Photo courtesy of the B.C. Government / Flickr

By Liam Verster

NDP, Greens Agreement Signed

B.C. NDP, Greens agreement outlines priorities, ensures Opposition support

Dec 13, 2024 | 2:45 PM

Two provincial parties have come to an agreement on how to address some key issues and ensure the NDP hold the legislature for a full term.

The B.C. NDP signed an agreement with the Green Party on B.C. outlining actions the government should take, with a focus on priorities that improve life for British Columbians.

Premier David Evy said in a release that residents expect the parties to work collaboratively, and the NDP and Greens have come together to reach an agreement on a specific set of shared priorities.

“I’m pleased to share that the government and BC Greens have reached an agreement to work together on a specific set of shared priorities,” Eby said.

“Strengthening health care, building affordable housing, creating livable communities and growing a strong sustainable economy.

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“We are two distinct parties with two distinct identities, and we won’t always agree. We also have many shared values. The agreement lays out specific areas of action we will work together to achieve.

“This agreement will strengthen the stability of government and help deliver on the priorities of British Columbians. We will continue to work with all MLAs who want to make the legislature work for people.”

The agreement, in principle, outlined several actions to take to address the priorities:

• Health Care
  • Support the growth of the Community Health Centre (CHC) model for primary care facilities
  • Assess all elements of the primary care system, CHCs, Urgent and Primary Care Centres, and family practices regularly over the Government’s mandate
  • Assess and address barriers that exist for health professionals and communities that want to establish CHCs, and to allocate $15-million in funding to assist the creation of new, or support for existing, CHCs
• Mental Health Care
  • Work with the B.C. Psychological Association to and invest $50-million to expand public coverage of psychologists
• Housing
  • Support non-profits, cooperatives, charitable societies and local governments to protect, purchase and build 7,500 new non-market housing units in 2025, with the goal of building a total of 30,000 units during the current term
• Renters Protection
  • Expand access to Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) and Rental Assistance Program (RAP), and investing $75-million more into those programs in 2025 and again in 2026
  • Jointly review existing funds within RAP in 2025 and re-capitalize the Rental Protection Fund over the term to ensure annual needs are covered
• Homelessness
  • Deploy a $30-million Heart and Hearth dedicated fund to actively support local communities to advance appropriate housing models that provide wrap-around services to reflect local conditions, and to reduce barriers while meeting local demand
• Transit
  • Implement frequent, affordable regional transit on Vancouver Island, along Highway 16, and on Highway 1, with a focus on the Sea to Sky corridor in 2025
• Climate
  • Review CleanBC in 2025, one year earlier than originally planned, and release the findings to the public
  • Contribute $50-million annually toward electric heat pump programs in the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years
• Environment
  • Review B.C.’s forests with First Nations, workers, unions, businesses and communities to address concerns about sustainability, jobs, environmental protections, and the future of the industry, then make the findings of the review public
  • Pending the resolution of existing legal proceedings and community negotiations, form a partnership with the Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations to ensure permanent protection of the Fairy Creek Watershed
  • Strengthen collaborative local processes around water management at the watershed level, identify any actions that can be taken to improve local governance, and put those actions in place within the current term
• Social and Economic Justice
  • End the spousal claw back on disability payments in 2025
  • Review social assistance and disability rates, and make recommendations for future increases subject to fiscal constraints
• Taxation
  • End the property transfer tax loophole for sale of properties by trusts
• Democratic and Electoral Reform
  • Create a special legislative all-party committee to evaluate and recommend policy and legislative measures to increase democratic engagement and voter participation; address increasing political polarization; and improve the representativeness of government during the summer of 2025, then release the findings to the public

The agreement also called for the NDP House Leader to meet with Opposition House Leaders regularly; ensure the Greens receive detailed briefings about the provincial budget; provide the Greens with a list of of the government’s projected Legislative Agenda, technical legislative briefings, notice for amendments; discuss bills with the Greens; consider extending sitting hours; limit amendments to a single piece of legislation once per legislative session; modernize and digitize the petition process; and work with the Greens Leader to establish a process to accept and respond to written submissions in question period.

In exchange for these requests, the Greens Leader will ensure the party supports all confidence voted and agreed upon motions and bills.

“I am deeply encouraged by this agreement to work together on the critical issues that matter most to British Columbians. It represents many weeks of hard work to ensure that our government takes meaningful steps to tackle the affordability crisis, improve access to healthcare, and address the urgent climate challenges our province faces. ,” Sonia Furstenau, leader of the BC Green Party and former MLA for Cowichan Valley, said.

“While no agreement is ever perfect, this is a significant step forward. It provides a clear framework for action on the priorities of everyday British Columbians.”