BC Federation of Labour President Irene Lanzinger was in Victoria yesterday to attend the swearing in of the new NDP government.
She thinks the new party in power will be a breath of fresh air for BC
“I think people should remember that almost 60% of people voted for change. We’ve got that change now. I think it’s an exciting time for our province and I’m looking forward to working with this new government and with all three parties. We are hoping to see more cooperation and good things happen for everybody in the province.”
The new government was sworn in while the province remains in a state of emergency due to the wildfires but Lanzinger believes the NDP has what it takes to do big things in BC.
“We have a government that’s committed to a $15 minimum wage, to affordable childcare, to improving the cost of housing. They have some immediate issues, for sure, around the forest fires and softwood lumber that they’ll have to deal with so they have some big challenges but it felt really good to see that the change that people voted for is there and the possibilities of a government that’s really going to do some things that people have been wanting for a long time.”
The Federation campaigned against Christy Clark’s Liberals this year so Lanzinger’s rosy outlook is understandable. She says the new government has plans to tackle issues the Liberals long ignored.
“I think they’re a government that’s committed to making life better for working families. People have been struggling. Certainly the last 16 years have been difficult, particularly around issues with affordability, stagnant wages, the high cost of childcare.”
She says a bump in the minimum wage alone would boost the incomes of one quarter of people in the province.