Along with the steps taken in the budget, the B.C. New Democrat government have also taken bold action for good jobs across the province, and a better B.C..

Good Jobs

• Sent B.C.’s first innovation commissioner to champion B.C.’s tech sector in Ottawa.
• Launched the Climate Solutions and Clean Growth Advisory Council to help B.C. meet climate goals and grow economy with good sustainable jobs.
• Funded 2900 new tech seats across the province.
• Kept the commitment to fight for B.C. forestry jobs in the U.S and to advance B.C.’s interests in the ongoing softwood lumber dispute.
• Supported job creators by cutting the small business tax rate by 20 per cent.
• Restored the tax benefit and lifted the cap on lending for credit unions
• Brought back the Buy B.C. Program to build opportunities and sales for B.C. food producers, and those wishing to join the sector.

Better B.C.

• Appointed MLA Mitzi Dean to serve as Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity.
• Modernizing B.C.’s democracy:
  • Passed legislation to hold a referendum to give people the power to change our current voting system to a system of proportional representation.
  • Legislation introduced to amend the Constitution Act to reduce the number of seats required for recognized political party status from four to two.
  • Changed the fixed date election to a Saturday in October.
  • Strengthen the institutional stability of government in the event, for example, of a natural disaster.
• Introduced legislation to toughen the rules around political lobbying.
• Made implementing TRC Calls to Action and UNDRIP a cross-government priority in ministers’ mandate letters.
• Banned big money provincially and municipally from B.C. politics.
• Moved Family Day to the third week in February so families across the country can celebrate together.
• Engaged 48,000 British Columbians in public and stakeholder engagement on the legalization and regulation of non-medical cannabis — one of the most engaging in B.C.’s history.
• Launched the renewal of the human rights commission.
• Increased funding by six million dollars annually for the B.C. Healthy Kids Program.
• Announced $6.4 million for B.C. First Nations and Métis-serving agencies to help keep Indigenous families together and improve outcomes for children and youth in care.
• Acted to reduce carbon emissions by increasing the carbon tax rate on April 1, 2018, by five dollars per tonne of CO2 equivalent emissions.
• Passed new regulations to improve spill response from pipelines, as well as rail and trucking operations transporting over 10,000 litres.