[Keith P.]

Part of that lack of celebrating success of entrepreneurs is due to a virtually nonexistent business journalism sector here. The few we do have are not very good. Then you have a lot of businesses that seem to exist only to accept govt handouts, and those inevitably fail. This in turn feeds the infamous NS mindset that those who make money only did so because of their connections and political friends. Essentially if you are doing well and making money here, many people default to the position that you do not deserve it.

Government risk-taking is very limited because of the scathing criticism that will result if and when something fails. Between the media, the opposition parties and the Auditor General, failure is to be avoided by govt at all costs. The only level of govt that can avoid that is HRM because they have a very limited A-G now. That lets their spending continue unchecked on very foolish investments like bike flyover lanes while starving funding from worthwhile things such as a transit system that is not run like it is still 1962.