Jobs were such a big focus of Premier Christy Clark’s June 26 Throne Speech that she mentioned the word 21 times.
Clark ushered in the 40th session of the B.C. legislature by promising an accelerated jobs plan spurred by B.C.’s acceptance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.
“In B.C., we are blessed with an abundance of natural gas, the cleanest non-renewable fuel on the planet,” read Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon.
The speech stressed that for B.C. to seize the opportunity that LNG provides, the province must add value to this resource by converting it into liquid form and facilitating transport to Asian markets.
Doing so will add what she estimated to be a possible $1 trillion in cumulative GDP benefit to B.C. during the next 30 years.
The speech estimated that 39,000 new full-time jobs, on average, will be created during a nine-year construction period.
Once all facilities reach full production, there could be more than 75,000 new annual full-time jobs, according to the speech.
“These jobs can be created in every part of our province, in many different sectors and sustained for generations to come,” read Guichon. “Construction jobs. Facility jobs. Highly skilled trades jobs. Jobs in the professional services. Jobs for First Nations. Jobs for businesses that support the industry. Technology jobs.”
Other components of the speech promised to:
- freeze personal income taxes for five years;
- freeze B.C.’s carbon tax for five years;
- eventually contribute $1,200 to Registered Education Savings Plans for every child born after January 2007;
- balance four consecutive budgets;
- double the number of hospice beds by 2020; and
- work toward “long-term labour stability” in classrooms.
