Ah, Adrian Dix.

Yesterday, on CKNW’s Bill Good Show, the prospective premier started off singing from the CTF song sheet, attacking the BC Liberal government for nickel and diming BC residents through ICBC increases, Hydro hikes, Ferries fuel surcharges, and Medical Services Premium increases.

We totally agree—the government keeps picking our pockets in a variety of ways.

Then Dix went completely off the rails, laying out an aggressive vision of tax increases—starting with corporations and high income earners. He also backed off on reducing the MSP tax. (The next day on CKNW, political reporters Keith Baldrey and Vaughn Palmer pointed out that to fund the NDP’s commitments, tax increases would have to be extended into the middle class in order to generate the necessary money.)

Almost instantly, the BC Liberals shot out a press release examining what families pay in income taxes in BC:

Let's take a look at tax rates in British Columbia.

In British Columbia, a family earning $90,000 a year paid $5,988 in provincial income tax in 2001. Today the same family pays just $3,166 in provincial income tax – a cut of 47%.

Similarly, a family of four earning $60,000 a year paid $3,272 in provincial income tax in 2001. Today, the same family pays $1,302 in provincial income tax – a 60% tax cut.

The tax cuts brought in by the BC Liberal government have put more money back in the pockets of hard working taxpayers. In fact, British Columbia's personal income taxes are the lowest in the country for individuals earning up to $119,000.

Of course, the press release ignores all of the other increased payments to the government, but you get the point.

Dix did say he felt he was making a historic attempt at transparency by being the first opposition leader he has ever seen to talk about tax increases 18 months before an election. We appreciate that honesty (hidden political agendas are poison for voters), but British Columbians will need to carefully measure all four BC parties’ plans and priorities before casting their ballot in May 2013.