Tractor-trailer transport traffic tied up a good portion of question period following a presentation on the province’s budget by Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo.
On Thursday, Kyllo provided an overview of the B.C. government’s budget for 2015 to a room of about 30 people at Salmon Arm’s Podollan Inn.
The B.C. Ministry of Finance recently presented its third consecutive balanced budget – not a small feat, said Kyllo, what with the economic downturn from 2009 onward. In doing so, he added, the province has maintained its AAA credit rating.
“The triple A credit rating, what it does is it provides the opportunity for government to borrow money at a reduced interest rate,” said Kyllo.
Regarding the economic outlook for B.C., Kyllo said the province experienced steady growth in 2014, and it is believed this trend will continue.
“We’re not forecasting a huge increase or a huge boom for the economy, but basically, staying fairly close to where our current trend lines are,” said Kyllo, noting the province is targeting an $879 million surplus, which will be used to pay down the province’s $10.2 billion operating debt to $4.8 billion by 2017/18. (Total provincial debt is forecasted to reach $65.9 billion in 2015/16 and $70.4 billion by 2017/18.)
He also touted B.C. as having the lowest personal income taxes in the country, as well as the B.C. government being “mid-pack” in terms of minimum wage.
“We don’t want to have the highest minimum wage in the country, and we certainly don’t want to have the lowest,” said Kyllo. “The increase in September will put us about middle of the pack, $10.45 an hour. As well, we’re putting a process in place to tie it to the CPI, the Consumer Price Index.”
Community Futures Shuswap manager Rob Marshall made a multi-pronged inquiry regarding areas of concern along the Trans-Canada Highway, as well as transportation truck traffic, regulation and inspection.
Kyllo said a significant amount of work has been done to expedite the four-laning of the highway along this corridor, with other projects currently underway, including the replacement of the Malakwa and North Fork bridges. And while a construction date hasn’t yet been announced for the Salmon River Bridge replacement in Salmon Arm, Kyllo said it’s expected to get underway in 2016.
Regarding the frequency of major traffic incidents involving transport-trailers, Kyllo said new technologies are being looked at including drones, as is establishment of a highway accident investigation office in Golden.
As for the trucking industry, Kyllo said a $160 ticket, for driver who fails to take the necessary precautions, spins out and blocks the highway for four hours, isn’t commensurate with impact it’s had on people’s lives or the economy.
Discussion then led to the construction of a connector route that would allow industrial traffic to bypass the Shuswap – something that seemed to have the support of many in the room. Kyllo said there’s no discussion being had on this at the provincial level that he’s aware of. He also cautioned how such a bypass could cripple the local manufacturing sector.