Given the current economic realities facing us in this province, the provincial budget tabled by Finance Minister Colin Hansen on Tuesday could have been a lot worse.
The economy is slowly recovering, and the future appears to be a lot brighter than it was several months ago. There will always be those critical of the government for reductions and cuts, but let's look at a few of the positives.
By 2012/13 the health services budget will increase by more than $2 billion from current levels. In education, per-pupil funding will rise from $8,200 to $8,301. It's not a big increase, but at least it's not a decrease. We're also seeing a return to funding the annual facilities grant for school districts that was previously eliminated. It's only a 50 per cent return, which still means school districts will have budget challenges, but it does provide some funding relief.
In environment, $100 million will go to climate action and clean-energy development, and an additional $35 million will be invested in the successful LiveSmart BC program. These are all positive steps and will hopefully help create new jobs and investments in our communities.
The budget also includes $60 million over the next three years as a legacy for sports and the arts. A total of $30 million is going to programs for visual art, music, theatre and dance, with the other half to help increase youth participation in sport.
Again, we would like to have seen more, but you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Local MLA Nicholas Simons, a New Democrat and a member of the official opposition, came out guns ablazing against the budget Tuesday saying the cuts are too much, that the government has lied about the harmonized sales tax (HST) set to be implemented in July and that this budget does nothing to prepare the province for a vibrant and prosperous future.
We realize that the NDP, as the official opposition, has a job to critique and hold government accountable, and we respect that, but when we get press releases from the NDP saying, "Carole James and the New Democrats have been holding the B.C. Liberals accountable for breaking their word on the HST and for backtracking on their election promises to protect health care, education and other vital services," but they don't qualify those statements by offering plausible alternatives, it's just a bit troubling.
Going forward, we'd like to hear the NDP offer some alternatives. It's fine to stand up in the legislature and condemn the Liberals for this and that, but if you were in their shoes, NDP, what would you do to make things better?
