Liberal warns of deficits, tax hikes under NDP or Green government
Tax hikes or deficits would be required to pay for promises, Thomson tells election forum
The NDP and the Greens have made too many promises and do not have enough money to pay for them all without raising taxes or going into debt, says local Liberal MLA Steve Thomson.
He was speaking at a Kelowna Chamber of Commerce all-candidates meeting Wednesday afternoon. Audience members were able to ask questions and vote for their favourite questions, which were then put to the candidates.
The top-voted question focused on income taxation and plans to increase taxes for high-income earners.
“Our policy platform maintains a freeze on personal income taxes going forward,” said Thomson, running for reelection in Kelowna-Mission.
The BC NDP will end the tax break given to high-income earners in 2013, said Shelley Cook, the NDP candidate for Kelowna West.
“From the middle-class taxation point of view, we’ve already been taxed extremely high, despite what we’re hearing on the campaign trail,” she said, adding that B.C.’s taxes on the middle class are among the highest compared to those in other provinces.
Thomson said the Greens and NDP are promising too much, with no money to back it up.
“The NDP’s platform is not fully costed — $6.4 billion in uncosted commitments,” he said. “There’s only two things that can result from that: deficits or increased taxes, and the Green party platform actually outspends the NDP platform.”
However, that $6-billion hole includes items not promised in the NDP’s platform, said Cook.
Rainer Wilkins, the Green candidate for Kelowna-Mission, said the health and well-being of the community needs to be improved to lessen the load on government expenditures.
“It benefits us financially in the long run when we find a way to take care of people and make sure that everyone has a fair shake in this province and stop supporting corporations and the ultrawealthy,” he said, adding the top three per cent of earners have benefited the most under the Liberal government.
Chuck Hardy, the BC Conservative candidate in Kelowna-Mission, said the first thing that needs to be done is to get rid of the carbon tax and next is not having anyone over the age of 65 pay taxes.
The Lake Country Chamber of Commerce is hosting an all-candidates meeting for Kelowna-Lake Country candidates tonight at Creekside Theatre, starting at 7 p.m.
Community Action Toward Children’s Health, Success by 6 and the Canadian Federation of University Women also are hosting an all-candidates meeting tonight. It’s for candidates in Kelowna-Mission and Kelowna West, and it’s at the Hollywood Road Educational Services building, starting at 7 p.m.