British Columbia
"I didn't get the balance right," the premier said on Friday morning following a backlash over concerns that the proposed legislation would give the government the power to bypass the legislature.
'I didn't get the balance right,' the premier said on Friday morning
CBC News
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Premier David Eby has walked back a key portion of the NDP's tariff response bill following a backlash over concerns that the proposed legislation would give the government the power to bypass the legislature.
"I didn't get the balance right in terms of the ability to move quickly and necessary safeguards," Eby said during a news conference in Vancouver on Friday. "The level of anxiety and concerns I was hearing from key stakeholders ... it was pretty clear we needed to have another look at this."
Eby says the government will remove Part 4 of theEconomic Stabilization Tariff Response Act, the section that would give the cabinet the power to bypass the legislature and implement regulations in response to the "actions of a foreign jurisdiction" or any measure that supports the economy.
WATCH | Premier explains his change of heart to the media: B.C. government pulling part of tariff response bill 7 days ago Duration 1:57
The about-face follows negotiations this week between Attorney General Niki Sharma and the two B.C. Green MLAs over changes to the bill introduced on March 13.Critics includedthe B.C. Conservatives, some business groups and former B.C. Liberal premier Gordon Campbell.
Campbell told CBC News earlier this week he did notbuy Eby's argument that the emergency powers are needed so B.C. can respond more swiftly to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
"It is the move of an autocrat, not someone who claims to be a New Democrat," he said of Eby. "It's a move that says the legislature will effectively be suspended for two years while whatever the premier decides to do gets done. That is not how a democracy works."
WATCH | Explaining the proposed tariff response act: What is B.C.'s Economic Stabilization Tariff Response Act? 17 days ago Duration 6:59
The other parts of the bill involve breaking down interprovincial trade barriers and giving B.C. the ability to toll trucks that drive through the province to Alaska. Those sections remain unchanged and will be debated in the legislature after it returns from a break on Monday.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says the entire bill should bescrapped.
"This still gives [Eby]unlimited power to access private information, to use it for whatever he would like to use, as well as to bring in tolls or even road pricing if he wants to," Rustad said.
"Ebywanted dictatorial powers. Now, he wants partial dictatorial powers. That's still an abuse of democracy."
Instead, Rustad says Eby should adopt the bill on interprovincial trade that the Official Opposition has floated.
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The B.C. Green Party, which has signed a deal to support the NDP government on key legislation, met with Attorney General Niki Sharmathis week to push back againstbroad sections of the bill.
"We were concerned, so we're happy to see that section taken off the table," said Rob Botterell, the B.C. Green MLA for Saanich North and the Islands.
In a letter to Eby and Sharma before the government's change of heart, B.C. Chamber of Commerce president Fiona Famulak said Bill 7 "goes too far and that the controversial nature of the legislation will delay timely progress on the substantive and important issue of dismantling interprovincial trade barriers.
"The bill, despite its title, risks creating uncertainty for businesses and British Columbians and undermining B.C.'s ability to stabilize and grow the economy, attract investment and create jobs, all of which fund the public services we rely on," she added.
On Friday,Famulaksaid she'shappy the government took thoseconcernsseriously.
"I do think they've heard us."
Corrections
An earlier version of the story said the B.C. Chamber of Commerce initially supported Bill 7. In fact, it did not make any public statements on the bill until Wednesday, when it sent a letter to the premier with objections to it.
Mar 28, 2025 3:42 PM EDT
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