B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong leaves a caucus room at the legislature in Victoria in March 2013.Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press
After a year of steady political pressure, the B.C. government appears to be ready to back down on its clawback of child-support payments for single parents on income assistance.
Finance Minister Mike de Jong suggested Thursday there will be a change in the budget he tables on Feb. 17, which will post a small surplus with "some modest ability" to assist people in the greatest need.
The province collects roughly $17-million each year by deducting, dollar for dollar, from income-assistance payments any court-ordered child support payments, to ensure that people collecting benefits from government have exhausted all other means of income support.
The opposition NDP has campaigned to end the clawback, and even members of the governing B.C. Liberal party lobbied to end the practise.
"We've looked at that and I expect you'll hear more from me in the budget," Mr. de Jong said.
Mr. de Jong said the province will be forecasting three consecutive surplus budgets in the documents he tables later this month. Although natural gas revenues will be down significantly, he said the province's economy is diverse enough to stay in the black with "steady but not spectacular" growth.
Justine Hunter