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By Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo

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This month is Small Business Month in British Columbia. It is a time to reflect on the hard work, bravery, tenacity and impact of small business owners across British Columbia and their important role in our communities.

Over one million British Columbians work in the small business sector. A fifth of our population is directly involved in businesses that are essential to B.C.’s economy and to the fabric of the communities in which they are located.

With that said, it is not an easy time to be a small business owner. Most small businesses already operate on very thin profit margins, so you can imagine that any additional pressure on their books, such as new taxes, would prove too much of a burden for some.

Unfortunately, the actions of this NDP government has done just that. Over the last two years the NDP government has introduced 19 new and increased taxes.

Among these new taxes is the Employer Health Tax, which has been the second biggest tax increase in B.C. in the past five years. The Business Council of British Columbia estimates that the EHT alone will cost B.C. businesses $800-million a year in additional tax – and this comes alongside the 18 other new and increased taxes.

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How plausible is it that small businesses will survive-let alone thrive and grow-under these onerous conditions? Around B.C. we are seeing small businesses in survival mode as John Horgan and his NDP government burden them with uncompetitive taxation. Pressure through taxation will only serve to make life less affordable for these entrepreneurs, resulting in lost jobs and shuttered doors. That is why we are advocating for some sense to the NDP’s approach to the economy and small business.

This week my colleague, Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone, introduced legislation that would mitigate an issue that is especially rampant in the Lower Mainland but is affecting businesses throughout the province. Many small businesses, arts groups, and non-profits are facing huge property tax spikes because they are being assessed at the highest and best use related to the undeveloped airspace above them.

Simply put, they are being taxed on air above their heads. In some cases, organizations and businesses have seen 200 to 300 per cent increases in property tax bills, which is an insurmountable burden for many.

Despite calls from a broad coalition of stakeholders, including local governments and small businesses themselves, the NDP government has taken no action on this issue and communities and neighbourhoods are being to hollowed-out as businesses shut their doors for good.

I hope that the government will act on this bill and the concerns being shared by my colleagues. Every struggling business and closed-door ripples through neighbourhoods as jobs are lost and dreams are shattered.

But when small businesses are given the supports they need to flourish, they provide local people with steady jobs, produce goods and services that make our lives better and, in turn, invest in the local communities where they operate.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and deserve better from this government. We have their backs, I just hope the NDP can get on board.

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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.