Since wealth is the only thing that can cure poverty, you might think that the left would be as obsessed with the creation of wealth as they are with the redistribution of wealth. But you would be wrong — Thomas Sowell

After a decade in business, I've come to realize a harsh truth. The gap between what most people consider hard work and what extraordinary performance actually requires is almost incomprehensible. It's not just the hours. It's the ambition, relentlessness, resilience, sacrifice, and willingness to take risks that most people would never consider. You see this in professional sports. The difference between a recreational athlete and someone like Tiger Woods or LeBron James is enormous. But everyone understands that gap. Nobody playing basketball on Wednesday nights believes they're in the same league as LeBron. In business, that distinction is far less obvious. Everyone works. Everyone experiences stress, makes sacrifices, and considers themselves hardworking. So naturally, most people believe they're playing roughly the same game. But they're not. Some are playing in a rec league. Others are competing on the world stage. And the gap between them isn't 10% or 20%. It's orders of magnitude. The problem is that unlike professional sports, there's no obvious scoreboard making those differences undeniable. That creates a fundamental disconnect between people's perception of their contribution and the value they actually create. And with it comes tension around compensation, opportunity, recognition, expectations, and what constitutes fairness. This is one of the hardest challenges in building a high performing organization. Not because everyone else lacks value, but because the expectations, pace, and standards of a high performance environment aren't for everyone. When you mix A, B, and C players without acknowledging those differences, the performance gaps widen, expectations diverge, and resentment grows. The highest performers feel held back. Others feel the expectations are unreasonable. And both can genuinely believe they're right. I'm not sure there's a perfect solution. But after ten years, I'm increasingly convinced that one of the most important decisions a leader makes is choosing which league their organization intends to compete in, and building a team that genuinely wants to play at that level.

Alex Karp makes an interesting argument about wealth creation, inequality, and the growing political instability across Western democracies. His central point is that political problems and substantive problems are not the same thing, yet we consistently confuse the two. Take AI as an example. AI could create trillions in new wealth, dramatically increase productivity, and improve living standards for nearly everyone. That's a substantive economic success. But what happens when a handful of individuals become 20 times wealthier while everyone else's wealth grows by 4% annually? Even if everyone is objectively better off, the political problem remains. And this is where his argument gets particularly interesting. When reasonable people refuse to acknowledge legitimate public concerns, they don't eliminate those concerns. They transfer political power to those willing to exploit them. He points to immigration in Europe as an example. His argument isn't that every concern about immigration is justified. It's that dismissing those concerns for decades created an opening for more extreme political movements. The same dynamic applies to wealth inequality. If successful entrepreneurs and policymakers simply dismiss concerns about concentrated wealth by pointing to economic growth, they risk surrendering the conversation to the far left and far right. And those movements may be more interested in accumulating political power, punishing perceived enemies, or exploiting public frustration than actually solving the underlying problems. The result is we end up adopting politically satisfying solutions that can make the substantive problems worse. He uses wealth taxes as an example. A wealth tax might satisfy the political desire to punish extreme wealth, but Karp argues it could also discourage entrepreneurship, protect established incumbents from competition, and require extraordinary government surveillance into people's private financial lives. Whether you agree with his assessment of wealth taxes or not, the underlying distinction is worth considering. A policy can be politically popular without being economically effective. And a policy can be economically effective without being politically sustainable. His argument isn't that we should ignore inequality or defend unlimited wealth accumulation without question. Quite the opposite. He's challenging those who benefit most from capitalism to acknowledge its political vulnerabilities and take responsibility for addressing them. Because if pragmatic people refuse to engage with difficult questions, they shouldn't be surprised when political power shifts toward those offering simplistic, potentially destructive answers. I think there's an important lesson here as we debate wealth taxes, affordability, and economic opportunity. We need to be willing to acknowledge legitimate concerns without automatically accepting the proposed solutions. And we need to evaluate policy based on whether it actually improves people's lives, not simply whether it satisfies our political frustrations. Creating prosperity matters. But maintaining public confidence that everyone has a meaningful opportunity to participate in that prosperity matters too. Worth sitting with.

Over the past month, I've become more politically engaged than ever before. But what surprised me most wasn't the politics. It was how we treat those who disagree. What began as frustration with government performance became a broader reflection on political division, our willingness to challenge ideas, and why so many reasonable people choose not to speak up. Three things became increasingly clear. 1. Prosperity is not a zero-sum game. Someone else's success doesn't inherently come at your expense. Fourteen years ago, my wife and I moved to Victoria with nothing. I eventually took on student debt and started a business with $1,000. That business has since created hundreds of jobs, generated millions in tax revenue, and contributed to our community. I didn't build something by taking from others. I created something new, and with it, opportunities for others. We should want more of that. More entrepreneurs, more investment, higher incomes, and greater opportunity for everyone. We should focus on raising the floor, not capping the ceiling. 2. Good intentions are not substitutes for good outcomes. I believe in protecting individual rights, supporting vulnerable people, and ensuring everyone has an opportunity to succeed. But supporting the intention behind a policy doesn't mean we shouldn't question its effectiveness. If healthcare spending increases while access deteriorates, we should ask why. If government debt grows while public services fail to improve, we should demand accountability. Criticizing a policy isn't the same as opposing the people it's intended to help. Empathy should inform our priorities. Evidence should guide our policies. Outcomes should measure our success. 3. Silence has a cost. Political disagreement has become so polarized that challenging an idea is too often treated as an attack on someone's identity or character. People are labelled, dismissed, and attacked for questioning prevailing narratives. For business owners, professionals, and community leaders, the consequences of speaking publicly can be real. I understand why many choose to stay silent. But when reasonable people withdraw from difficult conversations, we leave those conversations to the loudest and most ideologically committed voices. Nuance disappears. Debate becomes tribal. Disagreement becomes hostility. The long term cost of silence is far greater than the short term discomfort of speaking up. Ultimately, I believe most British Columbians want the same things. Accessible healthcare. Quality education. Affordable communities. Economic opportunity. A government accountable to the people it serves. These shouldn't be partisan ambitions. We don't need everyone to agree. We need more people willing to think critically, challenge ideas, consider opposing perspectives, and engage constructively. You might be wrong. You might learn something. You might even change your mind. That's not a weakness. That's the entire point of meaningful debate. I've written a longer reflection on what prompted me to speak up during this election, what I learned, and why I believe more of us should be willing to do the same. You Should Speak Up.

This kind of language is deplorable. I understand the temptation to push back hard against the excesses of wokeness, but government institutions must be held to a higher standard. They should set an example of the respect, dignity, and civility we expect in a functioning society. Our children should be able to look to public institutions as examples of integrity, honour, and leadership. We should be raising the standard of public discourse, not lowering it. This sets a dangerous and entirely unnecessary precedent. Shameful.

History’s darkest chapters show the danger of treating people as enemies to eliminate. Language questioning anyone’s right to exist demands condemnation, whoever it targets. Emily Lowan didn’t just speak against Conservative policies. She spoke against the Conservatives “and their existence.” Whether she meant the party or its supporters, that language is unacceptable from a political leader. You cannot preach inclusion while questioning your opponents place in democracy. As British Columbians and Canadians, we must demand better. And our standards cannot depend on which party crosses the line. This should be unacceptable to everyone regardless of how they voted.

Tonight’s Conservative win should be a moment to move beyond division and political tribalism. The responsibility now is to build a better BC for everyone. We’re all British Columbians. We can disagree on policy and still want a better province for ourselves, our children, and our neighbours. The government has a responsibility to serve every resident, including those who voted against it. And all of us have a responsibility to hold it accountable. That means accessible, high quality healthcare. Education focused on what’s best for children. Strong relationships and partnerships that create opportunity and prosperity across BC. A change in leadership brings an opportunity. What matters now is what comes of it. A Conservative victory only becomes a success when it delivers for British Columbians.

There’s a remarkable crab mentality among NDP supporters in BC. They seem more willing to accept the province’s continued decline than entertain the possibility that a Conservative government could deliver better outcomes. In the name of empathy and protecting the vulnerable, they defend a status quo that risks undermining the very people and social programs they claim to care about.

Instead of “tax the rich,” the ambition should be “make more people rich.” Government funds public services largely by taxing the value people and businesses create. If we want more money for social programs, we need more value being created. Empower builders to build. Make it easier to start businesses, invest, create jobs, and grow the economy. And if someone gets wealthy doing that, let them. If they’re creating jobs and real economic growth, their success is creating opportunity for others and expanding the tax base that funds the services we all rely on. A more prosperous society needs more people building prosperity.

I think the “tax the rich” framing sends the wrong message about success. It risks making wealth seem like something to resent and take from, rather than something more people should have the opportunity to build. Becoming wealthy doesn’t inherently mean taking from someone else. Wealth can be created. It’s not zero sum. People who build businesses, invest, and take risks can create jobs, opportunity, and a larger tax base. We should want more people doing that. Especially our youth. Build something useful, solve a problem, improve how something works, and you can create value for yourself and others. A more prosperous BC needs more people creating opportunity, and a government that makes it easier to do so.