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Saturday MARCH 06, 2010
 
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GUEST COLUMN – NDP

 

 

THIS BUDGET IS NOT WHAT’S NEEDED IN MIDST OF RECOVERY

 

By Bruce Ralston

B.C. New Democratic Party's finance critic

 

This Tuesday, the B.C. Liberals presented a budget in the Legislature that failed to offer any substantial plan to lead the province towards economic recovery. 

As the Winter Olympics come to a close, B.C. is beginning to show some signs of economic growth from the previous year’s global downturn.

But B.C.’s economy is still fragile. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing larger and larger, and housing prices continue to skyrocket, leading to even more fiscal uncertainty for B.C. families. With the worst record in the country on full time job losses, growing consumer debt loads, and declining market exports, our province still has a long way to go before recovery is complete. 

In spite of B.C. residents’ concerns, the Liberal government has brought forward a budget that backtracks on their promise to protect vital services such as healthcare and education, and instead pummels consumers and small businesses with the HST. Now the B.C. Liberals are trying to justify their HST betrayal by saying it’s meant to fund healthcare. They deserve a gold medal in distortion for trying to get away with this lie. 

This budget is not what the province needs in the midst of its recovery.

We should be focussing our investments in securing our recovery, and creating jobs to strengthen our communities. The B.C. Liberals should be investing in the future of our province – our children’s education – to help guide our economy through innovation and fresh ideas.

It is crucial that we focus our attention to our long-term future, and not make short-sighted cuts that negatively impact our recovery.

But that’s exactly what the B.C. Liberals have done with this budget.

They've made deep cuts to public services that British Columbians rely on, and which threaten the tentative economic recovery we've seen to date.

These cutbacks to essential services are the direct result of the Liberal government’s post-election budget lie.

Rather than coming clean on the state of the province’s finances during the 2009 spring election campaign, they chose to be dishonest with British Columbians. They chose to cover up their poor fiscal management, rather than investing in our economic recovery.

If we take a look at the dismal state of B.C.’s public education system, we can see the failure of the B.C. Liberals.

A successful economy requires an educated and talented workforce. It is a key component to developing a thriving global economy. As experts like former clerk of the Privy Council Kevin Lynch say, we need to emphasize education and innovation.

Instead, the B.C. Liberals refuse to acknowledge the results of their decisions to cut back on education funding. Overcrowding and continued cost pressures plague schools across this province, drastically impacting the quality of education for our children.

Boards of education are struggling to pay for the bare necessities and keep schools open. Meanwhile, parents are left wondering whether or not their children have the support that they need to be successful in our public education system.

If we want to grow the economy, we need sustained, stable funding for B.C. schools.

To make matters worse, the B.C. Liberals are also failing to invest in innovative research and post-secondary educations.

The government has cut student aid by 28 per cent from what they promised during the election, making it even harder for families to send their children to post-secondary.

In addition, the B.C. Liberals promised during the election to protect and maintain health services. But this budget is another example of their betrayal to the people in my constituency of Surrey; they’re failing to address the crisis in health care, and we’ll see patients and their families left waiting in pain even longer.

In order to rebuild our economy, we have to boost consumer confidence. But the B.C. Liberals have introduced the harmonised sales tax to do the exact opposite.

The HST will cost the restaurant industry 12,000 jobs. Many family-owned businesses in places like Surrey and Burnaby are already struggling, and with the HST they may not even see the end of the year. Despite intense lobbying efforts, the B.C. Liberals continue to ignore pleas from the hospitality industry.

The B.C. Liberals put forward no solutions in the budget to aid restaurant owners in this difficult time.

British Columbia is facing some tough decisions. It is crucial that the Liberal government realize the frailty of the current economic situation, and make targeted, smart investments to lead our economy into the 21st century.

But we must make the right investments.

In order to pay for the services that we need, wealth creation and economic growth are essential. And we can't have long-term growth in this province if we don't promote social inclusion through strong social programs and a world class education system.

 

 

 


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