The provincial NDP government tabled its 2022/23 budget on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, and while Kootenay Columbia MLA Doug Clovechok (BC Liberal) says that it will require a deep dive over the next few weeks to really figure out what’s in it, his initial impression is not positive.
READ: The main takeaways from B.C.’s budget 2022
He is particularly concerned that, from a rural perspective, there is not much there.
“There’s no wildlife management plan, nothing on rural health care transportation,” he said.
However, there are items in the budget that hurt rural residents, Clovechok said.
“There’s no plan to address the rising cost of living. But there are new taxes. Like a new tax on the purchase of used cars. Not everyone can afford to buy a new car. And increased taxes on home furnaces that requires fossil fuels. You’d think after five years they would have figured something out.”
Clovechok says that $10 a day day care has been promised for five years and has yet to materialize, although $20 a day was announced in the budget. And where is the $400 rent rebate, he asks.
He also questions the new money for mental health. It doesn’t fund the right things, he says.
“There’s no new beds, no money for early prevention. They are failing to address an ongoing crisis.”
He also points to nothing for small business.
“Most of our business in this riding is small business. There have been 27 new taxes on business since 2017. You can’t tax your way to prosperity.”
However, he does point to one positive and that is the news that the BC Wildfire Service will now work year round.
“They finally listened to us,” Clovechok said. “We’ve been harping at them on that for two years. This is a good thing and it’s about time.”
But overall, it’s disappointing, he says.
“I will tell you what Kevin Falcon (BC Liberal leader) said. He said if someone brought this budget to me, I’d fire them.”
carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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