Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons is pleased with spending commitments made by the provincial government in this year’s budget.
“Overall the budget has been widely applauded,” said Simons.
The budget, tabled in Victoria on Tuesday, February 19, delivered a $274 million surplus, while committing funds to supporting various social programs.
Among these, the budget included a promise to eliminate interest on student loans, a measure taking effect immediately.
“I am very pleased that the BC government recognized that it was long past time to eliminate interest charges on student loans,” added Simons.
The move was also applauded by the BC Federation of Students.
“This change will not only help current and future students, but also those who have completed their studies and are paying back loans,” stated the federation in a media release.
Another centrepiece of this year’s budget is the replacement of the Early Childhood Tax Benefit with the Child Opportunity Benefit, which gives parents up to $1,600 per year until a child reaches the age of 18.
This initiative, which takes effect October 2020, gives families more than double the previous maximum child benefit.
Simons also pointed out this year’s budget carries out the government’s promise to scrap medical service premiums, which the MLA called “the most regressive tax BC had.”
The budget states the elimination of MSP, which will be replaced by a new Employer Health Tax on businesses with payrolls of $500,000 or more, will save families up to $900 per year.
Simons also applauded the budget’s commitments to ongoing reconciliation efforts with First Nations communities.
“A revenue-sharing arrangement will give First Nations communities opportunities to address a broad range of local priorities,” said Simons. “It recognizes that our relationships with indigenous communities is evolving, and that true reconciliation includes finding opportunities to share in funding and decision-making.”
The budget also makes a sizable $902 million commitment to the CleanBC initiative, which was made in consultation with the BC Green Party. The CleanBC program promises to “mobilize skilled workers” in moving the province toward “clean, renewable energy.”
In a media release, West Coast Environmental Law spokesperson Andrew Gage said: “BC is a place that environmentally-minded businesses will want to invest. Budget 2019 builds on that advantage by funding an aggressive path to further lower our provincial greenhouse gas pollution.”
The Hospital Employees’ Union, which represents 50,000 health-care workers in BC, issued a statement applauding the budget’s commitment to increased investments in health care.
“The former government left a fragmented and under-resourced health-care system that failed to meet the needs of patients and seniors,” said HEU secretary-business manager Jennifer Whiteside. “Reversing the damage won’t happen overnight, but today’s budget signals this government’s ongoing commitment to restore and strengthen vital health-care services.”
While praising the budget’s commitments to tackling affordability issues, BC Chamber of Commerce raised concerns about ongoing measures introduced in last year’s budget.
“A new Employer Health Tax, an increasing carbon tax, a rising minimum wage, climbing corporate tax rates, these costs are weighing down the backbone of BC’s economy,” stated BC Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Val Litwin in a media release.
Meanwhile, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade awarded the budget a “B-,” praising its “fiscal prudence” but raising concerns about what CEO Iain Black described as “few meaningful announcements with respect to productivity.”
