Message From Rick Thorpe

Minister of Small Business and Revenue and Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform
August 2006

British Columbia continues to make regulatory reform a priority across government, making it easier for businesses to operate and succeed in British Columbia, while still preserving regulations that protect public health, safety and the environment.

Regulatory reform is working in British Columbia, and the positive effects are reflected in many economic indicators:

• British Columbia’s unemployment rate fell to a new 30-year low of 4.3 per cent in June.  British Columbia has created almost 300,000 new jobs since December 2001.

• According to BMO Capital Markets, British Columbia has led the country in employment growth for the past two years, resulting in the highest average weekly earnings increase in the country.

• British Columbia’s economic upswing brought a 2.5 per cent increase in average real personal disposable income, according to the Business Council of BC – representing one of the biggest jumps in disposable income in two decades.

Between 2001 and 2004 we successfully reduced the total number of regulatory requirements across government.  I am pleased to announce that British Columbia continues to exceed its goal of a zero net increase in regulatory requirements.  To date, this government has achieved a 41.06 per cent reduction – totalling 156,891 requirements.

We want citizens, small businesses and industry to spend less time dealing with government and more time on what’s really important – making their businesses successful and achieving our goal to create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

Rick Thorpe
Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform