Here is what the B.C. government plans to do in the coming year

B.C.'s government plans to focus on improving health care, fighting climate change and helping communities adapt to extreme weather.

The province outlined its plans in a speech from the throne from Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin Tuesday afternoon.

The speech highlighted how B.C. has one of the highest vaccination rates in North America and the strongest economic recovery in Canada – with more people working today than when the pandemic began.

Among the actions the government has pledged to take are: tying minimum wage increases to the rate of inflation; introducing a cooling-off period on home purchases in what is a volatile market; and developing talent needs for the expected plus-one million job opportunities in the coming decade.

The government also plans to work toward implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act through an action plan drafted in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples.

A new ministry is also being created to improve management of B.C.’s land and resources. The ministry will work to better support goals of reconciliation, economic development and environmental protection.

A new economic plan and budget will be introduced in the coming weeks.

The government said additional investments will respond to the immediate effects of the pandemic and extreme weather and build on B.C.’s strengths to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Child care

Austin said the province will also have a special focus on child care in the coming year.

“The pandemic has shown how important reliable, affordable child care is. It gives kids an early start on a path to learning, and it helps parents return to work and pursue opportunities,” Austin said, adding that in the past, child care was not treated as a priority, resulting in parents facing high fees or long waiting lists.

“Your government will build on the progress made by more than doubling $10 a day spaces, and reducing average fees by as much as 50 per cent by the end of this year.”

She said child care is becoming a core-service in B.C., allowing residents to take advantage of the service with greater ease.

Moving the responsibility of child care to the Ministry of Education, she said, will allow it to be managed by regional offices that can identify and address local needs.

The province also wants to focus on urgent actions to address climate change and extreme weather events.

This includes improving green transportation alternatives and ensuring infrastructure is built to withstand future weather events, both of which will create jobs in the process.

Greens criticize lack of vision

The B.C. Green Caucus criticized the speech for not offering a vision for the future.

“The government patted themselves on the back for past initiatives and re-announced projects that have been underway for years,” Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said.

Furstenau also took issue with the government continuing to promote vaccines as the primary tool to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We need to employ a strategy that recognizes this is an airborne virus, and the government needs to invest in the tools that can help keep people safer, including N95 masks, filtration, ventilation, and rapid tests."

With files from The Canadian Press and VernonMatters