This $51 billion increase in spending represents total growth of 20.1 per cent in just three years.
balanced budget
Premier John Horgan’s NDP government campaigned on balanced budgets.
Tucked away in the middle of the country, Manitoba has managed to keep a low profile when it comes to its fiscal situation, but it hasn’t balanced a budget since 2009.
Ontario plans to add approximately $34 billion in new debt over the next three years.
Tuesdays BC budget, which Finance Minister Michael de Jong called boring, balanced, should have set out an ambitious agenda for the next four years.
On February 18th British Columbians will be watching to see if finance minister Mike de Jongs budget sets out a plan to deliver on his governments ambitious goals with respect to economic growth and job creation. And the truth is, the province needs it. The past year was a disappointing one for BC in terms of economic and employment growth compared to other provinces.
Too often in politics, particularly during election campaigns, citizens conflate political brands with policy. That is, too often we make assumptions about the policies of political parties based on a perception rather than the reality of experience. Many assume, for example, that Conservatives care deeply about and pursue policies based on tradition, balancing budgets, and competitiveness while the NDP focus more on the poor and disadvantaged, strengthening unions, and restricting trade. The reality, however, is that policies are never that tightly woven with specific parties.