Federal vision needed to grow Ontario’s economy

A new report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) makes the case that federal policies are a barrier to Ontario’s economic growth.

The OCC is calling on the federal government to play a more productive role in improving Ontario’s economic competitiveness. This call is being made days before the gathering of Canada’s finance ministers in Ottawa.

The report, A Federal Agenda for Ontario, shows that federal approaches to areas such as training, immigration, infrastructure and economic development are hurting Ontario and its businesses.

“The federal government has done much to help Ontario during the downturn, including supporting the HST and helping bailout the auto sector” Allan O’Dette, president & CEO of the OCC, said in a statement. “But Ontario’s economy is still recovering, and we need the federal government to continue to seek ways to drive economic growth in the province.”

The report notes that Ontarians contribute $12.3 billion more into the federation than what they get back, and in many key areas, federal government policy is not aligned with provincial priorities.

“This misalignment isn’t the fault of any single government or party,” notes O’Dette, “and our intention isn’t to pit one government against another. Instead, we’ve come up with an evidence-based case for how the federal government can help Ontario’s economy grow.”

The report makes 14 recommendations on how to reform policies relating to immigration, training, Employment Insurance, manufacturing, infrastructure, Aboriginal education, local economic development, and the way that the federal government distributes wealth across the country.

With the exception of reforms to Aboriginal education, these recommendations do not require the federal government to spend more money.

“Ontario businesses are optimistic that the province will emerge from this period of economic uncertainty stronger and more competitive than ever,” said O’Dette. “This is best achieved when we work collectively to create the right conditions.”

Download the report at http://occ.on.ca/assets/FINAL-A-Federal-Agenda-for-Ontario.pdf.