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By Amy Judd and Richard Zussman / Global BC

Grocery Rebate Axed?

BC NDP grocery rebate may not happen due to Trump tariff threat: minister

Jan 18, 2025 | 8:01 AM

VICTORIA — The BC NDP’s election promise of a grocery rebate is on the chopping block as president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexico-made goods loom.

The BC NDP announced a grocery rebate of up to $1,000 for all households as part of its platform ahead of the B.C. election.

However, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey told Focus BC on Friday that the province’s priorities have changed and she is looking at a more focused budget.

“You know, in this budget, we’re looking at everything, frankly, and we’re taking a very, very sharp pencil to where we make decisions here,” Bailey said.

She added that they will focus on protecting core programming for people, including health care and education, safety and housing.

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“So it’s a very sharply-focused budget on those programs and ensuring there’s stability going forward and that there’s room in our fiscal plan to be able to respond to British Columbians should they lose their jobs to businesses, should they need the types of supports that we may have to do.”

On Thursday, Bailey said Trump’s proposed tariffs would have devastating effects on the province’s economy and growth.

She prepared a high-level assessment of potential impacts with the assumption that the tariffs remain in place for Trump’s term and that Canada retaliates in kind.

If the tariffs are put in place, it would mean a loss of $69 billion for B.C.’s economy by 2028, Bailey said. It would mean 124,000 fewer jobs by 2028, she said.

Investment would decline, with corporate profits falling by billions in 2025 and 2026, Bailey added.

The unemployment rate would increase to 6.7 per cent in 2025 and could increase to 7.1 per cent in 2026.

“The world changed on Nov. 25 and it’s not a change that we wanted,” Bailey said of the first date Trump mentioned the possibility of tariffs.

“This week we heard the premier use the language that this is economic warfare. You can see why he chose that language. And frankly, our response, things have to change after Nov. 25. We have to make sure that we are prepared for this very significant threat.

“And so for that reason, we are going to be bringing forward a budget that is going to be really focused on core sports and ensuring that we have room to respond and make sure that British Columbians get through this in the best way possible.”