By Norman Leach
Business Edge News Magazine
When sailing ships dominated the world of trade, they depended on the wind to fill their sails and push them to ports around the world. Trade came to a stop when the wind stopped – and if the wind stayed stopped, trade stopped and economies suffered.
Today, at least in Canada we are in the doldrums. Sadly, these doldrums are caused not by a lack of wind but by lack of government decisiveness.
Business can survive anything except government uncertainty. When government says taxes are going up, the business world adjusts. When government says minimum wage is going up, the business world adjusts. When government says we are building a pipeline, the business world adjusts. When government says we are not building a pipeline, the business world adjusts.
The challenge today is that our governments are no longer making decisions. Afraid of the electorate on both sides of the spectrum, governments waffle and the business community is thrown into windless doldrums. Calgary, once an economic powerhouse, is an excellent example of what happens when governments waffle.
Whereas four years ago Calgary had virtually no unemployment, today nine percent of Calgarians are out of work. Whereas once Calgary’s downtown was charging premium rents while companies clamoured for space, today 25% of Calgary’s office space is sitting vacant. Whereas once oil and gas were kings, now our locally produced oil sells at massive discount. This strengthens other producing nations and weakens Canada.
U.S. General George S. Patton once said, “Lead me, follow me, or get the hell out of my way.” It is time for every politician, at all levels to follow the general’s advice. It is time to either build the Trans-Mountain pipeline, or not. Lead – make a decision. Politicians at all levels are trying to suck and blow at the same time. They claim in the media that Canada needs a pipeline to get its products to market and then cry crocodile tears when the courts halt the building. Either way, the politicians can clam a victory while Canada suffers.
It is no longer acceptable for governments to act as though decisions don’t have consequences. As a country, we are well past that. Politicians need to walk the talk. Simply tell business what you are going to do, and then do it. Business will adjust, taxpayers will adjust. We just need to know where we are going, and that politicians will stay the course.
Norman Leach is an Edmonton-based international business consultant, author and historian who is interested in the intersections of government, business and citizens. He can be reached at nsleach@telusplanet.net