PRIME Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday announced that a re-elected Conservative government will further cut red tape so that small businesses and entrepreneurs can spend more time serving Canadian consumers and less time on checking bureaucratic boxes.

“When small business owners spend less of their time and money on red tape, Canada sees economic growth and new jobs,” Harper said. “Our Conservative government has a strong reputation for cutting unnecessary regulatory red tape while maintaining high standards of safety and protection.”

Harper said Canada is a world leader in reducing the red tape burden and creating a more predictable environment for small businesses to grow and succeed.  A re-elected Conservative government will build on their current success by:

* Launching a new round of cross-country red tape consultations to get feedback on our current reforms and help to inform future ones.

* Expanding the “red tape baseline” to account for requirements on businesses stemming from legislation and policy rules in addition to regulations.

* Achieving a net reduction in the red tape burden of 20 percent.

* Better harmonizing our child car seat regulations with those of the United States to reduce the burden on Canadian retailers and provide more choice and better prices for Canadian consumers.

* Simplifying the calculation of home office expense deductions to save taxpayers time and money when filing their taxes.

“Small businesses are the engine of job creation in Canada, and are indispensable in their role as job creators and innovators,” Harper said.  “Our efforts to reduce the administration burden are allowing Canadian businesses to increase their productivity and reinvest in creating jobs.”

Harper noted that, to date, the Conservative government has saved Canadian businesses over $32 million in administrative burden, as well as 750,000 hours in time spent dealing with red tape each year.  “In addition to helping small businesses be more productive by cutting their red tape burden, our Government has also reduced their taxes,” said Harper. “As part of our low-tax plan, we have brought in the largest tax rate cut for small businesses in more than 25 years.”

“While [Liberal Leader] Justin thinks budgets balance themselves, small business owners know otherwise,” said Harper. “[NDP Leader] Thomas Mulcair’s plan to hike taxes and pile on debt will create economic chaos, putting Canadian workers and small businesses at risk. Our low-tax plan is helping create jobs and move Canada’s economy forward.”