Was the marquee promise of the BC NDP’s election campaign a big, fat, whopper of a lie that the party could never fulfil but nonetheless dangled over the heads of British Columbians to buy cheap votes?

Yes — or at least it’s a pretty compelling argument for the Opposition BC Conservatives to make after Finance Minister Brenda Bailey pulled the plug on a $1,000 “grocery rebate” that Premier David Eby once called the “core piece” of his re-election campaign.

“We intended to do this, but the world has changed on us,” Bailey said Thursday, citing the threat of U.S. tariffs. “It’s become much more uncertain.”

The world was pretty uncertain back on Sept. 29, 2024, too, when the NDP first made the province of an up to $500 rebate for individuals and $1,000 for families. In fact, a rebate during uncertain times was the whole point of the proposal.

“It’s really tough out there for many families – inflation and interest rates have driven up the cost of daily essentials,” said Eby. “People need help now so they can get ahead.”

“Now” was the operative word. Eby spent weeks hammering home how his plan would put cash in the wallets of British Columbians within months.

“You and your family need support right now,........

© BIV