B.C.’s 2025 budget falls flat for business groups and unions

Reaction continues to pour in just a day after the B.C. budget was tabled in the Legislature by Finance Minister Brenda Bailey.

The province’s fiscal plan includes a record $10.9 billion deficit, but it doesn’t include any major new initiatives or spending, which has disappointed business groups, unions, and some civic leaders.

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association says the budget shows that the NDP is out of touch with the economic storm brewing out of the U.S. and, specifically, the Trump tariffs.

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“The government is spending as if everything is fine when the reality is, British Columbia is on the brink of a recession,” CEO Chris Gardner stated.

“This budget was out of date before it was even printed. A full-blown trade war with the United States will hammer B.C. exports, drive up costs for builders, and put tens of thousands of jobs at risk,” he added.

The province’s budget forecasts a real GDP growth of 1.8 per cent in 2025, but the ICBA believes that number is “wildly optimistic” given the damage expected from the tariffs.

“Instead of acting decisively to strengthen the economy, this budget doubles down on reckless spending and ballooning debt. The Eby Government’s fiscal mismanagement has left B.C. vulnerable at the worst possible time,” Gardner added.

Meanwhile, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has been left unimpressed.

Locke says her city and community have been overlooked, with no new projects announced for the city despite its rapid growth and the ensuing demands that go with it.

“Our residents deserve equitable support from the provincial government to build a brighter future for all who call Surrey home. Yet time and again, we see clear evidence that Surrey is not receiving its fair share of funding and resources for transportation, education, healthcare, and social infrastructure,” she said in a statement.

“This continued neglect is both frustrating and unfair—not to mention damaging to our families. We have reached a critical tipping point: it is time for our city to be recognized and prioritized,” she added.

Locke touched on the province’s ailing health-care system- including emergency room wait times and closures, schools in Surrey bursting at their seams, overcrowded public transit systems, and the newly implemented U.S. tariffs.

“We have nearly 400 portables — more portables than some districts have students — forcing thousands of our children to learn in cramped temporary spaces. The Surrey School District faces a significant budget shortfall of $16 million this year alone, despite already implementing deep cuts,” she explained.

“Surrey is on track to become the first city in British Columbia to reach a population of one million. It is time we receive the respect and resources this milestone demands. The provincial government must start laying the groundwork to support our city’s growth by investing in critical infrastructure, affordable housing, and accessible public services,” she said.

“Rest assured, we will continue to advocate for Surrey’s rightful share, ensuring a vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous future for everyone who calls this remarkable city home.”

Echoing Locke, BC Nurses Union President Adriane Gear says while the province is funding capital infrastructure, more money needs to be set aside for things like staffing shortages.

“My concern there is I’m not sure where we’re going to get the nurses from. It’s not clear how many net new beds there will be, not clear how many more nurses will be needed. … it would have been good to see some operational investments, as opposed to just investments in infrastructure,” she explained.

Gear adds the funding doesn’t address emergency room closures, either.

“Overall, it does look like there’s funding to protect the system. I would have liked to see some of that targeted. For example, emergency rooms — there’s been significant struggles there having closures, etc. So, I would have liked to see some targeted funding for a strategy to deal with emergency care in the province,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is giving the provincial budget a ‘C-‘ for its economic vision, fiscal management, and tax competitiveness.

“It’s clear that the tariffs that are imposed by the Trump administration overshadowed the budget today completely. We were hoping, though, that there would be a few signals of an agenda for growth that the government had been talking about,” GVBOT President and CEO Bridgette Anderson said.

“We’re waiting to see some details. We had thought that we might see some signals of the budget around attracting investment, cutting red tape, around the cost and the ease of doing business in B.C., but we did not see that,” she added.

Anderson says the ballooning provincial deficit could impact B.C.’s credit rating and the cost of borrowing.

“It was a very unprecedented year for the budget to be delivered right now, and certainly very challenging for the provincial government. We gave the budget last year a C, in the previous year, we gave it a C minus. We gave it a C minus overall this year, and in particular, we’re looking at a record high deficit and just a very substantial increase in the debt, as well as that lack of economic vision that we were really hoping to see,” she explained.

“But you can’t underscore just how much the tariffs have foreshadowed the budget today. I mean, certainly that is a great concern for businesses and consumers alike, and will have a very significant impact on our economy.”