In the wake of a topsy-turvey week on the Canadian political scene, business leaders across the country are hoping the next federal election - whenever it may happen - will end political uncertainty and create a warmer business climate.

"I can't say we're exactly looking forward to an election," says Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Ottawa-based organization Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME). "An election is a little like going to the dentist: You don't look forward to it, but it's something you have to go through."

Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberals survived a historically narrow confidence test last week that may buy the beleaguered minority government a few more months in power.

The budget vote averted an immediate election call, and with fewer than four weeks of parliamentary sittings scheduled before the summer break, it appears likely Martin's fragile minority will last at least until autumn.

The prime minister has promised an election within 30 days of a report on the federal sponsorship scandal, expected in December.

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce feels the business community - especially in Alberta - is capable of weathering whatever political storm blows through. Public affairs director Jocelyn Burgener says Alberta is particularly well positioned to not only survive turbulent political waters, but to thrive in them.

"The fundamentals of the economy are good, Alberta is enjoying prosperity and economic growth is not going to change, irrespective of the decisions made in Ottawa," she says.

The Calgary chamber also wants the next government - regardless of its political stripe - to bring in tax relief to "keep us in a competitive advantage in the global marketplace," and continue to pay down the federal debt so that burden doesn't transfer to future generations, Burgener says.

Other business associations across the country say they're still keeping their fingers crossed for a more fiscally responsible Parliament and, more importantly, one that will be able to bring a measure of economic certainty.

"At the moment, there is gridlock in Parliament. So nothing is getting done and that doesn't make for a great business environment," says Darcy Rezac, managing director for the Vancouver Board of Trade.

Although Rezac is cautious not to endorse one party over another, he acknowledges that Conservative policies are generally more pro-business. He also expresses his worry about the Liberal government's recent "spending spree," seen by many as a pre-election bid to win over voters, a concern shared by other Canadian business associations.

"This is how a minority government heading into an election tries to make points, by increasing spending, and that worries me," says Catherine Swift, president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

An outspoken voice of small business, the CFIB says the spectre of a string of minority governments - even pro-business Conservative ones - is not an appealing one.

"Minority governments are always in pre-election mode and tend to be big-spending and tend not to be decisive on (fiscal) balance."

The question, she says, is if the Conservatives do eventually come to power, "can they push a pro-business agenda? Can they get it through within a minority situation? It would be difficult."

The CME, meanwhile, is looking for some decisive leadership from Liberal-governed Parliament Hill.

Beatty says Canada's manufacturers and exporters face challenges on a number of issues, including a volatile Canadian dollar, increased competition from emerging economies including China and India, and the rising overall cost of doing business, which is making it difficult to compete.

According to Beatty, what CME members need from government immediately is "a clear vision that looks out ahead several years from now and (spells out) what steps we must take to get there," something, he says, the Liberal government has done little of during its turn at the helm.

The Toronto Board of Trade (BOT) is also hoping the next election will usher in new recognition of the city's importance on Canada's economic roadmap.

"The Toronto business community has shown it can thrive under any government or leader, as long as they recognize what a big part the city plays in the economic success of (Ontario) and the success of the country," which means investing in the city, says board spokesman Glen Stone.

Stone notes that the Liberal government has been largely unresponsive to TO's economic realities - and the results are evident. He says thousands of jobs have evaporated in recent years and Toronto has also lost 40 corporate headquarters since the federal Liberals took office in 1992.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper recently had a sitdown with the BOT board of directors to hear their concerns. Stone said that Harper seemed "quite sincere in his understanding of the issues" and indicated that he was willing to work with the Toronto business community and honour any economic commitments struck between the Liberal government and the city.

"We judge the government, not by the colour of the tie they wear, but rather by the content of the policies."

Stone notes that several issues, such as an estimated $5 billion needed in the next 10 years to maintain the city's already-strained public-transit infrastructure, must be addressed if the business community is to prosper.

"It costs business - the gridlock creates stress, the pollution leads to poor health and it doesn't make for a great place to live or do business, so people leave," Stone said.

Stephen Chapman, president of the Progressive Group for Independent Business (PGIB), headquartered in Calgary, agrees that infrastructure spending should be a continuing priority of the federal government because "the nature of Canada ... is no longer just manufacturing - it's the ability to distribute products worldwide and that requires a spending in infrastructure."

Chapman says he hopes that Ontario businesses get the message that the sitting government is bad for business and that a vote for the Conservative party during the next election will help put things right.

"Unfortunately, until the bulk of the Ontario voters make a clear-cut decision that what has happened over the past 10 years simply can't be tolerated, then I think we may end up seeing the next two elections mired down in minority positions," he says.

The PGIB hopes that if Harper can topple Martin in a vote and then show the party's mettle in a minority parliament, it could generate enough steam to carry it to a majority in the following election.

"The Conservatives can introduce some things that may pleasantly surprise the business-community hub in Ontario and get them to say: 'Hold it, this is a direction we should be moving towards.' From there, we can build on that into the next election," Chapman says.

The CFIB's Swift also feels a Tory minority could convince "those Canadians - that for no really good reason - seem to think there's this hidden social agenda we keep hearing about all the time," to change their vote, which could later bloom into a Conservative majority.

In the meantime, her organization will focus on lobbying all the political players.

"We will be meeting with a number of key people in all parties because, especially in this situation, the smaller parties have a more significant role than they might otherwise."

- With files from Canadian Press