Join us in calling on the BC government to make the wellbeing of all ages a priority in the 2025 Budget. Our budget number-crunching will make sure you have all the information you need on whether we’re investing fairly for young and old alike. Stay tuned to our website and social channels for the latest.

1. Hold the BC government accountable for supporting people of all ages to thrive by creating An Act to Safeguard the Wellbeing of Present and Future Generations.

Legislation will ensure future budgets – and future governments – act like good ancestors, guiding our province towards a future where all generations can thrive and prosper. The Act will:

• Empower governments to make policy and budget decisions that promote wellbeing for all generations.
• Establish a minister, commissioner and advisory body to keep BC accountable and on course.
• Embed the long-term thinking needed for effective solutions to the housing, medical care, climate and debt challenges we face today.

2. Compensate young people for sacrificing their financial security to protect the housing wealth ‘nest eggs’ older homeowners have gained from rising home prices.

BC’s rising home prices are a demographic double-edged sword. Good for (primarily older) homeowners who’ve gained enormous wealth that they now expect to use to fund their retirements. Bad for younger people who face sky-high costs out of touch with their earnings, crushing the dream of safe and secure housing.

The political bargain we’ve struck in Canada obliges younger people to sacrifice their standard of living to protect the housing wealth accumulated by homeowners who have come before them. It’s time to acknowledge this sacrifice – and to compensate young people for their profound expression of intergenerational solidarity.

The ripple effects of this sacrifice are clear. Young people report less satisfaction with their lives, and are less hopeful about the future – particularly those living in the poorest households. Younger demographics have higher levels of poverty, and a growing share don’t expect to be able to afford to start families.

3. Make life more affordable AND reduce pressures on our medical system by growing investments in the social conditions where health begins more urgently than investments in medical care.

Rising living costs and timely access to medical care are top concerns for many British Columbians. Get Well Canada reminds us that the solution to both problems is the same – rebalance how we invest in wellbeing.

We’re calling on governments to follow the evidence when it comes to the root causes of today’s affordability and medical care worries. Health science is clear that British Columbians ‘get well’ when we invest in affordable homes, living wages, quality child care and schools, and healthy environments – even more urgently than we invest in medical care.

Despite the scientific consensus, BC is allowing rising medical spending to crowd out investments in the social conditions where health begins. That’s why BC budgets must track the ratio of social and education spending relative to medical spending. This ratio is the north star to get our province back on course, and make sure we get the most bang for taxpayer funded health bucks.

4. Double down on $10 a day child care to grow BC’s economy and support families.

BC was once a national leader on affordable child care, but now we’re lagging behind. Budget 2025 should double-down on restoring our track record.

$10 a day must be the maximum daily child care fee, with no fee for low-income households. Just like primary and secondary education and medical care, wealthier British Columbians should pay more via their taxes, not higher fees at the door. 

$10 a day roll out must include paying early child care educators pay equity salaries for the professional work they deliver. Adequate remuneration is critical to attracting and retaining the workers needed to make high quality care available to all BC families.

5. Stand up for pollution pricing so we don’t leave big messes for our kids to clean up.

If you make a mess, clean it up. That’s a family value we teach our kids, and we should live by the same wisdom when it comes to pollution.

Political leaders are trying to convince us that paying for our pollution isn’t urgent. That we needn’t worry about the betrayal, abandonment and anxiety our kids report feeling about the slow pace of our response to the climate risks and costs they will inherit.

The reality is that we don’t really have a choice between paying or not paying for our pollution. Our only choice is to pay less now, or burden younger and future generations to pay more later. Politicians betray our kids when they expect them to pay dearly for the pollution they are unwilling to pay for today.