Rural Communities left out in cold with Provincial Budget

The BC Liberals brought in their 2007 budget this week, a bit of shifting of the financial abacus that will benefit the Liberal strength in the cities, while leaving the rural areas of the province continuing to suffer the effects of other Liberal policies without redress.

At least, that’s the impression that the NDP representative for the North Coast, has of Carol Taylor’s pronouncements in the Legislature. Taylor revealed the Liberal’s plans on spending this year and while some increases were made to the social safety net with social assistance getting a slight boost, many suggest that it’s a mere drop in the bucket as to what is truly needed to survive in the larger BC cities and their high cost of living.

The budget, which was being touted early on as a “housing budget”, will use some of the riches gained from the province’s booming economy to reduce taxes and address housing and environmental concerns. However, it would seem that only the relatively wealthy would be making the best use of some of these budget gifts, for instance ten percent reductions in imcome tax will be available to anyone making up to 108,000 dollars, but clearly the more you earn the more you save. It was the second cut to provincial income tax in the last five years, the Liberals reduced the tax rate by 25% back in 2001.

However, Gary Coons, who represents the local riding, wondered aloud where the support for education, housing and seniors might be in the financial plan laid out on Tuesday. Calling it a downtown Vancouver budget, Coons didn’t see much that he though would benefit the rural areas of the province and instead seems to see a Liberal party that is pandering to its base, judging by his commentary delivered to the Daily News on Thursday.

‘URBAN-FOCUSED’ BUDGET FULL OF HOLES SAYS COONS
MLA also wanted mention of forests, rural health, mining and more in budget
By Leanne RitchieThe Daily News
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Pages one and three

The B. C. Liberals handed out goodies in the Lower Mainland, but left rural communities and working families holding an empty bag in the 2007 budget, said North Coast MLA Gary Coons.

“Carol Taylor’s budget was a ‘downtown’ Liberal budget. There was nothing about forests, mining nor conserving our wild stocks,” said Coons. “Rural health care, concerns with class composition and the closure of schools were also left off the list.”

Taylor made the budget announcement Tuesday. The Liberal government, backed by a booming economy, will use its surplus billions to drive the most ambitious housing, taxation and environmental agendas in Canada, she said.

However, critics complain the details of the government’s green agenda are still not clear and the housing plan and tax cuts mostly benefit better-off British Columbians.

Coons said the speech failed to mention key forest policy issues and support for communities devastated by Liberal forest practices have been left to fend for themselves.

There was also no mention of support to facilitate a cooperative and sustainable approach to a transportation strategy for trade entering and running through B. C. and Western Canada.

There was also no mention of the Port of Prince Rupert.

“It’s a real disappointment for those outside the Lower Mainland that thought we actually might ‘share the wealth’ of the $2 billion surplus,” he said.

Coons noted that despite the Liberals’ grand promises around environmental issues made in last week’s Throne Speech, the only environment initiatives in the budget include an extension of the $2,000 provincial sales tax break on the purchase of hybrid vehicles and a promise to spend $4 million to help form the premier’s climate action team.

“In last week’s Throne Speech, the premier promised B. C. would be a leader in climate change,” said Coons.

“But the budget failed to follow through on his green promises. Instead, the Campbell government has delivered a budget that does nothing to address global warming and does little to address the challenges facing working families today.”

Coons added that budget does not adequately address the province’s growing health care crisis.

“Under the Campbell government’s watch, hospitals are pushed to the limit, ER’s are gridlocked, and private care has flourished, prompting the premier’s own hand-picked appointees to resign in protest. The failure of this government to address the critical home support for seniors is shameful,” he said.

“The Finance Minister claims that health care funding is adequate. But her budget does nothing to meet the long-term needs of our health care system.

Coons was also unimpressed by the province’s proposal to create more shelter beds.

“His government’s solution is to create more shelter beds- temporary beds that do not provide the homeless with a place to call their own,” said Coons. “And by converting existing social housing to supportive housing units, this government threatens to cut the number of existing affordable housing for low-income families even further.

Coons said the $50 increase in welfare rates was a good start but he expects nutritionists to conclude that will not be enough money to significantly improve a person’s diet.

But he acknowledged many people will appreciate the 10 per cent personal income tax cut and the cuts to Transition Houses look like they might be restored as money for staffing on a 24 hour basis was announced.