Fascinating example of the urban and rural split at the Union of BC Municipalities convention. A resolution pushing B.C. to declare a right for renters to have pets (within guidelines) in their units was supported by Vancouver and others. But was narrowly defeated by rural and landlord delegates.

NEW - 2 BC projects are on the list of 5 major projects being prioritized by Ottawa: LNG Canada, Red Chris copper mine. No pipeline. The big question I have is, since these projects are already approved, does being on the list mean they get federal cash? #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

I talked to @Dave_Eby yesterday about backlash - including among New Democrats - to comments blaming Canada’s immigration system for filling up shelters and food banks. He didn’t backtrack, but doubled down on his concerns about the TFW program #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

New data obtained by CBC News shows the employees meant to keep hospitals safe are themselves being injured at an alarming rate. Hospital security guards were injured 170 times last year, which amounts to an injury almost every other day. Here’s the story: #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

BC has gone from being a leader in affordable child care, to now being at the back of the pack. Five BC cities have the highest median infant child care fees and the province has stalled on its universal $10-a-day child care goals, a new report finds. Here’s the story. #bcpoli youtu.be/1z0JzKtzA4U

NEW - CBC has confirmed that an explosive device was thrown at Bowinn Ma’s North Vancouver constituency office early this morning. The office was empty and no one injured. Many NDP MLAs are closing their constituency offices as a precaution. RCMP investigating. #bcpoli

NEW - Interior Health CEO Susan Brown is stepping down, earlier than her planned retirement in Dec. This amid a health care staffing crisis that forced the closure of Kelowna General Hospital’s pediatric ward and warnings about dire staffing levels in the maternity ward #bcpoli

Two of B.C.'s three Independent MLAs have formed a political party that wants to lower taxes, take away teachers' right to strike, open the door for private health care and "defund the reconciliation industry.” Here are the details. #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

B.C. government approves new LNG pipeline with terminus near Prince Rupert. By @akurjata.ca #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Interim Opposition leader Andrew Scheer called Premier David Eby a "radical" for not throwing his support behind a new oil pipeline. “The radical B.C. premier is saying no pipeline through his province." Here’s the story. #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

NEW - BC Assembly of First Nations Terry Teegee is pulling out of Premier David Eby’s Asia trade mission because of bills 14 and 15. The fallout continues. #bcpoli

Side drama in the legislature over a blurred zoom background during a vote. NDP MLA Rick Glumac is voting virtually and during his vote on bill 14, had a blurred background. BC Conservatives say that qualifies as a “virtual background” and therefore vote should be DQ’d. #bcpoli

NEW - Bill 15 - which will fast track public and private infrastructure projects - has passed in the legislature, 47 to 46 with the Speaker breaking the tie. First Nations leaders have vowed to fight the bill in court. Former NDP cabinet minister Melanie Mark has come out against. #bcpoli

NEW - MLAs have voted to pass Bill 14 - which will fast track clean energy projects - by a one vote margin. It was a tie: Cons, Greens and Independents voted against. The speaker voted to break it. At 8pm, MLAs will vote on Bill 15, which will fast track infrastructure projects. #bcpoli

BC’s Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman released a report into election 2024. Despite human error involving some ballot boxes in Prince George, says new electronic tabulation model was successful, delivered results faster and overall it was a free and fair election #bcpoli

Yesterday Premier David Eby unveiled his vision for accelerating mining projects. Eby insisted it’s not connected to controversial Bill 15, even though that bill - once passed - can accelerate mining projects deemed “provincially significant”. #bcpoli youtu.be/DbH5jkSWo3c

Premier David Eby is in Yellowknife today and tomorrow for the western premiers’ conference. They’ll talk trade, tariffs and energy security. But the elephant in the room will be western separatism as the debate escalates in Alberta. #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

NEW - Michael Bryant, the Downtown Eastside czar hired by Premier David Eby, for $150K for 6 months work, has had his contract ended. “Debate and discussion around this time-limited contract is distracting from the important work underway.” Eby will take Qs about this at 3pm. #bcpoli

BC Conservative public safety critic Elenore Sturko says the RCMP investigation into a whistleblower who leaked documents about safe supply will have a chilling effects on other whistleblowers. David Eby and Garry Begg have distanced themselves from the investigation #bcpoli youtu.be/_PmaGq_wxd0

Premier David Eby is at the Finest at Sea wharf, talking about his trade mission to Japan, Malaysia and Korea. He says the majority of sablefish harvested by this company is sent to Japan. But the trade mission will not go to China, which has levied tariffs on Canadian seafood. #bcpoli

Michael Bryant, former Ontario attorney general, tapped to be the Downtown Eastside 'czar.' NDP government promised to tackle the entrenched poverty, mental health and addictions issues facing residents in DTES, by @katiederosa.bsky.social www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #ToxicDrugCrisis

A nurse from Texas says she’s considering moving to Nanaimo with her wife, also a nurse. She says as a same sex couple in a red state, under Trump, they’re compelled to move here. BC is trying to make that process faster for American health care workers like her. youtu.be/fQlVxtE072o

Premier David Eby says next month the province will launch an ad campaign to run in US states to recruit nurses and doctors trained in the US. It’s part of the province’s work to fast-track the credential process for US health care workers, which Eby says is already bringing doctors and nurses to BC

Happy 99th birthday to the man who gave voice to the wild. 🎉 Sir David Attenborough, thank you for a lifetime dedicated to the natural world, and for sharing its story with wisdom, wonder, and grace. You've inspired generations to fall in love with nature.

The owner of Universal Ostrich farm in Edgewood BC is at the legislature today to speak against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s order to kill all the farm’s ostriches because of an avian flu outbreak. It’s worth noting that this is a federal issue, not a provincial issue.

Retired chief Justice Christopher Hinkson will lead a commission to look into improving event safety after the Lapu Lapu tragedy. But both @elenoresturko and @KenSimCity say the more pressing issue is dealing with the underlying mental health crisis. #bcpoli www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

NEW - The province has appointed former chief Justice Christopher Hinkson as head of the independent commission which will look into improving safety for public festivals following the Lapu Lapu tragedy. Terms of reference will be released today. Eby hopes for a quick turnaround.

Premier David Eby speaks to media following a call this morning with Canadian premiers and PM Mark Carney, following his meeting w Trump. “There's a consensus among the premiers that the Prime Minister did well yesterday to baseline a new relationship between Canada and the US.” #bcpoli #cndpoli

B.C. Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko is upset after her fellow MLA Heather Maahs attended a speaking event at the legislature this week by a Christian lobby group that opposes same sex marriage, medical assistance in dying, abortion and gender transition for youth. #bcpoli youtu.be/j0DgApJT030?...

Following the Lapu Lapu day tragedy, Premier David Eby says Health Minister Josie Osborne will undertake a review of the mental health act to make sure it’s working the way it should. This follows criticism from Mayor Ken Sim that province must do more on mental health. #bcpoli

I didn’t get a live hit until midnight last night but will be on CBC News Network shortly after 1pm to talk about the NDP collapse in BC and the future of the party which could still be needed to prop up Mark Carney’s Liberal minority. #Canadavotes

Premier David Eby gives an update on the “horrific mass murder” at Lapu Lapu Day. Says if a criminal trial does not produce answers, there will be a public inquiry. He will task an independent commission to look into ways to better product crowds during large street festivals. #bcpoli

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has lost his riding. Stepping down as party leader. #cdnpoli www.youtube.com/watch?v=SATB...

NEW - NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announces he’ll be stepping down as party leader as soon as an interim leader can be appointed. This after the NDP’s support has collapsed and the party appears poised to lose party status. #Canadavotes

Silence from the NDP supporters in Greater Victoria as the CBC projects a Liberal government. However, whether the Liberals get a majority or minority could be decided in BC. #CanadaVotes

I’m at Swan’s Pub where NDP volunteers for Laurel Collins, Colin Plant and Maja Tait will be watching election results come in. The New Democrats are trying to hang onto their six seats on the island, where the Liberals and Conservatives are trying to make inroads #canadavotes

Thousands of people gathered at a Nanoose Bay farm to rally behind Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. One supporter I spoke to says it’s emblematic of the “blue wave” sweeping over Vancouver Island. He accused the NDP of “abandoning the working class.” www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

With five days until voting day, Liberal leader Mark Carney visits Victoria in a bid to capture a riding which the NDP has held since 2006 and where NDP’s Laurel Collins is trying for a 3rd term. Carney will visit 5 battleground ridings in BC today which the Liberals hope to pick up. #bcpoli

If you’re tuning into CBC’s Power & Politics this afternoon, I’ll be on alongside Rob Shaw and Justine Hunter at 3pm PST talking about the battle ground ridings on Vancouver Island in the final week of the federal election. #cndpoli

The Victoria riding has been an NDP stronghold for the last 20 years but it’s become an intense battleground as the Liberals gain popularity under Mark Carney. Polls are showing nearly every seat on the Island could change hands. Here’s the story. #cndpoli www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

At a presser at Phillips brewing, Eby weighs in on the federal election. “I will say it's obviously going to be a challenging election for the federal NDP” but he said he hopes to see NDP incumbents like Laurel Collins re-elected. #bcpoli

Thank you @katiederosa.bsky.social for inviting me to comment on the launch of the new Centre BC Party. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Former BC United MLA Karin Kirkpatrick launches a new political party, Centre BC. It comes after Kirkpatrick failed to force Kevin Falcon out as leader of BC United, the former B.C. Liberals. She said centrist voters need a political home that’s not based on divisive ideology. #bcpoli

Premier David Eby says he’s directed govt agencies and crown corps to cancel American contracts and move to Canadian companies “where possible”. Eby didn’t have a cost estimate for this move and acknowledged that some items we rely on like medical items are produced in the US #bcpoli

BC Conservative MLA Sheldon Clare just sang about the number of B.C. bridges that are falling down, to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down. Speaker @rajchouhan was not impressed … but the press gallery was. #bcpoli

While the two appeared chummy outside the legislature, in a closed door meeting Premier David Eby pressed Liberal leader Mark Carney for as much support for BC’s softwood lumber sector as the Ontario auto sector and Quebec steel industry #bcpoli #cndpoli youtu.be/6--Ycd96VEk

NEW - BC is ending the program to send BCers w breast and prostate cancer to Bellingham for radiation. It comes as fewer people are willing to travel to the US amid the trade war. Health Ministry says BC’s wait times have improved w 93% starting radiation within 4 weeks. #bcpoli

Premier David Eby meets with Liberal leader Mark Carney at the legislature. Eby wouldn’t bite on my question. #bcpoli

Interesting post from @chrismarkevich.bsky.social the Green candidate for Courtenay Alberni who says he’s been encouraged to drop out of the race and support Gord Johns to prevent vote splitting. #bcpoli #cndpoli