Taxes — hike them or hold them — become theme in B.C. election campaign
BC provincial campaign trail economic promises
Taxes have become a central theme in the first half of British Columbia’s election campaign with leaders promising to hold, hike or cut them.
Whether it’s taxing the wealthy to pay for services like health care or suggesting that tax cuts will “supercharge” the economy, whoever becomes premier will be facing a projected deficit of about $13.8 billion.
NDP Leader David Eby is proposing to suspend the gasoline taxes, while bringing in a new tax bracket for people making more than $1 million and increasing taxes on the two highest existing income brackets starting at about $190,000.
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Eby has said the changes would generate $1 billion, while the Conservatives say increasing taxes will drive away much-needed doctors.
The Conservatives promise no new taxes, holding multiple tax-related campaign stops saying they would eliminate the PST on some items and cut provincial taxes by $1,000 for nearly every working British Columbian.
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Interim leader Lorne Doerkson has not said how much his changes would cost but argues they are needed to “supercharge” the economy, which lost 26,000 jobs in August.
The BC Greens’ election platform includes a promise to introduce a one-time “fair share tax” on extreme wealth, beginning at five per cent on net wealth above $50 million, 10 per cent above $100 million, and 20 per cent above $1 billion.
The party estimates the changes would raise approximately $22.2 billion.
Leader Emily Lowan has criticized Eby for co-opting “the language of the left” after she said he refused her proposal for an extreme wealth tax while he was in power.
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