The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.
Ten o’clock a.m.
Prayers and Reflections by Hon. Sheila Malcolmson.
The Hon. Brenda Bailey (Minister of Finance) presented to the Speaker a Message from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:
Wendy Cocchia
Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House,
March 28, 2025.
On the motion that Bill (No. 8) be introduced and read a first time, the House divided.
Motion agreed to on the following division:
| Yeas — 89 | |||
| Lore G. Anderson Blatherwick Elmore Sunner Toporowski B. Anderson Neill Osborne Brar Davidson Kahlon Parmar Gibson Beare Chandra Herbert Wickens Kang Morissette Sandhu Krieger Chant Lajeunesse |
Choi Rotchford Higginson Routledge Popham Dix Sharma Farnworth Eby Bailey Begg Greene Whiteside Boyle Ma Yung Malcolmson Chow Glumac Arora Shah Phillip |
Dhir Sturko Kindy Milobar Warbus Rustad Banman Kooner Halford Hartwell L. Neufeld Van Popta Dew Gasper K. Neufeld Day Block Bhangu Paton Boultbee Chan Toor |
Hepner Giddens Rattée Davis McInnis Luck Stamer Maahs Tepper Mok Wilson Clare Williams Loewen Dhaliwal Doerkson Chapman McCall Valeriote Kealy Armstrong Brodie |
| Nays — 1 | |||
| Botterell |
|||
Bill (No. 8) introduced and read a first time.
The Hon. Brenda Bailey (Minister of Finance) indicated intention to request that Bill (No. 8) advance all stages this day pursuant to Standing Order 81.
The House recessed until 10.33 a.m. for distribution of the Bill.
The Hon. Mike Farnworth proposed that, pursuant to Standing Order 81, the Bill be permitted to be advanced all stages this day, and tabled supporting documents.
Peter Milobar made representations.
Jeremy Valeriote made representations.
The Speaker took the matter under advisement.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
Order called for “Private Members’ Statements.”
On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. M 205) intituled Mental Health Amendment Act, 2025, a debate arose.
On the motion of Jody Toor, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.
The Speaker delivered his reserved decision as follows:
Honourable Members:
The Chair has considered the application made under Standing Order 81 by the Government House Leader as it pertains to Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025. The Chair thanks the Government House Leader, the Member for Kamloops Centre, and the Leader of the Third Party for their thoughtful submissions on this matter.
Standing Order 81 places one decision in the hands of the Chair: whether to allow a bill to proceed through two or more stages of consideration in one day, on account of urgent or extraordinary circumstances that may necessitate the normal rules for the consideration of legislation by this House to be suspended.
An application for accelerated consideration of legislation by this House must be weighed with great care by any Presiding Officer, who must always balance the rights of the majority to transact public business and of the minority to be heard. As noted by my predecessors, it is a request that must be made sparingly out of respect for this House and the democratic values that we all cherish.
On the application under Standing Order 81, the Chair has consulted the precedents of this House, previous Speakers’ rulings, and Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, 5th edition. In so doing, a two-part test is evident on the consideration of a request under this Standing Order: the first requiring the bill to address an urgent or extraordinary matter, and the second requiring the scope of the bill to be limited.
A key decision that relates to the matter at hand transpired after the House adjourned on Thursday, March 13 until Monday, March 31. The decision of the federal government to eliminate its consumer carbon tax, which has been described as the “federal backstop,” was realized by federal order in council on Saturday, March 15. Earlier today, the government introduced Bill (No. 8) and immediately sought the application under Standing Order 81, which was done at the first opportunity upon the resumption of the House.
The question becomes whether the timelines and circumstances at hand are extraordinary. While the government has publicly indicated its intention to eliminate the consumer carbon tax, that decision ultimately rests with this House. British Columbians — both citizens and industry — no doubt want certainty on the will of the House, and that certainty can only come through the legislative process. It is the view of the Chair that these factors point to extraordinary circumstances and meet this test of a request under Standing Order 81.
The intent of Bill (No. 8) is to eliminate the consumer carbon tax in British Columbia — a topic of much debate in this House in the first four weeks of this session. In perusing the bill, the Chair is of the view that the bill is sufficiently limited in its scope and intended outcome to meet this test of a request under Standing Order 81.
In consideration of the above, it is the ruling of the Chair that Bill (No. 8) will be permitted to advance through all stages of consideration this day.
HON. RAJ CHOUHAN,Speaker
Bill Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading later today.
The Hon. Mike Farnworth moved —
That, notwithstanding Standing Orders 2 (1) and 3, the House sit beyond the hour fixed for adjournment for the afternoon sitting of Monday, March 31, 2025, until all questions pertaining to the remaining stages of consideration of Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, are put and decided, and, should the bill pass, until the House has received the Lieutenant Governor and the said bill is presented for Royal Assent.
Motion agreed to.
And then the House adjourned at 11.56 a.m.
One-thirty o’clock p.m.
Order called for “Members’ Statements.”
Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”
The Hon. Raj Chouhan (Speaker) tabled the Auditor General Report, Ministry of Forests: Calculating Carbon Projections, March 2025.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
Order called for Committee of Supply.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of Supply.
Bill (No. 6) intituled Supply Act (No. 1), 2025, was committed.
Peter Milobar moved a proposed amendment to clause 1 of Bill (No. 6) which was defeated, on division.
Clauses 1 through 4, the preamble and the title of Bill (No. 6) passed.
Bill (No. 6) reported complete without amendment, read a third time and passed.
On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, a debate arose.
Rob Botterell moved the following amendment —
That the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, be amended by deleting all the words after “that” and substituting therefor the following: “Bill (No. 8) not be read a second time until after the Minister of Finance has laid before the House a plan to address the climate crisis, the consequential and increasing budget deficit, and the impact of the loss of financial support to British Columbians.”
The amendment on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 8) was negatived on the following division:
| Nays — 89 | |||
| Lore G. Anderson Blatherwick Elmore Sunner Toporowski B. Anderson Neill Osborne Brar Davidson Kahlon Parmar Gibson Beare Chandra Herbert Wickens Kang Morissette Sandhu Krieger Chant Lajeunesse |
Choi Rotchford Higginson Routledge Popham Dix Sharma Farnworth Eby Bailey Begg Greene Whiteside Boyle Ma Yung Malcolmson Chow Glumac Arora Shah Phillip |
Dhir Sturko Kindy Milobar Warbus Rustad Banman Wat Kooner Halford Hartwell L. Neufeld Van Popta Dew Gasper K. Neufeld Day Block Bhangu Paton Boultbee Chan |
Toor Hepner Giddens Rattée Davis McInnis Luck Stamer Maahs Tepper Mok Wilson Clare Williams Loewen Dhaliwal Doerkson Chapman McCall Kealy Armstrong Brodie |
| Yeas — 2 | |||
| Valeriote |
Botterell |
||
The debate resumed on the main motion.
On the motion of the Hon. Adrian Dix, the debate was adjourned to later today.
The Speaker declared a short recess.
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor having entered the House, and being seated in the Chair —
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, read the titles to the following Acts:
Bill (No. 2) Acting Conflict of Interest Commissioner Continuation Act.
Bill (No. 3) Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025.
Bill (No. 4) Business Practices and Consumer Protection Amendment Act, 2025.
Her Honour was pleased in His Majesty’s name to give assent to the said Acts.
The said assent was announced by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, in the following words:
“In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth assent to these Acts.”
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, read the title to the following Act:
Bill (No. 6) Supply Act (No. 1), 2025.
Her Honour was pleased in His Majesty’s name to give assent to the said Act.
The said assent was announced by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, in the following words:
“In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth thank His Majesty’s loyal subjects, accepts their benevolence, and assents to this Act.”
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor was then pleased to retire.
The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025.
The debate continued.
The House divided.
Motion agreed to on the following division:
| Yeas — 88 | |||
| Lore G. Anderson Blatherwick Elmore Sunner Toporowski B. Anderson Neill Osborne Brar Davidson Kahlon Parmar Gibson Beare Chandra Herbert Wickens Kang Morissette Sandhu Krieger Chant |
Lajeunesse Choi Rotchford Higginson Routledge Popham Dix Sharma Farnworth Eby Bailey Begg Greene Whiteside Boyle Ma Yung Malcolmson Chow Glumac Arora Shah |
Phillip Dhir Sturko Kindy Milobar Warbus Rustad Banman Wat Kooner Halford Hartwell L. Neufeld Van Popta Dew Gasper K. Neufeld Day Block Bhangu Paton Boultbee |
Chan Toor Hepner Giddens Rattée McInnis Luck Stamer Maahs Tepper Mok Wilson Clare Williams Loewen Dhaliwal Doerkson Chapman McCall Kealy Armstrong Brodie |
| Nays — 2 | |||
| Valeriote |
Botterell |
||
Bill (No. 8) read a second time and Ordered committed to a Committee of the Whole House to be considered forthwith.
(In Committee — Section A)
12. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $99,120,000 be granted to His Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ministry Operations, to 31st March, 2026.
13. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $5,508,000 be granted to His Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Agricultural Land Commission, to 31st March, 2026.
44. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $186,048,000 be granted to His Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Ministry Operations, to 31st March, 2026.
Section A of Committee of Supply reported the Resolutions and completion of the estimates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and further reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again later today.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of the Whole.
Order called for Committee of Supply.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section B of Committee of Supply.
The House continued to sit past midnight.
(In Committee — Section B)
Section B of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
(In Committee — Section A)
Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, was committed.
Clauses 1 through 8 of Bill (No. 8) passed.
In consideration of clause 9 of Bill (No. 8), the Committee divided as follows:
| Yeas — 6 | |||
| Davidson Morissette |
Choi Routledge |
Sharma |
Bailey |
| Nays — 6 | |||
| Milobar Kooner |
Dew Boultbee |
Williams |
Botterell |
The Chair announced that the votes being equal, and in accordance with established practice, she cast her vote in favour of the motion.
Clause 9 of Bill (No. 8) passed.
Clauses 10 through 14 and the title of Bill (No. 8) passed.
Section A of Committee of the Whole reported Bill (No. 8) intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, complete without amendment.
Bill (No. 8) read a third time and passed.
The Speaker declared a short recess.
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor having entered the House, and being seated in the Chair —
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, read the title to the following Act:
Bill (No. 8) Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025.
Her Honour was pleased in His Majesty’s name to give assent to the said Act.
The said assent was announced by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, in the following words:
“In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth assent to this Act.”
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor was then pleased to retire.
And then the House adjourned at 1.49 a.m.
HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker
Tuesday, April 1
Peter Milobar to introduce a Bill intituled Carbon Tax (Repeal) Act, 2025.
Wednesday, April 2
11 The Hon. Mike Farnworth to move —
That Larry Neufeld replace Tara Armstrong as a member of the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Copyright © King’s Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada