It’s still the economy, stupid

For all of the talk about affordability this election season, it is remarkable how little discussion there is amongst party leaders, candidates and the media covering them about the most basic and effective way to create new jobs and wage growth and improve Canadians’ overall quality of life. As democratic strategist James Carville famously put it during Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 presidential campaign, “It’s the economy, stupid.”

The political parties jockeying for parliamentary power understand well that many voters will cast their ballot based on pocketbook issues. As a result, party leaders have all made a number of promises to put a few dollars here and there back in the pockets of Canadians through various federal government programs, interventions and tax changes.

However, none of them has presented a serious plan to grow our economy. Go read all of the election platforms and promises released so far, and look for words like competitiveness and productivity. Their scarcity is astounding.

In a time of global uncertainty and rapid technological and market changes, this election should be a serious debate about how to tackle the present and future challenges of the Canadian economy. Where are the plans for a bold human capital agenda to ensure Canadians have the right skills, education, training and retraining to ensure Canadian businesses can growth and thrive? Where are the proposals for more nimble and flexible approaches to regulating new technologies that make businesses more productive? Where are the ideas about how Canada can capitalize on the increasing value of intellectual property in the digital economy? Where are the strategies to ensure that Canada’s natural resource and agriculture and agri-food sectors can meet the increasing global demand for Canadian products? Where are the plans to simplify Canada’s complex, inefficient tax systems that diminish investment in our country?

A stronger economy makes more Canadians more prosperous. It’s why the Canadian Chamber of Commerce provided a plan for a stronger economy to all political parties through our Vote Prosperity Platform. It’s why chambers of commerce across the country are hosting debates and challenging candidates in their communities to focus on economic issues.

Election day is less than two weeks away. Our political leaders are running out of time to make their pitch to Canadians, and they continue to struggle to distinguish their plans for the country. It shouldn’t be this hard. It’s still the economy, stupid.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

MARIO TAMA / AFP / GETTY IMAGES FILES Former United States president Bill Clinton and democratic strategist James Carville got it decades ago when they said the biggest issue voters care about is the economy, writes the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.