“It’s just for two years,” the BC NDP government is telling us, in regards to their newly proposed Economic Stabilization (Tariff Response) Act, also known as Bill 7.
We’ve heard that kind of language before, haven’t we?
Back in March 2020, we had to lock down just for two weeks…then just for two more…until we blinked and it was 2022.
We know this government uses “emergencies” as a way to grant themselves increased power and authority while shutting out dissenters.
Now, the premier and his cabinet are using the threat of American tariffs to try to pass legislation that will allow them to override all provincial laws, regulations, authorities, personal privacy rights and even the legislature itself.
In recent days, some of our country’s top legal minds have been speaking out against Bill 7, warning it is downright undemocratic and dismissive of the rule of law.
The bill is so broad and sweeping that folks are wondering: will we as private citizens be banned from buying products we need that originate from the U.S. or other nations?
Will we be muzzled from criticizing our government because to do so would be “unpatriotic” in a time of tariff threats?
Plus, a big part of Bill 7 is the use of tolls: we already know that the government wants to put tolls on commercial traffic bound for Alaska, but what about non-commercial traffic flowing in and out of the U.S.? What kinds of road fees will we be paying to travel around our own province, and will we be punished financially if we attempt to visit friends or family in, say, Washington state?
The NDP isn’t providing any answers or details, which isn’t very reassuring.
No other provincial premier has introduced legislation comparable to Bill 7 – and the B.C. government actually hasn’t been making the case for their own bill at all. It really is that indefensible. Perhaps they are also hoping because it’s spring break for families – as well as a legislative break for all MLAs – criticism will simply die down by the end of the month.
Well, the outcry won’t be subsiding anytime soon. The Official Opposition is circulating a petition to stop Bill 7, and it rapidly amassed thousands of signatures.
Please stop by my constituency office to sign the petition – we have a duty to stand up to government overreach.
Let’s stop Eby’s opportunistic power grab.
Editor's Note: Since this column was written, the B.C. government has agreed to scale back the scope of Bill 7 requested by other parties. B.C. government to pull parts of its tariff-response bill
