Canada at a crossroads: growth, investment and competitiveness

In a recent appearance on the MBOT TV podcast, Anne McLellan, co-chair of the Coalition for a Better Future, joined host David Wojcik, President and CEO of the Mississauga Board of Trade, to discuss the latest Scorecard report, Time to Execute: Canada's Crucible Moment.

Reflecting on five years of the Coalition’s work, McLellan emphasized that Canada has reached a critical juncture where the focus must shift decisively toward implementation. She noted that while global geopolitical uncertainty remains largely outside Canada’s control, the country has the power to enact fundamental economic changes domestically.

A key priority is the removal of interprovincial trade barriers. As McLellan observed, Canadian businesses often find it easier to trade internationally than with another province. By eliminating these friction points, Canada could stop leaving tens of billions of dollars in GDP on the table annually. "Interprovincial trade barriers are completely within our control," she explained. "That is something we can do as Canadians, as provinces, and as a federal government to increase our GDP. So, let's deal with those."

McLellan also addressed the need to boost private sector investment, noting that Canada lags behind its G7 peers in critical productivity drivers. She urged accelerated investment in three key areas: research and development, the modernization of machinery and equipment, and advanced workforce training. "We have to start to see greater investment in those three areas by the private sector," she concluded.