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December
12, 2002
BC Progress Board Releases 2002 Benchmarking Report; Panel Reports Tabled
Vancouver, BC -- The BC Progress Board today delivered its 2002 Benchmarking
Report, "Toward British Columbia North Star 2010" to Premier
Gordon Campbell. The report tracks progress towards restoring BC to a leadership
position in Canada by 2010 on measures of economy, innovation, education,
environment, health and society. This year's report contains twentysix core
indicators, along with a number of supplemental special topics, US state
comparisons, and BC regional benchmarking. All indicators within the report
reflect the most recent available data. Forecasts are not included.
This year's report notes that BC is suffering from a long-term structural
decline that began in the 1980's and continued throughout the 1990's. BC's
annual rate of economic growth slipped to 10th position in Canada in 2001,
from 5th place in 2000. BC continued to hold 3rd position in Canada for
the level of real personal disposable income per capita, a key measure of
standard of living, and placed 6th on the employment rate (ages 15-64) in
2001, down from 5th position in 2000.
"The Progress Board believes that the goal for British Columbia should
be to rank 1st or 2nd on these three core target indicators by 2010. While
these targets are aggressive, we believe they are achievable", said
David Emerson, BC Progress Board Chair. "To reverse the decline, we
need a strong focus on export-led growth, beginning with improving wealth
creation from the provincial land base, while capitalizing on knowledge-driven
opportunities in our urban and regional centres".
BC performs well on overall outcome measures of environment and health.
BC is 1st in Canada on the Progress Board's index of environmental quality
(1999-2002), and on its key health outcome target, life expectancy at birth
(1999). The province does however lag behind on low-income incidence - the
Board's current target for social condition - ranking 9th in Canada during
2000, unchanged from 1999. "BC continues to lead the country on environment
and health performance. The key is to maintain our top position on environment
and health outcomes, while improving our overall economic and - by extension
- social performance", Emerson said.
Two other reports were prepared for the Board by Expert Panels: "Restoring
BC's Economic Heartland", from the "Project 250": Regional
Economies Expert Panel and "Learning to Win"from the Expert
Panel on Education, Skills, Training and Technology Transfer. The Board
will monitor progress on the recommendations contained in each document
and report again next December.
All three reports are available on the Board's website at: www.bcprogressboard.com.
The Board invites public feedback via its website or by e-mail at: ideas@bcprogressboard.com.
The BC Progress Board, established by Premier Gordon Campbell in July 2001,
is an Independent Panel comprised of 15 senior business executives and academic
leaders. The Board's mandate is to benchmark BC's progress relative to other
jurisdictions and to provide the government with strategic advice on ways
to improve the performance of the provincial economy and its social policy
supports.
Tim McEwan
Executive Director, BC Progress Board
(604) 775-1664
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