BINDA: Ask before you raise taxes

Carson Binda is B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers FederationB.C.’s public finances are a dumpster fire of debt, high taxes and even higher government spending. If the government wants to take more of your money in taxes, it should ask you first by putting the tax hikes to a referendum.Conservative Leader John Rustad promised not to impose new taxes without asking British Columbians through a referendum. It’s a good proposal that we need to see become law.In places like Alberta, Colorado and Switzerland, the government already needs to get permission from taxpayers through a referendum before it raises certain taxes. B.C. taxpayers need the same protection.The people who pay the bills deserve to have a voice in what bills we’re paying. The politicians work for the people and if the politicians want to take more money from the people, then the politicians should have to convince us that it makes sense.Just like an employee can’t help themselves to a raise without their boss’ permission, politicians shouldn’t be able to dip into your pockets or skim off your paycheque without asking you first.Taxpayer protections would also force the politicians to find some savings. If the provincial government doesn’t find savings to make space for new spending, we’re dooming British Columbia to higher taxes and more debt forever. More debt means more interest which means even higher taxes or fewer services for British Columbians down the line.The B.C. government budgeted to spend $62.2 billion in 2017 (adjusted for inflation) when the NDP came to power. This year spending is all the way up to $90.7 billion. That’s a 46 per cent increase in government spending. Does anyone in our province really believe that we’re getting 46 per cent better service from our government than we were in 2017? Ballooning food bank usage, overcrowded schools, patients being turned away from emergency rooms and people attacked on our streets, would suggest not.Over the same period, our provincial population increased by less than 12 per cent. Neither inflation nor population growth are to blame for ballooning spending by the province.New government spending comes from either new taxes or more debt.Under Premier David Eby’s government, we are witnessing both higher taxes and more debt in real timeThe Eby government is running multi-billion-dollar deficits year after year. Deficits add to debt. More debt means billions more wasted on interest charges. All of that means higher taxes for British Columbians.British Columbia’s projected deficit this fiscal year is $9 billion, with total debt set to exceed $128.6 billion. This means every British Columbian is on the hook for the equivalent of $23,000 in provincial government debt. Just the interest on this debt will cost every British Columbian roughly $900 this year.B.C.’s deficit was budgeted at $4.2 billion in 2023, meaning we’ve seen a 114 per cent increase in the deficit in just one year.At the same time, taxes are going through the roof for B.C. families and businesses. The NDP government has raised taxes on everything from soda to gasoline to cottages.The credit rating agencies have also been warning the B.C. government that high taxes and massive deficits are unsustainable. B.C.’s credit ratings have plummeted with three successive downgrades. A drop in our provincial credit rating means that taxpayers are on the hook for bigger interest charges every time the government wants to borrow more money.British Columbians can’t afford more taxes and debt. Before the politicians take more of your money in taxes, they should ask for your permission first. Carson Binda is the B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

BINDA: Ask before you raise taxes

Related Stories