Millions for addiction and mental health in B.C.'s budget for 'unprecedented need'; People give mixed reviews on the budget

The provincial deficit is predicted to hit a record this year with billions of dollars in new spending promised for infrastructure and supports for families and businesses.

Finance Minister Selina Robinson forecasts a 9.7-billion-dollar deficit this fiscal year and says it may take seven to nine years to balance the books.

She says the province will help the recovery with 8.7 billion dollars in infrastructure spending over three years that will create 85 thousand jobs.

Another 1.6 billion dollars is promised for poverty reduction strategies and an extra 3.1 billion for the health-care and mental health systems.

Business and labour groups are giving Finance Minister Selina Robinson's first provincial budget mixed reviews.

The BC Federation of Labour is applauding investments in health care, childcare, affordable housing and infrastructure.

But it says the budget fails to ensure paid sick days to protect workers at A time of deadly COVID-19 variants and rising cases.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade gives the budget an overall grade of B-minus but says it's not clear that it puts BC on the fast track to thrive in an increasingly competitive world.