The Red Deer Chamber of Commerce went three-for-three on the road this past weekend.
Chamber president Gayle Langford, executive director Tim Creedon, and policy co-ordinator Jonathan Seib were in Hamilton to pitch policy resolutions at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting. They emerged with two made-in-Red-Deer resolutions and a third co-sponsored with the Camrose Chamber of Commerce earning adoption by the national organization.
One of the two resolutions presented by the Red Deer Chamber alone calls for the federal and provincial governments to make various improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and immigration programs to facilitate the use of foreign workers to reduce labour shortages.
The other recommends that the Canadian government index income tax exemptions, deductions and contribution limits — such as child care costs and Canada Pension Plan contributions — so Canadians and businesses are not unfairly taxed.
The resolution presented jointly with the Camrose Chamber urges the Canadian government to improve and smooth Canada Revenue Agency’s dealings with small businesses, so that such interactions are quicker, simpler and less expensive.
Last September, the Red Deer Chamber succeeded in getting three policy resolutions adopted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
These focused on a green economy, technology-driven innovation and the impact of the Harmonized Sales Tax.
In May of this year, the local Chamber also had six policy resolutions adopted by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce.
They covered issues ranging from food production and transportation to labour and taxes.