NDP Economic Spin Can’t Hide BC’s Private Sector Slump

Gavin Dew is calling out the BC NDP government and Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation Diane Gibson for celebrating job numbers that fail to address the core problem: the stagnation of private sector job creation under their watch. Responding to the latest Labour Force Survey, Dew says the province’s economic outlook remains shaky despite the government’s attempts to spin it otherwise.

“Minister Gibson is touting job gains, but the truth is that BC’s private sector job creation has been dead last in Canada for years,” said Dew, the Conservative Official Opposition Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation.

“There’s nothing here to run a victory lap about. Since the pandemic, the NDP has relied on public sector hiring to pad their numbers. That’s not real economic growth — that’s taxpayers footing the bill for government expansion while the private sector struggles to create opportunities.”

While the NDP points to a lower-than-average unemployment rate, business confidence in BC is among the worst in the country. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), small business confidence in BC is now significantly below pre-pandemic levels, as rising costs and government regulations take their toll. In fact, the most recent survey shows that while year-over-year BC has added 13,300 public sector jobs, we’ve lost 6,400 private sector jobs.

“Businesses in BC are being strangled by red tape, high costs, and endless barriers,” Dew continued.

“The NDP keeps claiming they’re ‘building a clean economy,’ but what we really need is an economy that works. Real economic strength comes from private sector growth, not bigger government. This all equates to more debt, higher taxes, and more BC jobs and investment fleeing BC for warmer climates."

Dew is urging the government to focus on policies that empower businesses to invest, grow, and create jobs. “We need a government that works with job creators, not against them,” Dew said.

“The NDP’s spin can’t hide the fact that BC’s economy is under-performing. David Eby has done generational damage; it’s time to get serious about turning things around.”