Premier Defends Budget
Vancouver, B.C. – From changes to Medical Service Premiums to housing affordability, B.C. Premier Christy Clark both touted and defended yesterday’s provincial budget during a news conference in Vancouver this afternoon.
In a symbolic gesture, she was joined by Bench Accounting co-founder and CEO Ian Crosby along with co-founder and VP Jordan Menashy.
Clark proudly boasted the high tech company, which employs 200 people and plans to hire 200 more, moved to Vancouver from New York almost three years ago.
“This is an example of what can happen when you have a couple of visionary people who really decide that they want to go find a market that is underserved and figure out a way to serve it,” she said. “The high tech industry pays 60% more than the industrialized average and it makes such a difference in terms of how much money is spent overall in the economy.”
Like Bench, Clark said her government has focus and vision as shown in yesterday’s fourth consecutive balanced budget.
“It distinguishes us in Canada and it means we have some flexibility to be able to make investments in people, in education, and to people in need.”
She spent much of the conference discussing affordability issues in the Lower Mainland pointing out there was help there in the form of changes to the Property Transfer Tax Act which eliminates tax on the first $750,000 of new construction.
Clark also pointed to her government’s ambitious plan to spend $355 million over five years on affordable housing.
As for changes to MSP, she said it has helped excuse 2 million British Columbians from paying it, or roughly 40% of the population.
“40% not paying is a big number,” she said. “But we have more work to do. This budget is just step one.”
Comments
She has to learn that there will always be people opposed to any decisions made.
Sometimes No Comment, is the best comment.
She is going in the right direction. I always thought that the provincial sales tax was brought in to pay these premiums and support the health care system.
I believe it was brought in initially way back in the early 1950s to pay for hospitalisation. It replaced an unpopular premium set-up that had to be administered by employers.
This budget is just step one.”
Well Christy I think you should maybe take dancing lessons and learn how to do the two step. Can’t do just the one step forward and one back all the time.
Funny how BC has the only govt in Canada that cannot function unless they charge MSP premiums. Maybe a 1% increase in corporate taxes would relieve pensioners from having to pay it?
Huh? Why should pensioners be given a free ride? They’re the ones who use the system more then any other group.
I say it well past time for a major overhaul to the system. For starters, there is way too much dead wood and bureaucratic red tape, the system needs to be streamlined. Second. too many people abuse the system, dropping in to the walk in clinic for every little cut and scrape. It’s time for people to start accepting personal responsibility and to start looking after themselves. We need to change the system to more of a user pay one.
“Maybe a 1% increase in corporate taxes would relieve pensioners from having to pay it?” .. since it is a sliding scale system that your premiums are based on, anyone who can’t afford MSP because of low income, pensioners included, don’t pay premiums. It’s not like pensioners who basically live off cpp and oas pay medical premiums. Any pensioner who has a good pension from work that gives them a good living should pay, just like everyone else who doesn’t qualify for premium relief.
Shame on the government..individuals on disability pension (after 9 years) received a pittance amount of 77 dollars and now the government is taking away their bus pass (55 dollars) ..so in the end …22 Dollars…WOW!
So for Senior couples making less than $51K a year, they get an MSP premiums cut. But for non-seniors like my wife and I who make more than $45K but less than $51K per household, we have to pay full-pop and get a $20 increase per month next year.
Nice. Who the hell did the math on this?
At present a senior couple making more than 39000 pays full MSP without any subsidy. But two seniors not married get full subsidy up to 50000, and partial subsidy up to 58000.
How is it that a single gets 22000 exemption from premiums, but add a dependant and get only 25000. What dependant costs only 3000 per year??
Obviously they haven’t revised their premium subsidies for a long time.
Brother Gecko..the same situation if you are a senior which includes many couples…but it is more important to give breaks to large corporations. Forget the slogan..FAMILY FIRST!
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