Tuesday April 1, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 1:26 pm | Updated at 4:40 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Public input to BC Budget 2026 is underway at the committee level.
The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services will hold several public meetings to hear from people in British Columbia about their priorities for Budget 2026.
The meetings are anticipated to take place in June 2025 and will be a mix of in-person and virtual meetings.
British Columbians are asked to indicate their interest in speaking with the committee by 2 pm (Pacific Time) on Friday April 11, 2025 by completing a request form on the Parliamentary Committees Consultation Portal.
Considering public input:
The Committee considers the priorities expressed by British Columbians and develops recommendations for the next provincial budget.
Public input and the Committee’s recommendations are included in a report to the Legislative Assembly that is publicly released on or before November 15, 2025.
Committee composition and role:
The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services is tasked by the legislative assembly to undertake an annual public consultation on the next provincial budget and to make recommendations based on those consultations.
The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services this year is comprised of both government and opposition MLAs (NDP and Conservative), but no Greens or independents.
At the beginning of each new parliamentary session, a Special Committee of Selection is appointed to determine the membership of all select standing committees.
The Special Committee of Selection’s report (which sets out committee membership) is then presented to and subsequently adopted by the Legislative Assembly.
“Committee membership generally reflects, as closely as possible, party standings in the Legislative Assembly,” it is stated by the Parliamentary Committees Office.
Meeting locations:
The committee expects to hold in-person meetings in the following communities:
- Victoria
- Surrey
- Vancouver
- Courtenay
- Terrace
- Quesnel
- Fort St. John
- Vernon
- Penticton
- Nelson
- Cranbrook
Written input starts in June:
The opportunity to provide written input to the committee will be available beginning in June.
For more information on the consultation, visit Consultations or contact the Parliamentary Committees Office by email at FinanceCommittee@leg.bc.ca or by phone at 250 356-2933 or (toll-free in B.C.) at 1 877 428-8337.
Committee members:
Members of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services represent the government and the official opposition parties of the Legislative Assembly.
The members of the committee are:
- Chair: Paul Choi, MLA, Burnaby South-Metrotown [BC NDP]
- Deputy Chair: Elenore Sturko, MLA, Surrey-Cloverdale [BC Conservative]
- Jennifer Blatherwick, MLA, Coquitlam-Maillardville [BC NDP]
- Sunita Dhir, MLA, Vancouver-Langara [BC NDP]
- Claire Rattée, MLA, Skeena [BC Conservative]
- Harwinder Sandhu, MLA, Vernon-Lumby [BC NDP]
- Bryan Tepper, MLA, Surrey-Panorama [BC Conservative]
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NEWS SECTIONS: BC LEGISLATURE / 43rd PARLIAMENT | BUSINESS & ECONOMY