“Death by a thousand cuts”, according to many. A “freefall budget deficit”, described by others.
Yesterday’s announcement of a $2.8 billion deficit by the Liberal B.C. government left almost everyone with a multitude of questions while angering critics: At six times the $495-million deficit and twice the two-year timeframe predicted in the pre-election budget stated for the 2009-10 fiscal year by the B.C. Liberals last February, it’s no wonder.
B.C.’s Environmental Protection Agency seemed to be the ministry hardest hit with a further $8.8 million budget cut. You would think that the recent announcement of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) was bad enough, putting a 7% sales tax on many goods not previously taxed — such as green products — yet saving costs for B.C.’s large businesses.
But that’s like adding salt to the proverbial wound when environmentally-responsible citizens and organizations realize that the government closed the B.C. LiveSmart program while still boosting oil and gas subsidies. To date, it appears that the government’s support has not changed for the Gateway Pipeline project and oil tankers on B.C.’s coastline.
What does this mean for the carbon tax on gasoline?
What does this mean for the B.C. government’s other green programs?
Watch GlobalTV’s coverage — ‘Bad News Budget‘ — on the government’s budget announcement and highlights on its effect on the B.C. EPA and areas of the environmental sector.
Read the Globe and Mail’s article, ‘B.C.’s Green Reputation Fading‘
More details will be rolling out in the next few days. The David Suzuki Foundation will be monitoring the budget for financial commitments on:
- Protection for the province’s species at risk;
- A Green Energy Task Force to strengthen renewable energy projects
- Closed containment for fish farms (aquaculture) to protect wild salmon
- A ban on lawn and garden pesticides
- Infrastructure to support the province’s Transit Plan
- Investments to advance B.C.’s Climate Action Plan
Representatives of the David Suzuki Foundation are on hand for interviews. Contact:
- Jeffrey Young, Aquatic Biologist, at: cell: 604.764.6142
- Ian Bruce, Climate Change Specialists, at: cell: 604.306.5095
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