Lil Tay’s mom should ’sock away’ money ’for counselling and bail’

The real estate war on the west coast that’s tearing Vancouver neighbourhoods apart

In June, Joe Castaldo reported that with garish wealth, scarce rental housing and a government that sees the middle class as stinking rich, Vancouverites are at each other’s throats.

As a lifelong New Democrat who has worked for decades to make life better for working people, I was surprised to see your publication’s claims regarding the focus of our government’s efforts. I was surprised because one of the first things our government did after taking office was to reverse the last government’s tax cut for the top two per cent of income earners in our province. We are reinvesting those dollars into supporting public education and other programs so important for the middle class. The last government chose to raise revenue by doubling regressive Medical Service Plan premiums. These fees fall disproportionately on working and middle-class British Columbians to the benefit of the wealthiest in our province. Our government is taking the enormous step of eliminating this regressive fee altogether. At $2.6 billion, this is one of the largest tax cuts for families in B.C. history. We’re putting up to $1,800 a year back into the pockets of middle class families in our province. We have eliminated bridge tolls, reduced prescription drug costs for those with lower incomes, invested in seniors care and team-based health care, tacked the opioid crisis, hired 3,800 more teachers, improved benefits for those on social assistance, and made the largest investment in affordable child care in B.C.’s history. Our child-care fee reduction benefits all families with children in licensed care while our affordable child-care benefit provides up to $1,250 per month for families earning up to $45,000 and up to $910 per month for those earning as much as $80,000 a year. Middle-class British Columbians tell me they are seeing the difference in their pocket books and they have hope for the first time they will be able to get ahead. Our government is also strongly committed to tackling the housing crisis across the urban centres of our province. We have made the largest investment in housing supply in B.C. history  along with targeted tax changes to help moderate demand. These are actions that academics, advocates, municipalities and the public have called for so people can afford to live and work in their own province. These measures are strongly supported in poll after poll by the vast majority of British Columbians. We are moving forward with a bold, new speculation tax targeting non-resident owners, satellite families, and those with homes sitting empty in B.C.’s hottest housing markets. We are increasing the progressivity in the school tax by asking the top two per cent, those that have benefitted most from skyrocketing housing prices, to pay a little bit more on the value of homes over $3 million. Not only does this help fund the services that people rely on, but it will help to moderate the market so that middle-class families can afford a place to call home. Our government is taking exactly the kind of bold action needed after 16 years of neglect from the last government. Our actions support the middle class and they support our economy. Our government will continue to work hard to deliver on our commitments to British Columbians. — Carole James. B.C. Minister of Finance, Victoria