Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently named Barrie the third most progressive city, out of 122 in the country, for entrpreneurial startups in 2016.
Tech companies like FreshSpoke and gShift, web designers Tyger Shark, fresh food producer Not Yer Granny's Granola, realtors March and Joanna Faris, the Mortons of KKP, and Chad and Sandra Ballantyne of The Creative Space, are just some of the examples of excellence in local entrepreneurship.
I commend Barrie city council, Zvi Lifshiz of Invest Barrie, and many others for their focus on supporting the creation of startups and for promoting a sound environment for jobs and job growth.
These small businesses are not vehicles for rich people to avoid paying taxes, as the Prime Minister believes. They are the drivers of jobs and the lifeblood of our economy.
Raising taxes on small business is the wrong approach, and the government's tax-and-spend agenda puts the success of these companies in jeopardy.