B.C. Today – Daily Report July 20, 2019 Quotation of the day “There is one thing we all know for certain after watching the ​ spectacle this spring: many of the New Democratic Party’s political opponents don’t care about the facts, they’re just cheering for B.C. to fail.” ​ Despite much hand-wringing by critics this spring, housing starts in B.C. are on the rise and proof of the NDP government’s successful fiscal management, according to Will McMartin — a ​ ​ ​ ​ long-time B.C. political consultant previously affiliated with both the Conservative Party and the Social Credit Party. Today in B.C. The House is adjourned for the summer recess. Committees this week This is the last week of committee meetings before the summer break. The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services will meet on Wednesday to continue its in camera deliberations on input received during Budget 2020 consultations. The Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills will meet on Thursday for the first time since 2016. The committee is responsible for reviewing private bills and statutes as assigned by the Legislative Assembly, per the Statute Revision Act. ​ ​ On May 30, the assembly referred a revision of Chapter 492 of the Workers Compensation Act ​ ​ ​ to the committee for “review and recommendation” and asked for a report to be presented “as soon as possible” — most likely during the fall session. The committee’s current members are posted online. ​ The next committee meeting, per the parliamentary committees office, will be the Legislative Assembly Management Committee on September 19. Alberta judge rejects B.C.’s challenge against ‘turn off the taps’ bill, citing lack of standing B.C.’s decision to file a suit against Alberta’s “turn off the taps” law in both provincial and federal court now seems prescient: an Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench judge threw out the provincial case Friday, saying B.C. has no standing to challenge the law in Alberta. In a 12-page decision, Justice R.J. Hall said his decision does not mean Alberta’s law is ​ ​ protected under the constitution, only that Alberta’s Judicature Act only grants standing to ​ ​ Alberta or Canada attorneys general. "Neither party could direct me to any cases in which one province has sued another province seeking a declaration of constitutional invalidity of legislation enacted by the defendant province," Hall wrote. "Federal court is the proper forum for this interprovincial dispute." Attorney General David Eby said the province is still waiting to hear whether the federal court ​ ​ will hear its case. "We ... look forward to the day that this legislation, which is unconstitutional and designed to punish people in B.C., is heard in court," he said, in an email to the Canadian Press. B.C.’s first ​ ​ attempt to challenge the bill was also thrown out by an Alberta judge because the legislation had not then been proclaimed. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made proclaiming the law, ​ ​ previously Bill 12, one of his first orders of business after being sworn in as premier. ​ ​ In a statement, Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said she was “pleased” with Justice ​ ​ Hall’s decision. “We will continue to defend Alberta jobs and economic opportunity and look forward to making our case at the federal court,” Savage said. National Energy Board greenlights Trans Mountain expansion construction There will be no need to rehash decisions or review permits for most sections of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion ahead of construction, according to the National Energy Board ​ ​ (NEB). Only areas where “relevant circumstances have materially changed” since last summer, when ​ the Federal Court of Appeal overturned Ottawa’s previous approval of the project, will be reviewed. Prior to the court ruling, the NEB had approved 73 per cent of the pipeline’s route and 64 of the 98 pre-construction conditions placed on the project had been met. While most construction orders remain valid, the detailed route for the expansion has not yet been settled. Going forward, Trans Mountain Corp. will be required to issue notices to landowners along the entire route — including those previously notified — and publish notices in local newspapers. The NEB will be responsible for notifying Indigenous groups potentially affected by the detailed route approval process. Landowners and First Nations with concerns about the expansion route can still file a Statement ​ of Opposition with the NEB, which could trigger a new hearing. ​ While at least one contractor involved in construction has begun hiring workers, the reapproved ​ ​ project still faces legal challenges. Earlier this month, several B.C. First Nations — including the ​ Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations — filed challenges against the project, alleging “multiple ​ ​ significant legal deficiencies” with its reapproval and that consultations with First Nations were inadequate. “Tsleil-Waututh Nation participated in consultation in good faith again, but it was clear that Canada had already made up their mind as the owners of the project,” Chief Leah ​ George-Wilson said. “They repeated many of the same mistakes again, and any changes were ​ window dressing.” Another challenge was filed by Ecojustice on behalf of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation ​ and the Living Oceans Society in the Federal Court of Appeal. It alleges that Ottawa failed to fulfil its responsibility to protect endangered southern resident killer whales when it reapproved the project. Today’s events July 22 at 11 a.m. – Grand Forks ​ Children and Family Development Minister Katrine Conroy will join the Circle of Indigenous ​ ​ Nations Society and community members at Grand Forks Secondary School for a ceremony to honour the land and give an update on a program that is bringing early learning and child care to Indigenous families throughout B.C. July 22 at 1:30 p.m. – Surrey ​ Jobs, Trade and Technology Minister Bruce Ralston, who represents Surrey—Whalley, will join ​ ​ Elders, staff and children at the Awahsuk Aboriginal Headstart Preschool. He will also discuss the Indigenous child care and early learning program. July 22 at 2 p.m. – Williams Lake ​ Citizens' Services Minister Jinny Sims will be joined by Williams Lake Indian Band Chief Willie ​ ​ ​ Sellars and representatives from Telus at the Williams Lake Indian Band office for an ​ announcement regarding Indigenous connectivity. Upcoming events July 24 - August 14 The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development will hold a series of policy engagement seminars in the Skeena and Cariboo regions to gather input on the ​ ​ Interior Forest Sector Renewal. ​ July 29 at 5:45 p.m. – Kitimat ​ Liberal Party Leader Andrew Wilkinson and his caucus will join MLA Ellis Ross (Skeena) for ​ ​ ​ ​ “an evening meet and greet with appetizers and a no-host bar” at the Hirsch Creek Golf and ​ Winter Club. Topics of conversation ● The government’s reported $1.5-billion surplus for the 2018-19 fiscal year should be nearly five times bigger, according to Auditor General Carol Bellringer. The auditor ​ ​ ​ ​ general’s office “continues to differ with government on how it records revenue that it ​ receives primarily from the federal government” in a way that “continues to defy independent accounting standards” by recording revenues over longer periods than are generally accepted. “These revenues have been under-reported and cloud the province's true financial position,” per a release from the auditor general’s office. “As of March 31, 2019, government has deferred $5.7 billion in revenue over the years.” That would bring the surplus for the last fiscal year to $7.2 billion. ○ The way the B.C. government defers revenue “is only appropriate in circumstances where the funding meets the definition of a liability” according to the accounting standards generally used in the public sector in Canada, Bellringer said. ○ This revenue reporting quirk, which has been used since 2011, is the only issue on which Bellringer placed a qualification to the province’s financial statements this year — the eighth consecutive year she has acted as the provincial auditor. ● The NDP government should be spending a chunk of its sizeable surplus to help forestry-dependent communities weather the spate of mill closures and curtailments still mounting across the province, according to B.C. Liberal Forests critic John Rustad. “I ​ ​ ​ can’t understand why there is still no response from the province and a premier who seems content to just sit by and watch this happen,” Rustad said in response to Canfor’s decision to immediately and indefinitely close its Mackenzie sawmill and reduce shifts at ​ its Isle Pierre sawmill. “The government posted a $1.5 billion surplus yesterday and has the resources and capability to implement a full recovery plan for the forestry sector and yet we see nothing.” ○ Combined, the closure and curtailment are expected to impact about 320 workers. “Mackenzie wears the scars of previous mill closures and deserves the full assistance from government as it weathers storms of another downturn in forestry,” said Liberal MLA Mike Morris, who represents the affected ​ ​ communities. ● Last month, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported that annualized housing starts in B.C. could top 62,000 this year, up from an April estimate of 51,000 and February’s estimate of 34,000. In an op-ed for The Tyee, long-time B.C. Conservative ​ ​ ​ ​ and SoCred political consultant Will McMartin marvels that many of the voices that ​ ​ decried the dip in housing starts as proof of impending economic implosion have now ​ fallen silent or are “willfully ignor[ing] B.C.’s upward explosion in construction activity.” ● The Heiltsuk Nation has launched an advertising campaign targeting Kirby Corp. in its ​ ​ home state of Texas over the 2016 fuel spill for which the company was fined a total of $2.9 million by a B.C.