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Opinion: B.C. budget 'surplus' could disappear quickly

As I began making my through B.C. government budget documents last week, a deputy minister came up to me and said he had given the budget a unique name: the “caseload budget.
budget james
Finance Minister Carol James provides a budget update on Sept.11, 2017.

As I began making my through B.C. government budget documents last week, a deputy minister came up to me and said he had given the budget a unique name: the “caseload budget.”

By that, he meant almost all of the new spending is targeted at so-called “caseload” areas of the budget, which reflect increased demand for certain government services.

Only five of 20 government ministries received a funding increase of any consequence. The rest of the government’s operations had funding reductions or increases that do not keep pace with inflation.

This reflects the extremely tight box into which Finance Minister Carole James has squeezed her balanced budget.

The only ministries getting new money are Children and Family Development ($140 million), Education ($120 million), Social Development ($115 million), Advanced Education ($36 million) and the biggest by far: Health (a staggering $1.3 billion).

These allocations all reflect increased needs for social services, rising enrolment in the K-12 education system and a steady rise in the number of people needing to utilize health care. Contract settlements with public-sector employees account for a big chunk.

And within some ministries facing a budget cut, some services are indeed being enhanced. Take Municipal Affairs and Housing: its overall ministry budget is being chopped by a considerable amount, but the housing part of the portfolio will get a $20-million lift.

While no doubt these funding hikes will be welcomed by those who utilize these services, I have to wonder at how disappointed some people may be about other government operations that are being squeezed by a de-facto spending freeze.

Spending on arts, culture and sports will be reduced. The environment ministry is getting a funding cut, which means less spending in such areas as environmental protection, B.C. Parks and conservation services.

Even a supposed priority of the NDP government is not immune to the belt-tightening: climate action shows a cut of almost $2 million.

James’ budget shows a projected surplus of just $227 million. She has built in a “forecast allowance” of $300 million, plus a contingency fund of $600 million. However, that accounts for just 1.5% of the total $60 billion budget.

The economic impact of the emerging coronavirus is an unknown, but a number of economists and analysts expect it to be substantial.

Nearly 50 vessels are anchored in Port of Vancouver entry points in English Bay and on the west side of the Gulf Islands.

Their inability to access the port is likely linked to a curtailment of rail services due to protest blockades erected in support of opposition to the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline. The blockades are costing the Canadian economy about $425 million a day.

The NDP’s latest budget will no doubt protect the “caseloads” out there, but a combination of a general economic slowdown, and international and national events may smother other services.

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC.