The BC Government’s Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has set out on their annual pre-budget consultation tour of B.C., hearing from stakeholder groups about what they want to see in the 2016-17 BC Budget. Spoiler alert: most groups want to see a lot more of your money spent.

Many of these causes and ideas are wonderful, but governing is about priorities. Fiscal restraint is absolutely vital. Over the next few weeks, we will post a running tab of the amount of requests this committee receives. Some cost estimates will come from the groups themselves; others will be guestimates.

Your CTF, by the way, is scheduled to present to this committee at 11:50 a.m., Tuesday, October 13, at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel in Surrey. Rest assured we WON’T be asking government to spend more money.

• After 6.5 days, the grand total:  $10,277,925,000 
• NEW! On Day 7A, they received $133,100,000 in requests.
• On Day 6, they received $205,400,000 in requests.
• On Day 5, they received $70,200,000 in requests.
• On Day 4, they received $6,288,000,000 in requests.
• In the second half of their meetings on Day 3, they received $719,425,000 in requests.
• In the first half of their meetings on Day 3, they received $384,500,000 in requests.
• In the second half of their meetings on Day 2, they received $937,500,000 in requests.
• In the first half of their meetings on Day 2, they received $1,234,800,000 in requests.
• On Day 1, the committee had already received $305,000,000 in funding requests.

Here’s the Day 7A breakdown:

Day 7A - Wednesday, Sept. 30, Williams Lake

• The BC Schizophrenia Societies in Williams Lake and Terrace want more funding for respite services and for their society. We’ll put the respite request at $5 million, and the society request at the $600,000 they asked for. Total $5.6 million.
• Mary Miller of Rolla, BC, wants more money to flow back to surface rights holders from energy companies.
• Altentech Power wants more grant money to flow through the ICE and bioenergy network programs. $15 million.
• The Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council wants more money – this was costed in a previous presentation.
• Envision Credit Union wants to keep the credit union tax break. Already costed.
• The Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce wants a more competitive forest industry, better transportation, affordable rail, an expanded university, more health care, progress on land claims, smoother permits, more arts dollars, more grants, better ferries, and a balanced budget. Some of these have been costed elsewhere, but we’ll put this at $50 million for the various new items.
• Northern Lights College wants more funding, specifically on capital items. Let’s say $5 million.
• The Northwest Community College Students Union wants adult basic education restored. Already costed.
• Dawson Creek Literacy Now wants funding for literacy programs. $2.5 million.
• Coastal Invasive Species Committee wants to double funding for invasive weed control. $5 million.
• The Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness wants more funding for social housing. We know the city of Victoria wants $50 million for their plan, so we’ll use that number.
• The Kitimat Child Development Centre wants more funding. Already costed previously.