Throne speech outlines improving economy and supporting British Columbians

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She said over the coming months, the B.C. NDP’s top priority will be keeping people healthy and safe, noting that COVID-19 vaccinations continue to get into the arms of British Columbians, helping the province maintain one of the lowest per capita fatality rates and one of the highest vaccination rates in North America.

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Along with continuing the work of protecting British Columbians from COVID-19, the province has longer-term plans to improve health care, fight climate change and help communities adapt to extreme weather, make life more affordable, and ensure economic growth is sustainable and works for the people in the province.

The plans outlined by the government include:

• Tying minimum wage increases to the rate of inflation
• Introducing a cooling-off period on home purchases
• Establishing a generational commitment to develop the skills and talent B.C. needs for jobs in the next 10 years
• Implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act through an action plan drafted in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples
• Establishing the first Chinese Canadian Museum in Canada and modernizing the Royal B.C. Museum
• Moving the responsibility of child care to the Ministry of Education
• Creating a new ministry to support the goals of reconciliation, economic development and environmental protection
• The first ever increase to Senior Supplement and largest increase in history to Social Assistance

Austin noted that the province will also have a special focus on child care in the coming year.

“The pandemic has shown how important reliable, affordable child care is. It gives kids an early start on a path to learning, and it helps parents return to work and pursue opportunities,” said Austin, adding that in the past child care was not treated as a priority, resulting in parents facing high fees or long waiting lists, but the B.C. NDP are working to reverse that concept.

“Your government will build on the progress made by more than doubling $10 a day spaces, and reducing average fees by as much as 50 per cent by the end of this year.”

She said child care is becoming a core-service in B.C., allowing residents to take advantage of the service with greater ease, adding that moving the responsibility of child care to the Ministry of Education will allow child care to be managed by regional offices that can identify and address local needs.

The province also wants to put focus on urgent actions to address climate change and extreme weather events. This includes improving green transportation alternatives and ensuring infrastructure is built to withstand future weather events, both of which will create jobs in the process.

Austin noted that the province continues to follow the CleanBC plan to find ways to reduce emissions, providing British Columbians with rebates for using energy efficient products, while increasing accountability for big polluters. The province will also work with communities as they look to become more energy efficient.

More protections for forests are also being proposed in the plan. The government and First Nations are working together to defer harvesting within 2.6-million hectares of at-risk old-growth forests.

“Deferrals will prevent irreversible biodiversity loss while a new approach to sustainable forest management that prioritizes ecosystem health and increased community control is developed,” said Austin.

She added that the province intends to maintain forestry as one of its key sectors, but it must also make sure the industry remains sustainable for the long-term.

Austin said the province is on track to see lots of new workers enter the workforce in the upcoming years, and there are plans to support the training and education opportunities needed to learn the skills for the jobs of the future.

It was noted that the plans for these initiatives came following consultations with British Columbians. Additionally, it was said in the speech that the plans will make the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples a core principal in every government decision.

Austin said these initiatives will help guide the province forward in growing the economy, becoming more green, while also investing in British Columbians.

The B.C. Green Caucus criticized the speech for not offering a vision for the future.

“The government patted themselves on the back for past initiatives and re-announced projects that have been underway for years,” said Sonia Furstenau, leader of the B.C. Green Party and MLA for Cowichan Valley.

Furstenau also had an issue with the government continuing to promote vaccines as the primary tool to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We need to employ a strategy that recognizes this is an airborne virus, and the government needs to invest in the tools that can help keep people safer, including N95 masks, filtration, ventilation, and rapid tests,” said the Green leader.

(with files from the Canadian Press)