Policy & Advocacy

In a letter, we called on the government to continue to tackle barriers to foreign credential recognition and called on policymakers to continue working with regulatory bodies to speed up the licensure process for other internationally trained health professionals.

In August 2022, the Province announced that it would work with the College of Nurses of Ontario to reduce the financial barriers that retired and internationally trained nurses face when working towards accreditation to resume or begin practicing. These actions will temporarily cut the cost of examination, application, and registration fees.

In our 2022 election platform, Vote Prosperity, we called on the government to create a plan to reduce the surgical and diagnostic backlog resulting from COVID-19 in conjunction with public and private sector stakeholders.

In August 2022, the Government of Ontario introduced its Plan to Stay Open: Health System Stability and Recovery. As part of this, the Province will work with hospital partners to reduce wait times for surgeries and procedures and consider options to further increase surgical capacity by increasing the number of OHIP-covered surgical procedures performed at independent health facilities.

In a letter to the government, we called on the Province to tackle barriers to foreign credential recognition by working with regulatory bodies to speed up licensure processes for other internationally trained health care professionals.

In August 2022, the Minister of Health gave regulatory colleges for nurses and doctors two weeks to develop plans to speed up the registration of internationally educated professionals. This action is a step toward addressing the province’s health human resources shortage and ensuring Ontarians have access to care.

Our 2022 provincial budget submission called on the Ontario government to work with stakeholders to address labour shortages by promoting skills training and career opportunities in sectors facing large labour shortages. In addition, we recommended government provide financial support to individuals and small businesses for reskilling, upskilling, and micro-credentials. We highlighted the need to ensure specific skills training support is afforded to those demographic groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic and looking to join or re-enter the labour force.

In August  2022, the Government of Ontario announced an investment of $5 million to provide free training to 500 people from underrepresented groups to prepare them for jobs in the auto-manufacturing sector. This training will be offered by the Automotive Parks Manufacturers Association with program participants receiving a job offer following three-month paid job placements. Employers can receive up to $4,600 in wage subsidies for each trainee.

Our 2022 federal budget submission called on governments to develop a strategy for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) that integrates electric, renewable natural gas, hydrogen, and hybrid technologies for a variety of vehicle types, including heavy-duty utility trucks to support commercial fleet electrification.

In July 2022, the Government of Canada announced new incentives for medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs. This $550 million program will help businesses make the necessary transition to zero-emission vehicles, providing purchase incentives worth roughly 50% of the price difference between an electric vehicle and a traditional vehicle.

Our report, The Climate Catalyst, highlights investments in sustainable buildings as a strategy for economic stimulus and decarbonization. We recommend that governments accelerate retrofits by offering long-term financing and guarantees for building owners while also expanding energy efficiency programs for small and medium-sized businesses.

In March 2022, the federal government announced numerous multi-million-dollar tranches of funding to support retrofits and the greening of existing buildings as part of its 2030 Emissions Plan. These include $150 million to support the Canada Green Buildings Strategy, $458.5 million in additional investment in the Canada Greener Homes Loan program, and $194 million to expand the Industrial Energy Management System to support ISO 50001 certification and energy efficiency-focused retrofits for key small-to-moderate projects.

In our report, The Climate Catalyst, we make several recommendations to the government on decarbonizing Canada’s transportation, including advancing transportation technology projects and fast-tracking investments in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) charging infrastructure.

In our report, The Climate Catalyst, we make several recommendations to the government on decarbonizing Canada’s transportation, including advancing transportation technology projects and fast-tracking investments in zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) charging infrastructure.

In our report, The Climate Catalyst, we call for government investments in clean technology with promising applications while also de-risking financing with targeted loan guarantees and tax incentives.

In March 2022, the federal government unveiled its 2030 Emissions Plan. As part of the approach, new funding has been made available to trial pre-commercial cleantech and de-risk large-scale pilot projects. Additional tax incentives, such as Investment Tax Credits, have been introduced to help mobilize private capital to accelerate investment in cleantech. The government will also triple funding for the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, which supports the development and purchase among farmers of more energy-efficient equipment.