It was interesting to read Bruce Strachan's latest column cautioning his readership to beware of the NDP and their big labour partners. He suggests that labour and by definition unions can do nothing but harm to the B.C. economy.
That would be true if a party represented only the interests of big business whose goal is to increase profits by whatever means possible, including lower wages. Perhaps he would like to see us go the way of many states in the U.S.m which have passed Right to Work legislation designed to rid unions of power and influence and is what President Obama has called the right to work for less legislation.
I'm not suggesting that an economy controlled by unions is a good thing, but the facts speak for themselves. Union membership is down in Canada. Over the last thirty years income distribution in Canada and other western nations has been skewed to favor the infamous one per cent of the population. The overall majority of the population has barely kept up with inflation.
B.C. as for most of Canada is highly dependent on the export of its natural resources for its revenue. Despite claims to the contrary, B.C.'s economy is based less on the policies of whatever party is in power and more to the ups and downs of the world economy and the prices and demands for our natural resources.
Strachan contends that the NDP government of the nineties caused a downgrade of the provincial credit rating. I would only ask as to who is to blame for this week's downgrade of our credit rating? Knowing Strachan and his ilk, he would undoubtedly find someway of blaming unions and the opposition NDP for the latest down grade of our credit rating. As to the upcoming provincial election my vote goes to the party who has in mind a fair and equitable distribution of our wealth whether they be labour, business, destitute families, and yes, even the much privileged one per cent. Every segment of our population should have justice and equal access to society's resources.
David Bond
Prince George
