THE NDP’s final budget before the 2024 election combines record reckless inflationary spending with the worst results we’ve ever seen on affordability, health, housing and mental health and addictions, said BC United Leader Kevin Falcon on Thursday.
He said: “Budget 2024 racks up the largest deficit in B.C. history to maintain a status quo that is simply not working for people across this province. As British Columbians struggle to put food on the table and pay rent every month, David Eby’s NDP government has introduced a budget that spends more money than ever before, while failing to improve life for everyday people. After seven years of NDP government, life in B.C. is less affordable and less safe than ever. All I see in this budget is more of the same tax and spend approach that has never delivered results.”
He said that in their eighth budget, the NDP continue to run a massive deficit while failing to deliver for British Columbians:
* Budget 2024 sets out an $8 billion inflationary deficit — the largest in B.C.’s history — with taxpayer-supported debt per person increasing 150 percent, from $8,540 in 2016/17 to $21,542 in 2026/27.
* The NDP’s changes to the property transfer tax for first time buyers only applies to the first $500,000 of a home, which will only save homebuyers $8,000, compared to BC United’s plan which will save people up to $18,000 due to our raising of the exemption threshold to $1 million.
* Despite a record year for overdose deaths in 2023, this is a status quo budget for Mental Health and Addictions. The average wait time for mental health beds has increased from an average one month to six weeks under the NDP.
* The Employer Health Tax (EHT) rate is doubling (from 2.9 percent to 5.8 percent) on businesses with over $1 million in payroll. EHT revenues will climb by $265 million over the fiscal plan.
* No mention of ending David Eby’s catch-and-release justice system or the NDP’s failed decriminalization experiment
* While BC United have been calling for IVF funding for the past two years, the NDP have delayed IVF funding in the budget until after the next election, in 2025. There is no funding for 2024.
“When it comes to the issues that matter most to British Columbians, affordability, health, mental health and addictions, and public safety, this government has consistently failed to deliver — and that doesn’t change with Budget 2024,” added Peter Milobar, Official Opposition Critic for Finance. “People are tired of more of the same; more taxes, more chaos, higher costs and worse results. Our BC United Caucus has a real plan to fix the mess David Eby has created — it’s time for a new government that gets results.”
