On the day the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses issued its 'red tape' report card, the Parti Quebecois is promising to do more to help small- and medium-sized businesses.
PQ leader Jean-Francois Lisée promised to cut paperwork and administrative costs should the PQ form the next provincial government.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business calls government requirements a hidden tax affecting small businesses, adding up to $8 billion per year for Quebec companies, and Lisée agrees.
"On average, a Quebec enterprise has someone spending 100 days per year just on administrative costs. Quebec, municipal and federal paperwork, and I don't want to cut that by 10%. I want to cut that by much more. And so that's why we say it's a priority," said Lisée.
He said a PQ government would implement a key demand of business groups, the so-called "one for one" law. That means for every new regulation the government introduces, it would remove an existing regulation.
Lisée said three MNAs, Mireille Jean, Alain Therrien, and Martin Ouellet, will travel across the province to meet concerned business owners.
"They know about job creation and about small businesses because the three of them all created small businesses and helped small businesses in Quebec over the last decade, and I think this is an extraordinary knowledge that the team brings to the table," he said.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business gave Quebec and British Columbia 'A' grades for their efforts in reducing regulation.
Lise Theriault, the Liberal minister responsible for small- and medium-sized business says it's a recognition of the Liberal party's leadership on the issue.
