The BC Legislative Assembly is back in session and on Tuesday the Government introduced the budget.
In the last couple of years the Government seems to have been unusually short-sighted regarding the introduction of new legislation and Government policy (see: here and here). This is not to say that it is only a BCLiberal issue. The NDP made poor policy and legislative decisions with regularity too, but their path was less revolutionary despite their ideological underpinnings.
We are not political and we cannot be pigeon-holed to any ideology. Paul made phone calls for the provincial NDP in Alberta, volunteered in three elections for the BCLiberals, supported the federal Liberals and supported and voted for Joe Clark’s Progressive Conservatives while a student in Quebec. Kyla is A-political, but fundamentally opposed to paternalism. Jason always writes in the name of his candidate: Brisco of Zorbon. Mr. Zorbon has yet to become a fixture in BC politics. We all believe in the Charter of Rights and we are calling for a national holiday in honour of the Charter.
Our criticism of the Government is not based on ideology. And we are not advocating for a political party. To us it seems that the current Government is desperate to make a splash to save themselves from a wipe-out in the next election. And they do not seem particularly insightful concerning the consequences of their proposals. Which is why they are offering revolutionary proposals which we expect will have unintended consequences.
Revolutionary political change is foolhardy. But we know most politicians have not bothered to read Burke.
In the budget, the Government has outlined a $10,000 gift to first-time home buyers purchasing new homes. The purpose is to to appease the home builders and kick-start the flagging construction industry in the Okanagan where the economy is struggling and home prices seem to be in a slide. The ostensible purpose is to assist first-time home buyers to buy a house. The result will be a taxpayer funded subsidy to the construction industry that will exacerbate a glut in housing. Young buyers will get in over their head and the glut will ultimately lubricate a slide in home prices.
What seems like win-win for the Government right now (using your tax money to buy the favour of young buyers and the construction industry) will cause nothing but grief in a very short time. And we get to pay for this because it is money out of BC Government coffers.
Unintended Consequences and the “New” IRP Legislation
The unsubstantiated rumour is that the RCMP have written the new law to replace the failed IRP legislation. The RCMP spend a lot of time reading this blog. We expect that they have taken some points from it. It is frightening to think that the job of drafting legislation has been outsourced to the police. But it would not surprise us.
In any event, the law will need to be introduced, debated and voted on before the end of May because the last day the Government sits before the summer break is May 31. So it is safe to assume that they will introduce the new legislation within the next couple of weeks. And because it probably will not be much better thought out than the last IRP legislation, we expect there will be unintended consequences.
As soon as we get more information about the content of the new law, we will provide our analysis here.
We hope that the NDP will force a proper debate on the legislation. Remember, they too voted for the much maligned IRP scheme that will cost taxpayers many millions before it is sorted out.