Over half of small business owners undecided as province heads into fall election

Reduction in taxes, health care investments, and red tape reduction top considerations of business owners

Moncton, June 20, 2024 – A strong majority (95%) of small business owners in New Brunswick say they will vote, but over half (55%) remain undecided as they gear up for the summer months, according to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey.

CFIB found that currently 83% of small business owners say reducing provincial taxes and investment into health care are the top two concerns that will influence their vote. Reducing administrative burden (red tape) rounded off the top three considerations at 77%.

“The days of summer are starting, and results indicate business owners will be listening attentively to the proposals of each political party before they make up their minds,” said Louis-Philippe Gauthier, CFIB’s vice-president for Atlantic. “Time will tell if political commitments and messaging reach small business owners.”

New Brunswick 2024 Election - List of important issues for small business owners in the provincial election campaign

Notes: The CFIB New Brunswick 2024 Election survey was conducted in person. A total of 151 CFIB members and owners of Canadian independent businesses, from all sectors and regions of the province answered the questions above. May 13 - June 18, 2024. Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding and skipped answers.

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:

Louis-Philippe Gauthier
Atlantic Vice-president
506-961-5706

About CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region, including 3,700 in New Brunswick. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.