Close X
Saturday, September 7, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. New Democrat government delivers throne speech, budget on way in election year

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Feb, 2024 11:07 AM
  • B.C. New Democrat government delivers throne speech, budget on way in election year

The political agenda for British Columbia Premier David Eby's NDP government heading into an election this fall will take shape today with the delivery of a throne speech starting the spring legislative session.

The speech outlining the government's goals this year comes just ahead of the provincial budget on Thursday and the election this fall.

Recent forecasts from the Ministry of Finance and private financial experts suggest the province will experience slow economic growth this year.

Eby has said he expects the government to table about 20 pieces of new legislation and a budget that looks to help families facing the high cost of living.

The government passed legislation last fall to restrict short-term rentals and build more housing around public transit areas and the housing file is expected to be a major focus again this spring. 

Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon promised last week that if elected he would introduce housing initiatives to help first-time homebuyers raise down payments and would eliminate the property transfer tax for buyers of homes under $1 million.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

1 injured in Surrey shooting

1 injured in Surrey shooting
A shooting in Surrey over the weekend has sent a man to hospital with serious injuries in what police are calling an isolated incident. Surrey RCMP say officers responded to a report of shots fired in the Guildford area of Surrey at about 6:23 p.m. Sunday. 

1 injured in Surrey shooting

6 families displaced by Chilliwack fire

6 families displaced by Chilliwack fire
Fire officials in Chilliwack, B.C., say an early morning blaze at an apartment complex has displaced six families. The Chilliwack Fire Department says the blaze was reported around 5:30 Monday morning, and more than three dozen firefighters responded to the apartment complex on Edward Street.

6 families displaced by Chilliwack fire

Vancouver police officer is directed to remove Star of David patch from uniform

Vancouver police officer is directed to remove Star of David patch from uniform
Vancouver police say an officer has been told to remove from his uniform a patch that shows the Star of David. An image of the officer wearing the black patch that includes the star and white bars, similar to the Israeli flag, had been posted on social media on Thursday.  

Vancouver police officer is directed to remove Star of David patch from uniform

Interior health says parents should ensure kids caught up vaccination

Interior health says parents should ensure kids caught up vaccination
Interior Health says parents should ensure their kids are caught up with their childhood immunizations, as data shows declining vaccination rates.  Health officials say most parents know that childhood vaccines are safe, but online misinformation and other factors, such as parents simply forgetting, could be factors in the decrease in immunization rates.

Interior health says parents should ensure kids caught up vaccination

Truck firm, Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd, involved in multiple B.C. overpass strikes loses licence to operate

Truck firm, Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd,  involved in multiple B.C. overpass strikes loses licence to operate
The British Columbia government has cancelled the operation licence of the trucking company involved in multiple highway overpass strikes since 2021. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says in a statement that the province has sent a formal cancellation notice to Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd. for the company's operations in B.C.  

Truck firm, Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd, involved in multiple B.C. overpass strikes loses licence to operate

'I heard my mother's last screams': Canadian Sikh shooting survivor slams cops for 'inaction'

'I heard my mother's last screams': Canadian Sikh shooting survivor slams cops for 'inaction'
With 13 bullets pumped inside her body, the lone survivor of a shooting spree in Canada last year who watched her Sikh parents die in front of her, wants swift justice and says police didn't do their duty well. Jagtar Singh Sidhu and Harbhajan Kaur, both in their 50s, were shot more than 20 times just before midnight on November 20 at their rental property along the Caledon-Brampton border in Ontario province.  

'I heard my mother's last screams': Canadian Sikh shooting survivor slams cops for 'inaction'