Proud of budget choices

Managing money is about setting priorities and making choices.

When it comes to managing provincial finances, there are a lot of priorities on the table, and many difficult choices to make.

As your MLA, my number one priority is the people of Kelowna-Mission. When I look at the 2017 provincial budget, it’s clear to me that our government is making choices to prioritize you along with all British Columbians.

I’ve had many visits from parents whose children are struggling with mental health issues, substance abuse and addiction. In the budget, our government chose to support these families with a $45 million investment in more mental health counselling and treatment for children.

I’ve also heard concerns from many constituents, especially seniors, about their MSP premiums. We chose to address concerns like these by reducing premiums by 50 per cent, as the first step to eliminating them entirely. So seniors with an annual income of $29,000 will save $132 a year, while families with an income of $52,000 will save up to $900 a year.

In our growing city, there’s significant and growing demand for housing. Our government chose to continue taking action on this important issue with $920 million to provide almost 5,300 units of affordable housing to those who need it.

I recently attended the opening of i-spa-us ki-low-na at Chapman Place, which we funded in partnership with the City of Kelowna. I was touched to hear from people there about the difference these kind of investments are making in their lives.

The budget’s landmark investment in affordable housing will allow us to keep building projects like this, and continue addressing housing challenges in Kelowna and across the province.

In the Okanagan, our post-secondary institutions are doing a great job preparing students for their bright futures.

Our government chose to keep investing in our next generation with commitments like the $40 million in federal-provincial funds for the new Teaching and Learning Centre at UBCO and investments in skills training at Okanagan College.

These are just a few choices apparent in the budget that point toward the number one priority of our government: standing up for British Columbians.

Your hard work and our prudent management has put our government on enviable financial footing. With a balanced budget and significant surpluses forecast for the next three years, now more than ever we have the freedom to pass the benefits of our enviable situation back to British Columbians, and the people of Kelowna-Mission.

And that’s a choice I am proud to be a part of. 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.