Lots of people need extra money to get through the COVID-19 pandemic and income losses, but the NDP governmentB次元官网网址檚 Christmas bonus program is poorly targeted and may miss those who need help most, B.C. Liberal finance critic Mike Bernier says.
Finance Minister Selina Robinson tabled legislation Tuesday to delay a full budget until as late as April, and give the government another $2 billion in spending authority to pay for its $1,000 B次元官网网址淏.C. recovery benefit.B次元官网网址� Robinson also revealed that there will be an online application process that opens Dec. 18, a step not mentioned since Premier John Horgan announced the payments as an election promise in October.
Bernier said one big flaw is that the province has to use 2019 income data to decide who qualifies for a program that pays $1,000 to families with income up to $125,000, and $500 for single individuals who made up to $67,500 last year. Reduced payments are to go to families earning up to $175,000 and individuals making up to $87,000, but the reductions have not been detailed.
B次元官网网址淔or the most part itB次元官网网址檚 a blank piece of paper,B次元官网网址� Bernier told reporters from the legislature Dec. 8. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the government trying to make good on an election promise with no information at all for the public to determine if they will qualify and what they will get.B次元官网网址�
The NDP election platform cost estimate of $1.45 billion has now jumped to somewhere under $2 billion, on top of the $5 billion the legislature authorized for COVID-19 assistance this spring. Robinson said payments of $150 are being added for people who receive income and disability assistance, on top of the base benefit.
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Bernier would not say if the B.C. Liberal opposition would vote for the payment program, expected to be pushed through the legislature as soon as this week in an effort to get money out to people by Christmas. That comes before a still-unspent $1.5 billion in business aid approved in spring, and could leave the most deserving out, he said.
B次元官网网址淵ou could have an individual who was working at a sawmill last year, working in the oil and gas sector last year making $80,000 as an individual,B次元官网网址� Bernier said. B次元官网网址淚f they lost their job in February, they are going to have a hard time making their mortgage payments. Because they were working last year, they wonB次元官网网址檛 qualify. That is completely inappropriate if we are genuinely going to be helping people who need it now.B次元官网网址�
Delaying the provincial budget until as late as April also restricts the governmentB次元官网网址檚 ability to come up with better-targeted assistance before May, he said.
tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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