Cellphones and concert tickets: NDP focus on affordability in Throne Speech
Posted February 12, 2019 2:34 pm.
Last Updated February 12, 2019 9:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – The legislature is back in session with the NDP’s third throne speech since forming government giving us hints of what next week’s budget will bring.
The focus for the NDP remains affordability, with the province focusing on some of the smaller things in life.
The government is moving on forcing cell companies to be transparent with just what you’re paying for and making concert tickets a little easier to come by – placing limitations on resellers and banning mass-purchase software.
“High cellphone costs are a major burden for middle class families, Canadians pay some of the highest fees for phones and data in the world. Consumers deserve to know the true cost of the services they buy,” said Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin who read the Throne Speech on behalf of the NDP.
“People are frustrated that companies can buy up large numbers of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices.”
The government is also putting caps on fees payday loan companies can charge for cashing government cheques.
In the bigger picture, housing high on the agenda, with the government looking to follow through on the recommendations from the Rental Housing Task Force and cutting red tape around rental housing.
“Your government will improve the development process by speeding up much needed rental housing and delivering more efficient and effective project approvals,” said Austin.
Other big ticket items include additional reviews into money laundering, expanding $10 a day daycare, continuing to tackle ICBC, and launching a previously promised poverty reduction strategy.
“We have an exciting agenda that we laid out many of the elements today, focusing on making life better and more affordable for British Columbians continuing on many of the initiatives we started in our first year,” Premier John Horgan told reporters after the Throne Speech.
“Childcare, affordability of housing, the largest middle-class tax cuts in generations, the eliminations of the medical services premiums will be completed by January 1st of the coming year.”
While many were hoping we’d see details the government’s recently announced clean energy plan – and what incentives there will be to encourage British Columbians to go green – they’re holding those cards until the budget next week.
Other Throne Speech highlights:
- Reforms to be implemented to restore trust in the Legislature after two top officials were suspended over allegations of spending abuse.
Ferry fares on major routes being held for another year. - More primary care centres to be open this year, with 8 hospitals set to get renovations
- Commitment to reconciliation with legislation cementing that path forward coming this spring.
- Continue to focus on harm reduction including working toward a safer drug supple after 1489 people died from overdoses in the province in 2018.
Assistant Deputy Speaker steps down
In the midst of the Speaker scandal and allegations of overspending on the business side of the house, Liberal Linda Reid stepped today down as assistant Deputy Speaker.
Leader Andrew Wilkinson says she had no choice.
“When the speaker has made unfounded allegations about Linda Reid’s parking, it’s impossible for the two of them to work in a collegial manner from now on,” he told reports.
He says the accusations in Speaker – and former Liberal – Daryl Plecas’s report on expense spending are simply false.
“It dealt with some duplicate parking charges and in fact that was false because it dealt with a parking charge in Vancouver and a taxi charge in Victoria.”
During Reid’s time as speaker her expense spending was investigated and cleared.
Now — the clerk and sergeant at arms remain on paid leave pending investigations into allegations of misspending against them. Both deny any wrongdoing.
Joan Isaacs has replaced Reid.