File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: People left behind as NDP fails to create jobs and grow economy

Nov 9, 2023 | 2:37 PM

As B.C.’s cost of living continues to increase, so does the need for family-supporting jobs. British Columbians want to be able to find good jobs that do more than help them scrape by. They want to be able to provide for their loved ones, to feel safe and secure, and to have confidence in the future.

But right now, so many British Columbians cannot find these kind of jobs. Even as wages rise in B.C., the increasing cost of living outpaces income to the point where people quickly find their paycheques being eaten up by skyrocketing prices. A recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that one-in-three Metro Vancouver families does not make a living wage, all while families are left spending $4,000 more than they were last year for the same basket of goods. In Kamloops, the living wage in 2023 was $20.91, up from $16.90 in 2017 — a 24 per cent increase.

Rents have gone up by hundreds of dollars per month, groceries are getting more expensive by the day, and the price of filling up a vehicle with gas remains at astronomical highs. More people than ever are struggling to get by right now, and there seems to be no plan from government to change this reality any time soon.

Over their nearly seven years in government, the NDP has failed to prioritize growing the economy and creating much-needed private-sector jobs. This is exemplified in the results of the last five years of NDP leadership, where private sector job creation has virtually flatlined.

From 2019 to October 2023, the NDP presided over the creation of only 22,500 private-sector jobs. During the same length of time, from 2012 to 2017, our previous BC Liberal government oversaw the creation of a staggering 260,000 private sector jobs — more than this current government has created in the public and private sectors combined. This means that for every one job the NDP has created in the private sector, the previous government created 10.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Culturally appropriate food goes beyond the ingredients on a plate

11h ago

Two and Out

PETERS: Whether building up or tearing down, Kamloops is what you make it

Dec 13, 2024

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: How to reduce food waste in Kamloops during the festive season

Dec 13, 2024

Meanwhile, the only place the NDP have been adding jobs is in the public sector, where they have been creating five public sector jobs for every one private sector job.

While public sector employees play vital roles in our province, and we depend on their valuable contributions, it is not sustainable to have such a massive disparity whereby public sector job growth is outpacing private sector job growth by five fold. It is only private sector jobs which generate the revenue needed by government to invest in the services that people need and deserve, whether in health care, education, social services or the myriad of other critical public services. Simply put, it’s private sector growth that pays the bills.

The NDP government does not understand this concept, and instead of investing in our economy as a whole, it has tried to make up for its failures by ballooning public sector bureaucracy — adding additional costs to taxpayers while failing to boost the core industries people in our province rely on.

As a result of this lack of investment, we are seeing more dual-income families accessing food banks, more people working multiple jobs, and more people struggling to make ends meet as affordability worsens and people’s buying power decreases.

That’s why we need clear solutions that not only grow our economy, but also provide relief to British Columbians squeezed by the affordability crisis. Our BC United caucus has put forward common-sense measures that would help people right away. For example, we have promised that a BC United government would permanently eliminate the provincial fuel tax and remove the carbon tax from home heating, leaving more money in the pockets of British Columbians, where it belongs. We will announce several more affordability initiatives in the coming weeks.

It’s time for a government that sees the value in every part of our economy, invests in our province, and has a real plan to deliver the relief that people need and deserve.

——

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.