Budget reviews are good, bad and political

By Dan Hilborn
Published Feb. 15, 2006



The new provincial budget, tabled in the B.C. legislature on Tuesday afternoon, is one of those arcane exercises in faith for B.C. politicians.

Those who believe, like the B.C. Liberal MLAs, see the document as providing a better future for children, lower taxes for homeowners and several small, incremental steps towards better health care and an improved education system.

But, for NDP members, like Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan, it is seen as a betrayal of promises that does little for those British Columbians who need the most help.

"The way I look at it, the budget was very disappointing," Chouhan said Wednesday. "They're talking about this being a children's budget, but look, B.C. has the highest ratio of child poverty in Canada, so I don't know what they're talking about.

"It's like last year, when they said it was a seniors' budget. What we saw instead were many seniors with partners in long-term care homes being separated," he said. "I'm afraid if their talking about this being a children's budget, what will happen to the children's plight six months down the road?"

But Burnaby's Liberal MLAs were ecstatic that a total of $421 million in new money will go towards a variety of programs to improve services for children and families, in addition to the small tax cuts and program adjustments that were announced by Finance Minister Carole Taylor.

"I'm happy about the fact that the focus is now on the children," said John Nuraney, MLA for Burnaby-Willingdon. "It was a long time coming."

Nuraney said the budget presented a "balanced approach" that included a reduction in PST for users of 'red gas' to help promote economic development in the Interior of the province, and an increase in the homeowner grant that will help seniors who are "house-rich and cash-poor."

Richard T. Lee, the Burnaby North Liberal MLA., also pointed to the $421 million increase over four years for children and families as the main highlight of the budget.

"There will be more social workers, more children protection and more money for mental health and children with disabilities and special needs," Lee said. "There's even some money for fighting crystal meth."

Lee also pointed to elimination of the PST on computer software installations and raising the threshold for the surtax on luxury cars from $49,000 to $55,000.

When asked what the budget does for poor people, Lee said the government added $8 million for housing and support services for the homeless, another $126 million for people on income assistance and funding for 600 additional housing units for low-income seniors. The government is also increasing its community living budget by $67 million and providing homes for 2,000 more people, while improving support services for another 5,000 people with developmental disabilities, Lee noted.

Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy also said the main focus of the spending plan was children but added that does not detract from the other highlights in what he described as "a great budget."

Bloy pointed to a $90-million investment in the 'red seal' job training program and an increase of 25,000 more spaces in post-secondary institutions by the year 2010.

Bloy also said that he met with B.C. Nurses' Union president Debra MacPherson this week and he's looking forward to an amicable settlement to most of the province's public sector labour negotiations.

"I can't tell you what her negotiating tactics are, but she's excited about the billion dollars we set up as a bonus," Bloy said.

Bloy also said that many of the more skilled Hospital Employees' Union members - such as electricians, plumbers and other trades people - are still angry about the previous contract, which gave them a 15 per cent wage cut, when the government was willing to 'redline' some of the more skilled positions.

Bloy and Chouhan also traded barbs over the finance minister's decision to wear a new pair of $600 Gucci shoes when she presented the budget.

"What kind of message is she sending to people who are poor or to people on the street?" Chouhan asked. "Six hundred dollars is more than a single person on welfare sees from this government in an entire month. It's really unbelievable."

Bloy wondered what all the fuss was about. "I think the tone of the NDP in general and Raj Chouhan in particular is always negative," said Bloy, who admitted he does not know what the province gives to a single person on social assistance. "It's not worth discussing what an individual does on her own when she's not shy about it and will talk about what she spends."