Balance is the watchword in the budget brought down by B.C. Finance Minister Kevin Falcon this week, local MLA Joan McIntyre said. Not just balance as in the stated goal of returning to balanced budgets by 2013, but balance in terms of getting there without gutting health care, education and other programs.
McIntyre, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, on Thursday (Feb. 23) said that in an ideal world, she would like to have seen more money in the budget for some initiatives, especially education. But in times of limited growth and economic uncertainty, it's important to live within one's means, whether you're running a household or a province, she said.
"We're trying to protect social services, we're trying to ensure that the economy attracts jobs and investment, and we're trying to balance the budget. I think for the people who support a balanced approach, there's a lot to support here," McIntyre said.
Teachers' groups and others in education decried the fact that with the exception of the establishment of $165 million over three years for something called the Learning Improvement Program, education funding was virtually flat in the 2012-'13 budget. That, they said, represents a step backward for education in B.C.
McIntyre, though, said, "In better times, I would love to see more going to education... I do appreciate that it would be nice to see that curve going up more and would advocate for it, but we've made a commitment to balancing the budget and that every dollar we save on debt does go to health and education."
McIntyre said two provisions that should benefit the Sea to Sky Corridor directly are the elimination of the jet-fuel tax on international flights and the extension of the cap on property taxes paid by port facilities past the previously set expiry date of 2018.
Eliminating the jet-fuel tax should make flying cheaper for Canadians and foreigners and boost tourism, McIntyre said.
"One of the most important things for the corridor is the removal of the commercial jet-fuel tax, just because the whole corridor is so dependant on tourism," she said. "That is a big thing and I know that YVR (Vancouver International Airport) has said that there are about 20 new flights that are ready to roll if we removed that tax, and we've done that."
Officials at Squamish Terminals reacted positively to the news that the government is removing the expiry date on the cap on property taxes for B.C.'s major port facilities.
The cap, first enacted under the Ports Property Tax Act in 2004 and renewed in 2008, aims to encourage new investment in port facilities. It also provides compensation to municipal governments to make up for the lost revenue.
The decision to remove the expiry date "will eliminate the uncertainty that our terminal has had with respect to the potential for future investments in infrastructure, job creation and spending in our local community," Squamish Terminals officials said in a statement.
"If our gateway is to meet its full potential, we must be able to ensure that we will remain cost-competitive," said Ron Anderson, Squamish Terminals president and CEO.
Asked how much Squamish Terminals pays in taxes, Kim Stegeman, manager of marketing and administration, wrote in an email to The Chief, "It is our policy not to disclose our financial information but [we] can say that we will continue to be one of the largest taxpayers in the District of Squamish."
McIntyre said what's been described as an "austerity" budget is in keeping with the B.C. Liberals' approach of not leaving huge deficits to future generations.
"Overall, this budget struck a balance for fiscal discipline and maintaining programs. But that said, it is an increase - in all of this, we've found an extra $1.5 billion for health," she said.
"I don't want to be borrowing again and leaving that to my children. We've tried to walk a balance and tried to be prudent."
