Don’t overlook small business in Manitoba election

CFIB survey shows only 10 per cent of entrepreneurs confident their issues will get the attention they deserve

Winnipeg, March 22, 2016 – With the Manitoba election underway, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is urging party leaders, who claim to care about jobs for Manitobans, to pay close attention to small business priorities.

CFIB’s election platform, “A Vision for 2020”, calls on parties to address three key areas that affect the province’s small business climate: fixing Manitoba’s fiscal fundamentals, creating a competitive tax climate, and regulatory accountability.

“Over the next few weeks we’ll hear party leaders claiming to have a plan to create jobs for Manitobans. But who is just talking, and who is actually listening to the province's job creators and their needs?" asked Elliot Sims, CFIB director of provincial affairs for Manitoba. “Manitoba’s small business issues are Manitoba’s economic issues, and they need to be front and centre during election debates and in all party platforms.”

CFIB conducted a pre-election survey that found only 10 per cent of Manitoba entrepreneurs are confident small business priorities will receive attention during the provincial election. Another 71 per cent of respondents are not confident, and 19 per cent don’t know. 

“There are dozens of actions the next provincial government can take to make it easier for small business owners to create jobs,” added Sims. “Manitoba’s political parties need to clearly articulate their plans and policies to make Manitoba more competitive.”

CFIB, as a non-partisan organization, has shared its small business election platform with all major parties and urges all party leaders to commit to small-business friendly policies in its 2016 Leaders’ Survey on Small Business Issues. CFIB will post leaders’ survey responses, unedited, on its website, share with media outlets, and encourage members to view the responses in their preparation for Election Day on April 19th.

Please visit CFIB’s website to read the full Manitoba small business election platform and leader’s survey.

To arrange an interview with Elliot Sims, please call 1-888-234-2232, 204-982-0817, or email msman@cfib.ca.  Follow CFIB Manitoba on Twitter @cfibMB.

CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members (4,800 in Manitoba) across every sector and region.