Katherine Shapiro

GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT - Reform Canada’s procurement system to support investment and ensure a competitive business environment. GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT - Ensuring fair and open procurement practices to drive innovation and technology adoption in Canada. HOUSING - Advocate for policies and legislation that enable the creation of more housing supply, incentivize investment in residential construction and housing – enabling infrastructure, and support the development of skilled labour we need, whether domestically or through immigration, to restore housing affordability to Canadian families. TAXATION AND FINANCE – With regard to the measurement and improvement of Canada’s tax competitiveness, including: reforming the taxation, remittance, filing and audit processes of Canadian businesses and tax policy which improves the competitiveness of the Canadian business environment INTERNATIONAL TRADE – With respect to issues relating to trade controls, including tariffs, import and export controls, sanctions, and trade remedies. INDUSTRY - Improving the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit program to drive innovation; increase the role that the federal government plays in creating opportunities for small and medium sized businesses to digitalize and conduct more business activities online; developing a digital economy strategy for Canada. HEALTH – Ensuring we improve access to necessary medicines by building on rather than displacing the important role of private insurers and respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction. CYBER SECURITY - Encouraging the government to prioritize cybersecurity innovation, talent development, and critical infrastructure resilience; modernize research and development; accelerate commercialization in the space; support the secure digitalization of small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and improve the global competitiveness of Canada’s cybersecurity industry. IMMIGRATION - Reducing regulatory burdens for employers; promoting immigration to small, rural and northern communities; supporting regional and local community immigration strategies; maintaining and modernizing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program; Facilitating pathways to permanent residency for temporary residents (international students and TFWs; expediting and simplifying foreign credential recognition, calling for an international student and global talent strategy; improving language training as well as settlement and employment supports to newcomers, aligning immigration programs with labour market needs, improving the Start-Up Visa process, improving client services to potential immigrants and newcomers. EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING – National Workforce Strategy, programs that support small and medium sized enterprises, improving collection and dissemination of Labour Market Information, establishing the Employment Insurance Council to institutionalize social dialogue between workers and employers on issues related to employment and training needs, addressing barriers to labour mobility, improving effectiveness of employment supports and skills training. EDUCATION - Aligning employer and workforce needs with education and training; expanding skilling, upskilling, reskilling and work integrated learning opportunities. INFRASTRUCTURE – Improvement of Canada’s infrastructure through the National Infrastructure Assessment, National Supply Chains Strategy, and establishment of a Canada Trade Infrastructure Plan. TRANSPORTATION - Regarding the consistent funding of trade-enabling infrastructure projects; the development of a competitive and efficient transportation network including all modes of transportation; the fluidity and stability of supply chain operations, minimizing disruptions. LABOUR - Ensuring that any changes to the Canada Labour Code are implemented in response to defined and demonstrated issues and not to increase regulatory burdens for employers; minimizing labour disruption impacts on Canadian bus

Resuming issuance of Canadian real return bonds. Discussing climate, environmental, and sustainable finance policies, including the incorporation of climate-related and transition-related risks into government policy and frameworks, and factors influencing institutional investor capital allocation decisions. Linking mining practices in Canada to climate-aligned initiatives, and supporting the Mining 2030 initiative, which seeks to responsibly develop critical mineral mines while attracting investor capital. Discuss improvements to Canada's carbon markets and the industrial price on carbon. Request for amendments to the Income Tax Regulations to allow a jointly sponsored pension plans to accept pension funds for an incoming single employer pension plan member who already has overlapping service in the jointly sponsored pension plan for the same period. General discussions on investments, including possible investments in Canadian infrastructure projects and linking investments with federal priorities and announcements (e.g., the latest Fall Economic Statement includes pension-related investment programs and the Stephen Poloz led working group targeted how to increase domestic investments by Canadian pensions). Implementing the Sustainable Finance Action Council's recommendations, including the development and implementation of a Canadian Green and Transition Taxonomy. Taxonomies help in addressing the climate change funding issue by making clear opportunities for climate-related investment. Implementing climate-related financial disclosure frameworks, policies, and other measures for public and private companies. Working with various government representatives and entities to understand and implement measures to overcome barriers to increasing the level of climate-related financial disclosures. This includes defining what constitutes a small company and other work to identify appropriate levels of disclosure.