On February 24, 2022, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business released its annual report card of regulatory burden imposed on business by governments across the country.
Ontario received its second consecutive A for regulatory accountability, achieving 10/10 scores for regulatory accountability including measurement, public reporting and regulatory budget.
The province scored a D in the regulatory burden category however, losing points for having the highest number of regulations in the country. This ranking and study confirm what CPA members have long known – Ontario is an exceptionally high-cost, high-burden jurisdiction to operate within.
Ontario’s A for regulatory accountability, combined with a D for regulatory burden, gives the province a final overall grade of B+ for 2022.
By province the grades are:
| Jurisdiction | Regulatory Accountability (60%) | Regulatory Burden (40%) | Overall Score & Grade |
| Manitoba | 10.0 A | 8.4 B+ | 9.4 A |
| Alberta | 10.0 A | 7.0 C | 8.8 A- |
| British Columbia | 9.3 A | 7.6 B- | 8.6 B+ |
| Nova Scotia | 10.0 A | 6.3 C- | 8.5 B+ |
| Saskatchewan | 9.7 A | 6.7 C | 8.5 B+ |
| Ontario | 10.0 A | 5.6 D | 8.3 B+ |
| Quebec | 9.3 A | 5.5 D | 7.8 B |
| Prince Edward Island | 8.0 B | 5.0 D- | 6.8 C |
| New Brunswick | 4.7 F | 4.7 F | 4.7 F |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2.3 F | 3.8 F | 2.9 F |
The CPA will use report card results in advocacy activities with government representatives to reinforce the need for greater regulatory burden reduction and transparency on accountability for industry. This is particularly true in jurisdictions where access to public information and feedback on regulatory requirements was found to be so difficult and time-consuming that it was deemed inaccessible by the reports’ authors.
To access the report in full, click here.