Canadian technology leaders are calling for a “real debate” about the country’s economic future when party leaders discuss their views on stage next week.
“For too long, Canadian government leaders have prioritized short-term economic interests and photo ops over investment into Canada’s economic well-being,” reads a letter signed by 150 chief executive officers including Coveo Solutions Inc.’s Louis Têtu, Stingray Group Inc.’s Eric Boyko and Lightspeed Commerce Inc.’s Dax Dasilva.
“Please show Canadians the choices you plan to make to build a more sovereign, more resilient and more prosperous Canada.”
The two top candidates vying to form the next government — Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — will join three other party leaders for debates on Wednesday and Thursday in Montreal. Opinion polls suggest Carney is on track to win the majority of seats in the election set for April 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty are top issues on voters’ minds.
That has partly boosted popularity for the incumbent Liberals, who are now leading by about six percentage points in opinion surveys. The dynamic has also eroded support for the Conservatives, who had dominated polls for much of last year by blaming the government for an influx of immigrants, rising crime, the high cost of living and a housing crisis.
“This election is happening in the middle of a global economic upheaval,” said Benjamin Bergen, president of the Council of Canadian Innovators, which published the letter Friday. “We’re watching capital markets crash and tariffs return, and yet none of the leaders have laid out a serious vision for how Canada will build wealth and protect its economic sovereignty in the years ahead.”
“This isn’t a time for status quo thinking or recycled talking points — we need bold industrial strategy, clear commitments to domestic capacity, and leadership that’s ready to meet this moment,” Bergen added.
Poilievre touted his economic platform on Friday, which leans heavily on massive tax cuts and deregulation to unleash business investment, especially in natural resources projects. Carney, meantime, has promised to spend billions on infrastructure to diversify Canada’s trade away from the U.S. and turn the country into a “superpower” in clean and conventional energy.
Other signatories include Pierce Ujjainwalla of Knak Inc., Meti Basiri of ApplyBoard and one-time Liberal leadership hopeful Frank Baylis.
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