VICTORIA - The so-called theme budgets introduced in recent years by the B.C. government show signs of political vision and weakness, say critics and supporters.
Finance Minister Carole Taylor was quick to mention last Tuesday when she introduced the latest B.C. budget that this was the Liberal government's fourth consecutive balanced budget.
It was also her third budget with a set theme.
The Opposition says the government is using its budgets as public relations tools to respond to whatever issue happens to flare up.
After years of having the single-minded goal of eliminating the deficit, British Columbians want to see how governments are using their surplus dollars, said Allan Tupper, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia.
But he said governments open themselves up to criticism when they use those dollars to make vision statements.
"Housing, health care and various dimensions of social policy are very intertwined," said Tupper. "People see it for what it is.
Taylor said during this year's budget speech that housing is an issue that grips everybody in British Columbia from the homeless to homeowners.
Last year's budget focused on children and a mini-budget shortly after the Liberal government's re-election in 2005 centred on seniors.
This year, Taylor's budget included a $2 billion housing plan to find immediate shelter for the homeless, upgrade social housing for seniors and save first-time homebuyers up to $5,500 in taxes.
The plan also came with a 10 per cent tax cut, which Taylor said was the government's way of putting more money in the pockets of all homeowners.
New Democrat Leader Carole James said Taylor's theme budgets appear to be government reactions to what she called political "pressure points."
"What I've seen is there's a pattern here with this premier and this government, which is that everything that they are doing now has become a public relations exercise instead of good government," James said.
This year's housing theme came after protests by homeless groups across British Columbia, she said. Even municipal politicians in Liberal strongholds like Kelowna called on Premier Gordon Campbell to raise welfare rates to get the homeless off the streets.
The children's budget of 2006 was a reaction to the government's mishandling of children's death files and a coroner's inquest into the death of 19-month-old Sherry Charlie, she said.
The seniors budget of 2005 was tabled after senior citizens protested government health and service cuts, James said.
"Seniors still haven't been well-served since that budget," said James. "One in four kids lives in poverty in B.C. Those are shameful statistics. They came after the premier said he had a children's budget."
But government officials say the government hasn't dropped those topics as it moves ahead with other priorities, like the housing issue addressed in this year's budget and the environment as addressed in this year's throne speech.
Childcare Minister Linda Reid says the government has provided $93 million in this year's budget for children and youth at risk.
The children's budget of 2006 saw the government earmark $421 million over four years to help vulnerable children and families by offering more counselling, hiring more social workers and increasing support for foster parents and families, she said.
Reid said the children's budget was not a one-shot plan.
"Vulnerable families are the priority of this administration," she said.
Ida Chong, the minister responsible for senior's issues, said British Columbia's aging population forces the government to continue to focus on senior citizens.
The government contributed $242 million to seniors programs in its 2005 mini budget. It included increased monthly payments, help with rents and more programs.
The government has been working with municipalities across the province to increase home and recreation opportunities for seniors, she said.
