BC Conservative proposes bill requiring politicians complete basic economics training

VANCOUVER — A British Columbia opposition MLA has introduced a private member’s bill that would require newly elected MLAs, including those from the governing NDP, to complete basic financial literacy courses..Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, says his private member's bill is set for debate in the House next week.Dew says the mandatory training in economics, numeracy and public finance is long overdue. The BC NDP government under Premier David Eby has tabled record deficits that far outpace those of California — even though the U.S. state has roughly seven times British Columbia’s population.British Columbia’s projected deficit for the 2026-27 fiscal year stands at $13.3 billion, according to the province’s own Budget 2026 documents.With a population of approximately 5.66 million, that works out to roughly $2,350 per resident. By contrast, California — with a population of about 39.35 million — is grappling with general fund shortfalls estimated in the $3-billion to $12-billion range in recent projections, depending on the fiscal year and accounting for one-time measures. Even at the higher end, California’s per-capita deficit remains a fraction of B.C.’s.Dew’s bill comes as fresh evidence of apparent financial illiteracy within NDP ranks surfaced in a recent interview.Federal NDP figure Avi Lewis, in a conversation with influencer Rachel Gilmore on her Bubble Pop podcast, made several claims demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of the tax system..On capital gains, Lewis stated that while some pay taxes on only half the money they make buying and selling stocks among other things, “you pay taxes on 100% of what you earn busting your butt going to work every day.”This statement is categorically false. The first roughly $15,000 of income is taxed at a flat 0% rate both federally and in every province.Even for the highest tax bracket in Canada, the highest combined federal and provincial marginal personal income tax rate for 2026 is 54.8% — and this would only apply to income exceeding the highest bracket threshold (generally above the federal top bracket of $258,482, with provincial thresholds varying slightly by jurisdiction).These are marginal rates applied only to income above the top bracket threshold — not an average or effective rate on total income. The federal portion alone tops out at 33%, with provinces adding the rest.While Lewis is not yet a sitting politician in Canada, his comments nonetheless demonstrate the sort of basic financial illiteracy Dew’s bill aims to combat.

BC Conservative proposes bill requiring politicians complete basic economics training

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