Launch of Bizpal

December 14, 2007

Thank you and welcome everyone.

As many of you know, starting up and growing a business is not easy. There are many rules and regulations to follow, paperwork to fill out, and other countless challenges facing an entrepreneur.

Fortunately, there exists an online time-saving tool that helps entrepreneurs access permit and licence information from multiple levels of government. It’s called BizPaL.

BizPaL is already making life easier for Canadians with small and growing businesses in other cities – and the Government of Canada is proud to be part of this initiative!

I am therefore pleased to be here to help announce that BizPaL support is now available for small and medium-sized businesses in the City of Brockville.

Small business owners create new opportunities for Canadians every day.

And in Advantage Canada, the Government of Canada’s long-term economic plan, we committed to providing an innovative and entrepreneurial business environment for them to thrive.

BizPaL recognizes the unique needs of business by customizing a list of permits and licences that an entrepreneur needs to start up or expand.

Canadian businesspeople can log onto the BizPaL website… answer some questions about their business and what it does… and BizPaL automatically generates a list of permits and licences that might be required.

That list covers all levels of government – collaboratively we put the information together so you don’t have to.

BizPaL even tells you who to call to get more information and points you to online application forms.

Canadian businesspeople work hard and play by the rules.

BizPaL is making the rules easier to understand and easier to work with.

Today’s launch of BizPaL in the City of Brockville is an exciting day in the development of this program.

We are delivering real action for Canadian business by having invested Six Million Dollars ($6M) in the BizPaL service across the country.

It’s an investment that’s already paying for itself as governments save money by working together.

Our government is committed to improving our country’s economic prosperity and we have a plan – Advantage Canada – that will create key advantages for Canadians and businesses and organizations to thrive.

The 2007 Economic Statement detailed the progress of our plan.

The proposed one percent reduction in the GST to 5%, and the accelerated reduction of the small business tax rate from 11.5 percent to 11 percent in 2008, will help ensure an innovative and entrepreneurial business environment.

These measures will strengthen Canada’s tax advantage, reward hard work and help Canadian small businesses compete and be successful.

We’re also creating an entrepreneurial advantage by reducing unnecessary regulation and by reducing the paperwork burden on business by 20 per cent by the end of 2008.

We want businesses to spend more time and energy creating opportunity for all Canadians.

As Brockville launches BizPaL, we’re marking an important milestone for businesspeople in this region.

Each level of government has its own responsibilities and regulations, but we all work for the same people: you, the hard working Canadian taxpayers.

BizPaL gives Canadians more effective and efficient service as all levels of government work together.

In this city and all across Canada businesspeople are working hard and taking risks to create opportunities and jobs that drive Canada’s economic performance.

As stated in the Speech from the Throne, our Government has laid out an economic plan to create the environment that will help them succeed.

Thank you.