Coverage of BC's budget has fixated on the deficit number — but the growth-first initiatives buried in the document may matter more for business and industry than the headline fiscal figures
Key Takeaways:
Media coverage has been singularly focused on BC's record deficit, but Alberta is about to post a comparable shortfall and Ontario is heading in the same direction, suggesting this is a broader fiscal moment, not an NDP-specific failure.
The carbon tax elimination left a revenue hole of $2.4–$2.8 billion that the budget only partially addresses through a modest income tax bracket adjustment and paused indexation – the gap remains significant.
Buried beneath the deficit headlines are five substantive growth-first initiatives, from a $400 million Strategic Investment Fund to $1 billion in Indigenous Loan Guarantees to major mining concierge services that business will want to track closely.
This post is for paying subscribers only
Subscribe now and have access to all our stories, enjoy exclusive content and stay up to date with constant updates.
