BC Budget Rewards 1% at Expense of the 99%

The B.C. Federation of Labour called today’s budget a wrong-headed  continuation of the policies that have put more money in the pockets of the richest British  Columbians and BC Liberal insiders at the expense of working and middle class families.

“Working people in British Columbia are having a tougher and tougher time making ends meet  because of the policies of this government,” said Sinclair. “The 2012 budget, again, puts more  money in the pockets of BC’s corporate elite while asking average working people to suck up  wage cuts and fee increases. This budget reflects BC Liberal policy to reward the one percent at  the expense of the 99 percent.”

Sinclair said the budget was a clear illustration of the government’s misplaced priorities. “If a  CEO buys a vacation home in Whistler, this budget puts up to $10,000 in his pocket, while  average families are paying more in Medical Services Plan (MSP) and Hydro rates and childcare  workers, teachers and hospital workers are being told to take real wage cuts,” said Sinclair.

Sinclair said that the BC Liberals will continue the underfunding of healthcare, education, justice  and social services, while reckless tax cuts to the extremely well off and corporations starve the  province of funds. He noted that despite huge increases in Hydro rates, MSP premiums, tuition  fees, and bridge tolls paid by average families, government revenue in 2012 was down $7.7 billion annually from 2001 numbers as a percentage of BC’s GDP.

Sinclair noted the budget speech acknowledged that front-line workers in BC’s public sector had  already foregone billions in income due to real wage cuts over the past two years. “Front line  workers have been falling behind, while Cabinet Ministers and senior managers have been taking  double-digit pay hikes. It’s simply not fair. And it’s made worse by this government’s plan to  eliminate 10 percent more front line jobs from the leanest public service in Canada.”

Sinclair also expressed concern that an unpopular Liberal government would quietly announce  the fire sale of key government assets in the final year of their mandate. Sinclair condemned the  move to privatize liquor distribution in particular as an irresponsible giveaway to BC Liberal  supporters in the private liquor industry.

Posted by admin on February 22, 2012. Filed under B.C. Federation of Labour News,Daily News Links,Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry