BC Liberals outline election platform and spendings
Posted April 10, 2017 4:52 pm.
Last Updated April 10, 2017 4:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The BC Liberals are outlining how the party plans to spend your money if re-elected in next month’s provincial vote, releasing its platform ahead of the writ dropping on Tuesday.
If re-elected, a BC Liberal government is promising it will spend an additional $157-million over three years, while maintaining balanced budgets, with the biggest expenditure $60-million to pay for a plan to cap bridge tolls for commuters at $500 per year. The cost to taxpayers for that scheme to cap would be $30-million a year.
“We wanted it to be a little fairer for people south of the Fraser,” says Premier Christy Clark. “At the same time that it continued to be affordable, it needs to be responsible.”
Clark describes her $500 yearly cap approach as an affordable option, implying the NDP’s plan to totally eliminate bridge tolls is not fiscally responsible.
“We are doing what British Columbians can afford,” says Clark. “Our party is the only party with a plan…a plan that’s been thought out, that’s been costed.”
Finance Minister Mike de Jong is using even harsher language, suggesting the NDP plan will be the first of a number of measures that could prompt a drop in our province’s credit rating.
Other big ticket items include $23-million in new spending for an earthquake early warning system for schools, hospitals and emergency command centres.
Additionally, the party is pledging $20-million which will increase the value of charitable tax credits, and $20-million toward providing a tax deduction for BC Ferries users in ferry dependent communities.
