Latest news with #Bill14
Global News
a day ago
- Business
- Global News
B.C. Premier David Eby leaves on a trade mission to Asia
B.C. Premier David Eby will hold a media availability on Saturday afternoon before he leaves on a trade mission to Asia. The conference will be carried live at 2:15 p.m. PT. Earlier this month, Eby announced he would be going to Asia, along with Agricultural Minister Lana Popham. They will visit Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. 'We have what the world needs, and B.C. faces two-thirds of the world's population,' Eby said in a statement on Saturday. 'Next week, I'll be in Asia reinforcing with businesses and government leaders that B.C. has a proven record of building major projects and the port access to deliver.' Eby said he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday and explained that B.C. has several projects that are shovel-ready and the legislation needed to knock down internal trade barriers. Story continues below advertisement 'In our call, we agreed that now is the time for Canada to move quickly on major these projects in partnership with First Nations and while maintaining the high environmental standards Canadians expect,' Eby said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'These projects are worth billions of dollars and will create thousands of good, family-supporting jobs. I continue to advocate for the establishment of economic corridors and the abolition of internal trade barriers to get B.C. and Canada's goods moving. 1:34 B.C. Premier David Eby to undertake trade mission to Asia This week, B.C.'s legislature spring sitting ended with the passage of two controversial bills that fast-track infrastructure projects, thanks to rare tie-breaking votes from Speaker Raj Chouhan. 'Yeah, Bill 14 and Bill 15 were controversial,' B.C. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth said Thursday after the final question period of the session. 'There were a lot of people opposed and a lot of people in favour, but we made it clear that we want to get things done in this province. The public expects us to be doing that.' Story continues below advertisement Bill 14 accelerates renewable energy projects and transmission lines, while Bill 15 expedites public and private infrastructure projects, including hospitals, schools, and mines. More to come. -with files from The Canadian Press
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Farce in legislature as B.C. Conservatives seek a provincial election over a blurred Zoom call
VICTORIA — The legislature descended briefly into farce this week in a dispute over a cabinet minister who blurred the background behind him while voting online on a key piece of legislation. Opposition leader John Rustad argued that 'blurgate' — as one of the New Democrats called it — was serious enough to have led to the defeat of the NDP government. The alleged infraction happened Wednesday night, as the New Democrats pushed through Bills 14 and 15, increasing the cabinet's power to fast-track approvals for energy projects and infrastructure. Several New Democrats exercised the option of casting their votes using the Zoom online platform. One who did so was Rick Glumac, the junior minister of state for trade and NDP MLA for Port Moody-Burquitlam. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. When Glumac voted in support of Bill 14 shortly after 7 p.m., he did so with a blurred background. When he voted on Bill 15 an hour later, he'd abandoned the blurring and changed to a clear background. The B.C. Conservatives pounced on the distinction, arguing that the blurring violated the guidelines for voting by Zoom issued by Speaker Raj Chouhan himself. 'A quiet, private location with good lighting should be selected,' said MLA Peter Milobar, quoting from the rule book. 'The backdrop must be neutral, free of political or partisan images or slogans. Zoom virtual backgrounds must not be applied. 'The only way to have a blurred background is by electronic means, which would be virtual,' Milobar continued. 'That is the only possible way the technology happens, for the minister of state for trade to have a blurred background on one vote and an hour later a clear background.' Then the Opposition pitch to Speaker Chouhan: 'We would ask for a reconsideration, based on the Speaker's own rules, that the minister of state for trade was not eligible to have his vote cast on Bill 14.' If Glumac's participation were disallowed, Bill 14 would have been defeated 46 votes to 45. The Speaker had already ruled that there was no specific rule against use of a blurred background. Now, pressed by the Conservatives, he did so explicitly a second time. 'The chair has already ruled on this issue earlier,' Chouhan advised the house. 'The chair does not consider a blurred background to be a virtual background.' The Conservatives protested angrily, whereupon the Speaker reminded the house: 'Members, no argument with the chair.' He was citing a rule adopted after the Solidarity protests against the 1980s Social Credit government. Those protests spilled over into the chamber and the house was paralyzed by constant challenges to the chair. Under the new rules adopted 40 years ago, challenges were no longer allowed: 'The Speaker delivers rulings through a statement to the house and the matter is no longer open for debate or discussion.' Following the current Speaker's warning, the Conservatives stormed out in protest. As they left, one of their number, Kelowna Mission MLA Gavin Dew, snarled an insult, which the Speaker took as a direct attack. 'The member for Kelowna-Mission has left by making a very disparaging remark to the chair,' ruled Chouhan. 'He will not be allowed to return to the chamber until he comes back and apologizes.' A half-hour later, Dew obtained permission to return and said, 'I made an inappropriate remark, and I withdraw.' Though not strictly an apology, it was sufficient for a Speaker determined to lower the temperature in the room. 'Thank you, member, you now have permission to sit,' said Chouhan. 'But I remind all members, you can disagree with each other but never question the chair's ruling (and) never be disrespectful to the chair.' The matter should have ended there, with the Conservatives cooling down and the house winding down for the night. But, next day, Rustad escalated the attack on Chouhan. 'He has seriously shaken our confidence in his ability to carry on with that job,' the Conservative leader told reporters. 'There is no mechanism that we can do, unfortunately, to be able to voice that displeasure in the confidence we have with the Speaker.' Yet with the house not scheduled to sit again until October, Opposition tempers should have cooled by then. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth dismissed the notion that the NDP could have fallen on the issue. There's a recognition in B.C. that governments aren't defeated by accident and the government always has the option of scheduling an explicit confidence motion to clarify the support of the house. The blurring was an 'accidental technicality,' argued Farnworth, not evidence that the minister was gallivanting where he had no business to be. 'He was clearly in a room in a house. 'Blurring is not a virtual background,' continued Farnworth. 'Maybe a member of the Opposition, sitting on a beach with half a coconut, with an umbrella in it and palm trees — that would be a virtual background.' That left only the hapless Glumac. He's toiled mostly in obscurity through his eight years in the legislature. After this week, he risks being remembered mainly as 'the blurred guy' at the centre of a ridiculous standoff. vpalmer@
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
As allies turn on B.C. NDP, house leader Farnworth celebrates ‘great session'
VICTORIA – Can a government have a 'great session' if its flagship legislation draws condemnation from a coalition of historical allies? B.C. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth thinks so, celebrating the end of the legislature's spring sitting that culminated Wednesday night with the passage of two controversial bills that fast-track infrastructure projects, thanks to rare tiebreaking votes from Speaker Raj Chouhan. 'Yeah, Bill 14 and Bill 15 were controversial,' Farnworth said Thursday after the final question period of the session. 'There were a lot of people opposed and a lot of people in favour, but we made it clear that we want to get things done in this province. The public expects us to be doing that.' The bills had become a flashpoint for the government, attracting criticism from the First Nations Leadership Council, environmentalists and some business groups. They said the fast-track bills undermined environmental standards and constitutional obligations to consult First Nations. Farnworth said the federal government and other provinces have been grappling with the same issues of how to expedite big projects amid a trade war with the United States. 'At the end of the day, we made it clear that these bills were going to get through, our agenda was going to get through this session and that is what happened.' To the very end, the bills came under fire. As legislators were sitting down to vote on Wednesday night, Farnworth's former cabinet colleague Melanie Mark added her voice to the chorus. Mark, the first First Nations woman elected to B.C.'s legislature, called the government's behaviour 'astounding and disheartening' as she accused Eby and his cabinet of 'turning their backs' on First Nations, local governments and environmentalists. 'Politics should not stand in the way of progressive policies,' Mark said in a statement. 'Trampling on Indigenous rights just ends up getting reversed in the highest courts — taxpayers will end up paying for this oversight.' Bill 14 speeds up renewable energy projects and transmission lines, while Bill 15 speeds up public and private infrastructure projects like hospitals, schools and mines. 'Former minister Mark has an opinion,' Farnworth said. 'The Nisga'a Nation came out very much in favour of the legislation. This is one of the things, where government makes decisions … there are going to be people who are not happy and people who are going to be happy.' The Nisga'a Nation is one of the few Indigenous groups to back the legislation. Among the unhappy was Chief Don Tom of the Tsartlip First Nation, who declared an end to the 'era of trust' with the government. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs called the bills 'unilateralism.' Terry Teegee, a B.C. Assembly of First Nations regional chief, said the bills were 'regressive.' Mark said the government should reconsider the bills, saying the province had walked back plans in the past. She pointed to a controversial $789-million plan to rebuild the Royal B.C. Museum under former premier John Horgan that the government ultimately suspended after intense criticism. 'It didn't go over as planned but former premier John Horgan had the fortitude to recalibrate, pause the project and mandate more meaningful consultation,' Mark said. Mark said Eby can do the same in this situation, which would show the government honours the Crown's duty to consult with Indigenous people. 'It's never too late to do the right thing,' she said. But Eby said Wednesday that both bills were 'critically important' because they respond to a 'rapidly evolving situation.' He said B.C.'s largest trading partner, the United States under President Donald Trump, was attacking the provincial economy in the 'name of annexing' Canada as the 51st state. And Farnworth predicted British Columbians would come to see government's perspective. 'As time goes by, people will see how it's intended to work, and a lot of the fears will, in fact, be unfounded,' Farnworth said. Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer at UBC, said Eby's government seemed 'hell-bent on being able to demonstrate vigorous action' to move the economy forward. 'But I think in doing so, they're placing a number potential landmines in their path,' he said. While they might be able to avoid them, they are already taking a toll, he added. Prest said the passage of the bills 'fragments' Eby's coalition, mobilizing groups that had broadly supported his government to instead act against it in a 'significant' way. He said the bills could potentially pit First Nations supporting particular projects against those opposed to the government granting itself additional powers through the bills. 'We are showing those divisions show up already,' Prest said, pointing to Mark's reaction. Farnworth quoted one of the bills' critics to argue that the relationships would withstand the current furor. 'Grand Chief Stewart Phillip once said that 'reconciliation is not for wimps,'' Farnworth said. 'It's not an easy road, and there will be bumps along the way, and there will be disagreements along the way. But reconciliation is a key cornerstone of our government, our party's values, and it's going to continue to be that.' Overall, the session saw the passage of 11 government bills and two private member's bills, one from the NDP, one from the Opposition Conservative Party of B.C. Eby acknowledged that government 'reduced the overall legislative agenda' during this spring session while adding more hours for debate. Farnworth said he did not see that as a failure. 'One of my key roles is to ensure, that we can come back in the fall, we have got work to do, that we have got bills ready to debate right away,' Farnworth said. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad was, naturally, less generous in his assessment. 'What we have seen from the government, is scrambling from crisis to crisis, and if that is what he (Farnworth) calls a great session, oh my gosh, I'm really looking forward to next spring.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025. Note to readers:This is a corrected story. A previous version said Bill 14 passed by four votes. In fact, it passed by one vote.
Global News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
BC NDP takes fire from allies over contentious bills as legislature sitting ends
Can a government have a 'great session' if its flagship legislation draws condemnation from a coalition of historical allies? B.C. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth thinks so, celebrating the end of the legislature's spring sitting that culminated Wednesday night with the passage of two controversial bills that fast-track infrastructure projects, thanks to rare tiebreaking votes from Speaker Raj Chouhan. 'Yeah, Bill 14 and Bill 15 were controversial,' Farnworth said Thursday after the final question period of the session. 'There were a lot of people opposed and a lot of people in favour, but we made it clear that we want to get things done in this province. The public expects us to be doing that.' 3:23 B.C. legislature votes on Bill 15 The bills had become a flashpoint for the government, attracting criticism from the First Nations Leadership Council, environmentalists and some business groups. Story continues below advertisement They said the fast-track bills undermined environmental standards and constitutional obligations to consult First Nations. Farnworth said the federal government and other provinces have been grappling with the same issues of how to expedite big projects amid a trade war with the United States. 'At the end of the day, we made it clear that these bills were going to get through, our agenda was going to get through this session and that is what happened.' To the very end, the bills came under fire. As legislators were sitting down to vote on Wednesday night, Farnworth's former cabinet colleague Melanie Mark added her voice to the chorus. Mark, the first First Nations woman elected to B.C.'s legislature, called the government's behaviour 'astounding and disheartening' as she accused Eby and his cabinet of 'turning their backs' on First Nations, local governments and environmentalists. 'Politics should not stand in the way of progressive policies,' Mark said in a statement. 'Trampling on Indigenous rights just ends up getting reversed in the highest courts — taxpayers will end up paying for this oversight.' 1:45 Municipalities, First Nations team up to oppose provincial development bill Bill 14 speeds up renewable energy projects and transmission lines, while Bill 15 speeds up public and private infrastructure projects like hospitals, schools and mines. Story continues below advertisement 'Former minister Mark has an opinion,' Farnworth said. 'The Nisga'a Nation came out very much in favour of the legislation. This is one of the things, where government makes decisions … there are going to be people who are not happy and people who are going to be happy.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Nisga'a Nation is one of the few Indigenous groups to back the legislation. Among the unhappy was Chief Don Tom of the Tsartlip First Nation, who declared an end to the 'era of trust' with the government. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs called the bills 'unilateralism.' Terry Teegee, a B.C. Assembly of First Nations regional chief, said the bills were 'regressive.' Mark said the government should reconsider the bills, saying the province had walked back plans in the past. She pointed to a controversial $789-million plan to rebuild the Royal B.C. Museum under former premier John Horgan that the government ultimately suspended after intense criticism. 2:17 B.C.'s Bill 15 under fire from Indigeous leaders 'It didn't go over as planned but former premier John Horgan had the fortitude to recalibrate, pause the project and mandate more meaningful consultation,' Mark said. Story continues below advertisement Mark said Eby can do the same in this situation, which would show the government honours the Crown's duty to consult with Indigenous people. 'It's never too late to do the right thing,' she said. But Eby said Wednesday that both bills were 'critically important' because they respond to a 'rapidly evolving situation.' He said B.C.'s largest trading partner, the United States under President Donald Trump, was attacking the provincial economy in the 'name of annexing' Canada as the 51st state. And Farnworth predicted British Columbians would come to see government's perspective. 'As time goes by, people will see how it's intended to work, and a lot of the fears will, in fact, be unfounded,' Farnworth said. Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer at UBC, said Eby's government seemed 'hell-bent on being able to demonstrate vigorous action' to move the economy forward. 'But I think in doing so, they're placing a number potential landmines in their path,' he said. While they might be able to avoid them, they are already taking a toll, he added. Prest said the passage of the bills 'fragments' Eby's coalition, mobilizing groups that had broadly supported his government to instead act against it in a 'significant' way. Story continues below advertisement 1:57 Mining association calls for fast-tracking permits He said the bills could potentially pit First Nations supporting particular projects against those opposed to the government granting itself additional powers through the bills. 'We are showing those divisions show up already,' Prest said, pointing to Mark's reaction. Farnworth quoted one of the bills' critics to argue that the relationships would withstand the current furor. 'Grand Chief Stewart Phillip once said that 'reconciliation is not for wimps,'' Farnworth said. 'It's not an easy road, and there will be bumps along the way, and there will be disagreements along the way. But reconciliation is a key cornerstone of our government, our party's values, and it's going to continue to be that.' Overall, the session saw the passage of 11 government bills and two private member's bills, one from the NDP, one from the Opposition Conservative Party of B.C. Story continues below advertisement Eby acknowledged that government 'reduced the overall legislative agenda' during this spring session while adding more hours for debate. Farnworth said he did not see that as a failure. 'One of my key roles is to ensure, that we can come back in the fall, we have got work to do, that we have got bills ready to debate right away,' Farnworth said. B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad was, naturally, less generous in his assessment. 'What we have seen from the government, is scrambling from crisis to crisis, and if that is what he (Farnworth) calls a great session, oh my gosh, I'm really looking forward to next spring.'
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C. Tories say NDP government should have fallen because of blurred Zoom screen
VICTORIA - If it were up to B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad, British Columbians would have found themselves at the start of an election campaign Thursday — because of a blurred Zoom screen. Rustad says Speaker Raj Chouhan shouldn't have counted an online vote on Wednesday night by Rick Glumac, minister of state for trade, arguing the blurred background of his screen violated the legislature's prohibition against virtual backgrounds. The vote on the government's Bill 14 was a confidence vote — and without Glumac's vote, or the tiebreaker cast by Chouhan, Rustad says the Opposition would have won 46 to 45. But B.C. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth says Glumac was clearly sitting in a room, with his face visible. He says that blurring the background of a room is an established practice and it's not the same as using a virtual background. Farnworth says a true example of a virtual background would be a member of the Opposition 'sitting on a beach with half a coconut, with an umbrella in it, and palm trees' and that the complaint about Glumac is 'nonsense.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
