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NDP leader talks to board on tax, education

'This is the way we should be running the province,' says Dix during board of trade talk

B.C. needs to invest in education, highpaying jobs, a "knowledge economy" and natural resources, according to New Democrat leader Adrian Dix.

Dix's comments came at a Burnaby Board of Trade luncheon on Thursday, July 21.

Dix heaped accolades on the City of Burnaby and the Burnaby Citizens' Association.

"This is the way we should be running the province," he said. "That's the kind of government I would like to lead in Victoria," he added.

Dix characterized B.C.'s economy as relatively stable over a long period of time and said average economic growth was two per cent during the Liberals' 2001 to 2010 period.

"In the years that the NDP was in office, between 1991 and 2001, average economic growth was three per cent," he added.

Dix also criticized B.C.'s child poverty rate, the HST, spending on the B.C. Place roof and the export of raw logs. The Burnaby Board of Trade has yet to take a position on the HST, but results from recent survey by the board show 34.1 per cent of respondents want to get rid of it, while 63.4 per cent voted to keep it, and 2.4 per cent were unsure. Dix also spoke of addressing economic inequality in B.C.

The talk was followed by a question and answer period. Audience member Phil Hochstein of the B.C. Hotel Association asked Dix what the NDP's economic plan was to create jobs, economic wealth and prosperity.

"You talk about redistribution of income," Hochstein said. "I don't hear you talk about how you are going to create wealth."

Dix responded by saying B.C. can have the best health-care system and the highest quality education.

"What the responsibility of the provincial government seems to be is to ensure the fundamentals are right," he said.

"Frankly, it sounds more like more investment in public sector jobs than private sector jobs," Hochstein replied.

"I think a strong public sector supports a strong private sector, and you have to have both in balance. That's my view," Dix replied.

Dix is bracing for a possible fall election, and his talk was an outreach attempt with the business community.