What to Expect
British Columbians will be talking about their next Premier David Eby this week. While the NDP leadership race was originally intended to conclude with voting on December 3, Anjali Appadurai was disqualified last week leaving Eby to be acclaimed. With no leadership race, it is likely the transfer of power from Premier Horgan will take place earlier than December 3. Eby spoke to the B.C. NDP caucus Monday afternoon for the first time as leader and Premier-Designate.
Eby is the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey. He was first elected in 2013 and was re-elected in 2020 to serve a third term in the B.C. Legislature. In July 2017, he was appointed to his most recent role of Attorney General. He also served as the Minister Responsible for Housing.
Before he was elected, Eby was the executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, an adjunct professor of law at the University of British Columbia, president of the HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and served on the Vancouver Foundation’s Health and Social Development Committee.
He has already outlined his focus for his first 100 days in office, including addressing housing affordability, improving access to health care, creating safer communities, and redirecting fossil fuel subsidies to clean energy projects.
The Week That Was
The provincial government will expand the small business tax rate. Previously, access to the small business tax rate was gradually reduced when the taxable capital of businesses was more than $10 million. Access to the small business tax rate ended when businesses had $15 million or more of taxable capital. With the change, access to the small business tax rate will be gradually reduced when businesses have between $10 million and $50 million in taxable capital.
The new Health Professions and Occupations Act will provide more protection to patients via the creation of a new oversight body, independent discipline tribunal, and a reformed complaints process.
Orders in Council
OIC 527/2022 – Appoints Ellora Sundhu as a Ministerial Advisor in the Office of the Minister of Education and Child Care.
OIC 528/2022 – Appoints Pawel Pawlowski as an Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation
