Business lobbies Ottawa on defence, sovereignty and trade before the Nov 5 budget

Submissions

1,350 briefs, 400 more than last year

The House of Commons finance committee received more than 1,350 submissions, over 400 more than last year.

What groups want

• Defence procurement that favours Canadian firms
• A national semiconductor strategy
• Arctic infrastructure funding
• Faster open banking and instant payments

Defence, Canadian sovereignty and trade expansion dominate the asks, and many groups argue that their cause has a military benefit.

Oil and gas groups asked for faster approvals and tax relief, and Ottawa has already named Alberta's proposed Pacific Link pipeline a project of national interest.

Auto groups want the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement renewed and US auto tariffs removed, since more than 90 per cent of Canadian auto production goes to the US.