By Cheryl Jahn

BC Budget

Mixed budget reviews

Feb 19, 2020 | 3:23 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – “It’s a tax and spend budget.”

That was one of the first things noted by Finance Critic Shirley Bond when referencing the Province’s newest budget.

But it wasn’t her only concern.

“My biggest concern continues to be the fact that this government does not have a credible jobs plan. It has no plan to grow the economy of British Columbia and, in fact, our reputation is being damaged when it comes to attracting investment to this province.”

While the opposition critic for Public Safety, Mike Morris is disappointed with the lack of additional resources for policing in the province, as an MLA for a Northern BC riding, he says there is a more glaring omission.

4/20

BC Craft Farmers Co-Op urges Vancouver to look to Prince George when it comes to 4/20 policy

4h ago

Temporary housing moves forward

11h ago

BC Wildfires

Four weekend fires suspected to be human-caused

20h ago

“We have a hospital that is a regional hospital. The University Hospital of Northern BC. We cover 80 per cent of the province with the Health Authority and we have absolutely no cardiac facilities in the Prince George hospital. There were 1,500 Medi-Vac flights to Vancouver last year. There was no mention of that.”

Not once was the word “opioid” mentioned in the budget, but the issue of addiction was discussed in the Budget’s Strategic Plan.

Specifically, it reads: “For too long, mental health issues were dismissed as a weakness and addiction as a sign of moral failure. That’s starting to change. As a society, we are finally recognizing these challenges for what they really are: health issues. We understand that comprehensive services are needed to support people coping with mental health issues or addiction.” It goes on to read: “Our immediate focus is on improving wellness for children, youth and young adults, supporting Indigenous-led solutions, improving substance use care, and improving access and quality of care throughout B.C.”

For Mayor Lyn Hall, the budget’s focus on health, as well as housing, offer hope on that front.

“Specifically around health care, the things that we’re doing in the community around housing, at every level, but particularly associated with our community social issues. Opioid use and mental health and addictions. Those kinds of things.”

But, he has still to sift through the 160-page budget to get at the fine print.