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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

BOLD initiative a blueprint for public-policy reform

By: Martin Cash

Posted: 09/29/2011 3:17 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

The Manitoba BOLD initiative championed by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce during this provincial election campaign might work just as well as a call to arms for the private sector as a prodding for public policy reform.

The six-pronged campaign mines a rich vein of potential business-development activities covering a broad cross-section of the provincial economy.

Proposals include reducing the payroll tax by 50 per cent, conducting a complete review of Manitoba Hydro and establishing a target number of artists per thousand people.

There are pure public policy issues addressed as well, such as tinkering with tax rates (lowering them), taking regular dividend payments from Manitoba Hydro, developing a multi-year transportation and strategic infrastructure plan, establishing an economic partnership with Nunavut and ensuring Manitoba becomes part of the New West Partnership.

But many of the dozens of proposals would ultimately only "take" with fulsome private-sector involvement. Things like efforts to attract businesses to CentrePort, investment in Churchill, establishment of venture capital pools, diversifying Manitoba businesses' export markets and establishing a green technology sector require private-sector leadership.

Dave Angus of the chamber and his partners from industry groups know government shouldn't direct the economy into areas that can't be supported by the private sector.

Rob Warren, director of the Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship at the Asper Business School at the University of Manitoba, said in any economic development initiative the private sector has to be engaged for it to be successful.

"If something is government mandated or comes from the university, there is always going to be the perception from the private sector that there is meddling or people involved who don't know what they are talking about in the process," Warren said. "You really need the private sector involved."

The ideas that were presented were generated from a couple of large-scale brainstorming sessions, populated mostly by business people and officials from non-government agencies.

If nothing else, it is an indication the private-sector players are at least cognizant of the challenges that need to be addressed.

In the current environment in Manitoba, it could be argued the private sector is more engaged than ever in the process.

They were the ones, after all, that provided most of the funding for a five-year effort to attract, retain and grow local businesses through the Yes! Winnipeg organization.

The recent announcement Centrallia will be reprised is further acknowledgment the success of the local economy has a lot to do with the success of the small and medium-sized enterprises that populate it.

It also shows there is sufficient awareness those SMEs need to keep refreshing themselves -- not just making more sales but developing new markets and new products and services.

"Every company has a life cycle that starts up with growth and plateaus out over time," Warren said.

"Right now I would say a lot of our industries are in mature/plateau stages. Before decline sets in, new industries need to take over. We need to find the next generation."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 29, 2011 B6

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