A commentary by the B.C. regional director of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada.

The 1980s blockbuster film, Back to the Future was all about the consequences of failing to learn from past experiences. That’s a familiar theme in B.C., where the most recent fiscal update shows the province keeps on racking up record deficits and ignoring practical approaches to turning its finances around.

When the NDP took office in 1991, it faced a multitude of challenges, including a sizable deficit. It was a period marked by rising public sector wages, expansive social programs, and ambitious infrastructure plans.

While many of these initiatives aimed to address urgent social needs, they also led to a dramatic rise in the provincial deficit, which ballooned from $1.5 billion in 1991 to roughly $3.9 billion by the time the NDP left power in 2001.

Fast forward to now, and there’s a different set of challenges: U.S tariffs, a housing crisis and health care in need of reform. During the election........

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