‘They’re defaulting to COVID as the answer to everything,’: Liberal MLA on $321 million provincial deficit

PRINCE GEORGE–”They’re defaulting to COVID as the answer to everything, they need to be held accountable for this.”

Those are the words of Prince George-Mackenzie Liberal MLA, Mike Morris, in response to the province’s $321 million deficit reported on Monday, Aug.31.

Finance Minister Carole James says that while the first three quarters of the fiscal year saw steady economic growth, the province’s financial picture dimmed because of the pandemic. She says declines in tax revenues, losses at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and early measures to tackle the pandemic plunged the fiscal year into deficit.

“After they already knew the downturn in the economy was occurring, before COVID even hit, they never took that into consideration. To blame everything on COVID I think is irresponsible of them.”–Mike Morris, Prince George-Mackenzie Liberal MLA