Finance Minister Selina Robinson presents 2021 Budget (Image Credit: Flickr / Government of BC)

By Langley MLA Andrew Mercier

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Provincial budget puts people first, fixes gaps left behind by BC Liberal neglect

Apr 28, 2021 | 9:44 AM

FROM THE MOMENT WE FORMED GOVERNMENT in 2017, we have focused our attention on investing in people.

For too long, most British Columbians were an afterthought in every failed economic strategy of the BC Liberals. As a result of that neglect, people suffered while the wealthy and well-connected reaped the rewards of plans that favoured them.

COVID-19 has shined a light on the cracks they left behind that included neglect of our seniors, poor supports for the most vulnerable British Columbians and the costs of housing, childcare and other basic needs that made life unaffordable.

The BC NDP made significant progress addressing those issues during our first term in government, but clearly there is much to do.

Budget 2021 helps build on the foundation by focusing on protecting people’s health and livelihoods through the pandemic, while making investments in services, infrastructure and opportunities to support a strong recovery and a brighter future for everyone.

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Even though COVID-19 is still with us and has been particularly hard on the tourism and hospitality sectors that have been affected by necessary public health measures, our recovery has already begun.

We have added jobs for 11 consecutive months and B.C.’s real GDP is forecast to grow by 4.4 per cent in 2021 and 3.8 per cent in 2022, reaching pre-pandemic levels by next year.

Those numbers are evidence of the resilience of people and businesses and the strength of our plan.

When COVID-19 hit, our government moved quickly to provide relief for renters, middle-class families, hard-hit businesses and the most vulnerable.

Until this insidious virus is behind us, our plan begins with making sure people are healthy and safe.

We are investing $900 million in new healthcare funding for testing, contact tracing, personal protective equipment and the largest vaccine rollout in B.C.’s history. By the end of June, every British Columbian adult who wants one will have at least one dose of life-saving vaccine.

We are also making new investments to fill gaps in health care that were exposed during the pandemic.

This includes investing in seniors care, mental health and addictions, and surgical and diagnostic wait list reduction, while moving forward on twenty urgent and primary care centres so people have the health care they need where they live.

This builds on the work to address staffing issues in long-term care facilities that we began before and during the pandemic.

The most vulnerable will no longer be an afterthought as long we are in government.

As many as 80,000 low-income seniors will see their Senior’s Supplement increase for the first time ever, and we are also delivering on our commitment to permanently increase income assistance and disability rates.

We are helping families by making public transportation free for children who are 12 and younger, doubling the number of $10 per day childcare spaces, doubling the wage enhancement for early childhood educators and building more childcare spaces.

We are also creating 400 more spaces in the Aboriginal Head Start Program that provides culturally-based care for Indigenous families.

This builds on the work we have already done to make life more affordable, like getting rid of MSP premiums, eliminating tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears Bridges and fixing ICBC to reduce car insurance rates.

We are also investing in jobs and the economy.

We will continue to support businesses with a suite of grants and funding to help them adapt and grow, while helping ensure tourism businesses and communities make it through the pandemic and are ready to thrive when visitors can safely return.

We are also building 9,000 homes with $2 billion in financing, supporting tourism business and communities with $120 million in support, reducing greenhouse gases and helping build the green economy through $506 million in CleanBC investments.

We are helping rural and remote communities by improving connectivity and are creating a new strategic investment fund to help B.C. businesses deliver economic, environmental and social returns.

Our plan also focuses on the work that began with passing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act — this must lead to a future of true partnership and shared decision-making.

By building an economic plan that invests in people, I am confident that B.C. will emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.

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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.