Vaughn Palmer: Premier starts 2025 on a positive note about Justin Trudeau departure

VICTORIA — Premier David Eby started his first news conference of the year on a positive note about the pending departure of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“I’m going to just open by thanking Prime Minister Trudeau for his service to Canada over his time as prime minister,” the premier told reporters Tuesday.

“We got some big things done together … and this is a big shift for him and for his family. I want to wish them luck with their next steps.”

However, before long, the B.C. premier acknowledged that Trudeau had created much uncertainty by putting parliament on hold and clinging to power while his party chooses a new leader.

For starters, Eby cited the threat of tariffs from incoming U.S. president Donald Trump.

“Without question, given the state of the federal government currently, the leadership on this file has to come from the premiers across Canada,” said Eby. “I hope that even despite the resignation of the prime minister, the federal government is able to participate in meaningful ways.”

Trudeau’s decision to put off the reckoning by proroguing parliament until late March has raised questions about Ottawa’s ability to make decisions about pretty much anything, Eby suggested.

“We’ll have a look at whether and how that announcement affects any programs or initiatives that we had planned at the provincial level that were counting on federal funding,” said Eby. “But I can tell you, we don’t count on the federal money until it’s in the bank.”

In his opening remark, the premier cited increased funding for childcare as one of the “big things” that the B.C. NDP and the Trudeau Liberals had done together.

Later in the news conference, he was asked about the future of the expanded childcare program, given the lack of a funding agreement.

“I prefer not to speculate,” he said. “I think it would be a remarkable thing for the federal government, or any party, to cut supports to families right now that depend on childcare. So we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

The measures struck from the order paper by the PM’s hit job on parliament included “really important bills,” according to Eby.

“Like the proposal to ensure clean drinking water for Indigenous communities across Canada. (It) has significant impact in British Columbia. There are going to be some impacts on our initiatives in relation to our partnership with Indigenous people in the province as a result of the resignation of the prime minister.”

Eby has been seeking relief from the federal requirement for the province to increase its carbon tax come April 1. He now concedes that probably won’t happen before the deadline, leaving the province to provide any relief on its own.

The scheduled increase would add about 3.3 cents to the cost of a litre of gasoline at the pump.

“I’ll make sure that British Columbians don’t pay any additional carbon tax beyond what they’re already paying, which they’re struggling with,” the premier told reporters.?“I will make sure that the April 1 increase is netted out in some way to make sure that British Columbians don’t face additional costs at this time when they can least afford it.”

Details to come.

Currently, the province’s carbon tax is budgeted to bring in $3 billion in the year ahead. The New Democrats propose to return $1.2 billion to the public in climate action rebates and spend the remaining $1.8 billion on other government programs.

At one point during the news conference, the premier expressed hope that the federal government will continue working effectively with the province “regardless of who is sitting in the chair of the prime minister.”

As to potential contenders for the chair, Eby was asked about former B.C. Liberal Premier Christy Clark running for the job.

“Christy and I,” he began, then corrected it to a less familiar, “Ms. Clark and I have had disagreements over the years.”

She defeated him in his first bid for provincial office in a 2011 byelection in Vancouver-Point Grey. He won the rematch in the 2013 general election, forcing her to find alternative political lodgings in the Okanagan.

Still, the premier had a nice word to say about the Clark candidacy.

“It is a positive thing to have somebody from British Columbia considering running for the federal Liberals. If nothing else, Ms. Clark will bring the discussion of B.C. issues and a B.C. focus that other candidates will have to respond to.”

The premier segued into some advice for anyone seeking national leadership.

“I think it’s vital for parties that want to be successful in B.C., that they recognize that B.C. needs to be treated at least equally to the other provinces in Canada with respect to funding and programs and initiatives.”

It has become a common theme with Eby, the complaint that the federal government doesn’t provide B.C. with a fair share of funding.

Yet you do not hear him calling out the federal wing of his own party, which until recently was doing all it could to keep the Trudeau Liberals in power.

vpalmer@postmedia.com