Redeye
Redeye
Redeye Collective
BC budget 2026: Hidden austerity, tax increases and service cuts
15 minutes Posted Feb 22, 2026 at 12:51 am.
0:00
15:33
Download MP3
Show notes
British Columbia's Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said that the budget she brought down on Tuesday wasn't an austerity budget.  However, key spending areas have been given very small budget increases spread over the three-year fiscal plan, which will mean real cuts to services. In addition, the B.C. government's tax increases will hit low- to moderate income households. In their analysis released Tuesday, Marc Lee and Andrew Longhurst say the budget lays a financial burden on the poorest in BC. Marc Lee is an economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He joins me today to talk about this week's provincial budget.