On October 15th, BC Conservative Party Leader John Rustad announced his election platform for the British Columbia (BC) provincial election. This was more than a week later than the BC Green Party and the BC New Democratic Party (BCNDP) and came just four days before the election day on the 19th.
To ease the burden on businesses and households, the bill includes tax cuts such as the “Rustad Rebate,” which allows up to $1,500 per month in housing costs to be deducted from income tax, the elimination of state taxes on used cars, the repeal of the carbon tax, and tax cuts for small businesses.
In addition, he has set out large-scale projects, such as public works in Metro Vancouver, such as the construction of a new children’s hospital in Surrey and the SkyTrain between Surrey and Newton, and bridge and highway repair work in the province’s interior. However, he has not included a clear timeline or cost.
The party projects spending would increase by about $2.3 billion a year over two years, with debt estimated at about $11 billion by 2027 — the highest of the three parties. But Rustad has pledged to move to a balanced budget in his second term. He says spending and debt increases can be paid for by increasing revenues by $10.4 billion a year through 2030.
This is based on a projected annual growth rate of 5.4 percent, higher than the BCNDP’s 3.1 percent. Both parties’ projections are significantly higher than the roughly 2.0 percent for financial institutions and other sectors.
In addition to financial measures, he also promised to implement social safety measures, such as cracking down on serious and violent criminals, providing compulsory treatment for addicts who are unable to make decisions for their own survival, and removing tent cities run by homeless people. In addition, it will review “ineffective projects” by the NDP government, and in education-related areas it includes measures such as reinstating the provincial exam for grades 10 to 12 and abolishing SOGI123.