Kamloops MLAs decry no SD73 capital funding, delayed Trans Canada twinning in BC budget

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar notes it is possible not every planned announcement was included in the budget, but says if Education Minister Rob Fleming is planning to announce capital funding for District 73, he had better do it soon.

“If there is an announcement coming, hopefully it’s not waiting for the photo op-type announcement by the minister,” said Milobar. “The school district, to meet certain construction windows, to meet certain timelines to make sure that these projects are done when they need them for their students, needs to get going now.”

Stone, a former BC Transportation Minister, noted the final phases of the Trans Canada Highway twinning project between Monte Creek and Chase have been pushed forward once again.

“That project appears to have been pushed another couple of years out with a revised completion date of 2023. Previously, it was supposed to be finished in 2020,” said Stone.

“In black and white in the budget document, the start date — whereas it was a 2019 tender and construction started last year, it is now a 2022 start date with a 2023 finish,” Stone continued. “So without question, this important four-laning project has been moved out again.”

Stone says the project was very positive for the entire area, and putting it off doesn’t make sense.

“We had tremendous buy-in from the community. We had the First Nations all along that corridor well-engaged in that project. We had secured the funding not just from the Treasury Board here in British Columbia, but also a significant component of funding from the federal government that is specifically earmarked for that project,” said Stone.

“Frankly, I think that may be the only reason that the government hasn’t outright cancelled the project.”

Milobar is his party’s environment critic, and was critical of new details that emerged in the government’s Clean BC plan.

He says the government plans to collect $6 billion in carbon tax over three years, but only devote $900 million to Clean BC.

“There is only $40 million over three years for homeowners to try to retrofit their homes, yet that’s a big piece of trying to meet their climate targets,” said Milobar. “Only $56 million for industry to try to modernize their plants. You can imagine the size of some of these industrial areas. That’s not much money for them.”

“When you look at the amount of carbon tax they will be collecting over the next three years and how little money they’re putting into their Clean BC plan, I think it demonstrates very clearly that the Clean BC plan was designed with them and the Greens to make sure that they had justification for clinging to power.”

And Milobar noted the government’s projected turnaround for ICBC is extremely optimistic.

“They’re projecting that they are going to take ICBC from a $1.2 billion loss to a $50 million loss in one year,” said Milobar. “Remember, this is a government that first said it would be an $800 million loss and, on their watch, it’s now $1.1 billion. They miscalculated by $300 million just in the last year alone to the negative, and now they’re trying to tell us, ‘Trust us. We will actually get rid of over $1 billion in one year.’”

Looking at the big picture, Stone says the budget follows the NDP stereotype: tax and spend.

“Spending is up $13 billion over the life of this government and taxes are up almost $12 billion over the life of this government. That’s about $2,200 for every man, woman and child in this province,” said Stone.

by James Peters

Kamloops MLAs decry no SD73 capital funding, delayed Trans Canada twinning in BC budget

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