British Columbia’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services recently released its report on the Budget 2023 consultation today with 216 recommendations for the next provincial budget.

The report provides a comprehensive summary of the priorities, concerns and ideas shared by British Columbians across a range of areas with many highlighting climate change mitigation and resiliency, access to health care, and the need to address the rising cost of living as key themes.

To address these areas, committee members emphasize the need for improved data collection and accountability to ensure better decision-making that is rooted in reconciliation, equity, and inclusion.

“During the consultation, we heard about the effects of climate change with respect to natural disasters, food security and supply-chain challenges,” said Janet Routledge (Burnaby North MLA), committee chair. “The committee recognizes that the next budget is an opportunity to invest in climate mitigation to improve resiliency, particularly with respect to transportation infrastructure and agriculture.”

Karin Kirkpatrick (West Vancouver-Capilano MLA), deputy chair, said: “British Columbians shared their concerns regarding the rising cost of living and shared recommendations to increase affordability and improve access to housing and health care throughout the province. We also heard that inclusion, cultural responsiveness, and local needs must be considered when addressing these challenges.”

The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services is one of 10 permanent parliamentary committees established to undertake work on behalf of the legislative assembly.

The committee, currently made up of MLAs from government and the official Opposition, holds an annual public consultation to hear from British Columbians about their ideas and priorities for the next provincial budget.

This year, the committee’s consultation began on May 30, coinciding with the release of the Budget 2023 Consultation Paper by the Minister of Finance, and concluded on June 24. The committee heard 306 presentations and received 372 written submissions in addition to 861 responses to the online survey.

The members of the committee are:

* Janet Routledge, MLA, Burnaby North (chair);

* Karin Kirkpatrick, MLA, West Vancouver-Capilano (deputy chair);

* Brenda Bailey, MLA, Vancouver-False Creek;

* Megan Dykeman, MLA, Langley East;

* Renee Merrifield, MLA, Kelowna-Mission;

* Harwinder Sandhu, MLA, Vernon-Monashee;

* Mike Starchuk, MLA, Surrey-Cloverdale;

* Ben Stewart, MLA, Kelowna West; and

* Henry Yao, MLA, Richmond South Centre

Read the report.

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