John Rustad and his star candidate Yuri Fulmer are openly pushing tax breaks for the top 2% of British Columbians.

At an all candidates meeting on Wednesday, Fulmer said:

“We’re the fourth highest taxed jurisdiction in North America. 53.5% is our top marginal tax rate. It is really tough to incent people to come here and work when more than half of their income is going to taxes.” (Video)

But which tax bracket is he talking about?

53.5% is the top marginal tax rate on individual income over $252,000 - less than the top 2% of income earners. Middle class British Columbians pay the lowest income taxes in Canada - and net taxes are lower than they were under John Rustad, thanks to MSP elimination and other measures.

In the same clip, Fulmer asserts that taxes on the wealthy are a bigger affordability challenge than housing costs. Fulmer himself is extremely wealthy - he owns 36 A&Ws and his business generates over $60 million annually.

This directly aligns with Rustad, who on Sunday criticized “income tax hikes introduced by the NDP” - even though the only people whose income taxes have gone up are the top 2%.

People in BC making under $170,000 pay the lowest income taxes in Canada - that’s over 95% - making it clear that Fulmer and Rustad want tax breaks for those at the very top.

Spencer Chandra Herbert, Vancouver-West End:

“At a time when people are struggling, John Rustad and his candidates want to give tax breaks to the top 2%, just like they did before. That would mean healthcare cuts and higher costs for everyone else. That’s a risk we can’t afford.”

Jodie Wickens, Coquitlam-Burke Mountain:

“If you’re a billionaire who wants your BC Liberal tax breaks back, John Rustad is your guy. Those tax breaks for the wealthiest would mean higher costs for everyone else, including skyrocketing car insurance rates. But if you think the top 2% should pay their share so we can lower costs for everyone else, let’s stick with David Eby.”