NDP unveils more expensive, family-focused platform | British Columbia Elections 2024

The British Columbia New Democratic Party unveiled its full election platform Thursday. Its leader, David Eby, notably promises direct aid measures to households and families, but these measures will further widen the provincial deficit.

Here are the key elements that have just been announced.

Support purchasing power

The New Democratic platform emphasizes the cost of living: the promise of tax cuts totaling $500 per individual or $1,000 per household per year is highlighted, at a cost of $1.8 billion per year. first year and 1.3 billion the next.

The NPD also plans to increase the supplement for seniors by $50 per month, to reach $149 per month, in addition to providing them with free public transportation outside peak hours.

Young families are particularly targeted with the promise to invest $500 million to create new affordable daycare spaces. THE NPD also promises to provide before and after school care to all children 12 and under.

This program is one of my favorite measures.

We have worked with four school boards so far, starting with Campbell River. We added three more recently. We believe we have ironed out the small issues and have a good model in placeexplained David Eby at a press conference.

Solutions for housing and public transportation

To help households access housing, the NPD would massively expand its purchase program at 60% of market value to 25,000 homes in five years. This program provides that first buyers purchase a home at 60% of the market value and pay the balance upon sale or 25 years later.

For tenants, it would also eliminate the ban on pets in rental housing.

And to get around, David Eby would like the creation of a new rail service in the Fraser Valley and would consider heavy mass transit between Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton.

One family doctor per person, promises the NDP

To realize this promise, the NPD plans numerous initiatives to train and recruit more doctors and nurses in the province. In particular, he wants to force professional orders to give a provisional certificate to professionals trained here, and allow those coming from pre-approved territories or provinces to obtain one in six weeks.

New hospitals would be built to keep up with population growth, but details are not yet known.

It would also authorize midwives to insert IUDs and administer abortifacient medications, while pharmacists could write certain prescriptions and perform tests, such as those to detect urinary infections. Treatments for menopause would become free.

An investment of $50 million is promised to create a new community mental health fund.

Addiction treatment centers specifically for construction workers would also be opened as well as units providing involuntary care for people struggling with addictions and mental health issues who pose a danger to themselves and others.

Finally, a future NDP government would carry out a complete review of health authorities. It also plans to use artificial intelligence to reduce bureaucracy and administrative costs within government, when the data is not private.

The platform does not contain any promises targeting French speakers.

A more expensive platform

Due to the drop in revenue caused by the tax cut and the cost of the proposed new spending, the NDP plans to increase the province’s budget deficit.

In 2025-26, it would stand at $9.6 billion, or $2.9 billion more than expected, and in 2026-27, it would reach $7.6 billion, or $1.5 billion more than expected. foreseen.

These forecasts also do not include the drop in revenue that would occur if the federal government authorized the provinces to eliminate the carbon tax on consumers, a promise of the NPD.

When asked about returning to a balanced budget on Wednesday, David Eby did not want to commit to a timetable.

University of British Columbia economics professor Ross Hickey says he is very disappointed and frustrated that the outgoing party is projecting deficits and eliminating the carbon tax, without any plan to generate more revenue.

We know what they want to spend on, but not where the money will come from. How can they commit to not increasing taxes when our financial obligations continue to grow?he asks.

[La plateforme du NPD] shows a lack of responsibility.

Associate professor of political science at the University of Fraser Valley, Hamish Telford, said he was surprised by the comprehensiveness of the NDP platform, but he also worries about projected deficits. According to him, the NPD is reluctant to impose new taxes that would be unpopular, but necessary to balance the budget.

David Eby has distanced himself from John Horgan’s approach. He was more fiscally prudent and pragmatic than David Eby, who emerged as a more spendthrifthe believes.

I believe this represents a generational shift within the NPD. John Horgan worked for the NPD in the 1990s when the party was running large deficits and was heavily criticized by liberals for its recklessness. When John Horgan became Prime Minister, he was determined not to let anyone criticize the NPD as a spender, but David Eby didn’t experience that and didn’t learn anything from it either.

The Green Party, which unveiled its own platform on Tuesday, also criticizes that of the NPD as being running out of new ideas et failing to address the root causes of British Columbians’ problems. The Conservatives have not yet commented on or revealed their own electoral platform.