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Chamber prepares for ‘new political landscape’

Oct 22, 2019 | 3:22 PM

Members of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce are concerned about the federal government’s ability to function after an election they say was often focused more on personalities than issues.

Chamber General Manager Dione Chambers says given the Liberal minority government, she and fellow members are urging all the parties to put divisions aside and to work together for all Canadians, regardless of the party for which they voted.

“Many families are struggling to make ends meet, particularly with the current state of the forest sector, and a strong and diverse economy must be a priority for our elected leaders,” Chambers said.

The business group is congratulating Conservative Mel Arnold on his re-election as MP, adding they look forward to continuing their positive relationship with him.

Chambers said their focus now will be to ensure that issues of importance to the North Okanagan are front and centre, not only with the local MP, but with the federal government and opposition parties.

“Our chamber recently had support from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to amend tax regulations so distilleries have a level playing field with wineries and their counterparts in the U.S. We are urging the federal government to embrace this position and ensure that Canadian distilleries have an opportunity to expand,” Chambers said.

The chamber is also lobbying to have federal funding directed toward primary mental health and residential addiction treatment services.

“Currently, it is extremely challenging for individuals to access affordable assistance and that impacts their families, coworkers and employers,” Chambers added.

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