By Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar

Looking for answers in Budget 2019

Feb 6, 2019 | 8:59 AM

THE SPRING SITTING of the Legislature is about to get underway, and all eyes will be on the NDP government as it lays out its Throne Speech and Budget in the coming weeks.

We know there are a number of budgetary challenges on the horizon. The private sector is projecting B.C.’s GDP to grow only 2.4 per cent in 2019, holding flat from 2018. That rate, however, relies on the success of the LNG Canada project which is already facing headwinds from activists and internal dissent within the NDP.

While B.C. is projected to outperform the country in economic growth, that growth is tenuous — which means now is not the time to be piling questionable taxes on top of the NDP’s economic ‘jenga’ tower. Sadly, that’s exactly what’s happening, with 19 new or increased taxes imposed on B.C. residents and businesses in the last year and a half.

These punitive taxes, along with the NDP’s housing market interventions, have created a $400 million dollar hole in the provincial budget that will only grow further. This raises major questions about how the NDP will continue to afford its lavish spending promises without raising taxes yet again. The NDP has already raised $5.5 billion in new or increased taxes since taking power. We’ll be keeping our eyes on the February 19th budget to see how this all plays out.

Additionally, as the BC Liberal Critic for Environment and Climate Change, I’ll be very interested to see how the budget accommodates the government’s CleanBC climate plan. It was announced in December and appeared to be an update to our former BC Liberal government’s 2015 plan— but with no specifics.

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I’m hopeful the budget will paint a clearer picture of how the government plans to pay for components of the CleanBC plan including electric vehicle subsidies, retrofitting homes and the further electrification of industry.

But perhaps the bigger red flag is the 25 per cent of targeted emissions that’s missing from the NDP’s plan. The strategy does account for the 75 per cent of emissions reductions required by 2030. But the remaining amount is to be identified over the next two years — maybe even after the next election!

This lack of detail appears to be yet another stalling tactic by a government that struggles to make decisions on a number of initiatives — whether it’s the Massey Tunnel replacement, ridesharing, or its poverty reduction plan. What’s more, this missing 25 per cent of targeted emissions should be alarming to British Columbians who are being kept in the dark about the potential financial ramifications.

This government’s 2019 budget will hopefully answer some of these questions — but I expect the NDP will continue to stall on a number of items, creating unnecessary delays and costs that will only hurt our economy and environment.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.