Federal Election 2019

Leaders’ survey: what will the parties do for you?

We sent a survey to all six major federal parties, asking them to outline their vision for small business in Canada. Here are the unedited answers from the parties that responded (the Liberal Party. the Conservative Party, the NDP, the People's Party and the Bloc Québecois). We did not receive any response from the Green Party.

Read their responses (PDF)

CFIB's election commitment

Since its founding in 1971, CFIB has been a strictly non-partisan organization. The Federation works with all parties and proposes ideas that support the growth of Canada’s small business sector. Armed with extensive survey data outlining the views of our 110,000 members, CFIB criticizes bad policy and commends good policy, regardless of the party from which it comes.

During the 2015 federal election, CFIB was pleased to note that the NDP, Conservative, Liberal and Green parties all committed to reducing the small business corporate tax rate to 9%. This measure was first proposed by the NDP and then legislated by the Conservative government of the day. After a winding road, this promise was met by the Liberal government.

Throughout the 2019 federal election campaign:

✗ We will NEVER endorse any political party or candidate.

✗ We will NEVER tell our members how to vote.

✓ We will voice the concerns and priorities of independent business owners.

✓ Based on our member surveys, we will put forward measures to help small business succeed and present them to all political parties.

✓ We will compliment small business-friendly policy ideas from any political party.

✓ We will criticize harmful small business policy ideas from any political party.

✓ We will survey party leaders on their commitments to small business and share their responses with our members.

✓ We will try to work cooperatively with any government Canadians choose and all opposition parties.

This is our election commitment.

For independent business to succeed, they need government to go back to basics by focusing on the fundamentals: affordability, financing and skilled labour. To this end, we developed a detailed Small Business Platform based on what our members have told us and have presented it to dozens of politicians in all parties.

Read the platform

Fighting for your business

We've held more than 20 meetings with Cabinet ministers, MPs and staff to present our Small Business Platform. Here are just a few of the meetings we've had.

Diane Lebouthillier
Wayne Easter
Lisa Raitt
Andrew Scheer
Gord Johns
Jagmeet Singh

Among others, we've met with Diane Lebouthillier, the Minister of National Revenue.

CFIB meets with Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier

We also met with Wayne Easter, MP for Malpeque.

Our meetings have included Lisa Raitt, the Deputy Leader of the Conservatives.

CFIB meets with deputy Conservative leader Lisa Raitt

We also met with Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.

We've met with several NDP MPs, including Gord Johns, critic for small business.

CFIB meets with NDP small business critic Gord Johns

We've also met with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, and presented him with our signed letters from business owners.

In business for your business. Since 1971.

With over 110,000 members, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is the largest Canadian organization dedicated exclusively to your interests as an independent business owner.