Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to return to a topic I have raised in this House before which continues to be of great concern to me. It’s a matter of government red tape and how frustrating and problematic it is for small business. It’s nothing but a roadblock and a burden on our industry.
Red tape restricts small business activities, creates more paperwork and leads to frustration. Of course, we all recognize the need for regulatory regulations and reporting, but there must be clear and reasonable requirements. I also empathize with small business owners and employees who must deal with the bureaucratic tangling of paper, which certainly is a tricky web that’s been weaved.
In a recent report, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that 73 percent of its members reported that regulations cause significant stress, and 26 percent -- that’s one in four business owners -- say they might not have gone into business had they known about all the paperwork and requirements in the regulations they are faced with. Last year CFIB identified the Northwest Territories was lagging behind every other jurisdiction in Canada. They often raise this as a particular issue that needs to be addressed by this government.
Consider some examples: business costs of negotiating the regulatory process and exploration of mining, the records that small airlines may be required to complete for non-scheduled flights for hunters and fishers, for the transportation of wildlife. Many businesses, such as liquor stores, must provide extensive documentation for their operations and many times they ask me: what’s the point of this? Just to keep someone employed?
In 2010, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been noted for their hard work leading the response by the call of business to address the burdensome paperwork. Last month at CFIB’s Second Annual Red Tape Awareness Week the Prime Minister of Canada announced the creation of a Red Tap Reduction Commission. It’s hard to believe, but even Ottawa gets it.
The reality here is the GNWT needs to follow the lead of other jurisdictions and reach out to our northern businesses, our true economy of our North, and ensure that we get their values on how to deal with the red tape burden that’s being put on them. They want to be involved, they want to report, but a lot of times they find it a waste of time and pointless. Let’s ensure our businesses are busy making money and not filling out useless government paperwork.
