The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) will make a stop in Williams Lake during a 30-community, two-week tour of its B.C. Debt Clock.
Wanting to draw public attention to the province’s growing debt load, the CTF will share statistics and show off its Debt Clock at Tim Hortons on July 9 at from 11:30 to
“B.C.’s provincial debt will grow by a billion dollars every single quarter over the next three years – even with so-called balanced budgets,” said Jordan Bateman, the CTF’s British Columbia Director. “By 2016, today’s $57 billion debt will top $69.4 billion. We need to stop this clock.”
B.C.’s debt grows by $209 per second, $12,515 per minute, $750,913 per hour, $18 million per day and about a million dollars every 80 minutes.
“Debt is a killer for future generations,” said Bateman. “It’s like putting our children and grandchildren a mile behind a marathon’s starting line.”
Bateman noted that Premier Christy Clark has long supported balanced budgets and even ran on a “debt-free B.C.” platform in the May provincial election.
“The Premier has talked the talk on debt reduction, but now it’s time to walk the walk,” said Bateman. “She needs to stand up against special interest groups looking for more tax money. Based on the election results, there’s clearly an appetite in B.C. for the Premier to make good on her campaign promise of a debt-free B.C.”
The iconic Debt Clock, adapted for B.C.’s provincial debt numbers, is 12 feet long and 5’6 feet high. It is housed in a custom-designed trailer that has crisscrossed the country over the past two years.
Bateman said he’ll stop for a photo-op at Lac La Hache, probably just before 10 a.m. July 9.