Since assuming power in July 2017, British Columbia’s NDP government has enacted or announced several tax increases.
They include increases in personal income taxes, carbon taxes, and business taxes but also a new payroll health tax and a variety of residential property taxes.
The Fraser Institute, a right wing think tank, suggested once the tax changes were fully implemented, the average family’s annual tax bill would increase by a total of 959 dollars, not including tax increases on residential properties.
The Minister of Health, Adrian Dix was asked if that’s where we are headed.
“We cut medical services premiums by 50 per cent, that’s 85 per cent of small business people who pay those. We are going to be eliminating medical services premiums, up to 1800 dollars on January 1st, 2020. We’ve reduced business taxes, for example the PST on electricity. The Fraser Institute is simply wrong and being political here.”
The Fraser Institute reported while the employer health tax will be levied on employers it will be paid, ultimately by employees, potentially in the form of lower wages.
