VICTORIA— Admitting she will not fulfil her pledge to create a fund to benefit all British Columbians from an LNG windfall, Premier Christy Clark is forging ahead with her fantasy fund, seeding it with $100 million she got from taxpayers by hiking MSP premiums, says New Democrat spokesperson for finance Carole James.

“If you ever wondered who Christy Clark is really looking out for, you have the answer when you look at her latest scheme” said James. “She hiked the medical services tax to bring in an extra $100 million this year, then took the money and put it in a political fantasy fund.”

James said the premier has failed to get a final investment decision on a single LNG project so far, despite promising to have the industry up and running by 2015. In 2013, Premier Christy Clark promised that LNG would create 100,000 jobs and fill her fantasy fund with $100 billion, enough to eliminate B.C.’s debt and scrap the sales tax.

MSP premiums went up by four per cent on January 1, which will bring in nearly $100 million over just one year. In total, the medical services tax brings in $2.4 billion per year.

“Hardworking British Columbians have been paying the price for Christy Clark’s political gambles for years, but this really is unbelievable. To force people to pay increased taxes through the MSP, and have the gall to say they are doing it so people realize there is a cost to healthcare is ridiculous,” said James.

“We need to get rid of the unfair medical services tax, not hike it for B.C. families and put the extra money into Christy Clark’s political fantasy fund.”