From a letter grade of D as in "disaster"  to qualified support, the provincial government's 2025 provincial budget is drawing a range of responses. 

The budget, tabled Tuesday (March 4), forecasts a deficit of $10.9 billion, almost $2 billion more than the forecast a year ago. B.C.'s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said the budget protects healthcare, education, social services and public safety; grows the economy and offers British Columbians relief through specific measures and gives B.C. the flexibility to respond to U.S. tariffs announced earlier.

But the budget, as announced earlier, did not include a $1,000 grocery rebate, followed by a permanent tax cut, for 90 per cent of households, as promised during the election campaign. 

Conservative Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar told reporters he would give the budget a D.

"It's very uninspiring," he said. "You would think about how much money they are spending and this is the best they could have ... six months after an election? They had a lot of time to think about what they wanted to do post-election and there was really nothing in here ... it wasn't about adding things to what the average person in B.C. needs to try to survive with mounting costs and a potential trade war." 

Speaking after Bailey had tabled the budget in the legislature, Milobar questioned the record-setting deficit against the backdrop of government walking away from key election promises like the promised grocery rebate. 

"(This) government, despite the fact they made campaign promises, has not followed through on any of their campaign promises in this budget," Milobar said. "In fact, the deficit is flat-out not realistic in this budget. It shows why this government has tried using tariffs to walk away from their campaign promises."

Government, in other words, he said, is using the tariffs as an excuse.

"(This) minister and this Premier (David Eby) are trying to convince everybody that this is strictly based, an $11-billion deficit, on the uncertainties around tariffs."

B.C. Green Saanich North and the Islands MLA Rob Botterell said the budget buys B.C. a "bit of time" in responding to the U.S. tariffs. He added the additional supports for housing and other areas "effectively get us through may be eight or nine of 10 months."

But this budget will also add $11 billion to the debt without dealing with the systemic issues facing British Columbia.

"This is an economy that we need to diversify," he said. "We need less reliance on the United States." 

Botterell praised the inclusion of the $4 billion contingency as part of government's response, but also promised that B.C. Greens would hold government accountable when it comes to making B.C.'s economy more green and innovative.

"We need systemic change," he said. "This is a stand-still budget 香蕉视频直播� it's not a strong budget." 

Others were less kind. Carson Binda, B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, called the budget an "outright disaster" for families and businesses.

"This budget is a disaster for the British Columbians who are being abandoned by Premier Eby," he said. "The province has reduced its fiscal flexibility to the point that there is no more money to spend and with the looming credit-rating downgrades that we will certainly see, this borrowing will become just more expensive and more unsustainable for taxpayers and families across British Columbia," he said. 

Marc Lee, senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the current circumstances make it difficult to prepare a budget. He predicted that a lot of commentators would be critical of the larger deficit.

"But that is what government needs to do at this moment," Lee said. "They need to lean into the recessionary impacts of the tariffs." 

He added that government's own modelling does not take the impact of the tariffs seriously enough.

"They are forecasting faster GDP growth in 2025 than in 2024," he said. "That doesn't make any sense based on what we know." 

Lee praised the size of the contingency fund of $4 billion.

"It's one per cent of GDP," he said. "If we spend that all, that's good and if the tariffs disappear tomorrow, it directly reduces the overall deficit. I think they positioned themselves pretty well. I think they could have been more aggressive." 

But if Lee praised the fiscal stimulus of the budget, he also pointed to what he called "missed opportunities" around investing into housing and transit. 

Alex Hemingway, senior economist with BC Policy Solutions, said it is an 香蕉视频直播渁ppropriate香蕉视频直播� time for government to be running deficits. "We do need the economic stimulus and we need to protect services," he said. "Cutting back now would actually harm our economic well-being in the medium and long-term. Having said, the budget misses the mark in some key areas. We don't see an increase to child care funding. That's an economic development strategy."

Hemingway also called for additional measures to raise revenue through economic growth, but also through tax measures on "those on the very top" of the economic hierarchy. "That (a wealth tax) has to be part of the discussion over the next couple of years," he said. 

Fiona Famulak, president and chief executive officer of the BC Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged the uncertainties around the budget making process. "But it's very sobering for businesses, for British Columbians and for our fiscal future," she said. "(We) are very appreciative of the investments that have been made towards the film, TV sectors." She also praised investments into the high-tech sector as well as infrastructure.

"However, those amounts are not consequential compared to the deficit that we are running and what we need to do to unlock natural resources, for example." 

Famulak acknowledged government's hiring freeze, but added that 香蕉视频直播渁bsolutely everything香蕉视频直播� needs to be on the table. "Today, we just did not see that come through."