Protecting platform workers | Our submission to the Ministry of Labour BC Policy Solutions submission to the Ministry of Labour 2025/26 Review of Standards and Protections for Online Platform Workers

BC Policy Solutions submission to the Ministry of Labour 2025/26 Review of Standards and Protections for Online Platform Workers by @verosioufi.bsky.social @bcpolicy.bsky.social
bcpolicy.ca/2026/04/01/b...

BC Cuts Climate Agency, Sends Some Staff to Work on Pipelines | The Tyee Experts say CleanBC has gone up in smoke.

BC has eliminated its long-running Climate Action Secretariat.

At least 10 staff members have been sent to work on pipelines and oil and gas.

Meanwhile, this month the City of Vancouver also scrapped its sustainability department.

My latest for @thetyee.ca

#bcpoli

Inside BC’s Plan to Fast-Track Environmental Assessments | The Tyee Here’s how the province plans to speed resource project approvals. And why there are concerns.

B.C. has provided a first glimpse into its planned fast-tracked environmental assessment process that gives the government new powers to exempt selected projects from existing rules. @zoeyunker.bsky.social reports. #bcpoli

happy to be able to share the full video of my discussion with Karen Hao last week.

AI has entered its lethal phase, embedded in illegal wars and mass shootings. We deserve democratic spaces to debate this for-profit dystopia.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1B_...

Budget analysis from around BC While the provincial government frames BC Budget 2026 as a “stabilizing” plan, community groups and labour experts agree that this budget is a retreat from the public services we all rely on. We’ve rounded up responses and analyses from our partners, colleagues and allies across the province. The

The provincial government frames #BCBudget2026 as a “stabilizing” plan, community groups—including those working with seniors and students and in housing—and labour experts agree that this budget is a retreat from the public services we all rely on.

Read their analyses.

The future of primary care in BC This webinar series explores a better direction for primary care in BC with not-for-profit team-based models where diverse teams of practitioners offer a broad range of health and social supports that are responsive to local community’s needs.

Primary care can address BC’s mental health crisis.

Rather than treating mental health as an ‘add-on’, depression, anxiety, pain and isolation can be better treated as well as a person’s ability to manage long-term conditions.

Our 3rd primary care webinar Mar 25 noon PT.

War in Middle East reminds us, we need to be free of oil Time to break the climate silence

My latest newsletter out today:

War in Middle East reminds us, we need to be free of oil
open.substack.com/pub/sethdkle...

New Release: 2025 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada - Campaign 2000 Investing in Tomorrow: A Future Without Poverty Campaign 2000 has released the 2025 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada, drawing on the latest national data to examine the state of child...

"Child poverty rose for the third consecutive year, with nearly 30,000 additional children falling into poverty. Today, 802,000 children (10.7%) live in poverty using Canada’s official measure, and nearly 1.4 million children live in poverty using a broader income measure."

BC Policy Solutions | Was there anything in #BCbudget2026 to help support people on disability or income assistance? Policy analyst Véronique Sioufi explains.... | Instagram 4 likes, 0 comments - bcpolicy on February 18, 2026: "Was there anything in #BCbudget2026 to help support people on disability or income assistance? Policy analyst Véronique Sioufi explains. Join us....

Was there anything in #BCbudget2026 to help support people on disability or income assistance? BC Policy Solutions' Policy analyst Véronique Sioufi explains.
Join us tomorrow at noon for our annual budget briefing at bcpolicy.ca/budget2026
@verosioufi.bsky.social @bcpolicy.bsky.social

Jeffrey Epstein’s love affair with British Columbia Jeffrey Epstein visited British Columbia regularly, was encouraged to buy real estate and even applied for temporary residency the year before his death

www.dogwoodbc.ca/news/jeffrey...

Senior economist @iglikaivanova.bsky.social take straight from #BCBudget2026 lock up:

No support for people struggling with affordability pressures, for low-income families and for people who are unhoused.

Hear more Weds Feb 19, 12:00 pm PT at our post-budget webinar.
bcpolicy.ca/events

Upcoming events Online and in-person upcoming events from BC Policy Solutions. Sign up to be notified!

Fresh from the #BCBudget26 lock up our senior economist Iglika Ivanova, policy analyst Véronique Sioufi and Stand.earth climate campaigner Sven Biggs bring their budget analysis to a webinar Feb 19, 12:00 pm PT.

Join us!

B.C. government promises tough budget to tackle ‘unsustainable’ deficits B.C. deficit has climbed to record heights as Premier David Eby addresses ever-growing demands in health care and education

BC has large deficits. BC also has an unrelenting affordability crisis, growing food insecurity & homelessness, ER closures, schools that can't support kids' mental health & inadequate services in rural areas. Which of these will #BCBudget2026 tackle? #bcpoli

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

As Tumbler Ridge Mourns, Anti-Trans Misinfo Spreads | The Tyee No good will come from the conservative rush to weaponize the shooter’s identity in this story.

The response to the #TumblerRidgeShooting from far-right media, online commentators and even an elected official in Canada is another dark example of how pervasive anti-trans misinformation has become, even in Canada.

Mel Woods writes. #bcpoli #bced

Why many B.C. seniors struggle with poverty and homelessness Half of B.C. seniors live on an after-tax income of less than $35K per year

Government income supports for seniors must be improved: adjusted for inflation food & rent costs have risen significantly more than inflation.

Senior economist Iglika Ivanova calls for non-market housing to be expanded as one way to address seniors' poverty.

The future of primary care in BC This webinar series explores a better direction for primary care in BC with not-for-profit team-based models where diverse teams of practitioners offer a broad range of health and social supports that...

"The future of primary care in BC" webinar series explores a better direction for primary care in BC with not-for-profit team-based models where diverse teams of practitioners offer a broad range of health and social supports responsive to local community needs. @bcpolicy.bsky.social

Cuts to public services, health care and supports for families and seniors? Hear from @iglikaivanova.bsky.social , @verosioufi.bsky.social and @stand.earth guest Sven Biggs on how BC Budget 2026 could impact you and your community. Link in thread. We hope you can join us!

CBC is reporting on the devastating school shooting in Tumbler Ridge with verified facts, and timelines, — not hearsay or sensationalism.

This level of responsible coverage matters in moments like this, when accuracy and care are what communities need most.

r.pebmac.ca/https://www

The new robber barons: a quarter century of wealth concentration in Canada Wealth and political influence tend to reinforce each other. Tracking who owns wealth and how that distribution is changing is more important than ever for the health of our democracy and the future ...

The wealthiest 1% of families in Canada owned 22.7% of wealth in 2023, up from 19.3% in 1999, seeing a total increase of $3 trillion over that period.

Find our new report modelling of extreme wealth inequality from @c4tf.bsky.social and @bcpolicy.bsky.social:

bcpolicy.ca/2026/02/11/tax-the-rich/

The future of primary care in BC This webinar series explores a better direction for primary care in BC with not-for-profit team-based models where diverse teams of practitioners offer a broad range of health and social supports that are responsive to local community’s needs.

Noon today: What are some of the structural barriers to better primary health care in BC?

They include the limits of the traditional small-business physician clinic model & rising overhead costs. Learn more in the first of our webinar series, Feb 11, noon PT.

Shell, Mitsubishi exploring sale options for their stakes in LNG Canada: Reuters exclusive Shell and Mitsubishi are exploring sale options for their respective stakes in the $40-billion LNG Canada project, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

BC friends, take note! This is a pretty major development that should be getting more attention: Both Shell & Mitsubishi appear to be seeking to offload their stakes in LNG Canada...

www.ctvnews.ca/business/art...

Four speakers hold up a chart that reads "2025 Progress Report; BC's Climate Emergency Response." They stand in front of Canada Place with fire banners behind them.

Today we launched our 2025 Climate Action Progress Report, evaluating the #BCgov.

The result? 8 failing grades, and 2 grades of minor progress. The worst outcome in 4 years.

FULL REPORT: bcclimateemergency.ca/progress-rep...

@cape-bc.bsky.social @myseatosky.bsky.social @ubcic.bsky.social

Is it time to ban tipping in Canada and enact a living wage? Is it time to end tipping in Canada? The landscape of tipping in Canada has changed dramatically in recent years. With ‘tip creep’, a growing number and range of businesses prompting customers for ...

Is it time to end tipping?

Tip creep and tipflation mean businesses increasingly rely on customers to subsidize low wages, causing income volatility and inequity.

Simon Pek, Bruce McAdams and I explore a bold alternative: replacing tipping with a universal living wage floor. bcpolicy.ca/ban-tips/

🎬 Living Wage report 2025: online briefing Living Wage report authors discuss the key findings and policy recommendations from this year’s Living Wage report.

If you missed the Living Wage 2025 webinar yesterday, or would like to watch it again, here’s the recording.

🎬 Living Wage report 2025: online briefing bcpolicy.ca/2025/11/20/l...

At noon PT, join a webinar with 2025 Living Wage report authors @iglikaivanova.bsky.social and Anastasia French to find out why the gap between the living wage and minimum wage keeps expanding. In Metro Vancouver the gap is now $10/hour.

Learn about the solutions.
bcpolicy.ca/events

The edge of poverty: B.C.'s living wage far outstrips the minimum wage Even though inflation has eased from its record highs, there is a $10 gap between living and minimum wage in Metro Vancouver

“Minimum wage is not enough to live on anywhere in the province and we need to work to close the gap,” with the living wage that is higher than the minimum wage everywhere in BC said @iglikaivanova.bsky.social.

With Living Wage BC we just released the 2025 report.

Why is there such a wide gap between the minimum and the living wages in BC? What concrete and data-driven policy solutions could help tackle BC’s affordability challenges?
Find out on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at noon: bcpolicy.ca/events.
@iglikaivanova.bsky.social @bcpolicy.bsky.social

Raising the minimum wage to $20/hour would narrow the gap between BC’s minimum and the living wage, benefiting some 350K workers in BC, living wage report authors @iglikaivanova.bsky.social and Anastasia French say.

Government measures can help close the gap they recommend.
bcpolicy.ca/living-wage

Two days til the final LNG Unpacked webinar.

Our co-executive director @iglikaivanova.bsky.social, @emikonewman.bsky.social, Ismail Askin @workersolidaritybc.bsky.social on how LNG expansion is impacting the climate, our health and affordability.

Oct 23 @ 12pm REGISTER
us06web.zoom.us/meet...

Racial inequality in Canada’s housing market This report synthesizes extensive literature on racial inequities in Canada's housing market, highlighting how systemic racism continues to exclude Indigenous, Black, Arab, Latin American, and other r...

bcpolicy.ca/2025/10/17/h...