FORSETH -- Only the most ardent NDP supporters will be able to say this budget is one that truly benefits all British Columbians

Over the past quarter century, according to Statista, parents in British Columbia have given birth to an average of 42,000 children.

IF only those children knew what kind of government debt they would be inheriting, never mind their own personal debt for things like a home or vehicle.  If they did, they might just try to head right back into their mother womb and say forget it.

Especially given what came out in BC Budget 2024 yesterday.

 

According to the NDP governments provincial debt summary (Table 1.9 – page 54) the updated provincial debt for 2023/24 is expected to be just under 104 billion dollars – however, by year 2026/27 the provincial government is estimating that debt will increase to one hundred and sixty four billion, nine hundred and seventy three million --- an increase of SIXTY THREE percent.

“What I saw today is a budget that is quite frankly bankrupting the people of the future” ~~ Conservative Party of BC leader John Rustad

 

British Columbians are desperate for health facilities and healthcare professionals ... schools and educators ... services for seniors ... better transportation and infrastructure ... and more. Instead, we will be seeing more and more taxpayer resources going to simply pay the interest on the debt – from 3.2 cents per dollar today, to 5.4 cents per dollar by 2026/27.

AND REMEMBER ... that’s just to pay the INTEREST on the debt.

Most / all of you reading this know what happens when all we pay is the just the interest on a credit card; the total debt just keeps on climbing -- no wonder then that the Vancouver Sun’s Vaughn Palmer was quoted saying:

 

“BC Budget 2024 bleeds red ink, with no cure in sight” ~~ Vaughn Palmer

British Columbians (yes I will proudly call myself that, but that’s another story) need a government that will take a look at every way it is spending OUR money and determine if that is providing the best value.

It needs to decide if a handful of unions should be getting sweetheart contracts with the government to build our infrastructure – while inflating the cost of every project.

 

It should decide if throwing money at a variety of segments in society – in an effort to buy votes – is the best value for the people of BC.   

And it needs to decide if a 35.5% increase in ‘per person spending’ since 2016/17 -- the highest by far in all of Canada -- has made our lives any better

And WE should be concerned about this revelation from Rob Shaw who last Fall (Oct 13^th 2023) revealed something that was costing us ever increasing billions; the staggering increase in public sector / civil service employees hirings: 

 

“By next year’s election, the number of full-time equivalent government staff will have risen more than 31 per cent since the NDP took power in 2017” ~~ Rob Shaw

 

What has that got us? Are services any better?  Are wait times to see doctors getting any better?  Are seniors getting better care?  Are we seeing a decrease in deaths from a poisoned drug supply?

The answer to that, I believe, is a resounding NO!

The government can mess around with Debt to GDP figures all it wants. The bottom line is this ...

 

Only the most ardent NDP supporters will be able to say this budget, delivered yesterday by NDP Finance Minister Katrine Conroy, is one that truly benefits all British Columbians.

In Kamloops, I’m Alan Forseth