Canadian manufacturing needs a brain, heart, courage

In 1939 a fictional tornado tore its way through Kansas, transporting Judy Garland’s Dorothy to the magical land of Oz. On her trip down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, she meets Scarecrow, who needs a brain; Tin Man, who is short a heart; and Cowardly Lion, who wants courage.

I was reminded of this story last month while watching our political leaders promise policy changes to big-ticket, headline-grabbing topics like health care, the environment, and immigration, while largely ignoring real-life, grassroots economic engines such as manufacturing.

According to Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, during the election campaign, no details were shared on how the political parties plan to leverage the manufacturing sector, which is responsible for 1.7 million jobs, to boost the economy.

Most leaders were radio silent on the matter.

In fact, CBC reported that only three of the six major parties even bothered to tout a manufacturing strategy at all.

According to the public broadcaster, the Liberals stated that they would cut taxes by 50 per cent for companies developing zero-emission technology; the Conservative party didn’t bother to make any manufacturing-specific announcements; the NDP had the most to say, claiming it wants a national industrial strategy to build a “low-carbon manufacturing economy” and would require infrastructure projects to use Canadian-made steel and aluminum; the Green party announced it would push all manufacturing toward “100 per cent sustainable processes and practices” and provide incentives to companies manufacturing electric and hybrid vehicles; and the Bloc Quebecois and People’s party issued no policies on the matter.

What the manufacturing sector needs most, and each leader has failed in this regard, is a champion.

Champions exist in nearly every shop in the country. As new machines, procedures, and policies get introduced to the shop floor, someone invariably steps up to take the lead. Continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and safety are just three common areas where worker-champions exist in a manufacturing environment.

It’s time for our elected officials to realize the power (and the votes) that 1.7 million Canadians wield and fix a sector that is languishing behind other industrialized nations in innovation and technology adoption.

It will take more than just a diploma, a heart-shaped clock, and medal to do the job, however.