OTTAWA – Member of Parliament John Rafferty (Thunder Bay – Rainy River) attended the inaugural meeting of the All-Party Entrepreneurship caucus today.  

John Rafferty – former small business owner

The stated goal of the All-Party Entrepreneurship is; ‘to be the grassroots voice of small business on Parliament Hill, giving all MPs a true understanding of the needs and aims of entrepreneurs,’ and is something that Rafferty said he fully supports. 

Rafferty, himself a former owner and operator of a small business said the caucus got off to a good start.  “It was a good first meeting and I was glad to see some representation from all the parties in the House of Commons,” he said. “It’s clear that we share a common interest and concern for the well-being of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and those they employ.  We want to do what we can to help them succeed.”  

The first outside guests to sit down and discuss their issues of concern to the All-Party Entrepreneurship Caucus was the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) who shared their thoughts, hopes, and expectations for the 2013 federal budget.  “They gave our members a lot to think about when we return to our respective party caucuses to discuss these issues,” Rafferty said.