Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar poses a question to the government, Feb. 10, 2022 (Image Credit: BC Hansard)

By James Peters

BC Budget

Finance critic Milobar looking for tight timelines in upcoming NDP budget

Feb 10, 2022 | 5:04 PM

KAMLOOPS — The newly-named opposition critic for finance says he will have a lot of questions as the NDP government’s next budget is unveiled later this month.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar was given the finance portfolio by B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon after Falcon was chosen by members last weekend.

Milobar says price tags won’t be the only important numbers in the budget.

“When I look at all of the issues we have going on around housing affordability, around complex care and street disorder and things of that nature, it’s not only ‘What are the words in that budget document?’ but ‘What year are the dollars supposed to be rolling out?’ and ‘Are the programs going to be properly funded, properly resourced?'” Milobar told CFJC Today.

Governments across Canada have drastically increased spending over the past two years to help sectors of the economy damaged by restrictions meant to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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Milobar says that’s one reason modern budgets have to be viewed with a different lens than simple tax-and-spend-versus-cuts.

“Governments all across the board have a fair amount of money to put into the economy,” Milobar noted. “Are they putting it in in the right way? Are people feeling that the services and levels of government support are improving their lives or is it just an exercise of pushing money through, taxing you with no real tangible benefit?”

“What is the recovery and plan moving forward post-pandemic? We’ve heard very little from this government. They keep talking about plans but they never actually show us the plan — and on some of the plans they have shown us, their implementation record has been incredibly poor in how long it’s taking to get things out.”

The budget will be presented by Finance Minister Selina Robinson on February 22.