Rob Shaw: 'We must do better things with our dollars,' admits B.C. finance minister |
The upcoming B.C. budget is going to be so bad, that the finance minister predicts she’ll become the most unpopular person in the province.
That was one of many odd but interesting takeaways from Finance Minister Brenda Bailey’s address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on Thursday, in which she admitted quite candidly the dire state of the province’s finances, from the skyrocketing debt to the eye-watering deficit.
“I'm going to be the least popular person in the province for a while,” said Bailey. “This is a tough budget. We're in serious times. This is a serious budget, and it's work that we have to do.”
Bailey foreshadowed “a really serious look” at cuts to government spending in her upcoming Feb. 17 fiscal plan. Which stands in direct contrast to the paltry $300 million in efficiencies earmarked for the current year’s $95-billion spending plan.
“It is time to make difficult decisions to secure our future and protect critical services,” said Bailey.
The minister said she’s personally reviewed more than 1,800 recommendations from ministries on areas where she could cut costs.
A particular problem? Health care. Despite it giving off the appearance of being starved for cash, with its many staffing shortages, closures and delays, it already eats up more than 41 per cent of spending.
“Health care is growing at eight per cent year over year, and you’ve seen the GDP........