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The Public Affairs Update is your weekly insight, perspective and analysis on politics in British Columbia and Canada. This newsletter is brought to you by the largest, and most broadly-based business organization in the province, the BC Chamber of Commerce - the Voice of Business in B.C.
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Chamber welcomes federal budget
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The BC Chamber has welcomed the federal budget as "prudent" and commended its focus on skills development and infrastructure.
On February 11, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled a budget that pledges relief for consumers. It is projecting a $2.9 billion deficit for 2014-2015 and a $6.4 billion surplus by 2015-16.
The budget offered no significant new spending and no new taxes. Where it did increase spending commitments, funding was allocated to city and highway infrastructure, rural and broadband Internet, and an apprentice loan program for job training. The government has also unveiled an undefined legislative plan to address the price gap between identical goods sold in Canada and the U.S.
In an effort to curtail spending and increase revenue, the budget defers more than $3 billion in military spending on capital projects, increases tobacco taxes, reigns in spending on retired civil servants by increasing benefit premiums and freezes operating expenses of various departments. This is in addition to $14 billion in previously announced spending cuts.
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Province addresses claims that it intended to provoke a teachers' strike
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The Province plans to appeal a recent court decision to restore teachers' bargaining rights as they pertain to class composition and size, and has applied to stay a court order - requiring that class size limits, maximums on the number of special needs students, and specialist teacher staffing levels be restored to what they were in 2002 - until the government's appeal is heard.
In the wake of this announcement, the B.C. NDP released court transcripts last week, claiming that Premier Christy Clark and the B.C. Government set out to 'provoke' a teachers' strike. The documents highlight testimony given by Paul Straszak, the government's chief negotiator in contract talks with the BCTF, in which he discussed tools the government had to increase pressure on the BCTF to escalate the strike.
According to the NDP, the government acted on the assumption that if the teachers went on strike it would upset the public, which would then promote a favourable environment to force legislation on teachers that inhibited previously negotiated rights and privileges.
Premier Clark responded by stating that the information released was taken out-of-context.
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Northern Gateway launches business opportunities database
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Last week, Northern Gateway Pipelines launched the Northern Gateway Regional Skills and Business Database. According to Northern Gateway, the database will link job seekers and businesses with Northern Gateway contractors and service providers, who may have additional opportunities on other projects as well, and support the company's commitment to help maximize local benefits for the communities near our proposed route.
B.C. job seekers and businesses can add their information to the database by signing up here.
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Court dismisses anti-salmon farming activist's appeal attempt
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The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear the appeal of anti-salmon farming activist Don Staniford, who was found liable for defamation by the BC Court of Appeal.
Aquaculture company Cermaq Canada, which changed names from Mainstream Canada in November, 2013, originally took Staniford to court from January 16 to February 10, 2012. The legal action was in response to alleged defamatory action by Staniford against the company and its employees.
Cermaq welcomed the Supreme Court's refusal to hear Staniford's appeal.
"We are glad to see today's ruling, which vindicates Cermaq's reputation as a producer of nutritious salmon," said Laurie Jensen, Cermaq Canada's Communications and Corporate Sustainability Manager in a February 13 release. "We welcome public debate, but it should be based on facts, and critics should be held accountable for their public commentary."
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Provincial government tables Park Amendment Act
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Last week, Minister of Environment Mary Polak tabled the Park Amendment Act. Among other changes, section 9.3 has been added, entitled 'Research,' which would allow for environmental assessments and feasibility studies to occur within parks.
If successful, the bill would alter the Parks Act to allow the Minister to issue park use permits for feasibility studies relating to the "location, design, construction, use, maintenance, improvement or deactivation" of roads and highways, pipelines, transmission lines, telecommunications projects, and other 'prescribed' projects. Further, the amendments would allow proponents of park boundary changes to run the consultation processes for these proposals.
Polak stated that the legislation provides clarity, ensuring that the Province has the legal authority to issue permits for research and activities such as recreation, tourism and commercial filming in parks. Alternatively, critics have argued that the legislation creates ambiguity about protected areas.
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This weekly report produced for the BC Chamber of Commerce by Fleishman-Hillard. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication as of the date of issue, events and government policies are subject to frequent change. Therefore, the BC Chamber of Commerce and Fleishman-Hillard cannot assume any responsibility for actions taken solely or principally on the basis on the information contained herein.
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