Comparing the Abysmal Record of the NDP to Now… Part three

Putting more money into people’s pockets to spend on themselves and their families is a record of which the BC Liberals should be especially proud.

When the NDP was in power “Tax Freedom Day” arrived in BC more than two weeks later than it does now.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.

Comparing the abysmal record of the NDP to now...Part two

This is the second of a series of blog posts using economic facts to compare the NDP’s performance while in power in the 1990s to the past six years of the BC Liberal government.

When the NDP was in power, people left our province – it is that simple. There was no reason to stay, as NDP policies hampered investment and job creation. In 1998 alone, this included an exodus roughly equivalent to the current population of Fort St. John.

(Source: Statistics Canada)

Since the Liberals took charge of the Province, British Columbia has attracted on average close to six times as many new residents each year from 2002-2007 as we did from 1995-2001.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party, Wrong leader, Wrong time.

Comparing the Abysmal Record of the NDP to now....Part one

This is the first of a series of blog posts using economic facts to compare the NDP’s performance while in power in the 1990s to the past six years of the BC Liberal government.

The growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of the most important indicators of economic health, and shows how well our provincial economy performs in terms of jobs and investment and the likelihood of improved incomes and living standards.

Source: BC Financial and Economic Reviews

This chart compares the final seven years of the NDP and the first six full years of BC Liberal government. There is no comparison. During the NDP’s reign BC badly under-performed as our province’s s growth fell behind the national average by a whopping 25 per cent. On the other hand, since the Liberals took over, GDP growth has exceeded national growth by almost 25 per cent.

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.

Good Bridge, Bad Bridge - NDP flip flop on Port Mann

In 1993, an NDP member rose in the Legislative Assembly to state clearly that the Port Mann Bridge needs to be twinned. The transportation minister Art Charbonneau said:

“…we need to twin the Port Mann Bridge…When we are able (to do this)…then we will have resolved the traffic congestion problems around that area, while allowing a safe and efficient transportation system.”

But back in the present day of 2009, the NDP transportation critic Maurine Karagianis continues to reject the new Port Mann Bridge and the 8,000 jobs that will be created during construction. In fact, in Question Period this week she called the Port Mann Bridge project “…a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.”Gee, has traffic congestion eased in the past 15 years? We certainly keep seeing more cars and trucks queuing up to get into or out of Surrey over the Port Mann. Do the NDP have special rose-coloured traffic cameras that show them a different picture? Or are they trying so hard to distance themselves from the 1990s that they lost sight of common sense?

Carol James and the NDP. Wrong party. Wrong leader. Wrong time.
www.votesmartbc.com

NDP blowing smoke

After last week’s provincial budget, one of the first things out of Carole James’ mouth was disappointment that the carbon tax hadn’t been axed. The NDP, self-professed home of environmentalists, continues to claim that the BC carbon tax is bad for taxpayers and bad for the climate. But the facts keep proving them wrong.

As pointed out last Thursday in the Victoria Times Colonist by Les Leyne, the tax is actually doing what it’s supposed to do. And the new budget contained a report card on the carbon tax that proves it.

“The carbon tax ogre is an essential part of the New Democrat election campaign. They need the impression that it's a punitive assault on pickup truck-driving rural B.C. to hold as much sway as possible for the next three months. So they'll likely just keep talking about it, regardless of the facts.”

Over the last eight months, gas consumption declined (although high prices at the pump probably helped that). But the structure of the tax has now created a net benefit for BC taxpayers.

The government’s report card on the tax showed that the 2.4 cents a litre more we've been paying at the pumps and similar hikes in heating fuels have been offset by the low income tax credit, the corporate and small business income tax cuts, and the reduction in personal income tax. The tax brought in $300 million in revenue, and the corresponding tax cuts have cost $338 million, leaving BC taxpayers $38 million ahead.

As Leyne wrote:

“…the vast majority of people came out slightly to the good in the first winter under the tax.”

"Are the NDP really sacrificing environmental good sense just to win rural voters driving seven gas guzzling pickups and blasting the home heating with all the doors and windows open? Because those nine people are the only ones coming out on the wrong end of the carbon tax."

Wrong party, wrong leader, wrong time.
http://www.votesmartbc.com/