Minister Paradis Hosts Economic Consultations With Business Leaders

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 16, 2013) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, today participated in a roundtable discussion with CEOs representing international companies based in Canada. Organized by the Conference Board of Canada, the Minister heard from business leaders as part of his ongoing economic consultations across the country.

"Our government is focused on the economy. We have worked hard to support jobs, growth and long-term prosperity in Canada," said Minister Paradis. "Over 900,000 net new jobs have been created since July 2009-the best growth record among all G7 countries-but challenges remain in the global economy, and Canada must not be complacent."

The Harper Government has been consulting Canadians across the country to find the best ways to strengthen Canada's economy with pro-growth ideas as part of the next federal budget. Similarly, as part of its focus on returning to balanced budgets, the Harper Government is also inviting comments on how to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government spending.

Leading up to the budget, the Minister will participate in a number of meetings with businesses, academics and community leaders from across Canada.

"Today's event is part of ongoing work by The Conference Board of Canada to improve our understanding of how investment decisions are made in global firms and how Canada could reinforce its strengths and compete more effectively in attracting capital from around the world," said Conference Board President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel F. Muzyka.

"Hearing from Canadians directly is the best way to get input on how to help fuel job creation and economic growth across Canada," remarked the Minister. "Every year, we undertake country-wide consultations, and we have seen many great ideas reflected in past federal budgets."

To further ensure that all Canadians can participate in the process, the Harper Government has launched an online consultation through the Finance Canada website (www.fin.gc.ca). All those interested in participating are encouraged to the site for more information.

The Conference Board of Canada is a Canadian independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan applied research organization that specializes in economic trends and public policy. It specializes in organizing conferences as well as conducting, publishing and disseminating research; helping people network; developing individual leadership skills; and building organizational capacity.