Latest news with #DavidEby
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Self-styled 'progressive B.C. government' picks fight with 10-year-old that it couldn't win
VICTORIA — B.C. Premier David Eby finally found a way this week to restore funding for drug treatment of a 10-year-old girl with a fatal genetic disease, thanks to 'a disagreement among experts.' New Democrats were deeply embarrassed by their government's mishandling of the case of Charleigh Pollock, the little girl ravaged by Batten disease. The government stopped funding Brineura, the only available drug for staving off the severe seizures associated with the disease, after a panel of experts said it no longer met the standards of effectiveness. The decision, reiterated last week, relegated Charleigh's family to fundraising on the internet, a daunting prospect considering that the drug costs $800,000 for a full year of treatment. Charleigh was the only child in B.C. with the disease and the only one in Canada to be cut off from public funding. That led Brad West, the Port Coquitlam mayor and longtime NDP supporter, to accuse the Eby government of taking the party from Tommy Douglas health care to GoFundMe health care. Then in a news conference Thursday — the very day that Charleigh was receiving her first privately funded Brineura infusion — the premier signalled that the New Democrats had been presented with an escape hatch. I had asked him about the case of a little boy in Alberta, the same age as Charleigh with the same disease, whose treatment was being funded by the Alberta government. Was Eby embarrassed that if Charleigh lived one province to the east, she would be fully funded instead of her family being forced to fundraise on the internet? Eby sidestepped my question. Then he dropped the news that set the stage for the government to reverse itself on funding the girl's treatment. 'We received a letter this morning from more than a dozen experts on Batten disease from the U.S., expressing their perspective on this medication — that it would continue to provide benefit for patients, including for Charleigh, that are at the stage that she's at,' said Eby. The outside experts expressed 'very serious concerns' about the outdated criteria that were applied here in Canada in judging the efficacy of the drug. They called for 'a review of the criteria' and 'strongly opposed the decision to withdraw funding for life-sustaining Brineura from Charleigh Pollock.' The premier described the letter as 'weighty,' adding 'I take it seriously. I know the minister does as well.' B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne would be discussing the letter with members of the panel of experts, who had advised her to discontinue funding for the drug. 'We have a very challenging situation here where we have a disagreement among experts,' said the premier, suggesting the government could use the disagreement to err on the side of caution and restore funding. Sure enough, later that day came a statement from Osborne. 'I spoke to Charleigh's family earlier this evening,' she said. 'I confirmed to them that I have reinstated Charleigh's Brineura coverage and that coverage will be available to them for as long as the treating physician and the family deem it appropriate.' This time Osborne spoke to Charleigh's family in person. When the minister reaffirmed the decision to discontinue coverage last week, Charleigh's mother was advised by email, mere minutes before the news was announced to the media. 'I continue to strongly believe that decisions about care should be made by health experts to ensure they are based on the best available evidence,' Osborne continued. 'The letter I received today from Batten disease experts confirms there is significant disagreement between health experts on Brineura. It is not acceptable that Charleigh and her family suffer as a result of that disagreement.' In a followup Friday, Osborne held a virtual news conference, where she confirmed that she had apologized to Charleigh's family for all that they had been put through. Charleigh's mother, Jori Fales — the hero of this entire affair — told Mike Smyth of CKNW that she had accepted the apology. The minister confirmed that the decision to restore funding would include reimbursing the cost of this week's treatment, the one that was in line for private money. I asked the minister about the rumour that some members of her expert panel had threatened to resign if the decision to discontinue funding were overruled. She said she had not received any letters of resignation to that point. However, an hour later a ministry staffer phoned me to say that three of the 58 panel members had resigned. Later a fourth letter came in. I don't imagine the New Democrats will refuse to accept the resignations. Osborne has commissioned a review of all the evidence for and against Brineura. She said the province will also approach the Canada Drug Agency about its procedures. The New Democrats should also be asking how they dug themselves into this hole in political terms. It's not every day that a self-styled 'progressive government' picks a fight it can't win with an ailing 10-year-old over the one drug that can stave off the worst ravages of her disease in the time that she has left. vpalmer@ Related Major makeover of B.C. NDP cabinet says more about picks in the first go-round Christy Clark takes a — deserved — victory lap on LNG
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Eby says cabinet shuffle is meant to refocus government on the economy, jobs
Premier David Eby has made key changes to his cabinet to focus on jobs and the economy. He says it is a strategic shift in light of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Meera Bains has more on the moves and reaction.
The Province
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Province
David Eby shuffles cabinet, drops two veteran MLAs and brings in two new faces
The shuffle is said to be targeted with an expectation of movement on the trade file in an attempt to deal with recent U.S. threats. Premier David Eby and Wendy Cocchi attend a cabinet swearing in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, B.C. July 17, 2025. Photo by Darren Stone / Times Colonist B.C. Premier David Eby announced a significant cabinet shuffle Thursday, less than a year after the last provincial election, in an apparent attempt to reset the government as it faces pressure on a myriad of domestic problems. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Eby cited the continuing U.S. trade war as a reason for the shuffle. But the move also comes at a time when the NDP government has been on the defensive on everything from the worsening public safety crisis in B.C.'s major cities to the seemingly never-ending decline of the province's health-care system, with ER closures becoming almost a fact of life for rural British Columbians. While there were shifts in the jobs and housing portfolios — Ravi Kahlon, Eby's 'Mr. Fix-It,' moved to the slightly modified jobs and economic growth portfolio, replacing rookie MLA Diana Gibson, while the premier's close family friend, Christine Boyle, moved to housing from Indigenous relations — most of the key economic ministries remained the same. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NDP strategist Mike McKinnon of the public-affairs firm Enterprise Canada said Kahlon's move wasn't surprising given that jobs and economic growth are one of the government's primary concerns, and given Kahlon's past work on housing and his strong communication skills. 'The priorities have shifted. We came out of the election talking largely about housing and public safety. And then we all remember what happened on the day of the budget, when the U.S. announced the tariffs they were going to inflict on Canada,' said McKinnon. 'The goalposts keep moving. There's a lot of uncertainty, and there are billions and billions of dollars at stake. So if jobs and the economy is the No. 1 priority of this government, you need the No. 1 fixer and your No. 1 spokesperson on that file.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Public Safety Minister Garry Begg of Surrey-Guildford and Citizens Services Minister George Chow of Vancouver-Fraserview were also dropped from cabinet, while newcomers Jessie Sunner of Surrey-Newton and Nina Krieger of Victoria-Swan Lake were moved into the respective roles of post-secondary education and future skills, and public safety and solicitor general. Eby said the goal of the shuffle was to put people in the portfolios where they could be most effective in blunting the U.S. tariff threat and rejected any notions that some of the changes were due to poor performances in key ministries. 'We face a really significant opponent, the president of the United States of America, who is committed to destroying our Canadian economy and is completely indifferent to the impact that that has on Americans and British Columbians,' said Eby, when asked for the reasoning behind the shuffle so soon after the election. 'Making sure I've got the right people in the right spots to face this challenge with their skills is crucial and, as I said in my opening remarks, I'm concerned the worst is to come.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Nevertheless, the government has been under pressure on a number of fronts in recent months and the premier could be hoping the shuffle will allow for at least a partial reset. In the last few weeks alone, Eby has had to repeatedly defend the government's decision to cut off medication coverage for a terminally ill 10-year-old girl, voice his support for the prosecution service after a Kelowna man was released from custody and later accused of beating his estranged wife to death with a hammer, and address B.C. Ferries' decision to contract a Chinese state-owned shipyard to build four new vessels. The government is also struggling to keep youth employed amid a shortage of private sector job growth, nurses and doctors safe from repeated attacks, including one in a parking lot outside Vancouver General Hospital on Monday, and businesses open amid repeated break-ins and threats to owners. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The removal of Begg isn't entirely surprising. The longtime Surrey-Guildford MLA, whose 22-vote victory in October helped the NDP salvage a majority government, struggled to address the issues facing his ministry, including extortion attempts against Surrey's South Asian community and in at least two instances found himself at odds with the messaging coming out of the premier's office. Hamish Telford, University of the Fraser Valley political scientist, said the removal of Begg is interesting given his replacement, Krieger, is a rookie MLA with no public safety background. He wondered if it could be due to a shifting of the epicentre of the discourse on public safety to Victoria and the issues with Pandora Avenue. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It seems to me that the epicentre of the public disorder story has shifted to Victoria, and that's an NDP town, and so maybe the only qualification the new solicitor general has is that she's from Victoria and maybe the government is sending a signal to Victoria voters that they're really taking that issue seriously.' As for Chow, this is the second time he has been dropped from cabinet by Eby, with the first coming after the premier took over from John Horgan in winter 2022. He was returned to cabinet in February 2024 but has now been relegated back to the backbench. He will be replaced by Gibson following her demotion from the jobs portfolio. Other changes Thursday include the addition of rookie MLA Jessie Sunner, who will take over the post-secondary education and future skills portfolio, and the shifting of Spencer Chandra-Herbert to Indigenous relations to replace Boyle. Anne Kang will take over tourism from Chandra-Herbert and Amna Shah will have anti-racism initiatives added to her current parliamentary secretary responsibility for mental health and addictions. As for Begg and Chow, they're now parliamentary secretaries in charge of Surrey infrastructure and the Downtown Eastside/Chinatown, respectively. Read More Vancouver Canucks News News News Local News
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
B.C. Premier David Eby announces cabinet shuffle
Premier David Eby has just announce his cabinet shuffle. It's something that the government is describing as a strategic shift to centre jobs, the economy and needs of British Columbians in their communities.
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
B.C. Premier David Eby shakes up cabinet with a focus on economy, jobs
British Columbia's cabinet has been reworked in what Premier David Eby says is a strategic shift in order to focus on jobs and the economy. Former housing minister Ravi Kahlon takes over as minister responsible for jobs from Diana Gibson, who moves into the citizens' services role previously held by George Chow. Garry Begg has been ousted as solicitor-general and will be replaced by Nina Krieger. Christine Boyle will take over the housing portfolio and her ministry of Indigenous relations and reconciliation goes to Spencer Chandra-Herbert. In rural B.C., frequent ER closings show how 'fragile' the health care system has become Eby says the new people stepping up will bring the perspectives and priorities of the next generation to the cabinet table, while experienced ministers are tasked with moving major projects forward and promoting economic prosperity. The premier says his cabinet will work on the province's biggest challenges: growing the economy, seizing investment opportunities and strengthening public services.
