Kris Sims was one of the few people who did not before B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to ask for money.

The nine-person committee is currently touring the province, collecting public input in advance of the next provincial budget, and Sims, the B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, drove from the Fraser Valley to Cranbrook, where the dommittee was in session Thursday.

She came armed with a top 10 list of items the CTF and its 15,000-strong B.C. membership wanted to see.

1. Balance the budget. B次元官网网址淚f thereB次元官网网址檚 one thing that gets our supporters riled up, getting people writing letters to the editor and calling talk radio stations, they say B次元官网网址楤alance our budget.B次元官网网址� They donB次元官网网址檛 like to see deficits, they donB次元官网网址檛 like to see province going further into debt, because they know what it does to their own household.B次元官网网址�

2. Cancel the B.C. carbon tax. B次元官网网址淧eople are fed up with it,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淎nd top of that we found out during the last mini-budget that itB次元官网网址檚 not even going to revenue-neutral anymore, and it hasnB次元官网网址檛 been revenue neutral for several years. The Fraser Institute, one of our colleagues, found that the previous government had been taking old tax credits B次元官网网址� years old B次元官网网址� and adding them to the balance sheet of the current budget, for the carbon tax, to make it look balanced and neutral. It wasnB次元官网网址檛. It was costing families $800 a year.B次元官网网址�

3. Eliminate the Medical Services Plan premium: B次元官网网址淲e were very happy to see the MSP cut by 50 per cent by the previous government,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淎nd this new government to finishing it off B次元官网网址� eliminating it 100 per cent.B次元官网网址�

4. Stop raiding Crown Corporations: B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檝e got a budget shortfall, donB次元官网网址檛 turn around and scoop money out of places like ICBC and BC Hydro,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淲e are ratepayers for those services, and when we see our money going to things other than auto insurance and hydro prices and just being used to paper over a budget shortfall, that really ticks people off.B次元官网网址�

5. On ICBC: B次元官网网址淲e think it needs an overhaul, not just a tune-up,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淲e think ICBC should be turned into a co-op. Turn it into something like Mountain Equipment Co-op or VanCity. Make it owned by B.C. drivers, so if you choose to take your basic auto insurance out with this nice new ICBC co-op, you can do that. And then open that co-op up to private competition from other companies. So if youB次元官网网址檙e a great driver, you can shop around and get a lower rate.B次元官网网址�

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6. DonB次元官网网址檛 kill the Site C dam: B次元官网网址淲e say this with cautions,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淏y now, weB次元官网网址檙e in it. When we asked our supporters, they said donB次元官网网址檛 kill it, be as stringent and prudent and careful as possible, but weB次元官网网址檝e invested so much money in it now, better to see it through. B次元官网网址� If we bail out now, BC Hydro at least is saying that it will cost $7 billion.B次元官网网址�

7. Get government contracts, including boards and councils, under control. B次元官网网址淥ne of the heads of TransLink makes more than the Prime Minister of Canada, as does her second-in-command,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淭here are tons of boards like this, and theyB次元官网网址檙e basically permanent government. People donB次元官网网址檛 hear about them or know about them, theyB次元官网网址檙e not elected, but theyB次元官网网址檙e paid an outrageous amount of money.B次元官网网址�

8. Eliminate the vote tax: B次元官网网址淭he government has imposed a transition fund B次元官网网址� a vote tax of $16 million thatB次元官网网址檚 coming out of taxpayersB次元官网网址� pockets,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淲hen you break it down per vote it doesnB次元官网网址檛 sound like a lot of money. But most people donB次元官网网址檛 want their tax dollar going to a lawn sign or an attack ad. If youB次元官网网址檙e running for any political party, raise your own money.B次元官网网址�

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9. DonB次元官网网址檛 block the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion: B次元官网网址淲e understand there are concerns,B次元官网网址� Sims said. B次元官网网址淲e also understand the Trudeau Liberal government has approved it, and that lots and lots of people and lots of boards have reviewed this. If we rely on these important economic engines of our economy, and we allow them to continue things like Kinder Morgan, it helps the tax base.B次元官网网址�

10. Reduce spending and lower taxes: B次元官网网址淭he men and women on the pre-budget committee are getting swamped with spending requests. WeB次元官网网址檙e there to say stop. Cut your spending, and reduce our taxes. And as far as we can tell, we among the only people going to these meetings saying, B次元官网网址楶lease stop!B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation came into being as a response to the implementation of the goods and services tax in 1990.