Phil Hochstein is just wrong

Phil Hochstein is the President of the Independent Contractors & Business Association of BC, an anti-union lobby group. His organization has been running a television campaign for several months now called "VoteSmart BC" claiming that the 1990's, when the NDP was the government in BC, was the equivalent of the Dark Ages, economically.

The Courier-Islander ran a letter from him making the same claims. My response was printed April 17, 2009:

The headline on Phil Hochstein's letter says it all: "NDP policies will lead BC back to the '90s"

We should be so lucky!

Annual growth for the last 8 years: 2.6%. Annual growth during the 90's? 2.8%.
Total jobs added under the Liberals? 323,700. Under the NDP? 344,100.

As Bill Tieleman says in his 24 Hours column of April 24, "Premier Gordon Campbell's B.C. Liberals [are the] worst economic managers in the province's history!" and "British Columbia job losses lead all Canada in recession!" and "B.C. 2009 budget deficit [is as] phony as a $3 bill!"

He cites the statistics that back up his claims.

So yes, please, let's see if we can recreate the growth of the '90's. Bring back the NDP.