File Photo (Image Credit: Flickr / Province of B.C.)

By Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: B.C. needs real results on affordability

Jan 12, 2023 | 10:31 AM

THE RESULTS OF THE LATEST Research Co. poll on affordability will likely come as no surprise to anybody. According to the survey, 45 per cent of British Columbians say their household’s financial situation is worse now than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly half of British Columbians — 48 per cent of them — say they are finding it difficult to pay for necessities or make ends meet. More than seven in ten British Columbians report they’re having a hard time saving money for a ‘rainy day’ or for retirement.

It’s clear nearly everyone is feeling the pinch as costs for gas, groceries and housing continue to rise. While inflation has certainly played a role in the sharp price increases we’ve seen this past year, they have been made even more painful due to the fact that B.C. was already one of the most expensive jurisdictions in the country. Life has truly become less affordable after almost six years under the NDP.

As an MLA, it is hard to watch people struggle to make ends meet or find a home that’s affordable and comfortable, while government talks about all it has supposedly done to improve affordability. Anyone engaged in their community knows that if government has taken any steps to address affordability, they have failed to make a difference in people’s daily lives. It seems this NDP government has been completely unable to translate its intentions into outcomes — and now we have the most expensive rental markets in the country, the highest fuel prices, and almost half of British Columbians are $200 or less away from insolvency at the end of each month.

Seniors are also having an incredibly tough time. A report released by the Seniors’ Advocate last year found that the overall use of food banks by seniors has increased by an overwhelming 78 per cent over the last five years, and that nearly 60 per cent of seniors were concerned or very concerned about not having enough money to pay for their usual living expenses.

In the face of all this stress and uncertainty, people don’t need more words or empty promises. They need real support from government and initiatives that will make a tangible difference. It’s why our BC Liberal caucus proposed multiple inflation-fighting measures last year, like a one-time enhanced carbon tax rebate for low-and-middle income families, the elimination of the sales tax on used cars under $20,000, and a temporary suspension of the gas tax to provide people with relief at the pumps. Sadly, the government wasn’t interested in these proposed relief measures.

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It’s simple steps like these that would immediately deliver results for people, and if the NDP is really serious about affordability, they will take more of them in 2023.

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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.