 introductions by members. Member 1st, P. Silvernaut. Thank you, Honorable Speaker, and I'm glad we have the opportunity to do introductions the second time in house, or I would feel really bad. It's my mother's birthday today, so I want to wish my mom, it's still her birthday today, so I haven't missed it, but I want to wish my mom Maxine Davies a happy 81st birthday today. Thanks. Madam Clerk. Introduction of bills. Orders of the day. Minister of Finance. Honourable Speaker, I move that this house at its next sitting resolve itself for this session into a committee to consider the supply to be granted to Her Majesty. Members, you heard the motion. All those in favour indicate aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Minister. Honourable Speaker, I have the honour to present a message from her honour the Lieutenant-Governor. The Lieutenant- Governor transmits here with estimates fiscal year ending March 31st, 2023 and supplement to the estimates fiscal year ending March 31st, 2023 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly. Minister. I move that the said message and the estimates accompanying the same be referred to the to the Committee of Supply. Members, you heard the motion. All those in favour indicate aye. Opposed? Motion carried. Minister. Honourable Speaker, I move seconded by the Honourable Premier of British Columbia that the Speaker do now lead the House to go into Committee of Supply. I would like to begin today by acknowledging the Laquangen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations upon whose territory we are gathered. I also invite everyone to consider the 204 First Nations upon whose territories we call British Columbia. To all those joining us I would like to extend a warm welcome. Today I'm honoured to present Budget 2022. A budget that keeps us all moving forward by holding steady to what we know to be true. That we are stronger together. Budget 2022 meets today's challenges while always investing in a stronger British Columbia. It delivers action today with a plan for tomorrow. A plan that responds to the difficult days we find ourselves in. We feel the weight of two continuing health crises. The poison drug supply and the COVID-19 pandemic. We reckon with the grief that Indigenous communities have known for so long that children were taken away from their families, sent to residential schools and never returned home. We witness the destructive consequences of climate change as communities scorched by heat and wildfires in the summer face flooding and mudslides only months later. These overlapping crises claimed lives and affect us all. To all those grieving may your loved ones be for blessing. And yet in these difficult days I am reminded of a story. It's the tale of an elderly father who asks his sons to break a bundle of sticks. Despite their best efforts they are unable to do so. However once the bundle is untied each stick is easily broken. And while this story has ancient roots its message of strength and unity holds true today. Just like that bundle of sticks we are stronger together. Because Mr. Speaker it is when we are under pressure that we see who we truly are as people and as a province. British Columbians are caring. When a safe and effective vaccine became available millions of us rolled up our sleeves to protect ourselves and others. Healthcare workers like my friend Sharon came out of retirement to help with the largest vaccination program in our province's history. BC now has one of the lowest per capita fatality rates from COVID-19 and one of the highest vaccination rates on the continent. British Columbians are compassionate. When our neighbors whether across the street or across the province need a hand. We are there. The tools vary from sandbags to fire hoses and community kitchens. But we get the job done. And Mr. Speaker British Columbians are committed. Day after day those working on the front lines of mental health and addictions fight a rising tide of need. And on the front lines of the pandemic we see the commitment of healthcare workers in hospitals. Teachers and early childhood educators in classrooms and clerks in grocery stores. My neighbor Kerry is a teacher and in the early days of the pandemic I would sometimes bump into her as each of us working from her homes we'd go for a walk around the block. And she told me about how she was not only reaching out to students to see how they were doing but she was reaching out to their parents to make sure that they too were okay. Time and time again British Columbians have stepped up for one another and our government is right there with you. When there are challenges that threaten us as a province we must respond as a province. Now some would choose differently. Some argue that cuts in a reduced role of government is the right way forward. But that's not what most British Columbians expect and that will not be our approach. Mr. Speaker instead of leaving people without support when times are tough our government steps up when and where we are needed. Hundreds of dollars went directly to millions of people through the BC recovery benefit to help them through difficult times and support economic recovery. Hundreds of millions in safe start funding helped communities maintain the services that people count on like public transit. And more than half a billion dollars supported the hardest hit small businesses and their staff. BC has provided some of the highest supports for people and businesses per capita in Canada. Millions in funding provided a lifeline for more than 8,000 tourism businesses. And additional funding will provide support for nonprofits impacted by the pandemic as well as the arts culture and music sector. This year's budget will continue support for the tourism sector as it recovers with 25 million dollars earmarked for them. Instead of accepting the status quo we are always we are always looking for ways to make life better for people today. In some cases Mr. Speaker that means writing past wrongs. Last summer we reversed a 20 year old decision that ripped up the contracts of thousands of health care workers primarily affecting women and people of color. And today Mr. Speaker today we are reversing cuts made two decades ago when the previous government slash funding for sexual assault services to help pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Mr. Speaker I remember those cuts I remember when they happened because I was working with the with the women and the children that were most affected. And now Mr. Speaker we are making it right. Budget 2022 delivers 22 million dollars to support survivors and restore stable funding for 50 sexual assault service centers here in British Columbia. Mr. Speaker while some would choose to watch as ordinary British Columbians are left behind we are working hard to close gaps that were made worse by the pandemic. Workers in BC now have access to a minimum of five paid sick days every year the most of any province in Canada. We also have the highest minimum wage of any province with a plan to tie future increases to the rate of inflation. These are choices choices that our government is proud to stand behind and they reflect the choices that have shaped this year's budget. Budget 2022 continues our work to to build a stronger British Columbia economically socially and environmentally. Despite a global pandemic Mr. Speaker BC remains strong on all three fronts. Budget 2022 continues building on these strengths. BC's economic recovery is leading the nation. Among provinces we are tied for the lowest unemployment rate and we have the fastest job growth since the start of the pandemic. In fact in fact Mr. Speaker more than 160 thousand new jobs were created here last year. That includes important public services being delivered by more people like health care aides and teachers. It also includes thousands of new private sector jobs in communities right around the province. To everyone who stepped up and kept our province strong thank you. Across the province Mr. Speaker BC is recognized as a great place to live and raise a family. Last year we saw the largest net migration of people from other provinces in almost three decades. BC is also recognized as a great place to work and to invest. For just one example mining exploration in British Columbia exceeded $600 million in 2021. Mr. Speaker this is the highest level in a decade. As part of budget 2022 we are supporting the continued growth of the mining sector with $18 million over three years. This new funding the minister is happy. This new funding will keep BC mining at the forefront of sustainability create jobs and advance reconciliation. Our province Mr. Speaker is also home to a thriving life sciences sector. Consider the fact that BC scientists and companies were involved with almost every COVID-19 vaccine that reached the final stages of development. And we are continuing to expand the sector with almost $200 million for genome BC and the Michael Smith Health Research Foundation. This investment will support continued growth, creating new scientific discoveries and economic opportunities along the way. Here in British Columbia Mr. Speaker local talent is driving global innovation. We expect this to continue especially as in BC our strategic investment fund starts backing BC businesses. Good things are happening in our province and all signs point to a resilient post-pandemic economy. This Mr. Speaker is where the stronger BC economic plan comes in. We are investing in today's challenge to meet the demands of tomorrow's high-care low-carbon economy. Within the next 10 years labor market forecasts estimate that BC will have more than one million job openings. Almost 80% of these jobs will require post-secondary education or training. Preparing BC's workforce is a generation defining challenge. It's also an opportunity. Our stronger BC economic plan commits to closing the skills gap. The skills the skill trades Mr. Speaker they're a very good example. We are supporting better paying more stable jobs for apprenticeships for apprentices and trades workers through a new certification system. Budget 2022 advances these efforts with new training seats and targeted programs for trades workers along with more monitoring and compliance activities at work sites. Other high growth areas like healthcare and technology are the same ones our government has been focused on since 2017. We've already created 2,600 new tech spaces at post-secondary institutions around the province. From Simon Fraser University to Okanagan College and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Since 2017 we've had the fastest growing nursing workforce of any province. Our ongoing commitment to add 500 more nursing seats will continue this trend. These graduates are making an immediate difference. I think of Parm a nursing student at Douglas College that I recently met just a couple of weeks ago and she told me how eager she is to bring her energy and her skills to the job when she graduates this April. She's really looking forward to being a nurse right here in our communities. As we create new opportunities Mr. Speaker we are also breaking down barriers for underrepresented communities. This is part of our ongoing work to build a more inclusive economy and we are starting to see these results. More women, youth and indigenous people are working now than before the pandemic. Thousands of indigenous learners are accessing new training opportunities for careers in early childhood education, healthcare and more. We are also meeting a growing need for mid-career transition supports. New micro-credentials are helping thousands of people land secure jobs in established and emerging fields. BCIT's course on mass timbers is a great example Mr. Speaker. Graduates will find work on a wide range of projects from new student housing to healthcare facilities. Programs like this one make sure that workers including those in the BC's forest sector are driving economic growth. Mr. Speaker forestry is and will remain foundational to our province's economy. We are embarking on a new sustainable approach to protecting and managing BC's forests. One that prioritizes value over volume and one that protects our oldest and most at-risk forests for future generations. As we move forward with these overdue changes our government will make sure that no one is left behind. Budget 2022 delivers 185 million dollars over three years to support affected forest workers and contractors industry communities and First Nations. For workers this includes a bridging to retirement program creating new jobs through innovations like mass timber and connecting people with skills training. For communities this supports partnerships with businesses more diverse local economies and the creation of jobs through new local infrastructure projects. Additional opportunities for communities in First Nations will come with redistributed forest tenures. We intend to double the amount of replaceable forest tenure held by First Nations Mr. Speaker. This is just one example of how reconciliation is moving forward here in British Columbia. Now this year's budget creates a new declaration act secretariat with 12 million dollars over the next three years. It's job Mr. Speakers to ensure that legislation is consistent with the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people that everybody in this house supported and it's developed in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples. Additionally budget 2022 continues our government's indigenous housing investments. We are and continue to be the only province building homes both on and off reserve for indigenous people. New funding for the Aboriginal Head Start program will support more culturally based early learning opportunities. And I think of a preschool in the Gitwunga First Nation where children are learning the Git Sun language. They're playing in clan houses and they're taking part in healing circles. For indigenous communities throughout the province programs like this one are benefiting the next generation. Mr. Speaker a strong economy creates meaningful opportunities for everyone regardless of your age your wage or your postal code. In today's world closing the digital divide helps level the playing field. That is why connectivity has been a major priority for our government since day one. Record funding is already bringing high speed internet to 500 rural remote indigenous communities throughout British Columbia. It's transformational work. It's happening right around the province. Today two ships are making their way down the coast. They're laying fiber optic cable from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwai and Southern Vancouver Island. It's difficult work. At the end of January the crew laid the first 50 kilometers of cable just offshore just offshore from Lax Coulombs, Metlacatla and Dodge Cove. At each of its stops new opportunities will be unlocked for small coastal communities. And today Mr. Speaker today we are taking another major step forward. With budget 2022 our government's total investments in connectivity will reach half a billion dollars. That means Mr. Speaker that another 280 communities will have high speed connection to today's digital economy. And by 2027 Mr. Speaker almost 800 communities will benefit from the province's investments in connectivity. Just as we build new digital infrastructure we are also building new schools, new hospitals and child care spaces. New transit roads and bridges will keep people moving keep goods flowing and keep our economy running. Work is underway on the Broadway subway project replacements for the Massey Tunnel and Petula Bridge and improvements along Highway 14 on Vancouver Island. Today we are taking our infrastructure plan to new heights. A record level 27.4 billion dollars over the next three years. This includes funding to breed the Surrey Langley Skytrain all the way to Langley. It's in planning now Mr. Speaker it is the first rapid transit expansion south of the Fraser in three decades. In addition to major transportation projects our expanded capital plan will build new schools, continue investments in post-secondary expansions and bring health care closer to home. The largest affordable housing investment in BC's history is also part of our infrastructure plan. Mr. Speaker British Columbia is the place to be. In just the first nine months of last year almost 85,000 people moved to our province. With this success however comes additional pressure on our housing market. And right now too many people are still struggling to find an affordable place to buy or to live or to rent. And we can't afford to wait to wait Mr. Speaker and we aren't. Mr. Speaker our government has banned rent evictions and we've cracked down on speculation. During the pandemic we froze rents and then capped them permanently. More than 32,000 new affordable homes are already built or they're on their way. Thousands of new student housing beds are under construction and soon will be easing pressure on local housing markets. Last year Mr. Speaker just last year more than 53,000 new homes were registered here in British Columbia. And in the last five years we've registered more rental homes than the previous 15 years combined. But we all know Mr. Speaker whether from the CMHC rental numbers that were released last week or the stories that we all hear from from people around the province about the challenge of finding a home that they can afford. That there is still much work to be done. Budget 2022 continues progress on our 10-year building BC plan. Total investments in housing and homelessness supports will reach more than $1.2 billion a year for the next three years. That's three times the level of funding in 2017. Last year we made $2 billion in low-cost financing available through the housing hub program. And we are already seeing results Mr. Speaker. More than 4,400 housing hub homes are open or underway for middle income families. And now budget 2022 will add more staff to help accelerate those housing hub projects because there's so much demand. Similarly this year's budget adds $100 million to accelerate the community housing fund. This will support the work of non-profit partners to build even more mixed income rentals and to do it faster. Mr. Speaker the new Sunrise Centre in Kamloops is a great example of a program in action. Three years ago I had the opportunity to celebrate with the community when we broke ground on these new homes. Today Mr. Speaker the first residents mostly low-income seniors take comfort in knowing that their rents will always be capped at 30% of their income. And the building Mr. Speaker the building is right downtown just a short walk away from pharmacy the grocery store making it very very easy for seniors to use. These new homes and thousands more like them provide an affordable future for British Columbians. Now building the homes that people need supports VC's economic strength. It's also part of our work to build a healthier society in every sense of the word. Budget 2022 commits a total of $3.2 billion over three years to build an even stronger health and mental health care system for British Columbians. We are adding $300 million over three years to help with continuing efforts to address wait lists for surgeries and scans. We're also committing $875 million in the next year to get more people immunized, more PPE purchased and more people tested for COVID-19. And almost $150 million will increase the number of paramedics call takers and dispatchers to speed up emergency response times. Budget 2022 continues our government's work to deliver better care in communities throughout BC. The Cowichan, Dawson Creek, Richmond, Burnaby and New Surrey hospital projects are all moving ahead including a new state-of-the-art cancer center in Surrey. And Mr. Speaker more cancer care centers are being planned for camloops and Nanaimo. This year's budget will continue to invest in urgent and primary care centers. Our goal is to nearly double the number of centers by 2025 to bring culturally safe care closer to home. Budget 2022 will add traditional indigenous health providers to local primary care teams. We are continuing to work in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority to create new First Nations primary care centers throughout the province. Mr. Speaker we recognize that the pandemic has threatened more than our physical health. It's taken a significant toll on our mental well-being and tragically the poison drug crisis has only worsened. Our government is tackling this head-on with the largest investment in mental health and addiction services in BC's history. A new comprehensive system of treatment and care is being built. Five years ago Mr. Speaker one simply did not exist. Despite heroic efforts from those working on and working in this new system the poison drug supply continues to claim lives. And while it's hard to see past the tragedy Mr. Speaker there are stories that do inspire hope. Stories like Daniel's. After years of homelessness and living with addictions he checked himself into a new treatment bed in Nanaimo. It definitely saved my life Daniel says. He's now excited about the future and plans to take things one step at a time. And his first step I have to say was a meaningful one. For the first time in four years Daniel spent Christmas with his family. It's for Daniel and so many others that frontline workers remain committed to this fight. So too is our government remained committed to this fight. We are we are taking action by opening hundreds of treatment and recovery beds just like the one in Nanaimo. By becoming the first province in Canada to apply for decriminalization and offer prescribed safe supply. And by operating free and affordable counseling services and foundry centers in dozens of communities. For people living with a combination of addictions severe mental health issues or brain injury budget 2022 provides another pathway to hope. New complex care housing already on the way for Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver will be expanded to another 20 sites throughout the province. This first of its kind approach will help stop the cycle of evictions, shelters, emergency rooms and jails for hundreds of people with complex care needs. Mr Speaker, it is often been said that while we are all in the same storm, we are not in the same boat. And the pandemic has only served to deepen pre existing gaps in services and supports. And we can see this playing out on streets right across the country. A new comprehensive approach is needed to shift from reactive to proactive solutions for homelessness. This year's budget delivers Mr Speaker with $633 million to tackle homelessness over the next three years. When COVID-19 first hit we acted fast to bring more than 3,000 people in off the street and into temporary shelters. And now we are working to make this move permanent by finding hundreds of new homes with supports and connecting people with spaces and newly finished buildings. To give people stability while new permanent homes are being built we are extending leases on some temporary spaces. Additionally new rent supplements will help thousands of low-income people find secure housing in the rental market and it comes with wraparound supports. While an immediate response is vital we must also shift our attention upstream toward prevention Mr Speaker. The late Catherine McParland was a fierce advocate on youth homelessness. She also became a friend and advisor to this government and to me. As Catherine described it foster care is a super highway to homelessness and she called on government to be part of the solution. And our government is listening to people like Catherine and things are going to change Mr Speaker. Today we are making good on our promise to support all youth who are aging out of care. Budget 2022 provides more income supports, new earnings exemptions and a whole host of housing health and life skill supports that will continue for youth aging out of care until the age of 27. How online is this Mr Speaker? As a mom I know that the responsibility that I have to my children did not end on their 19th birthdays and neither does government's responsibility. Mr Speaker government's responsibility to youth doesn't just apply to youth aging out of care. Giving every child the best possible start is key to strengthening the social fabric of our province. As K to 12 enrollment continues to grow we are continuing investments to match. Budget 2022 commits an additional $664 million over three years to respond to increased enrollment. Work also continues on state-of-the-art classrooms around the province. This past year 20 new or improved schools opened in communities like Courtney, Smithers and Surrey and more schools are under construction now. Many Mr Speaker will include childcare spaces which is good news for families. Parents know there will always be a space for their child in public school and we are working hard to bring the same certainty to childcare. With this year's budget we are embedding childcare within the Ministry of Education. This is all part of our government's work to establish childcare as a core service that's available to any family that wants it. When they need it at a price they can afford. Already Mr Speaker thousands of families are paying less for childcare than when we first formed government. We funded over 26,000 new spaces surpassing our original target. Taken together this work has established BC as a national leader on childcare and it meant that when the federal government came to the table it meant that we were ready. Mr Speaker historic agreement is now in place that brings BC closer than ever to $10 a day childcare. Within seven years another 40,000 spaces will be funded in partnership with the federal government and by the end of the year parent fees for children aged five and under will drop by an average of 50%. Mr Speaker this is a huge win for families and one that our government has pushed for since day one. Budget 2022 takes another big step forward on making childcare more affordable for families. We are going to lower the average fees for preschool and before and after school care to less than $20 a day for the 23-24 school. Mr Speaker as childcare becomes a core service for BC families we must also train more skilled professionals. Already we have doubled the number of early childhood educator seats over the last three years and now budget 2022 will add hundreds of new seats to train even more ECEs. This year's budget will also extend the wage enhancement to even more child care professionals. It will now include ECEs who split their time between working with children and supervising staff answering calls from parents and helping with the other behind the scenes work. Mr Speaker the last year has been a powerful reminder of how closely connected people's health and well-being are to that of our natural environment. In this year's budget consultations I heard a united message from British Columbians. Action is needed now both to fight climate change and to protect people and communities from the effects of climate-related disasters. Budget 2022 will help keep people safe today while building a better more climate resilient British Columbia for generations to come. Three years ago our government introduced CleanBC one of the strongest climate plans in North America. We then accelerated the fight against climate change with the CleanBC roadmap to 2030. Today an additional $1 billion for CleanBC will help us reach a low carbon future faster. This year's budget strengthens the CleanBC program for industry to help decarbonize our economy. We are also creating a new clean buildings tax rebate to support deep energy retrofits of larger rental and commercial buildings. And while most people want to make the right choice by the environment it isn't always the most affordable option and we are working hard to change that. Budget 2022 will remove the PST from all electric heat pumps while increasing the PST on fossil fuel heating equipment and so that these revenues will offset the cost of new incentives to make heat pumps more affordable for homeowners in rural and northern British Columbia. Electric vehicles are another example of how we are making climate smart decisions more affordable Mr. Speaker. BC leads North America and the transition to electric vehicles. To build on this momentum budget 2022 will continue the popular go electric program and to make use EVs even more affordable we are going to remove the PST. This year's budget also launches a clean transportation action plan and continues growing the province's network of bike lanes and multi-use pathways. We are also expending exemptions to the motor fuel tax and to include hydrogen powered vehicles. This will benefit companies like BC-based hydra energy as it works to transition heavy duty vehicles to hydrogen power. And while the fight against climate change continues recent disasters show that we must strengthen our defenses at home. Mr. Speaker while we have all experienced the realities of climate change this year I can't help but think of the indigenous people in the Nicola Valley farmers in Abbotsford the residents of Merritt Princeton and Linton. No single community can rebuild on its own we are going to get through this together. This year's budget delivers more than 2.1 billion dollars to help us prepare for respond to and recover from floods heat waves and wildfires. It begins with 1.5 billion dollars to support people and communities with flood recovery. A total of 400 million dollars will cover known costs from moving removing debris to providing financial assistance for hard-hit people businesses and communities. An additional 1.1 billion is earmarked in contingencies to support additional recovery costs in the months ahead. Mr. Speaker the government of Canada has been a steadfast partner through these difficult times and allocated five billion dollars in federal assistance will help backstop BC's flood recovery efforts. As a sign of what we can accomplish together the largest financial recovery package ever for BC farmers is on the way. Mr. Speaker there is a long road ahead and rebuilding what we have lost is only part of the job. We must act now to protect people and communities against future climate disasters. A total of 120 million dollars provided this year will support the community emergency preparedness fund and indigenous led emergency management. This will help power local emergency services and operation centers, map flood plains, support flood risk assessments and more. And even with strong preventative action British Columbia must be ready to protect people, property and communities from climate disasters. In moments of crisis the BC wildfire service and emergency management BC have been unwavering. They've been unwavering in their response. We owe them our thanks and so much more. Budget 2022 commits 145 million dollars over three years to increase staff at both agencies and move toward a more proactive approach. For EMBC this means a stronger provincial response to emergencies and more coordination with communities and First Nations. And for the BC wildfire service this marks a transition toward year-round firefighting and risk mitigation. To support these efforts budget 2022 delivers nearly 200 million dollars to support wildfire prevention activities. This includes 90 million dollars in new funding to help more communities participate in programs like fire smart. When the Tremont Creek wildfire threatened the community of Logan Lake we saw what it meant to be a fire smart community and the difference it can make in an emergency. Taken together these measures will help British Columbia stand strong in the face of a disaster. And while extreme weather events get the most attention we know that even the gradual effects of a changing climate can have significant implications. From the kind of food we grow to the design of our sewers and roads we must be prepared for change on both fronts. This is where BC's climate preparedness and adaptation strategy comes into play. Budget 2022 will begin implementing the strategy province-wide with 83 million dollars. So what does that look like on the ground Mr. Speaker? It looks like more state-of-the-art climate monitoring stations along BC's rivers, lakes and shorelines. To better predict what is coming we need to start collecting the best data possible. It looks like a new extreme heat response framework that will better predict where and when heat waves will hit and how we can help the most vulnerable. It looks like an expanded river forecast center and provincial floodplain mapping program. And finally it means strengthening our partnership with local governments and Indigenous communities to work together to understand, monitor, manage and reduce climate risks. And while the fight against climate change continues we can and we will ensure that we are ready to protect people and communities. Mr. Speaker we have all learned a great deal over the last two years and through each challenge we have seen time and time again that we are stronger together. There is a long road ahead and as we all rebuild and repair the damage left by these difficult times. If patients wanes or hope waivers remember that you are not alone in this. You have about another five million or so people ready to lend a hand. Just as the bundled sticks would not break neither will we. And Mr. Speaker while we all know that we are fighting we all know what we're fighting against be it COVID-19, climate change or a poison drug supply. We cannot lose sight of who and what we are fighting for. For first days of kindergarten and graduations. For people taking a brave step, their first step on their path to hope. For small businesses to bank on growth. For communities built to withstand any storm. And for the health care workers, the child care professionals, the teachers and the bus drivers who got us through these last two years. We will reach those better days ahead by continuing to build on today's strengths and together together Mr. Speaker we will discover the opportunities that tomorrow holds. Thank you. Member for Camelus North Thompson. Well thank you Mr. Speaker and now for something completely different. Thanks for this time to make some initial comments on behalf of the official opposition and I will be our designated speaker but I will provide a few comments today just to give a quick overview of what we have seen in the budget over the