MARK MACDONALD
Appointing Dr. Bonnie Henry to lead the province’s Coronavirus pandemic was a stroke of political genius for the NDP.
Taking an expert within the medical profession to oversee something within the medical field the NDP recognizes they are clearly not expert in gave Premier John Horgan the best of both worlds: If she is successful, the NDP can take credit; if she fails, they can blame her.
Most British Columbians believe Henry has done an admirable job of handling COVID-19. Whether the number of deaths and casualties from the pandemic outnumbers the ancillary damage, mental health issues, substance-abuse crises, and yes, even death, that are a direct result of isolating healthy society remains to be seen. Eventually, the numbers will reveal all of that.
It’s a pity that the NDP won’t use the same strategy within finance. It is clear to most everybody BUT the NDP that they don’t know how to grow an economy or create an environment in which free enterprise flourishes. If they did recognize their weakness, they could be inclined to search outside the borders of their own never-operated-a-successful-business-themselves circle of wagons from which they dictate dogma-filled policy.
Prior to the 2013 provincial election, I met with apparent Premier-in-waiting Adrian Dix, along with MLA Doug Routley, for a two and a half hour lunch discussion. Amongst other things, I suggested the same format they’ve now used with Henry: Bring in someone from outside the party – and let them lead. Someone that knows and understands finance from experience – not theory – and let them lead an NDP finance ministry. Dix didn’t commit to the suggestion, but he did manage to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory and Christy Clark became Premier. There’s no way to know whether he would have done so anyway.
By complete chance, I happened to sit across from Finance Minister Carole James earlier this year at a dinner in Hitacu, near Ucluelet. I shared the exact same idea with her as I had with Dix, but to this point, there has been no indication she or the NDP intends to seek such outside expert assistance and guidance.
Predictably, the NDP “reaches out” to gather information from the business community, only for those canvassed to later realize their suggestions have fallen, again, on deaf ears. Many recognize their apparent willingness to listen is nothing more than political posturing, as the NDP continues to do what it has always done, and apparently always will: Raise taxes and punish business.
Alas, there is no-one as blind as those who think they see.
And the NDP thinks they understand how an economy actually grows, and that’s the biggest problem. They don’t, and won’t ask for help.
The NDP believes business owners and entrepreneurs are motivated primarily by greed, not need.
They use terms like “subsidize” to describe tax cuts, which is deliberately misleading, because when taxes are decreased, businesses aren’t given anything – they get to have less tax taken away. The NDP prefers terms like this as it makes it appear to their worker supporters that business owners are either on the dole, or need government assistance in order to grow.
In reality, the exact opposite is true. The only way to grow/revive/resuscitate private sector business is for governments to get out of the way and let the entrepreneurial spirit thrive and reward people for their ingenuity, ideas and good old fashioned hard work. The best incentive is not a government grant – it’s a genuine opportunity to get ahead and enjoy the fruits of one’s labours.
That is something the NDP doesn’t understand, and doesn’t appear willing to consider.
Many believe the NDP stole the government due to a combination of floor-crossing Darryl Plecas and a coalition with the Greens propped up by former NDP MLA Andrew Weaver. It forced Horgan, a vindictive bully, to appear more congenial. . .a team player.
Horgan with a majority? Look out. A second term NDP government without the shackles of a coalition will allow them to afflict the economy with even more ideological punishment.
Don’t mistake these thoughts as a plea for a BC Liberal government. Andrew Wilkinson has proven he is not Premier material and has stepped down already. His own push for power within the party has alienated many campaign “worker bees” who sat on the sidelines, waiting for his removal.
As polls predicted, the NDP obtained its coveted majority in an election viewed to be unwanted and unneeded – unless you’re Horgan and his heroes, who saw absolute power at their fingertips. As politicians say: A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.
So with their new mandate, the NDP will be expected to turn the economy around. It’s not possible on their own, since they refuse to exit their own ideological box.
Maybe, just maybe, they’ll humble themselves and search for a “Financial Bonnie Henry” to oversee the economy. One can only hope.
Mark MacDonald is President of Communication Ink Media & Public Relations Ltd. and can be reached at mark@communicationink.ca