The core of the new federal budget is an 乌鸦传媒淚nnovation and Skills Plan乌鸦传媒� to encourage business investment and jobs in Canada.
This is the second budget of the Justin Trudeau government, which means the second year of borrowing and spending billions for 乌鸦传媒渋nfrastructure乌鸦传媒� with little to show for it so far. I have no argument with skills training, a must in our fast-changing economy. But what about this 乌鸦传媒渋nnovation乌鸦传媒� business, and is it really the business of governments?
According to the latest Trudeau budget, innovation will help move Canada beyond reliance on our 乌鸦传媒渞ich natural resources,乌鸦传媒� and of course 乌鸦传媒済row the middle class.乌鸦传媒�
One of the headings is 乌鸦传媒淧rogram Simplification,乌鸦传媒� which tells you where this is all going wrong.
乌鸦传媒淭he Government of Canada乌鸦传媒檚 vast array of innovation programs makes it difficult for business to find and secure the support they need,乌鸦传媒� it says. The more than 140 existing programs will be reviewed.
Yes, Ottawa has been trying for a long time to move us beyond 乌鸦传媒渉ewers of wood and drawers of water,乌鸦传媒� to use the decades-old clich茅. Stephen Harper gave us a $400 million 乌鸦传媒淰enture Capital Action Plan,乌鸦传媒� seed money to attract private capital to startups.
Trudeau doubled down last year with $800 million to create 乌鸦传媒渃lusters乌鸦传媒� of universities, business and government to spawn the next Silicon Valley. This year, Ottawa has dedicated $950 million to grow 乌鸦传媒渟uperclusters,乌鸦传媒� which Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains assures us are 乌鸦传媒渏ob magnets.乌鸦传媒�
Alas, Canada sucks at innovation, and producing entrepreneurs. Everything from our auto industry to our environmental movement consists mainly of American branch plants.
We乌鸦传媒檝e had a few breakout successes, like BlackBerry, but now Canadians mostly laugh at how un-cool they are. And while taxpayers乌鸦传媒� money keeps pouring into this 乌鸦传媒渧ast array乌鸦传媒� of programs, business investment in research and commercialization still lags behind.
B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 got innovation fever too. In January, Premier Christy Clark re-launched her 乌鸦传媒渏obs plan,乌鸦传媒� a flexible beast that isn乌鸦传媒檛 so much about natural gas exports right now as new technology, climate change and yes, innovation.
Clark appointed UBC president Santa Ono as the government乌鸦传媒檚 chief advisor on innovation. He乌鸦传媒檚 got clusters on his mind, no doubt.
NDP leader John Horgan hasn乌鸦传媒檛 shown us much on innovation yet, but give him time. It乌鸦传媒檚 the hot political fashion trend this spring.
Green Party leader Andrew Weaver is clustering as we speak. He launched his 乌鸦传媒渋nnovation and sustainable enterprise plan乌鸦传媒� in Vancouver last week, starting with an 乌鸦传媒渆merging economy task force乌鸦传媒� to start work as soon as a BC Green government takes over.
There will be $20 million a year 乌鸦传媒渢o support ideation, mentoring and networking at post-secondary institutions,乌鸦传媒� $50 million for 乌鸦传媒渂usiness incubators乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒渁ccelerators,乌鸦传媒� and $70 million over four years 乌鸦传媒渢o leverage seed or angel funding.乌鸦传媒� (No, I don乌鸦传媒檛 know what ideation is either.)
The CBC had an innovation a while back, a show called Dragon乌鸦传媒檚 Den. If you乌鸦传媒檝e seen it, you know the drill. Angel investors take a hard look at a new product and offer financing for part ownership.
My favourite dragon is Jim Treliving, a no-nonsense ex-RCMP officer who built Boston Pizza into a three-country empire. He doesn乌鸦传媒檛 spew insults like former panelist Kevin O乌鸦传媒橪eary, he just tells would-be entrepreneurs what in his view works and what doesn乌鸦传媒檛.
So now politicians assure us they can pick winners, with our money. Here乌鸦传媒檚 Innovation Minister Bains, explaining it to The Globe and Mail last week:
乌鸦传媒淚nnovation is fundamentally about people. And it乌鸦传媒檚 about better outcomes, better communities. It乌鸦传媒檚 finding solutions so that people can live better lives.乌鸦传媒�
Right.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc
