The NDP’s first B.C. throne speech in 16 years was full of big promises and marked a stark departure from the previous Liberal government.

Throne speeches made under former premier Christy Clark’s Liberals were usually heavy on resource development, such as promised riches the province would soon reap from liquefied natural gas, and infrastructure projects such as dams and bridges.

In contrast, the speech Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon made for the NDP today (September 8) focused more on social policies.

"The problems facing people today are the result of past choices," she began.

"Starting today, your government will make different choices. Choices that put people first. And we will share B.C.'s prosperity with all of the people who built this province."

Reading from the speech, Guichon moved into specifics related to childcare and education.

"Government will deliver a provincewide universal childcare program that is safe, accessible, and affordable," she said. The NDP’s election platform promised a $10-a-day plan, but that number was left out of today’s speech.

"The September budget will take our first steps toward restoring proper funding for B.C. classrooms,” Guichon continued.

The speech did not include an NDP election promise to move B.C. to a $15 minimum wage by 2021, but it mentioned a step in that direction. Guichon repeated a pledge that Labour Minister Harry Bains made earlier this month for the government to implement minimum-wage increases with input from a new fair-wages commission.

The speech also saw the new government promise a return to the free annual bus pass for people with disabilities, action on campaign-finance reform, and a referendum on a proportional-representation system for voting in B.C.

"Government will reform B.C.'s campaign-finance laws to eliminate corporate and union donations, put strict limits on individual contributions, and make sure that only people living in B.C. can donate to our political parties," Guichon said.

Finally, there were a few points on Metro Vancouver’s housing crisis, affordability, and enhanced protections for renters.

Guichon said the New Democrats will close the door on fixed-term leases, which are often described as a loophole that allows landlords to raise tenants’ rent after one year without any upper limit.

Notably left out of the speech was an NDP election promise for a $400-a-year subsidy for renters.

Critics were quick to point out that the speech was light on policies related to the environment. Seniors were, similarly, left out. There was also very little on B.C.'s overdose epidemic, which is on track to kill more than 1,500 people this year.

Guichon’s delivery of the throne speech followed a dramatic morning for B.C. politics.

In the legislature earlier in the day, Liberal MLA Darryl Plecas angered fellow members of his party when he unexpectedly took the position of Speaker of the house.

The move subtracts him from the Liberal’s vote count, which now gives the NDP government backed by the Greens a stable majority, one that it wasn’t sure previously it could hold for very long.

With Plecas in the Speaker’s chair, the Liberals have 41 votes in the legislature to the NDP’s 41 plus three from the Greens, who have pledged to support the NDP.