A 4-Point Plan to Support Business Competitiveness
Ontario Competes: The Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Election Priorities
Through consultation with our members across Ontario, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has developed Ontario Competes, a platform outlining our strategic priorities for the 2025 provincial election campaign. The goal is to provide Ontario with a strategy to strengthen its competitiveness through measures that support resilience and growth.
Business competitiveness results in more prosperous communities, higher consumer confidence, high-quality jobs, and a more resilient economy. This requires:
- A skilled and diverse workforce
- Reducing barriers to doing business
- Supporting healthy and resilient communities
- Investing in connectivity and infrastructure.
With the collective voice of the OCC’s diverse 60,000 members, the policy recommendations reflect the needs of Ontario businesses under the following four pillars:
A robust and predictable business environment is the foundation for economic growth and resilience, particularly as Ontario confronts rising protectionism from abroad.
As global competition for investment intensifies and our trading relationships evolve, Ontario must sharpen its competitive edge. That means driving productivity and removing barriers to the movement of goods and services within Canada’s borders.
People are the driving force behind economic success.
To support Ontario’s economic competitiveness, it is essential to invest in post-secondary institutions and skills training systems that address labour shortages and prepare the workforce for the demands of a rapidly evolving economy. This will ensure Ontario meets future labour market needs, safeguards access to education, and invests boldly in the quality of its universities, colleges, and Indigenous Institutes.
Ontario’s economic success relies on healthy and sustainable communities.
Local governments need tools and resources to address emerging challenges and enable connected, cohesive communities. Most notably, Ontario must work with municipalities to address the impact of the substance use crisis. The crisis poses long-term socioeconomic risks, requiring urgent public-private collaboration to improve access, address gaps, and deliver meaningful solutions across Ontario.
Investments in infrastructure are critical to strengthening Ontario’s economic competitiveness, ensuring resilience against global disruptions, and supporting vibrant local communities.
To achieve this, Ontario must prioritize the development of modernized transportation corridors, advanced logistics hubs and cutting-edge digital infrastructure that enable growth and help us adapt to emerging challenges. Equally important is addressing the housing crisis, which is crucial to attracting and retaining talent and ensuring sustainable growth for the future.