Monday February 6, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 7:15 pm]
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
With BC Premier David Eby in Ottawa for the important Council of the Federation (COF) meeting with the prime minister about health care funding, the BC Throne Speech was a bit more like regular business today.
Ahead of the 2 pm reading of the Throne Speech, fanfare outside the BC Legislature was performed as usual, with officers in uniform, cannon blasts, and the Lieutenant Governor meeting the troops.
As a formal gesture, the LG was met at the steps of the Legislative Building by Deputy Premier, Mike Farnworth.
First speech under Premier Eby:
This is the first Throne Speech under David Eby, who became BC’s 37th premier in November 2022. Eby’s hand-picked Cabinet was announced December 7.
Eby’s absence was not mentioned during today’s proceedings.
Then the holiday season rolled in fast. Meanwhile Eby has been rolling out his political accomplishments of his first 100 days in office, including actions in health-care [new medical school | Streamlining internationally-educated nurses accreditation ], housing [Housing stalled for over a decade | Residential Tenancy Branch staff increase | Building permit centralization aiming to speed up housing construction] and immediate cost of living supports [ BC Cost of Living & BC Hydro Credits ].
Eby being in Ottawa this week was somewhat unavoidable; in fact he’s been in the nation’s capital since last week for meetings and several national media appearances.
Premiers across the country have been calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about health care funding for a few years now. Trudeau said many times during the pandemic that a joint meeting would happen after the pandemic crisis was beyond immediate concern.
Former BC Premier John Horgan was instrumental in coordinating the 13 Canadian Premiers (collectively as the Council of the Federation), punctuating his leadership on the Canada Health Transfer by hosting the COF meeting in Victoria in July 2022.
“The foundation of this building should echo the Lekwungen people,” said the Indigenous speaker said ahead of the reading of the Throne Speech.
Speech theme:
“There’s no doubt COVID-19 set us back,” said Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin. She said that the government was making progress on their objectives pre-pandemic, then kept “people safe and businesses afloat” during the pandemic “putting people at the centre of your government’s choices”. BC led Canada in women being able to return to work, she noted, with reference to implementing more licenced child care spaces and $10-a-day child care.
Reducing costs for families and helping businesses attract the talent and resources they need will continue to be a goal.
Responding to a downturn with cutbacks “would make many of our most serious challenges worse”. “There’s too much at stake right now” for people who are just finding stability after the pandemic economic hits.
Support for urban and rural communities that have grown quickly will be a focus.
“Budget 2023 will make smart investments today to build a stronger tomorrow. More housing for middle class families was highlighted, as well as building more hospitals and schools,” said Austin. Addressing the cost of living she said that “especially for the most vulnerable” would continue to be the government’s focus. People with lower incomes and families with children will continue to be supported.
Exports and international relationships are changing, and as such the budget “surplus won’t be there next year”, the LG said. “Trade missions to emerging markets will be a priority.” ESG businesses will attract more capital, she said (as was outlined in a session with former Finance Minister Selina Robinson in December 2022 in Victoria).
The rise in the cost of living was repeated as the main concern of British Columbians this year. Groceries, gasoline and housing costs were itemized as contributing to financial challenges.
Challenges to the health-care system and maintaining a universal health-care availability were noted. “Our province is doing things differently by putting patients first,” said Janet Austin in reading the government’s notes.
“Sustainable local food systems and food security” were mentioned in one line of the speech. House Leader Ravi Kahlon expanded on food security afterward in a media scrum.
She said that “climate change is a stark reality” and that it’s “happening now”, giving context to the new Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
Sports tourism highlight:
Today the trifecta of upcoming large sports events in BC was highlighted in the Throne Speech: Grey Cup (2024), Invictus Games (2025), and FIFA Men’s World Cup (2026).
Premier Eby mentioned these in his comments to media after the Cabinet swearing-in, as part of his reason for appointing MLA Lana Popham as the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, implying that she would put a positive professional face on the province’s presence at those events.
Government House Leader:
Minister of Housing, Ravi Kahlon, is the Government House Leader, presiding over business today after the Lieutenant Governor left the assembly.
Attorney General Niki Sharma had her first day in the legislative assembly in that important role.
Premier’s office summary:
In a news release after 2 pm, the Premier’s office summarized the Throne Speech highlights as follows:
- helping people with rising costs by introducing new measures targeted to support people hardest hit, including those with lower incomes and families with children;
- tackling the housing crisis by continuing to get tough on speculators, while launching a refreshed housing plan and increasing homes and services near transit hubs throughout the province;
- strengthening access to public health care after the pandemic by investing in new hospitals, a new medical school, better cancer care, substance treatment and recovery services, and getting internationally trained health professionals into B.C. clinics to provide care;
- making communities safer with actions to get violent offenders off the streets and new laws to crack down on gangs, money laundering and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images; and
- fighting climate change and building an economy for everyone by launching a new job skills plan, expanding low-cost clean-energy solutions, introducing a new pay-transparency law that moves B.C. closer to equal pay for equal work for women, and working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
Political and business comments:
- “While it presents a slightly more honest assessment of the challenges people in BC are facing, today’s Throne Speech was more of a reflection on what the BC NDP says it has accomplished than a vision for the challenging road ahead.” | “This government has taken a strong stance against privatization of health care. From all the work that we’ve done we agree and are going to hold them to that.” ~ Sonia Furstenau, Leader, BC Greens
- “While BC’s throne speech acknowledges the challenging economic conditions in the province, it failed to provide cost-relief measures for small businesses dealing with inflation, labour shortages, higher taxes, rising interest rates, and slower economic activity.” | “However, it is encouraging to see the BC government will use red tape reduction measures to address housing affordability.” ~ Canadian Federation of Independent Business (BC)
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Island Social Trends emerged in mid-2020 from a preceding series of publications by founder/editor Mary P Brooke and published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc, covering news of the Vancouver Island region, BC and national issues through a socioeconomic lens.
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