Economy

Britain and British Columbia now moving in different directions on P3s. BC taxpayers may be the losers

May 20, 2014
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A dozen years ago when Gordon Campbell’s newly elected British Columbia government decided it wanted to build its infrastructure with public private partnerships (P3s) it turned to England for advice.  The British model for infrastructure shaped much of what BC did in the ensuing years.  Lately, British Columbia and the UK have been going in different… View Article

What you need to know about BC Budget 2014

Feb 18, 2014
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Today’s 2014 BC budget contained very little news, as expected. Despite a significantly weaker economic picture for BC than what was projected in the June 2013 Budget Update, there are no new measures to help British Columbian families struggling with economic insecurity in the weak job market. Five years after the recession officially ended, BC… View Article

7 things that should be in this year’s BC Budget

Feb 17, 2014
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In the fifth year of a slow and largely jobless economic recovery, the 2014 BC Budget should prioritize measures to set the foundation of a more just and sustainable economy, where prosperity is shared by all citizens. Here are 7 initiatives that will get us there. 1. A comprehensive poverty reduction plan Combating poverty is… View Article

Looking Back on the Vancouver-Whistler Winter Games

Feb 6, 2014
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British Columbians no doubt feel thankful that the costs, security and other challenges facing the Sochi Winter Olympic Games far surpass what B.C. and Canada faced with the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Games. But the 2010 Games were not without controversy and still raise the question of whether it was all worthwhile. Unfortunately, at least from a… View Article

LNG: BC’s Quest for a New Staple Industry

Oct 21, 2013
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I have a post as part of a new series from the Progressive Economics Forum celebrating 50 years of Mel Watkins’ publication of “A Staple Theory of Economic Growth.” Watkins’ piece follows the insight of Harold Innis to develop an understanding of economic growth uniquely rooted in the Canadian experience. The series begins with an… View Article

Time to redesign BC’s GHG policy

Oct 8, 2013
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No matter where you stand on GHGs and climate change, one thing is very clear. British Columbia GHG policy is a mess. It is not just that GHG reduction targets were legislated without any credible plan to achieve them and, given our current industrial strategy, little prospect of doing so. It is the complete lack… View Article

Short BC throne speech neglects climate crisis, poverty

Jun 26, 2013
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Everyone expected today’s throne speech to be a brief recap of Christy Clark’s election platform. And on this front, it certainly delivered: only 8 pages, compared to the usual 20+, pinning our province’s hopes on LNG exports, and using much of the same language, word for word, that we’ve heard repeatedly throughout the election campaign…. View Article