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By Jackie Tegart, MLA for Fraser-Nicola

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: NDP’s budget fails to address key Interior issues

Feb 24, 2022 | 12:25 PM

John Horgan and his NDP government delivered Budget 2022 this week, and it’s a bit underwhelming in terms of addressing the key issues facing Interior communities.

While I was pleased to see the government earmark significant funds to assist with flood recovery in communities including Merritt and the Highway 8 corridor, I have to wonder why the budget had very little to say about wildfire recovery. What message does that send to the people of Lytton, Monte Creek and parts of the Okanagan who have lost homes, businesses and livelihoods? It’s certainly not reassuring, especially for Lytton residents who are still waiting for debris to be cleared nearly 8 months after the Lytton Creek fire destroyed nearly the entire village.

In fact, Lytton only got a passing mention in the budget speech, which is unacceptable given the scale of devastation in the community. Rebuilding the village certainly didn’t come across as a major NDP priority in this budget.

We also didn’t see much new in terms of support for our fire and flood-affected farmers and ranchers. The budget simply touched on the previously announced federal/provincial Agri Recovery program. There are contingencies set for flood recovery, but they are not well defined so it’s unclear how this will help farmers in the present. Meanwhile, funding has been allocated to help farmers switch to more climate-resilient practices, which is a positive step so we can prepare for future climate disasters.

When we look at recovery overall — whether it be from flooding or fire or the heat dome — we see numbers in the budget, but few details on what that will translate to on the ground. I will be seeking more clarity on this during the upcoming budget estimates process, which allows for more detailed questioning and debate.

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I will say that it is good to see the government investing in things like wildfire prevention and a transition toward year-round firefighting and risk mitigation. And the Budget speech rightly acknowledged the community of Logan Lake for its Fire Smart activities that helped keep the Tremont Creek fire at bay.

While the budget contained measures to take care of forestry workers, they are largely in response to the government’s new logging deferrals that will potentially lead to tens of thousands of job losses. The NDP’s forestry policies have been rammed through with little to no consultation with First Nations, with our local communities and with the workers who will be affected by these changes, which is extremely disappointing considering this government’s claims of being transparent and collaborative.

This government’s track record on consultation and engagement doesn’t bode well for the new ministry of lands, water and resource stewardship that the NDP is spending $44 million on, essentially just taking it out of the current Forests Ministry and making it a separate entity. The government says the goal is to work with Indigenous governments and organizations to develop a new vision and policies, which is a move that I hope the government will approach in a genuine way.

Residents of the Interior and across B.C. are also facing an affordability crisis that the NDP’s budget has failed to address in a meaningful way.

In 2018, they brought in a blizzard of taxes on housing that they claimed would bring down prices. It didn’t work. Five years later, home prices are higher than ever — and it’s not just a Lower Mainland problem, it’s affecting nearly every community in British Columbia.

There’s no relief for renters either. They promised an annual $400 renters’ rebate both in 2017 and 2020 and it is still nowhere to be found, even as rents skyrocket and the average renter in our province pays $2,856 more per year under the NDP.

There’s nothing in the budget to address the rising costs of gas and groceries either. At a time when things are becoming less affordable for people, the NDP has decided to create a new tax on online marketplaces and has increased existing taxes on used car sales and the purchase of home heating systems that use fossil fuels.

And what about child care? Well, there’s been little progress on that too. The promise of $10-a-day care is way behind schedule and has suddenly been upped to an average of $20-a-day. Kids will likely be in high school before it finally comes to fruition.

At some point, the NDP’s flowery language and good intentions need to be matched with results. So far, they’re delivering the words people want to hear but not the actions that will bring healing to our communities and affordability to struggling British Columbians.

As we continue to analyze Budget 2022, I will continue to search for support for residents of Fraser-Nicola.

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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 Pattison Media.