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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 25m

Yah, it feels like there are several ways to tune up the program to make it less of a burden on the provincial purse while still ensuring it serves the people it was meant to help

Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 27m

BC was the first province to launch a lawsuit against tobacco companies in the 90s and against opioid manufacturers, distributors and consultants in 2018

The province has taken various steps to curb vape sales to youth over the past few years

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 29m

Another lawsuit against companies that manufacture harmful products? 👀

Attorney General Niki Sharma and Education Minister Lisa Bear have a noon press conference about "new legal measures to hold vaping product manufacturers accountable for deceptive practices that are harming people"
#bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 14h

This evening Eby worked a jab at Alberta into his speech at the launch of former premier John Horgan's memoir.

Eby acknowledged that Horgan won a larger majority, was better at basketball and even had a better beef with Alberta in his day.

"There was a real pipeline involved."

#bcpoli

Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

I asked if Eby's been thinking about the last time BC and Alberta were at loggerheads over a pipeline - the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Ottawa eventually bought to appease Alberta - and what, if any lessons, BC may have learned from that conflict (Eby was attorney general at the time) #bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 17h

Good question! I'm not sure but somebody should ask

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 18h

That and the home owner grant!

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 18h

"Our government’s drowning in debt. Why are we subsidizing housing for such wealthy people?”

If the BC government is looking to increase cash flow without impacting services or implementing new taxes, reforming property tax deferrals to exclude the wealthy seems like awfully low-hanging fruit...

How B.C.'s property tax system delivers big benefits to multimillionaires, and why some say it needs to change

B.C.'s property tax system is uniquely generous for wealthy homeowners. Some people think that should change. Find out more.

vancouversun.com

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

What was the reason given for the redaction? FOI docs typically include the section of the law the public body believes the info should be redacted under

Unfortunately, proactive disclosures (like calendars for public officials) don't usually include this info so you'd have to ask why

Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

The BC government is planning to put forward another bill directed at boosting the transmission line

This one will address the possibility of First Nations having an ownership stake in the project and change the way BC develops major energy infrastructure sought by private sector projects #bcpoli

What to expect from the B.C. legislature’s fall session | The Narwhal

The B.C. legislature is back in action and progress on the North Coast transmission line is a top priority for Premier David Eby

thenarwhal.ca

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

Legislation passed this spring exempted NCTL and renewable energy projects from environmental assessments and put them under the purview of the BC Energy Regulator

Those changes will make it quicker and easier to get NCTL built, according to the government #bcpoli

B.C. plans to reduce regulations to become ‘world leader’ in clean energy | The Narwhal

The province plans to make it quicker and easier for renewable energy projects to get shovels in the ground. Critics say the move could reduce critical oversight

thenarwhal.ca

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

BC wants Ottawa to pick the North Coast transmission line in its second round of nation-building projects, which could be selected as soon as November

BC has previously sought federal funding for NCTL

A nod from the Major Project Office would kick things into high gear #bcpoli

“It enables Indigenous partnership, protection of wild spaces [and] low carbon metals shipped at low cost out of Canada to global markets, driving our economy and employing thousands of people.

It checks off every box that you can possibly imagine in terms of federal and provincial government priorities, as well as the priorities of every Canadian. It’s a project that we'll all be incredibly proud of and I'm very hopeful that the feds include that on their list and that is our full push right now with the feds is that particular project.”

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

Eby said there are "significant" differences and realities between the two projects and didn't really engage with the second part of the question.

He did say BC and Alberta could be cooperating on projects to benefit both provinces and the country, instead of sniping about the pipeline #bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 20h

I asked if Eby's been thinking about the last time BC and Alberta were at loggerheads over a pipeline - the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Ottawa eventually bought to appease Alberta - and what, if any lessons, BC may have learned from that conflict (Eby was attorney general at the time) #bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 21h

Eby also said Smith's government has been contacting BC First Nations about the pipeline proposal, something the BC government does not welcome
#bcpoli

“The premier of Alberta struck a Crown Corporation and began calling coastal First Nations, whose support we rely on for billions of dollars of projects, saying this [pipeline] is coming. And they're calling me and saying, 'Is this coming? What's happening? If you do this, all your other projects we're going to have to review, because of the impacts on the coast.’ And I have to say, enough. Enough. We need, as a country, less politics and more projects.”

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 21h

"Give everybody a fair shot," Eby said. "It's not the Danielle Smith show. It's the Canadian team and we all deserve the same opportunity for the same federal funding for our projects that she does for hers."

Alberta's push could put billions of dollars of project investments in BC at risk #bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 21h

Interesting presser today with Premier David Eby, who seems to be hitting his rhetorical stride in response to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's push for the feds to prioritize a new pipeline through BC to the north coast
#bcpoli

“If Alberta gets a $50 billion publicly funded pipeline, then I want a $50 billion federal guarantee for projects in British Columbia as well. And I want $50 billion for every province across Canada and every territory, because their projects are just as damn important as Alberta’s pipeline is.”

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Reposted by Shannon Waters

Carl Meyer @meyer.bsky.social · 1d

A decade ago, Mark Carney gave a speech pointing out how biz and political leaders had no day-to-day incentive to address climate change, yet it was up to governments. Today, Carney is leading one, but finds himself consumed with responding to the many crises of the day thenarwhal.ca/mark-carney-...

How Mark Carney is complicating Canada’s climate progress | The Narwhal

From cancelling the carbon tax to pausing the EV mandate, Mark Carney’s government is making sweeping changes to Canada’s environmental rules

thenarwhal.ca

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Reposted by Shannon Waters

Jen St. Denis @jenstden.bsky.social · 1d

Today in the BC Legislature:

#bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Motion carried 48-3 with the support of the NDP and Green caucuses plus Independent MLA Elenore Sturko, opposed by the OneBC caucus (Brodie and Armstrong) and Independent MLA Jordan Kealy #bcpoli

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Here's what the chamber looked like during the Yay vote (in support of Arora's motion to condemn ARPA's views

Conservative side was empty (the head you can see in the foreground on the right is Green house leader Rob Botterell)

The interior of BC's legislative chamber for a standing vote on Motion 38, Views and Policies of Association for Reformed Political Action

The chairs on the opposition side of the house, where the Conservative caucus would sit, are mostly empty

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Afternoon debate adjourned so the house can hold a standing vote on this motion

The Conservatives vacated the chamber, presumably for the caucus meeting where there may be a secret ballot vote on Rustad's leadership

Vote will happen in a few minutes so there is time for them to return

Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

MLAs considering a motion condemning the Association for Reformed Political Action's views, tabled by NDP MLA Rohini Arora

MLAs Elenore Sturko (Ind), Rob Botterell (Green), Susie Chant and Steve Morisette (NDP) spoke in favour

Conservative MLA Larry Neufeld and Ind Jordan Kealy spoke against

38 Rohini Arora to move —

That this House condemns the intolerant views of the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA), including its harmful discrimination against transgender people, its belief that homosexuality is “immoral” and its explicit policy goal of restricting abortion access in British Columbia.

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Here's Hansard's draft transcript of the exchange
www.leg.bc.ca/hansard-cont...

Dallas Brodie: I have a point of order to raise.

I’m looking at section 40(2) and 40(3) of the standing orders. The first one is: “Disrespectful or offensive language forbidden.” That’s sub 2. “Irrelevance in debate.” That’s sub 3.

Sub 2 says: “No member shall use offensive words against any member of this House.” The Premier has repeatedly referred to me as being racist, denialist and hateful. Am I now allowed to use words like “stupid,” “incompetent,” “financially illiterate” and “anarchist”? How far does this go?

The second one is: “No member shall be irrelevant in debate.” He takes shots at me sideways whenever he can, and I’m not accepting it anymore. It’s unacceptable language in this House. I could call him lots of names — believe me — but I’m not taking this anymore.

Raising questions about public expenditures of money in this province is not against the rules. Anybody who takes public money is open to questioning, and you shouldn’t be questioned about whether you’re racist. If you want no questions, don’t take public money.

I would like a declaration from the Speaker about whether people can call each other names in this House anymore.

Hon. David Eby: I feel like I should be paying the member rent for the amount of space I’m occupying in her head.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Shhh. Please.

Hon. David Eby: In my answer, I was specifically referring to the staff member that was hired by the Leader of the Opposition who was fired recently for being a racist residential school denialist — properly fired, by the way. I congratulate him for taking that appropriate stand. A little late, but he did take it. I support it. You wouldn’t find me hiring people like that.

If the member thought I was talking about her, perhaps that’s her issue.

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Dallas Brodie just raised a point of order, claiming David Eby called her racist, denialist and hateful in the house

Eby says he was talking about a recently fired BC Conservative staffer and suggests it's maybe a little revealing if Brodie thinks he was talking about her 💀

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Conservative MLA Larry Neufeld returns to the issue of shipping oil, wondering why the NDP supports dredging Burrard inlet for oil tanker access but wants the north coast tanker ban in place

Energy Minister Adrian Dix fires back at the Conservatives' opposition to the North Coast transmission line

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Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 1d

Ostriches are the subject of Dallas Brodie's first QP ask. She wants to know why the BC government has not intervened to save the ones facing a CFIA cull order

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the feds handling avian flu response while the province is supporting affected farmers #bcpoli

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