Cassandre Gratton

CFIB supports the principle behind the Canada Jobs Grant but encourages flexibility in its implementation and consideration of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs)' needs. For example, introducing a permanent refundable tax credits for co-op and internship hires and reducing red tape from programs like Canada Summer Jobs to make it easier for small businesses to continue hiring youth. Advocating on behalf of small and medium-sized businesses to facilitate trade between Canada and other countries (CAN-US tariffs, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, Chinese tariffs). Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shares its suggestions for Budget 2026 focusing on: reducing the small business tax rate from 9% to 6% and increasing the small business deduction (SBD) threshold to $700,000 and index it to inflation going forward. Canada is experiencing an “entrepreneurial drought”: a sustained period where business closures consistently outpace new business starts, leading to a shrinking entrepreneurial base and declining confidence in entrepreneurship. CFIB recommends that reversing this trend should be treated as a national economic priority. Sharing small businesses' views on Labour Code changes, impact on small businesses and the need to ensure the fluidity of the supply chain. Sharing survey results on improving CFIA customer service to encourage the review of their operations to better meet the needs of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) - reducing red tape and facilitating food mobility within Canada. Sharing data information and recommendations related to the state of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) overall and for specific sectors which could also include provincial data. Promoting reforms to the Competition Act that will ensure small businesses have an equitable opportunity to compete in today’s economy, especially as small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have noted an increase in large corporate giants within Canada. Shipping costs pose a significant barrier for small business, as such we continue to advocate for favourable shipping rates with carriers (including the cost of shipping along with better service levels and addressing the work stoppage at Canada Post). Presenting the views of small business owners based on our survey data to the Canada Revenue Agency to share ways of improving customer service interactions with small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and suggest ways to ease the tax burden on small business owners as well as increase accountability within the agency. CFIB continues to monitor the effects of the Consumer Product Safety Act on small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and other issues raised related to the mandate of Health Canada. We also continue to monitor customer service interactions between our members and Health Canada. Any issues are raised with officials. CFIB advocates for simplification to the federal procurement process on behalf of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Lobbying to reduce Red Tape by focusing on removing interprovincial trade barriers, facilitating labour mobility and improving government customer service. This includes providing input for the consultations on the Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill. Goods and Services Tax/ Harmonized Sales Tax Administration with regards to Transitional Rules, Out of Province Sales Rules, Point-of-Sale Rebate, and fillings. Retirement Income Policies, and proposed Canada Pension Plan increases. CFIB is against mandatory increases in Canada Pension Plan, and has provided alternative approaches. CFIB has also shared recommendations to reduce disincentives to work for older workers. Presenting the views of small business owners on infrastructure spending through member survey results, mandate votes and other CFIB research. Offering funding solutions and alternatives to government proposals on transit and infrastructure expansion. Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

Ensuring a fair and open competition in defence procurements Contract with the Department of National Defence for Canada's Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA)

Federal support for equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and Indigenization efforts including Employment Equity, Pay Equity and data collection Support for federal policies, legislation and regulations that respect institutional autonomy, academic freedom and collegial governance in post-secondary education. Increased federal supports for post-secondary education, students, academic and professional staff, including student financial assistance, federal transfers and programs such as infrastructure, official languages, and training. Advocacy on federal research funding, policy, science governance, research integrity and research security frameworks Ensuring users' rights are respected with regards to educators' ability to access, use and share materials covered by copyright. Increase in funding for federal programs that support Indigenous post-secondary education

Seeking to lift the 2% funding cap on Post-Secondary Student Support Program funding, increase in funding available for Indigenous students and establish dedicated funding to preserve, promote and honour Indigenous languages and cultures. Seeking to increase the Canada Student Grants Program, expand eligibility to include graduate students and improve the Canada Student Loan Program. Seeking to increase funding to improve mental health services available to students. Seeking to establish national framework legislation for post-secondary education funding. Seeking to eliminate tuition fees for all students, restore core funding for post-secondary education, increase investments in skilled trades and apprenticeships and adult education, and increase funding for post-secondary research and scholarships. Immigration regulations, with respect to post-graduate work periods and in-study off-campus work limitations. Fair Elections Act, seeking amendments to the act to ensure students and young people are able to participate in voting. Copyright Act, with respect to interpretation of fair dealing Canada Summer Jobs program, seeking increase to annual budget. Canada Education Savings Act, with respect to converting expenditures on tax credits into need-based grants. BILL C-312 ( Canada Post-Secondary Education Act) An Act relating to cash contributions by Canada and to criteria and conditions in respect of post-secondary education Bankruptcy Act, seeking elimination of prohibition on student loan bankruptcy.

Advocating for Canada to impose an immediate Arms Embargo on Israel using Canada's Special Economic Measures Act and for Canada to suspend the Canada-Israel Strategic Partnership and the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement given Israel's violations of international law in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iran. Changing the way the government applies the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to ensure Canada's migration regime is not engaging in systemic anti-Palestinian racism or Islamophobia. Pushing for reforms to the act to ensure it is consistent with international law and human rights. Ensuring Canada's migration streams are not based on anti-Palestinian racism or Islamophobia. Encouraging a whole-of-government approach to ending Canadian complicity in Israeli settlements. Ensuring Canada enforces its war crimes legislation. Stopping Canadian participation in the settlement economy through legislative options to stop the import of goods from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory and the end to real estate sales in Israeli settlements. Advocating repeal of the federal government’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Advocating for increases to all development assistance in support of Palestine and in particular increased funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Advocacy for an immediate and unconditional recognition of the State of Palestine and for Canada to adopt a non-interventionist position on the internal politics of the state, Palestinian authority, PLO. For Canada to end military and policing ties to the Palestinian Authority. Adding anti-Palestinian racism to Canada's Federal anti-racism strategy. Ensuring Canada views settler colonialism as central to our analysis of racism and our anti-racism strategy. Ensuring our anti-racism programming respects political and civil rights of Palestinians, including Charter Rights. Ensuring Canadian policy does not suppress Palestinians right to speak on their experience of structural racism in Israel and Canada.

The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act and its cross-partisan support. Canadian International Development Program: we want the Government to maintain a strong commitment towards poverty reduction in developing countries, through a good and clear policy framework and through funds and programs that allow Canadian Civil Society Organizations to participate actively in international development, with their local partners. (including humanitarian assistance) A project to enhance contributions of Canadian civil society organizations (CSOs) to the effectiveness of Canada’s international cooperation efforts.

Veiller à la mise en œuvre de l'application du Règlement sur les langues officielles - communications avec le public et prestation de service suite aux résultats du Recensement de 2011 Recherche d'appui et de contributions gouvernementales pour appuyer la mise en oeuvre du plan stratégique pour favoriser l'immigration au sein des communautés francophones en situation minoritaire Programme des langues officielles - Prochain Plan d'action pour les langues officielles Programme de promotion de l'accès à la justice dans les deux langues officielles - participation à la mise en oeuvre du programme Programme d'appui aux langues officielles de Patrimoine canadien - volet vie communautaire - renouvellement des accords de collaboration provinciales et territoriales en appui aux développement des communautés francophones et acadiennes ainsi que de l'appui aux organismes nationaux à vocation sectorielle. Programme d'appui aux langues officielles de Patrimoine canadien pour promouvoir les besoins des communautés francophones et acadiennes Politique sur les paiements de transferts - mise en oeuvre des recommadations du groupe d'experts et mise en oeuvre des obligations sous la Partie VII de la Loi sur les langues officielles Politique sur l'utilisation des langues officielles pour les communications avec le public et la prestation des services Obtenir des contributions du Programme d'établissement de Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada relativement à la coordination du dossier de l'immigration dans les communautés francophones et acadiennes et l'appui du ministère pour des services d'accueil et d'établissement en français dans diverses régions du pays. Loi sur les langues officielles - son application et sa mise en oeuvre - particulièrement les Parties IV,V et VII Charte canadienne des droits et libertés - mise en oeuvre des articles 16 à 20 et 23 - mise en oeuvre d'un programme d'appui aux droits linguistiques Cadre de politiques en matière de langues officielles - Mise à jour de la règlementation relié à la Loi sur les langues officielles et du régime linguistique au Canada

ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED AWARENESS, PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF WOMEN'S HEART AND BRAIN HEALTH RISK FACTORS THROUGH BILL S-243, AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH IN CANADA ADVOCATE FOR A MODERNIZED CHARITABLE TAXATION FRAMEWORK THAT STRENGTHENS CHARITIES AND THEIR ABILITY TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF CANADIANS. FINALIZE REGULATIONS TO RESTRICT VAPE FLAVOURS (INCLUDING MINT/MENTHOL); INTRODUCE PLAIN AND STANDARDIZED PACKAGING FOR VAPING PRODUCTS; INCREASE TOBACCO AND VAPE TAXES; IMPLEMENT A TOBACCO COST RECOVERY FEE; PROTECT EXISTING NICOTINE POUCH REGULATIONS; BAN INTERNET/ONLINE SALES FOR TOBACCO AND E-CIGARETTES; PROHIBIT THE SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS AMONGST INDIVIDUALS BORN BEFORE A DETERMINED YEAR; INCREASE THE MINIMUM LEGAL AGE OF SALE FOR TOBACCO AND VAPING PRODUCTS TO 21 YEARS OF AGE. SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ELIMINATE FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO SPORT PARTICIPATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, WHILE ENSURING SPORT PARTICIPATION FUNDING IS ROLLED OUT IN AN ACCESSIBLE, EQUITABLE, AND INCLUSIVE MANNER. ADVOCATE FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION TO REDUCE THE CONSUMPTION OF, AND HARMS ASSOCIATED WITH, ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS. ADVOCATE FOR AND FUND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAMS FOR CANADIANS, INCLUDING EQUITY-SEEKING GROUPS. INTRODUCTION OF A NATIONAL PHARMACARE PROGRAM IMPLEMENT REGULATIONS TO RESTRICT COMMERCIAL MARKETING OF UNHEALTHY FOODS AND BEVERAGES TO CHILDREN IMPLEMENT A TAX ON SUGARY DRINKS. REVENUES FROM SUCH A TAXATION STREAM SHOULD BE USED TO SUBSIDIZE HEALTHY EATING INITIATIVES FUND PUBLIC AWARENESS FOR IMPROVED USE OF DEFIBRILLATORS AND CPR. ADVOCATE FOR A TAX-EXEMPTION ON THE SALE OF DEFIBRILLATORS. ENSURE THAT THE DEDICATED FEDERAL ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUND BECOMES A PERMANENT ENVELOPE IN CANADA'S INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING.

Enacting legislative changes addressing the use of parental alienation and associated pseudo-concepts, so that our justice system can begin protecting women and children without waiting for a slow change in case law precedent. Banning parental alienation accusations in family court. Federal Budget with respect to sustained funding for WAGE and for Women's Rights organizations. Bill C-21: An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), with respect to banning assault-style firearms and domestic/family violence provisions.

Strategies to prevent gender-based violence through firearm safety measures, including national firearms buyback program Advancing investments, policies and programs around caregiving and the care economy with a gender equity focus, including supporting the majority-women community services workforce. Investments in Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care, rollout of childcare agreements across Canada. Women's Housing and Homelessness, ensuring a gender equity lens in federal housing policy and affordable housing investments, and the renewal of funding for housing dedicated to women. We are seeking investments in women's labour market participation, including investments in re-skilling programs that are gender-responsive. Advancing policies, programs and investments in gender-based violence prevention and intervention, including the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. Federal budget with respect to investments in the social service sector for funding the supports the mental health of frontline community service workers. Addressing online hate and technology-facilitated violence through online safety legislation, policies or regulations.