B.C. Budget 2025 Could Go Further to Protect Province from U.S. Tariffs

B.C. Budget 2025 called “Standing Strong for B.C.” may not stand strong enough to buffer British Columbians from punishing U.S. tariffs, according to the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA).

“While we fully appreciate the extreme pressures that 25 percent tariffs have created, this budget creates a bumpy path forward with higher debt, little tax relief, and more rising project costs,” said Dan Baxter, Regional Director, B.C. at PCA. ‘It’s time for a course correction and honest conversation about government policies that make today’s fiscal challenges worse.”

Budget 2025 forecasts a record deficit of $10.9 billion, an increase from the 2024 then-record deficit of $9.1 billion. On the upside, it does include a slight increase in capital spending of $45.9 billion over three years to upgrade hospitals, improve highways and support transit. The government says this will support 180,000 good paying direct and indirect jobs over the next years.

“We welcome provincial plans to green light more critical infrastructure projects to boost the economy,” added Baxter. “We hope the province will give our contractor members and their workers the chance to build these projects and a stronger B.C., but that would require a change in labour policies.”

Right now, restrictive labour policies shut good companies and 85 percent of B.C.’s construction workforce out of key public projects. That’s because most construction workers choose not to belong to the government’s favoured unions.

 According to Budget 2025, several projects that fall under the province’s restrictive labour policies are also impacting taxpayers. Public projects including widening sections of the Trans-Canada highway, as well as the Broadway Subway project are billions of dollars over original cost estimates and way behind schedule.