NDP’S Reckless Approach Would Mean Deficits Without End
September 14, 2009
NDP’s Reckless Approach Would Mean Deficits Without End

VANCOUVER – The NDP have admitted their plan for B.C.’s economy would mean spiralling deficits with no hope of balancing the provincial budget, says BC Liberal Finance Minister Colin Hansen.

“Carole James’s plan for British Columbia comes down to runaway deficits, higher taxes and abandonment of critical job-creating sectors like forestry, mining and construction,” says Hansen. “British Columbians want a government that will make the tough choices necessary to bring us through these challenging economic times and return our province to balanced budgets as soon as possible. In contrast, the NDP are actively campaigning against our cautious approach to government spending, campaigning against measures that would build our economic strength and campaigning for higher taxes.”

Speaking on CKNW radio last week, NDP education critic Robin Austin confirmed the NDP would raise taxes rather than reign in government spending, saying: “Well, I would tax other things.”

And on Shaw’s Voice of B.C. last Thursday night, NDP leader Carole James confirmed the NDP plan would dramatically increase B.C.’s deficit, keep the province in deficit longer and gave no commitment to balance the budget in future years: “It may mean a larger deficit in the short term, in the first year, as you take that planning out into further years.”

“The NDP plan of larger and longer deficits means that future generations have to pay for services they will never use,” says Hansen. “None of us would hand our credit card bill to our kids to pay after we’re gone, but the NDP’s irresponsible deficit plan would do exactly that.”

The NDP also oppose removing $2 billion in costs on industries including forestry, mining, oil and gas, construction and agriculture, despite confirmation from numerous industry associations that those savings will create and protect jobs.

"Carole James and the NDP would consign British Columbians to a never-ending deficit treadmill and higher taxes because they refuse to make tough decisions now to ensure our province emerges stronger in the future,” says Hansen. “Their approach would simply be a repeat of the out-of-control, tax-and-spend mentality of the last NDP government. British Columbians have already seen firsthand the devastating impact that approach had on our province in the 1990s.

“Challenging economic times call for a prudent approach to government spending – not the NDP’s reckless plan to dig B.C. into a deficit we’ll never get out of. Our plan protects critical services like health and education, creates jobs, and lays out a plan to return to balanced budgets,” says Hansen.

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