVID economic recovery plan

SCARBOROUGH, ON, June 9, 2020 /CNW/ - Today the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada released a report - "Making it Canada's Moment" - aimed at reviving the economy and the manufacturing sector coast-to-coast. The report contains a series of recommendations to kick-start economic growth and create well-paying skilled jobs in the manufacturing and energy sectors. "This can be Canada's moment," said Coalition founder and President Jocelyn Bamford of the Scarborough, Ontario based organization. "Our manufacturing and energy sectors are the key to our country's economic recovery; when we support both, they will deliver!"

Key recommendations include:

• Invest in key public infrastructure projects that will expand our economic capacity and export potential.
• In particular, key 'gate way' projects such as improvements to rail, road, bridges, ports and other such initiatives that enable Canadian companies to get their products to export markets. These activities are important job creators.

Canada has vast reserves of oil and natural gas, two energy solutions that will continue to be in high demand in North America and on world markets.

• Declare the orderly development of Canada's energy sector is in the national interest from an economic development, energy security and environmental perspective. 
• Enable pipelines by amending legislation that stands in the way to getting them built (Bill C-69). Increasing our productivity, by cutting red tape.
• Canada's regulatory environment will continue to be a challenge to our economy as we enter into the recovery stage.
• We need to innovate and establish a reasonable and streamlined approach to project timelines and permits.
• Allow full tax credits when making a capital investment in new equipment, machinery and technology applications. This will simultaneously be a direct investment in the economy and increase efficiencies, therefore productivity.

CCMBC Board member Catherine Swift added "When considering how Canada can best recover from COVID-19, some groups have proposed a so called 'resilient recovery' with an exclusive focus on 'green' energy. Although this will be part of the solution, neglecting the oil and gas sectors and related manufacturing, which contributes so significantly to Canada's economy, will only ensure that our recovery is much weaker and prolonged than necessary."

The Coalition encourages all Canadians to join www.responsiblerecovery.ca to ensure we have a recovery that focuses on our 2nd and 3rd GDP contributors that are key to Canadian prosperity.

About CCMBC

The Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada was formed in 2016 with a mandate to advocate for proactive and innovative policies that are conducive to manufacturing and business retention and growth in Canada. 

The full report can be accessed at www.ccmbc.ca

SOURCE Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada