The NDP has delivered Budget 2022, its sixth budget since coming to power, and a document that should have set the tone for B.C.’s post pandemic future.
However, instead of laying out a clear vision for B.C. — one that gives people hope and makes good on the government’s many promises — this NDP budget leaves people to face the challenges of today with little support.
There is nothing in this budget to address the affordability crisis that is impacting people every day. There is nothing to make housing more affordable, no sign of the twice-promised $400 rebate for renters, and no relief for record-high gas prices and the rising cost of groceries.
The NDP promised to “make life more affordable” when they first came to power but by nearly every metric, the opposite has happened, and the cost of living has increased across the board.
Here in rural B.C., we will also feel the impacts of some of the new and increased taxes the government has included in this budget, especially the increased taxes on the purchase of home heating systems that use fossil fuels — like natural gas furnaces. But it’s not just heating your home that will get more expensive, the NDP is also hiking the taxes on used car sales and online marketplaces.
Unfortunately, we also didn’t see much new in terms of support for our fire and flood-affected farmers and ranchers. All the budget touched on was the previously announced federal/provincial Agri Recovery program. And while there are some contingencies set aside for recovery, they are not well defined so it remains unclear how this will help people in the present.
I am sure that British Columbians were hoping for so much more from this budget and from this government that has made so many promises to them. Unfortunately, from the looks of Budget 2022, it will be a long time before those commitments become a reality.
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