The B.C. government presented a cautious preview of the coming year with its speech from the throne Tuesday, predicting a rural revival through industrial growth while lowering earlier aggressive expectations for mining and natural gas exports.
Read by Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon to begin the spring legislature session, the speech announced the formation of a rural advisory committee to “provide independent and impartial advice on helping rural B.C. increase opportunities, manage growth and meet its full potential in communities big and small.”
Premier Christy Clark said the government has important tasks ahead, such as starting construction on the $8 billion Site C hydroelectric dam and revamping the education system to fill an anticipated skills gap.
“We’re sticking to the plan, and we’ve been successful with that plan,” Clark told reporters. “I know it doesn’t make great headlines in the newspapers, but I don’t think we want to change so we can help you get a news story.”
As the government continues to await investment decisions for liquefied natural gas facilities, the speech noted that LNG “could create 100,000 jobs and the revenues to eliminate our debt,” adding that exports are needed to maintain a gas industry that already employs 13,000 people.
The speech referred to five new mines opening since 2011, but avoided mention of northeast coal mines that have closed due to low commodity prices that also threaten the continued operation of metal mines in B.C.
Much of the speech touts earlier achievements, including job-creation numbers, the carbon tax on fuels and a recent settlement with B.C. public school teachers.
The government confirmed it is about to table a third straight balanced budget on Feb. 17, and also plans to launch a new “medal of good citizenship” to recognize those who donate their time and money to improve their communities.
“British Columbia is blessed with a strong, diverse economy, a balanced budget and public services that are the envy of the world,” said Premier Christy Clark in a press release.
“We will continue to focus on getting to ‘yes’ on economic development, seizing B.C.’s LNG opportunity and protecting taxpayers by controlling spending.”
New Democratic Party leader John Horgan dismissed the throne speech, which “carried on with the same empty promises about an LNG industry that (Clark) says is the ‘central preoccupation’ of her government,” he said in a press release.
“This speech offered no prospects of good, long-term jobs, no solutions for the problems people face every day, and no security for families,” said Horgan.
Horgan questioned Clark’s intention to keep cutting “red tape,” an obsession of the B.C. Liberals since 2001.
“They cut red tape at Mount Polley,” Horgan said of gaps in inspection that predated the collapse of the mine’s tailings dam last summer.
Penticton MLA Dan Ashton could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
With files from Tom Fletcher/Black Press