B.C. Liberals Take From Charities To Make Up For Budget Lie
VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberals are dipping into funds earmarked for community groups, charities and non-profit to cover up their budget lie, New Democrat social development critic Shane Simpson said today. Simpson was responding to the revelation that gaming grants have been cut by $77 million.
Shane Simpson
“The B.C. Liberals should not be taking gaming dollars earmarked for charity and funneling them into government coffers,” said Simpson. “By relying on gaming revenues to backstop Liberal cuts to other services, the B.C. Liberals are making community groups pay for the premier’s budget lie.”
The B.C. Liberal government confirmed late yesterday that CommunityLINK, which provides meals and support to school children at-risk, will now be forced to rely on gaming revenues rather than direct government funding. The government has confirmed that, as a result, funding from gaming revenues for community groups will be slashed by almost 50 per cent.
In addition to be removed from core government funding, the CommunityLINK program is being cut by almost $2 million this year, despite increased need.
“Under the B.C. Liberals we have had the worst rate of child poverty in Canada for over five years. To now slash funding to community groups that support those children and their families while also cutting money for inner city schools’ services like lunch programs puts the lie to any claims by the Liberals that they care about our most vulnerable citizens,” said Simpson.
Spencer Herbert“Last year, 6,800 groups relied on $156 million in gaming grants to deliver a wide range of services, from cultural programs to hospice care to sports camps. This year, they will have $77 million less to share among them,” said New Democrat arts critic Spencer Herbert .
“The government promised arts and cultural groups before the election their funding was secure this year. Now thousands of community charities across the province are going to see their grants reduced or eliminated as the government claws back funding to cover up for the B.C. Liberals’ budget betrayal,” said Herbert.
Carole James and the New Democrats have been holding the B.C. Liberals accountable for breaking their word on the HST, and for backtracking on their election promises to protect health care, education, and other vital services.
