B.C. premier introduces emergency power bill to respond in time to U.S. threats

The B.C. government has introduced a new bill that will give it sweeping power to respond to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs in real time, without waiting for approval from the Legislature.

Premier David Eby says they need to put in the changes with things escalating quickly south of the border.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!

“It gives us the tools to respond in real time to executive orders that target Canada, that target British Columbia. I wish I could say we could predict what the president is going to do next, but I don’t think anyone can predict that. I’m not even sure the president can predict what he’s going to do next. And so we need to have the tools in place to be able to respond quickly,” Eby told media Thursday.

He says the unpredictability can be seen as recently as Trump’s threat to impose 200 per cent tariffs on wines imported from the European Union.

“He has no regard for the chaos that he’s causing. Because we feel this is part of his strategy to hurt the Canadian economy and to force us into his vision of annexation to the United States of America, redrawing our borders and access to our water.

Well, that’s not going to happen. We’re going to control our own destiny, and we will never be the 51st state. We’re a proud and independent country. We’re going to make our own decisions,” said Eby.

He says the province has to be prepared for anything, including a worst case scenario of Trump tearing up the Columbia River Treaty which would have serious impacts on B.C.’s power sector.

The province will likely use the bill, if it passes, to implement tolls for any non-Canadian commercial vehicles using B.C. highways, along with requiring public sector bodies to exclude U.S. suppliers when procuring new goods and services.

The government says these kind of broad powers need checks and balances and it’s keeping those in place. If the bill passes it will expire by 2027 at the latest, and it doesn’t allow government to override permitting processes or First Nations consultation.

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says his party will “never” support the bill.

Rustad took to social media Thursday, claiming the bill includes “powers for road pricing, secretive collection of personal information, and almost unlimited ’emergency’ powers.”

He challenged Eby, saying the Conservatives won’t back down from their position.

“If you want an election—drop the writ,” said Rustad.

BC Hydro removes Tesla products from EV charger rebate program

In an effort to choose Canadian goods over products from the United States, BC Hydro and the B.C. government have removed Tesla products from the Electric Vehicle rebate program for homes in the province.

In an update on its website, BC Hydro says that as of March 12, it will “exclude, where practicable, U.S. produced goods.”

However, BC Hydro does not state whether Tesla vehicles themselves have been removed from the province’s EV incentive program.

“Tesla products (electric vehicle chargers, energy storage batteries and inverters) are not eligible for CleanBC and BC Hydro rebates,” the province’s electricity provider stated.

“If you purchased or have received pre-approval for your Tesla product before March 12, 2025, it can still qualify for rebates and will be processed as normal.”

The move comes amid a “Buy B.C.” movement, as the U.S. and Canada are embroiled in a trade war.

When asked if the change would affect other EV manufacturers Thursday, Eby was straight to the point.

“It’s just for Tesla, and it’s because of Elon Musk.”

You can watch CityNews 24/7 live or listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver to keep up to date with this story. You can also subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.