An immediate increase to the lowest minimum wage in the country, a modest increase in corporate taxation, increased investment in education from kindergarten to university, and an end to the mean-spirited program of closing group homes for the developmentally disabled. Those are just a few of the recommendations in CUPE BC’s submission to the pre-budget consultation hearings of the BC Legislature’s standing committee on finance and government services.
“Our recommendations are neither radical nor overly ambitious in this time of challenging economic circumstances,” said Barry O’Neill, president of CUPE BC. “We believe that any responsible government that truly represents the people it governs would take the approach we’re recommending. It’s a sensible balance of restoring much-needed services for the most vulnerable people in our society, committing adequate resources to one of the world’s best education systems, and ensuring that everyone has a chance to succeed.”
The committee has concluded its public hearings and will issue its final report on November 15.
