Taking a look at the costs, size, and scope of government in BC

The Labour Day weekend is over, and Fall has now UN-officially begun as the kids head back for another year of school (as long as we do not have a strike in the near future). 

I have also now begun week number two in the return of my Conservative Thoughts blog, and today I am going to take a brief look at the costs, size, and scope of government --- and some things that perhaps we can consider in making government more streamlined and effective.

From the BC Conservative Party Draft Policy document:

The budget of the Province has risen from approximately $29 Billion in 2001 to approximately $42 Billion in 2011-2012 … and the current budget is divided approximately 40% for core Government Ministries and 60% for broader public services.

The number of Government Ministries, Crown Corporations, Boards, Tribunals, Commissions, Councils and other entities in British Columbia now functioning is approximately 320 in number. This estimate does not include the approximately 175 local governments and regional districts the Province provides funding to, nor does it include the breakdown for Regional Health Centers, Community Hospitals and special treatment centers, etc.

The approximate broad division of current budget funding breaks down by categories as follows:

• Health - $17.5 Billion or 42%.

• Education - $11.3 Billion or 27%.

• Social Services - $3.4 Billion or 8%.

• All Others - 9.78 Billion or 23%.

The approximate debt of British Columbia in 2001 was $34.6 Billion.  It is now forecast to reach $53.4 Billion in 2011/12, $57.6 Billion in 2012/13 and $60.4 Billion in 2013/14.

I have written many times in my blog, in media releases, and in Letters to the Editor that government cannot continue as it has for the past decade under the BC Liberals --- and the decade before that under the NDP.  In fact … I became well aware we could not continue the way we were when I ran as a candidate for the BC Reform Party in 1996.

That said, I am delighted with some of the DRAFT policy ideas that have been proposed, and put together, by hundreds of members from the BC Conservative Party over the past several months --- and which I am certain will be approved by the membership in Nanaimo later this month at the parties AGM.

What are some of the financial and economic policies being proposed???  Well they include the following:

Review the purposes, budgets and structures of all existing Government entities to both assess their need and requirement for the good government of the citizens of British Columbia; to eliminate duplication, waste and red tape, and to determine whether such services would be best delivered by the public or private sectors.

• Given the fact there are nearly 500 of them, and most people would have a hard time even thinking of the names of a dozen or so, this is certainly something that is long overdue.

Introduce a zero-based budgeting program on a case-by-case basis including all government departments, Crown Corporations and any other organizations owned, controlled or supported by the Government of British Columbia.

• How many times have we heard of government departments and agencies having spending sprees at the end of the year to ensure their budget is totally exhausted?  This is waste pure and simple; bottom up budgeting will ensure the most important functions of government and outside agencies funded by them, receive the funding they require first, with allowance for some of the extras as government revenues allow.

Introduce, where appropriate, multi-year budgeting and funding to enable Government to effectively plan and transform services to achieve greater         efficiencies, effectiveness, and streamlining of services to citizens, and refining of internal services to improve information sharing, decision-making support and transparency.

• Government ministries do not take a look at the long-term because the focus is always on the here and now.  How can we know if the projects being implemented are getting the results when often it will take multiple years of a plan?  Multi-year budgeting will allow for the opportunity to project outcomes along the way, and more importantly show how larger expenditures of revenues at the start of program can result in long term savings.  This is especially important in healthy and social services ministries where more and more we are headed to re-active solutions rather than looking to long term pro-active solutions and outcomes.

Establish an independent review to determine the compensation, pension, and severance packages of elected and appointed governmental officials, including officers and senior personnel of Crown Corporations and any other organizations owned, controlled or supported by the Government of British Columbia.

• Given the salary, and multiple pensions, of BC Ferries boss David Hahn --- and many other top executives in government and crown corporations (many making a half million a year and more) this should come as no surprise.  Another proposed policy says that salaries and expenses of MLA’s, Cabinet Ministers and all Senior Officials of the government are made public annually and easily accessible to all British Columbians – makes sense to me

Establish target dates for Throne Speeches, Budget Announcements, and Legislative Sessions.

• Again who would not agree with the sensibility of this one – and if so, why?

Enact legislation relating to political donations to registered British Columbia political parties, limiting such donations to those received only from individuals and banning donations from corporations, unions and all other similar entities.

• If people support the political parties they should be the ones financing them --- NOT unions or corporations.  This kind of policy should have been in place years ago and only makes sense.  I personally believe that there should also be a cap on the total amount being donated by an individual.

Well those are just a few of the issues that BC Conservatives will be looking at and discussing when they meet in Nanaimo on September 24^th for their AGM and policy meeting.

John Cummins and the BC Conservatives having been saying for some time now that its’ polices will be developed from the ground up, and that they will contain the common sense ideas of everyday people.  It looks to me like a good start is underway.

In Kamloops, I’m Alan Forseth, and those are the thoughts of one conservative.