Each provincial election we reach out to the leaders of major political parties at the time the election is called and ask them key questions about their platforms and plans for small businesses and the economy should they form the next government.
This year, we asked the following 12 questions:
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan to improve small business affordability?
- If elected, what is your government’s tax plan for small businesses, including the small business tax rate, fuel taxes, property taxes and a potential provincial sales tax?
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan to reduce the debt burden, and does your government have a timeline in place to reach a balanced budget?
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan to encourage more people to not only get out and spend in their communities, but also to assure them that it’s important to shop local?
- If elected, what is your plan for red tape reduction?
- If elected, what is your plan, if any, to introduce a provincial carbon tax? If not, will you commit to pressuring the federal government to return $2.5 billion in federal carbon tax revenues it has collected from small businesses since 2019?
- If elected, what is your plan to address environmental concerns, specifically expanding renewable energy sources and recycling programs?
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan to address the province’s labour shortage?
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan, if any, to change labour policies in the areas of workers compensation, occupational health and safety, and employment standards?
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan for increasing the minimum wage moving forward?
- If elected, what is your government’s specific plan, if any, to introduce either employer paid, or government funded paid sick days?
- If elected, what is your plan to address concerns surrounding public safety for small businesses?
Party leaders were issued the survey on May 11 and given until May 23 to answer.
You can view leader's responses as we received them, unedited, in the links below. Responses are presented in alphabetical order.