A public hearing about next year’s budget will be held in Courtenay on Oct. 17.
MLA Douglas Horne, the chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, is inviting interested taxpayers and stakeholders in Courtenay to present their ideas on how to keep B.C.’s economy strong and what they want to see in B.C.’s budget. The input the committee receives will help determine what is included in the 2013/14 budget.
“Our government wants to engage British Columbians and hear from them about what they want to see in their budget,” said Horne, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain.
“British Columbia has been able to weather the global fiscal uncertainty better than most, and our government is committed to balancing the budget and controlling spending. Statistics Canada reports B.C. leads the nation in job creation and I look forward to hearing from people on how we can continue this positive news.”
Including the stop in Courtenay, the bipartisan committee will visit 19 communities across B.C. and conduct a further three video conference sessions.
In addition to attending and making a submission at the public hearing, residents, business operators and stakeholders can make written, audio or video submissions, and respond to an online survey through the committee’s website at www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations/index.asp.
The Comox Valley hearing Wednesday will run from 8 a.m. to noon at the K’ómoks Band Hall at 3320 Comox (Dyke) Road.
To register for a public hearing, contact the Parliamentary Committees Office by calling toll-free 1-877-428-8337, or by e-mailing FinanceCommittee@leg.bc.ca.
For more information on the work of the committee, including a list of committee members, visit the committee's website at www.leg.bc.ca/budgetconsultations.
The deadline for public input is Thursday, Oct. 18. The committee will release its report by Nov. 15.
— BC Government Caucus Communications