Trump Tariffs the ‘Issue of the Session’

The British Columbia legislature reconvened for the first time in nine months with a speech from the throne that focused on how the provincial government will respond to the threat B.C. and the rest of Canada faces from President Donald Trump and the United States.

“During its first four weeks, the new United States presidential administration has taken our country on a roller-coaster ride,” said the speech Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia read in the house Tuesday afternoon. “We must be prepared for this to continue for the next four years.”

The throne speech, which sets the government’s direction for the coming year, is written in the premier’s office and delivered by the lieutenant-governor.

Premier David Eby told reporters the focus on Trump’s threatened tariffs was necessary. “We need to make sure we’re meeting the moment,” he said. “This is going to be the issue of the session.”

Tuesday’s speech twice invoked the fight against the Nazis and the defeat of fascism in Europe while warning that “this is the most consequential time for our province since the Second World War.”

Since coming to office in January, President Trump has threatened Canada and Mexico with 25 per cent tariffs, with a lower rate of 10 per cent on Canadian energy, though he has delayed implementing them until early March.

Trump, who has proposed using economic means to push Canada to join the United States, has also signed orders for a 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum to start March 12 that would have a major impact on Canadian exports.

“In the face of an unprecedented and unjustified threat to our economy, British Columbians are joining with all Canadians to fight back,” Cocchia said in the throne speech. “We’ve come together to support each other and stand up for our country.”

The speech rejected the idea that Canada would ever become the 51st state.

“Instead, we will take our destiny into our own hands — by building on our strengths,” it said. “We will not leave our future success to the whims of unpredictable forces from beyond our borders.”

B.C.’s strategy will include growing its economy, diversifying its trading relationships and “responding firmly and forcefully if required.”

It reiterated a recent announcement that it will expedite 18 major projects, among them natural gas infrastructure, new mines, and wind and solar power projects. Taken together, they represent a $20-billion investment that will create an estimated 8,000 jobs.

The speech mentioned “climate” just once and failed to mention “environment” other than to say that the new wind-power projects will be exempt from the environmental assessment process.

Efforts to improve access to health care and to housing will continue, the speech said, citing experts who estimate that over the next 10 years the province’s plan will generate 300,000 new middle-class homes.

It also signalled that during the session “laws will be introduced to protect British Columbians from credit-card fraud, unfair practices by cellphone companies and to recover health-care costs from wrongdoers.”

While the speech talked about supporting people and “putting money back in people’s pockets,” it failed to directly address the recently announced decision to renege on the NDP’s election promise of a “grocery rebate” of $500 for individuals and $1,000 for families.

Nor did the speech mention the hiring freeze the government recently announced, though it did say the province is “reviewing programs and spending to ensure they address today’s challenges.”

Two government entities whose failures have recently received much public scrutiny also went unmentioned, the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Crown corporation Community Living BC that funds services for developmentally disabled adults.

Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad said the main issues B.C. faces long predate Trump’s return to power and the threat of tariffs.

“David Eby is looking for an enemy,” Rustad said. “He’s looking for an excuse. He wants to blame somebody for his failures.”

He criticized the government’s failure to better address the toxic drug crisis and the lack of attention in the speech to improving affordability for British Columbians who are struggling financially. “Where’s the strategy?”

Rustad also said he believes it’s a mistake to exempt wind projects from environmental assessments since they do have a significant environmental impact that people should know about before they are built.

In a prepared statement the BC Green Party said the province has been facing multiple, overlapping crises for years, including unaffordable housing, lack of access to health care, climate change, toxic drugs and economic uncertainty.

“It's easy to employ wartime analogies in face of a fresh, headline-grabbing crisis,” said Jeremy Valeriote, the party’s interim leader. “We are in this situation because we didn’t look far enough ahead, so we need a plan that delivers long-term stability and security for British Columbians, and it must benefit people first rather than corporations.”

The government should be building a diverse, innovative and sustainable economy that centres community well-being, poverty reduction and climate action, he said.

Tuesday is the first day the legislature has sat since May 16. The legislature did not sit during the fall because of the provincial election that saw the NDP returned to office with a narrow win over the BC Conservatives.

In the morning the MLAs re-elected Raj Chouhan to preside over debates as Speaker of the house.