ADVOCACY IN ACTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The last year has seen a period of tremendous accomplishment for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC). Not only have we begun a new chapter in our policy work with the launch of the Ontario Economic Report, but we have also achieved a record number of successes in our advocacy, communications, and programming efforts. Building upon the credibility we have established for leading research and analysis, our policy work has become more concentrated on government relations – and that is why we have seen success in translating advocacy into action. Together with our network and corporate members, we are releasing more focused work, leveraging quantitative research in a way we have not in the past, and have collectively become more driven by shaping the conversation. Since the 2016 Ontario Economic Summit, we have released nearly 20 reports, submissions and letters and hosted over 35 events – all in support of our members’ interests and the broader success of the provincial economy. These have resulted in a series of advocacy wins for the OCC, including: 9 A win on cap and trade. In response to an open letter to the Premier, the government detailed how cap and trade auction proceeds will be spent, including funds for helping homes and businesses adopt low-carbon technologies, and the implementation of Green Investment Fund initiatives. 9 Wins on reducing red tape. The OCC has regularly called for a reduction in the regulatory burden on Ontario businesses. Throughout 2016 and 2017, the government announced a series of steps to address the cumulative burden facing Ontario business, including the Red Tape Challenge, a strategy encouraging Ontarians to submit comments to a Regulatory Modernization Committee regarding regulations that impact them. 9 A win on “one-window” regulatory service. As a direct result of the continued advocacy of the OCC, the Ontario government announced in May 2017 that it will introduce new legislation to cut unnecessary red tape for business by introducing a “one-window service” to help small firms. This service, will be known as Ontario Small Business Access. 9 Wins on infrastructure investment. As a result of asks in our provincial and federal Pre-Budget Submissions, the Ontario government announced that funding for the Connecting Links program will increase to $30 million per year by 2018-9. This was followed by a joint federal-provincial announcement committing funding to bring high-speed internet to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region. 9 A win on electricity costs. Throughout 2015 and 2016, the OCC called on the Ontario government to ensure that future energy policies reflect the principles of affordability, transparency and flexibility. In March 2017, the government announced its “Fair Hydro Plan”, which will provide a 17 percent rate reduction and rate freeze to approximately 500,000 small businesses and farms. The government also announced a further expansion of the Industrial Conservation Initiative for larger consumers. 2 | Ontario Chamber of Commerce Our advocacy has included strategic communications work, which has consistently resulted in strong coverage across Tier 1 and local publications, as well as in broadcast news and on social media. Between November 2016 and October 2017, the OCC saw a total of 2,814 media hits across the province with the months of February, May, July and August having the highest amount of exposure. We also spent much of 2017 dedicated to the largest challenge to business competitiveness seen in a generation: Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. The OCC led a broad coalition of Ontario’s largest employers, as well as industry and sector associations, to organize the Keep Ontario Working (KOW) coalition. In the months following the introduction of the legislation, the coalition worked hard to promote the need for evidence-based reform to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act. To that end, the coalition organized town hall meetings in more than 40 communities, established www.KeepOntarioWorking.ca, which generated thousands of letters sent to MPPs, and engaged in targeted media relations and government relations activities to encourage the government to amend their proposed legislation. The coalition’s activities provided a rallying cry for the province’s business community and motivated the government to commit to pro-business offsets that will aide in the transition to the new legislation. Through this, we maintained our productive relationship with government, partnering with them on signature events as An Evening with the Deputy Ministers, An Evening with the Chiefs of Staff, the Ontario Business Achievement Awards, and the Ontario Economic Summit. In addition, we launched the Know Your Power campaign in association with the Ministry of Energy, dedicated to matching businesses with government programs to help them save energy and money. In advance of the spring election, we have released Vote Prosperity, a platform designed to provide the next government of Ontario with a strategy to leverage our advantages and strengthen our global competitiveness. The four pillars of this platform provide a clear and consistent message that the OCC will use to influence party platforms and define a narrative both prior to and during the writ period. We expect 2018 to be an eventful and exciting year in Ontario, and we know that with your continued support the OCC can effectively bring the voice of business to Queen’s Park. Thank you, The OCC Policy & Advocacy Team Advocacy in Action | 3 CALENDAR OF POLICY & ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES November 2016 Signature Event: The Ontario Economic Summit The 2016 Ontario Economic Summit (OES) brought together 257 representatives from leading corporations, government agencies (local, provincial and federal), influential public sector and civil society organizations, and prominent academic institutions for a critical conversation on growing Ontario’s innovation ecosystem. Delegates had the opportunity to hear from the Premier of Ontario and both opposition leaders on their respective visions for strengthening the role of innovation in the province’s economy. Delegates also had the opportunity to engage in a candid roundtable discussion with one of the 22 Cabinet Ministers who attended the Summit. Other notable speakers included US Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario the Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, and Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development the Hon. Navdeep Bains. Attendee profile: • 121 participants from 82 leading corporations • 58 representatives from 48 influential public sector and civil society organizations • 39 representatives from 29 key government ministries and agencies in Ontario • 33 professional representatives from 19 post-secondary institutions across Ontario Report: Closing the Tourism Gap: Creating a Long-Term Advantage for Ontario In Closing the Tourism Gap, we examined the state of Ontario’s tourism industry and sought to answer the question, “What steps can Ontario take to create a long-term tourism advantage?”. This report quantifies the impact of Ontario’s tourism gap on visitor spending in the province and provides a set of nine recommendations to government and industry to help close this gap. These recommendations address the need to engage in strategic and evidence-based planning, improve the tourism business environment, enhance visitor access, and support tourism marketing. The Ontario government’s long-term tourism strategy, Growing Tourism Together, was released soon after our report. The government explicitly referenced the OCC report in its long-term strategy and adopted some of its recommendations, including adding tourism to the Red Tape Challenge and setting an explicit growth target for the industry. 4 | Ontario Chamber of Commerce Signature Event: The Ontario Business Achievement Awards The 2016 Ontario Business Achievement Awards (OBAAs) brought together over 400 senior leaders from government and the business community to celebrate companies for their remarkable accomplishments in sustainability, innovation, market expansion, skills and training, and exporting. VIPs present included the Hon. Michael Chan (International Trade), the Hon. Glenn Thibault (Energy), the Hon. Kevin Flynn (Labour), the Hon. Steven Del Duca (Transportation) and the Hon. Tracy MacCharles (Government and Consumer Services, Accessibility). Winning companies for 2016 were Bruce Power, Siemens Canada, Cogeco Connexion, CHAR Technologies, Legend Boats, Shaw Centre, INKAS Armored Vehicle Manufacturing, Hillside Haven Retirement Residence, and Media Sonar Technologies. 2016 Getting the Gold The Ontario Business Achievement Awards (OBAA) is the most An initiative of #OBAA2016 recognized industry gala in the province with a single focus on celebrating business success. Reserve your spot at obaa.ca! Thanks to our partner sponsors: Thanks to our in kind sponsors: December 2016 Report: Care in Our Control: Managing Innovation in Ontario’s Multi-Payer Health Care System The fourth installment in our Health Transformation Initiative series, this report examined why Ontario struggles to capture value for money spent in the health care system. As health innovations become more sophisticated, patient quality of life greatly improves. However, the Ontario health care system has difficulty properly evaluating and adopting health innovations like pharmaceuticals and medical devices, placing fiscal pressure on both public and private