Kelowna MLA joins call to scrap B.C. PST expansion

Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew is joining B.C. Conservatives calling on the NDP government to scrap its expansion of the provincial sales tax.

The call comes after the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services recommended the government repeal the 2026 PST expansion.

Dew, the B.C. Conservatives’ Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, Innovation and AI, says the tax increase is putting more pressure on small businesses.

“This tax hike will hit small businesses hard,” said Dew. “It’s a kick in the teeth when they’re down. Businesses are already dealing with a drug-induced public safety crisis, stalled housing projects and a weak economy. The last thing they need is the NDP piling more taxes onto the services they rely on to create and sustain jobs for working families.”

The 2026 budget expanded the PST to professional services including accounting, bookkeeping, engineering, architecture, security and property management.

The tax was also extended to items such as landline phone service, cable, knitting yarn and other materials used to make or repair clothing.

The committee’s recommendation followed public input during the province’s 2027 budget consultation.