Lumby, BC –– Huguette Allen who ran for the BC Greens during the last provincial elections is not surprised at the increased deficit presented in Tuesday's budget. "At that time the BC Greens predicted that the deficit would be 3 times the amount projected by the Liberals" said Allen.
But Allen feels there is much more that has been hidden from the public. She accuses the Liberal government of painting an even bleaker picture in this fiscal year in order to justify dismantling programs, increasing privatization, and eliminating green initiatives. "The loss of grants to arts, social service, and sports, along with LiveSmart, the condominium repair program, and other essential stimulus initiatives causes distress and undermines our communities and social structure. "
Allen also worries about the increased funding for healthcare. "During the election campaign, our own MLA Eric Foster told us that 95% of every new dollar spent by the Liberals went to healthcare. This is disastrous considering the visible deterioration of our healthcare services. Given the privatization occurring in healthcare services, it would seem that most of this money goes to help the bottom line of private firms but does very little to increase our health, or our healthcare."
"This is neither an honest budget nor a green budget. While mid-sized businesses can benefit from reduced tax rate, there is nothing here to help small businesses or to build communities that benefit British Columbians. It seems ideally designed to return to balanced budgets just in time for the next election cycle."
Huguette Allen
But Allen feels there is much more that has been hidden from the public. She accuses the Liberal government of painting an even bleaker picture in this fiscal year in order to justify dismantling programs, increasing privatization, and eliminating green initiatives. "The loss of grants to arts, social service, and sports, along with LiveSmart, the condominium repair program, and other essential stimulus initiatives causes distress and undermines our communities and social structure. "
Allen also worries about the increased funding for healthcare. "During the election campaign, our own MLA Eric Foster told us that 95% of every new dollar spent by the Liberals went to healthcare. This is disastrous considering the visible deterioration of our healthcare services. Given the privatization occurring in healthcare services, it would seem that most of this money goes to help the bottom line of private firms but does very little to increase our health, or our healthcare."
"This is neither an honest budget nor a green budget. While mid-sized businesses can benefit from reduced tax rate, there is nothing here to help small businesses or to build communities that benefit British Columbians. It seems ideally designed to return to balanced budgets just in time for the next election cycle."
Huguette Allen
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