Fifth Session, 41st Parliament

(2020) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 304

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752

B. Ma

Coronavirus outbreak

T. Wat

J. Routledge

Sea to Sky Gondola

J. Sturdy

Real Acts of Caring Week and importance of kindness

R. Glumac

Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives activities and events

J. Yap

Oral Questions

Response to protests supporting Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs

A. Wilkinson

Hon. J. Horgan

Comments by Forests Minister re Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs

J. Johal

Hon. J. Horgan

LNG Canada project and government relationship with Wet’suwet’en Nation

A. Olsen

Hon. S. Fraser

Government action on reconciliation

A. Olsen

Hon. S. Fraser

Government relationship with Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and role of Nathan Cullen

E. Ross

Hon. S. Fraser

Hon. J. Horgan

Response to protests supporting Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs

M. Polak

Hon. J. Horgan

Protest supporting Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs at Legislature and police investigation

M. de Jong

Hon. D. Eby

Motions Without Notice

Appointment of Special Committee to Appoint an Auditor General

Appointment of Special Committee to Appoint a Clerk of the Legislative Assembly

Hon. M. Farnworth

Tabling Documents

Public Service Benefit Plan Act, annual report for year ending March 31, 2019

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate

M. Dean

R. Kahlon

P. Milobar

A. Olsen

Hon. M. Mungall

B. Stewart

A. Weaver

S. Malcolmson

J. Rustad

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2020

The House met at 1:35 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: J. Brar.

Introductions by Members

Hon. A. Kang: It’s a great pleasure for me today to welcome my guests and my friends

from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office delegation. It’s especially

rare that we have a guest, of course, from Ottawa — the representative of

TECO in Canada.

I would like to recognize in the gallery today the hon. Winston Wen-yi

Chen and his lovely wife, Ms. Sylvia Pan. As well, in the gallery, we have

Mr. Andy Chen, director general of TECO in Vancouver, and Mr. Vidot Chen,

deputy director of TECO in Vancouver. As well, one more special guest from

TECO in Canada is Mr. Shay Wei Amir Chao.

I’m thrilled to have the delegation join us today. Would the audience

please make them feel very welcome.

A. Wilkinson: Yesterday at 3:30, I had the unfortunate experience of looking out my

window and seeing some of the sessional staff, as they left the building,

being hectored, abused, sworn at and spat upon. I think we’re all joined in

the necessary cause of saying that this is supposed to be the home of

democracy. Orderly protest on the front lawn is entirely appropriate, but

assault, hectoring, abuse, spitting on people is simply out of

order.

This introduction is to express our thanks to the sessional staff for

carrying the role they do with style and aplomb and with the dignity that

comes with the role. Thank you to the sessional staff.

B. D’Eith: I’m very pleased today to welcome to the House the mayor of Mission,

Pam Alexis, and Mike Younie, Stacey Crawford and Ange Valentini, who work

with the to-be city of Mission. I wanted to thank them very much. I enjoy

working with them. A special shout-out to the council, who I really enjoy

working with. It’s been great. I’m really enjoying it. We have a lot more to

accomplish.

I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank my wonderful RCO,

Tamara Connor, who is going to be leaving this week to go work for the city

of North Vancouver. So it’s bittersweet. We’ll have her on that side of the

water.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you so much for all the

work that you’ve done for me and the other MLAs that you work for in

communications. You make our job so much easier, and we really appreciate

everything you’ve done and everything you’ve done here. Thank you so

much.

J. Tegart: On behalf of my colleague from Parksville-Qualicum…. She’s asked me to

introduce two groups of students that are visiting from Nanaimo.

[1:40 p.m.]

They are enrolled in political studies 12. They’re here to watch

question period, so I hope everyone will keep in mind that they’re going to

go home and write a report. Thank you, and please welcome them to the

chamber.

B. Ma: I’d like to join my colleague from Maple Ridge–​Mission and

thank Tamara Connor for all the incredible work that she’s done over the

past several years. She started as a legislative assistant for me and then

joined our communications team. As you heard, this is her last week. She

will leave to pursue a new life and a new job on the North Shore,

actually.

I have to say that Tamara was an absolute rock for me when she was

working as my legislative assistant, making sure I was getting where I

needed to go. As a communications and research officer for me, as well, she

has always been calm and collected, even in the face of my prolific Twitter

use, which I am told is known to raise the blood pressures of a lot of

communications staff.

She’ll be sorely missed here. Would the House please join me again in

thanking her for her services.

D. Ashton: It gives me great pleasure today to welcome four students and a

chaperone who came down from KVR School in Penticton. We have Alijah

Ozaraci, Sofia Pereira, Amy Lee and Finn Schroeder. They’re accompanied by

Nichole Handford, an incredible lawyer from Penticton, and also an

uncle.

I apologize, sir. I’ve forgotten your name.

Would the House please make them welcome here.

I would also like to thank the Minister of Education for taking a few

minutes and greeting the kids.

Thank you very much.

Hon. C. Trevena: We all depend on certain people to make sure that our lives work,

whether it is administratively or technologically or whatever. For me, there

is one person who really makes sure my life has worked for many, many years

now: the love of my life, my partner for life and my husband, who is in the

gallery today — Michael McIvor.

Hon. K. Chen: I know two of my colleagues have already recognized Tamara Connor. I

have known her since she was still a student, as a volunteer, and I really

enjoyed working with her. I know she’s from New Westminster, as the member

for New Westminster has said. Just seeing how much she has achieved over the

past years since I first met her years ago really made me feel thankful for

the opportunity that many of us get to work with outstanding young

individuals like Tamara.

I just want to really give her all the best wishes from my Burnaby

caucus and colleagues for her great work and also, of course, from the

member for New Westminster.

T. Stone: It gives me a great deal of pleasure to ac­knowledge the

incredible hard work and dedication of an individual who has served all of

us in the B.C. Liberal caucus for a number of years now. Leah Caldow is

actually in the gallery. She started out as a constituency assistant of mine

up in Kamloops, did her best to keep me out of trouble on most days up

there, and then for the last year and a half, she has been supporting our

caucus with digital communications. Now, she would be the first one to admit

that’s easier for some of us than for others. I won’t name any

names.

We sure appreciate her dedication, her hard work and her smile every

morning. We wish her all the best as she leaves us this week to pursue an

outstanding career in the private sector, one that she’s perfectly suited to

and that she’s worked very, very hard to achieve.

Could the House please thank Leah Caldow for her

contributions.

S. Chandra Herbert: Of course, we all have constituents who are incredibly persuasive, who

are loud, who can get us to do things at all hours of the day and night. I

want to welcome — well, celebrate — the birth of a new constituent of my

colleague from the north coast, Lua Alan Rice. Of course, my colleague and

her partner, Andrea Wilmot, were able to bring Lua into the world on

December 7 — seven pounds. Lua is a name which I understand means “sky” and

was gifted from the Heiltsuk Nation, Ayla Brown, to my colleague.

[1:45 p.m.]

I can’t wait to meet Lua. I know everybody else in the House can’t

wait to meet Lua as well. I’m just so excited. More babies around this

place. The public might not be so sure that’s a good thing, because there

are enough of us here already. I think we certainly celebrate a new birth in

this House and to this family here in the Legislature. Welcome.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

UKRAINE INTERNATIONAL

AIRLINES FLIGHT

B. Ma: On January 8 of this year, on the evening of

January 7 in our local time, Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was

shot down by the Iranian regime’s military forces as it was taking off from

the airport to Tehran.

One hundred and seventy-six souls were lost. On board were people of

many different nationalities: 63 Canadians, 82 Iranians, 11 from Ukraine,

ten from Sweden, seven from Afghanistan, three from the United Kingdom.

Among them, nine crew members just trying to do their jobs the best they

could.

While the loss of life in such a violent way is tragic no matter a

person’s nationality, this tragedy hit particularly close to home. Of the

167 passengers on board, 138 were on their way to Canada. When I heard this,

I knew I would awaken to a community in mourning. You didn’t have to go very

far in North Vancouver to know someone who knew someone on that plane when

it crashed.

There was Naser Pourshaban and Firouzeh Madani, two doctors who

lived in central Lonsdale. Ayeshe Pourghaderi and Fatemah Pasavand, the

wife and daughter of Amir Bakery, a family business on Lonsdale between

19th and 20th streets. Daniel Saket, who was an engineer, and his wife,

who was a hygienist, Faye Kazerani, were also on the plane, and Delaram

Dadashnejad, a student at Langara.

Those were just the people who lived in my community on the North

Shore. There were so many more lives lost who had ties throughout the Lower

Mainland and the rest of Canada — so much potential gone, so many loved ones

never to return.

Canada has demanded accountability and a thorough investigation.

The North Shore News called it the day that we all learned to

say

تسلیت میگم

the Farsi term for condolences.

[Persian text provided by B. Ma.]

Out of the ashes of this painful wreckage rose a community more

resilient than ever before — Iranian Canadians, along with their

non-Iranian neighbours throughout the country, brought together by

tragedy to lift each other up, to remember those lost and to find a way

forward as one people.

CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

T. Wat: I rise today to speak about COVID-19, or the coronavirus, and its

impact on local businesses. My own riding of Richmond North Centre is

home to a vibrant community of restaurants and local businesses. I’ve

risen many times in this House to talk about some of the amazing local

establishments I get to enjoy right in my own riding, and I’m deeply

saddened to see how the global events surrounding the coronavirus have

impacted them.

People are afraid to go into crowds. Restaurants are closing their

doors due to the drop in sales, and many of the local businesses that

rely on close ties with China are suffering greatly, as imports and

exports have virtually come to a stop, in terms of exports of our

seafood and wine to China and our imports of Chinese products

here.

I rise today to remind everyone that the coronavirus is a common

enemy, one we must fight and overcome together. We must also fight hard

against the spread of fearmongering and stigmatization. Negative

stereotypes towards any group have no place in British Columbia or in

Canada. It is in times like this, more than ever, that we as Canadians

have a responsibility to protect our multicultural communities and

support our local businesses.

Practise basic health habits. Avoid the spreading of false

information. As with other seasonal viruses and cases of flu, common

sense and good health habits are the best defences. Make sure to wash

your hands frequently to prevent the spread of germs. Cover your mouth

with your elbow when you cough, and don’t cough into your hands or

toward other people.

We have some of the best health care workers in the world all

across the province, and we cannot thank them enough for what they do

for us every day, especially when we are faced with health concerns like

this.

[1:50 p.m.]

J. Routledge: January 4 was Braille Day, celebrated around the world on Louis

Braille’s birthday. Braille is a tactile reading and writing system of

raised dots that are read by touch. Each dot or combination of dots

represents a letter of the alphabet, a number or a punctuation mark.

They can be used to express words, sentences, equations, musical notes

and more.

About 1.5 million Canadians identify as having some form of vision

loss, including more than 250,000 British Columbians. Braille is a vital

communication tool for many blind and visually impaired people. Our

government believes that everyone deserves to have the same

opportunities and access to literacy. Braille breaks down barriers to

communication and information and is a powerful tool for education and

Louis Braille adapted the system in the early 19th century from a

military code soldiers used to read messages in the dark. Today Braille

is one of the important technological solutions that enable people with

visual impairments to read, write and communicate.

inclusion for all people of all abilities, including those with vision

loss. We recently released the results of public consultations on

strong support for developing legislation to identify, remove and

prevent barriers that impede the full participation of people with

disabilities.

I encourage everyone to learn more about Braille and celebrate it

as a major accomplishment in the way that people with vision loss can

communicate. I also encourage members to consider how we can all work

together to create accessible, inclusive communities where we all have

an opportunity to thrive.

SEA TO SKY GONDOLA

J. Sturdy: Last August a criminal act of vandalism caused the Sea to Sky

Gondola, an asset which has fundamentally changed the tourism economy in

Squamish, to come crashing to the ground.

Some of you may have enjoyed the views of Howe Sound and Garibaldi

or the suspension bridge or the network of accessible trails in this now

iconic installation. However, on August 10 last year, in the middle of a

record-breaking operating season, the main haul rope for the gondola was

deliberately and completely severed. Most of the 30 gondola cabins

attached to the cable crashed down the mountain. Only through good

fortune and the fact that this malicious act took place in the dark of

night is it that no person was hurt, although hundreds of people

suffered unexpected job loss.

Within a few short weeks of the sabotage, the Squamish Chamber of

Commerce and Tourism Squamish came together to host a job fair. The lift

manufacturers from Switzerland and Austria committed to getting this

important economic driver and tourism amenity back up and running with

all speed. Ahead of schedule, a new cable and 30 new cabins have been

installed and tested by Technical Safety British Columbia, and as one

would expect, a brand-new, state-of-the-art, high-tech security system

has also, unfortunately, had to be installed.

The Sea to Sky Gondola reopens this Friday, and it’s important to

recognize the team at the Sea to Sky Gondola, its industry suppliers and

partners and the community of Squamish for bringing back on line this

important asset, one that has reshaped outdoor recreation and

experience-based tourism in Squamish.

While I look forward to the opportunity to ride this gondola again

on Friday, I also look forward to the outcome of the criminal

investigation and witnessing the individuals or organization responsible

being held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the

law.

[1:55 p.m.]

REAL ACTS OF CARING WEEK

AND IMPORTANCE OF

KINDNESS

R. Glumac:

An act of kindness is a gift that each of us can give. It can not

only make a difference to someone who needs it, but it can ripple much

further than we can see. That’s why, back in 2005, a group of eight- and

nine-year-old students in Coquitlam started a week-long kindness

campaign to encourage people to do something nice for others without

expecting anything in return. It’s now known as Real Acts of Caring

Week, and it’s currently underway this week.

I’m proud to have the opportunity to stand up here in the House

and to talk about the importance of kindness. Our children face complex

issues, from cyberbullying to mental health concerns to questions about

gender and sexual identity. It’s so important that kindness be at the

forefront of our minds, because everyone deserves to be treated with

kindness. So this week and every week think about what you can do to

share some kindness.

In fact, today we have our first question period of the session.

To my colleagues on the other side of the floor: we receive so many

complaints about how we treat each other in the House. Maybe today for

the first question of question period we can start off saying something

nice. There are many ways we can spread kindness. That’s just one. There

are many others.

This week is a great opportunity to talk about that with your kids

and for the kids to talk about that with their parents — to talk about

the impact that a simple act of kindness can have on someone who needs

it.

RICHMOND CARES, RICHMOND GIVES

ACTIVITIES AND

EVENTS

J. Yap: I rise to speak about the incredible work done by Richmond Cares,

Richmond Gives, an organization that works tirelessly to ensure that

Richmond’s charitable sector has the resources it needs to make a

meaningful impact in the community, including a wide range of seniors

community support services, among other programs.

One of their most impactful events is the annual Richmond

Christmas fund, a program first started in the 1930s that is still going

strong, supported by nearly 200 volunteers who contribute well over

3,000 hours annually to give back to the community. Local business and

community groups held fundraisers and events throughout the holiday

season and collectively raised $125,000 for community members in

need.

These events included A Not So Silent Night gala, Richmond Auto

Mall’s Windows of Hope fundraiser, Richmond fire-rescue’s Christmas fund

drive-through event, the Steveston Beer Fest and Richmond RCMP’s annual

toy drive and pancake breakfast. Thanks to this generosity, Richmond

Cares, Richmond Gives was able to provide holiday help to the roughly

2,700 parents, children, seniors and teenagers who needed help. This

included toys, books and sports equipment, all collected through

donation drives and fundraising events. There are countless personal

stories of charity, its impacts and the joy that community-building

events such as these can have.

I was honoured to attend some of this past year’s events, and I

look forward to being a part of, hopefully, another record-breaking

season when the holidays hit later this year. I’d like to thank tireless

executive director Ed Gavsie and volunteer leaders Wayne Duzita and Rob

Howard and their great team for making Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives

the successful community organization that it is.

Oral Questions

RESPONSE TO PROTESTS SUPPORTING

WET’SUWET’EN HEREDITARY

CHIEFS

A. Wilkinson: Yesterday we saw this facility, the legislative precinct,

effectively blockaded and obstructed for about six hours. This is not

the first time we’ve had public infrastructure blockaded.

In recent memory, we have the Swartz Bay terminal, which was shut

down on January 20 of this year; the CN Rail link near New Hazelton from

February 8 to 12 — and we all know the risk of fatalities on rail lines;

Deltaport and Port of Vancouver, February 8 and 9; the Johnson Street

Bridge and Bay Street Bridge February 10; and Vancouver’s Cambie and

Broadway intersection on February 11 for, I gather, 14 hours. Then, of

course, today we have the Granville Street bridge blocked in both

directions on the main route between VGH and St. Pauls.

[2:00 p.m.]

The question obviously comes up: how much longer will the Premier

tolerate this obstruction of essential infrastructure that not only

inconveniences people but puts peoples’ lives at risk and makes life

miserable for ordinary British Columbians?

Hon. J. Horgan: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question.

Clearly, with respect to events here yesterday, I don’t think

there’s a member of this House that was not disoriented and disrupted in

our activities here. I give full credit to the staff, as the Leader of

the Opposition did, in keeping our legislative precinct operating. We

delivered a throne speech that had a whole host of issues that give hope

to British Columbians in every corner of this province with respect to

their car insurance, with respect to continuing education for their

youth, and a whole host of other issues that we will be able to talk

about in the throne speech debate and beyond.

With respect to the disruptions that the civil disobedience is

leading to, I agree with the former minister. I want to acknowledge to

all members of the House and to all British Columbians that civil unrest

is an appropriate part of our discourse in British Columbia and in

Canada, but interfering in the livelihoods and the well-being of other

people, putting other people at risk, is not acceptable.

Every member of this House agrees with that statement, and we need

to ensure that law enforcement has the tools they need. That’s through

the courts; it is not through edicts from politicians. We need to

respect those issues that have kept this country vibrant and dynamic for

150-plus years, and I’m confident that all members agree with

that.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Official Opposition on a

supplemental.

A. Wilkinson: Well, there’s no dispute in this House and in our society that

peaceful, orderly dissent is part of our democracy. That’s what the

front lawn of the Legislature was designed and built for, and that’s why

it remains an open space, through thick and thin.

British Columbians have limits on the right of protest. Closing

the container terminal at Prince Rupert cost $100,000 a day in lost

wages alone, let alone lost commerce and lost credibility. Closing the

Cambie and Broadway intersection for 14 hours on the busiest ambulance

route in western Canada means that people with chest pain on their way

to get life-saving procedures go on a detour with a motorcycle escort

because somebody decided to light a fire in the middle of the

intersection.

The leader of the federal NDP has tweeted: “The RCMP need to stand

down.” Will the Premier stand here today and condemn the remarks from

the federal leader of the NDP?

Hon. J. Horgan: I appreciate that those on the other side of the House have

multiple leaders in Ottawa. Certainly, Mr. Singh is entitled to his

opinions, as are all British Columbians and, indeed, all

Canadians.

I will agree with the member…. I know this will be disorienting

for him. I agree with the member that we need to address the challenges,

the disruptions in activities in British Columbia that have resulted

from the dispute on the land of the Wet’suwet’en people in northern

British Columbia. But we all know that the people that were assembled

here yesterday were talking about a whole bunch of issues completely

disassociated with the Wet’suwet’en people and a host of other

issues.

This is a challenge for all of us — government, opposition,

regular citizens. But we do not want to live in a society where

politicians direct law enforcement to do issues that are outside the

bounds of their abilities within the confines of our judicial

system.

Seek an injunction. That’s what companies do. That’s what we have

been doing, not just for the past month but for 150 years.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Official Opposition on a second

supplemental.

A. Wilkinson: Well, since the leader of the government of British Columbia is

not prepared to dismiss the remarks from his federal counterpart, who

seems to think the police should stay out of the way, let’s try another

one.

It’s no secret that the NDP have encouraged and supported

protestors in illegal blockades in the past. The now Minister of

Forests, who sits behind the Premier, has said: “In the Wet’suwet’en

governance system, the rightful Aboriginal title holders are the

Hereditary Chiefs.” A year ago that minister visited the illegal camp to

show his government’s continued support for the Hereditary Chiefs, who

were at the time obstructing permits and have recently been blocking a

court-ordered injunction.

[2:05 p.m.]

The Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness said: “The

elected band council system is a colonial construct.”

Premier, it’s time to rise and make clear that the rule of law as

created by this institution is the law of British Columbia and that the

role of the government of the day is to enforce the law. Will the

Premier stand here today and disavow the remarks from his Minister of

Forests and his parliamentary secretary and stand by the rule of

law?

Hon. J. Horgan: Again, I appreciate that out-of-context comments are the stock and

trade of opposition parties. This is an extremely serious issue, and all

of us understand that. I think it’s important that we hold it in that

place and talk about these things in an open way.

All of us, unanimously, supported the declaration on the rights of

Indigenous peoples just last fall, and those words need to mean

something beyond just being on a piece of paper. That means honest,

genuine dialogue with the different views in our province.

Leadership is not about directing people to get out of the way if

we disagree with them. Leadership is about bringing people together to

find a way forward. That’s what we’re all about on this side of the

House.

COMMENTS BY FORESTS MINISTER

RE WET’SUWET’EN HEREDITARY

CHIEFS

J. Johal: In 2015, the now Minister of Forests said: “In the Wet’suwet’en

governance system, the rightful Aboriginal titleholders are the

Hereditary Chiefs. No Hereditary Chiefs have said yes to pipelines in

their territories. In fact, they’ve said no to LNG-related gas pipelines

across their traditional territories.”

Will the minister stand in this House and admit he was wrong and

reject his past comments? Will the minister admit his actions inflamed

the situation and ultimately encouraged unlawful behaviour?

Hon. J. Horgan: All of us here have dual roles. Those on this side of the House, a

portion of us in government, are part of executive council. Every member

of this House is accountable and responsible to their constituents. The

member for Stikine was visiting his constituents, and they were

conducting a lawful activity. When that stopped, he stopped meeting with

them.

I think it’s beyond the pale, hon. Members, to bring up acting on

behalf of your constituents as part and parcel of what has been not a

recent phenomenon but a 150-year-old challenge about addressing the

injustice to Indigenous peoples right across the province. That’s what

we all collectively agreed to do last fall. Let’s redouble our efforts

to come together, to find a way forward, each of us at the same time,

all members of this House, making a better British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Queensborough on a supplemental.

J. Johal: It’s important to note, of course, that the Minister of Forests

was minister at that time, when he visited that site — number one. It’s

also important to note, on the record, that 20 First Nations, elected

bands, have supported this pipeline. It’s also important to note that

there’s going to be $1 billion worth of construction work available to

First Nations and non–First Nations communities.

The problem with the NDP is they want to have it both ways. In

opposition, they routinely participated in protests against the Coastal

GasLink Pipeline and vowed to stop the project. This week the friend and

predecessor of the Minister of Advanced Education chimed in. She is

presently the NDP MP for Vancouver East. She had this to say: “As

arrests continue, there are uprisings all across the country. People

from all four directions are rallying in support of the

Wet’suwet’en…shutting down roads, rail lines, ports and

trains.”

Will the minister admit today these statements are wrong and that

they encourage unlawful protests?

Hon. J. Horgan: Again, I’m grateful for the question from the member from the

opposition. I’ll remind him that we put in place a framework so that the

LNG Canada project would proceed in British Columbia — the largest

private sector investment in Canadian history. We did that conscious

that not every British Columbian agreed with us. We did that knowing

that there was a divide in communities…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. J. Horgan: …not just in the north but in the south as well.

This is a teachable moment. This is a teachable moment for people

on that side of the House.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. J. Horgan: Life is not black and white. Life is complex, and you have to work

with people to get positive outcomes. That’s why they’re over there, and

that’s why we’re over here.

[2:10 p.m.]

LNG CANADA PROJECT AND

GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP

WITH WET’SUWET’EN NATION

A. Olsen: We, indeed, have seen escalating protests across the province and

across the country. People are rallying in response to the Wet’suwet’en

Hereditary Chiefs who have, as has been pointed out, opposed the Coastal

GasLink Pipeline.

At its core, though…. What has not been said in the previous

questions is that these protests represent the long-standing failure of

Canadian governments to properly adhere to a Supreme Court decision that

established the need to address and reconcile Aboriginal rights and

title with the Crown sovereignty.

The issues that the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs have raised are

not new. Government has been well aware of the existing, long-standing

and unresolved matters relating to rights and title in the area. Yet in

spite of this, the NDP prioritized the financial regime put in place to

get LNG Canada, knowing full well that there was work to be done in the

Wet’suwet’en territory.

My question is to the Minister of Indigenous Relations and

Reconciliation. Why did the government proceed with approving a fiscal

package for LNG Canada when they knew these outstanding matters — legacy

issues, over 30 years, with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs — had not

yet been resolved?

Hon. S. Fraser: I want to thank the Leader of the Third Party for his

question.

This project represents a significant opportunity for all people

in British Columbia. Three thousand people so far have been hired on the

project. Local and Indigenous businesses are benefiting from this

project. The project will generate, it’s estimated, $23 billion in

revenue to the people of British Columbia for the services that we all

use and care about.

B.C. did conduct extensive consultations with Indigenous nations

and has signed agreements with the vast majority of nations along the

pipeline route. Substantial efforts also have been made to consult and

accommodate concerns that have been raised.

I should also note that we’ve been engaging in meaningful

discussions — government-to-government, nation-to-nation discussions,

reconciliation discussions — with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en. That

is the Hereditary Chiefs. Our discussions are proceeding in a respectful

way, with a recognition that this work together is both complex and will

take time.

This work is continuing. We will continue to work closely with the

Office of the Wet’suwet’en, the Hereditary Chiefs.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Third Party on a supplemental.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON RECONCILIATION

A. Olsen: One of my proudest moments as an MLA was the passage of the

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act — DRIPA, as it’s

known. One of my hardest days was being escorted into this place by

police to get past protesters screaming that reconciliation is

dead.

I’ve worked with the minister for over two years to bring us to

the introduction and the passage of DRIPA this past fall. When this

House passed DRIPA unanimously, we all took responsibility for

recognizing Indigenous laws within the Canadian legal system, while also

expressly recognizing that leadership other than established by the

federal Indian Act exists.

I will never accept that reconciliation is dead. In fact, now is

when we must lean in. However, it is more important than ever that this

government, through their words and, more importantly, their actions,

shows a pathway forward.

My question, again, is to the Minister of Indigenous Relations and

Reconciliation. What are the immediate steps he is taking to initiate a

more positive dialogue and set in motion the action plans required to

truly engage in the work that this government committed to in advancing

reconciliation?

Hon. S. Fraser: Thanks to the Leader of the Third Party for the question. Also, I

want to thank him for his advice and his insight for the last two and a

half years on the work we’ve been doing in the Ministry of Indigenous

Relations and Reconciliation around a whole range of initiatives

regarding reconciliation. I want to thank him for that.

While the events of the past week underscore, I think, the

challenges that we all face in reconciliation, they in no way shake our

resolve as government — or, I would hope, for all of us in this place —

to advance reconciliation.

[2:15 p.m.]

B.C. is the leader in advancing reconciliation. We made history by

recognizing the human rights of Indigenous people in law in this place

just a few months ago. The process of aligning B.C. laws to the UN

declaration will take time, but that work is already

underway.

The next step is developing an action plan, in collaboration with

Indigenous peoples, which will set out the priorities and the timeline

and the accountabilities. We have begun discussions with Indigenous

partners on how best to involve Indigenous peoples in the development of

the action plan. In addition, all ministers are continuing their ongoing

work to look at their legislation within their ministries and to bring

them into alignment with the UN declaration.

There’s a lot more to do. Reconciliation is a top priority for

this government, regardless of the events of this last week.

I would just remind everyone in this House of the $50 million

towards Indigenous language revitalization, the sharing of revenue, the

largest revenue-sharing agreement in the history of this province — $3

billion over 25 years, long-term, stable funding that never existed

before for every First Nations community in the province. Delivering

affordable housing on reserve — never done before. And, of course,

ensuring that children are cared for in Indigenous communities, where

that care belongs.

All of that work forms the basis for us as a government and

changes the Crown-Indigenous relationship in a way that will make it

better for all people in British Columbia.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP

WITH WET’SUWET’EN HEREDITARY

CHIEFS

AND ROLE OF NATHAN CULLEN

E. Ross: Good grief. The politics in this place haven’t done First Nations

any favours. It’s politics that got us to this place. You talk about

going to talk to Hereditary Chiefs, going to talk about the issues. On

that same day, when you went to talk to Hereditary Chiefs, did you go

visit the band councils too? Did you think about all the issues First

Nations are facing — the suicide, the unemployment? Did anybody talk

about that?

I hear these words — accountability, honest and genuine dialogue.

Nobody has any business going into these First Nations communities and

furthering the divide in any of the communities.

You should be ashamed of yourselves. You’re talking about one of

the most vulnerable people in Canada.

Interjection.

E. Ross: I’m already hearing heckling. Who’s heckling me? Where’s that

member from? Powell River….

These are real issues, and for the first time in our history, we

have the opportunity to fix these issues. But no. What do we see? We see

1 percent of a minority being addressed in this House. Nobody is talking

about the 99 percent of the people that are being put into jobs,

education, training and fixing their own lives.

We’ve heard a lot of talk about Aboriginal rights and title here.

Which case law principle are you talking about — Haida, Delgamuukw,

Mikisew Cree? Which one? There’s a whole rafter of case law principles

that define the relationship between the Crown and First Nations. That’s

the rule book we should have been following, not the political road that

we’re taking now.

My question is to the Minister of Indigenous Relations. On January

27, you hired Nathan Cullen to talk to the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary

Chiefs. Is he still working for you guys?

Hon. S. Fraser: I thank the member for the question. I don’t agree with all his

premises, but I respect his position.

We’ve actually been working with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en

for over a year. I was honoured to attend an event, a smoke feast, which

the Premier, the member for Stikine and myself attended. It was an

inclusive process where elected were present along with the Hereditary

Chiefs. Since that time, we have initiated a reconciliation process. We

have provided resources to help with that, to hopefully bring unity

together within the Wet’suwet’en people.

[2:20 p.m.]

There are disagreements, obviously, between elected and hereditary

on the roles of governance within the Wet’suwet’en. Our work with them

is, in part, to help bring the communities together in ways….

At that time, we brought on — and he is still working with us —

Murray Rankin, a respected constitutional lawyer, a former MP. In the

more recent process of trying to de-escalate the standoff and the police

action that ended up following, we did bring in Nathan Cullen — again, a

former MP, a respected person — to help coordinate. He co-chaired the

meetings that we attended with the Office of the Wet’suwet’en in our

relationship-building and learning the role of the hereditary and how

that plays with the rest of the community.

That work will continue. It began with an invite from the Office

of the Wet’suwet’en to attend a very important ceremony, and we were all

very honoured to take

part in that. I don’t make any apologies for the

work we’re doing on reconciliation with all Wet’suwet’en

people.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Skeena on a supplemen­tal.

E. Ross: The question is: is Nathan Cullen still working for you guys? That

was the question. I didn’t ask if the work was ongoing on reconciliation

and whatnot. This was a specific exercise undertaken by this

government.

Let’s just look at what Nathan Cullen has said over the years. On

January 8: “For the Wet’suwet’en, responsibility falls to the

traditional Elders, the Hereditary Chiefs of each of the house clans.”

On February 10: “If CGL proceeds before issues of rights and title of

the Wet’suwet’en have been sorted, we’ll be throwing their rights

away.”

You hired a guy that already has a bias against LNG and already

has an opinion on what rights and title should look like. The only

people that should determine that are the courts of B.C. and Canada, not

some ex-politician who already has made some statements.

The question remains: is Nathan Cullen still working for you

guys?

Hon. J. Horgan: I appreciate the view of the member for Skeena.

Again, I want to reiterate that the objective of government, any

government, all governments, is to try to find a positive way forward

for all people in the jurisdiction you’re responsible for. I make no

apologies for taking someone of the calibre of Nathan Cullen, well

respected by Coastal GasLink, by LNG Canada, by the Office of the

Wet’suwet’en and by this government, and asking him to help us find a

way forward, because that’s what governing is about — finding a way

forward.

The member’s absolutes are the whole point. That’s the whole

reason we’re trying to unravel this — to bring the jobs that we all want

in the community that he represents, to bring prosperity to all British

Columbians, not just those who are lucky enough to buy in at the start.

We want to make sure that First Peoples and everyone are in a position

to benefit from the splendour of this province.

You can shake your head all you want, Member. You can shake your

head all you want.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. J. Horgan: You don’t care about harmony. You just want disruption.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, order, please.

RESPONSE TO PROTESTS SUPPORTING

WET’SUWET’EN HEREDITARY

CHIEFS

M. Polak: We’ve talked about what happened yesterday here at this building.

We’ve also heard recitation of the shutdown of ports, major roadways,

what’s happening in downtown right now. I was also privy to an online

message from someone who was literally trapped in their office building

downtown, trying to go out through the stairwell, gets to the bottom and

guess what. Barricaded, can’t go out. Very serious.

We’ve got something else coming up, and that is that the same

group are now planning something on the 14th. I’ll read from one of

their organizing emails. “This coming Friday, the 14th, beginning at 8

a.m. and continuing till noon, a whole bunch of us” — by their planning

document, it looks like it’s close to 500 — “have committed to

coordinating the shutdown of as many B.C. government ministries as we

can.”

Will they be allowed to shut down these ministry

offices?

[2:25 p.m.]

Hon. J. Horgan: As I said in questions from the Leader of the Opposition, all of

us and all British Columbians want those who have a different point of

view to have the opportunity to express that point of view but not at

the expense of the liberty of other people. It’s pretty straightforward.

That’s a role for law enforcement and the courts.

Again, I ask the member. Would she like to live in a society where

the Leader of the Opposition could direct police to do whatever he felt

was best for him? Of course not. We don’t think that either.

Mr. Speaker: The House Leader for the official opposition on a

supplemental.

M. Polak: What the Premier is ignoring, though, is there’s also another

obligation, and it’s not about politicians interfering in what police do

or things like that. There’s also proactive planning as an employer,

right? As an employer, you have people you need to keep safe. You have

operations that need to continue.

The protesters themselves have an extensive planning document.

They identify, and I believe…. Since it’s on line, I’m sure government

folks must have possession of this as well. They’ve targeted 20 sites.

They’ve identified them. They’ve asked participants to identify where

they will be involved. They’ve also said….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, order, please. The House Leader for the official

opposition has the floor.

M. Polak: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The organizing email goes on to say: “Feel free to let me know if

you have a particular grudge against any ministry in particular.” So

they’re organizing on that basis.

The reason I’m asking the question is not to ask that government

somehow get in there and play director with the individual police

operations. It’s this. You actually have an obligation to plan

proactively for how these workers will be kept safe, how ministry

operations will go forward, and that’s where my question

lands.

Notwithstanding the fact that we have government ministers who

have lent their support to these protests in the past, people who work

there and people who rely on the services want assurance that these

folks will not be allowed to get close enough to shut down government

services.

What kinds of plans are in place? And can these workers be assured

that this isn’t going to happen?

Hon. J. Horgan: I thank the member for the question, which is an appropriate one

appropriately delivered. Yes, government is working on a plan to address

these issues. I’m confident that the security personnel here have access

to that material, but I’m confident that if you’re prepared to give us a

copy, we’ll ensure that the appropriate authorities have

them.

The issue, however, is an appropriate one. I want all members of

this place and all public employees working for the province of British

Columbia…. There is a plan in place to protect them in the event that

this type of activity continues.

I think we all know and recognize the member of…. The Leader of

the Official Opposition made reference to it in his opening question. No

one wants to shut down legitimate debate and dialogue and dissent. It’s

unlawful activity that all of us abhor. I support the member on that. I

support the House Leader on that. I think that if we start talking in a

civilized way about the challenges that the member for Skeena touched

upon, about making sure we can lift people out of poverty by working

together to try and make sure that everyone’s on board when we move

forward — not unanimity but a better understanding of what makes

everybody tick — that’s a good thing for government to do.

We’re absolutely prepared. I thank the member for her thoughtful

question, and we’ll proceed from there.

PROTEST SUPPORTING WET’SUWET’EN

HEREDITARY CHIEFS AT

LEGISLATURE

AND POLICE INVESTIGATION

M. de Jong: The events of yesterday were certainly extraordinary here in B.C.

Members of the public, public servants, media, MLAs, even ministers of

the Crown were spit upon. They were assaulted. They were, in some cases,

physically denied entry into this Legislative Assembly. And we now know

that there are specific plans to expand just that kind of behaviour

elsewhere across the province by the same people that organized

yesterday’s behaviour.

[2:30 p.m.]

We know that the police are investigating. Protecting the rule of

law means enforcing the rule of law. The Crown Counsel Act authorizes

the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor. In circumstances

where members of the government in the past have professed sympathy and

support for the people advocating this very position and advocating

these tactics, will the Attorney General stand up and confirm that a

special prosecutor has been appointed? And if not, why not?

Hon. D. Eby: The Premier has been very clear. The government has no time for

people breaking the law, and we have absolute confidence in our Crown

counsel to do the job that’s necessary.

[End of question period.]

Motions Without Notice

APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE

TO APPOINT AN AUDITOR

GENERAL

Hon. M. Farnworth: By leave, I move:

[That a Special Committee be appointed to select and unanimously

recommend to the Legislative Assembly the appointment of an individual

as Auditor General, pursuant to

section 2 of the Auditor General

Act (S.B.C. 2003, c. 2).

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) Adjourn from place to place as may be convenient;

and

(

d) Retain such personnel as required to assist the

Special Committee.

That any information or evidence previously under consideration by

the Special Committee appointed by order of the House on October 10,

2019 be referred to the Special Committee.

That the Special Committee report to the House as soon as possible,

or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the

case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of

the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon

resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all

reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

APPOINTMENT OF

SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO APPOINT A

CLERK OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Hon. M. Farnworth: By leave, I move:

[That a Special Committee be appointed to select and unanimously

recommend to the Legislative Assembly the appointment of an individual

to exercise the powers and duties assigned to the Clerk of the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia pursuant to statutory

provisions, the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly, and the

position description approved by the Legislative Assembly Management

Committee on October 23, 2019.

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) Adjourn from place to place as may be convenient;

and

(

d) Retain such personnel as required to assist the

Special Committee.

That any information or evidence previously under consideration by

the Special Committee appointed by order of the House on May 30, 2019 be

referred to the Special Committee.

That the Special Committee report to the House as soon as possible,

or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the

case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of

the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon

resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all

reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

Tabling Documents

Hon. C. James: I have the honour to present the Public Service Benefit Plan Act

2018-2019 annual report.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne.

[2:35 p.m.]

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Deputy Speaker: Members who do not have business in the House, you may leave so that we

can continue with the business of the House.

Throne Speech Debate

M. Dean: I move, seconded by the member for Delta North:

[That we, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative

Assembly of British Columbia in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your

Honour for the gracious Speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the

opening of the present session.]

Hon. Speaker, it’s a real honour to rise today as the MLA for

Esquimalt-Metchosin. I’d like to start with recognition that we do our work

here on the traditional territory of the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ-speaking people, now

known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. That’s really important to me

because within my constituency are the First Nations of the Songhees and

Esquimalt communities and reserves and Scia’new, as well, at Beecher

Bay.

My constituency contains four municipalities: Esquimalt, View Royal,

Colwood and Metchosin. Within that, we have CFB Esquimalt as well. I have a

lot of military families living in my community. It’s very coastal. It goes

from urban in downtown Esquimalt all the way to rural out in

Metchosin.

I’d like to just take this opportunity to actually say thank you to my

staff. I have some amazing staff across lots of different offices out of

which we work. I have three members of staff in my constituency office:

Andrew Barrett, Lawrence Herzog and Nubwa Wathanafa. They do amazing work,

represent me well in the community and really listen to people who come into

my office. The door is open four days a week, and we take appointments on

Friday. They manage my time really well. They’re so respectful and so

resourceful and helpful to people in my constituency office.

In my legislative office, I have Noah Mitchell. Again, he’s a great

support. For example, when Elder Shirley comes in, he’s always very helpful,

making sure that she’s properly greeted and finds her way about safely and

securely and with every comfort that she needs. He’s quick on his feet and

thinks ahead for me as well.

I have Ange Liu, who’s my ministerial assistant, who has been working

with me now for several months. She really knows me and understands me, is

really helpful in our gender equity work and helpful as part of our whole

team. I have a team in the gender equity office as well. My ADM, Dr. Melanie

Stewart, carries a lot of weight and certainly punches well above our

weight. It’s a small gender equity office as well.

I was really excited by the throne speech. It’s going to be a great

benefit to many people in my community, as well as closing gaps in our

gender equity file. I’ll be able to highlight some of those. The throne

speech opened the fifth session of the 41st parliament. It took time to

recognize the achievements that we’d already accomplished getting to this

time and to highlight what’s going to be coming ahead — what our government

is going to be doing in the session ahead.

We recognize that we have accomplished a lot and that there is a lot

left to do. We have a lot of catching up to do after so many years of

neglect and inequality. I say this to other people. I say: “Pick a ministry,

or pick an area.” We’ve now understood just how much damage has been done by

the depth and the breadth of neglect.

Hard-working families living across my community were suffering. They

were living paycheque to paycheque. They couldn’t get by. If they had an

unexpected crisis — they suddenly had to have extra servicing done on their

vehicle, or they had extra medical bills or something — they couldn’t cope

with that. People were just $200 away from not being able to recover. At the

same time, tax breaks were given to the people at the top.

[2:40 p.m.]

Houses in my community were treated as commodities. The housing market

in my community was spinning out of control. It was skyrocketing. It was

difficult for hard-working people in my community to find homes, to find

homes that were appropriate for them or good quality for them, or they would

be unnecessarily indebted to somebody else and potentially exploited just to

be able to get a roof over their head.

Services were being cut. I was feeling like we were operating in a

valley of no services, of dust balls rolling, while at the same time, my

community is one of the fastest growing in British Columbia. So the gaps

between services available and level of need in the community was getting

wider and wider all the time.

That was actually one of the reasons why I ended up in politics. It

was because I had done as much advocacy and as much work and as much

resourcing and grant writing as I could, and we just felt like we weren’t

actually making progress. So it’s the system that needs to

change.

When we formed government, we took these challenges on. We wanted to

make sure that people could have hope and that people could get ahead. We

put people first. One of the first things that we did was take big money out

of politics in British Columbia, and we’ve tightened lobbying rules. We want

our elected officials working for British Columbians, not working for

corporations. I go home and tell people in my community that I’m working for

them.

Every time I’m in a committee or in a meeting, I’m thinking of the

people in my community and thinking: how does this story that I’m being

told…? This pressure that’s being put on me to help make things go one way

or another — how will it be translated back home? How will it impact people

and families in their daily lives now and for the long term as

well?

In our early days, we took immediate steps to tackle affordability and

inequality. I can tell you that really benefited many people in my

community. For example, we increased disability rates. This year, we’re

going to increase earnings exemptions for people on disability and income

assistance. I know that that creates a lot of self-determination, a lot of

dignity. I hear from people in my community that that’s what they want. They

want to be able to create their own future and to be able to try and get

ahead without just being dependent on handouts.

We’ve reduced interest on student loans. We’ve raised the minimum

wage. We created a plan, a strategy, for raising the minimum wage in British

Columbia. That is really significant in closing gaps, as well, and reducing

inequality. It won’t come as a surprise that the majority of workers on

minimum wage are women. Within that group of women on minimum wage, many of

them are immigrant women, Indigenous women, women with disabilities. Other

women who are marginalized are overrepresented in that group. So lifting

them with rises to the minimum wage is really significant, and for the

families who depend on them as well.

Something else that was really important, but it’s been hard to kind

of get the message out there about how important this is as well, is that we

actually tackled the issue of the liquor server wage. About 90 percent of

people receiving the liquor server wage are women. What does that do? It

creates a system of dependency and exploitation, because it’s based on the

premise that liquor servers — women — are going to be reliant upon

tips.

What does tipping do? Tipping creates expectations. Tipping creates an

imbalance of power between the server and the customer. That gets exploited

for so many women. By actually taking that category out and having just the

minimum wage, we’re actually protecting more women in British Columbia as

well.

Another really significant public policy that we’ve given priority to

is good-quality, affordable, universal child care. I am so proud. It makes

such a difference in so many ways. It has so many by-products that are

really positive for communities, for the province, for closing inequality.

The one single public policy that has the biggest impact on closing the pay

gap between men and women anywhere is universal child care.

[2:45 p.m.]

This is a really significant investment in actually enabling families

to tackle their affordability, to make choices about going back into the

economy, about how they want their family to be earning money, contributing

to the economy, building businesses and planning for their future as

well.

I’ve had so many parents come to me with tears — you know, this is

life-altering — saying: “Thank you for bringing child care that’s affordable

into my community.” Let me tell you. In my community, families quite often

couldn’t find child care. It’s so scarce. Again, it’s one of the

fastest-growing communities and one of the youngest communities. Young

families are living, particularly, in the western half of my community

because it’s more affordable. That’s where the development is as well. There

wasn’t investment in child care. The child care spaces weren’t actually

keeping up. So people didn’t even have a choice.

Not only that, but if they were really looking for child care and they

desperately needed it, they would then have to commute out of their

community to get child care, and then they would have to commute into their

work. Or maybe they had another kid they had to drop somewhere else as well,

like a breakfast club or at school or whatever. That doesn’t help families

to create a good balance of life and be able to create the kind of family

lifestyle that they want and that they deserve. It puts more cars on the

road for more amount of time as well. It creates stress, it’s not good for

the environment, and it’s not good for the local community

either.

By investing in child care in my community…. People tell me it’s a

game-changer. I know it has a significant impact on increasing capacity for

employers so that they can actually find people to work. One of the things

that we hear in my community from employers is: “We have a skilled labour

shortage.” We have a shortage of any kind of…. They’re finding it hard to

fill vacancies. Creating those choices for people to re-enter the labour

force is benefiting businesses as well, and then benefiting the environment

too.

Our program supports good-quality child care. It’s early childhood

education, and we’re creating a really professional system of early

childhood education that’s accessible and affordable. In

Esquimalt-Metchosin, the total amount of child care investments is actually

over $10 million. Those are investments in the child care operating fund,

the affordable child care benefit, the early childhood educator wage

enhancement, the child care fee reduction, the maintenance fund for

providers, the start-up grants, Aboriginal Head Start and UBCM space

creation.

There are a lot of different initiatives that we’re tackling. There’s

not going to be one cookie-cutter approach to this — like just one answer is

going to solve this issue. We’ve got to build up the workforce, and we’ve

got to create incentives for people to be training. So we’re increasing

training spaces. Plus, we’re raising the wages. We need to physically build

early childhood education centres as well. There’s a lot to be done, and we

are taking action already on that.

The total amount that has gone back to parents — these are parents in

my community, Esquimalt-Metchosin, who are going to reinvest those dollars

locally — through reduced fees and benefits is $5,767,773. Lots of money

going into the pockets of parents in my community. Again, we know the added

effect of people being able to afford things in their local community as

well. The total number of spaces approved in Esquimalt-Metchosin is 65. So a

lot more work to do.

There are lots of partnerships and networks in my community that I

know are working really hard on that, and I really want to thank them for

all of their work. There have been a lot of people working in this sector

for a long time who didn’t get recognition, who stuck there and who are now

on to a second generation of families in their community.

We’re here now. We’re here as allies and as supporters and to

recognize the profession of early childhood educators and all the work that

they’ve done. So now people in my community are able to make these choices

that are good for their kids, good for the economy and good for their

families.

[2:50 p.m.]

Now, another significant affordability issue in my community — and, I

know, across the province, as well, but especially in our region — is

housing. The vacancy rate for rentals is below 1 percent in my community,

and prices of houses skyrocketed.

The previous government did nothing to prevent the commodification of

people’s homes in our communities. That benefited the wealthy already and

left families struggling to live together in the same community, not

knowing, having uncertainty about where they might be able to live if they

lost their rental apartment or if they weren’t able to purchase a

home.

I know of many families in my community who were couch-surfing. I know

people would say to me: “Oh, West Shore. You don’t have a homelessness

problem.” Oh, we do. We do. It might not be as visible as downtown, for

example, because people are couch-surfing. People are overcrowded. People

are moving about. Our people are living in places that are too small or too

deplorable than they should be living in and bringing up their families.

But, oh yeah, we have a housing issue as well.

I knew of a single mom. She had three kids. She was given an eviction

notice by the owners of the house that she was in. She went out house

hunting in the region, in the community. At one house that she went to,

there were 17 other people viewing it, so she just left. I mean, she just

knew that they would be placing bids, and the amount would skyrocket, and

she couldn’t even get involved in any of that.

I have a frequent visitor to my constituency office, an elderly man

with a lovely dog. My constituency assistant loves him coming by and loves

seeing the dog and having the dog come for a pat, as well. He’s a senior,

and he lives in an RV. He lives in an RV in my community, and quite often,

he can’t find anywhere to park his RV, or he gets moved on and turned away.

So he’s struggling.

Last year, in May, we had a children’s party at our house. We went for

a walk in the forest at the back of my house in rural Metchosin. One of the

curious kids strayed off the path and found a tent in the forest behind my

house, with two people sleeping. Well, they weren’t there, but there was

bedding for two people. When we lifted the tent up, obviously it had been

there for a long time, uninvited, a surprise, and a sign of the times, I

suppose. What a sad sign of the times that is.

Our government made a choice. We created a housing plan that is

comprehensive and tackles all the root causes of inequality and poor

housing. So, for example, we’re increasing supply. We’ve created improved

protections. We’re cracking down on speculation and fraud. I can tell you

that I see the results of this plan all around my community.

In Colwood, as I travel down Wale Road, to my left, behind some

construction fencing, there used to be a big, big hole. It had been there

for years. It was the laugh of the town that there were all these holes

around and about. It would just fill up with water, and it was an eyesore

and a danger.

Anyway, we now have a collaborative partnership that has B.C. Housing

funding for an Indigenous housing project that will go in there. It’s going

to be phenomenal. It’s right opposite the West Shore Child, Youth and Family

Centre. It’s walkable distance to a grocery store and lots of other

amenities, and then, just down at the next junction, there’s the rec centre

and the library. It’s perfect. So that’s on my left.

Then, as I look up the hill, there’s a 100-unit affordable housing

development. It’s actually on Goldstream Avenue, on a different road, but I

can see it, and it’s rising. I see these buildings going up. I’m so excited

that I’m actually going to be doing some ribbon cutting and meeting some

families who are going to be moving into these in the foreseeable

future.

Then, just around the corner, there’s a housing hub project. That’s in

a little neighbourhood that actually has quite a lot of military families in

it. So that’s a really innovative partnership with the new model of the

housing hub and, again, collaboration — people coming together to help to

solve these issues. Then we have two projects in development in Esquimalt,

and View Royal also has plans for affordable housing as well. So I’m seeing

the results of our commitments, and I know that there will be more of these

projects coming forward as well.

[2:55 p.m.]

British Columbia now has a homeless action plan, and we have a

strategy to lift people out of poverty. Starting in October, families who

need more support will receive the child opportunity benefit.

Again, women are often more at risk of living in poverty, and a large

proportion of people living in poverty in British Columbia are single moms.

Our investments in tackling poverty, supporting the education system and

eliminating MSP are helping struggling families to have more opportunities

to get ahead.

We’ve been hearing recently, of course, from families about how their

car insurance rates are becoming too high for them to afford. Families in my

community are struggling with so many different pressures on them, and we’re

working really hard to try and tackle all of them. It’s another example of

mismanagement and abandonment under the previous government.

We’ve started with some reforms that have been successful, and we’re

going to continue this transformation this year so that by next year, at

renewal, drivers can expect a 20 percent reduction in their insurance rates.

That’s going to be really significant for people in my community who are

living so close to the line on a regular basis. The transformation will not

only make it more affordable. It takes costly legal fees out of the system

and gives enhanced coverage for medical care.

My constituency, as I described to begin with, is really diverse, and

many families do still need their cars and depend on them to get around and

to get their kids to where their kids need to be. They have vehicles for

work or for their own business and for the local economy as well. Now

they’re going to actually experience an insurance system that’s based more

on fairness and accountability. So I’m really proud of that.

Now let’s talk about a different kind of injury: domestic violence and

sexual assault. It is far too prevalent and pervasive in our province.

Intimate partner violence is the most common kind of violence experienced by

women. Of the 945 partner homicides between 2008 and 2018, 79 percent were

women. Let’s call it what it is. This is femicide. Most femicides are

actually by the woman’s husband — 73 percent. Indigenous women experience

high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault: 2.7 times more domestic

violence and three times more sexual assault.

In my role as Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, I meet with a

lot of people and a lot of stakeholders. I meet with a lot of Indigenous

women with real lived experience as well. So many of them — doesn’t matter

their age, doesn’t matter their profession and doesn’t matter their history

— tell me that hardly a day goes by that they aren’t propositioned by

someone. That is appalling, and we have to change it.

We had the most police-reported sexual assaults in Canada in 2017 than

in any year since 1998. So we need to continue tackling that. In 2016 and

2017, over half of sexual assault victims were women under 25 years, and

then they live with that for the rest of their lives.

I’m very proud that our government passed legislation last year to

give workers up to ten days of job-protected leave if they’re facing

domestic or sexual violence. At the time, we promised that we would look at

this further. So we actually did some more consultations. We did some focus

groups with representatives from labour, from the women-serving sector and

also from employers and employers’ groups as well. We did an online survey,

too. We had thousands of responses. Let’s face it: it’s mostly women and

people of diverse gender who are impacted by sexual assault and physical

violence in their intimate relationships.

[3:00 p.m.]

I want to say to the Leader of the Opposition that this is not a tough

marriage. This is abuse, injury and harm. It is traumatizing, and it can be

deathly. So we’re not going to minimize our understanding of domestic

violence and sexual assault. We take it seriously. It can have an impact on

survivors for the rest of their lives.

People recover in different ways, but people will need support and

help. It’s traumatizing. Not only that; you might need to actually be

organized and change some aspects of your life at the same time, as well —

at the time of, potentially, a critical injury and definitely a trauma.

We’re committed to supporting people who’ve experienced domestic violence

and sexual assault because that will actually help them to rebuild their

lives and rebuild the lives of their children if they have children with

them as well. That will help them be stronger, more resilient and more

healthy as they move forward.

If you imagine it, people who have experienced domestic violence and

sexual assault might need to go to court, might need to get medical help,

might need a forensic exam. If you have kids and you’re actually leaving an

abusive home, then you need to find that home, and you might also need to

change their schools. All of this takes up time and energy at a time when

you’re feeling the most hurt and the most powerless.

I spent 30 years working in the sector, and I see the impacts of

domestic violence and sexual assault. There are many complexities to it

where people are being bullied and being groomed and being systematically

disempowered and where they need to be able to make those decisions and take

those actions in ways that can’t be detected.

You don’t want to impact someone’s payroll in an abusive relationship

when it probably is being scrutinized, for example. You have to think about

the power dynamics that are going on here to be able to provide a tool that

can actually be used by people at the time that they need it. So the leave

can be taken in pieces; it doesn’t have to be taken consecutively or a whole

day at a time. It could be for going for counselling. It could be for going

to court. It could be for going to see a solicitor. Whatever is needed in

that particular situation.

I’m really proud that this year we’re actually going to be bringing in

legislation that will provide for five days of paid leave. For me, with my

community and my experience, I know that is going to help people in my

community. I can say now, as well, that there are people in this building

and in these chambers who have had these experiences and who know what it’s

like to go through them. So let’s not minimize the impact of any kind of

domestic violence and sexual assault.

We’re also investing in schools and the education system. People in my

community see it directly, especially as you drive along Metchosin Road. You

have the ocean on one side and the Royal Bay development on the other side,

which is a really big residential development. A new high school was built

there maybe four years ago now, Royal Bay High School.

Under the old system of the previous government, the new school was

built on enrolment of the day, not on projections. You can see the land. You

can see where the development is going to go. It’s one of the

fastest-growing communities in British Columbia. So within the first year or

two, we ended up with portables on the site of a brand-new high

school.

Our government is taking a different approach. We’re actually working

on the basis of projected enrolment, because we want to eliminate portables

for our students. So we’re investing in this school for an extension. We’re

already putting an extension on a school that isn’t five years old. We are

because we know the area and the school needs it. So again I’m going to be

really excited to go there and be part of an opening ceremony and create

more beautiful space for our students at Royal Bay.

The space they have there is stunning. The library literally overlooks

the ocean. There’s natural wood and natural materials throughout the school.

It really creates that sense of dignity, belief and worth in our students in

the school.

[3:05 p.m.]

In fact, our government has invested in over 80 school capital

projects. In the schools, the students also have more learning supports:

4,200 new teachers, 700 new special education teachers and nearly 200

teachers, psychologists and counsellors. All of these professionals are

critical to the success of our students.

Let’s look at some of the outcomes of our investments. We have now

improved Indigenous graduation rates to the highest ever seen in British

Columbia. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone in

B.C. who ensures that our education system is successful and meets the needs

of our students.

Now, another project we worked on in education that I was really proud

of was with the United Way to ensure that menstrual products are free and

available to students who need them across our education system. I’m also

really proud to be a member of the B.C. NDP caucus that has signed the

Period Promise pledge. Our government will continue to progress to ensure

that services are available for all people.

We’re promoting an inclusive province, tackling hate crime and

race-based intolerance. We now have sexual orientation and gender identity

initiatives in every single school district. We lifted the trans flag at the

Legislature on Trans Remembrance Day for the first time last year. And we

have created a provincial anti-racism network to address hate and

victimization.

I see my colleague the member for Delta North is here with us in

chambers. This is a great opportunity for me to say how proud I was of the

work that he did. I was very proud to be able to participate in a workshop

that he led that explored racism experienced in British Columbia. It was

humbling. It was very humbling. It was also an honour to hear of the truth

and the real lived experiences and, also, their ideas for how we move

forward safely and positively.

We’re going to continue to ensure that we advance equality, diversity

and human rights. Building a better B.C. is one where everyone can be

included and can thrive and can fulfil their potential. We know that for

people to be able to thrive, they need to have mental wellness, mental

health, so we’re investing in mental health care with our Pathway to Hope

road map. This includes early intervention and putting services in places

where they’ll be accessed — in schools, for example, for students or in the

community, for example, in Foundry centres and other centres with wraparound

care. Indigenous communities are planning, designing, delivering services

that will meet their mental health priorities.

Now, I come from the community social service sector, and I lived

through cutbacks in our community. We saw wait-lists increase, and the

complexity of issues increased substantially. So I am really proud to be

part of a government that recognizes the importance of investing in mental

health. We have the first and only Minister of Mental Health, and her team

is doing a great job.

We have, for example, a therapeutic recovery community in View Royal.

It’s helping to divert individuals from jail to recovery. There’s a

recognition there of the trauma that people have gone through that leads

into addiction and associated activities that get people into

trouble.

It’s a wonderful environment. It’s gone through lots of different

iterations of the function and purpose of it, and it was renovated to create

this therapeutic community. The collaboration there is really neat, because

the renovation was actually done by HeroWork. HeroWork is another community

organization that supports non-profits by coming in and doing a renovation

project with them. We had a wonderful opening ceremony there, and they’ve

really created some beautiful features. They’re going to have a community

garden, and it’s really going to help people and give them the best

opportunity for recovery.

In fact, I was just at another HeroWork project recently which is

Peers, an organization that supports people in the sex trade. They, as well,

have had a wonderful renovation in their building in Esquimalt.

[3:10 p.m.]

Of course, we have the opioid crisis as well. With the work that the

ministry has done with our expanded harm reduction and treatment options,

we’ve actually averted 4,700 deaths. We know we have more to do, and we are

making some progress there.

Our government is also investing in public health services and in

building the public health system. We have moved forward on 13 hospital

projects and opened 12 urgent and primary care centres. There’s a new urgent

primary care centre that serves my community. Indeed, this centre receives

the most visits of any of these centres from across the whole

province.

In actual fact, I had to use it. On the last snow day that we had, my

husband slipped on ice and cut his head. He landed on his head in the car

park, so I took him straight there. We were received by very professional

staff. We waited in a very comfortable waiting area. We were treated by a

nurse practitioner and then a doctor. Seven stitches later we were out and

on our way home. We got home in time for dinner, and this had happened at

lunchtime.

Without that centre being there and having the dedicated professional

staff and the nursing and then the doctor services, we would have ended up

at the ER at Victoria General Hospital, further away from home, and taking

up their resources, which is already a stressed system, and probably would

have been away from home for a much longer time.

I thank everybody at the centre for their dedication, for their

professionalism and for their care as well. I thank all health

professionals, everybody involved in the health system and the health

service, for all of their work, for all British Columbians.

Across our health service, we’re seeing improvements — more MRIs,

reduced wait times, more care for seniors. We appreciate all the hard work

that goes into taking care of British Columbians every day.

Our work on reconciliation is another area I’m very proud of. I myself

have been very fortunate to receive guidance and teachings from a local

Elder. I have known Elder Shirley for probably over a decade now. She’s

generous in her teachings and in her advice and support. I’ve been blessed

and honoured with a blanketing ceremony in my community.

An Indigenous woman who I was working with…. You know, she had been

observing my work in the community before I was elected, and she asked me

one day: “Have you ever been blanketed? You’re a woman leader in the

community. You must have had a blanketing ceremony.”

I was like: “Well, I’m an immigrant, and no.” So she arranged it for

me, and it was very, very meaningful. It really meant a lot to

me.

I’ve been learning language from an Elder, and he’s given me

permission to use that language, as well, out in public, here in chambers.

I’m very humbled by that, and I really appreciate the generosity and the

teachings of the Indigenous people in my community.

As a Legislature, we made history when we unanimously endorsed the

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. This signals that the

work is starting, that we’re committed to it, genuinely. We’ll step into our

journey and our pathway together. Looking ahead, we’re going to develop an

action plan together. Our pathway ahead must include action in response to

the climate crisis.

The throne speech presented a vision for a strong, sustainable economy

that provides good-paying jobs and quality public services for people and

provides businesses with the opportunities that they need to compete and

thrive in the global marketplace. Wherever you live in B.C., you’re probably

seeing signs of infrastructure investment. This government is making sure

that public investments provide public benefits.

We’re rolling out community benefits agreements on some of these

projects. I’m very proud of the community benefits agreements because

they’re providing better training, apprenticeships and trades opportunities

for Indigenous people, women and youth around the province. They are

underrepresented.

Our Clean BC climate plan is helping us to grow sustainable economy

with good jobs and opportunities for people. It’s already working. More

people have cleaner options for getting around, for heating our homes and

fuelling industry. More communities are investing in clean energy and green

building projects.

[3:15 p.m.]

Already people in my community are telling stories about how they’re

saving ten to 15 minutes a day riding the bus into town these days because

of the new bus lanes.

I would just like to say that the throne speech really charters out

the way forward that we’re going to be moving, building on our successes and

continuing along with the same values. I know that everyone in my community

loves living here, has a dream of working and bringing up a family in our

beautiful area. Our government is making choices to ensure that this remains

a choice for them — for them to be able to afford a good home, to be able to

choose local, good-quality child care, to make their contribution to

tackling the climate crisis, and to be part of the pathway forward on

reconciliation.

R. Kahlon: I rise to second that motion: “That we, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and

loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in session

assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious Speech which Your

Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present

session.”

It’s my privilege to stand and speak today in favour of this throne

speech. I don’t think it’s going to surprise many that I’m speaking in

favour of the throne speech. There are a few shocked faces I can see across

the way, but they shouldn’t be too shocked.

I want to start just recognizing…. In the beginning of the throne

speech, there were many people who we’ve lost in the last year that were

recognized. It’s a tradition of throne speeches of all governments to

recognize these people — some civil servants, some people prominent in B.C.

— who made B.C. a better place.

I want to say something that hits close to home: the mention of

Brandon Bassi. I know that the Minister of Labour and I have both spoken

about what a great loss Brandon was to our community. This young man, a

soccer superstar, had the entire world ahead of him, and we lost him way too

soon. The community is still shook up. I visited the local high school just

recently, and the kids still talk about him. He had graduated already, and

the local basketball team still recognized him because he was such an

important figure for the local high school basketball team. I know that his

family are keeping his legacy alive.

I think I can join the Minister of Labour…. I was so happy when I saw

this video of his club team winning the national championships and them

celebrating when they were lifting the trophy. They paused for a moment to

let his dad come on to the field and pick up that trophy. I think it was a

very emotional moment for anyone that knew Brandon but also anyone that

knows the family or is associated with soccer in this province. So it was

such an honour to see his name recognized in the beginning of the throne

speech, along with many others who have contributed so much.

I just want to take a moment to thank my family. Without them, it’s

very difficult to do this job. I think my nine-year-old might campaign

against me in the next election. He said if the next election comes, he

doesn’t want me to…. He’s not going to vote for me, he says, because it’s so

hard for them, although he’s starting to understand. He’s at an age where he

understands. He was here. The Speaker allowed him to sit on my lap when we

brought in the UNDRIP legislation, when this House unanimously voted in

favour, and that was the first moment he said: “I kind of know what you do

now, Dad.” That was a really proud moment for me.

I want to thank my partner because she’s doing it all. She’s carrying

everything in the household. She’s essentially raising my son by herself on

top of all the work that she does outside of her direct job. My in-laws and

my parents and my brother and sister — everybody is involved in helping my

family while I’m away. So I want to thank them.

I want to thank the good people of North Delta. I spent the last six

months…. I try to go once a month to go door-knocking and talk to people in

my community just to get a sense of where they’re at, what issues are top of

mind.

I just have to say that I’m so fortunate to live in North Delta. I’m

so fortunate to represent such an amazing community.

[3:20 p.m.]

People are very proud of being from North Delta. It’s not like many

other communities where it’s a large, large community. People are uniquely,

distinctly proud of being from this place. We’re proud of our schools, we’re

proud of our rec centres, and we’re proud of all the teachers who do such

good work with our young people. So I want to thank those folks.

As I said, I’m going to speak in favour. The Parliamentary Secretary

for Gender Equity raised an important thing, which was raised today. It’s

unfortunate comments that were made by the Leader of the Official Opposition

when he referred to our commitment to bring in five days of paid leave as

people who are just getting something to get out of a tough marriage. That

comment hurts. It hurts a lot of people.

When I first got involved in an issue in my community many years ago,

it was to help a lot of activists come together to raise awareness around

the need for the first-ever shelter to be created in Delta, the first-ever

transition home for Delta. Delta, at that point, did not have a single

transition home in the entire city, so many women from the community would

have to go to places outside of Delta. It was very difficult.

Many activists were involved. I played a very small role in that, but

I learned a lot in that process. I learned that there are many things that

are involved in that process, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender

Equity has been doing a fantastic job. I’m really proud of the work she

does. It’s about building more transition homes, which we’ve been doing.

It’s about a second-stage home for women who are fleeing domestic violence

so there’s somewhere to go where there’s a base. It’s about a lot more

services that we need to provide for women who are fleeing domestic

violence.

All these things we’re doing. It does make a difference, but it

doesn’t solve the problem. At the core of the issue is addressing what I

think is my responsibility and my partner thinks is our responsibility. It’s

how we raise our kids, particularly how we raise our boys, and ensuring that

they are constantly told about the society we live in, where their role is

and how to respect women.

A funny story just popped through my brain. We were watching a cartoon

with my son. One of the characters said to the other character: “You have to

man up.” My son just froze. He looked back at my wife and me and said: “Mom,

did you guys hear that?” I said: “What?” He said: “That’s toxic mascininity,

or whatever that word is.” We all started howling and laughing. My wife had

a little tear coming down her eye because he’s starting to understand his

role. He’s only nine years old. My sister starts laughing and says to him:

“Where did you learn that?” He goes: “You wouldn’t believe the things these

people teach me.”

I only tell the story because these services we’re putting in place

are critically important, but there are lots of things that individuals have

a responsibility to do which are in their household. I’m grateful for the

work that the parliamentary secretary is doing and our government is doing

to advance this.

There are so many things. Affordability is one of the things that

we’ve been talking about and that people have been sharing with us along the

way. I think the single biggest thing that I heard on the doorstep was no

more MSP for families throughout this province. It’s massive. It’s the

single largest middle-income tax cut in B.C.’s history.

I often talked about, when I first became an MLA and my first throne

speech, this couple, two seniors. I knocked on their door, and they wanted

to talk to me about their fixed income and how the MSP was just making their

lives so difficult. I told them we were going to remove it. They said:

“Good.” But they looked at us like: “Are you really going to be able to get

rid of it?”

Just about six weeks ago I was able to knock on their door again. They

weren’t home. I was choked because I really wanted to go talk to them. Then

two weeks ago I got a chance. I knocked on the door. She opened the door,

and I said: “This was a commitment we made, and I just wanted to tell you

that we came through.” She said: “We were so delighted, so over the moon.”

She thanked me for coming.

I know so many people face this. I actually shared a story of a person

who walked into my constituency office with my staff. I was in my office,

and they were asking: “Where’s the MSP bill? It hasn’t arrived. What are you

guys doing?” I shared with them that it’s gone. They couldn’t fully

comprehend it.

[3:25 p.m.]

They said: “Well, what do you mean? Is it going to come at the end of

the year?” And I’m like: “No, no. It’s gone.” They were so happy. They were

like: “We should go let our bank know.” They walked across the street to the

CIBC. My staff and I were chuckling about it. But it’s having a real impact

on many families across this province and, in particular, for seniors who

have a fixed income and already are finding it harder and harder to make

ends meet.

I think when we talk about affordability, I have to touch on ICBC.

ICBC came up a lot in my community, especially from young people. I visit

the schools. It’s funny. They’re concerned about tuition, but they’re also

looking for their driver’s licence and to be able to get their own car and

get their own insurance. There’s no doubt that this is a concern for many

parents with young kids who have to travel long distances from North Delta

to get to UBC or SFU, and the transit system just maybe doesn’t work for

them.

I’ve gotten so much positive feedback on the move that we’ve made to

ensure that people have the enhanced care supports they need but, at the

same time, will see up to a 20 percent — and, in some cases, higher —

reduction in their ICBC rates. It takes a lot of work.

I was speaking with some physiotherapists. I have got a bad knee, and

I went to my physiotherapist to have my knee looked at, and he was just

talking about how amazing this is going to be for the many people he works

with, who he sees. They should be coming twice, maybe three times a week

initially, after an injury. But to save money, they’ll come in maybe once a

week or once every two weeks. He knows that’s not best for their care, for

them to get back to work. He sees this as an opportunity for them to get the

care they need so they can get rehabilitated and get back to work. He was

very excited about that, and certainly, I am as well.

I have to touch on housing. Housing is certainly one of the biggest

issues that most of my colleagues will hear from their constituents. It’s

two-part. For those who are renting, it’s a difficult time. When I talk to

people who are renting, they say: “Forget about buying a home. How am I

going to afford rent? We can’t even afford rent.” And people who have a

home, who are older and are worried about their kids…. “Where are my kids

going to live? How are they going to be able to afford a home? How are they

going to be able to have the things that we had?”

We’ve been taking huge steps to try to address the housing crisis,

which is a crisis, that we have. That means people who are living on the

street, trying to get 24-hour care so that they can get a shelter over their

head, so they can have some stability in their lives, so they can find and

get access to the resources they need — whether it’s getting help to get

into the workforce or whether it’s mental health support services or

whatever it is they need — just to find that stability so they can make that

next step. Housing is critical.

People scoff when we say we have an ambitious goal. We’re going to try

to build 114,000 units over the next ten years. It’s ambitious. Sometimes

you hear: “Oh, it can’t be done.” Well, it has to be. We have to make our

effort to get in that direction. I’m confident that we will find a

way.

One of the measures we took around that was the vacancy tax. More and

more people are seeing it as a benefit for them to just rent out their

property so they don’t have to pay the vacancy tax, find someone to rent it.

Because there are plenty of people out there that do want to rent. We’ve

seen a considerable amount of units come on the market to become available

for people to rent so there are more options.

It doesn’t solve the entire housing crisis. It didn’t just happen

overnight. It’s been happening for a long time, but it was just never a

priority. But our government is making it a priority. It’s going to take

time, but we’re starting to chip away at it and starting to address

it.

In fact, we see new housing projects opening up everywhere. I have

been having many conversations with our mayor and some councillors who are

really adamant on finding ways to build affordable housing here in my

community, because we need to. They know that, and we know that, and we’re

looking at creative solutions and creative ways of making that happen. I

really respect that relationship that we’ve been able to build to start to

address these key questions.

[3:30 p.m.]

[S. Gibson in the chair.]

One of the pieces that consistently came up was around foreign

influence or foreign-funded investments — people tying up our housing market

as an investment, as a piggy bank. Now those people that are doing that will

have to contribute. They’ll have to contribute to the local markets so we

can use those funds to build more housing.

I want to also touch on child care. I know the parliamentary secretary

just talked about how much of a game-changer child care is when we talk

about gender equity and closing that pay gap and creating more opportunities

for, in particular, women to enter the workforce. I have to say to the

minister responsible it’s been massive in my community. I was just visiting

a child care centre in my community, where I was meeting with parents who

are looking for child care opportunities for their children. So I got to go

in and speak to them about the opportunities that we’re providing in our

government. There were a lot of happy people there.

Welcome to the chair, to our new Speaker. I wish you the best in your

new role. I know you’ll be excellent in that role.

Yes, give the new Speaker a round of applause.

I don’t say that so you’ll give me extra time, Mr. Speaker, but I wish

you the best in your role.

I was talking about child care and the effects and the impact that’s

having in my community. Over $5 million has gone to families in my

community. Over $5 million has been invested in North Delta alone. That’s a

huge number of families who are seeing the amount they’re paying be lowered.

That’s about 45 new spaces that are being created, and there are more

coming. Work is happening on more. We’re seeing…. Through the province, we

were able to create a fund for UBCM so that every city can have a working

group.

We didn’t even have the data. There was never any work done on this.

There was no data on what inventory we have in communities.

Now mayors and child care advocates and school boards and other

organizations are providing mental health support services. All of them are

sitting at one table and talking about how they can work together to address

the needs of our community. That was funded through the provincial

government.

We’re seeing success with that in Delta. I’ve heard we’ve been seeing

success with that across the province. Forty-five new spaces have been

created in that community alone. I know many more examples, examples my

colleagues have been sharing with me as well.

Every time I see the Minister of Education come to Surrey or to Delta,

it’s either to buy a new property or to build a new school or to announce a

new seismic upgrade. We love seeing them come. It’s welcome news. We were

able to see the last school that needed seismic upgrading in North Delta

completed this last year. It was a nice moment, and it’s a credit to the

good people at the school district who have been doing excellent planning

over time, who had their plans ready to go. So when we were ready to move,

they were ready to move with us. I’m really grateful for the work they

do.

One of the pieces I want to highlight is the new playgrounds in my

community. Two new playgrounds were just opened. One was opened the previous

year, 2018, and one was opened just last year.

It’s amazing. When kids are healthy and active, it’s good for our

community, it’s good for our schools, it’s good for grades, and it’s good

for mental health. I don’t think there’s a person here that wouldn’t want to

see our kids more active. The days when I was growing up, where everybody

played outside until it got dark, and then one kid got called home, and that

meant everybody had to go home — those days are gone. Kids are not playing

anymore. The average child now probably leaves their home up to maybe 50 to

100 metres, when we used to travel a couple kilometres, no problem, every

day. We’d be playing all day. That’s just not happening.

[3:35 p.m.]

Creating opportunities, creating safe spaces, creating playgrounds,

ensuring people in the community feel that it’s safe for their kids to go to

these activities, I think, is critically important. I want to give kudos to

Delta city council for making a very wise move to ensure that kids under 17

can have free access to our recreation centres. Combined with our facilities

that we’re creating, it’s really good news for people in my community. I

know that they’re excited about the opportunities for their kids, because

they want to keep them active, and they want to keep them out of

trouble.

I have to touch on the health care piece. As I was saying, I just

recently was at my physio to get my knee checked out because I’m having some

troubles. One of the things the physiotherapist said to me was: “I think you

need to get your MRI done, because, clearly, there’s something wrong with

your knee.” He said: “Don’t worry about it. Just go to the doctor and get a

referral. It won’t take long.” He said it used to take a long time, but it

doesn’t anymore. He goes: “You’ll get in, in a couple of weeks.”

I had to chuckle about that. When the throne speech mentioned the

incredible work we’ve done around MRIs and getting people back and healthy

again, I had to highlight the work of the Minister of Health because he’s

been doing phenomenal work, completely transforming our health care system,

and everybody is involved in that.

I actually really appreciate seeing our Minister of Health work with

the critic from the Third Party as well as the critic of the opposition. You

don’t see that. People don’t see that very often, but I see it. People here

are seeing it. I think it’s incredible for people to see what can be done

when everyone works together. Hats off to all of them.

Urgent care centres are obviously popping up everywhere. It was

mentioned in the throne speech. I’ve had a personal experience with a loved

one who needed to go. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to sit in the hospital

room, so we took him to the urgent care centre. He got in pretty quick, got

taken care of but then was told: “You have to go to the hospital, because

it’s a lot more serious than you think.” Made the call, let them know we

were coming, so they were prepared.

It’s a fantastic system. I’m looking forward to that continuing to

expand. I certainly hope that one day we’ll see an opportunity in North

Delta to have an urgent care clinic. I’m sure he’s chuckling if he is

watching, because I’ve been talking about this for a long time.

There’s a whole host of things on health care, but there are a few

other things that I want to touch on. One of them is the overdose crisis.

Again, I think full credit goes to the many people who are on the front

lines, who are dealing with this issue on the front lines. They’ve been

doing incredible work under huge distress, huge stress on all of them. I

know that the Minister of Mental Health has been working actively on

strategies to target communities and find ways to bring the overdose deaths

down. I think it’s good news for everyone. I think everyone in this House

would agree.

Just recently I was in Prince George, where we had meetings with

mayors in the region, and mental health was one of the top pieces we

discussed. Everybody was pleased when they saw that numbers in the region

have now come down. But nobody wants to take a big pat on the back because

these numbers can fluctuate, and even one death is too many. I’m really

appreciative of the work of the Minister of Mental Health. It’s ongoing.

There’s a lot more work to do.

I want to touch on a little bit around the sustainable economy piece.

Just over five months ago, I was asked to do some work on the forestry file.

I’ve really enjoyed the file. My mandate letter is pretty clear. It’s to

focus on Interior communities and support, in particular, communities that

are going through a transition.

It’s been an amazing experience. I’m really glad I got the opportunity

to do this. Not easy conversations — going into rooms where people have lost

their jobs, where contractors were on the verge of maybe their business

going down. But I try not to shy away from it. I try to go into those rooms,

to face people face-to-face and have those tough conversations, because I

think it’s critically important that they know that we’re listening and that

we care.

[3:40 p.m.]

One of the pieces I want to touch on. I wanted to say thank you to the

mayors. My tours, obviously, would start in Prince George. I would head up

to Mackenzie and Fort St. James and met many, many times with the mayors of

100 Mile House and Quesnel and met the mayor of Clearwater. I’m just amazed

at their calm during the chaos. They’ve got clear plans and clear visions on

where they want to take their communities. It’s been a pleasure to work with

them over the last six months during a very difficult time.

We talk often, and people in the industry talk often, about shifting

from high volume to high value, but the first thing that needs to happen in

these communities is to find stability. We were able to do that last year by

ensuring that contractors would have access to work and that workers who

were close to retirement would be able to find a way to retire early so that

it would take some pressure off their families. We’ve had, I think, close to

600 people apply for the pension bridging program. That is huge, huge

news.

We were able to get, just recently, 24 workers who are now going to be

trained on heavy-duty with operating engineers to be able to work on

projects in their community. Young women who worked in the forestry sector

now are seeing opportunities somewhere else. We’re trying to find ways to

give everybody opportunities, because in some cases, there’s work nearby. In

some cases, it’s about starting something new.

I’m really proud of the work we were able to do with these

communities. It’s not done yet. We have a lot more work to do in this

transition. This transition is just starting. There are more things to come.

But it’s mentioned in the budget. I won’t go too far into it just because

there’s going to be an opportunity to talk more about that soon.

One of the things that just recently came out — it was mentioned in

the throne speech — was the food security task force report. It was a very

impressive work. I want to thank the members of the task force who put that

together. They laid out a very compelling case for how agriculture is

changing and how B.C. can be leading in the world when it comes to

agritech.

I was just so impressed by the report and the work they did by going

out to…. They toured Holland. I was just talking to the consul general

yesterday about the report and how many times the Netherlands is mentioned

in the report. He was really proud, because we were bragging about the work

they’re doing.

There are huge opportunities when it comes to agritech. We have got a

lot of companies already that have started here that are creating

innovative, game-changing technologies for the agriculture sector. There are

opportunities to grow food indoors. The opportunities are limitless. That

report was phenomenal. I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of those pieces

come in play. It’s mentioned in the throne speech because we believe that

it’s a vision for bringing tech and agriculture together, and I’m looking

forward to seeing more from the minister regarding that.

I think that the throne speech also mentioned some of the

infrastructure projects that are underway. I know it mentioned Pattullo

Bridge. I was very happy to be at the event the other day where we had all

these people who have just finished their training who are going to get a

chance to be apprentices on Pattullo Bridge. They were so excited to be able

to see all their training put to use on a major infrastructure project close

to their home. It sounds like it should be a normal thing, but it hasn’t

been a normal thing. These opportunities haven’t been available for workers

throughout this province. We have a major labour shortage.

With a community benefits agreement on this project, we’re going to be

able to give opportunities to people — local women, Indigenous people and

people who have not traditionally had access to these opportunities — to be

trained on a project that is phenomenal and is going to be critically

important to, certainly, my community. If you did a poll in North Delta, I

would say that Alex Fraser Bridge is the most used, but I would say that

Pattullo Bridge is the second-most-used bridge for people in my community

heading towards New West, heading towards Burnaby and heading towards

Coquitlam. I think it’s welcome news.

[3:45 p.m.]

It’s going to be built. Initially, it’s going to have the four lanes,

but its capacity is available for six lanes. I know, as population grows and

as New West expands their capacity on their end, that will come to fruition.

In the meantime, there’s going to be capacity for biking and for people

walking.

I really think it’s going to connect these two vitally important

communities. Because if anyone has gone over the Pattullo Bridge lately,

I’ll tell you, it’s scary. When a truck is beside you, and it comes down and

takes up both lanes because it can’t make the turn in the single lane, it’s

frightening for most drivers, especially when there’s snow or rain. It comes

to a halt. I think the wider lanes are going to be critically important and

well received by people in my community.

Of course, Kicking Horse Canyon project. That project is going ahead.

Again, great opportunities for trades training, people who are in trades and

training and apprenticeship to get to work on that project. People who’ve

been laid off from the forest sector now are getting an opportunity to work

on that project. Also, Highway 1 expansion — so needed, so needed and

critically important. I’m very happy to see that that piece is in

it.

I want to touch briefly on CleanBC. It was obviously very prominent in

the throne speech. I’m one of those people who bought an electric car. It’s

funny, when you buy an electric car, you start noticing electric cars

everywhere. The one that you drive is the one that you notice the most. I

know the member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head and I both got the same car. We

ordered at the same time. Mine arrived way earlier than his, and I know that

still bothers him today. But I love it. It’s a game-changer.

With the continued investments that we’re making in building the

infrastructure needed, building the charging stations along the highway

routes, unlocking the opportunities for companies to recoup some of the

costs of creating that infrastructure, I think you’re going to see,

especially on the EV side, this becoming a game-changer. I believe I saw

just recently that we’re well exceeding all our targets already.

CleanBC is not only about that. It’s also about creating opportunities

for industry, a fund available for industry to lower its emissions. It’s the

piece that doesn’t get talked about enough, but there is a real opportunity

for industry to use this fund to become the cleanest and greenest. The

vision of CleanBC is so that our industries can be the cleanest industries

in the world, and that gives us a competitive advantage. I know that we’ll

be able to use that to market our products all over the world. There is a

lot of work happening there and a lot more to do.

Of course, this is a topic that’s been on the top of mind for people,

especially in the last 24 hours. It’s around reconciliation. It’s around

DRIPA, which we all unanimously passed in this Legislature. I think it’s

important to take a moment to pause and think about the progress we’ve been

able to make.

Language revitalization. It’s been huge. I was just meeting with some

folks that do work around heritage. They do lots of work with the First

Nations Cultural Council, I believe it is. They were talking about how this

has been the game-changer and how they’re seeing, finally, an opportunity to

capture language, to help create a curriculum to teach that language. The

university program which we created — the first Indigenous law program in

North America, maybe even the world. We’ll be able to use that language to

extract laws, to re-create laws for communities. I think that is

institutional change.

Not to mention the increase in funding for Aboriginal friendship

centres. They play a vitally important role in communities all over the

province, not only for First Nations and Indigenous people. In fact, they do

offer services to everyone. I’ve had a chance to visit many. I’m amazed at

the work they do. So we were able to see increased funding for them and the

work they do.

I know the Minister of Health has been doing lots of work around

creating culturally appropriate health care and mental health supports,

working with First Nations Health Council to enable them to decide for

themselves what is the best mechanism to deliver some of these health care

needs.

[3:50 p.m.]

Not this “we know better” model but trusting that they know better for

the community — and working in partnership and learning from First Nations

communities about how we can provide the health care needs to people

throughout this province.

I think just earlier today in question period the Minister of

Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation mentioned that for the first time

ever, we’re building housing on reserve. Again, it’s critically important,

because everyone deserves to have a roof over their head. We shouldn’t just

limit it to people who are within our jurisdiction. We have to find ways for

everyone to be supported. This was, I think, a very important step. It

doesn’t solve all the challenges, but it certainly is a step in the right

direction.

I think one of the pieces that was mentioned in the throne speech,

near the end, was that we want to continue to create an inclusive and a safe

space for people who come here from all over the world. I’ve been proud of

some of the work our government’s been doing — the human rights commission,

which is now getting up and running. But before I got onto the forestry

file, I did a lot of work travelling this province and listening to people

about the challenges they’re facing in communities throughout this

province.

In fact, I want to recognize the member for Richmond North Centre

today who made a great statement about the coronavirus and the stigma that

is faced by many people in the Chinese-Canadian community around that and

the amount of racism that’s rising from that and how hard it is for these

communities. I sent her a note to thank her for her statement. I want to

thank the Minister of Health as well, because he’s been very firm and the

ministry has been clear in putting out information to people so that we can

limit that stigma. But it’s there.

I’ve had many meetings with the Jewish community, and there have been

lots of incidents recently where people continue to be targeted. There is a

lot of fear. So we have done a lot of that work. One of the major pieces

that we launched was the hub-and-spoke model for anti-racism work. What that

model does…. It was highlighted in the throne speech. What it does is it’s

got spokes, so communities, community by community, can organize locally and

address their needs themselves, because every community has unique things

that they want to work on.

Just a few months ago I was with the member for Kootenay East. We were

meeting in his community. It was great to see him join us in that. There

were about 30 people. We had a very thoughtful and deep discussion about

racism and how it’s felt in his community.

One thing I heard, no matter what community I went to was…. I heard

two things from people. One: “We’re a good community, but we need to do

better.” A second thing I heard consistently was people leaving and saying:

“I did not know. I did not know that this was happening in my

community.”

Our goal wasn’t to have people come there and retraumatize themselves

by sharing their stories. In fact, we made it clear in the beginning that

there was no expectation of anyone having to tell us what they faced. There

was no expectation. But when people felt safe, they chose to do so. This

hub-and-spoke model is a very important step to address that, because

especially when there is tension in community, we see racism

rise.

Recently we’ve seen lots of issues around the caribou. I got a chance

to meet with the Chiefs of Saulteau and West Moberly, and they showed me

emails and messages of hate that they received, that their members received.

They were telling me that some members of their communities won’t even go

shopping in one of the communities because they’re so afraid of all the

angst and anxiety that has been created in the community.

The point of me saying that is that it’s not isolated to one

community. It’s an issue around the community. It’s an issue all over the

province. But we need to have a strategy that addresses it and addresses the

unique needs in every community so the communities can figure out what their

needs are and how to do it. I’m really grateful that it was highlighted in

the throne speech, and that work will continue. Although I don’t have the

file, I will continue to speak up on this issue, because I think it’s

vitally important.

[3:55 p.m.]

Finally, I’ll just say that it’s been two and a half years, and it’s

unbelievable the amount of things we were able to do. Government is about

choices. We’ve made choices to address these critically important issues

that people have been asking for, for a long time. Although a lot of that

work is well along the way, it’s not done yet.

We have a lot more work to do, but as long as you have a government

that makes the choices in the best interests of people, we will continue to

make progress.

With that, hon. Speaker, I want to thank you f