Matthew Pal

Advocacy for measures to reduce the federal regulatory burden and streamline administrative processes for the legal cannabis sector to improve efficiency and support economic competitiveness. Advocating for a stronger role for federal economic development ministries (e.g., Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada or Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) in shaping cannabis policy and programs. The goal is to ensure the sector is integrated into national agriculture and industrial strategies, enabling access to innovation funding, export development programs, and regional economic growth initiatives. This includes modernizing policies to support competitiveness, sustainability, and international trade opportunities for the cannabis industry. Advocacy related to fair competition in the legal cannabis sector, including efforts to support balanced market rules and to prevent undue concentration. Advocacy related to the need to develop a national cannabis export strategy Advocacy for enhanced consumer education and improved packaging and labeling regulations to support informed purchasing, promote safety, and strengthen the legal cannabis market. Advocacy for revising THC limits on cannabis edibles to align with consumer demand and global standards, reducing the appeal of unregulated products and strengthening the legal market. Advocacy for changes to Canada's cannabis excise tax framework to support industry competitiveness, reduce the illicit market, and enhance public policy objectives of legalization. Representations to government, Parliamentarians, and public servants regarding cannabis legalization, regulation, policy development, and program initiatives in Canada.

Discussing encouraging the federal government to work with the provinces to break down interprovincial trade barriers as they relate to labour and credentials Discussing promotion of trades to youth, including marketing programs, advertisements, trade shows, working in collaboration with schools and the provinces. Discussing labour mobility policy in Canada, ensuring workers have the correct certification to work throughout the country. Discussing enhancing credentialing to enable faster and more streamlined certification for new Canadian workers. Discussed program structure and policy direction of the upcoming workforce alliances and the sectorial workforce innovation fund initiatives Advocated for opportunities within Canada's manufacturing sector to support future infrastructure initiatives in housing and/or public works projects. Discussing issues within Quebec's manufacturing sector, including Temporary Foreign Workers. Advocating for improvements to Canada's trade-enabling transportation infrastructure. Advocating for specific implementation measures related to recent policies or measures outlined in the latest budget process. Advocating for Health Canada-related policies that impact manufacturing. Advocate for support for Canada's steel industry Matters related to advancing female workforce in the manufacturing industry. Matters related to the renewal of CUSMA. Matters related to military and defence procurement Discuss the upcoming priorities of the RNNR Committee and its impact on the industry Advocate for policies to enhance Canadian manufacturing productivity Plastic issues as they are related to waste, pollution, health, single-use plastics, sources of plastic waste, government-industry cooperation in reducing plastic pollution, strengthening sustainable economies, protecting the environment, plastic registry, PFAS, etc Matters related to the impacts of rules limiting the intake of temporary foreign workers on manufacturing business. Matters related to upcoming RNNR Committee priorities on energy, forest, minerals and metals, and earth sciences sectors, and the impacts on the industry. Advocating for extension of existing IRCC pilot programs Matters related to trade with USA as they related to trade policies, tariffs, trade agreements, regulatory reform, retaliatory measures, tariff policy, remissions/relief policies considered by the federal government, provincial impact of implementing tariffs, etc. Matters related to the expected impact of US tariffs on manufacturing sectors and discuss funding opportunities for BuyCanada and BuyOntario Campaigns. Matters related to EI, worksharing program Critical minerals issues as they are related to barriers to extraction and processing, environmental impacts, social impacts, technological challenges, limited energy options, etc. Advocate for assistance to manage the frequent disruption of critical transportation infrastructure due to trade conflict and better financial support for trade corridors and a flexible regulatory approach for trucking regulations, renewal of iZEV program, removal of the luxury tax which impacts aircraft manufacturing Advocate for supply chain issues as they related to transportation and logistics, labour shortages/strikes, rising fuel and energy costs, regulatory changes such as ESG compliance laws, broken supply chains due to transportation barriers/strikes and long wait times for materials, etc. Advocated for broad supports to Canada's manufacturing sector to cope with U.S. trade developments. This includes relief for technology investment, on-the-job training, excise duty, broad red tape reduction, using both grants (e.g. SIF) and taxation (e.g. capital gains, corporate tax, excise duty). Advocate for Labour and skills shortages, support for workforce development training and education Advocate for the simplification, modernization and harmonization of the Canada's border regulations, including Beyond the Border. Advocate for reform to the Tempo

Tobacco and Vaping Products Act with regards to the classification of tobacco and vaping products, product regulation, packaging and labeling Schedule 1 of the Excise Act 2001 (Sections 42, 43.1 and 58.2, subsections 216(2) and (3), and section 240) under the Rate of Duty on Tobacco Products Excise Act, 2001 -with regard to tobacco and vaping duties, stamps or collection. Customs Act/Customs Tariff - with regard to customs duties on tobacco and vaping products. Any new legislative or regulatory proposals or policies relating to tobacco and/or vaping including taxation, product regulation, flavouring, packaging and labeling requirements and contraband. Any new legislative or regulatory proposals or policies relating to the recycling of tobacco-related and vaping products. Any new legislative or regulatory proposals, or policies, relating to non-combustible, smoke-free, nicotine products Any new legislative or regulatory proposals, or policies, relating to harm reduction as it pertains to combustible tobacco products.