Bob D'Eith (Image Credit: Flickr / Province of B.C.)

By Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Bob D'Eith

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May 25, 2023 | 10:28 AM

FOR MANY OF US IN B.C., the May long weekend is the unofficial start of summer. Whether it’s the first camping trip or the first lake swim of the year, it reminds us of all we have to look forward to over the coming months.

This summer I can’t wait to spend time in my community, visiting some of my favourite local farmers markets and festivals. As an MLA, summer is one of the best times for me to talk to people, to get a sense of what they want to see from their provincial government, what is working and what could be improved.

Before we get too far into the summer though, I want to reflect on some of what your provincial government accomplished this winter and spring.

One recent and exciting change is making contraception free in B.C. This is not only an important step towards a more equitable society, but it will save people who use prescription birth control hundreds of dollars a year — and thousands over their lifetime.

We invested $6.4 billion in new funding to strengthen our public health care system over the next three years, improve cancer care, and recruit and retain doctors and nurses – and $1 billion will go toward expanding mental health and addictions services, an area that is vitally important to so many families.

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We invested $1 billion across every community in the province through our Growing Communities Fund to help with community infrastructure needs. In my own constituency, Maple Ridge received $16.9 million and Mission received $8.8 million to help make sure that our local governments can invest in amenities needed for healthy and growing communities.

We also introduced our Future Ready plan, which will help people to train for the many in-demand arising from our growing economy. We’re adding spaces for students in post-secondary programs, and short-term programs to help people re-train or upgrade their skills. We want to help employers fill the gap in skilled labour and to provide everyone with the skills and knowledge they need to find a well-paying job.

This spring we also passed new bills that address some of the challenges facing people right now.

We are fighting organized crime. Police now have more tools to seize proceeds of crime – like fast cars, glamourous homes and luxury goods – to make gang life unprofitable and crack down on those who fuel the poisoned drug crisis. These proceeds from crime get re-directed to fund community programs that support victims and reduce violence. Just last week we awarded over $9 million to community projects across B.C.

Another new law will help tackle the gender pay gap, requiring companies to disclose wages on all job postings. The law also prohibits employers from asking job candidates about their pay history or punishing employees who talk about their pay, two things that we know contribute to pay inequality between men and women, trans and non-binary people.

Next week, on June 1, the minimum wage will go up to $16.75, as we make sure that the lowest-paid and most vulnerable workers in our province don’t get left behind. By keeping the minimum wage tied to inflation, we are making sure that all workers and their families can keep up.

We’ve accomplished a lot together, but there is always much, much more work to do. I’m looking forward to hearing the thoughts, input and suggestions from people across my constituency, and the province, this summer.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.