Regional Priorities for Federal & Provincial Budgets

In the coming months, the federal and provincial governments will be approving their 2023 budgets. In this issue of the Advocate, a number of leaders in our community have highlighted some of the key priorities facing the Region of Waterloo and how the upcoming budgets can or should impact our community. There are many key issues currently affecting a majority of Canadians and Ontarians including inflation and its impact on the affordability of food, housing and other essentials, healthcare, availability of jobs, skilled labour shortages, immigration, and the cost of borrowing. As we emerge from the height of the global pandemic, it will be interesting to see how our governments shift gears to tackle some of these major issues. It will be important for government to identify ways to help families struggling with affordability, without massively increasing deficits and allowing business and our economy to grow.

Our Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce staff do a great job of connecting with our members and listening to their concerns and priorities. They act as key advocates in dealing with all levels of government to ensure the priorities of our community are heard and taken into consideration. Some of the key areas of focus are covered in detail from our contributing guest writers this month. Ron Gagnon and Mark Fam have provided some great insights into healthcare policy and how it can meet the demands of our growing region. A strong healthcare system is a key priority of many of the employers and Chamber members in our community as it can help attract skilled labour to the Region of Waterloo. The Waterloo Region Association of Realtors discusses current and upcoming trends relating to housing affordability in our Region for prospective home owners and renters, another key priority for attracting talent to move here. BDO has also provided an overview of the upcoming federal and provincial budgets.

We hope that you find the information provided insightful and interesting, and it gives you a greater sense of the advocacy work that the Chamber does on behalf of its members. With the Chamber and many other great leaders in our community working together, we hope that our region will continue to grow and prosper.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Gilfillan

Scott Gilfillan is a chartered professional accountant and a partner with PwC in assurance, as well as their Waterloo Market Leader. Scott focuses on providing clients with audit and accounting advice while acting as a trusted business advisor.

For more details on how to become a member, contact Dana at: greaterkwchamber com