Today, unfortunately, we do not have a government that will tell the truth about the finances of this province.
- Gordon Campbell, July 10, 1996
Today's column has been written for the most part by Premier Gordon Campbell, with his direct quotes from debates in the B.C. Legislature.
Campbell's comments were aimed at the budget introduced by the New Democrat government of Premier Glen Clark before the 1996 election, when a small projected surplus in the $20.6 billion budget turned into a $235 million deficit - but their relevance 13 years later is stunning.
On April 23, 2009 - just weeks before the May 12 provincial election - Campbell said: "I can tell you this: the deficit for 2009-2010 will be $495 million maximum."
But last Thursday, Finance Minister Colin Hansen finally admitted what everyone else in B.C. figured out months before: "Given what I know today, I am not optimistic at all that a $495-million number is anywhere near possible."
Back in February, Central 1 Credit Union's report on the budget clearly said that: "A deficit of $1 to $1.5 billion ... in 2009-10 is the more likely outcome due to revenue shortfalls."
The deteriorating world-wide economy's impact on B.C. was obvious but the premier continued the fiction that the deficit was fixed.
Here then, some choice quotes about truth in budgeting from Gordon Campbell:
July 2, 1996:
"The fact is that this government, in less than a month, has broken dozens of promises. It misled the public before the election, it misled them during the election, and it has misled them since the election."
July 8, 1996:
"The government has made it clear that truth in budgeting comes a distant second to its political agenda. Political deception has consistently taken precedence over the truth."
"The people of British Columbia expect accountability and truthfulness in the budget process. We have seen from this government consistently a misleading agenda in terms of budgets."
July 4, 1996:
"Like so many other things with this Premier, he says one thing one day and does the opposite the next day."
"Honourable Speaker, I can tell you this: I would rather be on this side of the House having told the people of British Columbia the truth than on that side of the House having misled the people."
July 10, 1996:
"With this government, with this budget, there has been nothing done to re-establish the trust that British Columbians should have in their public institutions."
"The fact of the matter is that people in British Columbia today say: 'When can we trust anyone?'"
Again, all the words of Gordon Campbell. One thing has now been made perfectly clear with his pre-election budget - British Columbians can't trust this hypocritical premier or his B.C. Liberal government.
Read more from Bill Tieleman at www.thetyee.ca Hear Bill Mondays at 10 a.m. on CKNW AM 980's Bill Good Show. Email: weststar@telus.net Website: billtieleman.blogspot.com
