Dear Editor:
With China's central bank cutting interest rates to bolster a slowing economy and European countries frantically trying to combat the Eurozone's debt crisis, one would be forgiven for wondering if the B.C. NDP was running the show in these beleaguered countries, given the NDP's woeful track record here in B.C.
As it stands, and as the latest job and unemployment numbers show, B.C.'s economy continues to flourish under the careful management of the B.C. Liberal government.
B.C. gained 3,600 new jobs last month, and the unemployment rate dropped to 6.6 per cent. Since June of 2011, B.C. has added a full 53,000 jobs, with particularly strong growth in manufacturing jobs.
The B.C. Liberal government's economic and job creation plan clearly seems to be working, and the pillars upon which that plan is based - leveraging our province's many competitive edges, driving new investment, and ensuring that economic benefits and jobs are spread provincewide for aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities alike - are proving to be very solid indeed.
This economic strength is particularly evident in B.C.'s energy sector, where renewable clean energy - notably hydroelectric energy - has long been one of our greatest competitive edges, attracting investment and creating jobs while spreading economic benefits provincewide. With facts and stark realities such as these, a key question the people of B.C. will need to answer this coming year is whether they want B.C. to continue flourishing economically as it has been or whether they want to jump on board the economic crazy train the rest of the world seems to be riding on.
Given the persistence of the economic despair seen elsewhere in the world, one thing is for sure: I will not be among those who choose to abandon economic stability, jobs and strength in B.C. for another wild ride on the NDP crazy train.
Donald Leung, Burnaby
