The core of the new federal budget is an B次元官网网址淚nnovation and Skills PlanB次元官网网址� to encourage business investment and jobs in Canada.

This is the second budget of the Justin Trudeau government, which means the second year of borrowing and spending billions for B次元官网网址渋nfrastructureB次元官网网址� with little to show for it so far. I have no argument with skills training, a must in our fast-changing economy. But what about this B次元官网网址渋nnovationB次元官网网址� business, and is it really the business of governments?

According to the latest Trudeau budget, innovation will help move Canada beyond reliance on our B次元官网网址渞ich natural resources,B次元官网网址� and of course B次元官网网址済row the middle class.B次元官网网址�

One of the headings is B次元官网网址淧rogram Simplification,B次元官网网址� which tells you where this is all going wrong.

B次元官网网址淭he Government of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 vast array of innovation programs makes it difficult for business to find and secure the support they need,B次元官网网址� it says. The more than 140 existing programs will be reviewed.

Yes, Ottawa has been trying for a long time to move us beyond B次元官网网址渉ewers of wood and drawers of water,B次元官网网址� to use the decades-old clich茅. Stephen Harper gave us a $400 million B次元官网网址淰enture Capital Action Plan,B次元官网网址� seed money to attract private capital to startups.

Trudeau doubled down last year with $800 million to create B次元官网网址渃lustersB次元官网网址� of universities, business and government to spawn the next Silicon Valley. This year, Ottawa has dedicated $950 million to grow B次元官网网址渟uperclusters,B次元官网网址� which Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains assures us are B次元官网网址渏ob magnets.B次元官网网址�

Alas, Canada sucks at innovation, and producing entrepreneurs. Everything from our auto industry to our environmental movement consists mainly of American branch plants.

WeB次元官网网址檝e had a few breakout successes, like BlackBerry, but now Canadians mostly laugh at how un-cool they are. And while taxpayersB次元官网网址� money keeps pouring into this B次元官网网址渧ast arrayB次元官网网址� of programs, business investment in research and commercialization still lags behind.

B.C.B次元官网网址檚 got innovation fever too. In January, Premier Christy Clark re-launched her B次元官网网址渏obs plan,B次元官网网址� a flexible beast that isnB次元官网网址檛 so much about natural gas exports right now as new technology, climate change and yes, innovation.

Clark appointed UBC president Santa Ono as the governmentB次元官网网址檚 chief advisor on innovation. HeB次元官网网址檚 got clusters on his mind, no doubt.

NDP leader John Horgan hasnB次元官网网址檛 shown us much on innovation yet, but give him time. ItB次元官网网址檚 the hot political fashion trend this spring.

Green Party leader Andrew Weaver is clustering as we speak. He launched his B次元官网网址渋nnovation and sustainable enterprise planB次元官网网址� in Vancouver last week, starting with an B次元官网网址渆merging economy task forceB次元官网网址� to start work as soon as a BC Green government takes over.

There will be $20 million a year B次元官网网址渢o support ideation, mentoring and networking at post-secondary institutions,B次元官网网址� $50 million for B次元官网网址渂usiness incubatorsB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渁ccelerators,B次元官网网址� and $70 million over four years B次元官网网址渢o leverage seed or angel funding.B次元官网网址� (No, I donB次元官网网址檛 know what ideation is either.)

The CBC had an innovation a while back, a show called DragonB次元官网网址檚 Den. If youB次元官网网址檝e seen it, you know the drill. Angel investors take a hard look at a new product and offer financing for part ownership.

My favourite dragon is Jim Treliving, a no-nonsense ex-RCMP officer who built Boston Pizza into a three-country empire. He doesnB次元官网网址檛 spew insults like former panelist Kevin OB次元官网网址橪eary, he just tells would-be entrepreneurs what in his view works and what doesnB次元官网网址檛.

So now politicians assure us they can pick winners, with our money. HereB次元官网网址檚 Innovation Minister Bains, explaining it to The Globe and Mail last week:

B次元官网网址淚nnovation is fundamentally about people. And itB次元官网网址檚 about better outcomes, better communities. ItB次元官网网址檚 finding solutions so that people can live better lives.B次元官网网址�

Right.

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