VANCOUVER — British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has introduced what could be her final throne speech. In many ways it is a drastic about-face from the platform her Liberal party ran on during last month's provincial election.
Here is a look at some of the major promises in the speech, and where the parties stood during the campaign:
Throne speech: Ban corporate, union and third-party donations to political parties.
Liberal platform: Create an independent panel that would report to the legislature on political fundraising.
NDP: Ban corporate and union donations, and set limits on individual contributions.
Greens: Allow only B.C. residents to donate to political parties, and impose donation limits.
___
Throne speech: Hold a referendum on electoral reform.
Liberal platform: No promise.
NDP: Hold a referendum on adopting a system of proportional representation.
Greens: Introduce proportional representation for the next election, then hold a referendum on whether to keep the new electoral system.
___
Throne speech: Spend $1 billion to create 60,000 new childcare and early-childhood education spaces, in addition to 13,000 spaces already promised.
Liberal platform: Create 5,000 new childcare spaces in 2017, with a goal of up to 13,000 spaces by 2020.
NDP: Introduce $10-per-day childcare. Also create 22,000 new childcare spaces within three years, growing to 66,000 spaces in five years.
Greens: Boost funding for early-childhood education from $495 million in 2017-18 to $1.38 billion in 2020-21, focusing first on expanding childcare spaces.
___
Throne speech: Create a new minister of state for mental health, addiction and recovery.
Liberal platform: Confirm $165 million for youth mental-health needs and substance-abuse issues.
NDP: Create a Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.
Greens: Establish a ministry responsible for mental health and addictions.
___
Throne speech: Eliminate tolls on the Port Mann Bridge and work to eliminate tolls on the Golden Ears Bridge.
Liberal platform: Cap bridge tolls at $500 annually for commuters.
NDP: Eliminate tolls on both bridges.
Greens: Develop a tolling system to manage traffic.
___
Throne speech: Increase social-assistance rates by $100 per month.
Liberal platform: No change to welfare rates.
NDP: Raise all income assistance and disability rates by $100 per month.
Greens: Increase welfare rates by an unspecified amount.
___
Throne speech: Raise the existing $30 per tonne carbon tax by $5 per tonne per year, starting in 2019, up to a total of $50 per tonne by 2022.
Liberal platform: Maintain a freeze on the carbon tax.
NDP: Phase in the federally mandated $50 per tonne carbon price by 2022 over three years, starting in 2020.
Greens: Progressively increase the carbon tax by $10 per year for four years beginning Jan. 1, 2018.
___
Throne speech: Create a new provincewide poverty-reduction strategy, with a particular focus on children.
Liberal platform: No promise.
NDP: Introduce a poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines.
Greens: Develop an anti-poverty strategy that includes specific actions to address poverty affecting First Nations children and families.
___
Throne speech: Increase legal-aid funding by 25 per cent.
Liberal platform: Spend an additional $2 million per year for single-parent, legal-aid assistance for women.
NDP: Improve legal aid.
Greens: No promise.
Throne speech: Work to fully eliminate medical services plan premiums for B.C. families.
Liberal platform: Immediately reduce medical fees by 50 per cent for two million people then explore further options to eliminate premiums completely.
NDP: Eliminate medical premiums within four years.
Greens: Roll medical premiums into payroll tax and personal income tax.
A LIST OF PROMISES IN THE B.C. GOVERNMENT'S THRONE SPEECH
— A comprehensive ban on corporate, union and third-party donations to political parties; and a maximum donation limit for individuals.
— A referendum on electoral reform.
— $1 billion to be spent over the next four years to create 60,000 new childcare spaces.
— A $100-a-month increase to social assistance rates while future annual increases in disability assistance rates would be tied to the consumer price index.
— Increase in legal-aid funding by 25 per cent.
— Increase in the number of RCMP officers dedicated to drug enforcement by 30 per cent.
— Create new minister of state for mental health, addiction and recovery.
— Work to fully eliminate medical service premiums.
— Establish a royal commission on education to ensure students and teachers have the resources, training and tools they need.
— Work to build light rail on southern Vancouver Island and a passenger ferry connection between Vancouver and Nanaimo.
— Conduct feasibility studies to connect the Lower Mainland and North Shore communities in the Vancouver area by transit and light rail.
— Eliminate tolls on the Port Mann Bridge and work with TransLink to eliminate tolls on the Golden Ears Bridge.
— Build 50,000 new units over 10 years as part of a new rent-to-own program for the middle class.
— Work to open eight new mines by 2022 to help rural communities.
— Continue construction on the Site C dam.
— Raise the carbon tax by $5 per tonne per year, starting in 2019, up to a total of $50 per tonne by 2022, but offset future increases by reducing the provincial sales tax by a corresponding amount.
