B.C. finds common ground in federal government's throne speech
Credit to Author: Rob Shaw| Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2019 01:44:08 +0000
VICTORIA — B.C. is keeping a watchful eye for common ground in the new agenda Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government unveiled in Ottawa on Thursday.
The federal Liberal government’s speech from throne promised action on housing affordability, child care, First Nations reconciliation, climate change, cellphone bills and health care — all priorities of Premier John Horgan’s B.C. NDP government.
“I heard some promising common ground today,” said B.C. Finance Minister Carole James. “Federal commitments in these areas align with the policies we are advancing and the services we are delivering for British Columbians.”
Trudeau will first have to get his throne speech through the house with support from other parties, due to his reduced minority government. Then will come a budget update — expected as early as next week — to put money behind the promises.
“It is my hope that we will soon see greater partnership with our government on improving affordable housing, important infrastructure that people depend on such as transit, and increased federal funding to B.C. for health care,” said James.
The throne speech seemed to place emphasis on funding for before and after school care. B.C. is instead looking for Ottawa to renew a $153-million, three-year, child care funding agreement that expires on March 31. The province needs the money to keep open 53 prototype sites for $10-a-day child care, which the NDP promised to expand in the 2017 provincial election.
The throne speech did promise to cut cellphone bills by 25 per cent. That dovetails with B.C.’s recently announced efforts to appoint Maple Ridge MLA Bob D’Eith to lobby Ottawa to enact telecommunications reforms.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who is the Vancouver South Liberal MP, said he sees similarities between B.C. and Ottawa’s agendas.
“It’s not even about just the B.C. government but it’s about what Canadians expect from us,” Sajjan said Thursday. “There’s absolutely great overlap there.
“I can assure you when it comes to a lot of things I heard in my own riding, our throne speech is tackling some of those challenges, especially when it comes to climate change, and making sure that we have a strong economy moving forward for our children, and we look after our seniors.”
Sajjan highlighted the push for a national pharmacare program, also mentioned in the throne speech.
“Pharmacare is going to be very important especially for seniors so they don’t have to pay those high drug costs especially in their later years when they should be spending it on their retirement,” said Sajjan.
However, Horgan and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix warned Ottawa this week they want an increase to federal health transfers before any move toward a universal coverage program for prescription drugs.
B.C. and other provinces have expressed worry they may be downloaded costs related to any national pharmacare program, which is expected to cost as much as $15 billion. The provinces also want an opt-out clause.
The same fears exist for a national dental care plan, mentioned as an idea “worth exploring” in Thursday’s speech. Horgan backed off a similar idea last year after estimates it would cost more than $1 billion.
The Trudeau government also said Thursday it would follow B.C.’s lead in putting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into law with in its first year.
And the throne speech offered a mixed message of both “strong action” on climate change while also “unwavering support” to get natural resource products to market.