With the Ontario election approaching on February 27, the Oakville Chamber of Commerce encourages all members to stay informed and engaged in the electoral process.
To better understand the priorities of those seeking to represent our community, we reached out to each candidate running in the Oakville and Oakville North-Burlington ridings with a key question: As a candidate in the 2025 Ontario Provincial Election, what do you consider to be the most important issue facing the business community, and how do you plan to address it?
Their responses will provide valuable insights into their vision for economic growth, job creation, and business sustainability in our region.
To get more information on business priorities in this election, please visit Ontario Competes: The Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Provincial Election Priorities
The Oakville Chamber of Commerce is a non-partisan organization dedicated to representing the interests of the local business community. The responses from candidates are shared as received, in no particular order, and do not reflect an endorsement of any party or candidate.
OAKVILLE RIDING
Stephen Crawford, Ontario PC Candidate, Oakville
As the Ontario PC candidate for Oakville in the 2025 election, I know that economic growth and affordability are top priorities for our business community. Oakville’s diverse industries—manufacturing, technology, life sciences, and professional services—need a government that cuts costs, eliminates red tape, and invests in infrastructure. That’s exactly what we’ve done—and will continue to do.
A re-elected Ontario PC government will build on these priorities:
Keeping Costs Down
- Cut over 500 pieces of red tape to help businesses operate efficiently.
- Lowering energy costs—saving businesses and families over $300 per year.
- No tax increases since 2018.
- Cutting gas taxes and keeping lower licensing fees to reduce transportation costs.
Investing in Infrastructure
- $190.2B in infrastructure investments, including roads, transit, broadband, and industrial lands.
- $70.5B for public transit, expanding GO Transit for better connectivity.
- $1B Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to support business expansion.
Creating Jobs & Strengthening Key Sectors
- 850,000+ jobs created since 2018, 200,000 last year alone.
- $1.4B for the Skills Development Fund to train workers in high-demand industries.
- $5B in life sciences investments, boosting Oakville’s innovation economy.
Businesses in Oakville need a government that understands their challenges and works alongside them to create a competitive, investment-friendly, and future-ready economy. Our plan is clear: keep costs down, invest in infrastructure, create jobs, and support innovation. Oakville’s business community is thriving, and we will continue to build on this momentum.
Alison Gohel, Ontario Liberal Party Candidate, Oakville
Businesses need entrepreneurs to build them, and the government to provide a supportive framework that empowers their success – and that’s just what Bonnie Crombie and the Ontario Liberals plan to do. That’s why we are proposing to cut the small business tax rate by half.
More than half of Ontario’s small businesses will benefit from this tax cut and could save nearly $20,000 per year.
It will provide relief from rising inflation, high interest rates as well as allow for investments in advanced machinery, new hires, and further expansion.
We need to let small businesses do what they do best: create jobs and serve as the backbone of our economy. It’s our job to get out of the way and let them do that.
Diane Downey, Ontario NDP Candidate, Oakville
Increasing costs and supply chain disruptions not only hinder everyday life, but also make it harder on Oakville businesses. Families, workers, students, seniors, people with disabilities — everyone deserves a good life in the Town of Oakville and I am the person to make that happen.
The community we have here is precious and I am tired of seeing folks in power — that don’t live the actual realities of Oakville — making the decisions for what Oakville will look like in the future. I want to preserve the downtown and Bronte areas, to ensure that the local businesses that make up the backbone of our community can continue to thrive.
We need a concrete plan for consultation with real input from the community to avoid huge explosions of development that don’t account for the needed infrastructure. We need a planned growth with a clear vision of how transportation, health care, schools, drainage, and community spaces will grow to meet these needs in a timely manner.
Bruno Sousa, Green Party of Ontario Candidate, Oakville
A Fair and Sustainable Economy
Businesses in Oakville and across Ontario are facing mounting pressures: labour shortages, rising costs from inflation and supply chain disruptions, regulatory burdens, and difficulty accessing capital. Meanwhile, corporate giants exploit loopholes, making it harder for local businesses to compete.
We must level the playing field to support small and medium-sized enterprises—the backbone of our economy. That means cutting taxes for businesses earning under $1.5 million, ensuring fair commercial leases through a Commercial Renter’s Bill of Rights, and reducing red tape that stifles growth. We will also strengthen Ontario’s supply chains with a “Buy Ontario” strategy, ensuring businesses can access locally sourced goods and talent.
At the same time, we must address the root causes of Ontario’s affordability crisis, which directly impact businesses. Workers can’t thrive if they can’t afford to live where they work. That’s why we will tackle housing affordability by unlocking 2 million homes, invest in public transit expansion to ease congestion, and make energy more affordable by prioritizing clean, cost-effective solutions over corporate handouts to fossil fuel giants.
By supporting businesses—not just the biggest corporations—we can create a fair, sustainable, and competitive economy that allows Ontario businesses to grow and succeed.
OAKVILLE NORTH-BURLINGTON RIDING
Effie Triantafilopoulos, Ontario PC Candidate, Oakville North-Burlington
President Trump’s threats and tariffs are putting hundreds of thousands of Ontario jobs and businesses at risk. With Doug Ford’s leadership, we are delivering on the priorities that matter most to Ontarians.
Building Ontario’s Economy
We have secured over $45 billion in new investments in the first electric vehicle and battery plants in Canada, creating thousands of jobs. We are investing nearly $200 billion in our plan to build roads, highways, transit and other infrastructure projects. We are investing over $1.5 billion to train 600,000 people for better jobs and bigger pay cheques in the skilled trades.
Protecting Workers
President Trump’s tariffs will devastate Ontario’s economy. We will do whatever is necessary to protect people’s livelihoods, including by investing tens of billions of dollars to keep people working. We will provide funding for impacted businesses to retool so that they can attract new customers and meet payroll. We will invest more in building infrastructure to create jobs and retrain workers to find new opportunities.
Keeping Us Competitive
We are fighting the job-killing Liberal carbon tax and urging the federal government to cut red tape and streamline approvals to get big things built, including speeding up construction of new and upgraded nuclear power plants and critical mineral projects in the Ring of Fire region in Northern Ontario. We will keep lowering the cost of doing business to make Ontario the most competitive place to invest and create jobs.
Cleaning Up Our Streets
We are protecting families and children by banning drug injection sites near schools and daycares and clearing out encampments from public park with new investments in shelters. We are cracking down on violent and repeat criminals and building new jails to keep them behind bars.
Delivering Better Care
We are investing $1.8 billion to connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor and primary care, alongside $50 billion to build 50 new and upgraded hospitals. We are leading the largest medical school expansion in a decade to train more doctors. We have made it more convenient to connect to care, with over 2 million visits to local pharmacies for common ailments, saving you time.
Kaniz Mouli, Ontario Liberal Party Candidate, Oakville North-Burlington
I work in the private sector, have an MBA, and know that thriving businesses are the backbone of a strong economy. Bonnie Crombie and the Ontario Liberals have a plan to help businesses grow. We will cut the small business tax rate in half, 3.2% to 1.6%, and increase the eligible income threshold, saving small business owners as much as $18,000 a year. We will also fight the tariffs and backstop our businesses during a trade dispute with the Trump administration. This includes giving businesses access to lower-than-market interest rates (at government rates). This will allow our businesses to protect and create jobs by reducing the cost of borrowing money to operate or invest in their businesses and workers. We will also ensure stimulus spending on infrastructure is focused on the projects communities in Ontario need the most – hospitals, schools, roads and transit. We will also work with other provinces to eliminate nonsensical interprovincial trade barriers and build a truly Team Canada approach to growing our economy. As your local champion, I will stand up to support our businesses that are the heart of the community, create jobs, and underpin our economic prosperity.
Caleb Smolenaars, Ontario NDP Candidate, Oakville North-Burlington
Employers and workers across the province are worried about what the future holds given the looming threat of Trump’s tariffs. The solutions to this threat overlap with several of the priorities identified in the Ontario Chamber of Commerce 2024 Ontario Economic Report, including building a skilled workforce, smart and sustainable infrastructure, and healthy communities.
An Ontario NDP government will build a tariff-proof Ontario by promoting buy-local programs to support small businesses and directing government-funded agencies to procure locally. We will invest in retraining opportunities in post-secondary and the skilled trades, and accelerate infrastructure projects including transit, school repair, and home building to keep Ontarians working.
Recognizing the challenges faced by small business owners and employees facing burnout and mental health concerns, an Ontario NDP government will invest in health care by hiring 15,000 nurses and recruiting 3,500 new doctors to ensure there are more primary care teams, shorter specialist wait times, and healthcare options for everyone.
At all times, the Ontario NDP promotes dialogue with businesses to ensure that Ontario is a successful environment for investment, growth, and operation. I look forward to working closely with the Oakville Chamber of Commerce as we fight for small businesses and workers.
Ali Hosny, Green Party of Ontario Candidate, Oakville North-Burlington
Economic Pressures & Competitiveness
Rising inflation and interest rates strain businesses, especially SMEs. The GPO supports tax relief, reduced fees, and a “Protect Ontario Fund” to assist businesses impacted by tariffs.
Housing Affordability & Workforce Retention
High living costs make it hard to attract skilled workers. The GPO’s “Housing NOW” plan increases affordable housing options, ensuring the retention of strong workforce and economic growth.
Infrastructure & Innovation
Investing in transportation projects like the Royal Windsor Interchange and Kerr Street Underpass will enhance mobility and business efficiency. The GPO also supports digital transformation for a competitive economy.
U.S. Tariff Threat
A proposed 25% U.S. tariff threatens local trade. The GPO advocates for trade diversification and economic policies that protect Ontario businesses.
Collaboration between businesses, the community, and efforts to bridge the gap left by the current government is essential. I am committed to working with businesses and all community stakeholders to keep Oakville’s economy strong, sustainable, and competitive.