Is Ottawa’s honeymoon with Silicon Valley coming to an end?

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Justin Trudeau stood in the old Canada Post office in Vancouver to take part in Amazon’s announcement.

 

The prime minister needed some good news in British Columbia, where he was facing heat for supporting the Trans Mountain pipeline. So when the massive online retailer revealed in April that it was bringing 3,000 new high-tech jobs to the Lower Mainland, it was a happy coincidence.

 

 

“There are many reasons industry giants like Amazon choose to settle and grow in Canada,” Trudeau told the crowd.

 

“Our workforce is highly educated, skilled and diverse. Folks across the country are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow and help companies like (Amazon) shape the future. A future where innovation drives economic growth and helps improve the lives of middle-class Canadians and people working hard to join it.”

 

Away from the podium, the narrative around Amazon was slightly different.

 

Timed toilet breaks. Workers putting in 55-hour weeks, collapsing on the job. A company owned by the world’s richest man fighting Seattle city hall over taxes aimed at reducing homelessness, while cities across North America compete to offer him better deals for the company’s new headquarters.

 

That’s a far cry from the Liberals’ oft-stated goals of inclusive growth, support for the middle class and emphasis on labour rights in trade discussions.

 

But it highlights a tension in the Liberal government’s approach to Silicon Valley and the tech sector.

 

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