CFIB outlines small business priorities for Alberta’s fall legislative session

Small businesses call for affordability, fiscal responsibility and action on escalating costs.

Calgary, October 23, 2025 – As the Alberta Legislature reconvenes, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the provincial government to make affordability and fiscal responsibility top priorities for the fall session.

“Alberta small businesses are facing mounting pressures, from soaring costs and economic uncertainty to weak consumer demand,” said Keyli Loeppky, Director for Alberta and Interprovincial Affairs at CFIB. “Government action is critical to ease these burdens, restore our fiscal health, and keep Alberta competitive.”

CFIB’s October Business Barometer® shows Alberta has the lowest small business confidence in Canada, with insufficient demand and a shortage of skilled labour cited as the top barriers to growth. Despite this, 61 per cent of Alberta’s entrepreneurs believe the provincial government has their back – the highest support in the country.

Small businesses are clear about what matters most: careful and responsible management of public funds, addressing rising prices and the cost of doing business, and reducing the overall tax burden. These priorities reflect the urgent need for disciplined fiscal policy and affordability measures that will help restore confidence and keep Alberta’s economy strong.

To achieve this, small businesses support the government enforcing debt reduction targets, implementing legislated spending limits for government outside of a global crisis, reducing the size and cost of the provincial government public service, and freezing operating budgets of all departments at their current levels.

To support small businesses and Albertans, CFIB recommends the provincial government:

• Reduce the small business tax rate to 0% (currently 2%), while indexing the inclusion threshold to inflation, raising it from $500,000 to $700,000.
• Reduce the Insurance Premium Tax, currently set at 4%.
• Re-freeze the Education Property Tax, that is set to increase to $4.00 per $1,000 of equalized assessment for non-residential properties in 2025-26
• Refrain from increases to the minimum wage and introduce a stable, predictable framework for future adjustments.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Alberta’s economy, but they can’t carry the weight of rising costs and a $6.5 billion deficit alone,” added Loeppky. “The provincial government must lead with disciplined spending and bold, practical measures to protect affordability and maintain the trust of entrepreneurs who drive growth and jobs in this province.”

CFIB is encouraging small business owners to sign its petition, urging the Alberta government to take meaningful action in reducing the cost of doing business and improving overall affordability.

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:

Keyli Loeppky
587-580-9140
Keyli.loeppky@cfib.ca

About CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members (10,000 in Alberta) across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.