Red tape grades a mixed bag

BC, Quebec, Ontario, federal government, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador on the right track, others lagging

TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2015 /CNW/ - On day two of Red Tape Awareness Week^TM, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) issued its annual report card, grading the provinces, territories and federal government on their commitment to red tape accountability. The report card looks at measurement, public reporting and political leadership.

Jurisdiction	2014 Grade		2015 Grade
British Columbia		A		A
Quebec		B+		B+
Ontario		B		B+
Federal Government		B+		B+
Saskatchewan		B		B
Newfoundland and Labrador		C+		C
Prince Edward Island		D+		D+
Yukon		D		D+
Alberta		D		D
Manitoba		D-		D
Nova Scotia		C-		D-
Northwest Territories		F		F
New Brunswick		B		NA*

*too soon to evaluate the new government's performance on regulatory accountability

"Red tape is a huge hidden tax on all Canadians, that hits small businesses particularly hard," said Laura Jones, CFIB's executive vice-president. "We're asking all governments to take the first step and get on the scale. Without knowing the size of the problem, it's impossible to tackle it - like trying to lose weight without weighing yourself. It doesn't work."

British Columbia, the only jurisdiction with an A grade, has been measuring and reporting on red tape for a decade. Yesterday, the BC government announced it was extending its one-for-one rule until 2019. Nova Scotia, meanwhile, was once a top performer, with clear public measurements, but hasn't gotten on the scale since 2010. Alberta and Manitoba have never weighed in.

"Measure, report, repeat," added Jones. "It's not that hard to get a good grade. With all the lip service governments give to economic prosperity and job creation, it's incredible that some still don't make regulatory accountability a priority."

See the complete report card at www.cfib.ca/rtaw.

Follow #RTAW on Twitter.

CFIB is Canada's largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business

please call Gisele Lumsden at 416-222-8022 or by email at [email protected] or visit www.cfib.ca/rtaw.