Dear valued Chamber member,

The second quarter of 2007 is coming to a close – and as you continued to work on the success of your business, we focused our efforts on the policy issues and obstacles that you identified as key priorities. 

Chamber Progress Report on Your Five Priority Issues

The Chamber’s Public and Government Affairs Department and our member policy committees have been proactive and influential in addressing the issues that are most important to the success of your business, as determined in a recent survey.  Below is a summary of some of our work.

Labour Shortages

• Chamber efforts improve temporary foreign worker program
• Chamber welcomes new Canada-Alberta immigration deal
• The aging workforce: removing disincentives and creating incentives to continue working

Infrastructure Deficit

• Sustainable funding for municipalities, but no new taxes

High Levels of Taxation

• Chamber calls for greater fiscal restraint in response to provincial budget
• Chamber members offer provincial budget feedback to Finance Minister

Municipal Affairs

• City must beef up role of its auditor
• Avoiding the potholes on road to settlement

Affordable Housing

• Chamber provides solutions to Alberta Affordable Housing Task Force
• The Chamber makes labour shortages and affordable housing top issues at Alberta Chambers AGM

Additional Priority Policy Initiatives

Alberta Royalty Review
In May, The Calgary Chamber of Commerce (based on the work of an ad-hoc Policy Task Force made up of members of your Natural Resources, Environment, and Tax & Economic Affairs Committees) made a presentation to the Alberta Royalty Review Panel. Our submission reflected members’ perspectives, and highlighted the importance of a balanced provincial royalty regime to the overall economic conditions of the province. The Chamber’s position was well received in the business community and was featured in the Calgary Sun, Calgary Herald, Nickle’s Daily Oil Bulletin, and on QR-77, a local radio station.
A full-text copy of the Chamber’s Royalty Panel Submission can be found here.

Federal Climate Change Plan
The federal government recently released a climate change strategy. The plan incorporates three key approaches that the Chamber has strongly advocated – emissions-intensity targets, an emissions trading system that will not send Canadian wealth overseas, and a focus on investments in technology and research. However, the short timelines represent a carbon tax that will drive up costs to consumers and further undermines investor confidence.
Our critique can be found here.

Information and Feedback

More information on our policy and advocacy efforts and The Chamber’s new policy team is available on our website, www.calgarychamber.com.

As always, your support of our advocacy initiatives is both appreciated, and fundamental to our collective success. I welcome your feedback on any of the issues that we’ve reported to you in this update and any other suggestions you may have.

I can be reached at 750-0406 or by email at: gpradella@calgarychamber.com.

Yours truly,

Geoffrey M. Pradella
Vice President, Public & Government Affairs
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce

Our Mission: The Chamber’s Public & Government Affairs Department acts as the leading forum for debate, and advocates public policy solutions that improve the business climate on behalf of our members.