B.C. government withdrawing portion of controversial tariff-response bill

B.C. Premier David Eby announced that his government would be withdrawing part of a controversial bill on the province's response to U.S. tariffs.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government will be withdrawing a key portion of a controversial bill that would give his government broad powers to respond to foreign economic threats amid Canada’s ongoing tariff battle with the United States.

The proposed legislation, known as Bill 7, would allow the government to take actions intended to support the provincial economy without first requiring debate in the B.C. legislature.

Speaking at a news conference Friday morning, Eby said his government would be withdrawing Part 4 of the bill, which includes the framework that would enable those rapid actions and delayed legislative oversight.

Eby has described this section of the bill as creating an “emergency response authority” for the provincial cabinet.

“We have emergency response authorities for natural disasters,” the premier said Friday.

“We do not have emergency response authorities for disasters created by the president of the United States.”

While his government will be withdrawing that part of the bill, Eby said he intends to bring forward a modified version of it as standalone legislation in the coming months.

“If there’s a chance for us to re-tool this and ensure that the safeguards are in place to make people feel comfortable that there’s democratic and legislative oversight of these incredibly important provisions, then we will do so,” he said.

As part of the bill tabled earlier this month, Eby has proposed levying taxes on American commercial trucks travelling through B.C. on their way to Alaska, and directing all public-sector procurement to favour domestic suppliers in response to the U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.

The premier mentioned the Alaska tolls, specifically, as an element that will remain part of Bill 7 when it is tabled in the legislature on Monday.

Critics have decried the bill as a step towards autocratic rule that would see directives from the premier and his cabinet going unchecked in the legislature.

In a letter to Eby and B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma on Wednesday, the president of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce said the proposed legislation would allow the Eby government to change provincial laws “with the stroke of a pen.”

“As a nation, we universally decry the progression towards authoritarian rule through decree by the executive branch of the United States. There is no justification for taking similar steps here in British Columbia or Canada,” Fiona Famulak wrote.

The bill would also seek to eliminate trade barriers between provinces by allowing goods produced or grown elsewhere in Canada to be sold in B.C. That part of the legislation also remains intact.

Opposition B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad, in a social media post earlier this month, wrote that Bill 7 would give the B.C. NDP government “sweeping, almost unlimited powers with zero oversight.”

In a statement Friday, Rustad called Eby’s concessions a “partial victory for democracy.”

“David Eby’s initial attempt to grant himself sweeping, unchecked powers was an affront to our democratic principles,” Rustad said.

“British Columbians didn’t vote for a government that overrides communities and bulldozes over local decision-making.”

Ravi Kahlon, chair of B.C.’s cabinet committee on tariff response, said in a statement Thursday that the committee was aware of the concerns about the bill and could make amendments to address them.

“We want to address any concerns and ensure B.C. is prepared to act with urgency to respond directly to (U.S. President Donald) Trump’s actions and protect B.C. businesses and jobs – as people expect us to do. This may mean additional guardrails,” his statement said.

On Friday, Eby cited the committee’s feedback as a key reason for the government’s rethink of the bill.

With files from The Canadian Press