Premier Christy Clark delivered a well-polished speech at Crown Isle last Friday (Feb. 22), during which she soapboxed about delivering a balanced budget, helping BC families and growing the economy.
On behalf of one of our readers, the Business Gazette asked the premier whether she supports the extension of BC’s Micro-Business Training pilot program, which gives business owners with fewer than five employees access to up to $1,500 of business training, and whether she supports removing the requirement that eligible participants not have post-secondary certification.
Calling micro businesses “the heartbeat of rural communities,” Clark stated: “Yes, we are going to continue it. I want to expand it. And one of the barriers that we put into it was to say that if you have post-secondary education you’re not eligible. We should take that out.”
Her comment was only the second of the afternoon to be met by applause.
A seasoned orator, as well as a veteran of a talk radio business where controversy and titillation are king, Clark delivered what was surely the highlight of the presentation only a few minutes in. While struggling against a microphone that wouldn’t stay upright, she commented, “I’m not going to say it reminds me of my ex-husband.” The comment was met with laughs by all and the most raucous ovation of the afternoon.
Crowd reaction to the meat-and-potatoes of her presentation, however, was mixed. Some left with warm and fuzzies about BC’s prosperous future, others derided the afternoon as simply a taxpayer-funded campaign speech.