Dear Editor:
The B.C. Liberal Party was re-elected in 2009 largely on the premise (if not promise) that it was the better manager of the province's finances.
A little over two years later Finance Minister Kevin Falcon reports an expected deficit of $3.1 billion but blames it on the chaotic global economy. The government's message is clear: it isn't our fault.
Yet, there are at least two major budgetary miscalculations that cannot be attributed to international forces.
The first is the outstanding $1.6 billion repayment to the federal government as a result of the HST fiasco.
The second is a $1.5 billion shortfall in the predicted revenues from natural gas sales. That's a total of $3.1 billion. In other words, an amount equal to Falcon's deficit estimate.
That's not coincidental. That's the result of bad judgment.
Bill Brassington, Burnaby
