The British Columbia government is eliminating tuition fees on Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English Language Learning (ELL) programs, opening the door for tens of thousands of people to upgrade their education and skills every year.

The speech from the throne is an important moment in history – it reflects both the priorities British Columbians articulated in the recent election, and the ability to invest in programs and services that British Columbians depend on, thanks to years of sound fiscal management and building Canada’s leading economy.

Premier Christy Clark issued the following statement in response to the federal government’s announcement of $867 million over the next three years for Canada’s forestry communities, workers and companies that may be adversely affected by the ongoing softwood lumber dispute with the U.S.:

The Government of British Columbia is investing $7.7 million to promote the use of B.C. wood, advance wood building systems and products, and expand global markets.

The B.C. government has followed through on its commitment to ban mandatory high heels in the workplace.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark made the following statement after a Qingming Festival ceremony at Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery to honour Chinese ancestors and British Columbia’s Chinese community for their contributions:

Workers coming to B.C. through the B.C. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) can now be exempt from the additional property transfer tax on foreign buyers, helping ensure B.C. continues to attract highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs across all sectors of the province’s diverse economy, including the growing tech sector.

Speaking at the sold-out second annual #BCTECH Summit, which more than 5,000 delegates will attend, Premier Christy Clark announced a significant increase in the number of tech-related grads and co-op placements throughout the province to drive tech talent development and support continued growth in  British Columbia’s thriving technology sector.