Tuesday July 29, 2025 | VANCOUVER, BC [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC] | Posted at 2:45 pm | Updated 3:06 pm | Updated July 31, 2025
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC Premier David Eby has taken the lead with with the Liberal MPs from BC for an in-depth conversation on B.C.’s priorities.
He called a meeting of Liberal MPs elected in BC, to discuss a range of issues including public safety and infrastructure upgrades. They met in at the Premier’s office in Vancouver. MPs attended the July 28 meeting with Premier Eby in person and online.
BC Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey also attended.
As reported by Island Social Trends on July 28, Eby said in his media availability that he would be meeting yesterday with federal Liberal MPs from British Columbia to discuss how the province can make sure that British Columbia “remains on the radar of the federal government”
“From public safety to infrastructure upgrades to major projects that can unlock prosperity and clean energy jobs like the North Coast Transmission Line, there was no shortage of shared opportunities for success identified. BC is demonstrating how to pivot in this new economic paradigm of tariffs, while taking care of the services British Columbians depend on,” as stated by the Premier’s office today online in social media.
Building bridges:
Eby hopes to achieve a dynamic that when an announcement is made about funding for the east coast, for Quebec or for Ontario “that there’s somebody in the (Liberal) caucus that’s putting up their hand and saying is this program available on an equal basis to British Columbia.”
Yesterday he was concerned about regional disparity with regard to funding for ferry transportation. But there is so much more given the pending development of ‘national projects’ that Prime Minister Mark Carney is hoping to manifest.
This is a gutsy political move to invite Liberals into the work of an NDP Provincial government. Building bridges with federal MPs is a smart political strategy for potentially influencing decisions at Carney’s the federal cabinet table in Ottawa.
BC’s political interest are certainty within what people in central Canada refer to as ‘the west’ but BC has distinct interests and needs as well as distinct roles for providing natural resources and port access from the Pacific coast.
20 Liberal MPs in BC:
The west has influence in federal politics in the 45th parliament.
There were 43 MPs elected in British Columbia in the April 28, 2025 federal election. Of those, 20 are Liberals (18 on the BC mainland and two on Vancouver Island).
Overall, the Election 2025 results produced the Liberals with 169 MPs, the Conservatives with 143 seats, Bloc 22, NDP 7, and Greens 1.
Who was there:
Seventeen of the Liberal MPs attended Eby’s July 28th meeting in person or remotely:
Minister of International Development, Randeep Sarai; Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, Jill McKnight; Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Ernie Klassen; Secretary of State for Seniors, Stephanie McLean; Taleeb Noormohamed (Caucus Chair); and MPs Parm Bains, Terry Beech, Sukh Dhaliwal, Hedy Fry, Wade Grant, Jonathan Wilkinson, Ron McKinnon, Zoe Royer, Gurbux Saini, Patrick Weiler, Stephen Fuhr, and Will Greaves.
“While the details on the discussions are confidential, the purpose of the meeting was to continue to work together for the best interests of British Columbians across a broad range of files,” says Terry Beech, MP (Burnaby North-Seymour).
“There are significant areas where it makes sense for us to work together, and I found the discussions productive, mutually beneficial and action oriented,” said Beech in a statement to Island Social Trends.
Liberal MPs in BC:
MAINLAND BC LIBERAL MPs: Parm Bains (Richmond East-Steveston), Terry Beech (Burnaby North-Seymour), Wade Chang (Burnaby Central), Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey Newton), Hedi Fry (Vancouver Centre), Stephan Fuhr (Kelowna), Wade Grant (Vancouver Quadra), Ernie Klassen (South Surrey-White Rock), Ron McKinnon (Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam), Jill McKnight (Delta), Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville), Gregor Robertson (Vancouver Fraserview-South Burnaby), Zoe Royer (Port Moody – Coquitlam), Gurbux Saini (Fleetwoord-Port Kellis), Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre), Jake Sawatsky (New Westminster – Burnaby – Mailiardville), Patrick Weller (West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country), Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver – Capilano).
VANCOUVER ISLAND LIBERAL MPs: Will Greaves (Victoria), Stephanie McLean (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke).
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NEWS SECTIONS: 43rd BC PARLIAMENT | 45th CANADIAN PARLIAMENT | INFRASTRUCTURE