Finance Minister Brenda Bailey delivers the provincial budget, Feb. 17, 2025. (Image Credit: Flickr / Government of B.C.)

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: Where has the money gone?

Feb 20, 2026 | 12:30 PM

THE PROVINCIAL BUDGET that dropped this week is baffling on a number of different fronts.

The biggest question is one the NDP government has yet to properly answer – where has the money gone?

How on earth can the government have gone from a surplus position less than a decade ago when the NDP took power to now being so deep in the hole, it can’t even see the light from the surface.

A deficit of more than $13 billion amid a mountain of accumulated debt.

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It would be understandable if life for British Columbians had improved by the same measure – especially in the one area where government spends the most – health care.

There’s no argument it has – not with a crisis in recruitment and retention that has left millions wondering if they will be able to have their healthcare needs met, whether basic or specialized.

The province employs more than 300 people in a department called Government Communications and Public Engagement, or GCPE.

The office is responsible for media relations and employs many former journalists to do that – but it is also in charge of content development and advertising, among other areas.

This one government department is about one-quarter the size of the entire journalism industry in B.C.

Just looking at the sheer numbers, you can see how government messaging seems to get louder and louder while responsible scrutiny is getting weaker.

It’s helpful to look at this government department now because if it is responsible for messaging and it is accountable to the residents of this province, then it should be answering that big question.

It should be telling us in clear and understandable terms, with simple and concise messaging, using visual aids and advertising space, where the money has gone.

Tell us what has happened to revenues and expenses, and, if it’s not too much to ask, do it without shoveling the blame solely onto the shoulders of the previous government.

That was the former BC Liberal government’s strategy during its 17-year reign. It got old after the first term and the same applies to the NDP government now.

This government needs to take responsibility for where we are and show us a way out.

So far, there’s no sign of that happening.

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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.