VICTORIA, B.C. - At the conclusion of the first legislative session under a minority government, the B.C. Green Caucus is celebrating a number of landmark accomplishments. The Party signed a Confidence and Supply Agreement with the B.C. NDP in May which included a number of key B.C. Green platform commitments that have now come to fruition.
“The B.C. Greens campaigned on change you can count on, and I am pleased to say we have begun to deliver on that promise,” said Weaver.
“In our first session we have banned big money, reformed the lobbying industry, established a Fair Wages Commission and gotten B.C. back on track to becoming a leader in climate action once again. These accomplishments underscore the value of collaborative politics. Far too often, partisan bickering and self-interest has gotten in the way of our number one duty, which is to serve the people. When politicians focus on the values they share, we can deliver better policies for the people we represent.
“From affordable housing to child care to our rapidly changing global economy, there remains much work to be done to make life better for British Columbians. As we look ahead to the new year, I look forward to putting forth a bold vision and fresh ideas so that we can ensure a bright future for our province.”
Some signature B.C. Greens’ key accomplishments from the first session include:
- Ending the “Wild West” of B.C. politics by banning corporate, union and out-of-province donations and limiting individual donations to political parties.
- Establishing the Fair Wages Commission to take politics out of minimum wage decisions and develop evidence-based strategies to transition towards livable incomes for all British Columbians.
- Reforming the lobbying industry with more reforms to come from a review next year.
- Sending ride-hailing to an all-party committee to produce a report - the first time an issue raised in a Private Member’s Bill has ever been sent to a committee of the Legislature.
- Conducting a review of the Professional Reliance model used in environmental assessments in order to restore public and community trust in government to protect their health and safety.
- Taking action on climate change by increasing the carbon tax and working collaboratively with the government to develop a climate action strategy.
Supporting the emerging economy, reforming lobbying, establishing the Fair Wages Commission, reviewing of Professional Reliance and enacting elements of the climate action strategy were signature B.C. Green platform commitments that were negotiated into the Confidence and Supply Agreement with the B.C. NDP. Work is also underway on yet-to-be announced B.C. Green initiatives, such as a basic income pilot, the Emerging Economy Task Force and the Innovation Commissioner.
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