CCI’s reaction to 2021 Mandate Letters

Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published mandate letters for cabinet ministers. In response, CCI Director of Strategic Initiatives Dana O’Born issued the following statement on behalf of CCI’s members, more than 140 homegrown Canadian scale-up tech companies:

On behalf of our members, CCI has been calling on the federal government to develop a comprehensive plan for the post-pandemic economic recovery. In today’s mandate letters we see substantive detail of a policy agenda for the Liberal government which includes a number of positive measures to help build the regulatory structures, funding mechanisms, and marketplace frameworks to create the conditions for success in the 21st century digital economy.

The emphasis on a green recovery plan and the investments that the government aspires to make would represent meaningful steps towards clean growth, driven by Canadian-owned ideas, as CCI called for last summer. The government’s emphasis on intellectual property in the commercialization of Canadian research also responds to our longstanding advocacy.

We were also pleased to see specific guidance on the government’s digital policy plans, including a digital policy task force and an emphasis on cybersecurity strategy. We welcome the government’s renewed aspiration to update Canada’s privacy law, but we urge Minister Champagne to consult with private sector leaders and experts about how to achieve the government’s objectives without unintended negative consequences to growth and prosperity.

While these are simply stated goals for the government, we appreciate Prime Minister Trudeau setting a clear direction on innovation and digital policy. Minister Champagne and the rest of the federal cabinet have a lot of work to do, and Canada’s homegrown technology companies are eager to work with the government and help advance these policy objectives through consultation, support and partnership.

Media Contact:
James McLeod
jmcleod@canadianinnovators.org