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Letter: Has the province added up the true expense of Family Day?

Open letter to Premier Christy Clark, Michael de Jong, Minister of Finance, Stephanie Cadiuex, Minister of Children and Family Services.
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Local ski hills like Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver are among those expecting to make money thanks to the new provincial holiday in February.

Open letter to Premier Christy Clark, Michael de Jong, Minister of Finance, Stephanie

Cadiuex, Minister of Children and Family Services;

I was not pleased when this holiday was first announced but kind of put it out of my mind, however with the day now approaching I must ask a tough question. What is the cost?

In these tough economic times and as this huge expense will hit my pocket personally I felt I had to write. I don’t believe at the time of the announcement there was any costing done. Now somebody must pay the piper.

Are any of you prepared to provide the information required to properly evaluate what this holiday will cost the provincial economy and non government employed taxpayers.

I believe the following expenses

must be included:

1. The direct cost to the taxpayer for the salaries of all the provincial, municipal, hospital and school board workers that will be paid for not producing anything of value. Your estimate please $__.

2. The cost of premium wages for those same workers that must work: police, fire, ambulance, hospital etc. Your estimate please $__.

3. The secondary cost to private

employers that will have to pay employees for not coming to work. Your estimate please $__.

4. The secondary cost to private employers that will have to pay employees a premium wage for those that require staff to work this day. Your estimate please $__.

Minister de Jong, good luck in balancing your budget with the additional expense of tens of millions of dollars thrown out the window at the public service.

 

B. Kip Leith

South Surrey