Policy recommendations

(For a more detailed explanation of these proposals, please see the relevant sections in the main text.)

Fiscal policy

• reduce government expenditures by 10 percent over the next three years
• enact a balanced budget law
• legislate a debt-reduction plan
• include the Summary Financial Statement in the Consolidated Revenue Fund
  as outlined in the annual budget document
• stop providing loans and loan guarantees to business
• stop guaranteeing the debts of Crown corporations

Taxation policy

• enact a 30 percent reduction in the basic provincial personal income tax over 3 years
• enact a substantial cut in the top marginal tax rate
• harmonize the provincial sales tax (PST) with the federal goods and services tax (GST)
• cut the corporate income tax rate
• eliminate the corporate capital tax
• reduce payroll taxes.

Labour policy

• repeal the amendments made to the Industrial Relations Act and to the Employment Standards Act
• implement Right-to-Work legislation
• eliminate the minimum wage
• repeal the recently introduced legislation permitting "sectoral bargaining"
• repeal the Fair Wage Act.
• reform the Workers' Compensation Board

Industrial policy

• eliminate all direct and indirect subsidies to business
• repeal the Northern Development Act
• work toward reducing interprovincial trade barriers

Regulatory policy

• implement a moratorium on new regulations
• prioritize regulations based on risk assessment
• implement a cost/benefit test
• enact a "sunset review" clause in any new regulation

Health care policy

• take control of health care
• implement a system of Medical Savings Accounts
• eliminate Reference-Based Pricing

Education policy

• implement a School Voucher system
• permit the establishment of Charter schools
• publish an annual "report card" on schools in British Columbia

Social Policy

• implement a Basic Necessities Index to guide the setting of social assistance rates
• reduce welfare benefits
• implement a mandatory "personal employment strategy" to be completed
  by those receiving welfare
• implement a Negative Income Tax to replace the current welfare system

Natural resources policy

• privatize forests currently owned and managed by the Crown
• repeal the Forest Practices Code and the Forest Renewal Act
• eliminate the minimum stumpage fee
• eliminate the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Act
• subject the setting aside of Crown land for parks and heritage sites to cost/benefit analysis

Privatization policy

• privatize major Crown corporations, including the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, British Columbia Hydro, British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch, British Columbia Railway Company, British Columbia Ferry Corporation, British Columbia Transit, the British Columbia Steamship Company, and Duke Point Development
• contract-out public sector services through a competitive bidding process

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Last Modified: Wednesday, October 20, 1999.