Poor economic forecasts don’t shake B.C. finance minister from balanced budget

VANCOUVER – B.C.’s finance minister is standing firm on the promise of a balanced budget this year, despite predictions of slower growth in the Canadian economy.

Mike de Jong told reporters in Vancouver today that economic factors will likely impact his budget and the size of the predicted surplus, but it won’t stop him from balancing the books.

De Jong will release an updated budget Thursday, cementing the figures that the government released last February before the provincial election.

He says there won’t be any major changes to the updated document, and in fact the government is slightly ahead of target.

The minister says he’s heard from both businesses and individuals since the surprise Liberal election victory last month, who say they’ll start investing again in the province.

De Jong says much of the legislative session this summer will focus on passing budget legislation.