Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier
Government of British Columbia
PO BOX 9041 STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC V8W9E1

28 August 2009

Premier Campbell,

The MS Society of Canada appreciates that the BC Government finds itself beginning its 39th session in the midst of the most serious recession BC has faced in almost two decades. No doubt, these challenging times will be taken into account as service plans for each Ministry are reviewed.

Leading up to revised 2009 budget to be tabled on September 1st, the MS Society is pleased that the Government intends to focus its efforts to improving BC families' prospects and economic circumstances, while protecting and improving core public services. Specifically, the MS Society supports the Government's commitment to:

• Protect and improve core public services, including health, in part through the $1.6 billion in federal government transition funding.

• Build new housing and new facilities that will provide lasting benefits to seniors, patients, students and communities...[and] encourage affordable market housing in BC.

• Legislate a new residents' bill of rights to set out clear commitments to care and to the rights of residents living at residential care facilities.

Having said this, the MS Society is concerned that the Government's desire for a speedy return to balanced budgets will not only force government agencies and health authorities to cut health-promoting and social assistance programs, but will also substantially decrease the purchasing power of low to middle-income families. Specifically, the MS Society is concerned that:

• Cuts to programs considered to be non-essential, will, in fact, increase BC's already high rates of adult and child poverty and result in higher health care costs over the long-term.

• Funding reductions to health authorities - at the same time they will have their compensation levels and administrative costs reviewed - will create even more severe inequities in the level of health care services that people can access across the province.

• The introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) will significantly reduce the purchasing power of people living with chronic illness and/or disability, by increasing the cost of the service-related resources and health-promoting products they require.

• The introduction of the HST will significantly increase the operational costs of service industry organizations, which will not benefit from the lower costs of inputs that manufacturing and commodity-based organizations will.

• A shift away from investment in post-secondary education will curtail the much needed expansion of medical research and training in BC and will hasten health human resource shortages.

We agree with Canadian Centre for Policy Alternative's position that, "Despite the recession, BC remains one of the wealthiest provinces in Canada. Our provincial government has the capacity to make strategic investments that will increase quality of life for all British Columbians and cushion the blow of the recession to the more vulnerable individuals and families among us. This should be top priority for the September revised budget."1

We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of British Columbia to explore new ways of doing things and to find new savings by doing things differently. We call upon you to engage with a broad range of community stakeholders in order to identify the means by which the Government will mitigate the negative impacts that the revised 2009 budget and the introduction of the HST will have on people facing the daily challenges of living with a chronic illness and/or disability.

Sincerely

Lynn Hunter
Chair, BC & Yukon Division

Janet Palm
President, BC & Yukon Division

c.c.: all Members of the Legislative Assembly

1.Iglika Ivanova. September BC Budget Reality Check. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC Office. Aug 2009.