Chamber Concerned about Strained Supply Chain and Labour Market in Canada

(Toronto – November 23, 2021) –Today, Rocco Rossi, President & CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement in reaction to today’s Speech from the Throne:

“Today’s speech indicates the government’s plans to continue to focus on managing the pandemic and safely reopening our economy. However, we would have liked to have seen more of a focus on Canada’s current and pressing challenges, including supply chain disruptions, labour shortages and climate-related events across the country.

“Returning to normal and restoring business confidence will require the government to clearly outline its plan and priorities for economic growth and work with the business community to ensure predictability and transparency.

Among the positive measures in the Throne Speech were:

• Committing to additional business supports. They are be extended or added for industries that continue to struggle.
• Prioritizing child care. This is an economic priority to restart our economy and for women’s labour market participation.
• Concentrating on climate change. The climate crisis is a growing threat to businesses, governments, and individuals around the world.
• Focusing on affordability and housing. This is one of several factors contributing to our labour crisis.
• Investing in the empowerment of Black and racialized Canadians, and Indigenous Peoples.The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on businesses of all sizes across the province, but the effects have been even more overwhelming for those from equity seeking groups.
• Moving faster on the path to reconciliation. The business community also must do its part within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations on Business and Reconciliation.

“The government also has other opportunities to support growth in the country. Effective policies do not always come with a price tag. Government must protect its investments by reducing the barriers to growth – outdated legislation, policy and regulation; an inefficient and overly complex tax system; and obstacles to inter-provincial trade and labour mobility.”

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the OCC has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Alissa Reid
Coordinator, Public Affairs
alissareid@occ.ca | Mobile: (705) 205-1434