BINDA: Here’s where B.C.’s parties stand on the big issues

Carson Binda is the B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers FederationSorting through party platforms and a deluge of misinformation from the mainstream media can be hard work.To save you the trouble, here’s where B.C.’s political parties stand on the issues that matter to taxpayers.More than half of British Columbians point to affordability as their top issue in this provincial election. And it’s no wonder why.In B.C., since the NDP came to power in 2017, groceries prices have gone up 32 per cent, gasoline has become 54 per cent more expensive and owning a home is now 37 per cent more out of reach.Over the same time period, inflation rose by 23 per cent, meaning the cost of essentials is far outpacing the rate of inflation. So what did NDP Leader David Eby and Conservative Leader John Rustad promise British Columbians on affordability?Rustad and the Conservatives promised a wide range of tax cuts and rebates, most notably a promise to scrap both provincial carbon taxes.For a litre of gasoline, British Columbians pay about 36 cents in carbon taxes. On a minivan or SUV fill-up, that shakes out to about $23. If Rustad scraps both carbon taxes, a family filling up a minivan once a week would save about $1,120 a year. Families would also save about $330 on their home heating bills this year without carbon taxes adding to the cost of natural gas. Savings would also ripple through the economy, as the cost of transporting goods and services would go down. Cheaper transportation can mean cheaper groceries. Eby also pledged to do away with the carbon tax, but in a far more roundabout way. Eby would only scrap the first carbon tax and only if he got Ottawa’s permission first. To make matters worse, Eby doesn’t want to eliminate the carbon tax, he wants to replace a consumer carbon tax with a carbon tax on job creators and businesses. And if local businesses have to pay a hidden carbon tax, guess who the bill eventually gets passed to: consumers. So it’s more of a carbon tax switch-a-roo rather than real relief.Think about what that means. British Columbians would still pay a carbon tax, it would just be passed down through hidden costs. British Columbians need carbon tax relief, not a hidden rebrand from Eby.Both parties also committed to other types of tax relief.The Conservatives pledged to introduce the “Rustad rebate,” which would allow you to exempt up to $3,000 per month in housing costs from provincial income taxes.Rustad also pledged to remove the PST from used car sales and force the government to hold a referendum before imposing new taxes. No new taxes without permission from taxpayers is an important promise that British Columbians need. It would prevent big government from taking more of your money without giving you a say.The NDP promised they’ll exempt an additional $10,000 from individual income taxes for most British Columbians. That would save most people $500 per year, according to the NDP.Both parties are promising tax cuts, but they’re also both going to add more debt and continue B.C.’s unsustainable deficits.Every dollar of debt and deficit the government wracks up today, is a dollar plus interest that taxpayers will be on the hook for tomorrow. While the NDP are running a record-breaking $9-billion deficit this year, the Conservatives are planning to increase that by $1 billion.Debt interest is costing our government about $4.7 billion this year, or $840 per British Columbian. If debt interest were a ministry, it would have the fourth largest budget in our province.British Columbians can’t afford more debt. Politicians need to do the hard work of finding savings to pay for their promised tax cuts.Carson Binda is the B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

BINDA: Here’s where B.C.’s parties stand on the big issues

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