Premier David Eby put a lot of political torque on B.C.’s effort to poach U.S. nurses from Pacific coast states while delivering an update on the recruitment drive.

He landed hard on all the downsides to the Trump presidency Monday, while encouraging more nurses to flee north. The venting exercise probably eased some of his frustration at having his agenda overtaken by the president’s tariff war and takeover threats.

But it’s an open question whether U.S. nurses are going to bolt to B.C. just because their erratic president dominates all the political discourse.

Eby is “delighted” that fast-tracking credential checks has shortened registration times from four months to just a few days for U.S. nurses interested in moving to B.C.

Since the change, applications have increased by 127 per cent in the last few weeks — that’s 177 nurses. B.C. is even paying for credential checks and bridging programs.

“President Trump’s loss is British Columbia’s gain,” he crowed.

Health Minister Josie Osborne said in a statement: “With the uncertainty and chaos happening south of our border, we have an........

© Times Colonist