B.C. NDP Targets 18 Bills in Fall Session Amid Strike and Four-Party Legislature

British Columbia’s fall legislative session is set to begin under unusual pressure—from both inside and outside the chamber.

House Leader Mike Farnworth said Friday the NDP government intends to pass 18 bills before the session wraps in late November. Most legislation, he said, will be introduced in the first week so MLAs have time to review it. Key items include enabling legislation for B.C. Hydro’s North Coast Transmission Line, which would link Prince George to Terrace.

The government will not revive controversial powers it floated last spring in response to American tariffs. That proposal, which would have allowed cabinet to revise nearly any B.C. law by order-in-council, was withdrawn after backlash from opposition parties, business groups, and civil liberties advocates.

Farnworth stressed that the government will continue “as it has done in years past,” though the opening day of the session is expected to coincide with a large rally by striking public service workers. The B.C. General Employees’ Union has been on strike for five weeks, escalating pickets at liquor stores, warehouses, and government offices.

Political scientist Stewart Prest said the labour standoff puts the NDP in a difficult position. “It’s always a danger for governments to court significant labour unrest on their watch,” he said. “For a New Democrat government, it’s especially unusual.” With B.C. facing a record deficit, he added, the government may resist concessions—risking deeper public frustration.

Inside the legislature, the fall session will feature four recognized parties: the NDP, B.C. Conservatives, B.C. Greens, and the new One B.C. party formed by former Conservative MLAs Dallas Brodie and Tara Armstrong. Farnworth said it’s not unprecedented, but acknowledged it will test the legislature’s dynamics.

The B.C. Greens will be adapting to new leadership after electing climate activist Emily Lowan as leader. She does not hold a seat but will work with MLAs Rob Botterell and Jeremy Valeriote to shape the party’s agenda. “We are building a common view of how we’re going to approach the fall,” Botterell said.

Meanwhile, Conservatives under John Rustad will keep pressing the NDP while also fending off challenges from One B.C. on their right flank. “It’s a two-front war,” Prest said, with both parties competing for space in a crowded opposition.

For now, Farnworth insists the government will stay focused on passing its agenda: “growing the economy, protecting health care, and addressing affordability.” But with strikes outside and new party rivalries inside, this fall’s session promises to be anything but routine.