Reality Check: Premier Christy Clark Year In Review: Promises Made, Promises Broken

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Premier Christy Clark has broken a lot of promises.

Here is a look at just a few of her promises to B.C. families and businesses since becoming premier, and how she’s fared on those promises over the last year:

AFFORDABILITY

Promise made:
“I think British Columbians don’t want to see those huge [hydro] rate increases, they want to know we are working hard to try and reduce total costs for everybody.”- Christy Clark, Globe and Mail, May 24, 2012

Promise broken:
• In the last year, Premier Clark delivered a massive 28-per-cent hydro hike to B.C. families and businesses, and implemented even more increases to ferry fares, medical service premiums and ICBC basic insurance rates.
• In the meantime, wages have remained stagnant for hard-working British Columbians. Average weekly earnings in B.C. are behind the national average, and are falling even further behind.

PROTECTION FOR FARMLAND

Promise made:
“Work more closely with farmers, ranchers and agricultural organizations to preserve agricultural land and encourage farming.” – Clark B.C. Liberal campaign pledge, Country Life B.C., May 2013

Promise broken:
• Despite the B.C. Liberal election promise to protect agricultural land and farming, Premier Clark is pushing through legislation that removes protection from 90 per cent of B.C. agricultural land and encourages development over farming.

JOBS

Promise made:
“My recipe is that we grow a thriving private sector.” – Christy Clark, The Northern View, Sept. 19, 2011

Promise broken:
• B.C. is 3rd worst in private sector job creation since the premier made that promise, and B.C. has actually lost 4,300 jobs over the last year.
• 11,411 people left B.C. over the last 2 years looking for opportunities in other provinces.

DEBT

Promise made:
“Debt Free B.C.” – Clark campaign bus slogan, 2013

Promise broken:
• Debt has risen by $16.5 billion since Christy Clark became premier – faster than under any premier in B.C. history.
• By 2017, the debt will rise to $70 billion – the highest ever in B.C.

GOOD FAITH BARGAINING

Promise made:
“We’re going to have to make sure that we get on a different footing with [teachers].” – Christy Clark, Vancouver Sun, Apr. 14, 2011

Promise broken:
• In January the B.C. Supreme Court found that Premier Clark’s government set out to provoke a strike, rather than bargain in good faith. That was the second time the courts found the Liberals were out of line with teachers.
• Despite the premier’s admission in 2011 that they got it wrong and need to improve relations with teachers, the provocation is even worse this time around, with the Clark Liberal government imposing a partial lockout and ten-per-cent wage reduction.