Voters set to decide who will best spend B.C.'s money: Government or the individual

Premier Christy Clark has wrapped up a present for British Columbians. The problem is you can't open it until next week.

"British Columbians have worked hard. Your government's plan to control spending, balance budgets, and pay down the debt has resulted in growing surpluses," read this week's speech from the throne. "That money belongs to you."

How that money will be given back to taxpayers will be revealed once the wrapping is pulled off during next Tuesday's provincial budget. But what we already know is the B.C. Liberals want to fight the next election on the age-old divide between who can spend your money better: the government or the individual.

What makes this election cycle unique is that all parties can look at a forecasted surplus of more than $2 billion and try to figure out how to spend it.

Liberals favour citizens deciding

The B.C. government has indicated that 'financial relief' is on the way and that could involve various measures including: a PST reduction, changes to Medical Service Plan premiums or freezes on BC Hydro or ICBC rates.

"What you are going to see over the coming weeks is a contrast in the legislature between those who would like to take the surplus and grow government and figure out how they can spend money better than you can," said Clark, "and those of us who believe that when we have a surplus we are taking too much money from people in their taxes so we want to find ways to give that money back."

But UBC Political Scientist David Moscrop says this argument is oversimplified. Moscrop says in society there are some things that are much better done by government than by an individual.

Governments have more buying power

One area where the power of government can spend money more efficiently than individuals is in building transit.

"When it comes to transit we are going to reach a crisis point before too long. The infrastructure is getting older and there are more people here," said Moscrop.

"In this case government definitely spends money more effectively ... because individuals can't individually build a transit system."

This is where the NDP varies from the B.C. Liberals.

The Liberals support a referendum where each individual decides whether more should be spent on major transit projects, while the NDP supports increasing the province's stake in transit because it is to the overall benefit of everyone.

Another key issue in this debate is child care. The B.C. Liberals would like to give more money back to people. That money could be spent on various things, including child care if the parent deems it necessary.

NDP targeting big government programs

The B.C. NDP wants to keep the money and spend it in part on a $10 a day childcare program that will ensure everyone has access to affordable care.

"You give everybody back their money and some folks are going to be able to afford day care with that and some folks aren't. You keep the money and then you can ensure that everyone has access," added Moscrop.

When asked about the fundamental difference between these two routes, NDP Leader John Horgan took a different approach. Horgan said anything Clark gives back to taxpayers is just a distraction from the constant rate increases at ICBC and BC Hydro.

"The premier has been taking money away from British Columbians for the past six years and now she wants them to believe on the eve of an election that she is going to pay them back," said Horgan. "If she was genuine about helping people in distress she would have done that right from the start."

What Clark is setting up here is obviously not new. But it does give the voters a chance to decide who they want to spend their tax dollars.