Vaughn Palmer: Premier Eby squanders years of work by Dix on getting consensus on health professions law

VICTORIA — Health Minister Adrian Dix achieved a remarkable degree of support from the other parties in the legislature last year to reform the health-care professions.

But the process was derailed late in the fall session by Premier David Eby’s rushed political agenda.

The Health Professions and Occupations Act was the product of several years of consultation with the B.C. Liberal and Green parties as well as with outside experts, the public and the professions themselves.

An all-party steering committee achieved “unanimous” consensus on the goals of the legislation, as Dix noted in calling the bill for debate in October.

No kidding. Then known as Bill 36, it passed second reading — approval in principle — with only one dissenting vote, that of B.C. Liberal MLA Teresa Wat.