OTTAWA—The CPIA is urging all members to send a letter to Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty ahead of the federal budget to advocate for immediate action on the economy’s effect on the print industry.

CPIA president Bob Elliott has e-mailed a form letter to all 500 members, which they can sign their names and job titles to and send. The CPIA also sent a more detailed note to Flaherty, along with a dozen other high-level government officials.

The letters outline several pressing issues in the industry, including the difficulty printers have in accessing credit and financing, which Elliott said is a becoming an extremely serious problem.

The CPIA recommends potential solutions to Flaherty in its letter, such as extending the two-year depreciation for investments in manufacturing and processing machinery introduced in 2007, for an additional five years. The letter also emphasizes the need for improvements to the tax system to encourage investment in assets, and encourages corporate tax reductions.

Elliott called the repercussions on the industry “massive” if the government fails to act. “The urgency of the actions that need to be taken are crucial to us,” he said. Flaherty will bring down the federal budget in Parliament on Jan. 27.