Sunday July 9, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A few days ago the federal finance minister did something a policy huddle with BC’s premier. Freeland and Eby met in Vancouver on July 6 to discuss a range of common interests.
Climate change, housing and the economy — including affordability and careers — were among the topics discussed. For BC, the emphasis was on housing, including a hope for coordinating federal programs that fund housing with provincial programs so the program requirements are easier to meet.
The roundtable was set up after a request from Deputy Minister Freeland to meet with key housing representatives in BC. Attendees included representatives from UBCM, home builders, think tanks, and academia.
Here are two statements, one of the deputy prime minister’s office and one from the BC Premier’s office:
Deputy Prime Minister & Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland – readout July 7, 2023
“Yesterday in Vancouver, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, met with the Premier of British Columbia, David Eby. This meeting reaffirmed the close partnership between the governments of Canada and British Columbia.
“In the face of increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, including wildfires, droughts, and floods, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Premier reiterated the need for continued action to fight climate change.
“The Deputy Prime Minister and the Premier reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together to ensure that every British Columbian has a safe and affordable place to call home. To this end, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Premier held a roundtable with housing stakeholders and experts to discuss what further measures could help make housing more affordable for all Canadians.
“The Deputy Prime Minister applauded British Columbia’s progress over the past two years to reduce child care fees for families, noting that the province has reduced fees by 50 per cent on average, saving families an average of $6,600 this year, and is working to reduce fees to an average of $10-a-day by 2026.
“The Deputy Prime Minister and the Premier discussed opportunities to create good careers for British Columbians by working together and investing in the clean economy. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Premier agreed on the importance of continued fiscal responsibility on the part of both the federal and British Columbia governments.
“The Deputy Prime Minister and the Premier agreed to continue working together to make life more affordable for people across British Columbia.”
Premier David Eby – statement received by Island Social Trends July 7, 2023
“The roundtable was set up after a request from Deputy Minister Freeland to meet with key housing representatives in BC. Attendees included representatives from UBCM, home builders, think tanks, and academia.
“It was an opportunity to talk about the housing crisis, with many people in the province looking for an affordable place to rent or a way to get into the housing market. There are calls for action from all levels of government on this issue.
“During the roundtable, there was discussion about the impact of GST on rental housing, and opportunities to coordinate federal programs that fund housing with provincial programs so the program requirements are easier to meet. There was also significant discussion around Indigenous housing, both on reserve and off reserve. For example, there was discussion that the federal government could match provincial funding to make a big impact on homelessness in smaller communities by building more Indigenous oriented housing, and Indigenous operated housing.
“The Deputy Prime Minister and the federal Housing minister were both very receptive to hearing from the housing experts at the table, and we feel they took away from the meeting a number of items to consider that would allow us to make a greater impact on this issue together.
“While we continue discussions with the federal government, BC is also pushing ahead with its Housing Strategy, Homes for People, because we know we can’t wait to move on this critical issue for British Columbians.”
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Mary P Brooke has been writing insight-news since 2008. Her publication series has covered news of the day through broader socioeconomic and political insights in the west shore region as well as key sociopolitical and socioeconomic issues of today’s broader society, as published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc under these mastheads: MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), West Shore Voice News (2014-2020), and Island Social Trends (since 2020).
The Island Social Trends print edition (previously West Shore Voice News) launches later in July 2023, after a three-year hiatus during the pandemic years. During 2020-2023 news has been published entirely online at IslandSocialTrends.ca and this news portal will continue.
The print-bound copies of MapleLine Magazine, Sooke Voice News and West Shore Voice News are already part of the permanent collections at the Sooke Region Museum.
Ms Brooke now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery, as part of delivering regional news on Vancouver Island.
This year, Mary P Brooke has been nominated for the Jack Webster Foundation Shelley Fralic Award to recognize a professional female journalist whose journalism makes a contribution to the community.
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