British Columbia鈥檚 legislative session opens today amid what Premier David Eby describes as a time of 鈥渆xtraordinary change and uncertainty.鈥�
Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia is scheduled to deliver the speech from the throne this afternoon, laying out the B.C. government鈥檚 plan as looming U.S. tariffs threaten the Canadian economy.
Eby says in a statement that the speech will lay out the government鈥檚 plan to defend British Columbians in these uncertain times and secure a brighter future for residents.
Colin Hansen, a former finance minister in the BC Liberal government and a member of the legislature from 1996 to 2013, says now should be a time for politicians to 鈥減ark鈥� partisanship.
Hansen says that the magnitude of U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration on B.C. means that members of the legislature need to put aside their differences and work together.
Opposition Leader John Rustad says key issues for his members during this session will be fentanyl, the borders and 鈥渨hat鈥檚 going on with Trump.鈥�
House Leader Mike Farnworth told reporters last week the U.S. tariff threats are the 鈥渘umber 1 priority鈥� facing the government, which clung to power with a one-seat majority in the fall election.
The NDP holds 47 seats and faces a large Opposition party for the next four years with the B.C. Conservative Party holding 44 seats. The BC Greens elected two members who have agreed to support the NDP on confidence votes.
Hansen says the New Democrat government has been 鈥渟aying some of the right things鈥� but there needs to be an action plan.
鈥淭o give credit, I think there are some signals, like the energy projects that have been earmarked for fast tracking and possibly more to come, is a step in the right direction,鈥� Hansen said.
However, the current level of government spending is a 鈥渞ecipe for disaster,鈥� so getting the province back to a balanced budget should be a top priority, he said.
鈥淭he new Forests minister, I think, has been saying some of the right things about working with the private sector to ensure that we don鈥檛 totally lose our forest sector in B.C.鈥�
The legislative assembly enters the first session in nine months, just days after the government cancelled the $1,000 grocery rebate, one of the NDP鈥檚 flagship promises in last year鈥檚 election.
Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said Thursday that the government will also have to 鈥渞evisit鈥� its election vow for a middle-income tax cut in future budgets at a time that B.C. faces an 鈥渦npredictable鈥� future.
The impact of Trump鈥檚 threatened tariffs were impossible to predict, Bailey said.
Rustad has said that had the Conservatives won the election, he would have been in Washington back in November.
Canadian premiers visited Washington, D.C., last week to meet with U.S. lawmakers shortly after Trump delayed his plans for a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods and a 10 per cent levy on energy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 18, 2025.
Marcy Nicholson, The Canadian Press
