Sunday February 16, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 11:52 am | Updated 12:18 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Vancouver today. He will be meeting with the BC Task Force on Trade and Economic Security.
Trudeau will also attend the 2025 Invictus Games to meet some of the Team Canada competitors today and then deliver remarks at the closing ceremony of the games which have been hosted by Prince Harry February 8 to 16 in Vancouver and Whistler.
Final days for 23rd Prime Minister:
Trudeau is prime minister only for another 22 days. He told Canadians on January 6 that he would step down from being Prime Minister after the Liberal Party of Canada chooses a new leader on March 9.
The Liberals will choose their new leader on March 9. That person will immediately become Canada’s next (24th) prime minister.
BC’s approach on tariffs:
Of all 13 Canadian Premiers, BC Premier David Eby has been one of the most outspoken about how Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States has been running roughshod over the Canadian economy and Canadian sovereignty.
Among other things, Eby has called it “bizarre” and told US officials in Washington last week that Canada as a “51st-state” will never happen.
“There were some very frank moments across the table,” said Eby in a media scrum after the meeting with two top Trump officials. “They urged us to take the president at his word and so we will certainly do that,” said Eby.
Trudeau delivered the same intel to business leaders last week in “hot mic moment”, i.e. to take Trump seriously about his intention to take over Canada’s economy if not full sovereignty.
The BC government has a three-point approach to fight back against the tariffs and protect British Columbians, announced mid-January:
- respond to US tariffs with tough counter-actions and outreach to American decision-makers;
- strengthen BC’s economy by expediting projects and supporting industry and workers; and
- diversify trade markets for products so British Columbia is less reliant on US. markets and customers.
BC Trade and Economic Security Task Force:
To support a strong tariff response and ensure actions are swift, responsive and coordinated, Premier Eby has established a BC Trade and Economic Security Task Force to bring together business, labour and Indigenous leadership.
The task force is co-chaired by three CEOs: Tamara Vrooman, Vancouver International Airport; Jonathan Price, Teck; and Bridgitte Anderson, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade leading a group of BC’s largest business organizations.
The BC economy could be impacted across the board due to any broad-reaching US tariffs that may come (and the counter-tariffs that BC and Canada would impose). This will affect specific economic sectors (e.g. forestry, mining, energy, and shipping) including businesses and people who have jobs in those sectors.
BC Cabinet committee:
Meanwhile, the Premier’s cabinet committee will act as a day-to-day war room, coordinating the whole-of-government approach the Province is taking to protect B.C.’s workers, businesses and economy. That committee was announced on January 29.
The BC cabinet committee committee on tariffs and the economy consists of 10 cabinet ministers:
- Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs (chair)
- Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
- Brenda Bailey, Minister of Finance [Met with top economists for an Economic Forecast – Jan 31 | Delivered a Budget preview – Feb 13]
- Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions [has sped-up various electrical-generating projects, including wind power]
- Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food [reportedly holding a round table on food-growing on Vancouver Island]
- Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
- Rick Glumac, Minister of State for Trade
- Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests [Parmar builds softwood lumber ties in California – Feb 14]
- Jagrup Brar, Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals
- Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks
===== RELATED:
- Canadian Premiers hustled through a day of meetings in Washington DC (February 13, 2025)
- BC Finance Minister gets input from top-level economists as US tariffs loom (January 31, 2025)
- Eby appoints BC cabinet committee on economy & tariffs (January 29, 2025)
- First meeting of BC trade and economic security task force (January 24, 2025)
- Canada on guard with three-part tariff strategy (January 17, 2025)
- Eby delivers tough tariff talk as ministers get mandate letters (January 16, 2025)
- BC Premier Eby on Canada’s strategy around US tariffs (January 15, 2025)
NEWS SECTIONS: CANADA-USA | TARIFFS & TRADE | BUSINESS & ECONOMY | FORESTRY | CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2025