FORSETH – As Alberta forecasts a big surplus, B.C. looks at equally big deficit
(Image: Facebook)
RECENT BUDGET UPDATES for the province of Alberta, and B.C., show how much of a difference there is in how finances are managed in each province!
In neighbouring Alberta, their government continues to manage the province’s finances responsibly with the future in mind.
In a media release the provincial government of Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party show they continue to lead the nation in economic growth as they are forecasting a SURPLUS of $5.5 billion in 2023-24 … an increase, they say, of $3.2 billion from Budget 2023.
MEANTIME HERE IN BC …
Just two days ago we had news that the province’s NDP government, led by David Eby, is now showing that the BC 2023/24 budget will have a $5.6 billion DEFICIT.
How is it that Alberta can have a surplus of five and a half billion dollars while we have the same dollar amount as a deficit?
I’ll give my answer — the resource industry of B.C. continues to be hammered over and over again by excessive regulation and oversight. Our provincial government has seen forestry, mining, oil and gas all suffer losses as investment has fled elsewhere.
The only thing that is going to change that is for Eby’s NDP government to be kicked to the curb in next Fall’s provincial election, scheduled for October 2024.
There is one major obstacle to that, however.
B.C. does not currently have a clear path for BC United, or the Conservative Party of BC to be the challenger as both parties have been deadlocked in support, with each in the low to mid-20s.
Kevin Falcon, leader of BC United (formerly BC Liberals), has failed to this point to create the big tent party which he claims they are. On the other hand John Rustad’s Conservative Party of BC is challenging them on all sides. Indeed, Rustad is now going after labour support which has traditionally gone to the NDP.
All of this leads to one sad fact … without a major shift of support to either BC United, of the Conservatives, we are likely in for at least one more term with the NDP in control of the province’s finances — and more and more budget deficits as Finance Minister Katrine Conroy piles up the provincial debt.
With that in mind, I will ask, tongue in cheek … “Hey Danielle, will you take pity on us and transfer your surplus to us so we can balance the books?”
In Kamloops, I’m Alan Forseth.
Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident. For 40 years he has been active, in a number of capacities, in local, provincial and federal politics, including running as a candidate for the BC Reform Party in the 1996 provincial election. He was involved in the BC Liberal leadership campaign and is now a member of the BC Conservative Party.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
And let’s not forget the huge Heritage fund that Alberta built then foolishly squandered away to nothing.
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Perfect example of selective facts. Considering when Alberta was posting year upon year of deficits while BC was posting surplus budgets. Justin Trudeau has also been a huge factor in trying to kill oil and gas production across Canada as it was him who told Europe and Japan a Big Fat no to supplying them with natural gas. Along with the offshore tanker ban in BC Coastal Waters. The BC Government under both Christy Clark and John Horgan did not deny or delay any construction permits on the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion going from Edmonton to Burnaby. As well there was also the recently constructed Kitimat pipeline to the natural gas plants there. Which are under expansion and growth. Fortis has been upgrading and expanding its pipeline network. There was the pipeline upgrade and expansion for jet fuel from Seattle to Vancouver Airport. There are many new pipeline and pipeline upgrades getting done under the radar of the media and the Wacky Environmentalists. Even the leader of Green Peace quite his own organization as they went too wacky. Andrew Weaver
has also gone against the BC Green Party more than once. He was at one time a big supporter of Site C. We also need to consider the lumber tariffs against BC lumber that no other province in Canada is subjected to for exporting wood which has had a huge detrimental effect on our for forestry industry. This has been not been resolved under both Federal Liberal and Federal Conservative Governments. Alberta has a unhealthy reliance on oil revenue similar to how BC has an unhealthy reliance on the Property Transfer Tax which was first brought in under the conservative leaning British Columbia Social Credit Party. Alberta also has not gone back to the flat tax either. Despite the “propaganda”, Alberta is no Conservative Graceland either. Considering Alberta is the only province with its own nationalized bank. Is currently considering nationalizing the power industry and creating its own version of SaskPower and BC Hydro to fight the Federal Carbon Tax. Wanting to create its own version of CPP similar to the QPP. If they really wanted their own pension plan do what Saskatchewan has done and create their own which is OPTIONAL. Look it up. Alberta also has the highest per capital social spending in the country. Which brings be back up top where if they had brought their social spending in line with BC, Ontario and Quebec, most if not all of Alberta deficits would have been eliminated or greatly reduced. While I agree David Ebby is not my cup of tea. I did like John Horgan and I think he was our best option the last two elections. If Kevin Falcon has found his social conscience as he so claims and will continue the BC Liberal-United track record of getting infrastructure built which I do think they are better at, I could in good conscience vote for him next election. We also cannot rewrite history and forget that at the time Gordon Campbell was the most socialist mayor Vancouver had up to that point. He also worked with the BC NDP at the time to get the Cassiar Tunnel built. We all know what they say about rose coloured glasses and grass being greener on the other side of the fence.
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Notwithstanding the fact that great challenges remain in B.C., I would not call the statement “ In neighbouring Alberta, their government continues to manage the province’s finances responsibly with the future in mind.” a reasoned one.
The deleterious human impact on the environment is an absolute reality. If we all would manage the future the Alberta’s way we would have no future.
I totally abhor the idea of comparing BC with Alberta.
I do concur though that our overall political situation here in B.C. is a serious concern. Too much NDP is no good but the Falcon alternative is an unappealing one and the conservatives…who are them anyways?
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