Throne speech begins stretch run for BC politicians
By Nelson Daily Staff
Members of the BC Legislature made their way back to Victoria to begin the final session before the provincial election in May.
In her speech from the throne Tuesday, Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon outlined how British Columbia has navigated challenging times to lead Canada, thanks to a plan – and hard-working British Columbians.
Since the launch of the BC Jobs Plan five years ago:
- B.C. is first in economic growth in Canada
- B.C. is first in job creation in Canada, with more British Columbians working than ever before
- B.C. has Canada’s lowest unemployment rate
- The provincial government continues to make record investments in health care, education and infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and the Site C dam
Controlling government spending has resulted in:
- Four consecutive balanced budgets, with a fifth on the way
- Lowest taxes for middle-class families in Canada
- B.C. is on track to be free of any operating debt by 2021
“The reason people come to live in B.C. is to find a job with great pay, save to own their own home, and keep more of their hard-earned money,” said Premier Christy Clark.
“We’re going to stick to our plan to grow the economy, so that we can all build a better future, and look after the people we love.”
However, New Democrat Leader John Horgan said the Liberal government has done little to keep money in the pockets of BC taxpayers.
Horgan said it has been quite the opposite, as Premier Christy Clark has been working for the wealthy and the well connected while leaving ordinary British Columbians behind.
“Now on the eve of an election, she is doing anything she can to distract from the fact that she has created a B.C. where people can’t afford to live and build a future," Horgan said in a media release.
“Christy Clark and her B.C. Liberal government have deliberately chosen to make British Columbia a place where only the rich can thrive, and everyone else pays the price.
Horgan noted that half of British Columbians are living paycheck to pay check, while hydro rates, car insurance, and medical services premiums have skyrocketed year after year.
“Christy Clark has spent the last six years cutting and neglecting the services people care about, while millionaires have gotten more than a billion dollars in tax breaks.
Lt.-Gov. Guichon also observed the risks facing British Columbia, from rising protectionism in Europe and the United States, slow global economic growth, and low commodity prices.
To counter the threat, Lt.-Gov. Guichon said government is updating the BC Jobs Plan, launching a Rural Economic Development Strategy to help small communities cope with immediate challenges and diversify their economies, and appointing a special envoy for softwood lumber, based in the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
But Horgan said there has been no help for rural communities, who have had to suffer through unaffordable housing, cuts to school classrooms, leaving seniors to suffer in understaffed care homes, long waits for basic healthcare, the lack of family doctors, or hallway medicine – ordinary individuals and families.
“British Columbians deserve an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and the well-connected.
“I believe we need a plan over the long term that has people and the services they need at the center. Not budgets based on buying people with their own money on the eve of an election.
“After years of neglect, people simply don’t believe Christy Clark is ready to solve the problems that matter in their lives,” Horgan added.
Minister of Finance Mike de Jong is expected to deliver the 2017 budget in the legislature next week.