Ready for the election?

No one in government seems to understand or care about the importance of the Canadian consumer and the small-and medium-sized businesses that serve them.

With all the media hype south of the border revolving around the upcoming presidential election, many are forgetting that by the time you read this, we may have one too. For those of us in the automotive aftermarket, there are storm clouds gathering, but don’t expect any of the major candidates to offer solutions. Here’s what’s driving the “perfect storm”: The high Canadian dollar

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that our economy thrives on a 70-cent dollar. It drives exports, therefore jobs, and so we get our share of that consumer disposable income. The U. S. economy tanks and our dollar goes up. Proposed solutions? “Get used to it” is the answer from Ottawa. The credit crunch

Here’s how banking works in the 21st Century: American banks create billions in bogus loans. They collapse, and the world’s financial system is crippled. Result? Little or very expensive credit for businesses everywhere, at the one time when Canadian enterprise needs cash to increase efficiency to combat the high dollar. We’re “collateral damage.” The answer from the politicians? “Live with it”. The assault on the automobile

This one is as provincial as it is federal. Vehicles are the enemy everywhere with everyone except people who own them, but a determined so-called “green” lobby has hijacked the debate on the environmental impact of vehicles in an attempt to get us out of our cars. Costs of driving are going up because of higher taxes and fees, while neither level of government is doing anything to drive alternate technologies to keep Canadians mobile. Instead of finding ways to make our cars cleaner, they want to drive us onto public transit, whether we like it or not. Clean diesels are on European streets right now, and the feds could permit them with a stroke of the pen, but won’t. Why? High gasoline prices

I’m talking about fuel prices, not the price of oil. Why an oil exporting nation like Canada has such expensive fuel is a question no one asks, at least not of politicians. They claim that we need expensive gasoline to reduce consumption and with it CO2 emissions. Naturally, this screws consumers and eventually, the aftermarket. A better solution is tighter fuel efficiency standards coupled with a national I/M program to keep them tuned. This solution isn’t even on the table in Ottawa.

I could go on, but you get the point. It’s not about Conservatives, Liberals or the NDP. None of them will solve the problems affecting our industry or any of the other issues affecting small business in Canada. Did you know that Canada doesn’t have a strategic petroleum reserve? There are natural underground storage formations near a major cluster of refineries at Sarnia, Ontario, but unlike every other first world nation, we seem to feel that it’s not important to have a back-up plan. With Alberta cranking out petroleum night and day, something like a third of what I’m burning in my tank here in Toronto comes from the Middle East. If there’s another oil crisis, how are we going to cushion the blow?

No one in government seems to understand or care about the importance of the Canadian consumer and the small-and medium-sized businesses that serve them. We’re going to see the usual promises and the media-fed smoke screen, but I suspect nothing will change. Call your MP and make sure they know that you drive employment and growth in this economy. Ask tough questions and go to “all candidates” meetings. If we don’t speak, we’ll deserve the “grease monkey” stereotype.