News

BC Libs' Platform Bets on Economy

'Not a huge change in direction,' Campbell tells voters.

By Geoff Dembicki, 16 Apr 2009, TheTyee.ca

Gordon Campbell

'No time for uncertainty': Campbell

Text size:

Rate this:

Login/Register

*Story updated with new information at 10 p.m., Apr. 16, 2009.

BC Liberal leader Gordon Campbell released a platform today lacking in major announcements but united by one overarching issue -- the economy.

"This is not about a huge change in direction," the premier told reporters this morning. "This is about a strong economy being used to get us through challenging times."

The 55-page digital platform, entitled Keep BC Strong, will see government costs increase by $2.8 billion over three years. Though most new spending will go towards healthcare, the plan contains incentives for students, seniors, small business owners and the recently unemployed.

The premier insisted his platform stays within the fiscal territory charted in last February's budget, which estimated a $740 million deficit over two years and balanced books by 2011-12.

Bus passes and tax cuts

Highlights from the Liberal plan include:

  • $4.8 billion in additional healthcare spending and over $800 million for education.
  • Plans to negotiate with TransLink and BC Transit to make bus passes available for all post-secondary students.
  • 1,000 new rental units for seniors costing $123 million. The feds will share costs.
  • Plans to pursue tax exemptions on the first $20,000 of seniors' pension income.
  • Commitments to make B.C.'s small business income tax rate the lowest in Canada by 2012. Increase the threshold to $500,000 by 2010.
  • $4,000 in tax credits to small businesses to take on apprenticing tradespeople.
  • Collaboration with the feds to boost employment insurance benefits. No specific dollar figure mentioned.

"[The platform] is one that encourages investments, encourages small business -- that encourages the protection of jobs as well as the creation of new jobs," Campbell said.

'People looking for stability'

On crime, the premier made vague commitments to boost funding for more police officers, prosecutors, courts and jails. He bragged about adding 1,100 police officers across B.C. since 2002.

As is the case with every political platform, many claims are carefully worded to cast the government in the best possible light. In a section entitled "Ending homelessness with new solutions," the BC Liberals promote their plan to build 12 Towers for the homeless in Vancouver:

"We will build on these and other initiatives by further investing more than $172 million in housing projects on six sites in Vancouver, with another six sites ready to go when the city gives them appropriate approvals."

This in spite of the fact that sources at Vancouver City Hall claim all 12 sites have been "ready to go" for some time -- but await provincial funding.

Campbell defended his platform's lack of major spending announcements by falling back on a calm, clear message likely to guide the BC Liberals' campaign.

"What people are looking for is stability, they're looking for confidence," he told reporters. And earlier in his platform speech: "This is no time for uncertainty."

NDP reaction

To help meet his goal of balanced budgets in three years, Campbell proposed a $1.9 billion reduction in government expenses. Those include a 76 per cent cut to advertising and 22 per cent fewer travel costs. The plan also targets contracts, office expenses and public sector wage increases.

The New Democratic Party called for $1.2 billion worth of government savings in last week's platform. Campbell lambasted the opposition for proposing new taxes such as a $412 million levy on flaring in the oil and gas sector.

Carole James argues the initiative will curb greenhouse emissions better than a broad carbon tax, Campbell said it will cost thousands of jobs.

James told The Tyee most of Gordon Campbell's promises are old announcements rehashed in a new statement. "This platform just brings more of the same," she said. "I didn't see anything that was new."

James said voters will have a "clear choice" between the NDP's plan, or a ruling party that's presided over 80,000 job losses since last October.

The NDP platform calls for a minimum wage increase to $10 an hour and an end to the controversial carbon tax. The B.C. Liberals oppose both measures.

More than 115,000 workers in the province make minimum wage, an NDP analysis of Campbell's platform pointed out. It added James' proposal "would put millions back into local economies.

Meanwhile, Vancouver-Kingsway NDP candidate Adrian Dix said the Liberal platform has little relief for British Columbia's hardest hit workers.

"People are living in a difficult time and we have a premier that has nothing for them," he said.

With files from Garret Zehr.

Related Tyee stories:

[Tyee]

Geoff Dembicki reports for The Tyee.

23 Comments:

Login or register to post comments

  • G West

    3 years ago

    Yeh ! Right

    No huge change in direction: more lies, more broken promises, more poverty, more asset sales to the Premier's friends...

    Just more of the same rotten, incompetent CEO government ....

    Why would anyone trust this man for another month, let alone another 4 years.

  • telus employee

    3 years ago

    Growth higher under NDP than Libs

    http://thetyee.ca/Views/2009/04/14/CampbellEra/

    According to this Growth was higher under the NDP (2.8%) than under Gordo (2.6%)

    But when has the truth mattered to Campbell or most of the BC Liberals for that matter?

  • crh

    3 years ago

    12 towers for the homeless

    OMG. We are to believe this? There you have your first dozen lies in one single promise. Talented ain't he?

  • Roadie

    3 years ago

    I betcha

    I betcha that the real reason for our economic woes never comes to light in this election.
    http://www.webofdebt.com/

    I betcha that the 'liberals' win this election with the help of their media friends. Just like they did last time:
    http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2005/06/06/CanwestCampbell/

    I betcha the real issue of this election; namely the fate of the wild salmon on the BC coast; a major plank in the whole BC environment including the environment of the people who live here, never comes front and center as it should because of paid political advertising.
    http://bcliberalssuck.blogspot.com/

    I wonder how members of the feminist NDP party can put their personal agenda ahead of the future of BC's children when many of us are aware of how important this election is to the future of our fine province?
    Don't have any links for the last one, but ask yourself what the 'official opposition' is doing when it discriminates against white males for it's own interest. Is it not dividing the proletariat vote? Is that not a page torn from the neocon agenda? Are they actually endorsing four more years of Liberal pillaging?

    It's not a horse race; it's a rat race inside impermeable scum walls, and we don't have the choices we need to vote ourselves out of it.

  • DJT

    3 years ago

    "Is Gordon Campbell and the

    "Is Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals

    A) incompetent and can't get their facts straight OR

    B) the most corrupt, lying government in BC history"?

    Both?

  • PatrickMcEvoyHalston

    3 years ago

    G West

    re: "Why would anyone trust this man for another month, let alone another 4 years."

    You can imagine my interest in knowing how seriously you ask this question.

  • G West

    3 years ago

    I'm deadly serious

    I don't believe that there is any rational or MORAL excuse for a single thoughtful individual to cast a ballot for this man or his band of corporate vice-presidents.

    I could not be more serious - this man is in the process of rendering the province into a state of inequity which would rival that of 19th century England and the Marshalsea.

  • PatrickMcEvoyHalston

    3 years ago

    g west

    I know you (very rightly) don't want him in. But since you sense that it could be IRrationality that would pull people to vote for someone they cannot help but know will dish out more pain, I'll be interested in knowing how seriously you'll inquire as to the relationship between widespread mental disorders--irrationality-- and voting preferences.

    If people vote for Campbell BECAUSE he's going to procure even more societal sacrifices (though I actually suspect NDP will do some of the same, too), and the left, instead of just assuming that people vote as they do owing to misinformation/manipulation, finally cottons on to this, then we'll be at refreshing point where we're ready for a rethink/reconsideration of prefered leftist tactics.

  • JStog

    3 years ago

    NDP's credibility = 0

    The BC NDP's leftist tactics are to deny the past.

    The BC NDP

    Never ended Child Poverty
    Never ended Homelessness
    Never ended Medical Waiting Lists
    Never created new forestry jobs
    The list goes on. The BC NDP is a party of lies.

    The BC NDP approved the sale of M+B to The American owned Raw log exporter Weyerhauser. Now they complain?

    The BC NDP ran the party into the ground in the 1990s and thats where it is today. Short on ethics or credibility.

    Former NDP MLA CEO Gregor Robertson is a typical example of flip flop BC NDP'ers. The BC NDP is Untrustworthy.

  • Frank

    3 years ago

    Priceless

    Never ended the need for health care.
    Never ended the need for education.
    Never won the Stanley Cup.
    Never conquered Washington State.
    Never annexed the Alaska Panhandle.
    Never solved the Palestinian issue.
    Never invented cold fusion.
    Never invented warp drive.

    The NDP failure on all these important issues is the reason we should all vote for Gordon Campbell who promises new tinfoil hats for everyone.

  • JStog

    3 years ago

    Frank

    Your Tinfoil Hat is Showing.... It looks a little tattered.

  • Frank

    3 years ago

    JStog

    oops, I forgot one, the NDP also never arrested the decline in the fur trade. Its their fault the great Hudson Bay company is a US-owned shadow of its former self.

    "Your Tinfoil Hat is Showing.... It looks a little tattered."

    Thank you, I wanna get one of those rust-proof aluminun models like you're sporting. Quite fetching.

  • VivianLea Doubt

    3 years ago

    Frank

    Please don't change your hat, or your commenting - both are immensely cheering.

  • Frank

    3 years ago

    VivianLea

    thank you

  • G West

    3 years ago

    JStog

    You keep bringing up Mac Blo and Weyerhauser?

    How come?

    You must have some sort of a personal anecdote from that little buntoss too I'll bet.

  • North of Hope

    3 years ago

    6 point plan

    No mention of the environment in Campbell's 6 point plan. See

    http://www.straight.com/article-214993/gordon-campbell-leaves-environment-out-liberal-platform%3F%3Fs-six-pillars?#

    for more.

  • Bam Bam

    3 years ago

    Gordon Campbell and the Lieables

    Enough of this out of touch moron. IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE B.C. We have to vote these people out of office. Campbell is so out of touch its scary. Funny hes been in how long? What have they done. My biggest unforgiveable thing with him is the 38-57% wage increases these politicians got not even in power for 3 weeks. that frosted my pumpkin more than anything. I have struggled in this province for more than 40 years of my life. Immigrants come here and have all the fancy cars and houses while we are stuck in substandard rentals and or homeless. He and his lieing party have done nothing about housing shortages or put a cap on values. He says small business is the key for job growth. Umm ya if you want to only make 8.00 hour. Sure Gordon Ill make 8.00 hr and go buy a house at 650,000.00 in Vancouver? We are also commuting over bridges designed for 1920's traffic. hmmm idling cars due to traffic more carbon..hmmm maybe if we built 5 more bridges moron we wouldnt have the problems we have today with carbon dioxide, but no theyll add more carbon taxes. take the bus you say? you take the bus Campbell. I want you to commute for 1 month from South Surrey to downtown Vancouver daily by bus or to Richmond. See how many times your late or lose your job. This government has added 23 cents a litre since they have been in power.What does this do? well it raises the price on everything period. they say they are giving us tax breaks, please! more smoke screens and mirrors. I may not agree with the NDP on its big union support, but I its time for us to have a fair government that rewards hard working families and single people who have enough of being taxed to death! my vote is going NDP this time ENOUGH OF CAMPBELL AND HIS PARTY WITH ALL THE LIES AND SMOKE SCREENS AND MIRRORS. THESE LIARS ARE SO OUT OF TOUCH THEY NEED TO GO ONA 4 YEAR HOLIDAY OUT OF OFFICE. ANOTHER FAILURE TRANSLINK PERIOD. ANOTHER FAILURE SELLING OF BC. GAS TO TERRASEN. I.C.B.C ANOTHER FAILURE. LIQUOR STORES, ALL THE CROWN LAND THEY SOLD FOR ABSOLUTLEY PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR FOR WHAT? SHORT TERM JOBS THATS IT, 90% OF ALL CONDOS BOUGHT AND SOLD WERE OFFSHORE BUYERS NOT CANADIANS. this man is sneaky and so is his party. its time for change B.C. period. Maybe the NDP isnt your first choice but think twice before voting liberal, oops I mean LIEABLE PARTY. we cannot allow his party in again this will be a blank cheque for them to raise taxes again and give themsleves more unrealistics raises and we will be burned for it. CHANGE HAS COME

  • morechatter

    3 years ago

    Not Much Change?

    In how he has his ministers administer government? Now that could be really scary as his ministers have already gotten senior bureaucrats to strip Ministries and services beyond the limit. And more cuts coming down the line. How can that be? What do you do to the poorest in the land as costs inflate as GST+PST+BUSINESS TAX+ PROPERTY TAX+ HIGH RENTS+HIGHEST GAS PRICES+CARBON TAX+lowly wages for its workers as they are discriminated against more ways than one. As not only must they work for little while often going hungry as the cost of a train ride to and from work can eat away the first hour and a half and we haven't even gotten around to rent.
    INFLATION? STAGFLATION? as you certainly have the economic climate for it. As workers in BC will be hit the hardest do to an very uncompetitive climate that does not allow industry to make a zillion bucks without squeezing the life out of the little worker.
    Not much spare change is more like it.

  • morechatter

    3 years ago

    We Need Change And Not Just Spare!

    My friend Wendy, who has been a small business owner on more than one occassion and knows industry like the back of her hand. As she reins supreme when it comes to administration a weakness on my part as I'm sure it was the word Organizational that scared me right off that class as it sounded to much like lose of freedom.

    Economics now I loved that subject and gots A's in or close to it and didn't even have the books for the first two terms.
    Oh yeah the discuss goes like this of course government can't raise the wages as Wendy: I will not be able to afford to pay them and stay alive? Me: So what is the difference having the lowly worker going to work so you can stay alive so they can barely? If someone should pay it should not be the fellow who can least afford it much like the carbon tax. The guy who can barely afford to turn on the lights now must live in the dark while small business crumbles under the strain. Brilliant!

  • morechatter

    3 years ago

    The Transit Pass for Students

    Students had to threaten to take Government to court for discrimination as they said "They were unable to afford the cost of transportation." Sounds like the lowly workers needs to get a class action going against the government because its a given? Whats discrimination? Sprecial treatment of the not so good kind where you are left to starve in the cities street or left to walk because you can't afford to ride PUBLIC transportation. That hurting kind.

  • morechatter

    3 years ago

    Correction: Special Treatment

    When it comes to "Public Services" that are a necessity as I also got A's in Law and didn't have the books for those classes either. It was my first real love as it was indeed rare that I would guess the outcome of a case wrong if ever.

  • morechatter

    3 years ago

    A Housing Pay Work Sheet

    Here is what a cleaning person gets for the same job depending who they are cleaning up after or what account they are being paid out of in a government owned housing operation. As cleaning personel will receive a lower wage from housing than they will from a tenant. Housing immediately adds a $50 admin fee to tenant's bill.

    Cleaning up after Tradeperson $10.50

    Cleaning up for Housing $12.00

    Cleaning up after Tenant $15.00

    Well who pays the most? Well of course the guy who can least afford it. Its big business to the Liberals cleaning out the pockets of the low income(children not excluded).

  • morechatter

    3 years ago

    I forgot what happens when tenant dies

    Or no money left in tenant's account well then of course cleaners get the $10.50 no doubt about it despite it being a $15.00 job when tenant paying.

    • The discussion for this story is closed. No more comments can be added.