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Strong Economy Might Help BC's NDP

B.C.'s Finance Minister Colin Hansen tells us today that, U.S. woes or no, the province's economy will keep going strong thanks to technology, construction (and, though he didn’t say it, ongoing resource windfalls). He recently said we're awash in money and he may be able to reduce taxes.

This culminates the gradual deployment of an age old politician's trick of ignoring needs of the present to create bribes for the election to come. The mentally ill, the autistic, the halt and the lame all are ignored for three years so that Gordon Campbell can sweeten the electoral pie.

We can, on experience, see what's about to happen. In the next formal budget next March there will be a tax cut, especially for the needy rich. Money will be promised to the needy poor, which needn't be spent because before you know it the election will have come and gone. We will continue to be the province increasing the size of its wealthy class and paying lip service only to helping our less fortunate citizens.

This wealth is seen as an assurance of Liberal victory next May. But is it? While this doesn't always follow, there is evidence that in bad times the people look to the right and in good times to the left; the theory being that in bad times a business friendly government is the best bet to increase employment and in good times it's safe to let the left have a turn so that the needy are better cared for.

If the premier has as much trouble with his energy policy and the environmental catastrophes that it entails, as I think he will, and if the public is in a mood for more expansive social programs, May 12, 2009, may not be the slam dunk the Liberals anticipate.

Former Socred cabinet minister Rafe Mair writes a Monday column for The Tyee.

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