Our Jordan Bateman gives you the heads-up on two more surveys showing how cash-strapped people are, how the feds just blew billions of your tax dollars, and how the BC government’s dilly-dallying just cost taxpayers $1 billion and patients three years.
For links to sources, visit www.icbaindependent.ca. We can’t post media links here because of the Trudeau Government’s foolish Online News Act. 🙄
💸 Two surveys out today, and both show just how concerning the affordability crisis is becoming. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation talked to 4,000 homeowners, and a full quarter of them reported they are having trouble making their mortgage payments, due to interest rate hikes and inflation. Said the CMHC survey firm: “A significant proportion of mortgage consumers are struggling to make ends meet and fulfill their debt obligations, especially those under 35.” Meanwhile, Research Co. surveyed British Columbian parents, and 57% said they are finding it difficult or impossible to make ends meet financially – up 17 points from February 2022. Affordability has become the critical issue today.
🪫 Canada’s parliamentary budget officer has examined the $28.2 billion cash the federal and Ontario Governments have given two foreign companies to subsidize production at electric-vehicle battery plants through the end of 2032. When announced, Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Ford claimed the money would be recouped by government within 5 years. The budget officer says, no way! He sets the breakeven at 20 years – a worrisome length of time in an industry that sees a lot of innovation and technological advancement. Crazy fact: this subsidy was more than twice the amount Prime Minister Stephen Harper spent to save the Ontario auto industry in 2009 – and almost all of that was paid back within a decade.
🏥 The BC NDP Government have been promising a new hospital in Surrey forever, and after six years in power, they finally got around to a reannouncement of a reannouncement of an announcement. One problem: the delay has cost taxpayers dearly. Last year, they said the hospital would cost $1.72 billion and be open in 2027. Yesterday, they broke ground, and said it will be $2.89 billion and open in 2030! Health Minister Adrian Dix claims they’re “building a model of the future”, but for the sake of sick patients and beleaguered taxpayers, let’s hope this model of more money for later outcomes, is NOT the model of the future!
