Budget 2020 moves British Columbia forward by building the infrastructure the growing province needs, supporting thousands of new jobs, strengthening investments in health and education and making life more affordable for everyone.

The speech from the throne presents a clear path forward for a government that is working to make life better for people.

The first weekend of Premier Christy Clark's 2013 Jobs and Trade Mission was highlighted by a new natural gas venture establishing a Vancouver head office and Bluestar International Business signing an $80-million forestry deal that will see B.C. lumber used for infrastructure projects in China.

In an important step toward a stronger working relationship between B.C. and China's Zhejiang province, both governments signed an agreement encouraging greater co-operation in wood-frame construction.

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson and delegates on the 2013 Forestry Asia Trade Mission had an action-packed first day in Japan.