Mr. Speaker, yesterday's Waterloo Region Record says that Ontario businesses are freezing summer hiring. Unemployment in the region is up 7.3%, and TD Bank says there is a looming recession with job losses of 100,000 jobs, causing local businesses to focus on staying lean. Nearly one-third of Canadian small businesses have adjusted or paused their summer hiring plans, according to a survey by Merchant Growth.
Kitchener businesses need a plan. A budget is a plan. Why does the government refuse to heed our calls and table a budget that reverses its inflationary spending?