Standing Committee on Finance

Comité permanent des finances

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 04, 2018 -

Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance launched its pre-budget consultations process for this year, and is inviting Canadians to participate in this important process. The process will result in a report to be tabled in the House of Commons in December 2018, and this report will be considered by the Minister of Finance as the 2019 federal budget is developed.

“I’m once again pleased to be announcing the launch of the Finance Committee’s pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2019 federal budget,” said the Honourable Wayne Easter, P.C., M.P. for Malpeque and Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. “Each year, the Committee undertakes this important task, and is grateful for the interesting and thoughtful proposals made by Canadians. These consultations play a significant role in the forthcoming federal budget.”

Consistent with last year’s theme of fostering productivity and competitiveness for Canadians, the Committee is interested in receiving written submissions and oral testimony on the topic of Economic Growth: Ensuring Canada’s Competitiveness. Specifically, the focus of submissions and testimony should be on what steps the federal government can take to support and/or encourage Canadians and their businesses to grow the economy in the face of a changing economic landscape.

The deadline for written submissions to the Committee is no later than Friday, 3 August 2018 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Submissions should be no longer than 2,000 words, based on the following template. All text contained in the submission, including, but not limited to graphs, quotes, images and footnotes, counts towards the submission’s 2,000 word limit.

Only one submission per individual or organization, including any of its task forces, committees, etc., will be accepted; thus, individuals or organizations should not submit both individually and as part of a joint submission. Submissions that exceed the word limit or that fail to respect the stipulation that an individual or organization can make a submission individually or jointly, but not both, will not be considered by the Committee. Following translation, the submissions will be circulated to Committee members and posted on the Committee’s website. Written briefs must be submitted through the Committee’s website.‎ ‎

In September, on behalf of the Committee, the Clerk of the Committee will extend invitations to selected groups and individuals to appear as witnesses during the pre-budget hearings. All those who make a submission will be considered as having made a request to appear. Priority will be given to individuals and groups that address ensuring Canada’s competitiveness, and have not yet – or have not recently – appeared before the Committee. Pending approval by the House of Commons, the Committee intends to hold hearings in Ottawa and in various locations across Canada. Once those locations and the hearing dates have been confirmed, the Committee will issue a news release.

More information about this year’s pre-budget consultations is available on the Committee’s website.