British Columbia Hansard — 14 December 2020, p.m., Issue 9 (42nd Parliament, 1st Session)

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British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

First Session, 42nd Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday, December 14, 2020 Afternoon Sitting Issue No. 9 THE HONOURABLE RAJ CHOUHAN, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Janet Austin, OBC First Session, 42nd Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Raj Chouhan EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................... Hon. John Horgan Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training...........................................................................................................Hon.

Anne Kang Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries......................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing .............................................................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ....................................................................................................................Hon.

Mitzi Dean Minister of State for Child Care...................................................................................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Minister of Citizens’ Services.....................................................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Minister of Education .................................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation ................................................................................................ Hon. Bruce Ralston Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy............................................................................................. Hon. George Heyman Minister of Finance .......................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Selina Robinson Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development ................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations................................................................................. Hon. Nathan Cullen Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.............................................................................Hon.

Adrian Dix Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation .......................................................................................... Hon. Murray Rankin, QC Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation....................................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Kahlon Minister of State for Trade...............................................................................................................................................Hon.

George Chow Minister of Labour ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Harry Bains Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.............................................................................................................. Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Minister of Municipal Affairs ............................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Josie Osborne Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................... Hon. Mike Farnworth Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction........................................................................................... Hon. Nicholas Simons Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport .................................................................................................................. Hon.

Melanie Mark Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure................................................................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming Minister of State for Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bowinn Ma LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition...................................................................................................................................................Shirley Bond Leader of the Third Party .......................................................................................................................................................... Sonia Furstenau Deputy Speaker..........................................................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Assistant Deputy Speaker..............................................................................................................................................................Norm Letnick Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ...........................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.............................................................................................................................. Seunghee Suzie Seo Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services........................................................................................................................... Artour Sogomonian Clerk of Committees.......................................................................................................................................................................

Jennifer Arril Clerk Assistant, Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..............................................................................................Susan Sourial Senior Research Analyst ................................................................................................................................................................... Karan Riarh Acting Sergeant-at-Arms..................................................................................................................................................................Greg Nelson

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Alexis, Pam (BC NDP) ............................................................Abbotsford-Mission Anderson, Brittny (BC NDP) .........................................................Nelson-Creston Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Penticton Babchuk, Michele (BC NDP)...............................................................North Island Bailey, Brenda (BC NDP).................................................. Vancouver–False Creek Bains, Hon. Harry (BC NDP).........................................................

Surrey-Newton Banman, Bruce (BC Liberal Party) ............................................ Abbotsford South Beare, Hon. Lisa (BC NDP) .......................................

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Begg, Garry (BC NDP).................................................................Surrey-Guildford Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ...............................................Peace River South Bond, Shirley (BC Liberal Party).................................Prince George–Valemount Brar, Jagrup (BC NDP) ................................................................Surrey-Fleetwood Cadieux, Stephanie (BC Liberal Party) .............................................

Surrey South Chandra Herbert, Spencer (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–West End Chant, Susie (BC NDP) ..............................................North Vancouver–Seymour Chen, Hon. Katrina (BC NDP) ............................................... Burnaby-Lougheed Chouhan, Hon. Raj (BC NDP).................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Chow, Hon. George (BC NDP) ..........................................Vancouver-Fraserview Clovechok, Doug (BC Liberal Party)........................Columbia River–Revelstoke Conroy, Hon.

Katrine (BC NDP) ....................................................Kootenay West Coulter, Dan (BC NDP) .......................................................................... Chilliwack Cullen, Hon. Nathan (BC NDP) ................................................................... Stikine Davies, Dan (BC Liberal Party)................................................. Peace River North de Jong, Michael, QC (BC Liberal Party)....................................Abbotsford West Dean, Hon. Mitzi (BC NDP) ...............................................

Esquimalt-Metchosin D’Eith, Bob (BC NDP) .........................................................Maple Ridge–Mission Dix, Hon. Adrian (BC NDP) ................................................ Vancouver-Kingsway Doerkson, Lorne (BC Liberal Party) ........................................Cariboo-Chilcotin Donnelly, Fin (BC NDP) .......................................... Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Dykeman, Megan (BC NDP)............................................................... Langley East Eby, Hon. David, QC (BC NDP).......................................

Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (BC NDP) ..................................................Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Hon. Mike (BC NDP) .................................................Port Coquitlam Fleming, Hon. Rob (BC NDP) ...............................................

Victoria–Swan Lake Furstenau, Sonia (BC Green Party) .............................................Cowichan Valley Glumac, Rick (BC NDP) ..................................................Port Moody–Coquitlam Greene, Kelly (BC NDP) ........................................................Richmond-Steveston Halford, Trevor (BC Liberal Party) .........................................Surrey–White Rock Heyman, Hon. George (BC NDP) .........................................Vancouver-Fairview Horgan, Hon. John (BC NDP) ......................................... Langford–Juan de Fuca Kahlon, Hon.

Ravi (BC NDP) .............................................................. Delta North Kang, Hon. Anne (BC NDP) .................................................. Burnaby–Deer Lake Kirkpatrick, Karin (BC Liberal Party) ........................West Vancouver–Capilano Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal Party)....................................................................Shuswap Lee, Michael (BC Liberal Party) ..............................................Vancouver-Langara Leonard, Ronna-Rae (BC NDP)...............................................

Courtenay-Comox Letnick, Norm (BC Liberal Party) .................................. Kelowna–Lake Country Lore, Grace (BC NDP)........................................................... Victoria–Beacon Hill Ma, Hon. Bowinn (BC NDP).....................................North Vancouver–Lonsdale Malcolmson, Hon. Sheila (BC NDP)........................................................Nanaimo Mark, Hon. Melanie (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Mercier, Andrew (BC NDP) ........................................................................

Langley Merrifield, Renee (BC Liberal Party)......................................... Kelowna-Mission Milobar, Peter (BC Liberal Party) .......................... Kamloops–North Thompson Morris, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ................................. Prince George–Mackenzie Oakes, Coralee (BC Liberal Party).................................................. Cariboo North Olsen, Adam (BC Green Party)............................ Saanich North and the Islands Osborne, Hon.

Josie (BC NDP)........................................Mid Island–Pacific Rim Paddon, Kelli (BC NDP) ................................................................Chilliwack-Kent Paton, Ian (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Delta South Popham, Hon. Lana (BC NDP)........................................................ Saanich South Ralston, Hon. Bruce (BC NDP)......................................................Surrey-Whalley Rankin, Hon.

Murray, QC (BC NDP) .............................Oak Bay–Gordon Head Rice, Jennifer (BC NDP) ...................................................................... North Coast Robinson, Hon. Selina (BC NDP)...................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Ross, Ellis (BC Liberal Party)......................................................................... Skeena Routledge, Janet (BC NDP) .............................................................Burnaby North Routley, Doug (BC NDP)...........................................

Nanaimo–North Cowichan Russell, Roly (BC NDP).................................................... Boundary-Similkameen Rustad, John (BC Liberal Party)......................................................Nechako Lakes Sandhu, Harwinder (BC NDP) .................................................Vernon-Monashee Sharma, Niki (BC NDP)..........................................................Vancouver-Hastings Shypitka, Tom (BC Liberal Party) .................................................... Kootenay East Simons, Hon. Nicholas (BC NDP).........................

Powell River–Sunshine Coast Sims, Jinny (BC NDP) ................................................................. Surrey-Panorama Singh, Aman (BC NDP) .............................................Richmond-Queensborough Singh, Rachna (BC NDP)...................................................Surrey–Green Timbers Starchuk, Mike (BC NDP) ......................................................... Surrey-Cloverdale Stewart, Ben (BC Liberal Party) .......................................................

Kelowna West Stone, Todd (BC Liberal Party) ...............................Kamloops–South Thompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal Party) ............................. West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal Party)....................................................... Fraser-Nicola Walker, Adam (BC NDP) ....................................................... Parksville-Qualicum Wat, Teresa (BC Liberal Party) ....................................... Richmond North Centre Whiteside, Hon. Jennifer (BC NDP) .........................................

New Westminster Wilkinson, Andrew, QC (BC Liberal Party)......................Vancouver-Quilchena Y ao, Henry (BC NDP) ..................................................... Richmond South Centre LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission................................................................................. Pam Alexis Abbotsford South...............................................................................Bruce Banman Abbotsford West......................................................................

Michael de Jong, QC Boundary-Similkameen........................................................................ Roly Russell Burnaby–Deer Lake....................................................................... Hon. Anne Kang Burnaby-Edmonds......................................................................Hon. Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed .................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Burnaby North .................................................................................

Janet Routledge Cariboo-Chilcotin ..........................................................................Lorne Doerkson Cariboo North.................................................................................... Coralee Oakes Chilliwack ...............................................................................................Dan Coulter Chilliwack-Kent .................................................................................... Kelli Paddon Columbia River–Revelstoke .........................................................

Doug Clovechok Coquitlam–Burke Mountain...............................................................Fin Donnelly Coquitlam-Maillardville ...................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson Courtenay-Comox................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Cowichan Valley ............................................................................. Sonia Furstenau Delta North................................................................................... Hon.

Ravi Kahlon Delta South ..................................................................................................Ian Paton Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Hon. Mitzi Dean Fraser-Nicola .........................................................................................

Jackie Tegart Kamloops–North Thompson .............................................................Peter Milobar Kamloops–South Thompson..................................................................Todd Stone Kelowna–Lake Country .....................................................................Norm Letnick Kelowna-Mission ...........................................................................

Renee Merrifield Kelowna West ..........................................................................................Ben Stewart Kootenay East.......................................................................................Tom Shypitka Kootenay West........................................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Langford–Juan de Fuca .............................................................. Hon.

John Horgan Langley .............................................................................................Andrew Mercier Langley East....................................................................................Megan Dykeman Maple Ridge–Mission.............................................................................. Bob D’Eith Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Mid Island–Pacific Rim............................................................ Hon.

Josie Osborne Nanaimo.............................................................................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Nanaimo–North Cowichan............................................................... Doug Routley Nechako Lakes........................................................................................ John Rustad Nelson-Creston ............................................................................. Brittny Anderson New Westminster.............................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside North Coast ........................................................................................... Jennifer Rice North Island................................................................................... Michele Babchuk North Vancouver–Lonsdale......................................................... Hon. Bowinn Ma North Vancouver–Seymour...................................................................Susie Chant Oak Bay–Gordon Head..................................................Hon.

Murray Rankin, QC Parksville-Qualicum........................................................................... Adam Walker Peace River North ................................................................................... Dan Davies Peace River South ................................................................................ Mike Bernier Penticton ................................................................................................. Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam...................................................................... Hon.

Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Coquitlam.......................................................................Rick Glumac Powell River–Sunshine Coast..............................................Hon. Nicholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie....................................................................Mike Morris Prince George–Valemount ..................................................................

Shirley Bond Richmond North Centre..........................................................................Teresa Wat Richmond-Queensborough..................................................................Aman Singh Richmond South Centre .......................................................................... Henry Y ao Richmond-Steveston ............................................................................

Kelly Greene Saanich North and the Islands .............................................................Adam Olsen Saanich South .............................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Shuswap...................................................................................................... Greg Kyllo Skeena........................................................................................................... Ellis Ross Stikine........................................................................................ Hon.

Nathan Cullen Surrey-Cloverdale .............................................................................. Mike Starchuk Surrey-Fleetwood.....................................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey–Green Timbers........................................................................Rachna Singh Surrey-Guildford......................................................................................Garry Begg Surrey-Newton ..............................................................................Hon.

Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ...................................................................................... Jinny Sims Surrey South ................................................................................ Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Whalley ......................................................................... Hon. Bruce Ralston Surrey–White Rock .......................................................................... Trevor Halford Vancouver-Fairview.............................................................. Hon.

George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek...................................................................... Brenda Bailey Vancouver-Fraserview...............................................................Hon. George Chow Vancouver-Hastings ..............................................................................Niki Sharma Vancouver-Kensington....................................................................... Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..................................................................... Hon.

Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara................................................................................ Michael Lee Vancouver–Mount Pleasant..................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark Vancouver–Point Grey ............................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Vancouver-Quilchena........................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC Vancouver–West End .....................................................Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee .....................................................................

Harwinder Sandhu Victoria–Beacon Hill............................................................................... Grace Lore Victoria–Swan Lake.................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano...........................................................Karin Kirkpatrick West Vancouver–Sea to Sky................................................................Jordan Sturdy Party Standings: BC NDP 57; BC Liberal Party 28; BC Green Party 2

CONTENTS Monday, December 14, 2020 Afternoon Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members....................................................................................................................................................... 185 Tributes ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 185 Mary Judith Baker Hon. B.

Ma Introduction and First Reading of Bills.................................................................................................................................. 185 Bill M203 — Equal Pay Reporting Act S. Cadieux Statements (Standing Order 25B) ........................................................................................................................................... 186 Extra FARE food hamper service in Chilliwack D. Coulter Elections B.C. administration of general election A. Wilkinson Family caregivers S. Chant Protection of wild salmon E.

Ross Langley School District Foundation meal programs M. Dykeman Calvin Domin and fundraising for Foundry centre T. Shypitka Oral Questions........................................................................................................................................................................... 188 COVID-19 response for disability assistance recipients S. Bond Hon. J. Horgan D. Davies Hon. N. Simons Site C power project A. Olsen Hon. B. Ralston S. Furstenau Massey Tunnel replacement project M. Lee Hon. R. Fleming I. Paton P .

Milobar Tabling Documents................................................................................................................................................................... 193 Guarantees and indemnities report, fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 Motions Without Notice........................................................................................................................................................... 193 Appointment of Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Hon. L.

Beare Tabling Documents................................................................................................................................................................... 194 Office of the Ombudsperson, special report,Complaint Handling Guide: Setting Up Effective Complaint Resolution Systems in Public Organizations

Orders of the Day Second Reading of Bills ............................................................................................................................................................ 194 Bill 3 — Finance Statutes Amendent Act, 2020(continued) K. Kirkpatrick L. Doerkson T. Halford T. Shypitka S. Cadieux P . Milobar S. Bond Hon. S. Robinson Throne Speech Debate(continued) ........................................................................................................................................ 216 R. Leonard A. Olsen J.

Brar Second Reading of Bills ............................................................................................................................................................ 222 Bill 3 — Finance Statutes Amendent Act, 2020(continued)

MONDAY , DECEMBER 14, 2020 The House met at 1:33 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Introductions by Members M. Bernier:Of all my years, this is the first time we’ve been in the Legislature this time of year where I get the honour to do something that I’ve never gotten to do before. I’ d like to give a big shout-out to about half of my family. This year I get the honour to do this. My eldest son, Niel, turned 33 on the fourth of December. My mom’s birthday was on the seventh of December. My youngest son, Trevor — his birthday is today. He turns 22 today. I miss you and love you, Buddy.

Wish I was home. My middle child, Rel, turns 29 on the 19th, and last but not least my grandson, Crozzley, turns five on the 22nd. As you can appreciate, it’s a busy month in December in my family, leading up to Christmas. I’m hoping the House will help me wish all of them very happy birthdays this December. [1:35 p.m.] Mr. Speaker:The member for Vernon-Monashee. H. Sandhu: Thank you, hon. Speaker. Congratulations on your new role. I’m joining you from the unceded territory of the Okanagan Indian nations.

Today I want to acknowledge and appreciate one of our incredible local businesses and their big contribution to our riding: Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, represented by the Craft Distillers Guild of B.C., in Vernon and in Kelowna. Their distilleries have played a crucial role to help flatten the COVID-19 curve by providing thousands of litres of free hand sanitizer to many front-line work- ers: workers at medical clinics; fire, ambulance and police department staff; staff at care homes, homeless shelters, women’s shelters; public daycare staff; cashiers at grocery stores; postal workers; and many more. Mr.

Speaker:A reminder to all members, when you’re making introductions or making statements, no props, please. Tributes MARY JUDITH BAKER Hon. B. Ma: It is with sadness that I share with the House today the passing of Squamish Nation Elder and matriarch of the Mathias Joe family, Mary Judith Baker. Judy was born to her mother, Rosy “Posie” Joe, and was the granddaughter of Chief Mathias Joe and Ellen. Fondly referred to as the Princess of Capilano, Elder Judith grew up in Xwmélch’sten, also now known as Capil- ano Reserve No. 5.

Judy will be best remembered for the way that she could make everyone feel so special with her loving and caring nature. She was married 59 years to her love, Gary Brian Baker, and is survived by her son, Gary Mathias Ray Baker; sister, Margaret Prince; daughter-in- law, Suzanne Patricia Nahanee; as well as many nephews, nieces and grandchildren. It is my honour to introduce her to the House so that the House may know her. Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL M203 — EQUAL PAY REPORTING ACT S. Cadieux presented a bill intituled Equal Pay Reporting Act. S.

Cadieux: I move that a bill intituled the Equal Pay Reporting Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read a first time now. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many inequalities that still remain in society and have served as a reminder that we certainly can’t have a true and equit- able economy until we close the gender pay gap. Recent job number data continues to show a worrying trend that women are finding the current job market tougher than men. It’s alarming that while men saw mostly job gains last month, women over the age of 25 actually lost jobs in November.

In the six provinces that have pay equity legislation, the pay differentials are up to 12 percent lower. How do we catch up? The transparency that the Equal Pay Reporting Act would provide is a start. West Coast LEAF provided similar advice to government, and the Finance Ministry briefing note for the minister recognized pay equity legis- lation as a best practice. We here have the power to prescribe transformational measures and compel employers to do what’s right and what is best for British Columbians.

The bill intends to bring pay inequality into light by requiring any employer in B.C. with 50 or more employees to publicly post an annual breakdown of gender wages in their business. This information will include wage and bonus pay for male and female employees and be available on a company website or by other easily accessible means. It’s time to move beyond passively acknowledging there’s a problem. Y es, there will be conversations it will spark, theories and excuses, but really, the only question I 185

once again ask of this House is: would you be okay with it if I were to pay your daughter less than your son? This government included a commitment to bring for- ward legislation to address pay equity in their pandemic election campaign, and it is included in the mandate letter of the Minister of Finance. The Premier indicated that he’ d be looking for good ideas, no matter where they came from. Here’s one ready to go. [1:40 p.m.] Mr. Speaker:The question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. S.

Cadieux:I move the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Bill M203, Equal Pay Reporting Act, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Mr. Speaker:The member for Chilliwack. Statements (Standing Order 25B) EXTRA FARE FOOD HAMPER SERVICE IN CHILLIW ACK D. Coulter:Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratula- tions on your election. Today I want to mention an innovative food security program in Chilliwack.

It’s called Extra FARE — food access for restricted eaters. Christopher Hunt and Mar- garet Reid, members of Chilliwack Citizens 4 Change, envisioned it and run it with 100 percent volunteer help. As the pandemic struck, they noticed that even more people in our community could use food assistance, yet before and during COVID-19 times, many people were not really able to fully benefit from regular food hamper services. Folks with dietary restrictions such as lactose intolerance, celiac and gluten-free needs, various allergies and so on cannot eat much of what comes in standard hampers.

Also, most hampers don’t feature a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. They decided to reduce barriers in Chilliwack by cre- ating Extra FARE to get the right food to the folks who need it. They’ve made a partnership with Hofstede’s pro- duce in Chilliwack to increase fresh food content. There are also other ways that they do food security programs differently than they’ve been done in the past. The service includes clients self-selecting, from an inventory menu, product choices that they want included in their weekly hampers. Clients can tailor their hamper to their current needs and wants.

To reduce mobility barriers, volunteers deliver hampers right to clients’ doors. Chris and Margaret were able to create this thanks to a partnership with Bowls of Hope and generous funding from the United Way of the Lower Mainland grants via ECSF funds from the government of Canada. They hope that it will be a model that catches on and spreads. ELECTIONS B.C. ADMINISTRATION OF GENERAL ELECTION A. Wilkinson:We all know that 2020 has been a diffi- cult year for many, many reasons. One thing we can celeb- rate is the exemplary work of Elections B.C. during 2020.

In our democracy, it’s critical that we have an election agency that we can fully trust. In exceptionally challenging circumstances, Elections B.C. provided exceptional ser- vice. So 725,000 postal votes were sent out, Advanced polls were provided for seven days in 341 locations. Close to 1.9 million votes were counted. A judicial recount was con- ducted without incident. Think of the unprecedented circumstances. Thou- sands of employees were trained to manage voting dur- ing a pandemic — an entirely new experience. Hundreds of voting locations were rented and made safe for voting.

Hundreds of thousands of citizens were able to safely exercise their democratic right to vote. All of this work proceeded flawlessly. Through all of this, we had the background noise of American sources doubting the reliability of voting sys- tems in our neighbours to the south. But none of us have heard any significant complaint about Elections B.C., because they did their work quietly, professionally and efficiently. We often take for granted the strength of our civil society and our democratic institutions.

Elections B.C. is a central pillar in our democracy that we must be very thankful for, and we must thank them for their job well done. Please join me in thanking the management and staff of Elections B.C. for a job very well done in the 2020 general election. FAMILY CAREGIVERS S. Chant:I would like to acknowledge and recognize the work that is done by many, many families in providing caregiving services to their children, to their seniors and to their adult family members who are unable to care for themselves in a whole variety of ways. These folks work on tirelessly.

Sometimes they have help from the public sec- tor. Sometimes they have help that they purchase from the private sector. But all the time they are on duty, and they’re doing the work. [1:45 p.m.] I think we need to make sure that we acknowledge these 186 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

people. In my constituency, we have many, many families who are dealing with many, many different types of condi- tions. We have folks that have ALS. We have folks that have Huntington’s. We have folks with Parkinson’s. We have children that have not been able to get to school for a vari- ety of different reasons. We have all sorts of things going on in my community, and I know those things are going on in all of our communities right across British Colum- bia.

I feel that it behooves us to make sure that we remember those people always, because on top of making sure that their care is provided for their person, they also have to protect them from COVID. They also have to make the hard choices sometimes not to get help, because they’re fearful that their person is just too vulnerable or too immunocompromised to get that service or get that help.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge those families, both in my riding and across the province, that are doing that unpaid, unsaluted work that’s involved in providing care for somebody within your family that needs that care and can’t or is unable to get it from other sources. PROTECTION OF WILD SALMON E. Ross:I rise in this House today to speak to the decline of our coho stocks here in B.C. Our declining salmon stocks have been a case of great concern for many different interest groups, be it First Nations, sports fishermen, com- mercial fishermen or advocacy groups.

For years, scientists have struggled to identify the root cause of the decline in salmon stocks in the urban rivers and amidst a body of water diluted with thousands of various particles and chemical agents. Very recently, scientists have been able to pinpoint a certain chemical, 6PPD — an agent commonly used to prevent dryness and cracking on car tires and commonly found in runoff — as one of the root causes of our declin- ing salmon populations.

Reading how scientists were able to focus in and identify one agent as a root cause out of a mixture of thousands of perceived causes and issues, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between this approach to environmental assessment and Aboriginal rights and title case law. From 2004 to 2017, 20 First Nations bands, the LNG industry and both levels of government started out to see if the theory of case law and environmental assessments could be translated into an LNG export industry. It was extremely difficult and frustrating, but the parties kept at it, and we finally got LNG off the ground officially in 2017.

This is the effort that’s needed today if we’re going to pinpoint more issues affecting salmon stocks, because it becomes apparent pretty quickly that issues can get pretty complicated but also that there can be many parties at the table that want relevant issues answered within the same topic. We’ve taken many steps, but there’s still a long way to go.

As we congratulate these research scientists for this amaz- ing step forward in preserving our coho stocks, I hope that we can take the same approach to the many root environ- mental issues that we all share a commonality with, issues that we all can take, unified as British Columbians, so we can contribute to a better today and tomorrow. LANGLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION MEAL PROGRAMS M. Dykeman:I’ d like to take this opportunity to tell you today about a vital program to my community of Lang- ley East. It is fair to say, I believe, that 2020 will long be remembered as a very challenging year.

This makes it all the more important to recognize people like Susan Cairns, executive director of the Langley School District Foundation, and all partners involved in the organization that have kept kids in our community and families in our school district fed, both before and during COVID-19. The foundation had learned that more than 3,000 of the school district’s 19,000 students were going to school hungry every day, and reached out to the community.

Thanks to the generosity of the community, our school dis- trict has breakfast, lunch, snack, backpack and food tower programs in many of our schools — which are sadly neces- sary in our community, because unfortunately Canada is ranked 37th out of the world’s 41 wealthiest nations for access to healthy food, and it’s the only G7 country that does not have a national food program for schools. [1:50 p.m.] In a normal year, the Langley School District Founda- tion raises over $200,000 to support these food programs, but all of this came to a screeching halt on March 17 as a result of COVID-19.

Suddenly, there was no chance to hold major fundraisers. Unfortunately, though, the needs of those students did not cease when classes ended and, in fact, expanded and continued to grow, as we all know that hunger is not a Monday to Friday matter. The foundation, with the help of community partners, committed to providing $50 gift cards every week to 650 families and have agreed to do so as long as the coronavirus pandemic persists. Further, they also provided grab-and-go bags.

This was funded with a kindness campaign by selling T-shirts, which I believe is a very timely campaign to remind everyone that kind- ness is needed right now. Mr. Speaker:The member for Kootenay East. CALVIN DOMIN AND FUNDRAISING FOR FOUNDRY CENTRE T. Shypitka:Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congrat- ulations on your new role. Who would dare run from Sparwood to Cranbrook in Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 187

the frigid Rocky Mountain region, travelling over 175 kilo- metres? Well, that someone is Calvin Domin, who is col- lecting pledges for the starlite Not Alone campaign. The starlite Not Alone campaign, which is a partnership between the East Kootenay Foundation for Health and the Ktunaxa-Kinbasket Child and Family Services Society, is working hard to raise the $1.4 million needed to bring a new Foundry East Kootenay centre to the riding of Koo- tenay East. The B.C. Foundry was created through funding in part from the government of British Columbia in 2015.

In that same year, the B.C. government announced eight new Foundry centre locations, which significantly improved access to health and wellness resources, services and sup- ports for young people, ages 12 to 24, and their families. One in five British Columbian youth need mental health or substance-use services, but only one-quarter of these receive the care they need. Another FYI is that 75 percent of all mental health and substance abuse issues start before the age of 25. So the new Foundry East Kootenay centre will be very much welcomed in our small southeast corner of the province.

Calvin successfully raised well over $30,000 on that brisk morning, but his leadership has catapulted the pledges to over $170,000 in just over one month from when the campaign was launched on November 1. If I know Kootenay East residents, and I dare say that I do, our $1.4 million goal that has been given 18 months to deliver on will be smashed in half that time. Thank you so much to Brenna Baker for all the work you do in fundraising coordination for the EKFH, as well as all the generous donors from around the East Kootenay area. If you want to donate, please visit the EKFH’s website at ekfh.ca.

Oral Questions COVID-19 RESPONSE FOR DISABILITY ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS S. Bond:Well, last week the Premier had nothing to say when we asked why his government was cutting support to some of the most vulnerable people in British Columbia, and the Minister of Social Development dutifully stuck to his speaking notes. Since then — and I’m sure the Premier has as well — we’ve heard from those who will bear the brunt of this NDP cut.

Cynthia Breden writes: “People receiving PWD need support…in these trying times. ” To offer $500, and then claw back $450 from PWD all in the same announce- ment, “sends a very strong message to all of us about your lack of understanding of people’s needs. ” Perhaps today the Premier will stand up and explain to Cynthia why he is clawing back this very-much-needed support. Hon. J. Horgan:I thank the member for her question. She will remember that in 2017, my government gave the first increase to people with disabilities in over five years.

She’ll remember, quite vividly, that we replaced the clawback of transportation passes that were taken away by the former government, taking bus passes away from people with disabilities. When the pandemic hit, we introduced a new $300-a- month benefit for a three-month period, extended it for another three months and have only recently reduced that so that we could get into the budget process and make any increases permanent in the years going forward. I would have thought someone who spent 16 years in government would understand how government makes decisions. [1:55 p.m.] Mr.

Speaker:The Leader of the Official Opposition on first supplemental. S. Bond: While I appreciate the Premier standing up today, it’s simply not good enough. What the Premier needs to do…. He may want to continue to look back, but what the Premier needs to do is stand up and look in the mirror, because this decision wasn’t made five years ago or ten years ago. It was made last week. The responsibility for the decision lands squarely on his shoulders. Kristy writes: “The $300 supplement has made an abso- lute world of difference to many disabled folks, including myself.

Y et you chose to cut it in half, prior to cancelling it in the middle of a pandemic. ” In the middle of the pandemic, this government is mak- ing it harder for those living with disabilities, instead of making life just a little bit easier. Instead of promising maybe, somewhere down the road, some budget process, somebody will look at it, the Premier has the opportunity to stand up today, rethink that decision and give assurance to the most vulnerable in British Columbia that he’s actually paying attention to their concerns. Hon. J. Horgan:Well, we are paying attention to people with disabilities.

That’s why we returned the bus pass that that government took away. That’s why we gave the first increase in over five years, when we had the opportunity. When we had the opportunity in the midst of a pandemic, we put $300 a month into the pockets of vulnerable people for a three-month period. Then we doubled it again for another three months. Through the remainder of this fiscal year, which means nothing to the people back at home, but should mean something to the Leader of the Opposition, we’ve ensured that those same people have the same amount of money.

In fact, they’ll have 50 bucks more as we go through the budget process and make permanent changes to reduce poverty in British Columbia. I’ll also remind the member, before I take my seat, that 188 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

British Columbia was the last province in the country to have a poverty reduction plan, because that member sat on it for 16 years and did nothing. To stand up today and pro- fess she cares is a little bit rich. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Official Opposition on a second supplemental. S. Bond: I absolutely do. What’s a little bit rich is that the Premier seems to have forgotten that today, not three months from now, not during a budget process….

By the way, which this government brought everyone to the Legislature to discuss pushing off that budget, longer and longer and longer from when it should be in this House. So the Premier has the opportunity today. He actually won the right to be the leader of his party and of gov- ernment. He doesn’t have to wait. He can take that worry off the minds of British Columbians, who have enough to worry about. Listen to what T.J. had to say. Here’s what T.J. had to say: “My stomach just dropped, and I became naus- eous.

Because what I read into this is that they will be tak- ing it all away very soon. ” It’s not about waiting for a budget process. It’s not about letting people worry and be concerned and be upset. They have enough to worry about. The Premier can stop looking in the rearview mirror, and start taking responsibility for decisions that he and his government made last week. Will the Premier do the right thing? Will he get up today, right now, and end the clawback? Hon. J.

Horgan:Again, it’s absolutely gobsmacking to hear the Leader of the Opposition — of a party that took away money from vulnerable people, took away their bus pass, did not increase income assistance or disability pen- sion for people for half a decade — to now be indignant because we continue to keep the dollars going through the pandemic, as we prepare for the budget process, to meet the needs of all British Columbians. Now, Her Majesty’s Official Opposition is supposed to have a modicum of common sense.

After 16 years in gov- ernment, I would have thought that the Leader of the Opposition would understand how budgets are made. We are going to make the budget, and we will be mindful of all British Columbians, particularly those that are vulnerable at this extraordinary time in our history. I appreciate the member needs to stand up and say something. I would have thought that she would have come at this from a perspective where she had some stable ground to stand on. D.

Davies:The minister last week veered off script for a moment and talked a little bit about his “reduced rate. ” Which sounds fancy, or like a fancy way of saying “a cut. ” [2:00 p.m.] Paula writes: “Saying that it balances out with the $500 doesn’t make sense. Everyone else in B.C., below a certain income, gets $500, so it shouldn’t be counted as extra for people on PWD. Also, the fact that people need to apply for this and go through hoops will be a huge barrier for a lot of people, and many will not receive the $500. ” Again to the Premier, talking about the decision last week, will he end the clawback? Mr.

Speaker: Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. I also want to tell members that the minister is online, but his Wi-Fi may not be working properly. Hon. N. Simons:Thank you very much, hon. Speaker. I appreciate the member’s question. It’s a repeat. The answer is obvious and clear. In March, the province introduced a workers’ benefit for people in the province. Since not everyone was eligible, a $300 supplement was added to those in receipt of income assistance and disability assist- ance, as well as those receiving the seniors’ supplement.

That was renewed after the first three-month period for another three months and then another three months. This month the province introduced a recovery benefit. Unlike the workers’ benefit, the recovery benefit is open to everyone under a certain income threshold. So people on income assistance and disability assistance will be eli- gible and can apply for this recovery benefit. In addition, starting in January, there is a supplement of $150 for three months.

I would suggest that if one were to do the math, one would realize that everybody, in receipt of income assist- ance or disability assistance, will be receiving more. To give an example…. Mr. Speaker:Thank you, Minister. Hon. N. Simons:Y ou’re welcome. Mr. Speaker:The member on a supplemental. D. Davies: The fact remains that this cut will hurt people. It doesn’t matter how you slice it. The minister talks about a $150 increase. It isn’t. The thousands of people that are taking to social media, the thousands of people that are signing the petition say also the other way.

Danni Lamb started this petition to fight the NDP cut and is asking the Premier to go back to the drawing board and do better for those that are vulnerable and most at risk. Victor is one of hundreds of British Columbians who have already signed the petition. He says: “The most vul- nerable should not be the ones paying for this pandemic. ” Again to the Premier, will he do the right thing and stop this clawback? Hon. N.

Simons:I appreciate the opportunity to carry on with my response, and I have the opportunity to tell the member for Peace River North that, in fact, someone Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 189

receiving income assistance or disability assistance previ- ously, as a single parent, they would be receiving $900 for three months. Under the new system, which is being used for January, February and March and which includes the benefit avail- able to 3.7 million British Columbians, that single parent will be receiving $1,450 versus the $900. SITE C POWER PROJECT A. Olsen:This government has been keeping the public in the…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members, that question is over. Next one. A. Olsen:Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This government has been keeping the public in the dark about the costs and the public safety risks of Site C. The Premier has known since at least January and probably much earlier about the significant geotechnical problems at Site C. Y et it wasn’t until the end of July, seven months later, that he chose to come clean with the public about the massive problems facing this dam and that project. [2:05 p.m.] My question is to the Premier.

Will the Premier inform this House when he and his ministers in the cabinet first learned about the very serious issues facing Site C, and can he explain why he chose not to inform the public or take any action until the middle of this past summer? Hon. B. Ralston:I thank the member for the question. When discussing Site C, it’s important to reflect back on the genesis of this project and remember that the old gov- ernment, the Liberal government, set out to push this pro- ject forward past what the then Premier, Premier Clark, described as the point of no return.

They refused to let the BCUC, the independent watch- dog, examine the project. They signed off on a design that included geological risks, and they spent billions of dollars without proper oversight in pushing the project forward. Clearly, there were cost pressures on the project, but the government has been managing them. COVID created unforeseen challenges for the project, and we are now facing geotechnical challenges in the design that the old government approved. As a result of that, I asked and brought on Peter Mil- burn, a former deputy minister to the member for Abbotsford West, as a special adviser.

He has been play- ing a major role in examining the project. He will provide me and our government with independent advice and a fresh perspective. I’m expecting that report shortly, and we will go from there. I don’t really want to prejudge the results of his review. Mr. Speaker:The member for Saanich North and the Islands for a supplemental. A. Olsen:I think it’s important to note that this is not just a Liberal project at its genesis. This is an NDP project, as they picked it up and have been carrying the water on this for the last 3½ years.

Also, I think it’s important to point out that I did not ask a question about the project. I asked a question about what the Premier knew and when he knew it. I’m not sure why that minister stood up and answered the question. The government has known about the project risk and the significant geotechnical problems for a very long time. Y et the Premier and his cabinet have kept this information from the public, racing ahead with con- struction, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s reckless in the extreme that instead of pausing the pro- ject, this government is barrelling ahead, even diverting a river in the middle of an election. Still we have no answers about the public safety, no answers about the stability of the dam site, no answers about what the final cost will be. The Premier won’t stand up and answer a question about what he knew and when he knew it. My question again is to the Premier. Why has the Pre- mier allowed B.C.

Hydro to go full speed ahead on con- struction this year, even diverting the river to begin con- struction of this earth-filled dam, while keeping British Columbians in the dark about the serious risks facing this project? Hon. B. Ralston:It’s disappointing to hear this member spread misinformation. B.C. Hydro has been clear. It wasn’t until December 2019 that engineers confirmed the significant foundation challenges associated with the right bank. In January 2020, further analysis on the foundation and potential enhancements was initiated, and this work continued into the spring.

That’s one of the items on which we’ll expect further comment from Mr. Milburn. S. Furstenau:I’ll say what is disappointing is that the NDP government won’t actually stand up and give accurate information to the public or to this House on this project. This is really starting to look like a cover- up, when the Premier won’t even stand up and answer the question posed to him by my colleague from Saanich North and the Islands. There is a shocking amount of secrecy around Site C.

This is the single most expensive infrastructure project in B.C. ’s history, and the Premier is deliberately keeping the public in the dark while spending $3 million per day continuing construction. This is public money, and people have a right to far more transparency and accountability on this project than they are getting. My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier commit to releasing the full, unedited, unredacted Milburn report 190 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

and the terms of reference, as well as the reports from the technical advisory committee, all Site C project assurance board records and all reports from the Site C independent engineer? [2:10 p.m.] Hon. B. Ralston:As I mentioned, I’ve brought on Mr. Milburn, who is a professional engineer and a former deputy minister. He has been examining the project, play- ing a very important role. It’s because we take this situation very seriously that he has been brought on, and he will provide advice. He will give myself and our government independent advice and a fresh perspective.

I am not in a position to prejudge the results of his review and, therefore, am not able to answer some of the detail in the member’s questions. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Third Party on a supple- mental. S. Furstenau:My colleague and I have asked a series of questions of government today about the single largest infrastructure project in B.C. ’s history, and we have not received a single straightforward answer. We’ve seen, in this question period, what is reminiscent of what we have seen around Site C for the last three years: few answers, very little information and no transparency from this gov- ernment.

Peter Milburn’s appointment is an exercise that appears to serve as political cover for this government to avoid answering questions for anything else. Milburn doesn’t have the right technical expertise to even recommend a fix to the site, and he is — like every other expert that this government brings forward — far from independent from this project. My question is to the Premier. Will he finally do the right thing, suspend construction of this dam and appoint an independent panel of actually internationally recog- nized experts to undertake a review to see if this project can be built safely and at what cost?

Hon. B. Ralston:I have full confidence in Mr. Milburn, and I don’t share the view that’s expressed of his expertise and his qualifications. I’m looking forward to the report and the advice that he will provide to myself and to the government. I think it will be very helpful in assessing the path forward for this project. MASSEY TUNNEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT M. Lee:On September 6, 2017, the NDP cancelled con- struction that had already begun on the replacement of the George Massey Tunnel. That decision cost taxpayers $100 million and stopped a replacement that would have been open in 2022.

At the time, the NDP promised immediate actions to “find the best solution for the George Massey corridor. ” It has been nearly 3½ years, or 1,195 days, since then. After 1,195 days, can the Premier tell us the best solu- tion and when it will be built? Hon. R. Fleming: Thank you to the member for the question. I’m very pleased to report that, in the coming days, government will receive a business case on the cross- ing replacement project, with recommended options, timelines, costs, all of those sorts of things.

I had a meeting last week with leaders in Metro Vancouver to advise them of this, of what an engagement plan will look like, imme- diately beginning in the new year, in 2021. Of course, the member will know that what this govern- ment has done — this was, of course, not done previously when they were in power — is that we have actually cre- ated a budget to replace this key piece of infrastructure. That is in our fiscal plan. That is part of what we would like to do. We will get to a Massey crossing that has the support of Metro Vancouver mayors. That was critically import- ant to them.

Our engagement with First Nations leaders, as well, is critically important. What is really critically important to all Vancouverites and to people who will use the new Massey replacement is that it be free of tolls, quite frankly. [2:15 p.m.] While we’re spending much of this week debating a measure in an extraordinary time to help 3.7 million Brit- ish Columbians put more money in their pockets, we had a plan that would have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars out of Metro Vancouver residents’ pockets each and every year, forever. That’s an approach we reject.

We will build infrastructure that will serve the future of this region. We will do it by continuing to consult with mayors, working with First Nations communities, and get the right project. Mr. Speaker:The member for Vancouver-Langara on a supplemental. M. Lee: Well, that answer is simply not good enough. It’s not good for the commuters, the thousands of com- muters who come from Richmond, South Surrey, Langley, Delta, ferry users, longshore workers, truck drivers — all who continue to wait in traffic, waiting on this government day after day after day.

They need an answer from this gov- ernment, not more empty promises of timelines to come. On May 23, 2019, already two years after promising to find the best solution, the Premier told British Columbi- ans: “I think we can get going on this quite quickly. Minis- ter Claire Trevena is seized with this opportunity. ” Y et here we are, 571 days after the Premier promised to act quickly. Instead, all we get from this NDP government is delay after delay after delay. Last week the Minister of Transportation was asked about a potential timeline for this project.

He couldn’t even Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 191

say if a replacement for the George Massey Tunnel would be done by the year 2035. After 1,195 days of delay, can the Premier tell us when a replacement will be built? Hon. R. Fleming:One of the critically important things that the business case is going to advise us — especially as we look to recover our economy after we get through the COVID-19 pandemic, make critical investments, invest an additional $3 billion over the most ambitious capital plan that this province has ever had — is to see how we can accelerate timelines for exactly that. We wanted to get to the right decision.

This is a tre- mendously technical review. It, of course, involves key pieces of federal legislation. We’re talking about the Fraser River here. We’re talking about the fisheries acts, the Nav- igable Waters Act. This has to be done right from an envir- onmental perspective. This has to be done right in terms of how it serves the region for decades to come into the future. So the review is critically important. I’ve told the mayors that the timeline is there. The time- line is being adhered to. We’re going to get to this in the new year, as a government. We have a budget to be able to do this.

This is a critically important and exciting piece of infrastructure. I would maybe ask the member, if he wanted to do something constructive to work with the government, to join us in reminding the federal government, our friends there, where we’ve successfully negotiated many partner- ship agreements, that this would be an excellent candidate for a partnership agreement. This is a national trade cor- ridor that is significant for the economic health of British Columbia.

Wouldn’t it be great if every member in this House agreed with that and that we all had a common voice to Ottawa to urge that this be a candidate for investment in British Columbia, to get people working, to solve the con- gestion and to build a replacement that is worthy of British Columbia. I.

Paton:Speaking of working together with govern- ment, I would say we’ve worked quite well with the other side of the House, with $100 million that we spent during our time of 3½ years of getting the bridge to where it was — with the sand, with the pilings, with all of the different things that we put in place to give them the opportunity to keep going on it. But they killed the project. People are trying to get home from work, get their kids to practice and seniors to medical appointments. They can’t wait another decade, stuck in traffic in the largest traffic bottleneck in British Columbia.

If the Premier hadn’t played petty politics 3½ years ago, we’ d have a bridge almost two-thirds complete. Every month, for 39 months, there seems to be a new excuse. To the Premier, my constituents want to know when a replacement will be built. At the very least, can he give a specific date when a business case will be made and a decision made about what to build? Hon. R. Fleming: Thank you to the member for the question. As I’ve said in my previous answers, the business case being delivered to government is literally days away.

I’ve given a heads-up to Metro Vancouver mayors, includ- ing the mayors of Richmond and Delta, of that and how we need their time and attention immediately in the new year, once government has had the ability to digest that crucially important business case. [2:20 p.m.] What I would remind the member opposite of is that, in actual fact, this government has avoided playing politics. It was the then government that played politics with the Massey crossing project. We’ve avoided that studiously by working with mayors, by integrating this project into the regional transportation plan.

If the member doesn’t want to take my word for it, well let me read the words of the MLA for Kamloops–South Thompson. He reflected on why the Massey Bridge was so universally unpopular in the host communities, in which it was being built a few years ago when he was licking his wounds after they lost that election. I think the wisdom carries on for today, if the member wants to go for a stroll down memory lane. The member said: “ A lesson for me that I really want to apply moving forward is that I think we had our elbows up a bit too much with mayors.

I think the tone of the conversation was not always one of partnership and working together. ” Well, the tone on this side of the House and the business case that we look forward to receiving in a few days is all about partnership. It’s all about moving forward, and it’s all about getting the pro- ject that the Massey crossing deserves. Mr. Speaker:The member for Delta South on a supple- mental. I. Paton:There’s no money in the budget. There’s no date for completion and not even a business case, which is now overdue.

In the campaign, the NDP promised a busi- ness case this fall and federal funding by the end of the year. None of what was promised has happened. All we get is delay after delay after delay. This government can’t even tell us: will it be a bridge, or will it be a tunnel? Despite stacks of studies and reports that lay out all of the options. Regarding a bridge or a tunnel, I’ve been told recently, in the media, by our member for Delta North, that it’s going to be a tunnel.

I spoke to the Chief of Tsawwassen First Nation just other day, and I certainly hope that they’ve had consultations with First Nations, because the Tsawwassen First Nation wants nothing to do with a massive concrete tube sunk into the bottom of the Fraser River. Again to the Premier, it is really a simple question. 192 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

When will the business case be made public and a decision made about what they’re going to build? Hon. R. Fleming:Again to the member, I’ve said a few times now, I think, this afternoon and certainly on other occasions, that the business case is coming any day now. This is an extensive technical review about the preferred option. This is something that government will consume and use to make an investment decision. In the meantime, we’ve already budgeted for a massive infrastructure project to replace the Massey Tunnel currently.

I think what my good friend the member for Delta North forgot to mention, as he was speaking to the media, is that under no circumstances, when we build this piece of critical infrastructure, will there will be tolls that take money out of the pockets of working families in Metro Vancouver. It’ll be a toll-free bridge that is for the people of B.C. P . Milobar:Well, it’s interesting. The minister has ref- erenced a few times now that they have money budgeted, have a plan ready to go, that there are moneys identified.

Y et our recollection is that the first order of business from this government in their first fiscal plan was to completely remove the Massey crossing from the budget. In fact, we are hard-pressed to find any budgets moving forward where that has been referenced. Y et the minister is telling us that they have moneys identified for a yet-unknown business plan and a yet-unknown style of crossing, but they have a big, big budget he’s identified. Can the minister provide to this House today…? Or the Premier perhaps. Maybe the Premier would like to answer this question. How much money is identified in which budget?

Which fiscal plan are they operating off of? After this House breaks, we won’t see a budget in this House until May, instead of in February. The only reason we’re here is not to debate the $2 billion of relief payments; we’re here to debate whether they can delay a budget for an extra two months. Again to the Premier, how much money, then, has the government identified for the Massey crossing, and how are they able to do that if they don’t know what type of crossing they’re going to do and what the timeline for that crossing is? Hon. R.

Fleming: I think all of these questions this afternoon are going to be a critical part of the business case. That’s why government has done that, in terms of the technology of the crossing, the high level of costing detail that will be done with it, the timeline at which it can be built and hopefully accelerate even further in a post-pan- demic recovery period. [2:25 p.m.] All of those sorts of things are why we are getting the level of advice that we are getting. That’s why we’ve had the engagement. That’s why we’ve had a task force with may- ors in Metro Vancouver.

That’s why we’ve had engagement with the Tsawwassen First Nation and others. All of those things… Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members, let’s listen to the answer, please. Hon. R. Fleming:…are important to moving the pro- ject forward, including the fiscal space we’ve created to build an infrastructure project that will replace the Massey Tunnel. [End of question period.] Tabling Documents Hon. S. Robinson:I’ d like to present the approved guar- antees and indemnities report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, in accordance with the Financial Admin- istration Act,

section 72(8). Motions Without Notice APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIV ACY ACT Hon. L. Beare:I seek leave to move a motion to activate the Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Inform- ation and Protection of Privacy Act. Leave granted. Hon. L. Beare:By leave, I move: [That a Special Committee be appointed to review theFreedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 165) pursuant to

section 80 of that Act. That the Special Committee have the powers of a Select Standing Committee and in addition be empowered to:

a) appoint of its number, one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Special Committee and to delegate to the subcommittees all or any of its powers except the power to report directly to the House;

b) sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) conduct consultations by any means the Committee con- siders appropriate;

d) adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and

e) retain such personnel as required to assist the Special Com- mittee. That the Special Committee submit a report, including any recom- mendations respecting the results of the review, to the Legislat- ive Assembly within one year of this motion being adopted by the House; and shall deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment, and Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 193

upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall pres- ent all reports to the Legislative Assembly. That the said Special Committee be composed of the following Members:Rick Glumac (Convener),Susie Chant, Janet Routledge, Henry Yao,John Rustad, Tom Shypitka, andAdam Olsen.] Motion approved. Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker:I have the honour to present theCom- plaint Handling Guide: Setting Up Effective Complaint Res- olution Systems in Public Organizations from the Office of the Ombudsperson. Orders of the Day Hon. L. Beare:I call continued second reading of Bill 3. [2:30 p.m.] [N.

Letnick in the chair.] Second Reading of Bills BILL 3 — FINANCE STATUTES AMENDENT ACT, 2020 (continued) K. Kirkpatrick:I appreciate the opportunity to rise and continue my comments from last week regarding the Fin- ance Statutes Amendment Act. I’ll start again by saying that I don’t understand why we are here looking at this today. Forgive me if I repeat myself from my previous comments. In this, the NDP’s first piece of legislation in this session, it does not deal with the issues that British Columbians are experiencing today.

Rather, this government is not com- ing here to look for ways to support small business, the hospitality sector, teachers, front-line workers, the families of children and youth with special needs. We have been called to Victoria instead because this NDP government appears not to be able to account for its finances. As I shared previously, my own experience with the impact of my small business from 9/11 was devastating, financially and emotionally. It was only a blip compared to what those small business owners are dealing with today.

The budget forms the legal basis for government spend- ing, and timely budgets enacted before the new fiscal year are an integral part of good governance. The Premier said today that this House…. He expects that he knows how good budgets are made. This pandemic has hit British Col- umbians and our economy in a sudden and dramatic man- ner. It has required both federal and provincial spending to keep the lights on. Prior to the calling of this unnecessary election, all the parties in this House were working togeth- er in supporting the best interests of British Columbians.

Now this government is asking to go it alone and no longer involve or share its plans with this House. The bill you have brought us is very concerning. From what we can see, this is a bill to limit government transpar- ency and accountability while also delaying needed sup- ports into the hands of British Columbians. The bill before us will effectively allow government to delay introducing the next budget until the end of next May. The NDP gov- ernment already came to us for an amendment to delay the budget by an initial 30 days, and now government returns to the House to ask for yet another extension.

In June of this year, government’s previous Finance Minister said: “These changes will allow sufficient time for due diligence to be done by the good public servants who work for all of us in British Columbia. ” Clearly, that was not the case. A 60-day delay in delivering a budget is unac- ceptable. Either this government knows or does not know its numbers. If it does not know its numbers, then why isn’t it being transparent?

And if it doesn’t know its num- bers, how can we have any confidence in this government’s ability to manage the money of British Columbians and to know how to build a substantive economic recovery plan? This will give government an additional 60 days to decide what new taxes they’re going to add or policies to enact to inhibit economic recovery and growth. NDP governments do not have a good history of sound eco- nomic planning. We have seen this in the past.

I’ d like to read a quote by economists Jason Clemens and Joel Emes in a 2001 report, Returning British Columbia to Prosperity. “Undisciplined government spending was one of the root problems of B.C. ’s fiscal and economic woes during the 1990s, the other being uncompetitive tax rates. The root of the economic problems in British Columbia was poor policy, founded on a belief in the efficacy of a more activist and interventionist govern- ment. ” This is the NDP’s way of budgeting and managing the economy.

Economists referred to this last time the province had a majority NDP government as “the lost years” for British Columbia’s economy. Now, I’m an accountant, but you don’t need to be an accountant to know that this is not a responsible way to manage the budget of British Columbians. I’ll remind this House that this will leave the longest stretch in 20 years without a scheduled fiscal update. Now is not the time to keep hidden what has been and what is planned to be spent. We need financial transparency now more than ever before.

Y ou are asking for an amendment to a bill that is meant to ensure transparency which will then result in making things less transparent. [2:35 p.m.] I have seen this government bring in policies on the fly over the last three years and then scramble to figure out what the actual impact of their actions is on British Col- umbians, on businesses and on non-profits. This is anoth- er example of this government deciding an action without understanding its consequences. 194 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

For example, the introduction of the EHT was announced with no information on how it would impact non-profits, because government didn’t know, and it was announced after annual budgets for organizations had already been planned. Has this government consulted with any of the myriad other organizations that will be impacted by the delay that it’s asking for? There are many organizations that rely on this govern- ment to have its budget in order before the end of the fiscal year. This delay has a trickle-down effect, and these organizations do not have the opportunity to delay their budgets.

In fact, some of them have statutory obligations they need to contend with, with their budgets. With the financial impact of COVID, non-profits that provide services on behalf of this government — like men- tal health counselling, family preservation, supervised access, programs for children and youth with special needs, detox centres for youth — are unaware if they’re going to get contract renewals. How will these organiza- tions know if they have funding?

Making matters worse, this government decided to do away with multi-year contracts with these service pro- viders, meaning that when there is no budget, they have absolutely no security for funding for these next years. So this government is asking to push financial risk to those organizations. They either lay off staff and begin to wrap up programs, which would be devastating for everyone, or they take the financial and reputational risk of continuing to provide services and simply hoping that there’s money for the contract to be renewed.

This delay may in fact result in people losing their jobs as funding remains unsure. It will likely result, as it did with the introduction of the low-wage redress, in non- profits having to use lines of credit to cover payroll. Boards of directors of these non-profits will be forced to make very difficult decisions. This is only one example of what the government is asking them to do by not putting for- ward a budget in a timely manner. While we can see how this bill would benefit govern- ment, it is very hard to see how it would benefit the people of British Columbia.

I wonder again: why are we here to discuss this? Why aren’t we looking at the other things we need to be doing to ensure that people are safe and healthy and have jobs and that we can move this economy for- ward? What about the other promises that this govern- ment has made? What about the commitment the govern- ment made on October 9 to the restaurant sector to cap 15 percent commission fees for food delivery services? Y ou heard the bill introduced by the member for Sur- rey–White Rock to actually come true on that, to actually take action and make that very thing happen.

Because of the promise this government made to voters on this issue, I see no reason why it would not be in full support of its passing. Now we are less than two weeks away from Christmas, and those front-line workers who have been working for all of us since this pandemic broke have yet to be paid their promised pandemic pay. Is this how we demonstrate how we value these heroes? Where is their money? The holidays that are usually a time of celebration and comfort for so many…. We know that this year is going to look very dif- ferent.

But government is asking everyone in B.C. to make sacrifices for the greater good. The people of B.C. are looking for this government to have a plan and to take action, and that does not involve delaying their budget for an additional 30 days so they can figure things out. [2:40 p.m.] The NDP made a hollow promise, short on details, that led the people of British Columbia to believe that they would be receiving a $1,000 benefit direct-deposited into their bank accounts by Christmas. Now that we are getting the details, this is not in fact the case.

It is clear once again that there was little thought or planning put into this announcement. Rather, this government thought it was a good sound bite during an election campaign. In fact, the elimination of the PST for one year would have had a more substantive financial impact for British Columbians, with more benefit to those with lower incomes, than this one-time “maybe you’ll get it, maybe you won’t get it, and we’re not sure how much you’re going to get” benefit that is now being put before us. It would have been infinitely less complicated to adminis- ter and calculate.

There would be no application process, and it would have an immediate impact that would res- ult in savings in excess of this one-time payment from this government. Now people must apply. They need to base it on their 2019 income. As my colleagues, the media and analysts have pointed out on multiple occasions, the pandemic began after we filed our 2019 tax returns. I heard the Min- ister of Finance say last week that her government is rolling out this benefit to help those who are most in need.

How does her government know who is most in need if they don’t know anything about the impact to their income since the end of 2019? I’ve heard multiple members of government stand up and say the same thing. They have also said that this pan- demic benefit will help those who most need it. But that is not accurate. It is not targeted to those who most need it. It is a broad shotgun approach to providing a benefit to as many people in British Columbia as they can during an election.

Surely, in the two months since this benefit was announced during a snap election, government would have had ample time to ensure it was designed in a manner that made it fair, easy to access and substantive enough to make a difference. The ability to buy a $5 latte is not sub- stantive. And what about those who are not avid followers of the news? Do they know now that they need to apply? What if they don’t have a computer or, as my northern col- leagues often experience, access to stable Internet? Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 195

This holiday season, in the middle of the most extreme emergency that our province has dealt with in a century, all the government has to offer British Columbians is the assurance that help is at least two months further away, and even that’s not clear. As the official opposition, we are tasked with holding the government to account and with doing our best to ensure that this government is serving the interests of the people of this province. We know that British Columbians need and want support right now. We want to do everything in our power to get those supports into their hands as soon as possible.

An example of just how much this help is needed is demonstrated in the report issued two weeks ago by the Representative for Children and Y outh with special needs. Now, I appreciate that the Ministry of Children and Families was faced with an unprecedented event when COVID hit. So were all of the social services providers, front-line staff and families that were impacted. But cut- ting services provided to the families of children and youth with special needs without prioritizing interim services and without communicating to those families about what was happening and what was available to them….

Well, this government has failed in its responsibility. In any emergency, in any change like this, communication is absolutely key, and that was not part of the changes that were made. Now, we know it’s difficult to develop a budget. The thousands of organizations who rely on this government also know it’s difficult to prepare a budget. It takes a lot of work.

We know this as opposition because we were involved in preparing five consecutive balanced budgets which were all delivered on time. [2:45 p.m.] When this government refers to the last government, I would also like to remind them that they are now referring to themselves. This is not a new government. The NDP has been in power for more than three years and should understand and know how to deliver a budget on time — one that is able to provide support for the people in this province during these very difficult circumstances.

In the spring, this government, with the help of all parties in the House, pivoted quickly to address the first wave of COVID-19. Since then, we have been waiting to see from them an economic recovery plan. Instead, we got a survey. This government decided to delay the sup- ports for exhausted front-line workers, for long-term-care homes, for struggling small businesses and for families who have lost significant portions of their income.

I shall also quote from the recent throne speech: “The way to get through this difficult time is by following the same approach we used during the first wave. ” Well, we’re not in the first wave. We now see the consequences on people and businesses. We are in the second wave, with a vaccine on the horizon, which is exciting and something for to us look forward to. This is a different time with dif- ferent circumstances. This is when we need to look at a new approach. We need to have plans. We can’t do the same thing. We need innovation. We need a government that under- stands budgeting and economics.

We need a government that will not attempt to tax its way out of British Colum- bia’s growing deficit, which will be a sure way to cripple economic recovery. This government has been given the trust of British Col- umbians, and I ask that they do not take advantage of this. This government has already broken trust by using the cooperation of the B.C. Liberals and the B.C. Green Party in the last session to leverage its own success in a snap elec- tion. Don’t break trust again by using a majority govern- ment to avoid transparency when this province needs it more than ever. I end where I began.

I do not know why we are being asked this question by this government. L. Doerkson:I’ d like to start by offering my most sincere thanks to all of the people on the front lines serving us every day. I, along with British Columbians, am grateful, to say the least. Thank you to our health care workers, our first responders, the retail workers and, of course, all the people that keep our food systems working every day. We are, for sure, extremely grateful to all of you for your unwavering commitment.

I must say, as a new MLA, that I’m surprised that the very first bill that I would get a chance to debate would be a bill that would delay help to millions of people in our province. I, of course, had hoped that the work that we would do here in this House would be work that would benefit all of British Columbia. We’re here to debate this one bill. I really had hoped that we could have spent these valuable hours inventing solutions for small business, solutions for tourism, solutions for rural British Columbia and, of course, solutions for our families.

On behalf of my constituents in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, it is with great pride and interest that I rise today to debate my first bill since being elected by my constituents only a few short weeks ago. Y ou can be assured, Mr. Speaker, that I intend to represent all of the people who live in the riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin, regardless of whether or not they voted for me in the last election. As elected represen- tatives, it’s our obligation to put the interests of the people of British Columbia first.

We may have differing opinions on various sides of this House, but I’m certain that each member of this House feels the exact same way. Most of us enter public life with the goal of serving the public, of course, and this pandemic has certainly placed the focus on just how important that is. We all want to emerge out of this stronger and more resilient. In order for us to succeed during a pandemic, the people of British Columbia expect our elected representatives to come up 196 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

with solutions. Callous rhetoric will only go so far in one of the greatest health threats in the modern age. [2:50 p.m.] During this session of the Legislature, it is my sincere hope that we can put partisanship aside. Instead, we must pursue goals that will see our province emerge from this in the best possible shape we can. We are not a province where any one of us should be left behind. Certainly, we must mourn those who we have lost over the past nine months, but we also have an obligation to care for the liv- ing as we move forward through the second wave.

This is especially true in rural communities and even more for small First Nation communities along the coast. People are scared. They’re extremely fearful. So it’s up to us, as elected representatives, to show some leadership. As I mentioned earlier, this is the first piece of legisla- tion that I am addressing as a new member of this Legis- lature, while the whole purpose of this short two-week ses- sion is just to pass this one single bill. We therefore have to question exactly what the purpose of this legislation is.

To answer that, I have the following information on Bill 3, the Finance Statutes Amendment Act. This bill will extend the deadline for presenting the budget and the main estimates for the fiscal year to April 30. That’s one month into the 2021 fiscal year. The bill also allows for special warrants to be authorized for the beginning of 2021, the fiscal year, meaning no legislative approval will be required. These changes are permanent with respect to the general elections that trigger the delayed budget provisions in the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

As a new member of this House, I have to ask: what is the purpose of making any bill or legislation into law? To answer that, we need to examine the following: why is it necessary for the government to ask for an extension on its budget obligations? Why does the government need special warrants that will give it spending powers without proper accountability? And why are all of these last- minute changes necessary in the first place?

British Columbians were initially told that the purpose of this relatively short two-week session was for one reason and one reason alone: to give the government the authority to issue every British Columbian a one-time pandemic benefit. The purpose, one might expect, is to deliver relief to British Columbians who have lost their job because of the pandemic. The other purpose, according to the Premi- er, is to give consumers money necessary to start the eco- nomy.

Those are all laudable goals, but when we hold Bill 3 up to the light, we begin to see some rather serious defaults that will ultimately put money in the hands of people who don’t necessarily need it. That, for sure, is a problem. There are thousands of British Columbians now out of work. Their normal way of making a living has been impossible during these COVID pandemic restrictions. In 2019, most of these people had a good job. They had steady income. They were solid contributors to our economy.

In the Cariboo-Chilcotin, we’re talking about those in the tourism sector, small businesses, the res- taurant industry. All of those industries have been rav- aged by this pandemic. The forest industry, ranchers, guides and outfitters — you name it. Y et today these people desperately need our help. However, we’re learning that many British Columbians will be ineligible.

Y et far worse, those with uninterrupted income in 2019 and 2020 will be fully eligible for the pan- demic payment. [2:55 p.m.] This is a quote from one of my constituents that I received yesterday: “The money that the province announced is nonsense. We don’t need it, but we qualify. My son hasn’t worked since March, and he doesn’t. He made, in 2019, $85,000. But this year, in 2020, I plan to apply for the money and give it to him. ” That’s Bill Car- ruthers. It’s disturbing, and definitely worrisome.

At a time when the Finance Minister is pushing our province deeper and deeper into debt, doesn’t it make more sense to put the money into the hands of the people who need it? We know it is simply because our new Minister of Finance is insist- ing that eligibility be based on income tax returns filed in 2019. We’re talking about income levels that were gener- ated long before anyone even heard of COVID-19. This is a serious misgiving, not to mention a serious disappoint- ment, to those who are in dire need right now.

As legislators, we have the responsibility to pass laws and authorize spending that ultimately will benefit the entire province. The B.C. recovery benefit of $500 for indi- viduals and up to $1,000 for families was promised by the NDP as part of their election platform just a few short months ago. However, let’s be blunt about this. We, as the official opposition, fully understand that the recovery benefit will be useful to many British Columbians that are in need, but in no way does a one-time benefit payment constitute a comprehensive economic renewal plan for the whole province.

We need to emerge out of this global pandemic the way we were before. We need to be entrepreneurial. We need to be innovative. We need to be not afraid to take on the world and all the challenges that we would normally have before us. To arrive at that destination, we need just one thing: we need a solid economic recovery plan to get this province back on the path of economic prosperity. This will involve bold measures for all sectors of our economy. The private sector needs tax relief. Small businesses need less regulation and the freedom to adapt and innov- ate during this pandemic.

Finally, the province needs a long-term economic strategy to get us back to the point where the private sector is once again at the heart of our economy. I’m talking about the ones who actually need help. If we give them the help, the tools that they need to succeed, they will once again be in a position to better Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 197

help themselves. Y et the approach of this government is to promise this universal payment to all British Columbians. Blowing up record deficits will just land this govern- ment and this province back into the 1990s, when the NDP went on a spending spree. It took years to finally balance the budget and finally have the money to make invest- ments into people of this province. What we need is to target the people in need.

What we don’t need is a Fin- ance Minister that’s speculating on how people should be using their benefit payment on $5 lattes or buying some- thing special for themselves during this holiday season. Moving forward, taxpayers’ money should only be tar- geted to those in need. I will speak more about this in the context of the Cariboo-Chilcotin, but before I do, let’s talk about the special warrants.

On occasion — and I do mean on rare occasions — our government requires special warrants that give them the authority to spend, in the event of an emergency, without the usual budget scrutiny that is a function of this Legis- lature. Special warrants are meant to be just a temporary expenditure to get past the unexpected, of course. They are not to be used wilfully to shut down the Legislature and override our democratic principles. Special warrants are just a tool in a pinch, nothing more.

The government would have to make a pretty convincing argument as to why any of this would be necessary, yet we haven’t heard one significant or substantial argument from the Premier or our government. [3:00 p.m.] As you’re aware, Mr. Speaker, last March all of the parties came together for a special meeting with the Pre- mier. In the face of this pandemic, the B.C. Liberals and the Green Party agreed to put politics aside and give the Premier and his cabinet the authority to spend up to $5 billion worth of emergency funding.

All of this was done in just one single day — unprecedented from a historical perspective — and $1.5 billion was set aside for six months, from March till September. Y et none of this money was deemed necessary for the economic recovery, as thousands of British Columbians joined the ranks of the unemployed. As history shows, the Premier thought it more necessary to hold an early elec- tion. We could have had this money out the door months ago and in the hands of the people who really did need it.

The Finance Minister and the Premier, by the way, now face the embarrassing prospect that this benefit may not reach British Columbians until into the new year. The government says the money will be used to stim- ulate the economy. Now we’re learning that none of this might happen during the holiday season, when most of our retailers need it the most. The Finance Minister is say- ing that a week from now British Columbians will be able to find out if they actually qualify for the pandemic bene- fit payment. That is just 13 days before we can kiss 2020 goodbye.

I can’t help but stress this — that we could have had this money out the door months ago. But no, the Premier had more important things in mind, like breaking his own government’s fixed election date. I wasn’t a member of this House when the NDP said it was necessary to change the fixed election date from the spring of 2021 to the fall. That’s fine. But when the government goes to all of the effort of bringing in the legislation that fundamentally alters our democratic process, at least they could stand behind their own convictions.

There was no reason for the Premier to call a snap elec- tion in the middle of a global health crisis — none. But as we know, this government is more interested in its own vitality than the vitality and health of British Columbians. It’s true; we know that for a fact. When we emerge from this pandemic, history will record exactly how the past few months all went down, but in the meantime, we in the offi- cial opposition will do our part to keep the mind of this province focused where it needs to be.

Having been recently named as the official opposition critic for Rural Development, I would like to serve the fol- lowing notice. Rural B.C. does matter, and when our new Finance Minister finally gets around to tabling a budget — it could be in late spring or early summer, because this is what this legislation is calling us to do — you can be assured that we will be looking for a budget that will bene- fit all British Columbians. Rural B.C. has been taken for granted by this govern- ment since it was first elected, over three years ago.

One of the NDP’s first moves was to eliminate the ministry known as Rural Economic Development. In doing so, you’ve told British Columbians that only NDP ridings in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are eligible for assistance. Now we know that this Premier and his government have officially put rural British Columbia on notice. The NDP intends to continue ignoring rural British Columbia and to concentrate instead on its polit- ical ambitions in the Lower Mainland. I wish the Premi- er and his caucus good luck with that.

In the meantime, the official opposition will insist on an agenda that puts the well-being of British Columbians first, from Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland, from the Peace region to the Kootenays. Y es, even the Cariboo- Chilcotin will be placed at the top of the agenda. When historians look back at how British Columbia really emerged out of this pandemic, I can assure you of one thing. Those who put people above politics will always carry the day. I’ d like to close by offering my most sincere condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones during this awful pandemic.

My thoughts are certainly with all of you. On behalf of the people of Cariboo-Chilcotin, I thank you for this opportunity to address these issues in this Legislature. [3:05 p.m.] T. Halford:I am glad to rise today to continue discus- sion of this bill, one that will have a profound impact on 198 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

British Columbians in the midst of the COVID-19 pan- demic. The bill before us will effectively allow government to delay introducing the next budget until April of next year. Let me say that one more time: it will allow us to delay the next budget until April of next year. That’s hard to believe. While we can see how this bill would benefit government, it’s hard to see how it will benefit the people of B.C. From what we can see, this is a bill that will limit gov- ernment transparency and accountability while also delay- ing the needed supports from getting into the hands of British Columbians.

We are less than three weeks away from Christmas — shorter than that now. People were looking to this government for something, for help, for assistance, for a little bit of sacrifice. Here we are in Victor- ia debating legislation that would move our budget back, that will move support for some of these vital ministries back, that will delay many vulnerable British Columbians from getting back the assistance they need. We have to think about that.

During this holiday season, all the government has to offer British Columbians in assurance is that help is on the way — not now, not in February, when we usually see the budget tabled. It’s going to be a little bit further away. We deserve more from this government. The people of British Columbia deserve more from this government. As the official opposition, we are tasked with holding the government to account and doing our best to ensure that this government is serving the interests of the people of this province. We know that British Columbians want and need the support right now.

As opposition, we want to do everything in our power to get those supports in their hands as soon as possible. That is why you’re seeing some very important questions and concerns about this bill being raised. I think that’s a good thing. The bill comes almost as a package, supporting supple- mentary estimates that will allow the promised B.C. recov- ery benefit that the Premier so proudly promised during the campaign.

But if you look closely, in the bill and in the supplementary estimates that have been released, we are already starting to see things change from how they prom- ised during the campaign to what they’re actually putting forward in legislation. One example that we’ve talked about, and will continue to talk about as opposition, is that the government is ask- ing for more money to increase the scope of the payment. Now, we obviously want as many people as possible who need this benefit to receive it, but it’s clear that this is a gov- ernment that is making up policy on the fly.

When we debate this, it’s important to mention the fact that the eligibility for the recovery benefit is based on 2019 income. The pandemic began in 2020. Unemployment has skyrocketed in 2020. Businesses — small businesses, big businesses — have shut down in 2020. I recently heard from a now single mother who left a marriage with her children in April of this year. She left under some very, very trying circumstances. She explained to me that one of the things she saw during the election was a bit of hope that this recovery benefit would give her family a boost at Christmastime.

She will not qualify for this benefit. She will not be able to provide her kids with Christmas gifts with this benefit. [3:10 p.m.] Now, I think that [audio interrupted]. Deputy Speaker:If the member for Kootenay East is ready, would you please do your speech now, and we’ll go back to the member for Surrey–White Rock when he’s able to reconnect. T. Shypitka:All right. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratulations on your new appointment, or your new role in the Legislature.

I haven’t had a chance to talk yet to the throne speech, so before I debate Bill 3, the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, I’ d like to put a few shout-outs. It gives me distinct pleasure, of course, to be representing the hard-working and easy-living constituents of Kootenay East and on the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa First Nation. Speaking of the Ktunaxa, I want to give some recogni- tion toNasuʔkin Joe Pierre, who was just recently elected as chief of the beautiful Aq’am community. For those that don’t know where the Aq’am community is, it’s not too far from Cranbrook.

It’s about a five- or ten-minute drive out- side of town. Before I give my response today, I really need to give some special mentions to some special people. First, I want to recognize the Clerk of the Legislature. Not many have done so, but I know everybody feels the same way. The Clerk was appointed back in March, I believe, just before the pandemic hit. Since that time, I believe she has earned her keep in more ways than one. She’s probably gotten more than she bargained for with COVID and some other IT problems in the Legislature, so I wanted to give her a special shout-out.

Here, more locally, I want to give a special recognition to Heather Smith and Christy Wheeldon, my CAs here in Cranbrook; and also Krystal D’Sa in Victoria, who is my legislative assistant; Ryan Mitton and John Hennenfent in research; Doug Secord in communications; and also to the team that helped me in the campaign. It was a really con- certed effort. Normally we’ d have 200 volunteers, and we were down to about 30 this time around. John Zimmer, my campaign manager, was excellent. I couldn’t have done it without him. Wes Rogers, our riding president and the rest of the campaign team….

There are too many to mention — probably 30 of them, like I said — but also J.R. Rowley, who is in the hospital right now. He works on my social media, along with Chris Botterill and Kirsten Armleder. Of course, special thanks go to my mom and dad, who are always supportive and probably watching right now, as Monday, December 14, 2020 British Columbia Debates 199

we speak. And to my beautiful wife, Carrie, my daughter, Allie, my youngest son, Adam, and my oldest son, Dustin, along with his wife, Julie, and my grandson of just over a year, Hudson, who live in Kelowna. I have only gotten to see Hudson maybe three times since he was born. This COVID is really putting a cramp on the old grandpa hand- ing out the goodies, but we’ll double down on that as soon as this crisis is over. I really want to thank all the constituents and the 32,162 voters in the Kootenay East riding for putting their trust in me for a second term.

Being elected a first term was a very special thing for me, but earning the trust to represent a second time is very humbling and something I’m hon- oured by. Thank you to everybody in Kootenay East. Also, congratulations to all the MLAs in the Legislature right now for being elected. I know you’re all proud of your accomplishments. Turning to Bill 3, I want to do a little bit of a history on this.

The first thing I’ d like to start off with is the question: why are we as MLAs debating a bill in the 42nd parlia- ment — not the 41st but the 42nd parliament — two weeks before Christmas in the year 2020, and why have we had two throne speeches in the same year?

Well, the reason for this is obviously for the historians to decide, but was it because our Premier found government so unstable, so unworkable and so uncertain that a snap election was the only recourse to get through this global pandemic? [3:15 p.m.] Or maybe it was because the popularity of our beloved Premier was riding high due to the great work of our front- line workers and health professionals, as well as the sacri- fices made by our small businesses, especially our tourism sector, during the first three phases of the pandemic.

There was also the unprecedented collaboration by all three parties, during the first three phases of the pan- demic, to flatten the curve. We did it. We all did it. We all did it together. We even gave government the latitude to access $5 billion in economic relief back in March, I believe, March 23. No questions asked, carte blanche, an olive branch of trust to use immediately to provide support for those suffering. Some news publications wrote that this partnership was comparable to “lions and hyenas” getting along.

I would suggest the NDP were the hyenas, as they scavenged the remains of what was once the historical, trusted and much-valued confidence and supply agreement between the NDP and the Greens, which, I might add, was promptly torn up by the NDP on September 21, 2020. The new Green leader, the member for Cowichan Valley — we heard her earlier in the debate — just days before the Premier called the election, told him that they had a sol- id agreement, as originally promised, until the agreed elec- tion in October of 2021. The people of B.C. were impressed by the three parties working together.

I had constituents in my riding that I’ve never spoken to before who came up to me — their party stripes unknown, and I didn’t really care — and said they were super impressed by the way the three parties were working earnestly beside each other for what was best for British Columbians. Actually, that was a pretty special thing for me. It was probably one of the best moments I’ve had in the last 3½ years as an MLA. I might add it takes a lot for opposition to side with government sometimes. But the B.C. Liberals did it. We put partisanship aside, only to be stabbed in the back later.

But here we sit, with the debate on a bill to get to the business that was so urgent that it needed an election dur- ing a time when British Columbians needed government most. A time when the second wave was hitting us hard, putting people in jeopardizing situations at polling sta- tions. A time when parents, teachers and students were confused and, quite frankly, scared about how going back for a new school year was going to work.

A time when businesses and the tourism sector had not realized the rev- enues anticipated during that usual high summer season — and now finding themselves close to or filing for bank- ruptcy. A time when the people of B.C. really needed gov- ernment the most. The urgency of an unnecessary snap election that brought us to this drastically reduced two-week session that caused all this animosity for just one bill, from what I can see. This is what was so crucial, instead of looking after the concerns of British Columbians when they needed government most — a bill that ironically delays the budget for two months.

What is normally the end of February is now the end of April. Simply put, we delayed the work of this parliament by two months in order to delay the budget by another two months. Talk about ragging the puck in order to kick the can down the road. These ridiculous delays are killing British Columbians, figuratively and literally. This is four months of good work our government could’ve been doing to get to the critical business at hand of addressing the important work we all here in the Legislature are entrusted to do by the people who have elected us.

If you’re a small business owner hoping for help, none is coming just yet. If you’re a parent with special needs hoping for extra support, you’re out of luck for the moment. If you’re a family struggling to have ends meet, nothing until May at the earliest. The Premier said his snap election wouldn’t get in the way of pandemic relief, and that’s proved to be completely untrue. He said we just need to get the election behind us and we can get moving. He was wrong. However, part of this bill suggests that help is on the way.

It was a campaign promise, done in the middle of the election, to buy votes, plain and simple. “ A thousand dol- lars for everyone, ” he declared. “We will pop it into your account by direct deposit. Have a great Christmas. ” Well, now we know it’s changed to $500 if you made less than $62,500 in 2019. 200 British Columbia Debates Monday, December 14, 2020

[3:20 p.m.] What on earth does your income in 2019 have to do with what you have suffered in 2020 due to COVID? Can anyone from the government side answer this pretty basic and fundamental question? Apparently not, because not even [audio interrupted] government’s side has debated this only bill from the government at a time when we need some clarity. Can anyone from the government side answer this pretty basic and fundamental question? Apparently not, because not even [audio interrupted] on the government side has debated this only bill from the government at a time when we need some clarity.

Case in point, and here are a couple of examples. Mary, who owns a nice little boutique down in down- town, on Second Avenue, has a very decent business in the booming town of Fernie. She had a good, decent 2019, as her business continued to grow. All of a sudden she gets smacked by COVID in 2020 and misses her summer season, which is normally her biggest revenue months in order to keep the bills paid. She is a sole proprietor, and her revenues are down by 70 percent in 2020, which is fairly typical, in my area, for a tourist town.

Not only is she get- ting little to no business support, but she doesn’t qualify for the NDP benefit. Here’s another real story. Jesse, who owns a guide-outfit- ting business, who always depends on business outside the province and country, had a good, growing business. And 2019 was decent, although not as good, since the govern- ment took the grizzly bear management away from him. But in 2020, he saw his revenues go down 100 percent, and he is not entitled to any support that the government is offering up.

The third example, on the other side of the coin, is that of a person unemployed for the most part of 2019, or maybe a low-income earner, perhaps a student at a local college who did not make a lot of income in 2019. But in 2020, there have been some incredible work opportunities here. They’re doing some renovation work or maybe even liquidating the furniture from Mary’s boutique shop. He is making a ton of money, and now he is doubly blessed by the extra $1,000 the government sent him, or his family anyway.

Nobody here in the House is debating the ability of providing resources and funding to those that are vulner- able. But this $2 billion political stunt to buy British Col- umbian votes is unacceptable, because it falls flat on the Premier’s promise to address the needs of British Colum- bians during this COVID crisis. There’s an old proverb that says: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for the day.

Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. ” Although not entirely politically cor- rect, it makes a point on the lack of an economic recov- ery plan by this government and how that plan would be more fruitful than what has already been prescribed with this bill as a one-time benefit. Government accessed $5 billion back on March 23, 2020 — ten months ago. The provincial economic recovery plan for most provinces in Canada was rolled out in June during the longest days of the year. We now sit just days from the shortest days of the year, and B.C. is in the dark, just like the winter solstice.

The $1.5 billion economic recovery spending measures that respond to immediate needs could have helped a lot of businesses and the tour- ism industry across the province, many of which have closed their doors for good. In a press release on March 26, the Premier was quoted. “The COVID-19 pandemic challenges our health, our eco- nomy and our way of life. People and businesses urgently need support. Our action plan gives immediate relief to people and businesses, and plans for B.C. ’s economic recovery over the long term. ” However, we all know that’s not what happened.

The government held on to this money and only released it mere days before calling an election, further delaying any real rollout. This move has proved devastating to many B.C. businesses. Many have lost their businesses, knowing that financial support was there, but they could never access it. In the supplemental estimate in this bill, the govern- ment is looking for $2 billion, just like the way they went looking for the $5 billion back in March. The government fooled us once without any transparency, and now they’re trying for the daily double.

The government themselves said that this election pay- out would cost between $1

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20201214pm-Hansard-n9
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20201214pm Hansard n9
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	028e473d115c42bb5f0df04ecd4b067e9d1e4e39

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