Evoking the memory of the late premier Dave Barrett — a former Tri-City MLA — and Alfred Wong, the murdered Coquitlam secondary student, B.C.’s lieutenant governor opened a new session of the legislature today (Tuesday) with the throne speech.
Judith Guichon started the government’s speech by remembering British Columbians lost over the past term — including those who died of drug overdoses, a health issue that hit Coquitlam hard last year — and by earmarking the “People First” initiatives that the joint NDP government plans to tackle over the next year in Victoria.
Without releasing specifics of the government’s calls to action — but poking the past BC Liberal governments for their “inaction” — the speech noted how rising costs have made B.C. unaffordable. And the speech made clear the NDP’s promises to keep bills down for the main campaign planks of affordable housing and childcare.
With the low vacancy rate in nearly every community, Guichon read, homeowners and renters feel trapped: Young families can’t afford to buy a home to raise their children and workers often turn away the chance to be employed in B.C. because they can’t pay the high housing costs, which often leaves employers struggling to find labour.
“Too many British Columbians are working paycheque to paycheque…. They’re anxious and uncertain about the future.”
Guichon also noted the government’s pledge to address the volatile real estate market — spurred by domestic and international speculators, she said — and its commitment to crackdown on tax evasion and tax fraud as well as money laundering.
She also touched on stronger protections for renters facing eviction and for those living in manufactured homes, where sites face the bulldoze to build highrises. The government, she said, will “make the largest investment in B.C. history” by working with municipalities to build more affordable homes near transit corridors as part of a new partnership with BC Housing, and by retrofitting various social housing units.
Guichon also spoke of the government’s recent efforts to keep ICBC premium hikes down, freeze BC Hydro rates, halve MSP bills and eliminate bridge tolls.
As well, she spoke of the need to provide more affordable childcare in B.C. Too many families are working extra shifts to pay for childcare or driving far from their homes to find a space, she said, adding the government’s plans to work with more providers to open more spaces around B.C. and to offer further training for staff.
B.C.’s new childcare plan got a $153-million boost from the federal government to create new spaces focusing on infant and toddlers from low-income and vulnerable families.
That cash allows B.C. to start cutting the cost of childcare spaces this year, for children up to three years old in families earning less than $51,000 annually.
jcleugh@tricitynews.com
