As dark clouds gather over the economy, Canadians head to the polls Oct. 21. In choosing a government, they will help to set the course for the nation in 2020 and beyond. As the leading voice for large B.C. enterprises, the business council has a perspective on many of the economic challenges that will confront the next federal government.
The second most-cited issue in our survey is developing a more innovative and productive economy, followed by boosting investment in trade enabling infrastructure to support Canada’s participation in international markets and supply chains. Business leaders would also like to see Ottawa pay greater attention to regulatory efficiency. Rounding out the Top 5 issues is ensuring that Canada has an effective and credible climate policy.
Our survey also asked respondents to indicate their level of optimism or pessimism about the future of the Canadian economy. The results aren’t comforting. Only four per cent are “very optimistic,” while 28 per cent are “somewhat optimistic” about how the economy will perform in the next three to five years. More than 40 per cent are pessimistic about Canada’s prospects. The remaining one-quarter are on the fence, being neither optimistic nor pessimistic.