In the lead-up to tabling B.C.’s 2026 budget, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey predicted it would make her the most unpopular person in the province.
And as reactions pour in, there are signs she may have been.
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“Overall, we have given Budget 2026 a D,” said Bridgitte Anderson, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade CEO.
Critics from the business community say that the historic deficit threatens the long-term well-being of the province, and tax breaks for buildings, machinery, and equipment may not be what they seem.
“It looks like a positive step, but it is offset by more than $4 billion in new taxes, particularly in taxes and professional services that will impact everybody in British Columbia,” Anderson added.
Finance Minister Bailey framed the budget as pragmatic and even-handed, comparing the proposed measures to those taken by a budget-conscious family.
“As many families make careful decisions to keep their household finances in order, so too must we,” Finance Minister Bailey said in the Legislative Assembly in Victoria.
But some argue that the NDP is making that rhetorical household more difficult to keep afloat.
“And they’re even reintroducing bracket creep, which is where the amount you get back from your income tax every year is no longer indexed to inflation; that is a sneaky tax hike that’s going to cost families more,” said Carson Binda, B.C.’s director of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation.
Ryan Mitton, B.C.’s legislative director of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says that these cost increases are going to flow through the system.
“Frankly, the floodgates are open.”
While it was not an austerity budget, a number of groups say it still felt like one.
“I didn’t see much that was aimed at seniors at all,” said Leslie Gaudette, president of the Council of Senior Citizens’ organization of B.C.
Climate activists are not happy with the budget either, as they claim that the budget does not support climate action.
The Sierra Club BC says that instead of including measures that would protect nature, the budget focuses on industries at the expense of the environment.
“For example, old-growth forests are reduced to a fraction, but there’s ongoing emphasis on logging and mining,” said Jens Wieting, senior policy and science advisor at the environmental organization.
He criticizes that the budget is driven by tariff threats from the United States, saying it jeopardizes global responsibility to protect nature and take climate action for future generations.
Erin Seeley, CEO of YWCA in B.C., criticizes the budget as well.
“We had a government that says that ending gender racism is a commitment, a priority. We have reports telling them that they are laying out a blueprint and no funding.”
Brian Menzies, executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association of B.C., says that the businesses he represents feel that they have been kicked while they are down.
“Those of us who have been impacted by the tariffs, there’s no help for us in this,” he added
“Basically, there has been a considerable drop in the amount of wood available for us to use. There’s no new money for new markets to look for new markets. So that hasn’t changed at all. And on top of that, they just would like to tax us, which drives out the investment in this province.”
Finance Minister Bailey emphasized the budget’s investments in core services, which drew applause from the province’s teachers.
“Happy to see some improvements in psychologists and counsellors and some extra funding going towards that,” said Carole Gordon, president of B.C.’s Teachers’ Federation.
“But really, it’s a status quo budget, districts are going to have some difficult decisions to make on how they spend the money, and often it turns out to be a bit of having to do more with less as those inflationary costs continue to hit everybody.”
One group that does seem to be pleased with the budget is the province’s health-care providers, as $2.3 billion in new funding gets injected into the system.
Dr. Rob Carruthers says that the new funding was sorely needed.
“Hopefully, this will address some of the important unmet needs for British Columbians, and right now, one of those major issues is access to specialist care. We know that people are waiting longer and longer and that wait times are worsening,” he said.
– With files from Jan Schuermann.
