As Parliament prepares to reconvene under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new government, a coalition of Western Canadian business leaders want an overhaul in several policy areas to address the country’s “urgent economic challenges.”
The Western Business Coalition—which includes the Business Councils of B.C., Alberta, and Manitoba, along with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce—sent a letter to all MPs on May 20 urging them to prioritize private sector growth. The coalition warned that the country is in a prolonged per-capita recession, with nearly zero per-capita GDP growth over the past decade.
“On a per-capita basis, the country has been in a recession for more than two years,” wrote Laura Jones, President and CEO of the Business Council of British Columbia.
The coalition highlighted OECD data showing that Canada had the second-lowest GDP per capita growth between 2014 and 2024, at just 0.2 per cent. In first place was Ireland, around 5.5 per cent.
The coalition said that the trend can be reversed and economic prosperity can be restored in Canada if three problems are addressed.
They urged Parliament to abandon the oil and gas emissions cap, improve tax competitiveness, and streamline regulatory processes.
Parliament resumes on May 26, 2025. The coalition’s members said they will travel to Ottawa to deliver the message to the federal government directly next week.
The coalition pointed to record-high food bank usage, a growing gap between public and private sector employment, and one of the worst real GDP per capita performances in the OECD — a situation the coalition warned could worsen amid a potential trade war with the United States.
More data from Food Banks Canada highlighted by the coalition showed that nearly 2.06 million Canadians visited the food bank monthly in March 2024, a third of whom have children. Over the last five years, total visits to the food bank have seen a 90 per cent increase.
The coalition also highlighted data from Statistics Canada, showing that public sector growth had increased by 23 per cent between January 2019 and April 2025, followed by 10 per cent growth in the private sector and a 1 per cent decline in self-employed Canadians.
“Canada’s prosperity depends on enabling private sector growth, not stifling it,” said Prabha Ramaswamy, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.
Historically, the coalition said that companies have come to Canada for its natural resources, educated workers, policy stability, and access to U.S. markets. However, the group said that harmful policies, burdensome regulations, and unreasonable energy transition timelines have eroded this once-attractive investment destination.
“Standing for public office is an immense responsibility, and we thank all who serve,” said Adam Legge, President of the Business Council of Alberta. “We’re asking Parliamentarians to take bold action to ensure Canada remains a place where people and businesses can succeed.”