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Hello and Hadih.
Spring time is policy resolution time in the Chamber network. Most people aren’t very excited by government policy but the details buried in policy is what dictates how employers and employees are affected by government decisions.
Individuals Chambers like ours submit policy resolutions to the BC Chamber for consideration by the membership at its annual general meeting, which this year is in the first week of June in Fort St. John. It takes two-thirds support to pass and these resolutions form the policy and positions manual, which is presented to the provincial government for consideration and response.
This year, the Prince George Chamber is bringing forward three resolutions.
We’ve partnered with our friends at the Council of Forest Industries on a resolution for this year called Keeping BC Forestry Competitive: Improving Access to Wood, Jobs, and Investment.
We’re the co-sponsor of a policy resolution this year with our friends at the Fort St. John Chamber called Strengthening Northern B.C.’s Transportation Corridors to Drive Major Projects.
Lastly, we’re also the co-sponsor of a resolution with the Tumbler Ridge Chamber called Restricting the Access of Children to Social Media and AI Tools. We’ll also be submitting that policy to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce later this spring for consideration at its AGM in Victoria in October because that resolution’s policy recommendations call for action by both the federal and provincial governments.
These recommendations are not “dear Santa” letters. To pass muster with the provincial and national Chambers, a business case has to be made how the business community is affected and how adopting the policy recommendations (and the costs to implement them) will be beneficial for businesses and communities across the provincial and/or country.
Speaking up for local concerns is fine but the case has to be made why everyone in BC and Canada would benefit from replacing the Highway 97 bridges in Taylor and Quesnel, for example.
Or in the case of the Tumbler Ridge resolution, identifying that businesses and communities were already paying a significant cost by not restricting children’s access to social media and AI tools, even before the recent deadly tragedy. Along with the murder victims in Tumbler Ridge comes the mounting losses in workplace productivity from young people and early-career professionals unprepared to be productive employees due to cognitive and behavioral issues brought on by their childhood use of these powerful and largely unregulated online applications. A growing body of research shows both these costs and the harmful impacts on people’s lives are significant.
The Prince George Chamber is also proudly supporting an excellent resolution – Addressing the Rising Impact of Repeat Non-Violent Crime on Businesses – brought forward by the Williams Lake Chamber.
Working with their members and with other community allies, Chambers of Commerce present senior levels of government with concrete ideas to make things better for businesses, for the people who own and operate them, the employees who work at those businesses, and for the communities where those businesses operate.
That’s one of the many ways we advocate on behalf of our members.
All the best to you and your business,
Neil
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