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Hello there,

I’m writing as one of your constituents regarding the 2026 provincial budget. 

In reviewing the current Finance Committee recommendations resulting from the budget consultation, I see some investments I wholeheartedly support (such as improving care for complex chronic diseases), but also some key gaps. 

In particular, I urge you to advocate that our next budget include the following: 

1. Support evidence-based communicable disease management and pandemic preparedness, with the use of robust, frequent wastewater monitoring throughout BC and updating of the communicable diseases dashboard year-round (not just over the fall/winter). Note that our wastewater monitoring was radically downgraded in September 2025, leaving us more vulnerable to rapidly emerging health threats.

2. Establish a comprehensive Clean Air Act to harness the cost-effective public health benefits of clean air (which has a benefit-cost ratio from 3:1 to 100:1 – Zafari et al., Cost Eff Resour Alloc., 2022). This should include working to align new builds and retrofitting existing buildings with current indoor air quality best practices as defined in ASHRAE 241 and 44p, and investing in air cleaners for schools, as many other places have done (like Ontario, PEI, the UK, and every single classroom in Korea).

3. Support ongoing vaccine access and choice. This includes ensuring COVID-19 vaccines are available to all who want them, in alignment with recommended action to help reduce rates of Long COVID (Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada). Also, ensure health equity by obtaining a supply of Novavax, the only protein-based vaccine option available for those medically unable to tolerate Pfizer or Moderna (as recommended by the Canadian Immunocompromised Advocacy Network).

4. Support ongoing free access to COVID rapid tests in 2026, and restore a route for PCR test access for community members outside of in-patient settings.

5. Provide funding for healthcare worker PPE, specifically respirators such as N95 masks, given that CDC / NIOSH states that “surgical masks are not respiratory protective devices” and over 1,700 experts, advocates, and major unions support making N95-style masks the default mask option in healthcare settings  (Canadian Aerosol Transmission Coalition). Note that studies show N95 masks can be up to 100% protective for healthcare workers (Ferris et al., Elife, 2021) while reducing exhaled virus by up to 98% (Lai et al., eBioMedicine, 2024). They are particularly cost-effective due to the wide availability of surplus stock from earlier in the pandemic.

6.  Ensure continued and improved Long COVID care by not only addressing proposed MSP group billing changes that would result in loss of care (Lifeline BC), but by fully implementing your own finance committee’s recommendations on chronic disease investment (rec 27), team-based care (36), community health centres (31), digital health solutions (32a), home care (29), and effective treatment (27) in order to provide sustainable long-term solutions for the growing number of British Columbians disabled by Long Covid and other complex chronic illnesses. 

A healthier BC also means a healthier economy – and investing in prevention mitigates far greater downstream costs. I hope I can count on you to take positive action protecting the health and prosperity of British Columbians. Thank you!