Victoria: The BC Liberals are continuing to raise serious concerns about the NDP’s complete lack of a plan for economic recovery and job growth as they enter their fourth year in power. Despite the staggering economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NDP still has no plan to get B.C. back on its feet.

“The NDP has never articulated a plan to grow the economy and now, even as we cope with the biggest financial catastrophe in B.C.’s history, they’re adrift without a plan,” said Stephanie Cadieux, BC Liberal Co-Critic for Finance and Surrey South MLA. “The Finance Minister is projecting a $12.5 billion deficit — the largest in B.C.’s history and the unemployment rate is sitting above 13 per cent. It is time to see real action from this government so that the current dire economic situation does not become cemented as the base for the new normal.”

Instead of spending the last four months developing a strategy for economic recovery, the NDP announced in June that they will be conducting a six-week survey. John Horgan continues to procrastinate while household incomes are projected to fall by approximately 3.9 per cent this year and B.C. is currently third-last compared with other provinces at recovering jobs lost during the pandemic.

“The Finance Minister told British Columbians that B.C. is facing the worst economic downturn in recent history and yet the government has ignored the need for a comprehensive economic recovery plan to address the significant economic repercussions of the pandemic,” concluded Shirley Bond, BC Liberal Finance Co-Critic and MLA for Prince George-Valemount. “After three years in power, the NDP can no longer rely on the positive economic legacy of the previous BC Liberal government and must act immediately to rebuild our economy and boost consumer and business confidence. That is what British Columbians need and deserve.”