12-Month Lobbying Summary - In-house Organization

Subject Matters

• Aboriginal Affairs
• Agriculture
• Arts and Culture
• Broadcasting
• Budget
• Climate
• Constitutional Issues
• Consumer Issues
• Defence
• Economic Development
• Education
• Employment and Training
• Energy
• Environment
• Financial Institutions
• Fisheries
• Forestry
• Government Procurement
• Health
• Housing
• Immigration
• Industry
• Infrastructure
• Intellectual Property
• Internal Trade
• International Development
• International Relations
• International Trade
• Justice and Law Enforcement
• Labour
• Mining
• National Security/Security
• Natural Resources
• Pensions
• Privacy and Access to Information
• Regional Development
• Research and Development
• Science and Technology
• Small Business
• Sports
• Taxation and Finance
• Telecommunications
• Tourism
• Transportation

Subject Matter Details

Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit, Policies or Program

• INDUSTRY - Encouraging the government to invest in cybersecurity research & development (R&D) and innovation; expanding and diversifying the cyber workforce and talent pipeline; supporting the secure digitalization of small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and improving the global competitiveness of Canada’s cybersecurity industry.
• INDUSTRY – With regard to measurement of Canadian business conditions and decisions during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• PENSIONS - Treatment of corporate pensions in the event of bankruptcy.
• TAXATION AND FINANCE - Responding to proposals addressing taxation of digital services.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program

• ENERGY – Support policies to ensure the diversification of Canada’s trade in energy products to world markets, especially pipelines, transmission lines, renewable energy assets and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) related major infrastructure projects.
• INDUSTRY – Ensuring that the Competition Act and related competition policy measures support a productive business environment.
• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - Strengthening legislation to better protect businesses and IP through the Trademark, Copyright, and Patent Act; investigating the possibility of a Canadian form of a patent or innovation box to enhance the development and commercialization of intellectual property, including patents.
• LABOUR: Ensuring that any changes to the Canada Labour Code are implemented in response to defined and demonstrated issues and not to increase regulatory burdens for employers.
• PRIVACY AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION - Improving digital privacy legislation to meet the needs of industry.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program, Regulation

• CANNABIS – support for policies that will improve the competitiveness of the regulated cannabis industry and working with governments to achieve their health and safety objectives.
• ENVIRONMENT – Promoting the harmonization of regulations with provinces; impacts of the federal carbon pricing legislation on businesses; implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change; review of Canada's environmental assessment process, and the Canadian Energy Regulator; carbon pricing regimes; carbon border adjustments; offset markets; and other policy measures towards Net Zero 2050 goals.
• INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS - With respect to federal government policies to improve the economic potential, contribution and capacity of Canada's Indigenous peoples as well as providing more clarity regarding the role of business in the duty to consult and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
• INTERNATIONAL TRADE - Improving federal laws and regulations pertaining to responsible business conduct rules for Canadian companies.
• SMALL BUSINESS – Legislation, regulations and support programs that give Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the tools to grow in Canada and internationally, including reducing their red tape and compliance burden.
• TAXATION AND FINANCE – With regard to the measurement and improvement of Canada’s tax competitiveness, including: reforming the taxation, remittance, filing and audit processes of Canadian businesses; removing tax barriers for childcare expenses; addressing the taxation of family business transfers; and mobilizing private capital for recovery and growth.

Policies or Program

• AGRICULTURE - Promoting policies to enhance the domestic and international competitiveness of Canada's agriculture sector.
• DEFENCE - Creating industrial opportunities for Canadian businesses through increased defence procurement and related defence policies.
• ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - Encouraging private sector generated economic development in Canada’s provinces and territories
• EDUCATION - Aligning employer and workforce needs with education and training; expanding work integrated learning and learning integrated work opportunities.
• EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING – Programs that support small and medium sized enterprises; improving collection and dissemination of Labour Market Information; creating flexible, accessible and navigable learning and upskilling/reskilling options.
• EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (EI) - Conducting a comprehensive review of the EI program; reducing the regulatory and financial burden for employers; equalizing premium rates between employer and employee contributions; phasing out EI funding to programs that are not core to the mandate.
• GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT - Creating more opportunities for Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises, Indigenous, female and other under-represented entrepreneurs to learn about and compete for federal procurement opportunities.
• HEALTH - Federal measures to assist Canadian businesses cope with, and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
• HEALTH – Improve the capacity of Canada’s biomanufacturing and life sciences sector.
• IMMIGRATION - Reducing regulatory burdens for employers; Promoting immigration to smaller, rural and northern communities; Supporting regional and community immigration strategies; Modernizing the Temporary Foreign Workers Program; Facilitating pathways to permanent residency for temporary residents (international students and temporary foreign workers); Expediting Foreign Credential Recognition; Improving language training and supports; Improving the Start-up Visa process; Improving client services to potential immigrants and new Canadians.
• INDUSTRY – Expand investments in broadband and 5G internet to provide more access to rural and remote communities
• INFRASTRUCTURE - In regard to the development of a national infrastructure plan, priority infrastructure projects, border infrastructure, public private partnerships, funding models and government consultations.
• INFRASTRUCTURE – Improvement of Canada’s infrastructure through the National Infrastructure Assessment.
• INTERNAL TRADE - removing interprovincial barriers to trade, investment, and labour mobility within Canada
• INTERNATIONAL TRADE - Border infrastructure and CBSA programs/policies affecting importers and exporters.
• INTERNATIONAL TRADE - Negotiating bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade agreements and promoting them to Canadian businesses.
• NATURAL RESOURCES - Support for the adoption of policy recommendations to strengthen Canada’s world-leading position in the mining industry, oil and gas, and forestry products.
• TAXATION AND FINANCE – With regard to undertaking a comprehensive and independent tax system review.
• TAXATION AND FINANCE – With respect to establishing a solid fiscal anchor to ensure long-term sustainability of public finances.
• TELECOMMUNICATIONS - Creating the right investment incentives to foster vibrant competition in the sector as a whole; responding to decisions regarding third-party access that will impact the deployment of internet services in rural and remote communities; and responding to regulatory proposals re: cell phone pricing.
• TRANSPORTATION - Regarding the consistent funding of trade-enabling infrastructure projects; the development of a competitive and efficient transportation network including all modes of transportation.

Policies or Program, Regulation

• CLIMATE - Regulations and programs related to zero emission vehicles, their sale, and deployment of necessary infrastructure.
• ENVIRONMENT - Policies regarding energy inputs for the mining of cryptocurrencies within Canadian jurisdictions and coordination with established Canadian utilities.
• INDUSTRY - Improving the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit program to drive innovation by restoring it to 20% and reinstate the Depreciable Property Tax Credit; increase the role that the federal government plays in creating opportunities for small and medium sized businesses to digitalize and conduct more business activities online; developing a digital economy strategy for Canada.
• INDUSTRY - With regard to federal measures to assist Canadian businesses cope with and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
• INTERNATIONAL TRADE – With respect to issues relating to import and export controls
• TAXATION AND FINANCE - With regard to modernizing our financial systems through open banking and digital currencies