B.C. Leaders and Their New Year's Resolutions
Colin Hansen
B.C. Minister of Finance
Colin Hansen, the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena, was appointed minister of finance last June. He is also minister responsible for the 2010 Olympic Games.
What was 2008 “The Year Of”?
The Year China Made Its Mark on the World. And that the Asia-Pacific region moved to the centre of B.C.’s economic future. The forest sector, for example, has been hit hard by housing starts in the U.S., but in the last three years we’ve seen a quadrupling of wood-product exports to China, a doubling to Korea and a doubling to India. China is the big emerging player on the international stage. We have an opportunity to be a part of that, and I think we’re doing the right things.
What’s your top goal for 2009?
It’s going to be really important that we manage the province’s finances in a way that does not risk putting the province back into deficit spending. With responsible fiscal management, there’s no reason this province should ever go back into deficit. Going down to the Feb. 17 budget, that’s one of the principles we’re driving.
Video: Passersby share their New Year's resolutions
More: Our 2010 New Year's Business Resolutions Package
What’s your hope for the province?
I believe that after the 2010 Winter Games the world will start to recognize Metro Vancouver as the world’s fastest-growing economic centre. Vancouver has all the makings of a leading financial centre, and if you look at the makeup of the province, we can serve the world multilingually and multiculturally. Once we implement the next stage of our corporate tax reductions, we will have the lowest corporate tax rates among the G7 countries. Vancouver is a pretty attractive place from which to do international business.
If you could wave a magic wand, what would appear – or disappear – on Jan. 1?
Inter-provincial barriers to trade and economic activity. If Canada is going to prosper in the generations ahead, we have to become more open to inter-provincial trade. It’s definitely holding us back. We’re talking about millions of dollars of added cost to the economy – billions nationally.
In your world, what needs to happen to make 2009 a success?
The re-election of Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal government. That doesn’t take a magic wand, though, just a lot of hard work.
What keeps you up at night?
I wake up at two o’clock in the morning thinking about challenges. A lot of it is the desire to get things done. You realize that some things don’t happen as fast as you’d like them to.
Anything specific?
Not that I’d want to talk about.
Save over 50% off the newsstand price with a subscription to BCBusiness Magazine
