I’m not one that typically uses public platforms to vent personal frustrations but when I see senseless bureaucracy I can’t let it go without comment and I have witnessed new levels of bureaucratic bone headedness by way of applying to the Canadian government to open a regional office in Vancouver, British Columbia as a base for our North American regional expansion plans.
The official party line (read political spin from a detached government official) came from Minister Van Loan, the Canadian Minister of International Trade who during the Vancouver Winter Olympics earlier this year was quoted as saying “Canada has a very open and business-friendly environment that gives foreign investors the competitive edge they are looking for, our efforts to attract foreign investment, coupled with our aggressive trade agenda, directly benefit Canadian citizens by creating jobs, raising incomes and strengthening Canada’s competitive position.”.
Little did this good Minister know that he created a new oxymoron when he used the term “Business-Friendly” in the Canadian context – and frankly he wouldn’t have a clue how I could make such an accusation anyway. We have invested significantly in North American IT software sector and have created new technology, new skills, new work opportunities and new revenue streams across North America and I feel it only fair to have the right to protect and leverage my investment in Canada, and I know my Canadian business partners feel the same. Enter the bureaucrats and almost 1 full year of requesting permission to open on office so as to build relationships with our North American partners and create real employment prospects for Canadians – without success.
We see it on CNN every day – the political fat cats will continue to fly around the world for economic development summits and will be quoted as “engaging in proactive and constructive dialogue around sustainable economic development to create jobs and counter the effects of the economic slowdown” or some other political claptrap, when in fact the people that genuinely want to get stuck in create new technologies, new jobs, and new revenues are locked out from doing so by some nitwitted bureaucratic red tape. It’s mind-blowing!!
