VICTORIA, B.C.: Premier David Eby has presided over five consecutive quarters of negative net business formation in British Columbia. That is a losing streak worse than any other province in Canada.

The latest numbers from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business are a flat-out embarrassment for B.C. Regular people trying to keep a shop open or run a small business right now are in dire straits under the NDP.

In the most recent reported quarter, 9,422 businesses closed their doors in BC while only 8,118 were brave enough to try opening. That’s a net loss of 1,304 employers gone, bleeding away livelihoods and wiping out jobs for regular British Columbians.

“Five straight quarters of more businesses shutting their doors than opening shop is a damning verdict on the NDP’s economic mismanagement,” said Gavin Dew, Shadow Minister for Economic Development. “The NDP can’t keep pointing the finger at everyone but themselves when B.C. is doing worse than the rest of Canada. The numbers don’t lie: the NDP have created one of the hardest places in the country to start and sustain a business. Higher taxes, endless red tape, a public safety crisis destroying our downtowns, and the DRIPA quagmire are killing business and investment.”

“It will take a fundamental shift in culture to turn the corner after a decade of decline,” said Dew. “The spirit of enterprise is dying under the NDP, and young job seekers are paying the price. That why we’ve called for a Youth Jobs Plan to rebuild the ladder of opportunity for the next generation.”

“Our business community can’t survive much more of this,” said Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. “The NDP has spent years treating businesses with indifference if not outright hostility. The result is more business owners making the difficult decision to shut down. A Conservative government would get B.C. back to being a place where businesses succeed and people can find good-paying jobs.”

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Media Contact:
Nikki Bal
Conservative.Communications@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948