The B.C. New Democrat government has survived a confidence vote over its changes to the Mental Health Act that reduce the legal exposure of health care workers who deliver involuntary care to patients.
Forty-five NDP members voted in favour of the bill for a third and final time, as 41 MLAs voted against the bill, which Government House Leader Mike Farnworth had previously declared a matter of confidence.
Opposition to the bill came from the provincial Conservatives and One BC, but also from B.C. Green member Rob Botterell and Independent Jordan Kealy.
The vote was one of several Tuesday, as the government pushed through multiple pieces of legislation during the final days of the fall session.
The government also passed what it says is the first law in Canada to recover health-care costs from the companies that use "deceptive practices" to sell vaping products.
The legislature is expected to consider additional bills Wednesday.
The provincial government also introducing new gaming regulations on Tuesday in a bid to curb money laundering and fraud.
The Public Safety and Solicitor General's Ministry says in a statement that the new Gaming Control Act will address the recommendations of two high-profile investigations, the Dirty Money report by Peter German in 2018 and the Cullen Commission of inquiry into money laundering in 2022.
The changes include the creation of an independent gambling regulator to establish a "standards-based regulatory model" for gaming that includes the ability for the regulator to issue directives to the BC Lottery Corp. without ministry consent.
Solicitor General Nina Krieger says in the statement that the new regulations give the province's new Independent Gambling Control Office the ability to "more effectively address criminal activity."
The act was originally passed in the fall of 2022 and is set to take effect next April.
The new gambling control office is being transitioned from the existing Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch and is designed to provide regulatory oversight of BC Lottery Corp. gaming as well as charitable gambling and the province's horse-racing sector.
The government says the change will also come with registration and licensing fee increases in some areas to reflect inflation and the costs of operating the independent regulator.
It also says the new regulations will better address previous weaknesses in the system such as dealing with online gambling and changing gaming technologies.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
