Doubling the size of the economy within 25 years would be a winning goal for the Conservatives

National Post: Brian Lee Crowley: 'Polls, however, show the Tories are well liked as the party of growth, of opportunity, of sound management.

'To lead with those strengths, the winning party leadership candidate should promise to double the size of the economy over the next 25 years. Sound ambitious? Only compared with the anemic growth performance of the past decade, the worst of any 10 years since the Depression. Since 2014, business investment, which drives real growth, has fallen a stunning 28 per cent.

'Doubling the economy only requires us to grow one half of one per cent faster each year, an entirely feasible goal. And the party can put the accent on growth’s widespread benefits: more jobs, higher incomes, lower taxes, less debt. Remember that Brian Mulroney won in 1984, not on the cry of “Cut, cut, cut,” but “Jobs, jobs, jobs.”

'Boosting real growth to a modest 2.5 per cent instead of Finance’s projected feeble 1.8 per cent would raise real incomes immediately, and year after year. By 2050 we’d be earning $17,000 more per Canadian. Without any tax increases, government would have an extra $270 billion to spend.

'Responsible growth solves a lot of problems for Canadians and for whoever leads the Conservatives. Voters feel confident when they think their own position is secure, and young people and others who feel they are not participating in Canada’s prosperity know that a strong demand for workers beats all the government programs you can invent.'