LIEUTENANT Governor Wendy Cocchia on Tuesday delivered the speech from the throne outlining the B.C. government’s plan to defend British Columbians from the economic impacts of the U.S. presidency and secure a stronger future for the province.

“We are at a crossroads. The journey ahead won’t be easy but there’s no place I would rather be to face the threat of tariffs than right here in B.C., and nothing I’d want to be more than Canadian,” said Premier David Eby.

“We have everything we need to protect ourselves from the economic impacts of the Trump presidency and come out stronger. That includes our most precious resource of all: British Columbians. Our people are hard-working, resilient and ready to meet this moment the same we always have – by looking out for each other and building together.”

With U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s tariff threats looming over Canada and British Columbia, the throne speech outlined concrete steps the B.C. government will take to grow a more self-reliant economy at home that delivers good-paying jobs. The speech also noted the crucial importance of creating wealth and reorienting the government to meet the challenges of a changing world.

The B.C. government expects to introduce two bold new laws to get energy and critical infrastructure built faster, and British Columbia’s economy growing.

A new budget will be introduced that will focus on economic security and carefully managing finances to protect the front-line public services on which people rely.

Some highlights from the speech from the throne:

* Standing strong for Canada: with a tough and thoughtful response to any attack on Canada’s economy and sovereignty, as part of a united Team Canada approach.

* Creating good jobs in a growing economy: by fast-tracking major private-sector resource projects and building on B.C.’s strengths in technology, life sciences and film.

* Diversifying where B.C. sells its products: with new trade missions to strengthen relationships around the world and by breaking down trade barriers within Canada.

* Strengthening access to health care: by attaching more people to a family doctor and building new hospitals throughout the province.

* Helping with costs: by delivering more homes people can afford, locking in child care and car insurance savings, and passing new consumer-protection laws.

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said in a statement on X: “In today’s BC Throne Speech, Premier Pinocchio explained that he wants to spend the next year blaming Trump for the fiscal and economic problems that Eby & the NDP’s mismanagement has caused.

“Hypothetical tarrifs are a convenient excuse for BC’s declining GDP, our ballooning debt, a massive affordability crisis, and our crumbling healthcare and infrastructure — but these were all caused by terrible NDP policies and decisions that have left BC more vulnerable than ever before.

“The NDP spent the rainy day fund when the times were good — now we have nothing to fall back on and no plan on how to proceed.

“The truth is that David Eby gave all of his MLAs a raise, pulled back the $1,000 he promised British Columbians, and went into hibernation for nine long months…

“Now, Eby is coming out of hibernation to feign leadership and play politics.

“In reality, Eby’s NDP has never wanted to unite British Columbians — instead, he has spent several long, long years dividing British Columbians and playing politics, while ignoring everyday hardworking people.

“The only thing that has changed, is that the BC NDP has a shiny new excuse to use to deflect from their prolonged and self-inflicted failures.

“BC’s problems aren’t new — people and families have been struggling and suffering in this province ever since the NDP took over and started making life more expensive for everyday people, making our streets less safe, and destroying good paying jobs and the economy in this province.

“British Columbia’s Conservative Party will spend the next year holding Eby to account for his NDP’s failures and we will fight like hell for everyday, hardworking people who deserve a break — starting with the $1,000 rebate that they were promised by David Eby.”

THE BC Green Caucus said it applauded this government for recognizing the urgent challenges facing British Columbians. “However, recognition alone is not enough. This was the moment to build a strong foundation, not just react to tariff threats,” it added.

“B.C. has been facing multiple, overlapping crises for years – housing affordability, access to healthcare, climate change, illicit-toxic drugs, and economic uncertainty – long before U.S. tariff threats surfaced. Yet this government remains stuck in a reactive cycle rather than pursuing a forward-thinking strategy,” it said.

“It’s easy to employ wartime analogies in face of a fresh, headline-grabbing crisis, but a government with a real vision for the future needs to be laser focused on delivering results to all the longstanding crises British Columbians are facing,” said Jeremy Valeriote, Interim Leader of the BC Greens and MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “We are in this situation because we didn’t look far enough ahead, so we need a plan that delivers long-term stability and security for British Columbians, and it must benefit people first rather than corporations.

“For too long, reactive decisions have left B.C. vulnerable to global shocks like volatile markets and looming U.S. tariffs. Instead of scrambling to respond, we must build a diverse, innovative, and sustainable economy that centers community well-being, poverty reduction, and climate action.

“The U.S. administration’s protectionist policies pose challenges for B.C.’s economy, but we cannot let them overshadow the progress we’ve made in protecting our environment, strengthening our institutions, and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. This is not the time to lean into populism, it is a time for vision, action, and bold investment in a clean, green future.”

The BC Greens said that through the Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA), they will work to establish community health centres, expand mental health coverage, build non-market housing, enhance renter support programs, expand public transit and advance environmental initiatives for future generations.

“We remain committed to being a constructive opposition party that contributes smart, actionable ideas through our agreement, and will relentlessly push the government if it falls short on delivering the tangible results British Columbians deserve. It’s time to stop treading water. We need to move beyond reactive leadership, towards a vision for our province that builds a more secure future for us all,” said Valeriote.