British Columbia stands at a pivotal moment. As we wrestle with the threat of tariffs, we must also weigh the need for decisive action against the risks of overreach by a premier who seems to believe he always knows best.
In the name of addressing interprovincial trade barriers, Premier David Eby has brought forward Bill 7—a massive and far-reaching piece of legislation that would give him powers unprecedented in Canada since the introduction of the War Measures Act.
No other premier has demanded this kind of authority. In Eby’s days running the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, he would have sounded the alarm on this kind of audacious overreach.
The recent handling of Bill 4 serves as a cautionary tale as the premier tries to ram through Bill 7.
Bill 4 is an incremental update to B.C.’s Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act—not a crisis-driven reform requiring immediate passage. The Conservative Opposition has been crystal clear that we support the purpose of the bill. There is no ideological divide here, simply a desire for legislation that works.
The changes proposed are highly technical, affecting tens of thousands of business contracts and how companies interact with their customers. This is exactly the kind of bill that should have been carefully shaped through thorough consultation to avoid unintended consequences.
Instead, the government barely consulted small businesses. The BC Conservative opposition recognized the problem early and proposed a six-month pause so businesses could be properly engaged. The NDP rejected that idea outright. Eby whipped the vote, and not a single NDP MLA voted to consult properly.
This all happened in a matter of days, during which a wide range of businesses started seeing the proposed changes and raising red flags about unintended consequences that were missed due a lack of proper consultation.
Six major business associations sent a letter urging the government to pause the bill for proper consultation. The concerns expressed by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, B.C. Chamber of Commerce, Surrey Board of Trade, Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce, and Restaurants Canada were clear:
“We are troubled by the lack of meaningful consultation with the business community before the bill’s introduction. Effective legislation should be informed by robust engagement with all stakeholders to fully assess potential impacts and ensure a balanced approach.”
Instead of pausing and listening, or accepting minor amendments, the NDP kept ramming the bill through.
The impact of this rushed approach is real. The bill forces businesses to incur significant legal costs to rewrite tens or even hundreds of thousands of contracts—or face fines. For many small businesses, that means expensive reviews of standard agreements, changes to existing contracts and potential penalties. As the business associations warned: “These costs will ultimately be passed along to consumers, who are already struggling with affordability challenges.”
Even more troubling, the bill applies retroactively—meaning businesses that followed the rules at the time could now find themselves legally exposed. As the business community pointed out: “The bill appears to apply retroactively, affecting a vast number of existing contracts. This would likely create significant administrative and legal costs for businesses, which again, would ultimately be passed along to consumers.”
In other words, the incremental issues arising from this bill could raise costs for businesses and consumers alike—at the worst possible time.
The NDP’s approach to Bill 4 stands in sharp contrast to Eby’s big promises about a post-election “reset” with the business community.
If Bill 4 was a case study in how not to govern, Bill 7 is an even bigger test.
Bill 4—and now Bill 7—make it clear that despite paying lip service, this heavy-handed government still isn’t listening.
The business community pulled its punches in the last election. Perhaps they worried the Conservatives had not fully completed the task of proving we represent safe change. Perhaps they hoped for a more balanced and pragmatic NDP.
Now, as we collectively stare down the barrel of the most autocratic legislation this province has ever seen, business leaders face a choice: Will they stand up for proper consultation and democracy, or will they stand by as the NDP government grants itself unchecked power?
Winston Churchill said, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile—hoping it will eat him last.”
If they support Bill 7 without insisting it gets the scrutiny it deserves, history may remember the business community as accommodationists who helped hand Eby unfettered power.
Gavin Dew is the MLA for Kelowna Mission and the BC Conservative Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation
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