British Columbia’s government debt totals more than $57-billion and is growing by $209 every second, according to the advocacy group the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The agency is hoping to draw the attention of the public during their 30-community, two week tour of the B.C. Debt Clock.
The 12-foot long, five-and-a-half-foot tall clock, which has been adapted to calculate B.C.’s growing debt, will be hauled around the province starting Wednesday in Vancouver and finishing in Prince George on July 10.
Though B.C.’s debt isn’t as bad as Ontario or Quebec at $367-billion and $256-billion, respectively, CTF Director Jordan Bateman says it’s still a problem passed down to younger generations.
“It’s an obligation we’re handing off to our kids,” he said.
B.C. may be better off debt-wise than some other provinces, but the debt is growing by $18-million per day, the CTF calculated.
In the provincial election just one month ago, Premier Christy Clark campaigned on the slogan “debt-free B.C.”
“But the bottom line here is we’re still adding debt,” Bateman said.
According to CTF calculations, by 2016, it could reach $69-billion.
Bateman hopes the clock will get people to encourage their MLAs and the newly re-elected premier to be serious about debt reduction and to stop the clock.
The clock will make an appearance in Kelowna, where Clark is campaigning for a seat in the legislature in a July byelection.
Canada’s debt as a nation is more than $615-billion and the U.S. is under a whopping $16.9-trillion.
