B.C.’s debt at $57 billion: Debt clock on tour around the province

B.C.’s debt currently stands at more than $57 billion, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), who have launched a 30-community, two-week tour of its B.C. Debt Clock.

“B.C.’s provincial debt will grow by a billion dollars every single quarter over the next three years – even with so-called balanced budgets,” said Jordan Bateman, the CTF’s British Columbia director. “By 2016, today’s $57 billion debt will top $69.4 billion. We need to stop this clock.”

B.C.’s debt grows by:

• $209 per second
• $12,515 per minute
• $750,913 per hour
• $18 million per day
• about a million dollars every 80 minutes

“Debt is a killer for future generations,” said Bateman. “It’s like putting our children and grandchildren a mile behind a marathon’s starting line.”

“The Premier has talked the talk on debt reduction, but now it’s time to walk the walk,” he added. “She needs to stand up against special interest groups looking for more tax money. Based on the election results, there’s clearly an appetite in B.C. for the Premier to make good on her campaign promise of a debt-free B.C.”

Planned B.C. Debt Clock 2013 tour stops include:

• June 14 (preview at CTF fundraiser) – Langley
• June 21 (preview at Rotary Club event) – Chilliwack, Abbotsford
• June 26 – Vancouver and north Fraser communities
• June 27 (B.C. Budget Day) – south Fraser communities
• July 2 – West Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Keremeos
• July 3 – Salmon Arm, Sicamous, Vernon, Lake Country
• July 4 – Kelowna
• July 8 – Merritt, Kamloops, Barriere
• July 9 – 100 Mile House, Lac La Hache, Williams Lake, Quesnel
• July 10 – Prince George

Bateman and the CTF will be posting stories, photos and videos from the road on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/taxpayerdotcom), Twitter feed (@jordanbateman), and blog (www.taxpayer.com/blog/).