Premier Clark, when releasing her party’s election platform, stressed that if the Liberals are re-elected for a fourth term, her government “would hold the line on taxes and pay down provincial debt.” Who is she kidding? The BC government’s website tells a different story. According to documents released by the provincial government at the time it introduced the latest budget, British Columbia’s debt will increase to $62.7 billion in 2013-14, to $66.5 billion in 2014-15 and to $69.4 billion in 2015-16. This is according to the Liberals’ own budget documents. Does this seem like an effort to pay down the debt?
By Harinder Mahil
The provincial campaign is into the second week and the Liberals are already showing signs of desperation. Their statements show they feel the people of British Columbia are too stupid to figure out the truth.
Premier Clark, when releasing her party’s election platform, stressed that if the Liberals are re-elected for a fourth term, her government “would hold the line on taxes and pay down provincial debt.” Who is she kidding?
The BC government’s website tells a different story. According to documents released by the provincial government at the time it introduced the latest budget, British Columbia’s debt will increase to $62.7 billion in 2013-14, to $66.5 billion in 2014-15 and to $69.4 billion in 2015-16. This is according to the Liberals’ own budget documents. Does this seem like an effort to pay down the debt?
In the two years since Christy Clark became Premier, she has increased the government spending by 6.3% and has added $11 billion to the debt. She plans to add another $13 billion more to the government debt in the next 3 years.
Liberal candidate Mike de Jong, Finance Minister in Christy Clark’s cabinet, unveiled a flashy roadside sign in Delta called the “Spend-o-Meter”. The Liberals say that this will keep a running tally of numbers professing to show the escalating cost of NDP campaign promises.
The NDP has stated again and again that it will pay for the commitments through tax hikes, spending shifts and running a deficit for three years.
The record shows that the Liberals have run five consecutive budget deficits leading to a current “balanced” budget that polls suggest the public does not believe is really balanced.
Liberal leader Christy Clark stated this week that the international bond rating agencies verified her last budget as balanced and are concerned about an NDP government. It turns out that the none of the bond agencies have said anything like this. Helmut Pastrick, the chief economist of Central Credit Union advised the CBC that Moody’s and other credit rating agencies examine budget projections, but do not verify them as balanced or not balanced.
In fact, Moody’s has given B.C. a “negative” credit outlook, and has blamed the province’s recent accumulation of debt under the B.C. Liberals.
The Liberals know that they have a credibility problem as the people of BC do not believe them. They are making things up to bolster their claim that the latest BC budget introduced by them is balanced.
The Liberals statements and tactics in fact reinforce voters’ lack of trust and desire for change.
Harinder Mahil is a human rights activist active in the Indo-Canadian community. He is a director of the Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation and can be contacted at [email protected].
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