Building Strong Local Economies
Since 2015, Gord has worked relentlessly to build prosperous, thriving communities in Courtenay-Alberni. Here are some highlights of what Gord has achieved as part of the NDP team:
Supporting small business. Before his election as MP, Gord was a small business owner and Executive Director of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. As former NDP Critic for Tourism and Small Business, Gord has been a strong voice in Ottawa for small businesses and fought for policy changes to help them thrive, including:
- Leading the charge to cap credit card merchant fees by 27% which will save businesses an estimated $1 billion over 5 years.
- Helping secure the reduction of small business taxes from 11% to 9%.
- Fighting for financial supports to off-set revenue loss for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Raising small business issues in the House of Commons more than any other MP during the pandemic and founding the All-Party Entrepreneur Caucus.
Building the local economy. Coming from municipal politics, Gord has fought to ensure communities in Courtenay-Alberni receive their fair share of federal funding to build a strong local economy, including:
- Supporting local and regional governments secure record levels of federal investment in infrastructure in Courtenay-Alberni, creating hundreds of jobs and reducing pressure on municipal taxpayers.
- Helping to secure federal investment in affordable housing, arts and culture, clean energy, environmental restoration, and conservation.
- Advocating for federal investments in the aerospace, agricultural, forestry, and higher learning sectors in Courtenay-Alberni.
Protecting vital industries. Gord has fought to protect good jobs in Courtenay-Alberni, including:
- Fighting for federal support for local mill retooling to reduce raw log exports.
- Helping protect the prawn fishery from unreasonable regulations.
- Supporting owner-operator commercial fishing and advocating for a ban on foreign ownership of fishing licenses or quotas.
Standing with workers. Workers are the backbone of our economy and Gord has fought for their interests alongside the NDP team, including:
- Fighting for financial supports for workers displaced from their employment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Standing up for temporary foreign workers facing exploitation and helping them access supports.
- Securing 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers.
- Forcing the passage of anti-scab legislation.
- Securing passage of the Sustainable Jobs Act to support workers in the transition to a net zero economy.
Gord’s job is not done. He continues to work hard every day to build a more prosperous Courtenay-Alberni where no one is left behind. Gord remains focused on:
- Pushing for the timely passage of biomass tax incentives to help protect Canadian jobs in the forest sector.
- Working with the NDP team to advocate for a plan to protect Canadian workers and businesses from potential Trump tariffs.
For more information on Gord’s record, visit openparliament.ca, an independent website that helps you “Keep tabs on Parliament”.