What we saw in the 2021 Fall Economic Statement

Today Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled the government’s Fall Economic Statement in the House of Commons.

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In response, CCI Executive Director Benjamin Bergen issued the following statement on behalf of our members, more than 140 scale-up technology companies headquartered in Canada.

“For more than a year, CCI’s members have been calling on the federal government to develop a plan for growth and prosperity in the 21st century. While we appreciate the government’s emphasis on the immediate effects of the pandemic, now is the time to be planning and putting Canada in the best possible position for the post-pandemic economic recovery.

“The government can’t tax its way to prosperity, but in order to pay for the pandemic supports and social services Canadians expect, we need a strategy to drive economic growth. On behalf of CCI’s members, we had hoped to see measures to enhance the pool of highly skilled talent available to domestic technology companies. Our members had also hoped to see early steps on streamlining and modernizing the cornerstone innovation funding program in Canada, the scientific research and experimental development tax credit, which both the government and the Official Opposition have recently advocated for.

“Finally, to set the conditions for the future economy, we had hoped to see steps to put Canada on a stronger footing in the digital economy. On open banking, modernizing privacy regulation, and building our national cybersecurity capacity, Canadian technology companies are eager to see clear leadership from the federal government. Moreover, we need to engage with the government to ensure that these measures support growth, drive innovation and create the conditions for prosperity.”

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Media Contact:

James McLeod

jmcleod@canadianinnovators.org

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