B.C. Greens still oppose NDP promise of renter’s rebate
VICTORIA — B.C.’s Green party, which holds the balance of power in the legislature, won’t support the NDP’s proposed $400 rental rebate program, saying the idea to give cash to renters may be good politics but is lousy public policy.
Green Leader Andrew Weaver told reporters Wednesday he continues to oppose the idea of providing renters $400 a year to offset the high cost of rent. The NDP promised the rebate in the 2017 provincial election, and is facing public pressure to follow through this week after government approved a maximum increase in rents of 4.5 per cent for 2019.
“Anybody who has followed the housing market knows if you just give everyone $400, all that happens is the prices go up, and the market absorbs the $400, because the market now has $400 per person more that landlords can get access to,” said Weaver. “That is not good public policy.”
Weaver lumped the rental rebate in with government’s moves to scrap Metro Vancouver bridge tolls and protect the traditional taxi industry from ride-hailing services as purely political measures designed to win votes in key constituencies.
Green opposition forced Finance Minister Carole James to jettison the rebate from her February budget. But the NDP has left the door open to enacting it, as it attempts to respond to public criticism that allowing the rent increase is a step in the wrong direction for a party that promised to make housing more affordable.
“We have always said we are committed to bringing in the renter’s rebate and that hasn’t changed,” Housing Minister Selina Robinson said in a statement Wednesday.
“Our plan is to bring in the rebate over the life of our government.
“With that goal in mind we will continue to work on the details of the rebate itself with the Green members, as we work hard on all levels to make sure that people can afford to live in B.C.”
Robinson expressed frustration this week that the rebate has become the focus when government has already taken other actions for renters, including changes at the Residential Tenancy Branch, $7 billion for affordable housing over the next decade, increases to rental assistance for low-income seniors and families, and closing the fixed-term lease loophole.
Weaver expressed confidence that the Greens have talked the NDP out of the rebate idea.
“We have a very good working relationship with the NDP and I believe they’ve been convinced both from the civil service and others like us that in fact it doesn’t help,” Weaver said.