"...$16-billion budget...almost double the original 2014 budget of about $8.8 billion, which was increased twice, in 2018 & 2021" CRD water supply project "lacks lacks technical & financial due diligence." vrba.ca/news/crd-2-bil… timescolonist.com/business/bc-hy… #yyj #bcpoli

"had to boost funding by a further $1 billion because it underestimated the need for engineering, project & contract management resources...doesn’t keep the utility from boasting about the 'pride' it takes in a project that went 100% over budget" vancouversun.com/opinion/vaughn… #bcpoli

Consultant's report says the CRD’s proposed water supply plan lacks technical and financial due diligence, adds thousands of dollars to the price of every new home. vrba.ca/news/crd-2-bil… #yyj #bcpoli

“For some seniors, working more or drawing extra pension income can mean losing much or even most of every extra dollar...In some narrow income ranges, METRs may even exceed 100% on very modest pension income.” financialpost.com/news/seniors-h… #yyj #bcpoli

"B.C.’s new energy policy leaves the province’s rapidly growing artificial-intelligence sector essentially fighting for scraps when it comes to electricity to power its data centres" financialpost.com/news/local-new… #yyj #bcpoli

"Canada is set to launch a $50 billion infrastructure fund to build projects in sectors such as hospitals, transportation and housing, as the government tries to boost an economy that’s being squeezed by U.S. tariffs" financialpost.com/news/canada-50…  #yyj #bcpoli

"Budget 2025 introduces few new housing programs...Most of the housing measures, such as Build Canada Homes, the elimination of the GST on new homes for first-time buyers...build on existing commitments" No mention of promised DCC relief canadianmortgagetrends.com/2025/11/budget… #yyj #bcpoli

"Saanich has been playing catch-up when it comes to housing development. Between 2015 & 2024...avg of just 448 new housing units started each year...Langford averaged 1,236. Saanich is also falling behind on provincially set housing targets." timescolonist.com/local-news/jus… #yyj #bcpoli

"Development charge reduction...a watered-down commitment from what was in the platform...required that development charges be halved, replaced with a requirement that they be 'substantially' reduced." missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/we-expected-… #yyj #bcpoli

"Auditor General’s report on CRA call centres shows that taxpayers don’t understand what’s going on & neither do the tax collectors because the rules are impossibly complex. The govt needs to change the rule book by simplifying the tax code." nationalpost.com/opinion/franco… #yyj #bcpoli

"polling shows that 53% of Canadians believe affordable and stable housing has the greatest impact on their quality of life" financialpost.com/news/surprisin… #yyj #bcpoli

"The federal budget proposed to eliminate the UHT as of the 2025 calendar year. As a result, no UHT would be payable and no UHT returns would be required to be filed for 2025 and subsequent calendar years" financialpost.com/personal-finan… #yyj #bcpoli

"CRD board passed a motion that will temporarily freeze charges, in hopes of landing millions from Ottawa’s $6-billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund...'Our intent is still to introduce the bylaw'" Federal funding only postpones CRD boosting DCCs timescolonist.com/local-news/crd… #yyj

Study by Mulholland Parker Land Economists says 4 out of 5 housing forms (incl townhomes & apts) 'not viable under current market conditions. CRD's proposed DCCs reduce viability beyond existing market conditions & delay market recovery up to 25% vrba.ca/news/study-off… #bcpoli

“You don’t need big spaces, you just need to organize it in a [creative] way.” theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/to… #yyj #bcpoli

"govt's stated goal of 500,000 new homes per year (ie 5 million units over 10 years) would require $2.5 trillion in construction costs alone, assuming an avg of $500,000 in construction costs per unit...excludes land & infrastructure costs" biv.com/news/real-esta… #yyj #bcpoli

"doubling housing construction is doable if red tape & high taxes are removed. Federal policies are inflating the cost & risk of housing projects & politicians should instead focus on removing obstacles to new housing investment, incl capital from abroad" biv.com/news/real-esta…

Our column in today's TC: Built Green for Your Family and the Planet vrba.ca/wp-content/upl… vrba.ca/news/built-gre… Built Green Canada #yyj #bcpoli

"seeking the extension of the GST/HST rebate beyond just first-time buyers to all buyers and believes that the federal government budget’s language backs away from a commitment to reduce development charges by 50% on housing." financialpost.com/real-estate/ho… #yyj #bcpoli

Victoria ranked #41. theglobeandmail.com/business/artic… #yyj #bcpoli