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 the Economic 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.
B.C. Premier David Eby said his party will be pulling Part 4 of Bill 7, his government’s response to U.S. tariffs, in response to concerns from key stakeholders. Eby said that while his government needs to be able to act quickly in response to the U.S. president’s economic targeting of British Columbia, democratic and legislative oversight is still a priority.
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 included the B.C. Conservatives, some business groups and former B.C. Liberal premier Gordon Campbell.
Campbell told CBC News earlier this week he did not buy Eby’s argument that the emergency powers are needed so B.C. can respond more swiftly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
WATCH | Explaining the proposed tariff response act:
Marc Lee, a senior economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, talks about the Economic Stabilization Tariff Response Act, which, if passed, would allow the government to respond without having to go through the legislature for debate. B.C. Premier David Eby has said the response is necessary to protect jobs and businesses amid tariff threats. However, opposition parties are not convinced.
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 be scrapped.
“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.
“Eby wanted dictatorial powers. Now, he wants partial dictatorial powers. That’s still an abuse of democracy.”
The B.C. Green Party, which has signed a deal to support the NDP government on key legislation, met with Attorney General Niki Sharma this week to push back against broad 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, Famulak said she’s happy the government took those concerns seriously.
“I do think they’ve heard us.”
