Business group gives Yukon a 'D' on red tape report card

A lobby group for small business in Canada is giving the Yukon government a "D" for its efforts to reduce red tape and regulations. 

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business rates provinces and territories with an annual report card.

Amber Ruddy, the group's director for Yukon and Alberta, said hoped Yukon would fare better, based on promises made by Premier Sandy Silver during the 2016 election campaign.

Silver said then that a Liberal government would "reduce red tape and regulatory burdens for small business."

"We haven't seen any firm action on those pledges that he made," said Ruddy.

She does credit Yukon for supporting free trade between provinces and territories. Ruddy said she met with Silver in November, when he told her about some positive initiatives including improved online services, but she says there's been no progress on measuring the regulatory burden on business.

Yukon, the N.W.T. and Alberta are the only jurisdictions in Canada without a system in place to measure the regulation, she said.

"This report card has a very specific criteria, and you know, there is a bit of political leadership but that's just the first ingredient. What we need next is the public measurement," she said.

"Manitoba is a jurisdiction that had a failing grade last year, and went to an 'A' on the report card ... for every new regulation, they're taking two off the books — they're counting and they're trimming," said Ruddy.

Ruddy said business owners say regulations and red tape are their second biggest issue after taxation. She says they're frustrated by excessive paperwork, silly rules and delays.

"Small business owners often describe it as 'death by a thousand paper cuts.' When you ask them what red tape burden they have, they can't often point to one rule, but it's just wearing them down in terms of the total number of rules they have to comply with," she said.

Rick Karp, the president of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, said he takes a broader view.

"The bottom line is, yes, there's still red tape out there, there's still issues with red tape, but we feel there's movement on the part of the Yukon government and that's a positive," said Karp.

Karp said finding workers in Yukon can be difficult. He believes the government is taking steps to make the Yukon Nominee Program more flexible. It's the program that lets employers recruit workers from overseas.

The government is also talking to businesses about improving the way it buys local goods and services, Karp added.