B-C Finance Minister Katrine Conroy has tabled a budget that includes almost 6.4-billion dollars in new funding for health care, an additional 4.2-billion for housing and 4.5-billion in new spending and tax breaks to help combat inflation. The budget also includes increased disability and income assistance rates, an income-tested tax credit for renters of up to 400-dollars and funding for B-C to become the first province in Canada to provide free birth control starting April 1st. Conroy is forecasting B-C’s economic growth will drop to 0.4 per cent this year from 2.8 per cent last year but says British Columbians don’t want the province to respond to the uncertainty with cuts. Spending that was earlier promised by Premier David Eby is forecast to reduce the surplus for the current fiscal year to 3.6-billion dollars — while deficits of 4.2-billion, 3.8-billion and three-billion are projected over the next three years.
