EDMONTON, AB: NDP policies have chipped away at small business confidence to the point where business optimism remains by far the weakest in the country according to a recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) report, Wildrose Jobs Shadow Minister Grant Hunter said.
“It’s a sad state of affairs that only one third of Alberta business owners say their firms are in good shape,” Hunter said. “Combined with higher business and personal taxes, a royalty review and policies geared to hurt profits for small businesses, Albertans are growing frustrated by this NDP government pursuing its ideological economic agenda at a time where we can least afford it.”
The NDP government announced in June their plan to make a dramatic 50 per cent increase to minimum wage. Small businesses are already warning this rapid increase will lead to a mix of higher prices, job losses and lower growth.
The CFIB report also highlighted the fact 59 per cent of business owners now identify wage costs as a major cost constraint, a number that has grown month over month in 2015.
“Wildrose is focused on restoring Alberta’s reputation as being the best place to live and work,” Hunter said. “We will push to cut red tape for small business owners, and continue to call on the government to shrink small business taxes from 3 per cent to 2 per cent.”