The BC Conservatives have accused BC NDP of failing to adequately address the root cause of Donald Trump's tariff threat.
Leader John Rustad and his caucus suggested Premier David Eby should follow the lead of other premiers and send resources to the Canada-United States border.
In a press release, Rustad claimed that the Trump administration has been "crystal clear" that the tariff threats are "a direct response to Canada's failure to control illegal immigration and crack down on fentanyl entering the US across our border."
"What does Eby do?" he continued. "He puts together a task force that completely ignores border control and law enforcement. You can't make this up! It's as if he's oblivious to reality."
Rustad called on Eby to add Attorney General Niki Sharma and Public Safety Minister Garry Begg to the file, warning that if he doesn't, BC families and businesses will "pay the price."
"The Premier of Alberta has been to Washington," Rustad added. "The Premiers of Ontario and Manitoba have already taken measures to strengthen the border. Even the federal government has sent ministers to the US Capitol."
He noted that US border czar Tom Homan explicitly called Canada's handling of the border a "national security threat."
"Despite these unambiguous warnings, Eby refuses to take action where it actually matters,” Richmond-Queensborough MLA and Attorney General Critic Steve Kooner added. "Where is [Sharma]? Where is [Begg]? These are the people responsible for enforcing our laws and securing our province, and somehow they didn't make the cut for Eby's cabinet committee. This is beyond incompetence — it's negligence."
Rustad said British Columbians "should be outraged" by the government's response, accusing Eby of "playing political games."
"If David Eby actually cared about protecting BC's economy, he would be working to secure our border and crack down on fentanyl — not assembling a useless committee that won’t move the needle a millimetre," he concluded. "Eby needs to rework this ineffective committee and include the ministers who have the authority to address the core issues driving this tariff threat. British Columbians deserve real leadership, not empty gestures."
The committee, announced on Wednesday, will be chaired by Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. Its members include Jobs Minister Diana Gibson, Finance Minister Diana Gibson, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey, Energy Minister Adrian Dix, Agriculture Minister Lana Popham, Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill, State Trade Minister Rick Glumac, Forest Minister Ravi Parmar, Mining Minister Jagrup Brar, and Environment Minister Tamara Davidson.
Eby said that while every minister "has an important role to play in fighting back," Kahlon "brings deep experience in government to the table and is uniquely positioned to co-ordinate this work across government ministries."