Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre announced that he will submit a letter to the Governor General asking to recall the House for a confidence vote. This follows Jagmeet Singh's letter earlier this morning saying the NDP "will vote to bring this government down" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Retailers and consumers blindsided by Ottawa’s chaotic GST/HST tax break rollout ~~ Sylvain Charlebois T’was the week before Christmas, and all through the malls, many creatures were stirring ... Consumers and retailers are scrambling to understand the GST/HST holiday chaos. With Bill C-78 granting Canadians a temporary tax reprieve receiving royal assent mere days before its implementation on Dec. 14, businesses were faced with an almost impossible task: recoding systems during the busiest shopping season of the year. While some major food retailers had anticipated the bill’s passage and prepared in advance, others were caught off guard or distanced themselves entirely from the initiative. What was supposed to bring holiday cheer has instead become a tax policy nightmare. The confusion started early. On Dec. 10, PepsiCo announced it would not participate, informing its partners – Loblaw, Sobeys, and Metro – that it would continue charging taxes due to the complexity of its systems. Pe...

An embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has made a significant overhaul to his cabinet while his leadership continues to be in question. The prime minister unveiled his new cabinet at Rideau Hall on Friday. He brought in eight new faces and moved several others in the shuffle ... CLICK HERE for the full stor y

  Current ministers changing jobs Anita Anand remains minister of transport, but adds the internal trade portfolio. Gary Anandasangaree remains minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, and becomes minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. Steven MacKinnon becomes minister of employment, workforce development and labour. Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes president of the Treasury Board. New ministers joining cabinet: Rachel Bendayan: Minister of Official Languages and Associate Minister of Public Safety Bendayan was first elected to the House of Commons in a 2019 federal byelelction in the riding of Outremont following the resignation of former NDP leader Tom Mulcair. Before being elevated to her cabinet post she served as Freeland's parliamentary secretary.  Élisabeth Brière: Minister of National Revenue  Brière was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2019 federal election for the Quebec ...

After receiving the electors’ stern October message, Premier David Eby spoke with the required humility, “We are listening to the message voters sent to us with this close election, and will be getting to work on today’s tough challenges right away.” The premier’s office echoed Eby’s familiar talking points, “The new cabinet’s priorities will be bringing down costs for families, strengthening health care, making communities safer and growing the economy so everyone feels the benefits.” To bring down living costs and grow the economy will require major shifts in the NDP government’s energy and climate policies ... CLICK HERE for the full story  

The Business Council of British Columbia has launched an awareness campaign to counter the province's rising outward migration to Alberta. The business advocacy group says its "Stay with B.C." campaign is placing advertisements on billboards and transit stops, as well as online in cities such as Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George, urging residents to think twice before moving to Alberta for economic or other reasons ... CLICK HERE for the full story

As the clock ticks down on a turbulent 2024, Premier David Eby and his recently installed cabinet are staring at an uncertain and unforgiving economic landscape. While the province’s economy has been growing, the population has been increasing faster—resulting in a downward trend in the value of economic output, measured on a per-person basis. The same story has been unfolding across the country since 2022. Looking ahead, BC policymakers and the economists toiling in the Ministry of Finance must contend with two big external unknowns ... CLICK HERE for the full story

British Columbia’s government expects to plant nearly 60 million fewer trees next year — a 23 per cent drop from this year’s planting season at a time the province has seen a major spike in wildfire activity. The projections come from presentation slides obtained by Glacier Media and shown to industry in September, less than 10 days before the BC’s provincial election campaign kicked off ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Despite disappointment and turmoil surrounding the Fall Economic Statement and Chrystia Freeland’s shocking departure from Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, Canada remains a country of immense promise. I’ve spent more than a few words in The Hub highlighting the challenges we face—creeping neofeudalism, a stagnant economy, the suffocating complexity of our regulatory regimes, the subtle but relentless erosion of trust in our public institutions, and the glaring distortions in our housing and health-care systems. But looking towards 2025, I remain optimistic. If we can channel our inherent advantages—our openness, human capital, abundant resources, and a mostly pragmatic culture—and lead in a changing world. What follows are some big (and controversial) topics—ambitious ideas that cut against some sacred Canadian cows. While some may seem radical, I believe putting them on the table could contribute to necessary debates and hopefully progress ... CLICK HERE for the full story