Judging from comments on this site, the public is in an uproar over Premier Gordon Campbell's decision to sucker-punch consumers and the restaurant industry by announcing a harmonized sales tax just 10 weeks after the election.
The B.C. Liberals told a national restaurant association before voting day that the HST was not in the party platform.
But perhaps just as troubling is what's happening on the health-care front. During the campaign, the premier repeatedly said he would protect this area.
Five days before the election, the Georgia Straight published an article in which NDP health critic Adrian Dix claimed the B.C. Liberals had a secret agenda to cut health care after the election.
“We have serious concerns about cuts that are coming,” Dix said at the time. “There will be serious cuts to the provincial health care in the next few months if the Liberals are reelected. They’re hoping to sneak their way through this election, but that’s what’s in the future."
Then-B.C. Liberal health minister George Abbott rejected that assertion. “There’s certainly not going to be any reduction in dollars,” he said.
At the time, Abbott added that 90 percent of all budgeted new spending during the next three years would be allocated to health care, bringing annual spending on health to $17.5 billion by 2011–12.
He has since been replaced by Kevin Falcon. He informed health authorities last month that they would have to find $360 million in savings because he wasn't going to increase the $8.9-billion allocation in this year's budget.
Yesterday, the Fraser Health Authority's board of directora approved cutting elective surgeries by 10 to 15 percent to cope with "projected budget pressure $130 to $160 million".
The Mission Memorial Hospital emergency room will remain open, according to a Fraser Health Authority news release, thanks in part to pressure from the NDP Oppostion, including Leader Carole James.
Meanwhile, according to an NDP news release, the authority has informed the municipal governments in Burnaby, New Westminster, the Tri-Cities, Maple Ridge, and Abbotsford that there will be cuts to addiction counselling and to support services related to sexual abuse and family violence.
The HST will cost people's jobs in the restaurant industry and probably leave less money in the pockets of consumers.
Cuts to provincial health care could cost people's lives.
Which is the most egregious broken promise? Or do you even think these constitute broken promises by the premier and the B.C. Liberals, considering that the budget has remained intact? Feel free to offer your comments below.
Most Popular
- 1. B.C. government changes rules to allow liquor licensed venues to screen movies
Comments (29) - 2. J.C. Penney and Ellen DeGeneres stand up to One Million Moms Comments (4)
- 3. The Georgia Straight's 2012 sex survey: The lust and thrust report Comments (1)
- 4. Your horoscope for February 9 to 15, 2012
- 5. Vancouver musicians get to the heart of sex, love, and rock ’n’ roll Comments (2)
- 6. What’s the most unusual location where you’ve masturbated? Comments (5)
- 7. Rio Theatre owner says liquor licensing change is not a real fix Comments (9)
- 8. Sex plays key role in health
- 9. What’s the most unusual place where you’ve hooked up in the Lower Mainland?
- 10. Women who want sex constantly Comments (67)
Comments
Lets just hope he's not around long enough.
Nothing's free, money doesn't grow on trees (except the little smelly trees in Surrey basements), etc, etc. As much as it sucks to pay a new tax, it sucks even more when your tax money just goes to service interest on debt that you racked up 10 years before, because you weren't willing to pay all your bills back then.
Please if you haven't already though join the "NO BC HST" group on facebook, it is closing in on 90,000 members the more people we have the better our chances of stopping the HST!
Campbell must go, that's the bottom line!
Obviously they don't care about us-- their own paychecks are fat so they can afford private treatment --we're the ones who suffer with 8 month waiting list
What is the fine for false advertisement? Wrong statements in pre-election time??
Every manager would loose its job immediately if the budgets are incorrect (i.e. Olympics, Health and, and , and, and).
Unfortunately our politicians only get more money for themselves as a "reward" for ruining our lives.
It is time to hold them accountable for what they are doing. My opinion is that they get fired, make room for people which want to work for people - which is us.
I always thought our Health Authorities were always poor, but the Fraser Health Authority was able to invest some $17 million in asset backed commercial papers (sub prime mortgages) while its hospital auxillaries and foundations were selling baked goods and sock puppets to pay for basic diagnostic instruments and equipment. With no guarantees that Fraser Health will see any of this money in the next 9 years, it cancels surgeries and upgrades to its emergency rooms bulging from the seams.