Reckless on the Economy

John Cummins is simply reckless on the most important economic issues facing British Columbia.

Cummins opposed the Asia-Pacific Gateway, an important economic initiative that is creating jobs for British Columbians by improving access to growing markets. This initiative has benefitted BC by diversifying our province away from our dependence on US trade while making needed improvements in roads, bridges and ports.

Cummins opposes Premier Christy Clark’s efforts to promote BC’s bid to get a share of the contracts to build ships for the Canadian Navy and Coast Guard. How can you be for Canada’s west coast and against ensuring that BC’s workers get to build our Navy and Coast Guard ships?

And to top it all off, Cummins can’t even get his numbers right on taxes!

“We think we’ve got it all, what we don’t realize is, really is, is how hard done by we really are. Because, when you look at the taxes in British Columbia, we pay higher taxes than they do in any province west of Quebec.” – John Cummins, Sep 17/11

Here are the facts when it comes to taxes in British Columbia:

• British Columbians’ personal income taxes have been cut by 37 percent or more since
  2001 – the lowest in Canada up to $119,000.
• B.C. has no provincial income taxes for anyone making less than $18,800 a year.
• An additional 325,000 low income earners don’t pay any provincial income tax.
• Small business taxes have been reduced 44%, and will be eliminated in 2012 – the lowest rate
  in Canada.
• Corporate income taxes have been reduced by 39% to 10% – the lowest in Canada.
• B.C. eliminated the corporate capital tax on financial and non-financial institutions.

John Cummins owes it to British Columbians to take a principled approach to the most important economic issues of the day, not to make things up on the fly. Managing this province’s economy during these troubled economic times takes a serious, free-enterprise government – not an unprincipled opportunist who cannot even get his facts straight.

Sources:

• MP Statement, May 7/09
• BCCP News Release, Jun 22/11