SCC considers BC’s Court Jurisdiction and Proceedings Transfer Act

Budget 2010 promises funding for families, health, education, and job creation

CLEBC Staff/March 3, 2010

Echoing much of the Throne Speech delivered in the legislature in February 2010, the BC Budget for 2010 released March 2, 2010 promised to increase support for families, increase funding for health and education, create jobs and economic growth, and return to balanced budgets by 2013.

Finance Minister Colin Hansen focused on prosperity and people, describing the following “core elements” of the provincial budget:

prioritizing core services in health and education, and committing all revenue from the Harmonized Sales Tax (“HST”)—which takes effect July 1, 2010—and “four other revenue streams” to be used for health services;
increasing education funding per pupil from $8,200 to approximately $8,301;
creating jobs through construction projects such as highways, schools, bridges, hospitals and other infrastructure;
providing a new property tax deferral program for homeowners with children under the age of 18;
setting aside $26 million over three years to provide direct help with the cost of child-care programs for low and moderate income families;
expanding the International Financial Activity Program to increase BC’s potential as a “hub” for international companies; spending $100 million on climate action and clean-energy development; and
providing $60 million over three years for sports and the arts.

Details of the 2010 budget are available on the provincial government’s website.