On August 15, the Weyburn & District Chamber of Commerce presented two position papers to Ed Komarnicki, MP for Souris Moose Mountain.
"The Chamber met with our MP to discuss two concerns - labour shortages and cross border shopping," said Chamber Manager Jeff Richards. "When we gave the Federal Budget a B Grade this spring, these were issues that affected that grade, and we're going to continue working with Government to make things better."
The Chamber addressed Weyburn's labour shortage with MP Komarnicki on a number of levels including labour mobility within Canada, immigration, and reform to the Employment Insurance Act.
"We need labour to be fluid across Canada," explained Richards. "That means interprovincial accreditation of trades, flexibility in EI programs, and much more."
The Chamber also followed up on a meeting earlier this year with Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
"We have been adamant with both the Federal and Provincial Governments that we need to make it faster and easier for our businesses to bring foreign workers in to fill much needed jobs," added Richards. "In fact, we have made the recommendation that the Federal Government open an office dedicated to helping businesses navigate through this process - and that this office be located in Weyburn."
Mr. Komarnicki is the Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
The Chamber also presented concerns regarding recent increases to duty-free exemptions for Canadians returning to from the US with purchased goods.
"The Chamber presented this to our MP and he was highly receptive to our research and our position," said Richards. "We have asked that the Federal Government embark on a public awareness campaign which will help consumers understand why certain products are less expensive in the US, and what causes that."
The Chamber was very pleased to hear that MP Komarnicki has committed to presenting this information to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and to the Saskatchewan Caucus.
"Clearly it is not fair to say that Canadian retailers simply charge more," explained Richards. "We have to look at all factors related to the cost of putting product on store shelves - including import tariffs, taxes, labour costs, fuel costs, and more."
"As these initiatives continue to progress, we'll keep our members informed," he concluded.
