Accountability and Transparency Required in Government Planning

(Toronto, May 30, 2018) – With the election just a week away, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) today urged all political parties to provide a transparent fiscal plan and establish an evidence-based policy making approach to ensure government accountability. In its Vote Prosperity platform, the OCC highlights the need for proper safeguards to protect Ontarians against untested decision-making.

In the interest of an open government and regaining the province’s status as an economic leader, the OCC would like Ontario’s next government to give serious consideration to stakeholder consultation as well as create a path for long-term fiscal prudence.

“Poor implementation of government initiatives leads to resource waste, mismanagement, and disruption for our businesses and citizens,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “To improve accountability, Ontario’s next government needs to take bold action by creating a meaningful plan towards a balanced budget and implement transparent decision-making.”

The unintended consequences of ill-advised government policies have hindered business competitiveness and diminished Ontario’s economic resiliency, with the province’s debt expected to rise significantly over the coming years.

Improving Government Accountability is the fourth pillar for a strong Ontario in the Vote Prosperity platform, which calls on the next government to:

• Create a meaningful plan to tackle the debt and move towards balanced or surplus budgets.
• Ensure all proposed policy, regulation and legislation has been evaluated against sound, quantitative evidence.
• Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of strategic goals and publicly publish these targets to ensure transparency.
• Provide appropriate timelines to stakeholders when revising or implementing initiatives that will impact their operations.

“Regardless of which political party wins on June 7, for Ontario to win, Government policy must drive economic development and shared prosperity in the province,” added Rossi.

In October the OCC, along with its 135 chambers of commerce and boards of trade across the province, released Vote Prosperity, a platform outlining the business community’s priorities for the upcoming 2018 provincial election.

For more information about the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Vote Prosperity platform, please visit our website.

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For more information please contact:
Ceara Copps – Edwards
Communications Advisor
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
cearacoppsedwards@oc.ca
647-243-3562