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MLA Clovechok on budget: Uninspiring

The provincial government brought down their budget this week, which the government says builds infrastructure, supports thousands of new jobs and strengthens investments in health and education, making life more affordable for everyone.
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Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok

The provincial government brought down their budget this week, which the government says builds infrastructure, supports thousands of new jobs and strengthens investments in health and education, making life more affordable for everyone.

Budget 2020 creates a new tax bracket for the top 1% of income earners in British Columbia. Nearly half the revenue generated will come from individuals who make more than $1 million annually.

“Today, we’re asking the people at the top, the highest 1% of individual income earners, to pay a little more and help B.C. provide families and communities with better services and stronger infrastructure,” Finance Minister Carole James said.

Columbia River Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok begs to disagree. He found nothing new, and says it was uninspiring to say the least.

“I always try to look at it through the lens of the people I represent,” he said. “There are not a lot of one per centers where I live. I don’t know any one per centers. Our riding is full of hard working people just trying to get ahead.”

Clovechok is perturbed that there wasn’t any mention in the budget of key things that the NDP campaigned on.

“They campaigned on affordability. Ask yourself, are you better off than you were two and a half years ago? There are sneaky tax grabs in this budget. There have been 24 new taxes imposed in the last couple of years.

“There’s no mention of $10 a day daycare. They campaigned on that. No mention of the $400 rent rebate. They campaigned on that.

“Last year overall tax revenue was $5.7 billion. This year it’s $8.8 billion. This comes out of your pockets. The projection is that by 2022, the average household tax burden will increase by $2300.”

He also points to an increase in government spending to $15 billion next year.

“The spending is out of control. There’s no job plan, no economic plan. The only revenue stream is the people of British Columbia.”

Clovechok is concerned that there is not enough attention on the industries that do generate revenue.

“Forestry is in the tank,” he said. “In our riding, it’s small business that drives the economy and they are getting killed by the health tax. Business has to pass it on to the consumer, but there is only so much people will pay for a hamburger.

“When you tax people who make the money, those people leave.”

He is again concerned about the lack of mention of any strategy for wildlife and wildlife protection.

“And if there is one issue I lose sleep over, it is wildfires. It only got a brief mention. What kind of money is available?

“Tourism. The corona-virus is going to have an impact on tourism. What is the strategy?”

And finally, Clovechok says that health care and transportation are the issues he deals with most in Columbia River Revelstoke.

“There was not a word about it. This budget was very focused on the Lower Mainland.

“When they start taxing Netflix, you know things are going south.

“I don’t mean to be negative, I’m not a negative person, but I don’t see any upside.”

Clovechok says that he will be digging for more details on all his concerns when the go into the estimate process, where MLAs can sit down with Ministers and get more information.



Carolyn Grant

About the Author: Carolyn Grant

I have been with the Kimberley Bulletin since 2001 and have enjoyed every moment of it.
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