Sometime a person has to scratch their head, and wonder about the
priorities of our NDP provincial government … other times, you just know by
their actions. Take today for example.
At
8:33 am this morning the BC Liberal Party sent out a media release regarding
Small Business week; it stated:
“Over one million British Columbians work in the small business sector and the BC Liberal Caucus encourages everyone to demonstrate their support by shopping local and sharing their favourite small businesses on social media using #ShopSmallBiz.”
Next door in Alberta, the United Conservative Party of Jason Kenney, issued a media release at 9:01 for Small Business week in which they indicated:
“Many of you may know a small business owner – whether it’s someone in your family, a neighbour, a friend, or an acquaintance in your hometown or neighbourhood. So, in celebration of this important week, I encourage all Albertans to take some time to recognize and support a local small business.”
“Over one million British Columbians work in the small business sector and the BC Liberal Caucus encourages everyone to demonstrate their support by shopping local and sharing their favourite small businesses on social media using #ShopSmallBiz.”
Next door in Alberta, the United Conservative Party of Jason Kenney, issued a media release at 9:01 for Small Business week in which they indicated:
“Many of you may know a small business owner – whether it’s someone in your family, a neighbour, a friend, or an acquaintance in your hometown or neighbourhood. So, in celebration of this important week, I encourage all Albertans to take some time to recognize and support a local small business.”
And here in BC?
Well we know where the priorities of John Horgan’s NDP government are;
it seems Small Business Week ranks second to Bike Week.
At 9:30am Claire Trevena,
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, issued the following
statement on Fall Bike to Work Weeks:
“Today marks the start of Fall Bike to
Work Weeks, another opportunity to get on a bike to go where you need to.
Our government wants
people of all ages and abilities to have more healthy, affordable and
environmentally friendly ways to travel. That’s why, as part of CleanBC, we
introduced Move.Commute.Connect., B.C.’s first active transportation strategy.
Our strategy will help communities build more bike lanes and trails, giving
more people the opportunity to choose an active mode of travel”.
Wait for it ……
Finally, at 10:01am someone realized it was Small Business week, as the
Jobs, Trade, and Technology Ministry let us know that …Small businesses are the heart of BC’s communities and the backbone of the province’s economy … and that … small businesses contribute significantly to the economy by creating and maintaining good jobs in communities throughout the province.
Now I don’t know about
you, but I would have thought that celebrating Small Business week in BC would
have been the number one priority today – but for a government consumed with
GHG emissions, carbon taxes, stalling resource projects, and watching over the
slow and painful death of BC’s forest industry – that just wouldn’t rank right
up there in the number one spot.
Not having its’ priorities
straight is also likely the reason that according to BC Stats Infoline:
- exports in our province are down 5.3% year over year
- revenues generated in British Columbia’s food service and drinking places industry declined
- sales by retailers in the province slipped 0.8% (seasonally adjusted) in July, following a similar decline in June (-0.7%)
- the number of business bankruptcies climbed by 166.7% in July
- and there were eighty-four hundred (‑8,400) fewer jobs available in September
Priorities ...
Sadly, we
certainly can see where small business ranks here in BC --- behind
acknowledging and celebrating Fall Bike to Work Week.
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