Fresh from last night’s televised leaders debate, Liberal Leader Christy Clark sat down this morning with Business in Vancouver to talk about key business policies.
Clark appeared energized from the April 26 debate with NDP Leader John Horgan and Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver – an event she described as “the closest thing that you ever get to physical violence."
“It’s challenging, but it’s great. You’re talking to people. For me, what I like about it is that there’s no media filter, nobody choosing which clip is the good one, nobody choosing which picture is the bad one. People are watching. They get to hear you unfiltered and what you stand for.”
BIV asked Clark to to drill down on some key issues for business, including the threat to B.C.'s lumber industry from American softwood lumber duties, her party’s plans for a legalized recreational marijuana industry and the $3.5 billion George Massey tunnel replacement project.
Canadian lumber producers now face duties of 20% or more on exports to the U.S. Clark has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to impose a ban on the export of thermal coal from B.C. ports.
Given U.S. President Donald Trump’s affinity for the coal industry, it might be one of the few areas where Canada has some leverage. Even if Canada doesn’t impose a ban, Clark said a Liberal government would impose its own restrictions in the form of new levies.
“I want to ban thermal coal,” she said. “And if the federal government doesn’t decide to do it – although I think they will agree with our request – we are going to impose a levy under our jurisdiction that is so onerous that there’s no percentage in shipping thermal coal through British Columbia.”
Asked if her government would consider providing bridge loans or other financial assistance to smaller sawmills hurt by the duties, Clark said she is working with the federal government on a plan.
“We’re working with them on a loan guarantee program, so bridging loans for people, and also an enriched EI program, should any workers find themselves out of work for a little while,” she said.
On a new legal marijuana industry, Clark was asked about her party’s plans for distribution and retail.
She said a Liberal government would wait until federal legislation is in place and then appoint an expert panel to advise the government on how to regulate things like distribution.
Although she didn’t rule out marijuana sales in liquor stores, Clark criticized NDP Leader John Horgan for suggesting that’s where marijuana should be sold.
“I know that John Horgan has said he’s already decided that he wants it to be in liquor stores,” Clark said. “Well, he took ($130,000) from the BCGEU, so that’s not a surprising decision coming from him. No one in the United States that’s legalized marijuana allows it to be beside alcohol.”
Given that the region's mayors do not consider the George Massey tunnel replacement project a priority, Clark was asked if she has had any second thoughts about replacing the George Massey.
“No," she said. "That’s going to be thousands of jobs for people in the province, and it is the most congested area in the Lower Mainland at the moment.
"We’ve been talking about this for four years. I promised it in the last election. We’re going to get on with it.”
For more, see Business in Vancouver's Q&A with Clark in the newspaper's next print.
