For Immediate Release
August 24th, 2021
NB Business Groups Release Federal Election Priorities
Moncton, NB – An alliance of New Brunswick business organizations launched a set of policy priorities for the upcoming federal election today at Malley Industries in Dieppe. The group includes Le Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick, the New Brunswick Business Council, the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton, the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.
“As businesses and residents in New Brunswick go to the polls, they will be looking to federal parties for a clear plan to drive economic recovery and post-pandemic growth.” said Alex LeBlanc, CEO, New Brunswick Business Council. “Today, we are laying out specific policies that will drive investment, workforce growth, and increased competitiveness in our province.”
The groups three priority areas and specific calls to action include:
Recovery and Self Sufficiency:
- Grow the labour force through a multi-pronged approach, including return-to-work for individuals on EI, national child care and specific funding through ACOA for automation, digitization, and HR recruitment and retention.
- Close the federal investment gap in research and development in NB and fund infrastructure projects including housing.
- Pilot a special Atlantic investment tax credit that encourages inter-provincial investment in start-ups, exporters, and SMEs headquartered within the Atlantic Region.
Immigration:
- Ensure allocation of immigration spaces to reach a goal of 10,000 immigrants by 2024 (with additional support to achieve a 30% francophone immigration target).
- Simplify and speed up the overall process of immigration with an emphasis on streamlining and accelerating pathways for international students.
- Increase investment in newcomer support and retention infrastructure such as settlement services and initiatives for welcoming communities.
Competitiveness and Fairness:
- Adopt a regional policy lens to address unique challenges of all regions and consider Atlantic-specific platform commitments.
- Provide incentives, tax credits, or program funding to help SMEs with the costs of decarbonization and the transition to a green economy.
- Work with provinces to remove remaining trade barriers.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, it is crucial that the next federal government make the right investments, put the right policies in place to ensure sustained growth for New Brunswick and the entire Atlantic region” said John Wishart, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Moncton. “We hope that all candidates in New Brunswick will become champions for these policies so that our economy and province emerge from the pandemic stronger than we were before” added Krista Ross, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.
Over the coming weeks the group will release further details about each of the three campaign pillars on their website. For more information, visit the website: www.WeChooseGrowth.ca (EN) or www.choisissonslacroissance.ca (FR).
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For interview requests or more information, please contact:
Krista Ross kristar@frederictonchamber.ca
Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
Ron Marcolin ron.marcolin@cme-mec.ca
Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Gaëtan Thomas gaetan@cenb.com
Conseil économique du Nouveau Brunswick
John Wishart jwishart@ccgm.ca
Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton
Alex LeBlanc alex.leblanc@nbbc-cenb.ca
New Brunswick Business Council
David Duplisea dduplisea@thechambersj.com
Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce