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VIDEO: Throne speech piles on PST cut, other promises

NDP, Greens still preparing to defeat B.C. Liberals
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HAPPENING NOW: Premier Christy Clark to address media after throne speech in the B.C. legislature.

Posted by on Thursday, June 22, 2017

Premier Christy ClarkB次元官网网址檚 last-minute embrace of child care, banning corporate and union donations and cancelling bridge tolls has only hardened the resolve of opposition MLAs to defeat the B.C. Liberal government at their earliest opportunity.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a question of trust,B次元官网网址 said B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, whose three-member caucus has signed an agreement to support an NDP minority government. B次元官网网址淒o you trust the B.C. Liberals when they are swinging like a pendulum?B次元官网网址

NDP leader John Horgan described ClarkB次元官网网址檚 policy reversals as an B次元官网网址淣DP throne speech,B次元官网网址 after Clark added a $1billion child care expansion plan to the governmentB次元官网网址檚 agenda.

The throne speech adds a host of new promises to those already announced in recent days, including reducing the provincial sales tax to offset $5-a-tonne carbon tax increases that would begin annually in 2019.

The throne speech confirmed the political donation restriction plan, adding a promise to B次元官网网址渂an funding to a provincial political party from a federal political party,B次元官网网址 a measure aimed mainly at the NDP. The restrictions would also ban foreign donations and extend to local government elections.

The speech also promises a third referendum on electoral reform, after changes were voted down by the public in 2005 and 2009.

The child care promise includes 60,000 new spaces over four years, 150,000 spaces with full or partial subsidies, and grants and bursaries to train 4,000 new early childhood educators. The latest financial results show a larger surplus than forecast, the speech says.

Other promises in the speech, most of which were promises of the NDP or Green Party:

B次元官网网址 a poverty reduction strategy focused on children

B次元官网网址 a $100 a month increase in income assistance rates, and introduction of basic income support for youth aged 18 to 24 who are leaving government foster care

B次元官网网址 a 30 per cent increase in RCMP drug enforcement officers to deal with opioid trafficking that has led to record overdose deaths

B次元官网网址 a minister of state for mental health and expansion of services

B次元官网网址 a 50-per-cent cut in Medical Services Plan premiums

B次元官网网址 feasibility studies for new transit service to Maple Ridge, South Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and Squamish, a promise to B次元官网网址減ursueB次元官网网址 light rail for the South Island, and transit improvements for Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George

B次元官网网址 elimination of tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges and acceleration of the timetable to replace the Pattullo bridge

B次元官网网址 doubling the Rural Economic Dividend program

As the house reconvened to elect former forests minister Steve Thomson to serve as speaker for as long as the B.C. Liberal government lasts, Horgan said he is confident the NDP can put up their own speaker and govern effectively.

He said once the B.C. Liberals lose a vote, he takes over as premier and names an NDP cabinet, it would likely be late August or early September before he can complete the transition of government and call the legislature again.

The first likely opportunity for a vote of non-confidence in the throne speech would be Thursday, June 29. Horgan said he will make a motion of non-confidence on Monday, but that would require unanimous support of all 87 MLAs.





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