On Thursday, select Business in Vancouver subscribers received an email asking them to participate in the magazine's third annual business confidence survey. But, with an election just around the corner, the magazine also included a number of questions about provincial politics in that survey. The online questionnaire asks subscribers the effect Liberal policies have had on their business and what government's future priorities should be. It also asks them whether a New Democrat or Liberal win will impact their confidence in the economy. And it questions respondents as to whether they approve or disapprove of the Campbell administration's performance. Business in Vancouver was co-founded by Vancouver Non-Partisan Association city councillor Peter Ladner. The following is a copy of that survey.

1. Thinking about your own business or companies, what are the prospects in the next 12 months for each of the following areas? Please indicate whether your prospects are much higher, somewhat higher, somewhat lower, much lower or the same compared to the last 12 months. Please select one reponse for each row (much higher, somewhat higher, same, somewhat lower, much lower).

Profits

Sales

Employment

Space Requirements

Capital Expenditures

2. Thinking about the overall level of activity in your industry, what are the prospects in the next 12 months for each of the following areas? Please select one response for each row (much higher, somewhat higher, same, somewhat lower, much lower).

Capital expenditures

Profits

Employment

Sales

3. What do you think are the prospects for the overall level of activity in the BC economy in the next 12 months? One response only please (much higher, somewhat higher, same, somewhat lower, much lower).

4. Please tell us the effects of the following factors on your business. For each factor, please indicate whether it has a very positive, somewhat positive, somewhat negative, very negative or no effect on your business. Please select one response for each area (very positive, somewhat positive, no effect, somewhat negative, very negative).

B.C. Liberal government policies

Low interest rates

Retaining/finding high caliber employees

Softwood lumber tariff

Tighter border security

Native land claims

Lower provincial taxes

Winning the 2010 Winter Olympic Games bid

Access to capital

U.S. economy

Exchange rate with US dollar

Lower federal taxes

5. Following is a list of possible priorities for the BC government and its elected officials. For each one please indicate if you think it should be top priority, medium priority, low priority or if no attention is needed (top priority, medium priority, low priority, no attention needed).

Invest in transportation infrastructure

Restructure forest industry

Lower Corporate Taxes

Balance budgets

Increase spending on education and research

Increase spending on health care

Provide better environmental protection

Control spiraling health care costs

Reduce regulations

Spearhead innovation strategy

Reduce property crimes

Settle Native land claims

Lower Personal Taxes

6. Will the outcome of the provincial election impact on your confidence level for the future of the BC economy?

Remain confident no matter who wins

Remain confident only if the Liberals win

Remain confident only if the NDP wins

Not confident no matter who is in

Other (please specify)

Now changing the focus slightly, we would like to ask you about your impressions of various industry sectors in British columbia.

7. How would you rate the following industry sectors in terms of their contribution to the future overall well-being of the provincial economy? Would you say it will be a significant contributor, a moderate contributor, a minor contributor or not a contributor at all (a significant contributor, a moderate contributor, a minor contributor, not a contributor at all)?

Manufacturing/distribution/wholesale

Forestry

Retail

Tourism

Financial services

Other resource-based industries such as fishing, mining or agriculture

High-tech and Information technology industries

8. Which sector do you feel will likely generate the most economic activity and jobs and has the best chance for contributing to the future growth of BC's economy? Only one answer please.

Other resourse-based industries such as fishing, mining, or agriculture

Financial services

Manufacturing/distribution

High-tech and Information technolgy industries

Retail

Tourism

Forestry

9. Now turning to the performance of the BC Liberal provincial government...Based on what you've seen so far, would you say you approve or disapprove of the overall performance of the BC Liberal government (strongly approve, someewhat disapprove, strongly disaprove, don't know, no opinion)?