The provincial government is promising to have the backs of British Columbians as costs and inflation hit pocketbooks more than ever, posing affordability challenges in the year ahead.
That含羞草研究社檚 the over-arching message of the final Throne Speech delivered by Premier David Eby含羞草研究社檚 government before the provincial election in the fall. The speech comes two days before the 2024-25 provincial budget is released.
On Tuesday (Feb. 20), B.C.含羞草研究社檚 Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin acknowledged that 含羞草研究社渢oo many are still struggling to get ahead含羞草研究社� in acknowledging 含羞草研究社渂ig challenges含羞草研究社� for B.C. and its people.
含羞草研究社淲hile governments can含羞草研究社檛 solve every problem or fix things overnight, your government makes a simple commitment to you: we will have your back, so you are not facing these new challenges alone,含羞草研究社� Austin said.
These include high interest rates, inflation and new technologies, as well as global tensions and unrest.
含羞草研究社淧arents are struggling to protect their kids from dangers that are now in the palms of their hand,含羞草研究社� Austin said. Today含羞草研究社檚 gig economy also sees working people 含羞草研究社渟truggling to make a good living含羞草研究社� and be treated with fairness, she added.
These laments ultimately lead to one of the central themes of the speech: government含羞草研究社檚 efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing.
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含羞草研究社淭his session, your government will take new actions to help people with costs, while tackling the root causes that are making life so expensive 含羞草研究社� like housing affordability,含羞草研究社� it reads.
Specific housing promises include measures to protect renters from bad-faith evictions and more help for first time homebuyers.
The speech also promises improvements in health care, mental health and fighting climate change. Last week, Eby said that his government would table 20 pieces of legislation during a shortened spring session of the provincial legislature.
Specific promises include an anti-racism law, legislation protecting schools and kids from what disruptive protests (like the ones opposing SOGI-123, without mentioning them by name) as well as laws holding social media companies accountable.
The speech also sets out to remind the public what government has accomplished in touting its recent run of housing-related legislation, as well as other measures considered accomplishments.
House Leader Ravi Kahlon rejected suggestions that the speech was light on specifics, pointing to the promised legislation to the anti-racism law and promised legislation to ban protests around schools.
含羞草研究社淵ou can含羞草研究社檛 just a law have that ends racism含羞草研究社ut there are things we can do to better identify where the challenges are, where there is systemic racism within our communities,含羞草研究社� Kahlon said.
When asked whether the anti-protest legislation was aimed at the Conservative Party of BC, Kahlon used the occasion to accuse the party of bringing the politics of Donald Trump to B.C. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not me that含羞草研究社檚 worried about them,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 think the public in British Columbia should be worried about them and some of the views that they are bringing to British Columbia,含羞草研究社� he said
Kahlon also reiterated an earlier promise government would introduce additional housing legislation.
BC United Leader Kevin Falcon acknowledged that throne speeches often lack specifics, but accused New Democrats of living in a 含羞草研究社減arallel universe含羞草研究社� where 含羞草研究社渁ctually everything含羞草研究社檚 just great.含羞草研究社�
Turning to housing, Falcon touted his party含羞草研究社檚 recently announced four housing policies. They include a rent-to-own program measures to cut the PST on residential construction, eliminate the property transfer tax for first time-buyers for purchases up to $1 million. 含羞草研究社淚 think those are the kind of shifts we need to see,含羞草研究社� he said.
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When asked about the anti-protest legislation, Falcon said it depends on what the NDP plans to bring forward.
含羞草研究社淲e certainly don含羞草研究社檛 want schools or children studying in schools to be victimized by protests that are disrupting the classroom,含羞草研究社� Falcon said. 含羞草研究社淏ut we will just have to see what they bring forward and if it含羞草研究社檚 sensible, we will support it, if it含羞草研究社檚 problematic, then we will oppose it.含羞草研究社�
BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said nothing ties the speech together. 含羞草研究社淭he Throne Speech paints a picture that doesn含羞草研究社檛 match up with the real problems British Columbians are experiencing,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淗ealthcare remains inaccessible for too many, schools are overcrowded and lack resources, homes are too costly and the gap between the rich and the poor keeps getting wider.含羞草研究社�
Furstenau called for what she called a more honest assessment of the situation. 含羞草研究社�(Inequality) is widening and deepening, services are lacking and the uncertainty that climate change brings is making it hard for us to imagine the future we want for our children.含羞草研究社�
Like Falcon, Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad dismissed the speech for its lack of specifics, but framed it as another step toward authoritarianism and the outcome of 32 years of alternating governments by the NDP and BC United, formerly known as BC Liberals.
含羞草研究社淲hether it含羞草研究社檚 affordability, whether it含羞草研究社檚 housing, whether it含羞草研究社檚 health care, whether it含羞草研究社檚 crime, whether it含羞草研究社檚 the addiction problem, the crisis that we are seeing in the forest sector, all of these things have come from successive governments and successive policies. What I saw in the throne speech was more of the same.含羞草研究社�
When asked about the anti-protest legislation, Rustad said protests need to be respectful and can含羞草研究社檛 create disruptions. 含羞草研究社淏ut at the same time, I just wonder why we are at the point where the B.C. government would look at that as being an issue.含羞草研究社�
Global politics also marked Tuesday含羞草研究社檚 speech. A group of pro-Palestinians protester some 50 members strong marched around the legislature as Austin delivered the speech, calling on the provincial government to take several, mainly actions in support of Palestinians.
Their presence prevented Austin of entering the legislature through its main gates, giving the speech a less ceremonial tone.
