A bit of chest thumping about B.C.鈥檚 relative economic might at a Thursday afternoon luncheon had 91大黄鸭 Chamber of Commerce members cheering for Premier Christy Clark.
鈥淩emember when (former Alberta Premier) Ralph Klein used to say, 鈥榠f you want to get welfare, here鈥檚 a bus pass, go to B.C.?鈥欌�� Clark told the crowd gathered for her budget rundown, which emphasized a $264-million surplus on $48-billion in revenue for the 2016-17 fiscal year.
鈥淣ow we are in the enviable position of being able to say to Albertans: 鈥楥ome to B.C. get on a bus, get in your car bring your truck鈥on鈥檛 come and get welfare. Come to B.C. and get a job.鈥�
Despite recent figures showing that 91大黄鸭 may be in a job slump, B.C. in general is expected to see more economic growth than any other province this year. The government itself has forecasted 2.4 per cent growth in real gross domestic product for 2016 while the B.C. Economic Forecast Council is projecting 2.7 per cent growth.
Part of that, explained Clark, will come from new residents driving things forward. This year alone, more than 48,200 newcomers are expected to move to B.C., with 13,000 from other provinces and 35,200 from other countries.
Growth in manufacturing, retail, tech, trade, film and tourism sectors is also set to offset low prices for commodities such as coal, copper, lumber, pulp and natural gas.
Natural gas isn鈥檛 something that Clark is letting go of as a future economic powerhouse, however, despite the issues that sector has experienced.
鈥淟NG is still going ahead,鈥� she said. 鈥淪uccess is not for quitters. (There is a) vision for the future and changing your future does not mean running the white flag up the flag pole the first time you see a problem.
鈥淲e will get there on LNG. World demand will continue to grow as demand for clean energy and sources for energy in general continues to grow, but we鈥檙e not there yet.鈥�
Further acknowledging trouble in commodities, Clark went on to tell the crowd that 鈥渋t鈥檚 never going to be harder than this next year ahead.鈥�
鈥淲e certainly see what鈥檚 happening in Alberta, our closest friend and neighbour, just getting hammered with what鈥檚 going on with oil prices.
鈥淲e see in China, one of our biggest trading partner, stock markets closing without notice,鈥� she said, adding the US is still suffering from its recession, while Ontario is flagging under overwhelming debt.
鈥淭hose are warning signs that every Canadian needs to heed. So when I say we need to keep our eyes on the ball I really mean it. We have worked hard and we have been very focused, but there has been no time to stay focused more than now.鈥�
Focus, she said, should be on getting the 鈥渇undamentals right.鈥�
Expenditure highlights from Budget 2016 include a $3.1 billion investment in transportation infrastructure including highway upgrades and transit infrastructure, $2.9 billion for major health care projects that include a new centre for mental health and addictions, $2.5 billion for post-secondary schools, and $1.7 billion to 鈥渕aintain, replace, renovate, expand and seismically upgrade鈥� schools for students in kindergarten through Grade 12.
This year鈥檚 budget also includes the Prosperity Fund, which will see the amount of $100 million put aside for a 鈥渞ainy day.鈥�
Although the Thursday update saw Clark鈥檚 budget met with much fanfare, not everyone has been so fond of it.
鈥淭his government could have chosen meaningful action to make life more affordable for families. Instead the budget continues Christy Clark鈥檚 practice of taking more money from the pockets of British Columbians through hikes to MSP, hydro rates, ICBC rates, camping fees, ferry fares and more,鈥� said New Democrat spokesperson for finance Carole James.
鈥淭his budget illustrates that the premier鈥檚 not there for hard-working B.C. families. She鈥檚 there for herself and her political friends.鈥�
BC Teachers鈥� Federation President Jim Iker also gave it a fail.
鈥淭he projected increase in funding is just another shell game that fails to account for increases in student enrollment and rising costs,鈥� said Iker.
