B.C. throne speech focuses on health, safety

There are no surprises or big new promises in B.C.’s Speech from the Throne, which lays out the provincial government’s plan for the year ahead. Instead, the plan appears to be built upon what is already in place and around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health and safety are key throughout the NDP’s plan. In the speech read by Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin, the government notes in the months ahead, the priority is keeping people safe through the rest of the pandemic — portending, it seems, of an end date.

“This includes getting more booster shots into arms and ensuring more children age five to eleven are registered for a safe pediatric dose.”

BC's Throne Speech Thone underway with @LGJanetAustin @BCLegislature. Second of the pandemic. Overall @bcndp is holding steady – building on what measures already in place. Noting the use of "months" and "rest of the pandemic" – portending of changes ahead?#bcpoli @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/l5IzWakgTx

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) February 8, 2022

Many pandemic restrictions are set to expire next week.

Noting the province’s recent move to ensure workers get at least five paid sick days a year, the speech said in the coming year, “additional actions” will be taken to ensure safety in B.C. workplaces.

“These will include improvements to workers compensation and new rules to keep workers safe from the deadly consequences of exposure to asbestos.”

One new item is the launch of a ministry to oversee collaborative management of land and resources to support reconciliation.

Here is the mandate letter from 2020 calling for the new ministry mentioned in this Throne Speech
(h/t to @velo_zebra for sending me searching)#bcpoli @CityNewsVAN https://t.co/YPhYROjHFe pic.twitter.com/Lmoxi8G1nz

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) February 8, 2022

Reading the Speech from the Throne, Austin recognized the horrifying and heartbreaking discovery of 215 unmarked graves on the grounds of a former Kamloops residential school.

“Soon after we learned of other mass grave sites, including 182 in Cranbrook and 160 on Penelakut Island. Most recently, preliminary findings of another 93 potential burial sites near Williams Lake. These are not numbers. Each one is a child with a name, forever taken from their family and their community that loved them.

“While the consequences of these atrocities continue to this day, the healing is beginning.”

The speech said in this session of the legislature, the government “will build on the historic, unanimous passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act in this legislature – working to implement an action plan drafted in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples.”

Overall, the government’s plan ahead continues the NDP’s priorities of child and health care, as well as affordability.

In two weeks, the budget will lay out what the province will spend money on, and how much.

Mentioning extreme weather events, including the deadly heat dome, in B.C. last year, and the strained health-care system under two public health emergencies, the throne speech says there has been increased polarization around the world, though “people here in B.C. have pulled together.”

Related: Temporary security cameras deployed ahead of B.C. throne speech

“We got vaccinated in record numbers. We trusted science and continued listening to public health advice. Above all, we looked out for each other when things got rough,” Austin read.

The speech noted the heartfelt acts of kindness when communities experienced catastrophic flooding in November.

It also mentioned removing barriers for people living with disabilities and providing better care, earlier, for more children with support needs. In October, the province announced it plans to move away from individualized funding for children with autism and instead move to a “hub” model that provides more services for a wider range of children with needs. Advocates have said while the new model, set to come into effect in 2025, will benefit some families, others who have spent years struggling to find what works best for their child will be left behind.

Watch: B.C. parents protest autism funding changes

New anti-racism data legislation is also promised to be introduced in this session of the B.C. legislature.

With regards to minimum wage, the throne speech says the province will tie increases to the rate of inflation and “more than double” the number of $10-a-day child-care spaces and reduce average fees “by as much as 50 per cent.”

Though the speech says B.C. “remains one of the best places on the planet to live and raise a family,” it says more needs to be done.

“Many families are feeling squeezed, and worried about rising inflation. Businesses and communities need help to recover and rebuild. People are exhausted and concerned about what the future has in store.”