Dear BCGEU members,

Last October I presented the BCGEU’s submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services as part of the public consultation for the 2019/20 provincial budget. Our submission outlined four priorities: address housing affordability and supply; rebuild the public services needed to support an effective poverty reduction strategy; protect B.C.’s environment and natural resources; and restore funding to our justice and corrections systems.  
 
On February 19^th I attended the provincial government’s 2019 budget lockup in Victoria where plans for the coming years were released.
 
The initiatives and programs introduced as part of the government’s push to make B.C. more affordable—like the elimination of student loan interest and the implementation of the BC Child Opportunity Benefit—will be life-changing for working people.  
 
I also appreciated the investments in public services and infrastructure in critical areas like education, health care, seniors care, and wildfire response and prevention.  BCGEU members have been pushing for these and other such investments for a long time and it’s great to see our government has taken that message to heart.
 
To learn what this budget does and doesn’t deliver, read our full budget analysis for specific details pertaining to the ministries that affect your work here. 

Overall, I am pleased with Budget 2019—it delivers on some of the priorities outlined in our submission and while it doesn’t address all of our asks, it will help our province thrive in the future.  Your elected leadership and I are committed to working to make sure your priorities are on the government’s agenda moving forward.
 
Click here to read our budget submission from last fall.
 
Stephanie Smith
BCGEU president

UWU/MoveUP