Speaker: David William
Vice President of Policy
Business Council of British Columbia
Adjusted for population, Canada’s economy has barely grown in the past decade. We have the third weakest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita growth of the 38 countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Public sector spending has been strong, while private sector activity has stagnated or retreated. British Columbia has done slightly better than other provinces due to four mega capital projects that are now completed. President Donald Trump has only exacerbated our challenges.
How does Canada shift from a growth model dependent on credit, population growth, and public sector spending to one focused on improving the underlying conditions for private sector activity — and why does that matter? What policies can help ensure Canada and B.C. are on a sound economic footing?