Canada Tech Leaders Launch Group to Influence Political Upheaval
(Bloomberg) -- A group with the backing of top Canadian tech entrepreneurs has launched an effort to promote policies ahead of a general election this year.
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The 'Build Canada' website appeared on Tuesday with a list of supporters featuring several members of the executive team at Shopify Inc., venture capitalist and entrepreneur Anthony Lacavera, as well as the co-founders of AI startup Cohere Inc. and fintech startup Wealthsimple Inc. Its core team includes former Shopify Vice President Daniel Debow and former government official Lucy Hargreaves, now head of corporate affairs at tech company Patch.
The site bemoans the 'small thinking, bureaucratic inertia and special interests' holding Canada back. It says it's non-partisan, and features articles by business figures with policy ideas such as talent-driven immigration reform — instead of 'providing residency as a form of charity' — revamping programs to promote pro-Canadian cultural content, updating and integrating health records, and centralizing transportation regulation. It also promotes 'selling more Canadian products and resources.'
Canada is due to hold a general election by October. The public focus by tech leaders on policy making echoes the role their American peers played in November's US election. That influence was epitomized by the efforts of Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who poured more than $250 million into political groups and helped President Donald Trump create the Department of Government Efficiency.
Much lower political donation limits prevent the same playbook from being employed in Canada. Build Canada, Shopify, Wealthsimple and Cohere didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
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