The BC Government today released it’s first quarterly report. The report outlines a fiscally healthy economy that is becoming more diversified. Key aspects of the BC Green Party economic vision for the province were embedded in the Confidence and Supply Agreement we signed with the BC NDP. We are very pleased to see the focus on innovation in creating a diversified 21st century economy is beginning to pay off.

Going forward, government needs to continue to nurture the diversification of our economy, in order to create prosperity for British Columbians as the climate changes and the global economy shifts.

Below is the press release that we issued in response to the first quarterly report.

Media Release

Weaver welcomes results of first quarterly report
For Immediate Release
September 7, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver welcomed the results of the first quarterly report, released today.

“The first quarterly report shows that B.C. continues to be on strong economic footing”, said Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party.

“So far in its term, this government has shown a willingness to tackle the financial problems it inherited, such as at ICBC and BC Hydro, while beginning to act on joint commitments outlined in our Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA).

“Key parts of this government’s economic agenda came from CASA, including the focus on innovation in creating a diversified 21st century economy. Key B.C. Green initiatives embedded in CASA included establishing the Emerging Economy Task Force, which will advise government on how to respond to the changing nature of business over the next 10-25 years, and the Innovation Commissioner, who is advocating for our emerging tech sector.

“Going forward, government needs to continue to nurture the diversification of our economy, in order to create prosperity for British Columbians as the climate changes and the global economy shifts. The forthcoming clean growth strategy is a key means to accomplish this outcome.”

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Media contact
Sarah Miller, Acting Press Secretary
+1 250-858-9891 | sarah.miller@leg.bc.ca

Monday September 3 is Labour Day, a day where we collectively recognize the achievements of Canadian workers and the right of all British Columbians to safe and equitable employment. Below is the media statement I released in celebration of Labour Day.

Media Statement

Andrew Weaver statement on Labour Day
For immediate release
August 31, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Greens, issued the following statement today in recognition of Labour Day:

“On Labour Day we recognize the achievements of Canadian workers and the right of all British Columbians to safe and equitable employment.

“Our job landscape is changing. Amidst trends like the rise of the gig economy, the ever-changing nature of technology and the implications of climate change, it is vital that governments actively modernize our policies in order to support workers.

“We are excited about the successes of the past year. The Emerging Economy Task Force, for example, is analysing changing trends in the economy to propose policy options for government to ensure our continued success. The Basic Income Expert Committee is exploring how to best support low-income British Columbians so that we are all better prepared for the changing horizons of the workforce. Increased investments in advanced education, skills, and training are helping our workforce grow and diversify.

“As we head into the fall we continue to focus on the changing nature of work and strive to bring British Columbians the investments and services they need to succeed.

“On behalf of my colleagues, I’d like to wish all British Columbians a safe and happy Labour Day weekend.”

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca

Today the Federal Court of Appeal released its decision on the long awaited Tsleil-Waututh Nation v. Canada (Attorney General) court case. In what should be the final death knell for the project, the Federal Court of appeal ruled that:

1. The Board unjustifiably defined the scope of the project under review not to include project-related tanker traffic. This exclusion permitted the Board to conclude that, notwithstanding its conclusion that the operation of project-related marine vessels is likely to result in significant adverse effects to the Southern resident killer whale, the project was not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. The unjustified exclusion of project-related marine shipping from the definition of the project rendered the Board’s report impermissibly flawed: the report did not give the Governor in Council the information and assessments it needed in order to properly assess the public interest, including the project’s environmental effects—matters it was legally obligated to assess.
2. The Government of Canada was required to engage in a considered, meaningful two-way dialogue. However, for the most part, Canada’s representatives limited their mandate to listening to and recording the concerns of the Indigenous applicants and then transmitting those concerns to the decision-makers. On the whole, the record does not disclose responsive, considered and meaningful dialogue coming back from Canada in response to the concerns expressed by the Indigenous applicants. The law requires Canada to do more than receive and record concerns and complaints…The duty to consult was not adequately discharged.

The result is that the soon-to-be-taxpayer-owned project must redo “phase 3” of the consultation process and send the project back to the newly-constituted NEB process for a reassessment of the effects of increases in marine shipping.

As readers might imagine, I am delighted by the decision. My colleague Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands and I both feel vindicated after many years serving as intervenors in the NEB process. We are grateful to the Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Coldwater, Secwepemec and other First Nations, along with the cities of Burnaby and Vancouver, for their efforts to ensure that the appropriate evidence was brought before the Federal Court of Appeal. We should not forget that the resources that could have been put to use in their communities were instead directed to the legal challenge.

The decision today is both a victory for science and evidence-based decision-making (ruling 1. above) as well as a victory for indigenous rights (ruling 2.). As the only sitting MLA to seek intervention status, my focus as an intervenor was almost exclusively on the former, culminating in an Open Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau in November, 2016.

I was very disappointed by the petty response of Rachael Notley to the decision. As I summarized in a tweet earlier tonight:

It’s time to stop playing politics with younger generations’ future. The fed gov needs to show real climate leadership with a plan to meet our targets that doesn’t rely on selling out First Nations’ rights, the coast & the economic activity our communities depend on.

In response to the ruling, my office issues a media release which is reproduced below.

Media Release

Weaver: Federal Court Ruling show politics put ahead of evidence and reconciliation in federal approval of pipeline
For Immediate Release
August 30, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, congratulated the First Nations and local governments on the Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling today that federal government made its decision without considering all evidence and failing in their legal duty to consult First Nations. Weaver, who was an intervener in the National Energy Board hearings, says the ruling is further proof that the project should have never been approved.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for First Nations’ rights and for all those who have long held that this project was not approved based on evidence,” said Weaver.

“I am particularly glad to see the court’s judgement that there was an unjustifiable failure at the heart of the federal government’s approval of this project: the failure to assess the impacts of marine shipping on the environment. This was an outrageous omission on the part of the federal government that flies in the face of their stated commitment to evidence-based decision-making. The NEB acknowledged that the marine traffic from this project posed significant harm to the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. The government must now justify to Canadians, and to the world, why it is willing to herald the death knell of this irreplaceable species if it continues to pursue this project.

“Coming off of the two worst wildfire seasons in B.C.’s history, it’s clear that we cannot continue down the misguided path of expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to begin the immediate transition to the low-carbon economy. B.C. is a leader amongst the provinces, adopting carbon tax increases that are ahead of federal requirements. Our Caucus is working closely with the B.C. NDP minority government to create a clean growth strategy that will further advance our efforts. I hope the federal government will now realize that there is an enormous opportunity to support B.C.’s leadership, rather than attempting to force our province to shoulder the huge environmental and economic risks that this project presents.”

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca

The BC Government today released the interim report  of the B.C. Minister of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee for Revitalizing the Agricultural Land Reserve and the Agricultural Land Commission. As noted in the accompanying press release, the committee identified 13 recommendations for legislative and regulatory change, and four recommendations for action to protect the ALR. It also identified 14 key issues that are still under consideration for its final report.

Our caucus issued the press release reproduced below welcoming the report and urging the government to act quickly on the recommendations to limit house size on ALR land and to return the entire ALR to a single zone.

Media release

B.C. Greens welcome ALR report, urge government to act on house size restrictions and zone change
For immediate release
August 8, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – The B.C. Green caucus welcomed the Ministry of Agriculture Advisory Committee’s agricultural land reserve (ALR) revitalization report released today. The Caucus emphasized that the government should act quickly to adopt the recommendations to limit house size on ALR land and to return the entire ALR to a single zone.

“The ALR is crucial to supporting B.C. agriculture, farmers and our local food security,” said Adam Olsen, B.C. Greens spokesperson for agriculture.

“It has been increasingly under threat due to the preponderance of mega mansions, stemming from speculation in our real estate market. This is driving up prices at a time when the industry is facing a demographic crisis and young farmers are struggling to afford to buy land. I am pleased to that the committee recommends that the province limit house size on the ALR and I urge the government to swiftly adopt this recommendation.”

B.C. Greens leader Andrew Weaver added that the government should also adopt the committee’s recommendation to return the ALR to a unified zone.

“The previous B.C. Liberal introduced the zone changes in 2014, which opened up precious farmland to oil and gas exploration, among other non-agricultural industrial activity,” Weaver said.

“That was a short-sighted decision made at a time when we should have instead been investing in the sustainable industries of the future. As the world shifts to the low carbon economy, it is essential that we take every opportunity to support economic development, especially in rural communities, in sectors that will sustain us in the long-term. I thank the committee, especially Chair Vicki Huntington, for their excellent work on this report. We are reviewing the other recommendations in detail and look forward to working with government to advance legislation that will ensure a strong, revitalized ALR so that British Columbians can benefit from a thriving agricultural sector for generations to come.”

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca

Today the government announced that it was taking steps to collect data to ensure transparency of ownership of properties purchased through a corporation or a trust. As I note in the media release below, improving data collection and transparency is a good first step, but the province should proceed with applying property transfer tax to the transfer of beneficial ownership. Doing so would plug a loophole that lets corporations and wealthy individuals avoid paying BC’s property transfer tax.

It’s been almost five years since I began urging government to close this so-called bare trust loophole as was done in Ontario many years ago. Doing so is one of the most important steps government can take to crack down on speculative activity in the housing market.

Finally, and coincidentally, Great Britain announced similar measures today for offshore buyers. But in the UK case, stiff penalties and even jail sentences are being proposed if people “fail to register or attempt to file false information“.

Media Release

New property transfer data requirements show it’s time to close bare trust loophole: Weaver
For immediate release
July 25, 2018

VICTORIA, B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, says the government’s move to collect information on beneficial ownership of properties underscores the immediate need to close the bare trust loophole. Bare trusts allow for the transfer of beneficial ownership within trusts. Since no title change occurs, no property transfer tax (PTT) is paid.

“This data collection is a good first step, but the province should proceed with applying property transfer tax to the transfer of beneficial ownership,” said Weaver.

“Speculation is a major driver of the housing affordability crisis. The bare trust loophole incentivizes speculation. Preventing individuals and corporations from using it to avoid paying taxes is low-hanging fruit and should be dealt with immediately. Applying the PTT to beneficial ownership has been done in Ontario and is what is needed to close this loophole once and for all.”

Weaver has called for the closure of the bare trust loophole since 2015. The government first announced its intention to collect additional data on beneficial ownership in the February provincial budget. Today, it announced that it will begin the data collection on September 17, 2018.

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Media contact
Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary
+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@leg.bc.ca