Election Campaign Pulse 2015

Toronto Region Board of Trade continues to put our Members’ issues front and centre. To understand how the four main federal parties will address your issues we asked them to speak to you directly about their plans to enhance our region’s business competitiveness and quality of life. The following themes are our Members’ issues which formed the context of our 2016 Pre-Budget submission.

Global trade
Infrastructure
Jobs

Disclaimer: All information is accurate as of October 5, 2015. Pledges or promises made after the deadline may not be reflected in these responses.

Global Trade

Canada has always been a trading nation. Prime Minister Harper knows that trade fuels the Canadian economy and creates jobs. More than one in five Canadian jobs and 60% of Canada’s GDP are linked directly to exports.

That’s why Prime Minister Stephen Harper has worked tirelessly to open new markets for Canadian goods and services, and to equip Canadian businesses to compete internationally.

When our Government came to power, Canada had free-trade agreements with five countries. Now we have agreements with 44 countries. Under Prime Minister Harper’s leadership, Canada has concluded free-trade agreements with 39 countries:

We launched and concluded the Canada – European Union Free Trade Agreement;
We launched, concluded, and implemented the Canada – Korea Free Trade Agreement;
We launched, concluded, and signed the Canada – Ukraine Free Trade Agreement.
We launched, concluded, and implemented agreements with Honduras, Panama, Jordan, Colombia, and Peru.
We concluded and implemented an agreement with the European Free Trade Association, and modernized existing agreements with Israel and Chile.
We are making more inroads into other major markets, and we progressing on bilateral negotiations with India and Japan, and we are a full member of the 12 country Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations.

Once fully implemented, these free trade agreements will give Canada preferred access to more than half of the global marketplace and benefit every sector of the Canadian economy.

We have also improved the foreign investment climate for Canadian companies to expand globally by concluding, signing or bringing into force 24 foreign investment promotion and protection agreements (FIPAs).

And we are helping Canadian businesses take advantage of new export opportunities being created as a result:

We launched the Global Markets Action Plan in 2013 which targets markets that matter most to Canadian businesses and ensures that Canada’s key export interests are promoted in those markets.
In 2014, we launched the ‘Go Global’ initiative, providing $50 million over five years to help hundreds of small and medium Canadian businesses to expand into global markets and reach their full export potential. Small and medium enterprises represent 99% of Canadian businesses and more than 40,000 are exporting.
We are also expanding our Trade Commissioner networks, including to key markets such as China and India where we have expanded to 23 trade offices with 150 trade commissioners in those two countries alone.
There are now more than 160 trade offices located around the world to help provide export advice and guidance to entrepreneurs , including more than 25 trade commissioners who are embedded in industry associations in Canada to better understand their export needs.

A re-elected Conservative Government will continue to prioritize international trade to create Canadian jobs and increase our long-term prosperity, particularly through growing trade with the Asia Pacific region.

Infrastructure

Investments in Canada's public infrastructure create jobs, economic growth and provide a high quality of life for families in every city and community across the country. Since 2006, the Harper Government has made unprecedented investments in tens of thousands of projects to build roads, bridges, commuter rail and other important public infrastructure.

Economic Action Plan 2013 built on our investments by establishing the New Building Canada Plan – the largest investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history. The New Building Canada Plan has three main components:

Community Improvement Fund - $32.2 billion consisting of an indexed Gas Tax Fund and the increased GST Rebate for Municipalities to build roads, public transit, recreational facilities and other community infrastructure across Canada that will improve the quality of life for Canadian families.
The $14 billion New Building Canada Fund, which includes:

The $10-billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component (PTIC) which supports infrastructure projects of national, regional and local significance that contribute to economic growth, a clean environment, and stronger communities.
The $4-billion National Infrastructure Component, which provides funding for projects of national significance, with a focus on projects that have broad public benefits and that contribute to long-term economic growth and prosperity.

Renewed P3 Canada Fund - $1.25 billion to continue finding innovative ways to build infrastructure projects faster and at better value to Canadian taxpayers through public-private partnerships.

In addition, $6 billion in federal support will be provided to provinces, territories and municipalities under current infrastructure programs in 2014-15 and beyond.

Economic Action Plan 2015 unveiled the new Public Transit Fund, which provides significant permanent support for large-scale public transit projects to address traffic congestion, reduce travel time for goods and people, and support economic growth in Canada’s largest cities.

Overall, the new Building Canada plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments will result in $84 billion in federal infrastructure funding over 10 years, the largest federal investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history. This historic investment is rooted in an economic plan based on sound public finances, low taxes, and the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G-7.

Jobs

Our Conservative government’s Economic Action Plan is focused on protecting Canada’s economy and creating jobs. Canada’s economy has created 1.3 million net new jobs since the depth of the global financial crisis. That’s because we have focused on a balanced budget, low taxes, and affordable, targeted investments to keep our economy growing and moving forward. Key parts of Prime Minister Harper’s Economic Action Plan include:

Achieving a balanced budget in 2014-15 – a full year ahead of schedule.
Lowering taxes on families and Canadian businesses, including most recently the largest tax cut for small- and medium-sized businesses in over a quarter century.
Concluding free trade agreements with 39 countries including the European Union and South Korea to significantly increase Canada’s trade network and provide more export opportunities for Canadian businesses.
Providing support to Canadians completing apprenticeships, and establishing the Canada Job Grant to ensure skills-training will lead to future employment.
Reforming Canada’s immigration system to ensure that it complements the country’s economic needs.
Launching the longest and largest investment plan for public infrastructure in Canada’s history.
Helping firms invest in new technologies and research and development through targeted tax relief and funding partnerships with Canada’s universities and colleges.

Our Conservative government’s low-tax, balanced budget plan will protect the economy and grow jobs over the next four years. As part of our Economic Action Plan, we will:

Keep the budget balanced.
Cut payroll taxes for workers and employers by over 20 percent.
Cut red tape on small businesses by 20 percent.
Bring in a new, permanent Home Renovation Tax Credit to support residential construction.
Lower taxes on small businesses that hire apprentices and skilled trade workers.
Support the transformation of Canada’s manufacturing sector.
Fund innovation and research and development in manufacturing, agriculture, and fisheries.
Provide tax relief for mining exploration.
Finance important economic infrastructure, such as marine ports and internet broadband in rural communities, to help move Canadian goods to market and support rural economic development.

These types of low-tax, affordable investments will help protect Canada’s economy and keeping it moving forward, and ensure that we continue to create good, well-paying jobs for Canadians.

Building a sustainable economy is serious business. We will address Canada's productivity crisis and encourage innovation. The Green Party's economic plan will boost Canada's global competitiveness, make significant, long-term investments in infrastructure, and create well-paying jobs. There is much to work to be done as the Toronto Region Board of Trade points out. Supporting innovative urban transit and living within our fiscal limits while working to reduce our GDP to debt ratio are core values of the Green Party of Canada. Greens are ready to help build a Canada that works. Together.

Global trade

The Green Party supports fair trade that protects sovereignty, human rights and the environment, and does not undermine health, safety, consumer or labour standards. We want to see more value-added manufacturing here at home. Our reliance on raw exports has created a productivity deficit and we’re falling behind our global competitors in terms of innovation. We oppose CETA and the TPP as they will only further weaken our manufacturing industry. As Joseph Stiglitz has recently written, the TPP is an agreement to manage trade to protect the interests of the few rather than establish free trade. We will also work with Green MPs in governments around the world to open a fullscale global review of investor-state agreements with the goal of revising and improving them to rebalance rights to democracies and reduce global corporate rule.

Infrastructure

The gap between the infrastructure funding our cities and towns need, and the funding they receive, is reaching crisis levels – Canada’s infrastructure deficit is estimated to be upwards of $350billion. We will work to close this gap by committing $6.4 billion per year, one point of the GST, to municipal infrastructure – providing stable, long-term funding to Canadian municipalities, creating good local jobs, and building vibrant, safe, and livable Canadian towns and cities. Through the Council of Canadian Governments, municipalities will be full partners in allocating the funding in this infrastructure program to build safer bridges, better roads, and world-class water treatment facilities. We will create a Canadian Infrastructure Bank to provide robust and innovative financing and investment partnerships, and invest in more affordable housing, efficient public transportation in major urban centres including Toronto, and expanded broadband access – putting thousands of Canadians to work in the process.

Jobs

Boom and bust cycles in the extractive industries have taken a heavy toll on Canadian families and communities we must to invest in reliable, long-term, local jobs. The Green Party of Canada’s jobs strategy will harness the clean energy revolution. We will unleash an army of carpenters, electricians and contractors to take outdated and leaky public buildings – schools, universities and hospitals – and plug the leaks that increase greenhouse gases and costs. These changes alone will reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent nationwide. We will create thousands of jobs manufacturing, installing, operating, and maintaining wind turbines, solar panels, public transit vehicles and infrastructure, insulation, rail stock, and other elements of a clean and efficient economy. The Green Party will also actively encourage value-added upgrading and manufacturing, to create more jobs and other local economic benefits.

The City of Toronto and the surrounding region is one of the most important drivers of the Canadian economy. The Liberal Party of Canada has a plan to ensure that the Toronto region’s businesses and citizens continue to prosper and grow.

One of the biggest threats to Toronto’s economic growth and development is traffic gridlock. The C.D. Howe Institute estimates traffic congestion costs the region as much as $11 billion annually in lost economic activity. The Liberal Party understands that in order to grow the economy and middle class incomes, we will need to address this challenge together. The key to meeting this challenge is ensuring that our municipalities have the money they need to keep public transit in good repair, and to build new transit infrastructure to accommodate growing populations and the demands of the future. To address this, a Liberal government will quadruple federal investment in public transit over the next decade by investing almost 20 billion more dollars. This is in addition to all existing public transit commitments already made by the federal government. Our funding will be flexible to municipalities’ priorities and requirements in order to maximize the number of public transit projects that are built in Canada. A lack of federal support will no longer be a road block to action. A Liberal government will work with provincial and municipal leaders in the Greater Toronto Area to see that the priority needs of residents are met. This could mean increasing public transit options to have fewer cars on the road.

It is also a matter of fairness. Municipalities like Toronto deliver more than 60 percent of all services to citizens – but only collect between 8 and 12 cents out of every tax dollar. On infrastructure, even though the federal government has about half of the fiscal capacity of all orders of government, it only makes 12 per cent of all infrastructure investments.

A Liberal government will help ensure that Toronto has a highly skilled, well trained work force that can compete in the global market. We will increase investment in skills training through a $750 million annual funding increase for training programs delivered in partnership with the provinces and territories. We are committed to ensuring that cities such as Toronto have access to accurate labour market data by restoring the independence of Statistics Canada, with a mandate to collect data needed by the private sector, other orders of government, not-for-profits, and researchers, in order to support good decision-making. We will consult broadly and work with a strengthened Statistics Canada to make available additional data needed by businesses, municipalities, the not-for-profit sector, and the public. This would include more detailed labour market information, child development data, and statistics on natural capital.

We have a three-point plan that will help keep Toronto as one of the drivers of our economy. We will: (1) Create jobs with the most significant infrastructure investment in Canadian history – almost $60 billion in new funding over the next ten years; (2) grow the middle class by raising taxes on the wealthiest one percent and cutting taxes for middle class Canadians; and (3) help those working to join the middle class by investing in essential social infrastructure, including affordable housing and child care, as well as providing more money to help families with the high cost of raising their kids. We look forward to working with the Toronto Region Board of Trade in government to execute this plan and keep Toronto strong and vibrant. Please visit RealChange.ca for more details on a Liberal government’s policies and priorities.

Global Trade

Liberals believe we need to diversify and globalize our approach to trade. We need to do more to strengthen our ties with burgeoning global markets in Asia and Africa, in particular. We also recognize free access to the American market is an unparalleled benefit for Canada’s economy. A Liberal government will seek to re-energize cooperation on reducing impediments to trade and commerce between our countries – including by improving border infrastructure, streamlining cargo inspection, and making the movement of people easier. Canada depends on mutually beneficial trade for the success of its economy. Our party supports free trade agreements because we recognize that free trade opens international markets to Canadian goods and services, grows export-oriented businesses, creates jobs, and provides Canadians with choice and lower prices. We know that an increased emphasis on trade produces the growth that will deliver a real and fair chance for middle class families.

Infrastructure

A Liberal government will make the largest new infrastructure investment in Canadian history. We will:

Nearly double federal infrastructure investment to $125 billion – from the current $65 billion – over the next decade, with $9.5 billion more per year by year ten;
Immediately kick-start job creation and economic growth by doubling current federal infrastructure investment in each of the next two fiscal years;
Provide new, dedicated funding to provinces, territories, and municipalities for:
- Public transit infrastructure,
- Social infrastructure – including affordable housing and seniors facilities, early learning and child care, and cultural and recreational infrastructure,
- Green infrastructure – including local and wastewater facilities, climate resilient infrastructure, and clean energy;
Increase the transparency of the New Building Canada Fund by providing clearer project criteria and faster approval processes that will prioritize investments in roads, bridges, transportation, ports, and border gateways; and
Help fund public infrastructure projects by creating a new Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Jobs

In today’s changing economy, it is critical that Canadians have the opportunity to improve their skills and work credentials. This ensures a labour force that meets the needs of a modern economy, and also that Canadians have good-paying, middle class jobs well into the future. A Liberal government will increase investment in skills training through a $750 million annual funding increase for training programs delivered in partnership with the provinces and territories, including:

$500 million annual funding increase to the Labour Market Development Agreements with provinces;
$200 million annual funding increase focused on training for workers who are not currently eligible for federal training investment, helping Canadians outside the labour market get the basic literacy and numeracy skills they need;
Renew and expand Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) funding by $50 million; and
Work with employers and workers to determine an appropriate apprenticeship ratio for all federal infrastructure projects.

The success of our cities is vital to our national interest. There is no greater urban centre in this country than Toronto. We need a government in Ottawa that understands that.

Toronto is currently home to 90,000 businesses, does $70 billion in exports, and produces 20 per cent of Canada’s GDP. Most importantly, the foundation of this dynamic metropolis is made up of people who are hardworking, generous, and progressive.

An NDP government will ensure that Toronto reaches its full potential by investing in its people, its businesses, and the city at large.

Decades of downloading by Liberal and Conservative governments have left Toronto struggling to keep up with infrastructure needs—leaving residents with crumbling roads and bridges, aging water systems, and snarled traffic. Commute times in the GTA are longer than in Los Angeles, New York City, or London, and gridlock costs up to $11 billion in lost productivity each year in the GTHA.

An NDP government will make new investments of $60 billion in stable, transparent federal funding for core municipal and transit infrastructure over the next 20 years—of which $12.9 billion will be allocated to the GTA. We will also broaden eligibility under the New Building Canada Fund to once again include community, recreation, sports and cultural infrastructure. And, we will invest $150 million in innovative sustainable development projects in our communities through the Green Municipal Fund. Rebuilding our infrastructure will help get our city moving again, boost productivity, create jobs, and give our residents more time to spend with family and friends.

Our plan also targets support for businesses where it is most effective: for job creators in small businesses and for companies that are re-investing to create jobs here in Canada. Over the next two years, we will cut taxes for small businesses—which create 80 per cent of new jobs in the private sector—from 11 to 9 per cent.

Our commitment to introduce a universal quality child care program at no more than $15 a day will help tens of thousands of Canadian parents re-enter the labour market. Following the creation of Quebec’s childcare program, women’s participation in the workforce there increased by 70,000. Work-life conflict experienced by employees with preschool children costs the Canadian business community $4 billion per year, an expense we can do something about. The benefits of a childcare system are not just for parents and children, according to economist and childcare expert Pierre Fortin, a national childcare program like ours could generate more than $3 billion for the federal government through additional revenues and reduced costs. That’s on top of the clear and substantial benefits for Canadian families.

New Democrats believe that all Canadians that can and want to participate in the labour market should be given the opportunity. We will work to further integrate underrepresented groups of Canadians into the workforce because no one should be left behind.

An NDP government will, for example, restore unspent funding to the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, close the education gap for Indigenous peoples, and increase training funds through Labour Market Development Agreements.

We will also foster a culture of innovation among Canada’s businesses through a number of productivity-boosting investments, including launching an Innovation Tax Credit, restoring the tax credit for Labour Sponsored Venture Capital, and fixing the Automotive Innovation Fund, as well as other sector-specific supports.

With the recent, steady decline of commodity prices, having a diversified economy has never been more important. Canada currently enjoys a competitive exchange rate and benefits from the positive outlook of the US economy. The demand for Canadian products abroad is strong. We need to capitalize on this momentum.

An NDP government will make it easier for Canadian small businesses to enter foreign markets by simplifying access to government export services. We will also secure and maintain production capacity here in Canada by providing Export Development Canada with a stronger mandate to recruit and retain investment in automotive plants and export-focused manufacturing.

At the same time, New Democrats will encourage foreign investment and trade deals that support Canadian jobs. This starts by strengthening the Investment Canada Act to protect Canadian jobs and ensure international trade deals provide a net benefit for middle-class Canadian families.

By making sure our cities are strong and healthy, we open up possibilities – building cities that are greener, fairer, and more prosperous for all.

Together, we can make this city a better place to live and, in doing so, we can create good jobs.

It’s time to think big again, to be bold again, to reach higher.

Join us in building a better city and the Canada of our dreams.

Global Trade

Encouraging value-added production in Canada’s resource sectors and developing more sustainable goods and services are key components of building a modern, sustainable, industrial economy. Canada is a trading nation and Tom Mulcair and the NDP believe that growing international trade is a cornerstone of Canada’s future economic prosperity. Diversifying and deepening our trade relationships will be a priority of an NDP government. That is why we have supported the Canada-South Korea free trade agreement, are supportive of trade negotiations with the European Union, Japan, and of the negotiations to form a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

It is, however, important to note that an NDP government will not be bound by Stephen Harper’s agreement. These secretive TPP negotiations include concessions for our auto sector, for our dairy and poultry farmers, and possible changes to patent-law that risk raising the price of prescription drugs for seniors, and restricting our Internet freedoms. Tom Mulcair will continue to stand up for the best interests of Canadians.

Infrastructure

Tom Mulcair has outlined a plan to build the roads, bridges, and vital infrastructure Canadian families and businesses require. We will start with the equivalent of one additional cent of the existing gas tax— ramping up to an additional $1.5 billion at the end of our first mandate to reach $3.7 billion annually in stable, long-term investment in core infrastructure. We will tackle gridlock and cut commute times with Tom Mulcair’s Better Transit Plan—which will be developed in partnership with provinces and territories—and provides $1.3 billion annually in predictable, stable, and transparent public transit investment over the next 20 years. The NDP will make housing more affordable in our communities by sustaining investment in Canada’s affordable housing agreements, and by providing incentives for the construction of 10,000 affordable and market rental housing units. Finally, we will respect provincial jurisdiction and local decision-making, simplify application processes, and remove funding barriers through direct, stable, and transparent transfers to help municipalities and provinces meet their priorities.

Jobs

Tom Mulcair has the plan to strengthen the middle-class and create well-paying jobs. An NDP government will cut taxes on small business owners by two per cent over two years. We will support jobs in the manufacturing sector by working with the provinces to create ICanada, a one-stop shop inside the federal government to help investors turn their plans for Canadian investment from blueprint into reality. An NDP government will extend the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance for manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment. We will create an Innovation Tax Credit for businesses that invest in machinery, equipment and property used in innovation-boosting research and development. We will also make targeted investments in Canada’s aerospace and automotive sectors by investing in space technology development, creating an aerospace advanced manufacturing fund, improving financial incentives for automakers, and working with stakeholders, provinces and municipalities to arrive at a National Automotive Strategy. Tom Mulcair will also help 40,000 young Canadians get jobs, paid internship or coop placements, and apprenticeship spaces. And, our commitment to introducing childcare across the country at no more than $15 a day will not only help tens of thousands of Canadian parents re-enter the labour market, but it will also create as many as 119,000 childcare-related jobs over four years.