EconomicsCanada: Housing: Slow growth

Canada, the world's tenth largest national economy, has slid into the "no-growth" category. In the thinking of most economists, entrepeneurs, and business leaders regards growth as the criterion of success in economic relations. Retired prof Dr Bob Goudzwaard, the outstanding reformational economist over recent decades, has long argued to disestablish "growth" as the preceived norm for any business (?) and certainly any national economy. A market situation where the goal of growth has been abandoned comes in conflict the orthodox economic mainstream, of course; but market, growth, and the economists geared to such considerations call the Goudzwaard approach into question, as we see from the inevitable joblessness that arises from no-growth.

Growth is a necessity for the country's economic well-being. The following data leaves us wondering which choice to make in these unsettled days.

The Canadian leading index of 10 economic components has averaged 0.9% growth per month over the past 12 months. Growth rarely exceeds 1%.

The slowdown was caused largely by a 4.1% drop in the housing index, which is composed of new housing starts and house sales.

The mid-summer slowdown in house building and house sales is said to be at least a warning sign in regard to the presumed health of the Canadian economy's maintenance and development.

I'm trying to assimilate the green-movtivated research by Goudzwaard (his disseration written for his doctorate was an early exploration of "unpriced scarcity" -- clean water, breathable air, etc).

-- EconoMix