If you are looking for reliable numbers on the provinces fiscal health and commitment to the environment don’t look to the BC Budget. That is the message from BC Watchdog group Dogwood Initiative.

“We first noticed the budget discrepancies in the government subsidies to the oil and gas industry.” said Will Horter, Dogwood Initiative’s Executive Director. “The largest line item in the february Budget, $237 million in credits for marginal producers, simply disappeared.”

Investigation of other expenditures related to the environment revealed similar problems with how the government tallied the numbers. Comparisons between the government’s stated actual expenditure for 2008 reveal significant discrepancies between what was reported in February and this budget.
Sample discrepancies: ($ 000)

 

Feb 2009 Budget
2008 Actual

Sept 2009 Update
2008 Actual

% difference

Environmental Stewardship

40,601

34,714

14.50%

Water Stewardship

63,878

14,925

76.63%

Environmental Protection

13,075

7,468

42.88%

“The Budget is supposed to provide a clear roadmap. Instead the government is throwing mud in our eyes,” said Horter