Dear Editor,
Despite raising taxes by $5.5 billion since taking office, the NDP’s most recent budget offers little for Langley residents.
While the NDP preaches affordability, their long list of taxes is clearly costing Langley residents. A higher carbon tax that’s no longer revenue neutral means everyone will pay more to drive their cars and – in the middle of a cold snap – heat their homes. And this is just one of the 19 new and increased taxes the NDP has piled onto British Columbians.
The NDP will raise a whopping $6 billion over the next three years through the carbon tax alone, but only 15 per cent of this money will go towards green initiatives. To make matters worse, government has hiked gas taxes in the Lower Mainland – meaning this year, fuel taxes will reach more than 51 cents per litre.
We are also concerned that this budget doesn’t contain any money to widen Highway 1 – a top priority throughout the Fraser Valley. The former BC Liberal government committed to this work, but since the NDP took office nearly two years ago, this project has been at a standstill.
For years, Fraser Valley families, commuters, and visitors have been stuck idling on Highway 1 as traffic has increased far beyond the highway’s current capacity. Our former government recognized everyone benefits from safer and more efficient transportation, which is why we committing to expanding the highway to six lanes. But while the NDP government continues to rake in taxpayer money, they don’t have much to show for it in this budget.
Langley MLA Mary Polak and Langley East MLA Rich Coleman
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