B.C.’s deficit is a hot topic across the province and in Columbia River-Revelstoke’s all candidate’s forum.
The debate included the three candidate running in the riding, Andrea Dunlop of the BC NDP, Rana Nelson of the BC Green’s and incumbent MLA for the BC Conservatives Scott McInnis.
Nelson says her party would focus on a wealth tax for the super rich.
“The Greens are going a step further and proposing a wealth tax on households of $50 million and above. This isn’t from work. Most of that income comes from appreciation,” she said.
“It’s a one time tax to get the social services we need in this province desperately. We don’t thrive and we aren’t a community when everyone is thriving. This shouldn’t be seen as a threat but as a responsibility.”
McInnis said his party’s plan to raise the provincial income tax threshold will help.
“Raising the provincial income tax threshold from $13,000 to $32,000 we believe will get the economy moving. Young people starting out in the work force and seniors on a fixed income, those are two demographics that aren’t spending a lot of money. When money circulates through the system it’s tax dollars for the province,” he said.
McInnis added that the conservatives would also focus on more natural gas projects.
“The reality is natural gas is a transitional fuel and the world is starving for it. we can produce it cleanly, efficiently and ethically. If people don’t buy it from BC they are going to buy it from someone else.”
Dunlop said it’s important to note increased spending is sometimes necessary.
“This deficit is money spent on wages for building schools, repairing the Coquihalla Highway, upgrading hospital like in Cranbrook and building childcare centres like here in Invermere. We inherited a surplus, but we also inherited a infrastructure deficit. To build for the future the BC NDP had to invest in our province. While the conservatives shut 250 schools, we built and upgraded 250 schools. We built the first medical school in western Canada in decades,” she said.
“I would ask the conservatives what they would cut, what hospital shouldn’t have been built, or should we send back the MRI machines? I am proud to be running for a party that understands that during these challenging times, we can’t put the burden of a trade war on workers. This is the time to protect families and industries and invest in our future. Tax cuts won’t do it and trickle down economics have been proven to not work.”
The 2026 BC Election is on Saturday, Oct. 24.
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