Small Business Big On Campbell Government

Vancouver, BC - A new poll conducted by Ipsos-Reid after the throne speech and premier's address but before the budget shows that BC's small business owners are positive about the Campbell government's record to date and are optimistic about the future. Eight in ten (78%) small business owners say that the provincial government is moving in the "right direction" with respect to the changes they have made for small business over the last two years. More than four in ten (44%) say that BC's business climate is already in "better shape" than when the Liberals were first elected. And when asked to think two years into the future, 66% expect that the BC business climate will be in "better shape" than today. Currently, taxes (40%) and the economy (23%) top the list of issues which small business owners want BC's leaders to address.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of Small Business Viewpoint between February 13th and February 17th, 2003. The poll is based on a randomly selected sample of 400 British Columbian small business owners (defined as those businesses having between 1-49 paid employees in addition to the owner). With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire BC population of businesses with 1-49 paid employees been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. The sample of respondents is representative of the regional distribution and employee size of BC's small businesses according to the Small Business Profile 2002 produced by BC Stats, the Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise, and Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Eight in Ten (78%) Small Business Owners Say BC Liberals are Moving in the "Right Direction" in Terms of Changes Made for Small Business

A large majority (78%) of small business owners say the provincial government is moving in the "right direction" with the changes it has made that impact on small business. This includes a quarter (26%) who says the government is moving "strongly" in the right direction and 52% who say that the government is moving "somewhat" in the right direction. In contrast, one in five (19%) say the government is moving in the "wrong direction" (9% "strongly wrong direction", 10% "somewhat wrong direction"). In terms of an overall job assessment, 64% of small business owners say they approve of the performance of the BC Liberal government since they were elected to in May of 2001 - 33% disapprove.

This positive attitude towards the government's policies is mirrored in small business owners' approval for Premier Campbell. Currently, six in ten (62%) say they approve of Gordon Campbell's overall performance as premier, including one in five (22%) who "strongly approve" and 41% who "somewhat approve". Meanwhile, almost four in ten (38%) owners say they disapprove of his overall performance (22% "strongly disapprove", 16% "somewhat disapprove"). Small business owner approval for the job Joy MacPhail is doing as NDP leader currently sits at 40%, while 48% disapprove of her performance.

Small business owners are similarly positive when it comes to their assessment of the government's performance in many targeted issues facing small business. They receive top marks for the job they are doing in terms of "creating a good climate for business and investment in BC" (67% approve) and similarly high marks for: "changes to the labour environment and labour code" (64% approve), "balancing taxes, social spending and debt reduction" (64% approve) and "changes to small business tax level in British Columbia" (64% approve). The Campbell government also gets the approval of six in ten (60%) small business owners for their performance on "changes to personal income tax levels in British Columbia".

While still comparatively good (vis-а-vis the general public), their marks drop when it comes to the job they are doing "ensuring BC's education system is doing a good job of preparing students for today's workforce" (48% approve), and "ensuring BC's healthcare system is a strength in attracting workers to the province" (45% approve).

44% Say BC's Business Climate is Already in "Better Shape" than When the Liberals Were First Elected and 66% Say it Will be in "Better Shape" Two Years From Now

Not only do small business owners think the government is moving in the right direction, a plurality (44%) also say that the business climate in BC is already in "better shape" today than when the Liberals were first elected. In addition, four in ten (37%) say that the business climate is in "about the same shape", while fewer than one in five (18%) say that it is in "worse shape".

Moreover, small business owners have a rosy outlook for the future. Fully two thirds (66%) say that two years from now, the business climate will be in "better shape" than today, with another one in five (22%) saying it will be in "about the same shape". Less than one in ten (9%) owners believes that in two years time, the business climate in BC will be in worse shape than today.

These findings are aligned with the attitudes of small business owners, as eight in ten (81%) agree with the statement "the actions taken by the BC government may seem harsh, but they are necessary if British Columbia is to prosper in the future" (52% "strongly agree", 29% "somewhat agree").

Thinking about the public debate over the government's record, 80% of small business owners agree that "the business community has been too quiet in letting public sector unions and other special interest groups dominate the public debate" (54% "strongly agree", 26% "somewhat agree") and a slightly larger number (83%) agrees that "the business community needs to be more vocal in it's support for the provincial government" (51% "strongly agree", 33% "somewhat agree").

Owners Say Taxes (40%) and the Economy (23%) Should Receive the Greatest Attention from BC's Leaders

On an open ended basis, one in five (40%) small business leaders say that "taxation" is the issue that should receive the greatest attention from BC's leaders. In second place is "the economy", which is mentioned by a quarter (23%) of respondents, followed by "healthcare" (15%). Out of a list of four priorities outlined in the throne speech, the largest number (44%) of small business leaders say the "Heartlands Economic Strategy" will have the most positive impact on their small business. This compares with three in ten (30%) who say that "putting the forestry industry on a sound, sustainable and competitive footing" will have the greatest positive impact and one in five (18%) who say the policies with respect to transportation infrastructure will have the greatest impact. In last place at 5% comes recognition and reconciliation with First Nations.

For more information, please contact:
Kyle Braid
Vice President
604.257.3200