The NDP provincial government is forecasting its 2024 budget to have a historic, record-breaking deficit of nearly $8-billion.
The total provincial debt will rise to $123.2 billion from $103.7 billion, the B.C. NDP government unveiled Thursday, Feb. 22. This includes estimated expenses at $89.4 billion and revenue at $81.5 billion.
The increase in debt means that just under 4 cents of every dollar of revenue will go toward interest to service that debt. This servicing cost is forecasted to hit 5.4 cent per dollar in 2026/27.
Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said Thursday that B.C. remains on 含羞草研究社渟olid financial ground含羞草研究社� with a strong, resilient economy, but framed her government含羞草研究社檚 policy measures as a necessary response to the difficult challenges facing working and middle-class families.
They will help B.C. get through a slowing economy, while building a greener one, she said.
Amid B.C.含羞草研究社檚 growing and aging population, the province is focusing on health-care spending and education, as well as housing.
含羞草研究社淲e cannot have a deficit of services,含羞草研究社� she said, noting that it took B.C. a long time to rebuild the services cut during 16 years of government under the BC Liberals.
Conroy said this is not the time to cut service.
含羞草研究社淲e have to govern and we have a responsibility toward the people.含羞草研究社�
She also pointed out that deficits are forecast to decline ($7.7 billion in 2025, $6.2 billion in 2026) but could not give a date when B.C. would return to a balanced budget.
The rising deficit and debt reflect higher spending in several areas, key among them health care and mental health, whose overall budget is rising to $32.9 million in 2024 from $28.7.
Government is also giving British Columbians a break on their hydro bills, but only for one year through a one-time affordability credit starting April 2024. Government predicts that households will save $100 over the year, while businesses stand to receive hundreds of thousands depending on their consumption.
Families will also see receive a year-long-bonus of 25 per cent on top of their monthly family benefit bonus. A family of four would receive as much as $3,563, up from $2,850 without the bonus.
British Columbians will also see a temporary increase in their quarterly climate action tax credit with a family of four receiving about $115 more starting July 2024.
Money for that increase will come from increases in the carbon tax, which will go up to $80 per tonne from $65 per tonne as of April 1.
Relief welcomed, but more needed
Rowan Burge, provincial director of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, welcomed the temporary relief, but also acknowledged that more structural changes are needed. Sussanne Skidmore of BC Federation of Labour welcomed the overall direction of the budget.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a sign that government is listening to British Columbians,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淭imes are tough right now,含羞草研究社� she said.
Individuals looking to start a family will also get one round of in-vitro fertilization funding from the provincial government.
Most, but not all, businesses will get a break on the employers含羞草研究社� health tax, the annual tax employers pay on wages.
Businesses who pay up to $1 million in wages are now exempt from the tax, the previous threshold being $500,000. With this move, government responded to a long-standing concern from business groups, which have been critical of the tax specifically and rising regulations generally.
The budget also includes a flipping tax on the profits of properties sold within less than two years, which in the words of government is designed to 含羞草研究社渇urther crack down on speculators and those driving up the cost of housing.含羞草研究社�
It will kick in on Jan. 1, 2025 with government tabling the necessary legislation this spring session.
It is expected to generate $43 million in the first full fiscal year of 2025/26 and many experts consider it to be the final, high-profile measure of government含羞草研究社檚 housing platform.
Thursday含羞草研究社檚 budget will likely confirm the fears of some economists, such as Ken Peacock of the Business Council of British Columbia, who have expressed concerns about B.C.含羞草研究社檚 mounting debt.
Carson Binda of the Canadian Taxpayers含羞草研究社� Federation echoed those concerns.
含羞草研究社淭his budget is absolutely master class in financial mismanagement and illiteracy from our finance minister,含羞草研究社� Binda said, adding interest payments alone will cost taxpayers $4.1 billion. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 is more money than we are spending on all but three ministries.含羞草研究社�
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Fiona Famluk, chief executive officer of the BC Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the relief on the EHT, but also expressed concerns about rising costs for business.
Revenue also growing
Revenues, meanwhile, are rising to $81.5 billion from $77.3 billion in 2023. While revenue from taxation rose to $49.2 billion from $46.2 billion, other key sources of revenue such as federal transfers stagnated for the most part.
They include revenues from natural resources, rising to $3.1 billion in 2024 from $3 billion, a reflection of difficulties in the forestry sector. But the budget also responds to industry demands for investments in mining.
The budget assumes soft economic growth through 2024 with real GDP growing at 0.8 per cent, down from 1 per cent in 2023.
This modest growth projection reflects what government calls the 含羞草研究社渋mpact of high interest rates含羞草研究社� and the overall global economy, which has been slowing down.
Missing from the budget is a tax on wealth (rather than revenue) or windfall profits, a demand from BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau and other economists, such as Alex Hemingway of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Hemingway said the budget is appropriate given the current state of economy, but reiterated his call to increase revenue through economic growth and other measures in the face of rising deficits and debt.
Hemingway also challenged Conroy含羞草研究社檚 argument that the choice was running deficits and cutting spending.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 the wrong to look at it,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭he question is are we going to run deficits or are we going to raise revenue in a way that reduces inequality and allows sustained investment in public services, which are badly needed.含羞草研究社�
