B.C. Lt.-Gov. Cocchia recalls Second World War resilience in throne speech amid U.S. tariff threats

British Columbia’s legislative session opened Tuesday with a speech from the throne delivered by the newly appointed Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia amid what Premier David Eby describes as a time of “extraordinary change and uncertainty.”

Cocchia began her speech and the 43rd session of Parliament, calling it the “most consequential time for our province since the Second World War.”

She says the historic bond between Canada and the United States has been strained in profound ways, and B.C. must be prepared for unpredictability in the next four years of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

“No matter what the future has in store, one thing has been made clear: we will not leave our future success to the whims of unpredictable forces from beyond our borders or leave people here to fend for themselves,” said Cocchia.

“We are at a crossroads. The journey ahead will not be easy, but there is nowhere better positioned to weather the storm and come out the other side stronger than right here in British Columbia. B.C. is an extraordinary place. Our province has everything we need to succeed: a strong economy, supported by many different industries; abundant natural resources; and clean energy the world need; and our most important strength of all, the people who call this extraordinary place home.”

Cocchia proudly recollected B.C.’s response to difficult times and U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s call for military equipment during the Second World War.

She also restated Eby’s plan to address the threat of Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports.

“British Columbia’s strategy has three components, strengthening and growing our economy, diversifying our trading relationships, and responding firmly and forcefully if required.”

Cocchia says the government is partnering with a new coalition of leaders in business, labor unions, and First Nations to execute a ‘Made in B.C.’ plan that includes speeding up permitting and regulatory approvals, training the next generation of skilled tradespeople, and attracting private capital.

“This is particularly important for our hard hit forestry sector, adding more value to every tree harvested, as BC Timber Sales is reformed to ensure it is responsive to this challenge,” she explained.

The province, Cocchia says, is expediting 18 major ventures, including natural gas and clean energy as well as critical mineral and mining projects worth $20 Bllion in investments.

She emphasized the need to strengthen trade relationships, breaking down interprovincial barriers with Alberta, and strengthening its reach to Asia and Europe.

“British Columbia is very well positioned as the West Coast gateway to Asia and major global centers. Our ports are some of the busiest in Canada. We are less exposed to the U.S. market than other provinces, but we know more needs to be done. Your government will upgrade transportation infrastructure, improve supply chains and make sure businesses have ample industrial land. This is crucial to stay competitive on the world stage and reach new markets efficiently.”

Ultimately, Cocchia returned to the Second World War rhetoric, in response to Trump’s consistent threat to make Canada the 51st state, saying B.C. and Canada are united in declaring that the country is not for sale.

“Canadians and Americans have always been good friends. In many cases, we’re family. We share the longest unoffended border in the world and a partnership that has benefited both countries for more than 150 years. Ours is a bond forged in battle. We stormed the beaches at Normandy together on D Day, fighting to liberate Europe from fascism. For generations, our soldiers have died, cried and celebrated victory beside each other. Together, we have looked to the stars and seen us space shuttle missions supported by Canadarm — a powerful symbol of our long standing collaboration on science and technology. We worked together to build a highway from Dawson Creek to Alaska, with local First Nations built plain and essential role as guides through difficult and remote territory. There is much we admire about our southern neighbour, but we will never become the 51st state.”

Speaking to media after the speech, Eby backed the war rhetoric, saying the threats feel like an unprovoked attack.

“It’s a moment when we can only rely on ourselves. Pulling together, working together against an outsized and significantly more powerful foe in this moment in the president of the United States. And it’s not Americans. It’s not our friends and families across the border we talk to all the time. It’s the president. He’s decided to do this to us. We’ve got to work together,” said Eby.

The premier highlighted a few items included in the throne speech, not previously discussed by the province. Notably, the commitment to remove trade barriers that prevent B.C. from doing business with other provinces “as easily as we trade with Washington state,” for example.

“I don’t want to make it harder to trade with Washington state — the president’s working on that on our behalf — but we want to make it easier to trade with other provinces. And we’re going to make sure that we deliver on that. We’re also going to make sure that we have the tools in place, legislatively, to retaliate in non-tariff manners against the United States if they decide to impose tariffs on us.”

B.C. legislative assembly re-elects Raj Chouhan as its Speaker

One of the first orders of business for the legislature is to elect a Speaker, and Raj Chouhan was the only person to put up his name.

Chouhan was the previous Speaker in the last NDP government and the New Democrat MLA for Burnaby-New Westminster is expected to remain neutral except to vote in breaking a tie.

The NDP holds 47 seats and faces a large Opposition party for the next four years with the B.C. Conservative Party holding 44 seats.

The BC Greens elected two members who have agreed to support the NDP on confidence votes.

Eby said in a Family Day statement that today’s speech from the throne will lay out the government’s plan to defend British Columbians in these uncertain times and secure a brighter future for residents.

Colin Hansen, a former finance minister in the B.C. Liberal government and a member of the legislature from 1996 to 2013, says now should be a time for politicians to “park” partisanship.

Hansen says that the magnitude of the potential impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on B.C. means that members of the legislature need to put aside their differences and work together.

Opposition Leader John Rustad says key issues for his members during this session will be fentanyl, the borders and “what’s going on with Trump.”

House Leader Mike Farnworth told reporters last week the U.S. tariff threats are the “number 1 priority” facing the government, which clung to power with a one-seat majority in the fall election.

Hansen says the New Democrat government has been “saying some of the right things” but there needs to be an action plan.

“To give credit, I think there are some signals, like the energy projects that have been earmarked for fast tracking and possibly more to come, is a step in the right direction,” Hansen said.

However, the current level of government spending is a “recipe for disaster,” so getting the province back to a balanced budget should be a top priority, he said.

“The new Forests minister, I think, has been saying some of the right things about working with the private sector to ensure that we don’t totally lose our forest sector in B.C.”

The legislative assembly enters the first session in nine months, just days after the government cancelled the $1,000 grocery rebate, one of the NDP’s flagship promises in last year’s election.

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said Thursday that the government will also have to “revisit” its election vow for a middle-income tax cut in future budgets at a time that B.C. faces an “unpredictable” future.

The impact of Trump’s threatened tariffs were impossible to predict, Bailey said.

Rustad has said that had the Conservatives won the election, he would have been in Washington back in November.

Canadian premiers visited Washington, D.C., last week to meet with U.S. lawmakers shortly after Trump delayed his plans for a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods and a 10 per cent levy on energy.