BC Budget touts big investments, few measurable targets

by V.S. Wells

Finance minister Katrina Conroy laid out the provincial government’s fiscal budget today.

“Some believe we should respond to uncertainty by pulling back, by making cuts that reduce services, or by making people pay out of pocket for tolls and private health care.That’s not what British Columbians want, and that’s not our government’s approach,” she said in a speech to the legislature.

BC came into this year with a considerable budget surplus of $3.59 billion. The budget forecasts running a deficit for the next few years: $4.2 billion this year, $3.75 billion in 2024-5, and $3 billion in 2025-6— a sign of big investments into key services across the province.

“We can’t go back to short-sighted thinking. The kind of thinking that cuts services today, while leaving actual costs for tomorrow. It didn’t work before, and it certainly won’t work now,” she said.

Here’s a look at some of the key measures in health, housing affordability, and climate. It’s far from everything, but it gives a sense of what some of the big-ticket priorities are.

While there are positive investments and plenty of small tax credits or benefit bumps, there’s not a lot to really tackle systemic issues of affordability, equality, or out-of-control housing costs in the Lower Mainland.

Health

The government has promised an additional $6.4 billion over the next three years to the healthcare system, which includes $270 million for cancer care, $1 billion for more retention and recruitment, $1.1 billion to attract and keep primary care physicians, and $875 million for ongoing COVID-19 response measures.

$867 million has been budgeted for “mental health, addictions and treatment services … for people struggling with substance use disorder.” Most of this, $586 million, will go towards more treatment and recovery beds, wraparound services for youth, and Indigenous treatment centres. $184 million more over three years has been budgeted to support “safer substance use,” including the continuation of providing prescription diacetylmorphine. But user fees will remain for treatment beds: only new facilities will have free treatment.

However, the budget does not discuss expanding safer supply to actually undercut the current unregulated market of toxic drugs—something advocates say is necessary to stop six people per day dying from poisoned substances. There is also no dedicated line item about increases the number of overdose prevention sites or supervised consumption sites, despite their relative scarcity outside of Vancouver and Victoria.

“Standards need to be in place to ensure an evidence-based approach to treatment,” said a statement from the BC Health Coalition. “These standards should recognize the need to provide multiple medical treatment options, such as safe supply, as well as ensure treatment is consensual. [We are] strongly against a treatment approach that sees public money for treatment land in for-profit hands where standards around staffing or treatment approaches may not be regulated or evidence-based.”

Contraception will also now be free in BC: $119 million over three years will fully cover prescription contraceptives including pills, injections, intrauterine devices, implants, and the morning after pill. Dr Ruth Habte, an organizer with AccessBC, said in a press release that the budget announcement “is a victory for gender equality and reproductive justice in BC, especially for patients struggling to access the contraceptive of their choice.”

$11.2 billion over three years is also earmarked for capital spending on new healthcare infrastructure.

That includes St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, the new hospital and cancer centre in Surrey, and expansions and redevelopments of other hospitals across the province. The province claims this is the largest-ever capital investment in health infrastructure.

Housing And Affordability

Income and disability assistance shelter rates will be increased by 33 per cent. That’s an increase of $125 to $500 per month for a single person. But the increase is to shelter rates specifically, meaning more money will be paid to landlords of people living in social housing. The end result is still pretty meagre, leaving people on income assistance or disability pay well below the poverty line and unable to afford market rate rentals.

The BC Family Benefit is also set to see a 10 per cent increase in monthly payments starting in July 2023, with an increase of $250 per year for a family with two children. Single parents will see an additional $500 per year. And $2 billion over three years is going into expanding