manufactured crisis/issue?
The BC Liberals have had almost 12 years to wreck this province. Dix is totally within his rights to wait a little more until closer to the election to release the NDP's platform. Voters will have enough time to digest the NDP's agenda, and judge the Liberal's record.

What a shock.

WizardOron: Yeah right, so in 2017, another coalition government is elected to clean up the mess of Adrian Dix.

Mr. Dix has been handed a can of worms. It is hard to take seriously a budget that depends on a fire sale of assets to "balance" it. Because the government has pleaded poverty and stolen part of his election platform (the tax on high income earners and the 2 point increase in corporate taxes), he is left little manouverability.

Furthermore, there is no assurance that the just-introduced budget is representative of the Liberal election platform or, for that matter, the plan for 2013/14 and beyond. It is a safe bet that their platform and 2013/14 plan will respond-and change-immediately to anything the NDP advocates. In this sense, it supports the perception that the so-called 2013/14 Liberal budget is no more credible than the 2009/10 budget.

So, Mr. Dix is wise to hold off on committing himself to an election platform until the Liberals really come clean with their promises and plans. At any rate,wait until the writ is dropped.

It is hardly a surprise that the NDP is uncertain as to when it will balance the finances of the province. Consider that the Liberals, contrary to a "balanced budget law," have failed to balance the province's finances for 4 years straight despite receiving a windfall of $1.6 billion gift (HST transition funding).

Taxpayers in Nova Scotia voted in for the first time in their provincial history a NDP government.
That was in 2009 and the NDP are due to call an election, but are a bit scared to because the result will be voted back to opposition status.
Here are some of the comments from your fellow taxpayers in NDP Nova Scotia, which Ken280, the readers consultant with a briefcase 50 miles away home and bctaxpayer would agree to.

THEY SAY NDP MEANS "NEARLY DEAD PROVINCE" BROUGHT TO YOU BY DARRELL DEXTER.

THE NDP HAS BEEN AN EXPERIMENTAL GOVERNMENT.

THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING IT SEEMS, OTHER THAN DOLE OUT MONEY THEY DON'T HAVE.

PAY RAISES TO A BLOATED PUBLIC SERVICE, UNABLE TO ADDRESS ELECTION PROMISES AND MASSIVE CORPORATE BAILOUTS ALL WITH BORROWED MONEY.

Now for all you NDP supporters, if the NDP is elected government, in 2017, you will all be using the above phrases in the province of B.C.

Bruce Ralston really thinks that B.C. taxpayers were born yesterday.
In the legislature talking about the budget, Bruce says that a increase in MSP premiums will be more expense for employers that pay these premiums as a benefit on behalf of the employee.
He forgot to mention that employee benefits is a business expense deduction and that the employee has to pay income tax on this MSP premium as a taxable benefit on their pay cheque, as per Canada Revenue Agency laws.
Ralston is a lawyer, brain wise, not much up their!
This is what you call a minister of finance if the NDP won government.
This guy would do major facial damage if he was ever to crack a smile.
M I C K E Y M O U S E ! ! ! ! ! ! !

MichaelD_10 : And a self-acknowledged MILF whose policies are all over the place and who has run out of bandaids is morally fit to run the province? She who has all the retread Campbell people leaving like rats leaving the proverbial sinking ship? And others leaving to sit as inependants or going to the Conservative Party like fleas jumping from the back of a drowning rat? She who surrounds herself with Harperites to direct her and to keep her from the scrums? She who didn't have the nerve to have a fall sitting of the Legislature? She who keeps cutting the poor and disadvantaged off at the knees by continually cutting projects and funding? She who can only hope that people will vote for her and her party on 'promises' somewhere in the future ( 2015, maybe 2020, maybe....). She who didn't jump into the fray about the Northern Gateway Pipeline until public opinion was saying she was again losing credibility? She who went on to talk to Albertas Premier Redford with what she knew Redford would turn down...hoping to make herself look tough and strong when she just looked like a Johnny-Come-Lately to the party whining for what she (belatedly) felt BC should have from the deal. She who gives off signals to the likes of Sir Richard Branson so that he made an inappropriate offer to go nude skidooing with him. She is a huge Fail on so many fronts. And the leftovers from Campbells days who stuck it out with her. And you compare Adrians record against Christy and the Liberals and before that Campbell? Give me a break !!! We need a fresh clean sweep and the NDP will deliver it.