The 2007 provincial budget announced by finance minister Carol Taylor on Tuesday has a good news, bad news feel to it.
The good news: B.C. taxpayers are getting a 10 per cent break and personal income tax savings of up to $864 a year. If you are a first-time homebuyer, of which there are many on the Sunshine Coast, you stand to gain up to $5,500 on property transfer tax.
Do you wish to be energy efficient and help the environment? Here's an incentive: buyers of hybrid vehicles are eligible for a $2,000 cut in sales tax. And welfare rates and shelter allowances have increased, meaning another 900 full-time shelter beds will be created for the homeless or people in need.
Lots of good news for everyone, but there's a flip side to all this - some bad news as well.
Despite the $65 million investment in shelter beds, the need for more affordable housing is still great.
Sue Jackel from the Coast Housing Society said this week that the actual money being set aside for housing is limited and won't come close to meeting the needs for the Coast.
Local governments are stepping up to the plate and pledging support for more affordability. Town of Gibsons, Sunshine Coast Regional District and the District of Sechelt have all supported Habitat for Humanity. Gibsons is looking into the secondary suite issue and have made it a priority to seek affordable housing options when approving new developments. Sechelt is also trying to do the same. But local governments can only do so much. They need some help from the province. Tuesday's budget gives some assistance, but clearly it's not enough.
Child care resource and referral programs are on the brink of extinction, yet the budget does little to address the impending closures of these facilities. There is still hope on March 19 when the federal budget is tabled, but unless something changes drastically, these programs will cease to exist by the end of the year.
And just last week, during the throne speech, the Liberals rolled out their green agenda. Yet Tuesday's budget doesn't pay much attention to climate change, which is puzzling. Why say you're going to get tough on the environment one week, then the next when you have an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is, you don't seize that opportunity?
In the final analysis, the 2007 budget has some merit and promise, but sadly misses the mark in many key areas.
