A year ago, this column described the Justin Trudeau government91裸聊视频檚 plan to borrow and spend close to $1 billion on an 91裸聊视频渋nnovation and skills plan91裸聊视频� to create 91裸聊视频渟uperclusters.91裸聊视频�

B.C. got its own supercluster last week, part of a nation-wide network announced by federal Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains. Ours is the Digital Technology Supercluster, getting an undisclosed share of the $950 million set aside in the 2017 federal budget.

What are superclusters, you may ask. They91裸聊视频檙e like the innovation clusters announced in the 2016 federal budget, only bigger. According to Bains, their job is to 91裸聊视频渟upercharge Canada91裸聊视频檚 regional innovation ecosystems and build Canada as a global centre for innovation.91裸聊视频� The B.C. one in particular is 91裸聊视频渁 made-in-Canada Silicon Valley that will create tens of thousands of jobs.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 not all tax dollars. TELUS, Microsoft, Teck, Canfor and other corporations have committed $500 million, along with most of B.C.91裸聊视频檚 post-secondary institutions, led by UBC.

Bruce Ralston, B.C.91裸聊视频檚 Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology, was thrilled to announce B.C.91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渨inning bid91裸聊视频� for a share of the federal cash. But of course, in the Ottawa style, there were no losing bids. Atlantic Canada 91裸聊视频渨ins91裸聊视频� an Ocean Supercluster, Quebec gets one devoted to artificial intelligence, Ontario91裸聊视频檚 is for 91裸聊视频渘ext-generation manufacturing,91裸聊视频� and the prairie provinces get a Protein Industries Supercluster based in Saskatchewan.

This so-called innovation bureaucracy is on top of Canada91裸聊视频檚 regional economic development programs. Stephen Harper91裸聊视频檚 Conservatives railed against political slush funds like the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and then when he got into government, he set up Western Economic Development Canada to even things up. Now we have supercluster blobs of icing on the business subsidy cake.

The newly created Protein Industries Canada web page illustrates how contrived this whole thing is. 91裸聊视频淥utcomes from this cluster will be a new range of plant-derived foods, ingredients and feedstuffs of superior quality, commanding market premiums.91裸聊视频�

Feedstuffs? Only in Canada, eh? Perhaps these buzzwords and subsidies mean that shoppers will be able to find Canadian-made mustard at their local supermarket, considering the Canadian prairies are the largest mustard seed producer in the world. From French91裸聊视频檚 to Grey Poupon, our finished product is mostly made in the U.S. by multi-nationals.

Back to B.C., where Microsoft and other high-tech giants have set up branch plants in Vancouver, or bought startups. It91裸聊视频檚 a natural extension of the original Silicon Valley, which has always extended to the Seattle area, home of Microsoft, Amazon and others.

It91裸聊视频檚 similar to the 91裸聊视频淗ollywood North91裸聊视频� movie business. Same time zone, attractive climate, great scenery, oh, and whopping government subsidies.

Why don91裸聊视频檛 more investors, high tech or otherwise, set up shop in B.C.? Is it a lack of subsidies and 91裸聊视频渋nnovation91裸聊视频� programs by governments? The B.C. government has just appointed an 91裸聊视频渋nnovation commissioner91裸聊视频� to go with the 91裸聊视频渋nnovation advisor91裸聊视频� appointed last year by former premier , to try to induce entrepreneurial activity here.

When the Trudeau government announced the 91裸聊视频渟uperclusters91裸聊视频� plan last year, they acknowledged that one of Ottawa91裸聊视频檚 biggest problems was too many 91裸聊视频渋nnovation91裸聊视频� programs 91裸聊视频� an astonishing 140 of them. The 2017 budget promised to review and simplify them.

I91裸聊视频檝e searched for news that this has occurred, and I couldn91裸聊视频檛 find any. What we have instead is more layers, at the federal and provincial level.

And what else has the new B.C. government done to attract risk-taking entrepreneurs? It has re-introduced an extra tax bracket for people making more than $150,000 a year, bringing their total tax burden up to half of their income.

Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca