"BC Liberals Todd Stone and Terry Lake, and New Democrats Kathy Kendall and Tom Friedman, are all welcome to campaign with the slogan 'we'll spend more and tax you more"

Today the BC New Democrats Finance Critic, Bruce Ralston, rolled out the party's election campaign budget.  A plan that will see increased taxes, and deficit budgets for at least three years.
Said BC Conservative Party Kamloops South Thompson candidate Peter Sharp, "They have indicated they not only plan to increase corporate taxes, their plan also includes an attack on individual British Columbians.""Their plan" he continued, "Will add a further 2.2% on personal income taxes for the so-called wealthy."

Calls by BC Conservative for 'smarter spending', rather than more spending, seem to have fallen on deaf ears.Said Sharp, "I have already been informed that right now -- today -- people are looking at their options in terms of where they plan to live in the very near future."

"The BC Liberals put in their 2013 budget (which passed in the legislature on March 5th), that they are going to increase the tax on incomes over $150,000 by 2.1% in 2014."

"This is not just a platform plank of the BC Liberals.", continued Sharp, "It's law.  And now we have the provincial New Democrats announcing a tax increase of 2.2%." "I am already hearing, from reliable sources, that people right here in Kamloops are seeing their accountants to see how much lower taxes would be in Alberta.  That's because of the 2.1% increase the BC Liberals have already approved -- never mind the even higher increase Ralston is proposing under the New Democrats."

Currently, on incomes over $135,000, the top tax rate is 43.7%. This new increase would make the top rate 46.8% on incomes over $150,000. By comparison, the top rate in Alberta is 39%. The closer you get to 50% marginal tax rates, the more people are going to start running away from BC."Let me say as plainly as I possibly can, 'Neither the NDP, or the BC Liberals, should be in control of the public purse strings'."

"Both of these party's have decided they will spend more, despite our provincial debt now passing the $60 billion dollar mark."

Concluded Sharp, "BC Liberal candidates Todd Stone and Terry Lake, and New Democrat candidates Kathy Kendall and Tom Friedman, are all welcome to campaign with the slogan 'we'll spend more and tax you more'.  BC Conservatives, on the other hand, will be campaigning on a promise to spend smarter -- not more."The BC Conservatives’ Spending Smarter initiative is intended to eliminate the persistent deficits that have plagued Victoria in recent decades, and begin the long, slow process of reversing the growth of B.C.’s debt.  Balanced’ or surplus budgets in each of the five years, with an expected cumulative surplus of $3.1 billion.Let's 'stay sharp' Kamloops.I'm Peter Sharp -- I'm a BC Conservative -- I BELIEVE in BC!