The Canadian CED Network’s Policy Council submitted a response to the federal government’s invitation for pre-budget submissions for the 2016 Federal Budget, and Executive Director Michael Toye presented it to the Standing Committee on Finance on February 16th. The submission focuses on how the government can implement the measures it has already committed to undertaking in the election and the Ministerial mandate letters in ways that will maximize their success and value for communities.
Read the full pre-budget submission
Watch Michael Toye’s presentation
If you also submitted a brief we’d love to include it below…
Please send your pre-budget submission to Matthew Thompson at mthompson at ccednet-rcdec.ca.
Our Recommendations for the 2016 Federal Budget:
| 1. Social Infrastructure | |
| a. | Include a social finance fund and social infrastructure grant program that could leverage private investment and provide matching capital for durable social infrastructure projects |
| b. | Include a social impact-scoring component on all infrastructure contracts and recipients |
| c. | Include community benefit agreements, building on Ontario’s Bill 6 |
| 2. Community-Based Renewables | |
| a. | New infrastructure investment to include criteria that prioritize funding for clean energy projects for communities vulnerable to climate change |
| b. | Financing be made available and affordable to communities and project developers through the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, including federal loan guarantees to support private investment |
| 3. Community Enterprise Access to SME Programs | |
| a. | That social enterprises, non-profits, and co-operatives be given access to existing regulatory and tax measures and business development programs that are currently available to small- and medium- enterprises through awareness-raising efforts for government officials to ensure a level playing field for alternative forms of incorporation |
| 4. Partnerships for Implementation | |
| a. | A roundtable bringing together representatives from the CED community and government departments would facilitate the ongoing co-construction and refinement of public policy relevant in support of communities |
Read the full pre-budget submission
Pre-Budget Submissions from CCEDNet Members:
| The Federal Budget Opportunity: Leveraging Social Value from Existing Spending – David LePage | Accelerating Social Impact CCC Ltd., Social Enterprise Council of Canada | ||
| Recommendations: | ||
| 1. | Implement a Social Purchasing Policy on all Government Spending | |
| 2. | Leverage Infrastructure Investments for Social Impact | |
| 3. | Support Social Enterprise Capacity Building | |
| Priorities for the 2016 Federal Budget – Momentum | ||
| Recommendations: | ||
| 1. | Work collaboratively with the provinces and territories to develop a National Poverty Reduction Strategy that addresses root causes of poverty | |
| 2. | Strengthen the promotion of RESPs and the Canada Learning Bond to ensure greater uptake | |
| 3. | Take steps to better protect consumers from the high costs of fringe financial services | |
| 4. | Amend the existing Canada Job Fund Agreements to allow funds to be allocated to skills training programs instead of the required allocation to the Canada Job Grant | |
| 5. | Support the creation of social finance tools | |
| Jobs, growth and long-term prosperity through the co-operative model – Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada | ||
| Recommendations: | ||
| 1. | Make an investment of $50 Million, over 5 years, in the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund (CCIF) to supplement the $25 million already raised by the co-op sector | |
| 2. | Support co-operative development by working with co-operatives and mutuals to design and implement a Canadian co-operative development strategy | |
| 3. | Consider regulating the residual value of a property and casualty mutual insurer as indivisible and as owned by all policyholders and not allow a single class of ‘mutualist’ policyholders | |
