Provincial Finance Minister Carole James says it 鈥渇eels like a lifetime鈥� since she tabled the 2020 provincial budget in February, just four months ago.

She observed the economy had already been slowing down, with 鈥渕oderation鈥� in economic growth across the globe, and so took that into account in building the budget.

鈥淲e made sure we had a strong, resilient economic foundation to be able to build from,鈥� James said. 鈥淲e certainly knew there were going to be challenges ahead, when it came to moderation, but I don鈥檛 think any of us could imagine the kind of situation that we鈥檙e all living through now.

鈥淭his is unlike any challenge that we鈥檝e faced,鈥� James said. 鈥淐OVID-19 has impacted every sector, every family, every community, every part of our community.鈥�

鈥淲hen we鈥檙e talking about businesses being hit, that鈥檚 individuals and families as well, not only the business owners but in fact the employees.鈥�

James noted that more than 300,000 jobs have been lost in British Columbia because of the pandemic.

She was the guest speaker in a Surrey Board of Trade 鈥渄igital town hall鈥� via Zoom. Monday鈥檚 topic was 鈥淐OVID-19: Relief, Restart and Recovery for Surrey and B.C.鈥�

The finance minister said while she knows people are 鈥渒een鈥� to get back to work, 鈥渨e need to do that in a very planned, and a very careful, and a very measured approach.鈥�

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to get ahead of ourselves,鈥� she said.

James said $1.5 billion of B.C.鈥檚 $5 billion COVID plan has been earmarked for economic recovery. 鈥淥nce again, I think it鈥檚 critical to note that we did that from the start.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one-time money,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e will be gathering the feedback, as we are doing now, through ministries meeting with their sectors, through the premiers table and through other areas. Individual business ideas have been coming forward as well. We鈥檒l be making a determination around where those dollars can best be used.

James said while she 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 want to pre-determine any processes,鈥� she expects education will be 鈥渁 big discussion鈥� when it comes to how that money will be allocated.

鈥淒o we look at further training, and skills training for the kinds of youth who are having to re-tool for new kinds of jobs, perhaps, or new industries?鈥�

James said the government is tracking the impact the pandemic has had on particular sectors and age groups. For example, Stats Canada released employment-related figures last week, she noted, that show 鈥渢he youth are particularly impacted, particularly facing challenges, 18 to 24-year-olds. And that鈥檚 no surprise when you look at the sectors that are most impacted 鈥� retail, restaurants, bars.鈥�

On rent assistance for business owners, she said, last week the government brought in an emergency order to ensure that if a business is able to apply for the program and fit the criteria, but their landlord isn鈥檛 interested in applying, there will not be an eviction. 鈥淎nd that will stay in place as long as the federal program is in place and the emergency order鈥檚 in place.鈥�

The provincial government also brought in a $1,000 emergency benefit for workers and in July it will 鈥渂oost鈥� the climate action tax credit. 鈥淲e鈥檙e increasing that payment.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e deferred everything from the employers health tax to the PST to the hotel tax, to the carbon tax,鈥� James said. 鈥淲e also cut property taxes. The school portion, which id the provincial portion of property taxes, we have cut by on the average about 20 per cent, which again gives that immediate relief.鈥�

She said that while we have a 鈥渃hallenge鈥� ahead, 鈥淚 do feel optimistic about our recovery.鈥�

James said the largest capital budget in B.C.鈥檚 history is contained in Budget 2020.

鈥淪o we have built in there the kind of infrastructure that also will assist as we look ahead, in to creating jobs. We have a large amount of infrastructure, for everything from hospitals to roads to bridges to transit, and that is in every corner of British Columbia, which will again provide us with a very good base to be able to provide that infrastructure spending and get those jobs going in British Columbia as well,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not leaving people behind.鈥�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
Like us on and follow Tom on