Leila Dance

Advocate for government to introduce programs/testing to monitor and address the movement of poultry into Canada outside of Canada's import (TRQ) controls. Provide input and advice on Canada's Food Security Strategy and other measures to address food insecurity. Inquiries regarding the processing of Remission Applications Advocate for red tape reduction. Funding under Strategic Innovation Fund and other government programs to support food manufacturing in Canada. Extension of open work permits and addition of pathways to permanent residency for foreign workers in the food manufacturing sector. Advocating for regulations to exclude food from the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act given the significant risks to food safety and international trade. Tariffs: Lobby federal government on Canada's response to U.S. and other tariffs Orderly functioning of Poultry Supply Management including allocation decisions. Plastic packaging - ensure Federal Policy framework sets achievable targets for food packaging and recognizes packaging functional requirements. Greenwashing provisions of Competition Act - requesting amendments to address concern that legislation will reduce climate leadership in Canada. Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its application to food manufacturing and agriculture. The National Animal Health and Welfare Strategy, planning for a foreign animal disease outbreak and updating the Animal Transport Regulations. The Import for Re-export Program for chicken, administration of import controls for chicken and fowl and design of a Processor Modernization Program. The Food and Drugs Regulations and policies, specifically approval of food ingredients including anti-microbial treatments for meat, approval of health claims, implementation of new allergen labeling regulations and policies on sodium reduction. Public Opinion Polling related to food insecurity and poverty Preparedness for African Swine Fever Policies and Programs to reduce food insecurity Policies and programs that address the social determinants of health Initiatives under the Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance as it relates to the meat and livestock industry. Implementation of a national school food program Healthy Eating Strategy including implementation of the new Nutrition Facts Table, front-of-pack nutrition labeling regulations, development of the new Canada's Food Guide. Government action to stengthen the food safety system through new regulations under the Safe Food for Canadians Act. CFIA's labeling modernization initiative and impact on food labeling practices in the food marketplace. Access to funding under Canadian Agricultural Partnership programs Providing input on the scope of the 21st Century Corporations Act, particularly as it relates to the obligations placed on corporations and directors under the Act.

Tourism - Program or policy to promote tourism to Canada. Including, renewal and continued funding and associated federal financial commitments for the International Convention Attraction Fund Tourisme – Programme ou politique pour promouvoir le tourisme au Canada. Incluant le renouvellement et la poursuite du financement ainsi que les engagements financiers associés pour le Fonds d’attraction des congrès internationaux Transportation – Aviation related policies, legislation and regulations, such as the Air Passenger Rights Regulations. Transport - Politiques, législations et réglementations liées à l’industrie du transport aérien telles que le règlement sur la protection des passagers aériens. Taxation and Finance – Policies related to the competitiveness of the aviation industry at the international and domestic level. Fiscalité et finances – Politiques liées à la compétitivité de l’industrie du transport aérien à l’échelle internationale et nationale. Official Languages- Obligations under the Official Language Act in the context of the aviation industry and the modernization of the Official Languages Act. Langues officielles – Obligations en vertu de la Loi sur les langues officielles dans le contexte de l’industrie du transport aérien, et modernisation de la Loi sur les langues officielles. Labour –Labour laws and regulations, health and occupational safety standards impacting the airline industry. Relations du travail – Lois et règlements sur le travail et normes de santé et de sécurité au travail qui ont une incidence sur l’industrie du transport aérien. International Trade - Canada's international trade and aviation agreements under Canada's Blue Sky policy. Commerce international – Accords du Canada en matière de commerce international et de transport aérien dans le cadre de la politique Ciel bleu. Industry - Overall competitive position of Canada's aviation and tourism industry. Industrie – Position concurrentielle globale des secteurs canadiens du transport aérien et du tourisme. Environment - International Civil Aviation Organization process on emission management and domestic policies related to aviation. Environnement – Processus de gestion des émissions de l’Organisation de l’aviation civile internationale et politiques nationales liées au secteur du transport aérien. Accessibility – Accessibility-related policies, laws and regulations as they relate to the airline industry, including the Accessible Canada Act and all related standards and regulations.

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)

Clean electricity regulations and emissions cap Investing in Employment Insurance, care workers, unionized jobs and strong workplace standards Addressing the high cost of living and investing in affordable housing Implementation of universal pharmacare, dental care, long term care and mental health care Labour provisions in the Canada-Ecuador Trade Agreement and Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. The regularization of undocumented workers, update and possible next steps for the CLC Out-of-status Construction Workers in the GTA project Bill C-65, Canada Elections Act With interest in provisions that impact Third Parties and contributions to Third Parties Bill C-27, Digitial Charter Implementation Act - Part III of C-27 and the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and workers.

Agriculture industry as it relates to growth. Supply management system as it relates to the chicken sector. Environment initiatives as they relate to the chicken industry. Chicken Farmers of Canada’s Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program. World Trade Organization agreements (WTO) as they relate to the negotiations on agriculture. The Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) as it relates to supply management. Regional and Bilateral Trade Negotiations with regard to possible impact on the Canadian chicken sector. Meat Inspection Regulations with respect to poultry processing. Health of Animals Act and Regulations dealing with the development and refinement of animal disease preparedness and response protocols. Funding for the development and implementation of on-farm programs. Tariff classifications, Tariff enforcement, Duties Deferral and Drawback Programs. Consumer Packaging and Labeling Regulations with respect to production claims on labels. Administration and allocation of the Tariff Rate Quota. Canadian Food Inspection Agency programs related to the chicken industry. Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement related to chicken products and the chicken sector. Animal Health Products (antimicrobials, vaccines, feed/water additives) availability in Canada.

Establishing a Federal Co-operative Investment Plan, inspired by the one in Quebec. Educating Parliamentarians, staffers and public servants on the co-operative model, the advantages and challenges faced by co-ops. Lack of awareness causes oversight and issues in programs and policies, when co-operatives should have access to the Business support and other programs offered by, or supported by, the government. Ensuring increased support to co-operatives and social enterprises, as underserved business models, by the BDC. As per the recent Legislative Review, co-operatives are significantly underserved by the BDC. Carbon Rebate for Small Business - Ensuring that co-operatives and credit unions are qualify, as they are currently excluded. Discuss the pro-active inclusion of co-operatives and social enterprises, in the procurement process. CMC would like co-operatives to be both eligible and prioritized in government procurement programs. Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy. Advocating for renewal of commitments related to the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy, such as the Investment Readiness Program and SISF-related funding for co-operatives. Promoting Business Conversions to Co-operatives as a means of safeguarding jobs and economic drivers in communities Harmonizing tax rules and incentives related to Employee-Ownership Trusts, to ensure that business succession (conversions) to employee-owned worker co-operatives are eligible. To review and propose possible changes to the Canadian Co-operative Act To promote the renewal of the Tax-deferred Co-operative Share Program to help agricultural co-operatives meet their capitalization needs and remain a viable option for agribusinesses while allowing Canadian co-operatives to be stronger in the face of international competitors. To expand the definitions and exemption criteria so that all qualifying co-operatives can remain eligible for the Small Business Deduction (SBD). Support or investment in the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund which provides patient capital and lending to finance the capitalization of new and emerging co-operatives. The fund exists and was set up with $25 million from the co-operative sector. Review and propose changes to the Income Tax Act, in terms of the treatment of Indivisible Reserves in co-operatives. Amounts earmarked for Indivisible resserves cannot return to members and as such those amounts are thus outside the governments' definition of "for-profit", Investments in co-operative-led programs to provide bridges to employment, support entrepreneurship, safeguard local businesses, create jobs and make life more affordable for Canadians, in particular women, newcomers, Indigenous people, youth, and Canadians living in rural communities. Establishing a Canadian Co-operative Capacity Building Program (CCBP) equipped with federal funding to help co-operatives either start up, scale up, gain skills and expertise, and or prepare for their next steps.

Budget 2026: Presenting solutions to the federal government relating to assisting Canadians with planning for health and mortality risks, investment planning, retirement planning, employee group benefits, small business owner taxation, and issues relating to dental care and pharmacare.

Advocating for sustained funding for programs that ensure Black, Indigenous or People of Colour (BIPOC) owned businesses and entrepreneurs are able to achieve their business goals.

Implementation of the Government of Canada's A Force of Nature Strategy, including Expert Taskforce on Natural Capital Accounting and Nature Financing Supporting the advancement of sustainable fisheries and oceans strategy, marine protected areas, and mitigation opportunities under the Fisheries Act review Targeted fiscal policies to unlock private capital and de-risk investment in nature, particularly land-based productive sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and Indigenous-led land management. Inclusion of funding for conservation and sustainable agriculture programs in Budget 2025 Sustainable agriculture policies and programs that support producers with the uptake of Beneficial Management Practices. Policies and programs that support Indigenous-led stewardship and education, as well as land use management policies that conserve environmentally sensitive landscapes and marine areas while promoting economic prosperity and sustainable development in those communities. Policies and programs related to Canada's Net-Zero goals and its commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity. Grants and program funding for Indigenous-led environmental stewardship, education and land-use planning, including funding and programs administered through Environment and Climate Change Canada. Specifically funding for projects in Northwest Territories, British Columbia and Manitoba. Future Biodiversity target accountability act related to commitments under UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Increases to the International Assistance Envelope Allocations of the International Assistance Envelope Advocating spending priorities related to the dissemination of Canada's Official Development Assistance envelope to ensure that aid is targetted at initiatives that serve the world's poorest. Advocating for increased investment toward tuberculosis elimination, specifically through the creation of a national tuberculosis elimination strategy.