Cons say Small Business BC bankruptcy evidence NDP failing private sector

The BC Conservatives have claimed that Small Business BC's bankruptcy is evidence that Premier David Eby and the BC NDP have failed the province's private sector.SBBC announced that it had gone under on December 5, just a month after new funding was promised."The sudden and unexpected demise of a well-known organisation supporting thousands of entrepreneurs over the decades is yet another blow to the small business community and economic confidence," Conservative Kelowna-Mission MLA and Caucus Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation Gavin Dew said in a statement. "This happened on David Eby's watch."He pointed out that because the provincial government was one of SBBC's biggest funders, elected officials "had direct line of sight with a seat at the board table, and would have known it was facing bankruptcy." "It's hard to take seriously any claim that the NDP cares about private sector jobs when they're asleep at the switch on something this basic," Dew added. "The closure of this legacy non-profit - which traces its roots to Expo '86 - and the deeply unsettling layoffs of 36 staff just weeks before Christmas, exemplify the Eby government's lack of serious commitment to fostering economic growth and protecting the livelihoods of BC families.".In a series of posts on X, Dew questioned whether former JEDI minister Brenda Bailey, who now serves as finance minister, and current JEDI minister Diana Gibson were briefed on the state of SBBC prior to its collapse, and whether they took any action.."Did SBBC collapse because government funding was withdrawn?" Dew asked. "If so, why? Was there malfeasance or mismanagement? If so, who if anyone was held accountable?".He said the incident was "a glaring example of why opposition oversight in the legislature matters," adding that he had a "sneaking suspicion that brewing scandals like this ... are exactly why Dodging David Eby won't convene the legislature.None of the aforementioned BC NDP politicians have released public statements on the matter.

Cons say Small Business BC bankruptcy evidence NDP failing private sector

Related Stories