Bruce Ralston, MLA • Surrey-Whalley

“One word: confidence.”

That’s what the finance minister said it came down to last February, and as the minister caps off a summer of deception with a budget that undermines the legitimacy of his government, the public’s confidence in the government has been completely undermined.

Before the election, the government promised that the budget deficit for this year would not exceed $495 million.

They said that they would protect vital public services like health care and education.

Despite clear warnings from leading economists that their pre-election numbers didn’t hold water, the government refused to admit that they were going to break the premier’s promises until after the election.

And they attempted to label anyone who questioned the believability of their promises a fear monger.

Now, after months of constantly shifting stories from the premier and his finance minister, with today’s budget we are learning the truth about how misleading the BC Liberal election platform was.

With this budget, the government is breaking its most fundamental commitments to British Columbians.

The finance minister claims he was brutally deceived by the economic downturn, despite the fact that leading economists were warning him for months that his assumptions last February didn’t hold up.

No one accepts that excuse, Mr Speaker.

Now, because of the government hid the truth about the size of its deficit, British Columbians are being forced to pay the price with higher taxes and deep cuts to public services.

We need only look at the measures outlined in this budget to see that it is both an admission of the government’s deceit and of its economic incompetence.

Before the election, the government promised to protect vital public services.

Today, we learn their true intentions.

The government promised to protect health services. But today’s budget doesn’t have one extra penny for health authorities over February 2009. There’s nothing for health other than recycled spin, and over the coming months thousands of surgeries will be cancelled.

The government promised to protect education, but now the minister is clawing back grants to maintain our schools, and when increased costs are taken into consideration this budget cuts funding for education.

Mr Speaker,

This isn’t just about the opposition or the government, about one party or another, about left versus right.

This is about the legitimacy of government. It’s about the public’s faith in the institutions that govern us all. And that faith has been shaken and shattered, Mr Speaker.

Yesterday I put forward a positive step to help return openness to government budgeting, modeled on the prime minister’s accountability package.

But the finance minister dismissed the model of an independent budget officer out of hand.

I was disappointed, but I can’t say I was surprised, Mr Speaker.

Because for all their nice and lofty promises, the government has shown time and again that they can’t be trusted, and they don’t want to be held accountable.

Just take a look at the government’s history when it comes to budget deceptions:
In 2008, they put forward a so-called green budget that is now just a distant memory. The government has eliminated tax incentives for sustainable products like energy efficient appliances. And with today’s budget, they are reducing the eyes on the ground to protect the environment.

In 2007 the government had their housing budget, but since thousands more people are living on our streets. And they’re cutting funding for housing in this budget.

In 2006, the government had a children’s budget, but they haven’t done anything to address the BC’s shameful record as having the worst child poverty in the country.

In 2005, the government had a seniors’ budget, but they have forced seniors from their homes. And with this budget, seniors programs will be slashed over the coming year, and more long term care beds will be closed.

But all the government’s previous broken promises pale in comparison to this, concrete proof the government’s pre-election budget deceptions.

Mr Speaker,

The legacy of eight years of the government’s mismanagement is a province deeply divided between rich and poor, rural and urban, young and old.

A province where the potential benefits of economic growth were squandered, leaving British Columbians ill-prepared to cope with the inevitable downturn that has come.

Today’s budget does nothing to change direction. But we can do so much better.

Despite years of neglect at the hands of the government , British Columbia has so much to offer. Unparalleled resource wealth. Ethnic diversity. A highly skilled workforce. Some of the most creative entrepreneurs in the world.

But this budget doesn’t set out the way forward. It tries to lay out yesterday’s solution to tomorrow’s problems.

The government says they’re facing the “greatest economic crisis of our generation”.

But all they have to offer is a new, regressive tax and hikes to MSP premiums.

It makes families, consumers, small businesses pay for the government’s deceptions with deep cuts to public services.

It sacrifices the long term investment we’ll need to emerge from the downturn stronger to cover up for the government’s mistakes.

It is a budget as flawed and dishonest as the government that wrote it.

Mr Speaker,

I will have much more to say about this budget tomorrow. In the meantime, I move adjournment of debate.

*check against delivery*