High taxes is only one of the problems. Archaic labor laws and a labor union mentality stuck in the 1800s—is another. But a whole attitude of entitlement is likely as big or bigger a problem. The nanny state that Canada has become is a problem, but liberals see it as a virtue. The socialist welfare state is the liberal-left’s baby. They created it, they nurtured it, they protect it like it’s a religion (which they hate), and they caused the scenario described below.
Canadian productivity, measured by output per hour worked, lags that of most industrialized nations, says the report, titled Canada’s Productivity Challenge. Unless Ottawa and Canadian businesses act swiftly to address the problem, it threatens to significantly reduce Canadians’ standard of living in the next few years.
“Productivity is the most important determinant of economic vitality,” says Eric Lascelles, an economist with TD who co-authored the report. “And by any metric you want to use, Canada has done very poorly in productivity.”
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, rapid technological advances following the Second World War helped improve Canada’s productivity rate by 3.6% a year, on average. But during the 1970s and 1980s, Canada’s rate slipped to 2.1% and 1.4%, respectively. The 1990s’ tech boom helped raise the rate to 1.8%, but in this decade productivity increases have been less than 1% a year—hitting a virtual standstill in 2003 and 2004, the report says.
In 1960, Canada was the third most productive country among Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development member nations, but by last year, Canada’s rank had dropped to 17th in the group.
And Canadians see nothing wrong with voting liberal. Perhaps that’s one of the biggest problems.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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