Premier David Eby opens Natural Resources Forum

“Natural resources development is the key to how we will create the wealth that makes everybody better off in this province.”

That keynote address happened simultaneously as the one being delivered by Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Summit in Davos Switzerland, in which he focused on forging trade relations.

“We’re championing efforts to build a bridge between the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union,” he told delegates. “Which would create a new trading bloc of 1.5 billion people.”

But Eby has been accused of late, both with interprovincial and federal fronts of not championing “Team Canada,” especially when it comes to the resources sector. Not so, counters Eby.

“I think that we face a really remarkable moment in this country,” he says. “It’s a time when we need to stand on our own two feet. BC has four times more private sector projects on the major projects, less the federal government than any other province in Canada. It’s not a coincidence.”

He says with recent trade trips to India and China, the message is clear, B.C. and Canada for that matter are open for business.

“When we were in India, when the Prime Minister is in China, it’s advocating for Canadian products,” says Eby. “It benefits everybody. It lifts everybody up. We’re focused on B.C., obviously. But, it does benefit other provinces when we’re there as well.”

The message through the course of the presentation was clear: The Premier is bullish on natural resources.

“I often point out, and I’m very proud of the fact we have four times more major private sector projects on the Government of Canada’s major projects list than any other province.”

Eby wrapped up noting that while there is definitely more work ahead to be done, working together is the only way to achieve shared goals.

by Cheryl Jahn

Premier David Eby opens Natural Resources Forum

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