Witness Testimony

Catherine Swift testified as President of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada, reporting findings from a survey of approximately 23 primarily small and medium-sized businesses. She stated that the most common issue was labour disruption caused by government income support programs, which she said discouraged employees from returning to work and created staffing shortages. She further testified that prolonged and loosely qualified benefit programs created workplace strain, including division between vaccinated and unvaccinated employees, and made hiring difficult as businesses competed with government payments.
She identified supply chain disruption as a second major issue, citing dramatic cost increases in materials such as lumber and steel, as well as shortages of PPE and transportation services. She testified that cross-border vaccination requirements for truck drivers significantly reduced available drivers, increasing shipping costs and disrupting trade. She also described what she characterized as partisan procurement decisions, alleging that certain government contracts for PPE manufacturing favoured politically connected firms rather than existing capable manufacturers.
Swift further testified that businesses faced inconsistent rules across jurisdictions, excessive red tape, and limited consultation from government. She described burdensome daily reporting requirements, sudden regulatory changes without notice, and healthcare system disruptions that indirectly affected businesses. In her view, governments relied on top-down policymaking without meaningful engagement with business stakeholders and failed to coordinate policies across federal, provincial, and municipal levels, resulting in unnecessary economic harm.