BC’s NDP government is predicting deficits for coming years — anticipating $5.5 billion in 2022 — and has set aside $2.1 billion to fund disaster recovery efforts..“The scale of the problems we have seen recently – from the ongoing pandemic to the devastating effects of climate-related disasters – require government leadership and collective action,” said Selina Robinson, minister of finance..“We know that the strength of our economy is intertwined with the well-being of people, communities and the climate.”.The province says it is in a strong economic position for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent “climate-related disasters.”.The climate-related disasters the government speaks of are devastating wildfires, flooding, and deadly heatwaves..“Recent climate-related disasters have challenged British Columbians and reinforced the need to secure a low-carbon future for BC,” reads the plan, which includes tax exemptions on zero-emission vehicles as a supposed means of preventing said disasters..“Budget 2022 helps fight climate change, build back better from recent disasters, and makes sure people and communities throughout BC are protected from future disasters.”.A total of $600 million will be allocated for prevention, including funding year-round staff at the BC Wildfire Service..When it comes to combating BC’s wildfires, the gaze of officials is usually fixed on anthropogenic climate change, often regurgitating the same talking points about carbon emissions while failing to address what many view as a corrupt forest management system being responsible for the flammable landscape..Budget 2022 says nothing of the province’s forest management system in relation to wildfire. It does however highlight the need for more bike lanes, offering grants totalling $30 million to local governments who wish to add more..“Budget 2022 gets a failing grade from taxpayers,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF)..“The government doesn’t have any plan to balance the budget because it’s using the cloud of the pandemic to go on a debt-fuelled spending binge.”.Terrazzano also highlighted the fact that the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act has been amended, so ministers not longer have to pony up 10% of their salary during a deficit..“The government could have balanced the books in 2021 by sticking to its last budget, but surging spending means continuing deficits and more money wasted on debt interest payments,” said Terrazzano..“Taxpayers are losing out on billions of dollars every year on interest charges that can’t be used to hire more paramedics in BC or stay in taxpayers’ pockets.”.Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
