New MLA, old responsibilities

On Sept 29th at 2pm OPSRRA will be holding a moderated forum with the candidates for this year’s provincial election. We feel strongly that an informed voter is the backbone of a successful community.

In addition to the Q&A with the candidates, we wanted to share the areas that your life that our next provincial government will potentially affect.

What is government?

Government 101: How Government Works  (source – BC government website)

Government includes a governing party, a seat of government, jurisdiction (or an area that is governed), laws and citizens. In Canada, there are three levels of government:

• Federal (or national). The Government of Canada is the central level of government in Canada. It provides social services, supports the economy, maintains national defence and security, establishes criminal law, and maintains relationships with Indigenous and international governments
• Provincial. The B.C. government establishes provincial laws, supports B.C.’s economy, provides public services to support citizens, manages natural resources, and builds working relationships with Indigenous Peoples and other governments
• Local. Municipalities and regional districts provide community planning, bylaws, and essential local services such as clean water, sewer systems, parks and recreation, and fire protection

How government is formed

General elections in B.C. are scheduled every four years. Elections can happen early if the elected party chooses to have one sooner or if it loses the Legislative Assembly’s confidence.

Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected across the province. The Lieutenant Governor invites the political party with the most MLAs to form government. The leader of that party becomes the Premier.

The party with the second highest number of MLAs becomes the official opposition. The opposition, along with MLAs from other parties, hold the governing party accountable by questioning decisions and presenting alternatives.

B.C. runs “first past the post” elections, 51% or greater wins the seat for themselves and for their Party. In B.C., provincial elections are held every four years on the third Saturday in October.

The Provincial Government has many responsibilities.  It creates laws and policies that govern the way we live, work and play.  Here is a list of the areas where the BC Government sets policy and over which they have direct responsibility.

The BC Public Service is divided into ministries and those ministries often change over time or with new premiers or as priorities evolve. At its core are the responsibilities of: Food and Shelter, Laws & Public Safety, Children & Family, Education, Economic Development & Resources (including Climate wellness), Health, Transportation, and municipal and first nation affairs.

In September of 2024 those responsibilities are shared by the following ministries. Each ministry is responsible for a specific area of public policy, government function or service delivery.

• Agriculture and Food
• Attorney General
• Children and Family Development
• Citizens’ Services
• Education and Child Care
• Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
• Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
• Environment and Climate Change Strategy
• Finance
• Forests
• Health
• Housing
• Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation
• Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
• Labour
• Mental Health and Addictions
• Municipal Affairs
• Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills
• Public Safety and Solicitor General
• Social Development and Poverty Reduction
• Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

The Provincial government will work in tandem with municipal, first nation and the federal government on issues that might overlap their core responsibilities or would be better served with a united plan to solve an issue, but that does not change the scope of the provincial government’s responsibilities to the people of BC.