The Public Is Ready for Bold Economic Leadership. Are Our Governments?

The times, they are changing. Residents of the Toronto Region are flagging that it’s time for a wake-up call. Amidst the economic uncertainty of the past several months, and growing concern over affordability, access to services, and a stagnant standard of living, the public has signalled that it’s time to fire up our economy - and make growth a government priority.

New polling from Ipsos on behalf of the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Business Council of Toronto makes clear that residents are well aware of the region’s economic challenges — and they’re asking for action. The public are split on the Toronto region’s short-term economic outlook, but more believe we’re headed in the wrong economic direction than the right one.

But this isn’t about doom or defeatism. Quite the opposite. The public still believes in our potential — they’re just tired of waiting for it to be realized.

Fully 94% of residents and workers across the Toronto region believe that governments must prioritize investment in economic growth.

They’re also clear about what’s holding us back: the housing costs, grinding congestion, high taxes that discourages investment, and complicated regulations that drag out approvals and decisions. These aren’t new complaints. What’s new is the degree of urgency. People are telling us: We know what the problems are. Now show us action.

They want political leadership with the courage to cut through bureaucracy, make hard choices, and get things done.

The good news is that both federal and provincial governments say they want to lead.

The new federal government has pledged a transformational economic agenda, identifying productivity as the defining challenge of our time. That recognition is welcome — and overdue. Now, transformation must follow. That means removing systemic barriers to investment and scaling up the policies that enable growth: modern infrastructure, competitive tax systems, much faster permitting, and a ambitious national approach to workforce and innovation.

Ontario’s provincial government has also taken meaningful steps — from launching and accelerating major transit buildouts to investing in new energy projects. But the path from important progress to bold transformation requires a willingness to think bigger and move faster. As this polling shows, the public appetite is there.

What’s at stake is not just growth statistics or business confidence — it’s the future affordability and resilience of our entire economy. When productivity stalls, wages stagnate. Investment dries up – or moves south and offshore to fuel growth elsewhere. And governments lose the fiscal capacity to fund the very services Canadians depend on.

It is a quiet crisis with loud consequences.

Crucially, this isn’t just about what government does — it’s about how government works. Public trust is shaped not by ambition, but by outcomes. That means breaking through Canada’s chronic policy gridlock. It means aligning across departments and jurisdictions as we are now seeing with significant moves to address interprovincial trade barriers. And it means creating a business environment that enthusiastically rewards the people taking risk to build our companies, hire our workers, invest in technology, and drive innovation – our communities depend on it.

The polling confirms this. Residents overwhelmingly agree that growing businesses are essential to creating high-quality jobs and building strong communities. They want governments to prioritize economic growth in ways that materially improve daily life — through better jobs, more opportunity, and greater affordability.

And they’ve identified the tools they expect governments to use: tax incentives to supercharge businesses growth, infrastructure that enables seamless movement of people and goods, and stronger supports for skills and technology adoption. They also see clearly that governments haven’t been doing enough — more than half of respondents say public investment in innovation tools is falling short.

What does that tell us? It tells us that concerns about Canada’s productivity decline is no longer confined to boardrooms or policy circles. The public gets it. They know that without stronger business growth, there is no rising standard of living, constrained budgets to support public services, and no future-ready economy.

What governments are being told is: this is no time for cautious incrementalism, but for resolve — and results.

Government must govern for growth. So that business can meet this moment, too.

Across our region, companies are having to rethink how they invest, innovate, and grow. To be competitive in today’s challenging and less predictable world, they need to adopt new tools, move faster, and train their people.

To turn this momentum into a movement, The Toronto Region Board of Trade is launching a campaign, Stronger Starts Here, calling on business to rally together and fuel the growth agenda we all need.

Add your voice at StrongerStartsHere.ca.