Advocacy in Action: A Win for Business
by Peter W. Casurella

In the wake of the overwhelming roar of protest from small business owners from across the nation, Finance Minister Bill Morneau promised to listen to what Canadians were saying until the end of the consultation period on October 1st. It now appears that the Minister may have heard what Canadians are saying after all.

On Tuesday, in response to a barrage of pointed questions from a Senate Committee convened to review the proposed tax changes, Morneau admitted that "changes are going to be required", and indicated further that there will be changes to all three parts of the proposals which saw crackdowns on income sprinkling, passive investments, and succession planning for private corporations. Along with the general softening of the rhetoric coming out of the Finance office, the general impression is that the government is backing down from its initial hard-line stance in response to the advocacy efforts of groups like the Chamber of Commerce network and alarming shifts for the Liberal party in public opinion polling.

One thing that Morneau was firm on, though, is that the consultation period is over. The next step is for the Minister and his team to draft new legislation that take into account the feedback they have received.

Our Chamber, along with the entire national network of Chambers represented by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Ottawa would rather see the government establish an independant royal commission to review the Canadian tax code with a view towards fairness and simplification for all taxpayers and increasing the competitiveness of all businesses.

We need your help.

Together we've achieved this victory because hundreds of thousands of people like you did a small action that only cost you a few minutes of your time. Take 5 minutes out of your day to do one of the actions below and let's continue the fight for tax fairness for small businesses and competitiveness in Canada.
Take 5 Minutes to make a Difference
There's a lot you can do to help the Voice of Business be heard. As concerned citizens and business owners we encourage you to take the following actions along with us:


  • Call Finance Minister Bill Morneau directly at his office in Ottawa, or at his constituency. Ask him to set up a Royal Commission to review the tax code. Even if all your calls bounce, this, more than anything else, makes an impact.

House of Commons (Ottawa)
Telephone: 613-992-1377
Fax: 613-992-1383

Constituency Office (Toronto)
Telephone: 416-972-9749
Fax: 416-972-9891

  • Send a letter to your Member of Parliament. You can easily write your MP online by going here. Use the password chamber2017 when prompted. You can also directly email our MP or Bill Morneau with the addresses below. Tell them your personal stories and why the issue is important to you.

Rachael.Harder@parl.gc.ca
Bill.Morneau@parl.gc.ca

  • Take to Social Media, tell your story, and ask Bill Morneau and Justin Trudeau to establish a royal commission to review the tax code. Tag us and the Canadian Chamber as well!

Twitter: @Bill_Morneau @JustinTrudeau
Facebook: @morneau.bill @JustinPJTrudeau

Twitter: @LethChamber @CdnChamberofCom
Facebook: @LethbridgeChamber @CanadianChamberofCommerce
Articles and Resources
The Voice of Business at Work for You
Advocacy Actions on this Issue

  • Sent out Press Releases calling media attention to the issue.
  • Called on our members to mail their Member of Parliament.
  • Called on our members to mail/phone Minister Morneau.
  • Issued educational pieces and information to our members.
  • Participated in a national business protest and called on our members to participate as well.
  • Still engaged in an ongoing social media awarenesss and impact campaign to directly reach decision makers.
  • Produced videos interviewing members about how the tax changes will affect them.
  • Hosted an informational breakfast with KPMG and BDO on the changes.
  • Participated in the drafting of an official policy with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce calling for an independent Royal Commission to review Canada's tax code.
  • Signed a national petition to stop the proposed tax changes.
  • Sent out Business Alert to get action from members before consultation deadline.
  • Got conference attendees to sign 'visual petition' at Opportunity South.
  • Sent 'visual petition' to Bill Morneau
  • Business Alert sent to membership informing them of win. Renewed call to action.
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