This week in the Legislature, the new Minister of Finance presented the 2025/2026 provincial budget. The government titled the budget “Standing Strong for B.C.,” but in reviewing the numbers, nothing about it seems “strong” to me.
A catastrophic $10.9 billion deficit.
A punishing 19 per cent increase to the carbon tax.
An expected net outflow of 14,600 residents leaving our province.
It’s probably no surprise that I have issues with the budget – bringing forward these concerns is part of my job as a member of the Official Opposition. However, I never just argue for the sake of argument. I’m well-known for reaching across the aisle to best represent the people of Cariboo-Chilcotin.
There was a lot that I was hoping to see in this budget that was nowhere to be found. NDP campaign promises – like the $1,000 grocery rebate – were broken and solutions that British Columbians so desperately need were missing.
In the lead-up to this budget, British Columbians were hoping for extra help for seniors and more funds allocated towards health care, crime prevention, and addiction treatment. Our citizens are asking for relief from the high cost of living. The concerning reality is that the budget offered no solutions to these critical issues.
Instead, we learned that the premier added $1-million to his own office budget.
In 2017, when the NDP came to power, there were 34,367 full-time jobs across the B.C. government and government agencies. This year, the NDP are forecasting 48,386 full-time staff – an increase of 41 per cent. Their payroll is out of control.
British Columbians need some sign of a clear plan for positive change and a secure future. Now more than ever, in the face of U.S. tariffs, our government should be financially supporting key industries and the workers within them.
The budget estimated a recent loss of 7,000 jobs in the agricultural sector, alongside a continual decline in revenue from forestry, but there is no plan to mitigate this or provide support to these workers.
Thinking specifically about our riding, I heard very little in this budget speech that would suggest a commitment to improving services in Cariboo-Chilcotin at a time when we have infrastructure in a state of disrepair and hospital emergency room closures that have become too frequent.
I appreciate the efforts of everyone in the Ministry of Finance but unfortunately, they have missed the mark here.
Simply put, I am incredibly disappointed in this budget.
