The BC government has brought in sweeping and deep cuts to public services and programs that affect all British Columbians.
Seniors
•Cuts in services to isolated seniors
•Cancellation of 10,000 surgeries last year
•Raising residential care rates
•Increase in long-term care rates to highest level in Canada, made worse by inadequate levels of home support
•HST: $800–$1,000 increase in out-of-pocket costs per year
•the HST will disproportionately impact fixed income earners
Education (K–12)
•Public schools hard hit in 2009-10
‣ $157 million shortfall in provincial block funding, after accounting for declining enrolment
‣ Unanticipated loss of $110 million Annual Facility Grant (AFG) deepens funding crisis
‣ Cuts to PAC, BC School Sports programs
‣ More classes exceeding class limits
‣ Fewer special education teachers
•Looming crisis for 2010-11
‣ Anticipated impact before Budget 2010 announcement:
✴ major cuts to programs and services
✴ 49 schools threatened with closure or restructuring
✴ potential for massive teacher and support staff layoffs
•Will Budget 2010 make a difference?
‣ 33 districts receive no funding increase for 2010-11
‣ Only half of $110M Annual Facilities Grant funding restored
Post-Secondary Education
• 28% reduction in student support programs since 2009
• Tuition fees are at highest level on record
• Grant program eliminated
• BC has highest student loan interest rate in Canada
• Per student funding has decreased nearly every year under BC Liberals
• BC ranks last in Canada for non-repayable student aid
• Tax shift: students collectively pay more in fees than government collects in corporate income tax
Health Care
• since 2001 B.C. has fallen from 2nd to 8th place among Canadian provinces in per capita support for health care
• Medical Services Plan premiums increased January 1, 2010 and will go up again on January 1, 2011
• Budget increases to health authorities this year will barely cover the $360 million in service cuts health authorities were forced to make last year
• Staffing cuts have resulted in higher workloads, declining service levels and higher injury rates for health care workers
• Health authorities are fast-tracking plans for massive restructuring of services in order to cut costs and possibly privatize services in the future
• Cuts to surgeries, diagnostic and rehabilitation services and closures of operating rooms throughout the province
• Cuts to community outreach and support services and the slashing of funding to community-based health organizations
• Hundreds of health care workers being laid off or displaced at a time when the demand for highly-skilled healthcare workers has never been greater
Mental Health
• No money in 2010 BC budget to implement the anticipated mental health plan
• Layoff of front line addictions counsellors, closure of mental health group homes
Community Health
• Purpose Society’s HIV and Hepatitis C Support program budget was cut from $160,000 to $68,060
• Other programs keep people alive by providing for their basic needs such as access to showers, laundry, food and medical services
• The services reduce the number of visits to emergency rooms, policing, and incarceration
• Front-line organizations, such as AIDS Vancouver, have been forced to downsize
Women
• $26 million cuts to income assistance schemes in BC particularly impact women as poverty is widespread among women
• Low income assistance rates in BC force many women to stay with abusive men
• Cuts to social services means rape crisis centers continues to have no operational funding
• Services, such as transition houses, are often forced take on more than their mandate therefore battered women get less help
• $2 million cut in 2009 and $1 million cut in 2010 to legal aid denies low-income women access to legal representation and legal services
First Nations
• The 2010 budget shows a small decrease for Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and a planned decrease of over 40%
• “Union of BC Indian Chiefs strongly opposes implementation of the HST because it stands to increase the poverty of our people and of all poor British Columbians, and because there
was no consultation with BC First Nations on implementation of the new tax regime.”
Arts and Culture
•the BC Liberals have cut over 50% to the BC Arts Council and to grants for the arts through Gaming funds
• As a direct result, doors will close, individuals will lose jobs and communities across the province will have reduced access to facilities and programs
Persons with Disabilities
• Cuts affecting low-income families, welfare recipients, and persons with disabilities on income assistance include:
‣ reduced dental care, less frequent visits
‣ nutritional supplements, and
‣ disallowed medical services and supplies
• Community Living BC will likely see a $20 million reduction in funding for services and supports for adults with disabilities
Children and Families
• $2.5M cut in funding, half of the previous annual commitment, to Success By 6 for this fiscal year, and that they will no longer continue funding this initiative beyond 2011
• Special needs assessment staff in Fraser Health cut. Assessments of children will have to be done at Sunnyhill Hospital in Vancouver
• Coquitlam’s Family Education Support Services program, run by Simon Fraser Society for Community Living, cut as of June 30/10; decision by Tri-Cities ECD Funding Committee
• Autism: BC’s Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention programs were cut
• Thousands more children with special needs are denied access to critical early intervention supports
• also closed or cut are provincial coordinators for Infant Development, Supported Child Care and Aboriginal Supported Child Care, Roots of Empathy program, FASD prevention, child and youth mental health
• $32 million cut from Ministry administration
• Claw backs resulted in a loss of supported child care access and longer wait-lists or denial of services
• Cuts for 2010-11: MCFD is cutting a further $7 million for the coming fiscal year concentrated in early years, youth services
• The Child in the Home of a Relative program is ending this month, and will morph into an Extended Family Program that has some enhanced benefits, but some who were eligible for CIHR will lose out in this new program
• Further cuts to Legal Aid will reduce what remained of access to help with poverty law issues and decimate low income women’s access to legal representation in family matters
•BC has the highest child poverty rate in Canada six years running
Childcare
•$88,000 funding cut to Options Surrey Community Services Society for their Mobile Child Care Service resulting in the closure of the service effective May 31, 2010 and a loss of 350 hours of childminding per week for the communities of Surrey, Delta and White Rock
•There are only enough regulated child care spaces for 15% of children under 12 in BC
•Wait times for licensed child care are years long
• After housing, child care is the second highest cost facing BC families. A Vancouver family with a 4 year-old and a 2 year-old in full-time child care will pay $23,700 annually in fees—if they can find a space
Environment
•Since the so-called “Green Budget”, Ministry of the Environment has had its budget cut by 21.8%
• Budget 2010:
‣ Climate Action Secretariat cut 55.6%
‣ Environmental Stewardship cut 17.4%
‣ Water Stewardship cut 18.3%
‣ Compliance cut 17.5%
•Sierra Club’s award winning in-school environmental education program lost $75,000 from gaming funds which has resulted in the cancellation of the program for grades 1–5
•Cuts to parks funding may result in park closures and have already meant reductions and elimination of important programs like interpretive services (parks and protected
areas saw funding drop by $2.3 million last September)
• Elimination of conservation officers and severely constrained travel budgets means a high hectare per Conservation Officer ratio that protection of wildlife is compromised
•Cuts to environment ministry last September saw the Environmental Stewardship division—which includes protection of BC’s 2,000 species at risk, fish and wildlife habitat, and air and water—sliced by almost $4 million
Housing
•The 2010 budget for housing decreased by 3% from the 2009
•This follows 16% cut in 2008
Employment Assistance
•In 2009 the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal was cut by 17%
•Appeals increased by 46% in 2009
Forestry
•Ministry has lost 23% of its operating funding
•41.8% cut to Compliance and Enforcement
•26.9% cut to Forest and Range Resource Management
•The area responsible for the development of new markets and product, Pricing and Selling Timber, was cut by 24.7%
•Continued reductions in Ministry of Forests staff (~10%) put research and implementation regarding ecosystem based forest management at risk and make attempts to ensure that forestry regulations are followed all but impossible
Literacy
•Public Libraries: 2009 cuts not restored, 2010 budget remains unchanged
•This affects all libraries, but will have a greater impact on small communities. Library hours will be reduced, some may close, and job losses are assured
•Post-secondary literacy co-ordinators cut in summer 2009
Legal Aid
•Family, civil, poverty and criminal law services have been reduced or cut entirely, leaving only the bare minimum covered
•The number of legal aid staff has been cut from more than 400 down to about 150
•The BC Liberals have cut $22.4 million from the legal aid system since 2002
•More than 20 regional legal aid centres have been closed
Trades Training
•Eliminated shared responsibility or stakeholder involvement
•Eliminated compulsory trades
•Created a highly centralized system with no regional access
•Lack of appropriate funding, affordability and access to programs
•Inconsistent accreditation standards
•this has led to low completion rates
Government Employees
•Feb. 2009: government announces wage freeze for public sector
•Sept. 2009: 1,500 jobs cut over the next three years
•March 2010: promised additional 11% cut to public service over the next four years (over 4,000 jobs)
Employment Standards
• Lowest minimum wage in Canada frozen at $8 since 2001
The Cuts
The BC government has brought in sweeping and deep cuts to public services and programs that affect all British Columbians.
Seniors
•Cuts in services to isolated seniors
•Cancellation of 10,000 surgeries last year
•Raising residential care rates
•Increase in long-term care rates to highest level in Canada, made worse by inadequate levels of home support
•HST: $800–$1,000 increase in out-of-pocket costs per year
•the HST will disproportionately impact fixed income earners
Education (K–12)
•Public schools hard hit in 2009-10
‣ $157 million shortfall in provincial block funding, after accounting for declining enrolment
‣ Unanticipated loss of $110 million Annual Facility Grant (AFG) deepens funding crisis
‣ Cuts to PAC, BC School Sports programs
‣ More classes exceeding class limits
‣ Fewer special education teachers
•Looming crisis for 2010-11
‣ Anticipated impact before Budget 2010 announcement:
✴ major cuts to programs and services
✴ 49 schools threatened with closure or restructuring
✴ potential for massive teacher and support staff layoffs
•Will Budget 2010 make a difference?
‣ 33 districts receive no funding increase for 2010-11
‣ Only half of $110M Annual Facilities Grant funding restored
Post-Secondary Education
• 28% reduction in student support programs since 2009
• Tuition fees are at highest level on record
• Grant program eliminated
• BC has highest student loan interest rate in Canada
• Per student funding has decreased nearly every year under BC Liberals
• BC ranks last in Canada for non-repayable student aid
• Tax shift: students collectively pay more in fees than government collects in corporate income tax
Health Care
• since 2001 B.C. has fallen from 2nd to 8th place among Canadian provinces in per capita support for health care
• Medical Services Plan premiums increased January 1, 2010 and will go up again on January 1, 2011
• Budget increases to health authorities this year will barely cover the $360 million in service cuts health authorities were forced to make last year
• Staffing cuts have resulted in higher workloads, declining service levels and higher injury rates for health care workers
• Health authorities are fast-tracking plans for massive restructuring of services in order to cut costs and possibly privatize services in the future
• Cuts to surgeries, diagnostic and rehabilitation services and closures of operating rooms throughout the province
• Cuts to community outreach and support services and the slashing of funding to community-based health organizations
• Hundreds of health care workers being laid off or displaced at a time when the demand for highly-skilled healthcare workers has never been greater
Mental Health
• No money in 2010 BC budget to implement the anticipated mental health plan
• Layoff of front line addictions counsellors, closure of mental health group homes
Community Health
• Purpose Society’s HIV and Hepatitis C Support program budget was cut from $160,000 to $68,060
• Other programs keep people alive by providing for their basic needs such as access to showers, laundry, food and medical services
• The services reduce the number of visits to emergency rooms, policing, and incarceration
• Front-line organizations, such as AIDS Vancouver, have been forced to downsize
Women
• $26 million cuts to income assistance schemes in BC particularly impact women as poverty is widespread among women
• Low income assistance rates in BC force many women to stay with abusive men
• Cuts to social services means rape crisis centers continues to have no operational funding
• Services, such as transition houses, are often forced take on more than their mandate therefore battered women get less help
• $2 million cut in 2009 and $1 million cut in 2010 to legal aid denies low-income women access to legal representation and legal services
First Nations
• The 2010 budget shows a small decrease for Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and a planned decrease of over 40%
• “Union of BC Indian Chiefs strongly opposes implementation of the HST because it stands to increase the poverty of our people and of all poor British Columbians, and because there
was no consultation with BC First Nations on implementation of the new tax regime.”
Arts and Culture
•the BC Liberals have cut over 50% to the BC Arts Council and to grants for the arts through Gaming funds
• As a direct result, doors will close, individuals will lose jobs and communities across the province will have reduced access to facilities and programs
Persons with Disabilities
• Cuts affecting low-income families, welfare recipients, and persons with disabilities on income assistance include:
‣ reduced dental care, less frequent visits
‣ nutritional supplements, and
‣ disallowed medical services and supplies
• Community Living BC will likely see a $20 million reduction in funding for services and supports for adults with disabilities
Children and Families
• $2.5M cut in funding, half of the previous annual commitment, to Success By 6 for this fiscal year, and that they will no longer continue funding this initiative beyond 2011
• Special needs assessment staff in Fraser Health cut. Assessments of children will have to be done at Sunnyhill Hospital in Vancouver
• Coquitlam’s Family Education Support Services program, run by Simon Fraser Society for Community Living, cut as of June 30/10; decision by Tri-Cities ECD Funding Committee
• Autism: BC’s Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention programs were cut
• Thousands more children with special needs are denied access to critical early intervention supports
• also closed or cut are provincial coordinators for Infant Development, Supported Child Care and Aboriginal Supported Child Care, Roots of Empathy program, FASD prevention, child and youth mental health
• $32 million cut from Ministry administration
• Claw backs resulted in a loss of supported child care access and longer wait-lists or denial of services
• Cuts for 2010-11: MCFD is cutting a further $7 million for the coming fiscal year concentrated in early years, youth services
• The Child in the Home of a Relative program is ending this month, and will morph into an Extended Family Program that has some enhanced benefits, but some who were eligible for CIHR will lose out in this new program
• Further cuts to Legal Aid will reduce what remained of access to help with poverty law issues and decimate low income women’s access to legal representation in family matters
•BC has the highest child poverty rate in Canada six years running
Childcare
•$88,000 funding cut to Options Surrey Community Services Society for their Mobile Child Care Service resulting in the closure of the service effective May 31, 2010 and a loss of 350 hours of childminding per week for the communities of Surrey, Delta and White Rock
•There are only enough regulated child care spaces for 15% of children under 12 in BC
•Wait times for licensed child care are years long
• After housing, child care is the second highest cost facing BC families. A Vancouver family with a 4 year-old and a 2 year-old in full-time child care will pay $23,700 annually in fees—if they can find a space
Environment
•Since the so-called “Green Budget”, Ministry of the Environment has had its budget cut by 21.8%
• Budget 2010:
‣ Climate Action Secretariat cut 55.6%
‣ Environmental Stewardship cut 17.4%
‣ Water Stewardship cut 18.3%
‣ Compliance cut 17.5%
•Sierra Club’s award winning in-school environmental education program lost $75,000 from gaming funds which has resulted in the cancellation of the program for grades 1–5
•Cuts to parks funding may result in park closures and have already meant reductions and elimination of important programs like interpretive services (parks and protected
areas saw funding drop by $2.3 million last September)
• Elimination of conservation officers and severely constrained travel budgets means a high hectare per Conservation Officer ratio that protection of wildlife is compromised
•Cuts to environment ministry last September saw the Environmental Stewardship division—which includes protection of BC’s 2,000 species at risk, fish and wildlife habitat, and air and water—sliced by almost $4 million
Housing
•The 2010 budget for housing decreased by 3% from the 2009
•This follows 16% cut in 2008
Employment Assistance
•In 2009 the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal was cut by 17%
•Appeals increased by 46% in 2009
Forestry
•Ministry has lost 23% of its operating funding
•41.8% cut to Compliance and Enforcement
•26.9% cut to Forest and Range Resource Management
•The area responsible for the development of new markets and product, Pricing and Selling Timber, was cut by 24.7%
•Continued reductions in Ministry of Forests staff (~10%) put research and implementation regarding ecosystem based forest management at risk and make attempts to ensure that forestry regulations are followed all but impossible
Literacy
•Public Libraries: 2009 cuts not restored, 2010 budget remains unchanged
•This affects all libraries, but will have a greater impact on small communities. Library hours will be reduced, some may close, and job losses are assured
•Post-secondary literacy co-ordinators cut in summer 2009
Legal Aid
•Family, civil, poverty and criminal law services have been reduced or cut entirely, leaving only the bare minimum covered
•The number of legal aid staff has been cut from more than 400 down to about 150
•The BC Liberals have cut $22.4 million from the legal aid system since 2002
•More than 20 regional legal aid centres have been closed
Trades Training
•Eliminated shared responsibility or stakeholder involvement
•Eliminated compulsory trades
•Created a highly centralized system with no regional access
•Lack of appropriate funding, affordability and access to programs
•Inconsistent accreditation standards
•this has led to low completion rates
Government Employees
•Feb. 2009: government announces wage freeze for public sector
•Sept. 2009: 1,500 jobs cut over the next three years
•March 2010: promised additional 11% cut to public service over the next four years (over 4,000 jobs)
Employment Standards
• Lowest minimum wage in Canada frozen at $8 since 2001
• $6 “training wage”
• Reduced minimum working age to 12 years-old
• Reduced Employment Standards Act enforcement officers dramatically replaced with “self-help kits”
• Reduced minimum shift from four to two hours