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Premier John Horgan held his first press conference of 2018 on Tuesday and acknowledged his six-month anniversary of being sworn in as premier.
He addressed several topics, including housing, transportation, his upcoming trip to China and the legalization of cannabis.
Horgan promised to have B.C. ready for Trudeau's legalization date of July 1, 2018, but acknowledged that Manitoba is the only province that seems to have doubts about the deadline.
"I don't want to give up the ghost at this point. I made a commitment to the Prime Minister that British Columbia was going to meet the timeline."
He was also quick to acknowledge the recent death of the 15-year-old who died after being caught in the crossfire of a gang war in the Lower Mainland.
"As a parent, I know all British Columbians are angry and saddened at the loss of an innocent life in gang violence in the Lower Mainland."
He went on to assure the public that "no stone shall be left unturned as we find the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice."
My heart goes out to family & friends of the innocent boy caught up in the violence of the Vancouver shooting Saturday. If you know anything that could help catch those responsible please contact @VancouverPD
— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) January 16, 2018
Shortly after, he was asked to comment on what one reporter called a "delayed justice system," referring to the recent death of the Abbotsford police officer and how the trial is delayed until 2019.
“Broadly speaking, British Columbians become aware at the slow pace of justice when prominent issues like this come to bear," said Horgan. "And of course the news media bring this to our attention and it reminds us as governments, that we need to work to ensure that the public has confidence in our systems - whether it’s our legislative processes or our justice system.”
Horgan continued by addressing what lies ahead, including a focus on housing and childcare in the February budget and his upcoming trip to Asia.
Looking forward to my upcoming trip to China 🇨🇳, South Korea 🇰🇷 and Japan 🇯🇵. We'll be meeting with governments and business partners to further advance trade and tourism relationships to bring economic benefits to communities throughout BC.
— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) January 8, 2018
Horgan leaves on Saturday to talk trade and tourism in China. In 2016, B.C. exported $5.9 billion worth of goods to China, making it B.C.'s second-largest destination.
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