B.C. Liberal leader hopefuls will meet with the B.C. Chamber of Commerce Tuesday morning in an effort to woo support.

But a look at the hard facts shows that the B.C. Liberal economic record is one of stagnant economic growth and poor job creation:

• A have-not province:Between 2001 and 2009, B.C. was a have-not province six times, receiving a total of $2.4 billion in equalization payments. Between 1991 and 2000, B.C. received only one equalization payment, of $125 million.

• Faltering exports:Between 2001 and 2009, B.C. was the only province in western Canada to have negative growth in exports.

• Slow economic growth:According to B.C. Stats, average growth under the B.C. Liberals has been 2.4 per cent (2001-2010, using a forecast of 3.3% for 2010) compared to an average growth under the NDP of 3.0 per cent (1992-2000).

• Fewer Canadians moving to B.C.: Between 2001 and 2009, an average net of 6,200 people per year moved to B.C. from other provinces. This compares to an average net of 13,000 per year between 1991 and 2001.

• Minimal job growth:The average annual growth in jobs between 2001 and 2010 was just 1.8 per cent, compared to an average of 2.2 per cent from 1992 to 2001.

• Stagnant wages:Between 2001 and 2009, B.C. had the lowest growth in average hourly wages and the second-lowest growth in weekly wages in Canada

• Highest deficit in history:By 2013, the B.C. Liberals will have presented seven deficit budgets, including the largest budget deficit on record.

• Lowest paid workers in Canada:While every other province in Canada has raised their minimum wage and many have created certainty for business by indexing it to inflation, the B.C. Liberals have frozen the minimum wage at $8 per hour since 2001. Nearly a quarter million British Columbians earn less than $10 per hour; over 90,000 are between the ages of 25 and 54, and two-thirds of those are women.

• Job losses:Between 2001 and 2009, B.C. lost approximately 50,000 family-supporting jobs in natural resource and manufacturing industries and dozens of forestry operations have been shuttered, a particularly drastic blow for many rural communities. B.C. had the worst job loss record in the country last month, losing 22,000 jobs in December, of which a shocking 20,000 were full-time jobs. Around half of those jobs were in construction, which saw 10,200 jobs lost in December alone.

• The “benefits” of the HST for B.C. consumers: While Chamber president John Winter says he has “anecdotal” evidence that suggests the HST is resulting in lower prices there are no facts to back up the claim. According to Statistics Canada, the average household will pay $521 more under the HST, contributing to a drop in consumer confidence.

• The HST and construction:When the B.C. Liberals broke their word and imposed the HST, they claimed the new tax would lead to more jobs in the construction industry.But according to Statistics Canada, B.C. had the second-worst drop-off in building permits in November, ranking ahead of only Newfoundland. In November, B.C. saw a 43.4 per-cent drop in the value of building permits. Vancouver fared even worse, with a 60.4 per-cent drop.

• The HST and restaurants:The B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association said up to 20 per cent of existing restaurants could close in the first quarter of 2011 thanks to the HST coupled with new B.C. Liberal driving regulations. According to Statistics Canada, 3,400 jobs were lost in the accommodation and food services industry over the last year.

The New Democrat vision for a strong, dynamic economy includes a fair and competitive tax environment, support for small business, fiscal responsibility, a fair minimum wage with predictable increases, and investment in green jobs to diversify our economic base.