Revised federal tax changes: More left to be done but a step in the right direction for businessThe original federal tax changes announced in July 2017 would've been a big hit to business competitiveness. We made it our mission to advocate on behalf of your business to ensure the Government of Canada understood the consequences of the proposed measures. During Small Business Week, the Government of Canada announced updates to scale back the tax changes originally proposed. Though these new measures represent steps in the right direction, they don't address all of the flaws in the original proposals or in our tax system. Building A Calgary that Works with our new City CouncilIn September, the Chamber launched a solutions-focused platform of recommendations and ideas to get Calgary working again. Titled A Calgary that Works, the platform's ideas were covered in over 50 news stories throughout the election, 54 candidates filled out the survey to weigh in on the recommendations, and 33 pledged their support to A Calgary that Works. The Calgary Chamber would like to congratulate Mayor Naheed Nenshi on his reelection, as well as the ten returning, and four new City Council members. We look forward to meeting with each Council member to address the issues that are impacting our city and business community. Give your inputLend your voice to our 2018 provincial budget submissionYou can help us ensure the Alberta Government considers your business in their 2018 Budget. Throughout our consultations with Calgary businesses in 2017, we've heard one concern again and again: it’s becoming harder to run a business in Alberta. That's why the focus of our Budget 2018 submission will be on making Alberta a more competitive place to do business, while reducing the barriers that may be making it harder for your company to be successful. Take five minutes to fill out our survey, and let us know how they can make our province a better place to do business. Dive deeperKeeping business issues at the forefront of cannabis legislationThe Government of Canada recently introduced legislation to legalize cannabis by July 2018. While legalization is a federal decision, the provinces have many responsibilities that will directly impact business activity. We worked with other Chambers across the province to ensure the Alberta Government considers the business community’s concerns when developing legislation that governs Alberta’s cannabis retail model, along with potential workplace safety, home growing, and public use issues. We are also submitting our own letter that outlines the benefits of a private retail model, and potential workplace safety issues. Addressing business concerns on the draft City Charter regulationsCalgary and Edmonton are currently governed under the Municipal Government Act, a one-size-fits-all approach to governing all municipalities in the province. This leaves Calgary following the same governance model as, for example, a village of 25 people like Gadsby, Alberta. While the Chamber supports the provincial government’s efforts to allow Calgary and Edmonton a more localized approach to decision making through the new City Charters, there are a few issues within the draft regulations that may be harmful to local businesses. |