Tariff threat makes budgeting complicated, says B.C. jobs minister

Planning for the future is difficult without any clarity on if or when Trump’s tariffs may come into effect.

So says B.C. Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation Diana Gibson, who explains the province is finding it challenging to put together a budget, which is due March 4.

And she says the uncertainty is not likely to go away anytime soon, even if the tariff dispute gets resolved.

“Unpredictability is the new norm with this government south of the border,” she said.

In addition, Gibson says it’s difficult to plan any possible provincial aid because the federal government’s plans are also a wild card at this point.

“There will be programs around ramping up unemployment insurance, for example, or other program areas supporting jobs and businesses and individuals like we saw during the pandemic, so we don’t know what those will look like,” she said.

Gibson says it is hard to see the positive in something as serious as the tariff threat, but there may be a silver lining.

“As some people say, with any crisis comes an opportunity,” she said.

“Unlocking interprovincial trade is one of our big priorities, and it came out of meetings we’ve had with my counterparts federally.”

She is touting the province’s move to expedite several natural resource projects and expand trade relationships with other jurisdictions in order to reduce our reliance on the U.S.

“I’m really proud of what our government’s been doing,” she said.

“Premier Eby has been signaling, with really strong leadership, a consistent message around a response: strengthen the economy and diversify our trading relationships.”