The B.C. government has announced a new $2.7-million program to prevent some rural schools from closing. Called the 鈥渞ural education enhancement fund,鈥� it is both an important step in bolstering small communities and a transparent pre-election ploy.
Among the facilities that will be kept open are two elementary schools in Campbell River 鈥� Discovery Passage and Oyster River. Education Minister Mike Bernier justified the initiative by noting that in one of the locations he visited, kids would face bus trips of an hour and a half each day if their school closed.
Well, yes, but this is news to him? Since 2002, more than 260 public schools have been shuttered across the province. And only now he鈥檚 concerned?
If this were an isolated incident, such skepticism would not be warranted. Regardless, the program should be welcomed.
While the decline in the number of school-age children has necessitated closures, there鈥檚 no question rural districts have been hard hit by the loss of well-paid jobs. Keeping schools open in these areas, even if pupil counts are down, makes life a little easier for everyone during hard economic times.
But this is not a one-of-a-kind happening. This month, Premier Christy Clark teamed up with the prime minister to announce $900 million for new transit projects.
Also this month, the B.C. Institute of Technology received $18 million for trades training, Merritt got more cash for its HandyDART service, a $45 bus pass fee for people with disabilities was eliminated, $6 million was found to help school kids learn computer coding and the transport minister announced $28 million for highway repairs on 91原创 Island.
Is this what lies ahead until the provincial election next May? A series of glittery announcements, rolled out in pursuit of taxpayers鈥� votes?
Unfortunately, if experience is any guide, that is exactly what awaits us. NDP premier Glen Clark perfected the technique, when he won a come-from-behind-election in 1996 with a barrage of good-news media releases before the writ was dropped.
It is now common practice for governments to follow this strategy, and, like the arrival of Christmas music in stores, it seems to begin earlier with each cycle.
The government might say some of these projects were already in the works, although that鈥檚 not the case with the education fund. School board officials in Campbell River had no warning, and still don鈥檛 know the details.
But this is what happens when electioneering takes the place of governing. Projects are rushed through the decision-making process, often without adequate analysis or consultation.
There is an additional price to pay for this political legerdemain 鈥� cooking the books.
If you鈥檙e hard up for money 鈥� as the provincial government has been for years 鈥� and yet you鈥檙e planning a pre-election splash, it helps to dampen expectations.
As the saying goes, the unexpected gift is always sweeter.
That鈥檚 what the government has done. In each of his past three budgets, Finance Minister Mike de Jong consistently exaggerated deficits or low-balled surpluses.
In 2014-15, for example, de Jong forecast a surplus of just $184 million. The actual surplus that year was $1.7 billion.
He did it again this year, setting the surplus at a stingy $264 million. That also sounds low, but no doubt it played a part in setting voters up for the surprise that lies ahead.
For now, with the election just 10 months away, a diet of gruel is being replaced by flashier fare.
Whether this works is anyone鈥檚 guess. But a government 16 years in office might need more than a last-minute kiss-and-make-up program to gain re-election.
