The core of the new federal budget is an 含羞草研究社淚nnovation and Skills Plan含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渋nfrastructure含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渋nnovation含羞草研究社� business, and is it really the business of governments?
According to the latest Trudeau budget, innovation will help move Canada beyond reliance on our 含羞草研究社渞ich natural resources,含羞草研究社� and of course 含羞草研究社済row the middle class.含羞草研究社�
One of the headings is 含羞草研究社淧rogram Simplification,含羞草研究社� which tells you where this is all going wrong.
含羞草研究社淭he Government of Canada含羞草研究社檚 vast array of innovation programs makes it difficult for business to find and secure the support they need,含羞草研究社� it says. The more than 140 existing programs will be reviewed.
Yes, Ottawa has been trying for a long time to move us beyond 含羞草研究社渉ewers of wood and drawers of water,含羞草研究社� to use the decades-old clich茅. Stephen Harper gave us a $400 million 含羞草研究社淰enture Capital Action Plan,含羞草研究社� seed money to attract private capital to startups.
Trudeau doubled down last year with $800 million to create 含羞草研究社渃lusters含羞草研究社� of universities, business and government to spawn the next Silicon Valley. This year, Ottawa has dedicated $950 million to grow 含羞草研究社渟uperclusters,含羞草研究社� which Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains assures us are 含羞草研究社渏ob magnets.含羞草研究社�
Alas, Canada sucks at innovation, and producing entrepreneurs. Everything from our auto industry to our environmental movement consists mainly of American branch plants.
We含羞草研究社檝e had a few breakout successes, like BlackBerry, but now Canadians mostly laugh at how un-cool they are. And while taxpayers含羞草研究社� money keeps pouring into this 含羞草研究社渧ast array含羞草研究社� of programs, business investment in research and commercialization still lags behind.
B.C.含羞草研究社檚 got innovation fever too. In January, Premier Christy Clark re-launched her 含羞草研究社渏obs plan,含羞草研究社� a flexible beast that isn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚 chief advisor on innovation. He含羞草研究社檚 got clusters on his mind, no doubt.
NDP leader John Horgan hasn含羞草研究社檛 shown us much on innovation yet, but give him time. It含羞草研究社檚 the hot political fashion trend this spring.
Green Party leader Andrew Weaver is clustering as we speak. He launched his 含羞草研究社渋nnovation and sustainable enterprise plan含羞草研究社� in Vancouver last week, starting with an 含羞草研究社渆merging economy task force含羞草研究社� to start work as soon as a BC Green government takes over.
There will be $20 million a year 含羞草研究社渢o support ideation, mentoring and networking at post-secondary institutions,含羞草研究社� $50 million for 含羞草研究社渂usiness incubators含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渁ccelerators,含羞草研究社� and $70 million over four years 含羞草研究社渢o leverage seed or angel funding.含羞草研究社� (No, I don含羞草研究社檛 know what ideation is either.)
The CBC had an innovation a while back, a show called Dragon含羞草研究社檚 Den. If you含羞草研究社檝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含羞草研究社檛 spew insults like former panelist Kevin O含羞草研究社橪eary, he just tells would-be entrepreneurs what in his view works and what doesn含羞草研究社檛.
So now politicians assure us they can pick winners, with our money. Here含羞草研究社檚 Innovation Minister Bains, explaining it to The Globe and Mail last week:
含羞草研究社淚nnovation is fundamentally about people. And it含羞草研究社檚 about better outcomes, better communities. It含羞草研究社檚 finding solutions so that people can live better lives.含羞草研究社�
Right.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc
