Business and Forestry groups warn of damage NDP win will do to economy, industry

In the past few days, business and forestry groups have issued news releases and held news conferences to warn of how damaging an NDP win could be for British Columbia’s economy. Business leaders from all stripes are agreeing that Carole James and the NDP have put out a platform that will cost jobs, business and create havoc for BC’s economy at a time when we can ill afford it.

First, forestry leaders issued a news release on May 4th setting the record straight on forestry issues. The heads of Interfor, West Fraser Timber and Canfor came together to accuse the NDP of playing “politics with the lives of the thousands of people who depend on forestry.” They credit Gordon Campbell for being a champion of the industry, and say that the NDP’s plan to open up the Softwood Lumber Agreement shows a fundamental lack of understanding that would “jeopardize the economic stability of BC companies, their employees and the communities in which they live and work.”

Then on Tuesday, the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia (CHBA BC) issued a joint news release rallying everyone touched by construction in BC to ensure voters get out to the polls to stop the possibility of an NDP win.

“The NDP platform shows their hostility to the interests of home builders and home buyers, by proposing significant re-regulation that would disadvantage independent construction companies and raise prices across the board,” says Tim Kasten, President of CHBA BC. “Our industry has worked collaboratively to build a strong industry training system in recent years, but the NDP is proposing to undermine these improvements in one fell swoop. We can’t stand by and let that happen.”

Also on Tuesday, the Coalition of BC Businesses held a news conference with 13 business associations representing more than 50,000 small- and medium-sized employers held a news conference where they warned that higher taxes and higher payroll costs featured in the NDP platform will put at least 110,000 British Columbians out of work and put at risk the viability of BC’s small- and medium-sized businesses.

“The sectors of the economy we represent are working hard to keep their businesses open and keep people on the job through this global economic downturn. That will become harder with the $450 million in extra payroll costs, courtesy of the NDP’s 25 per cent minimum wage hike. Job losses are estimated at 50,000 as a direct result of the minimum wage increase.”

It seems everyone agrees that the NDP platform promises ruin for British Columbia. We have to ensure that voter turnout is high on May 12th to stop the NDP.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Do the NDP agree with their apologist?

Bill Tieleman, a left-wing journalist and commentator in favour of all things NDP, was on CKNW on Easter Monday saying that if a business is only barely profitable, then it shouldn’t be in business at all.

A caller to the radio show made the point that raising the minimum wage would cost jobs for many small businesses and significantly hurt profitability in this unstable economic climate. Host Bill Good agreed with the caller. But Bill Tieleman spoke up and firmly stuck his foot in his mouth, saying:

“Why do we support businesses that are marginally, minimally profitable in the first place? If you are that marginal then maybe you shouldn’t be in business.”

After a commercial break Tieleman went on to dig his hole by saying:

“When you’re paying all minimum wage, odds are the state is subsidizing that business with medicare premiums, benefit relief. If you cannot survive without state intervention then maybe you shouldn’t be in business.”

Gee, so if you’re suffering during these tough economic times and not staying profitable, you should just go out of business. Wonder if the Canadian Auto Workers would agree with that, given that Tieleman’s logic would certainly shut down all the North American auto manufacturers.

Think Carole James would agree?

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Rub a dub dub, Only 2 business people in a $30 billion tub....

Carole James spoke yesterday to the Business Council of BC in an attempt to make nice with business, but despite her protests that she’s different from the NDP of the 1990s, no one was buying it.

James said if she were in charge, she’d build homes, instead of the kinds of infrastructure projects starting now that can help turn our economy around. She made it clear that she plans to change the labour code, likely eliminating the democratic rights of workers and making it easier for unions to organize. That is no surprise given the NDP’s intimate relationship with big labour, but is hardly the kind of thing a business audience needs to hear to have any trust in someone who wants to lead this province during an economic crisis.

She told the Business Council that she would “study” green projects like run of river hydro, which really means she’ll make the approval process so cumbersome as to put an end to them. She says she’s going to consult with business, but that’s political code for “I’m making changes and they’re not good for you.”

There have been a lot of questions lately about the NDP’s lack of any experience in the private sector, and how they could possibly run the province’s economy with no business experience among their candidates.

So we listened closely when James was asked about the complete lack of business experience in her field of candidates. And we couldn’t help laughing uproariously at her answer. It seems there are a whopping two candidates (among 85 ridings!?) with experience in the private sector – a lawyer and a farmer. Oh sure, that instils confidence, doesn’t it?

No matter how many times she claims to be different from the NDP of the 1990s, the NDP who destroyed our province’s economy, she’s not different. She’s surrounded by the same people and making the same mistakes.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Newsletter offers statistics proving NDP wrong choice for economy

The latest edition of the BC Construction Monitor is now available online, and it clearly shows what the economic impact of an NDP government would be for the construction sector.

The BC Construction Monitor provides ahead-of-the-curve information and statistics on the BC construction industry and issues relevant to it. The Monitor draws on analyses and outlooks from various sources, and provides current and substantive insight.

This issue examines economic indicators from the past eight years and compares them with the 1990s when the NDP were in power. The numbers clearly show that a change in government, especially at this time, could harm BC’s economy further and halt a recovery for construction jobs and growth.

Family owned businesses can’t afford to return to the bad old days of low growth and debt.

Carole James and the NDP. Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.