The opposition Conservatives are crying foul as the BC NDP touts cost of living supports to help British Columbians with holiday expenses.
Finance Minister Brenda Bailey released a statement on Monday saying eligible people will get some help with their holiday bills with benefits and credits arriving in the new year.
“I know the high cost of living can cause pressure for so many people during the holiday season,” said Bailey. “While high prices persist across the country and around the world, we are working hard to help offset costs for people in B.C. with tax credits that put more money into people’s pockets when they need it most.”
The provincial government says quarterly climate action tax credits arrive in bank accounts this Friday. Approximately 65% of families and individuals will receive the benefit. Later next month, more than 340,000 families with lower or middle incomes can count on their BC Family Benefit payment to include a temporary cost of living bonus. The 25% increase will mean an average of $445 more a year for families.
Kamloops Centre MLA and BC Conservative Finance Critic Peter Milobar says that Brenda Bailey’s “announcement” is no more than a shell game designed to distract families from the big carbon tax increase coming on April 1st. “Let’s be clear, this isn’t new money by any means. This is a program and that changed to the funding levels that was announced last budget. So really, this is more of a reminder to people than anything.
“Unfortunately, the new finance minister is making it sound like this is something people might not have been expecting or aware of,” Milobar told Radio NL. “And the reality is, people that are living paycheque to paycheque right now, I think, are pretty well aware the dates and then the amounts that they’re going to be getting from from government deposits into their bank accounts because they’re desperate immediately.”
“I think what the public would have liked to have seen is, is what actual steps are being taken to change the existing affordability crisis that people are living in. You know, the government has known, and in fact, made promises during the election around things like the $1,000 per household and David Eby suddenly saying that he would not support carbon tax if the Feds changed the rules and things of that nature.”
“So, instead of seeing anything like that substantively being announced at the same time, what we’re just seeing is essentially a re announcement of programs and funding levels that have already been in place, and some of them are actually even temporary and won’t exist in a few short months as well.”
The news release from the BC NDP also states that it is working in other ways to help people with costs, such as:
- minimum wage increases;
- lower car-insurance costs;
- reduced child care fees;
- free prescription birth control;
- free transit for kids;
- capping rent increases to inflation; and
- through a new tax credit, returning as much as $400 a year to 75% of people who rent in B.C.
Milobar wants people to be aware and understand that this isn’t anything new. “This is in line with the payment schedules that people had already been receiving for these types of programs into their bank accounts. And so none of that has changed.”
