“Build, build, build” needs workers — and a budget
“Build, baby, build” — if it’s more than a slogan — needs a workforce supported and engaged enough to achieve it. Photo by Kindel Media/Pexels
By Nick Pearce
Democracy should at least mean Parliament reviewing government spending as soon as possible. No budget until the fall makes it harder for workers to hold the government accountable on green-economy commitments. Federal budgets are often imprecise and are not a guarantee of progress, but it is better to have them than not. The choice to appoint a minister of jobs over a minister of labour muddies matters further, sidelining the voice of workers.
There’s been plenty of talk, but we need action. In Prime Minister Mark Carney’s victory speech, he promised that to “build, baby, build,” he’d “build an industrial strategy that makes Canada more competitive while fighting climate change.” Canada is a big, decentralized country where it’s hard to govern. Workers and public leadership need a greater role in navigating it. Supporting good wages and unionization must be part of building, baby, building.
Canada is in dire need of this sort of sovereignty-building vision. But it must be clearly articulated with costs and spending commitments on a timeline that can help workers keep the government honest. Without this accountability, it would be all too easy for corporate give-aways, like tax credits and piecemeal sector-by-sector strategies, to take the place of a comprehensive plan. Such an approach can lead to climate backsliding and cannot create a serious green industrial strategy that will secure Canadians against trade and climate threats now and in the future.