Vancouver, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on B.C. Premier David Eby to make three New Year’s resolutions: pay down the provincial debt, axe the second provincial carbon tax and end the ICBC monopoly. 

“Now is the time for Eby’s government to show that it is taking the rising cost of living seriously,” said Carson Binda, the CTF’s B.C. Director. “With the province going into 2023 with a $5.7 billion surplus, now is the time to cut taxes, pay down the provincial debt and end the fleecing of British Columbians by ICBC bureaucrats.”

The CTF is calling on Eby to make three important resolutions:

• Eby should pay down the provincial debt, which currently stands at more than $97 billion.

• Eby should axe the second provincial carbon tax paid by British Columbians, costing drivers an additional 17 cents per litre of gasoline and an extra 19 cents per litre of diesel.

• Eby should end the ICBC monopoly which burns hundreds of millions of dollars without providing British Columbians the ability to shop around to find their own affordable insurance options. 

“B.C. families are paying the highest fuel taxes in North America, and despite sky high taxes, our carbon emissions keep going up,” said Binda. “Families shouldn’t be punished for driving themselves to work or taking their kids to school.” 

The rising cost of living is also a key rationale for Eby’s second resolution. 

“With the provincial debt standing at more than $97 billion, every British Columbian owes around $18,500 towards the provincial debt,” said Binda. “The debt grows every day because of interest payments. Interest payments this year equate to the starting salary of more than 41,000 nurses.”

The ICBC monopoly is contributing to a rising cost of living for British Columbians. This year, ICBC spent $173 million more on overhead, red tape and bureaucracy than they did on injury claim payouts. 

“The sole reason that people buy automotive insurance is so they can receive support if they suffer life changing injuries from a car crash”, said Binda. “ICBC is a dumpster fire that burns billions of taxpayer dollars without providing the level of service or quality of care that British Columbians expect. Taxpayers deserve the right to shop around for whatever auto insurance suits their needs.”
 

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For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact:

Carson Binda 

CTF British Columbia Director

Cell: 604.719.1677

Email: [email protected]  

Twitter: @BindaCarson