British Columbia’s provincial budget plan, announced in April 2021, boasts the headline “A Stronger BC for Everyone,” but B.C. Green Party Leader, Sonia Furstenau, doesn’t think it’s ambitious enough.
The 2021-2022 budget makes essential investments in healthcare and support for people and businesses, which Furstenau recognizes is crucial to paving a road to recovery.
However, in an interview with MyCowichanValleyNow, she proposes making recovery greener and more sustainable. “This is the time to recognize the pivotal moment we are in when we can pair our recovery from COVID-19 with a transformative plan that ensures a green and just future for B.C.” Furstenau pushes for a more concentrated focus on investing in those hit worst by the pandemic. For instance, workers recovering from the pandemic would hugely benefit from a more prioritized place in the budget’s investments.
Although Furstenau appreciates the focus on pandemic recovery, she highlights the importance of investing in rapid transit and clean infrastructure. Such investments would ensure that Quebec doesn’t fall behind compared to other provinces that have been prioritizing investments addressing inequalities. In a MyCowichanValleyNow article from late April, Furstenau said “Right now around the world, other jurisdictions are recognizing that reducing inequality, addressing climate change, and building a clean economy are not just nice-to-haves. They are absolute imperatives. If we fail to reach for the limits of our potential now, we risk being left behind.”
Furstenau encourages the province to support people hit hardest by the pandemic, those communities on the margins. In addition to increased funding for preventative mental health services, she recommends implementing propositions from the basic income panel and addressing issues in the senior care system. These efforts would establish basic income for people with disabilities, victims of domestic abuse and youth ageing out of care, and ensure that those often overlooked by aid policies can obtain the resources they need.
Senior economist of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Iglika Ivanova, agrees that the budget needs to target those most affected by the pandemic. For Ivanova, childcare is a priority. She was expecting B.C.’s stated commitment to childcare to be reflected in their budget. To her disappointment, the promised investment in quality childcare was not accounted for in the federal budget. Like Furstenau, Ivanova appreciates the budget’s significant pandemic recovery spending but points out where it failed to provide appropriate support. She thinks the government’s priorities failed “to make this the most important budget in a generation, something the majority of British Columbians need—especially those most affected by the pandemic.” Missing from the budget is the additional support for organizations whose revenues have dropped due to the pandemic, such as charities and non-profit organizations. Ivanova also wants measures to provide workers with paid sick days and post-secondary students with additional support.
Equally disappointed with B.C.’s budget is Mike Bernier, the Liberal Critic for Finance. Bernier was looking for plans to recover the economy, to fund jobs and to support people struggling to pay their bills: none of which, he says, was covered in the budget. The new budget cuts $1.1 billion to funding health authorities and $53 million for school districts, cuts which will profoundly affect how well the province’s economy can recover. The cuts will also affect the well-being of students whose mental health has plummeted since the pandemic. Bernier criticizes the lack of a jobs plan for women and youth, highlighting that these sensitive groups are being overlooked.
Women and youth are predominantly affected by the severe gender, racial and economic inequities deepened by the pandemic. Indeed, women and girls are more sensitive to economic disparities as they generally earn and save less money, hold less stable jobs and live closer to poverty. Due to the pandemic, these already delicate financial situations have worsened.
As for students, mental health issues have become heightened due to pandemic-related anxiety and limited social contact from at-home learning. With the increased time spent outside of school, students are more likely to drop out or, at the very least, experience a severe drop in grades.
Although Furstenau, Ivanova and Bernier’s concerns are pertinent, whether the budget will reflect them is uncertain.
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