British Columbia Hansard — 19 February 2018, p.m., Issue 80 (41st Parliament, 3rd Session)

20180219pm-Hansard-n80

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session, 41st Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday, February 19, 2018 Afternoon Sitting Issue No. 80 THE HONOURABLE DARRYL PLECAS, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC Third Session, 41st Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Darryl Plecas EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................... Hon. John Horgan Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance............................................................................................................................Hon.

Carole James Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training..................................................................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark Minister of Agriculture.........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Attorney General.................................................................................................................................................................Hon.

David Eby, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ............................................................................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Minister of State for Child Care...................................................................................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Minister of Citizens’ Services.................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Jinny Sims Minister of Education ............................................................................................................................................................ Hon. Rob Fleming Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources ...............................................................................................Hon. Michelle Mungall Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy............................................................................................. Hon.

George Heyman Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development ..............................................Hon. Doug Donaldson Minister of Health .....................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Adrian Dix Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation ......................................................................................................... Hon.

Scott Fraser Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology............................................................................................................................ Hon. Bruce Ralston Minister of State for Trade...............................................................................................................................................Hon. George Chow Minister of Labour ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Harry Bains Minister of Mental Health and Addictions............................................................................................................................ Hon. Judy Darcy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.................................................................................................................. Hon. Selina Robinson Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................... Hon.

Mike Farnworth Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction..............................................................................................Hon. Shane Simpson Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.....................................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure................................................................................................................ Hon.

Claire Trevena LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition................................................................................................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC Leader of the Third Party ....................................................................................................................................................Dr. Andrew Weaver Deputy Speaker................................................................................................................................................................................

Raj Chouhan Assistant Deputy Speaker................................................................................................................................................................... Linda Reid Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ....................................................................................................................................................Craig James Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees.................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Clerk Assistant — Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..........................................................................................Susan Sourial Sessional Law Clerk...............................................................................................................................................Loredana Catalli-Sonier, QC Sergeant-at-Arms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary Lenz

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal) ........................................................................ Penticton Bains, Hon. Harry (NDP)...............................................................Surrey-Newton Barnett, Donna (BC Liberal) ................................................... Cariboo-Chilcotin Beare, Hon. Lisa (NDP).............................................Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Begg, Garry (NDP) ..................................................................... Surrey-Guildford Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal) .......................................................

Peace River South Bond, Shirley (BC Liberal)......................................... Prince George–Valemount Brar, Jagrup (NDP)..................................................................... Surrey-Fleetwood Cadieux, Stephanie (BC Liberal)....................................................... Surrey South Chandra Herbert, Spencer (NDP) ..................................... Vancouver–West End Chen, Hon. Katrina (NDP).....................................................Burnaby-Lougheed Chouhan, Raj (NDP) ............................................................... Burnaby-Edmonds Chow, Hon.

George (NDP)............................................... Vancouver-Fraserview Clovechok, Doug (BC Liberal) ................................ Columbia River–Revelstoke Coleman, Rich (BC Liberal) ...............................................................Langley East Conroy, Hon. Katrine (NDP)......................................................... Kootenay West Darcy, Hon.

Judy (NDP) ............................................................New Westminster Davies, Dan (BC Liberal) ..........................................................Peace River North de Jong, Michael, QC (BC Liberal) ............................................ Abbotsford West Dean, Mitzi (NDP)...............................................................Esquimalt-Metchosin D’Eith, Bob (NDP) ...............................................................Maple Ridge–Mission Dix, Hon. Adrian (NDP)......................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Donaldson, Hon.

Doug (NDP).....................................................................Stikine Eby, Hon. David, QC (NDP)............................................. Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (NDP)....................................................... Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Hon. Mike (NDP) ...................................................... Port Coquitlam Fleming, Hon. Rob (NDP) .....................................................Victoria–Swan Lake Foster, Eric (BC Liberal)........................................................... Vernon-Monashee Fraser, Hon.

Scott (NDP) ................................................ Mid Island–Pacific Rim Furstenau, Sonia (BC Green Party) ........................................... Cowichan Valley Gibson, Simon (BC Liberal) ................................................. Abbotsford-Mission Glumac, Rick (NDP)........................................................Port Moody–Coquitlam Heyman, Hon. George (NDP) .............................................. Vancouver-Fairview Horgan, Hon. John (NDP) ...............................................

Langford–Juan de Fuca Hunt, Marvin (BC Liberal) .......................................................Surrey-Cloverdale Isaacs, Joan (BC Liberal) .........................................Coquitlam–Burke Mountain James, Hon. Carole (NDP)...................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Johal, Jas (BC Liberal)...............................................

Richmond-Queensborough Kahlon, Ravi (NDP)..............................................................................Delta North Kang, Anne (NDP)..................................................................Burnaby–Deer Lake Krog, Leonard Eugene (NDP) ..................................................................Nanaimo Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal)............................................................................ Shuswap Larson, Linda (BC Liberal) .............................................Boundary-Similkameen Lee, Michael (BC Liberal) ......................................................

Vancouver-Langara Leonard, Ronna-Rae (NDP) ....................................................Courtenay-Comox Letnick, Norm (BC Liberal)............................................Kelowna–Lake Country Ma, Bowinn (NDP) ................................................... North Vancouver–Lonsdale Mark, Hon. Melanie (NDP) ..................................... Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Martin, John (BC Liberal)...................................................................... Chilliwack Milobar, Peter (BC Liberal)....................................

Kamloops–North Thompson Morris, Mike (BC Liberal) ..........................................Prince George–Mackenzie Mungall, Hon. Michelle (NDP).................................................... Nelson-Creston Oakes, Coralee (BC Liberal) ...........................................................Cariboo North Olsen, Adam (BC Green Party)........................... Saanich North and the Islands Paton, Ian (BC Liberal)......................................................................... Delta South Plecas, Hon.

Darryl (Ind.) ..........................................................Abbotsford South Polak, Mary (BC Liberal) ............................................................................ Langley Popham, Hon. Lana (NDP)..............................................................Saanich South Ralston, Hon. Bruce (NDP) .......................................................... Surrey-Whalley Redies, Tracy (BC Liberal) ..................................................... Surrey–White Rock Reid, Linda (BC Liberal) ................................................

Richmond South Centre Rice, Jennifer (NDP) ............................................................................ North Coast Robinson, Hon. Selina (NDP) ....................................... Coquitlam-Maillardville Ross, Ellis (BC Liberal)..................................................................................Skeena Routledge, Janet (NDP) .................................................................. Burnaby North Routley, Doug (NDP) ................................................Nanaimo–North Cowichan Rustad, John (BC Liberal) ..............................................................

Nechako Lakes Shypitka, Tom (BC Liberal) .............................................................Kootenay East Simons, Nicholas (NDP) ........................................Powell River–Sunshine Coast Simpson, Hon. Shane (NDP)................................................ Vancouver-Hastings Sims, Hon.

Jinny (NDP) .............................................................Surrey-Panorama Singh, Rachna (NDP) ........................................................Surrey–Green Timbers Stilwell, Michelle (BC Liberal)..............................................Parksville-Qualicum Stone, Todd (BC Liberal)........................................

Kamloops–South Thompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal).......................................West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Sullivan, Sam (BC Liberal)...............................................Vancouver–False Creek Sultan, Ralph (BC Liberal) ......................................... West Vancouver–Capilano Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal) ................................................................ Fraser-Nicola Thomson, Steve (BC Liberal)..................................................... Kelowna-Mission Thornthwaite, Jane (BC Liberal) .............................

North Vancouver–Seymour Throness, Laurie (BC Liberal) ..................................................... Chilliwack-Kent Trevena, Hon. Claire (NDP) .............................................................. North Island Wat, Teresa (BC Liberal) ................................................Richmond North Centre Weaver, Dr. Andrew (BC Green Party) ......................... Oak Bay–Gordon Head Wilkinson, Andrew, QC (BC Liberal) .............................. Vancouver-Quilchena Y ap, John (BC Liberal)..........................................................

Richmond-Steveston Vacant..................................................................................................Kelowna West LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission ..........................................................................Simon Gibson Abbotsford South ..................................................................... Hon. Darryl Plecas Abbotsford West .................................................................... Michael de Jong, QC Boundary-Similkameen.....................................................................

Linda Larson Burnaby–Deer Lake ...............................................................................Anne Kang Burnaby-Edmonds ..............................................................................Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Burnaby North................................................................................

Janet Routledge Cariboo-Chilcotin ............................................................................Donna Barnett Cariboo North .................................................................................. Coralee Oakes Chilliwack.............................................................................................. John Martin Chilliwack-Kent..............................................................................Laurie Throness Columbia River–Revelstoke........................................................

Doug Clovechok Coquitlam–Burke Mountain................................................................. Joan Isaacs Coquitlam-Maillardville..................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson Courtenay-Comox ................................................................. Ronna-Rae Leonard Cowichan Valley ............................................................................

Sonia Furstenau Delta North ...........................................................................................Ravi Kahlon Delta South.................................................................................................Ian Paton Esquimalt-Metchosin.............................................................................Mitzi Dean Fraser-Nicola........................................................................................

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

Steve Thomson Kelowna West..................................................................................................Vacant Kootenay East .....................................................................................Tom Shypitka Kootenay West ...................................................................... Hon. Katrine Conroy Langford–Juan de Fuca............................................................. Hon. John Horgan Langley....................................................................................................

Mary Polak Langley East .......................................................................................Rich Coleman Maple Ridge–Mission ............................................................................ Bob D’Eith Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows ..........................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Mid Island–Pacific Rim .............................................................. Hon. Scott Fraser Nanaimo ...............................................................................

Leonard Eugene Krog Nanaimo–North Cowichan.............................................................. Doug Routley Nechako Lakes ...................................................................................... John Rustad Nelson-Creston.................................................................. Hon. Michelle Mungall New Westminster ......................................................................... Hon. Judy Darcy North Coast..........................................................................................

Jennifer Rice North Island ............................................................................ Hon. Claire Trevena North Vancouver–Lonsdale ................................................................. Bowinn Ma North Vancouver–Seymour ......................................................Jane Thornthwaite Oak Bay–Gordon Head ..........................................................Dr.

Andrew Weaver Parksville-Qualicum .....................................................................Michelle Stilwell Peace River North.................................................................................. Dan Davies Peace River South ............................................................................... Mike Bernier Penticton................................................................................................ Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam .................................................................... Hon.

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

Shirley Bond Richmond North Centre ........................................................................Teresa Wat Richmond-Queensborough .......................................................................Jas Johal Richmond South Centre........................................................................ Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston..................................................................................

John Y ap Saanich North and the Islands............................................................Adam Olsen Saanich South............................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Shuswap .................................................................................................... Greg Kyllo Skeena ......................................................................................................... Ellis Ross Stikine ..................................................................................Hon.

Doug Donaldson Surrey-Cloverdale............................................................................... Marvin Hunt Surrey-Fleetwood ...................................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey–Green Timbers ......................................................................Rachna Singh Surrey-Guildford ....................................................................................Garry Begg Surrey-Newton.............................................................................Hon.

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

George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek....................................................................... Sam Sullivan Vancouver-Fraserview .............................................................Hon. George Chow Vancouver-Hastings .............................................................. Hon. Shane Simpson Vancouver-Kensington ..................................................................... Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway ................................................................... Hon.

Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara .............................................................................. Michael Lee Vancouver–Mount Pleasant ................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark Vancouver–Point Grey...........................................................Hon.

David Eby, QC Vancouver-Quilchena ......................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC Vancouver–West End....................................................Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee...................................................................................Eric Foster Victoria–Beacon Hill ................................................................ Hon. Carole James Victoria–Swan Lake .................................................................. Hon. Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano .................................................................

Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ..............................................................Jordan Sturdy Party Standings: NDP 41; BC Liberal 41; BC Green Party 3; Independent 1; Vacant 1

CONTENTS Monday, February 19, 2018 Afternoon Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 2687 Tributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2687 Justin Kripps and Alex Kopacz D.

Ashton Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 2687 Tributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2688 Jude Schooner Hon. C.

Trevena Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 2688 Statements (Standing Order 25B) ......................................................................................................................................... 2689 Seaspan andSir John Franklinfisheries science vessel B. Ma Access to family physicians L. Throness Love Haida Gwaii initiative and local spending J. Rice Special Olympics B.C. activities in Richmond J. Y ap Vision loss awareness and White Cane Week R.

Leonard Squamish estuary salmon habitat recovery project J. Sturdy Oral Questions......................................................................................................................................................................... 2691 Environment Minister attendance at environmental group event P . Milobar Hon. G. Heyman T. Redies Interior Fraser steelhead population and chum gillnet fishery A. Olsen Hon. D. Donaldson Dispute with Alberta on Trans Mountain pipeline and wine industry D. Ashton Hon. B. Ralston Hon. L.

Popham Dispute with Alberta on Trans Mountain pipeline and tourism industry D. Clovechok Hon. L. Beare Hon. J. Horgan Pattullo Bridge replacement project I. Paton Hon. C. Trevena L. Throness Regulations on spill response J. Tegart Hon. G. Heyman Reports from Committees...................................................................................................................................................... 2695 Finance and Government Services Committee, annual review, budgets of statutory offices, December 2017 B. D’Eith D. Ashton Selection Committee, report, February 15, 2018 Hon. M. Farnworth

Orders of the Day Throne Speech Debate(continued) ...................................................................................................................................... 2696 J. Rustad Hon. R. Fleming R. Sultan Hon. H. Bains S. Furstenau N. Simons J. Y ap Hon. B. Ralston S. Gibson M. Elmore

MONDAY , FEBRUARY 19, 2018 The House met at 1:34 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Introductions by Members [1:35 p.m.] Hon. A. Dix: I think members on all sides of the House today — my colleagues in official opposition, my colleagues in the Third Party and members of our caucus — met with representatives of the B.C. Care Providers. This evening we’re going to be giving awards to some extraordinary care providers in British Columbia. The good news for them is that it’s not just going to be me. For the first time, the Lieu- tenant-Governor is going to be there.

So it’s a real occasion this time, not just an occasion. We want to introduce, in the gallery, really some extra- ordinary people. Sarah Reiter is winning tonight Care Provider of the Y ear. It’s like giving advance notice of the Oscars, but nonetheless, we know this: Care Provider of the Y ear for home care. She’s an LPN at Beacon Community Services home support team, and she works on Saltspring Island. She does an amazing job. My colleague the Government House Leader was remin- iscing about a time when he was a young politician, in 1973.

He was reminiscing about visiting Hawthorne Seniors Care in Port Coquitlam, of course. That’s when, really…. Someone who’s given extraordinary service, Lynda McDermott, is winning Care Provider of the Y ear, residential, today. She’s here with her very proud family — her daughter Heather Penner, her sister Gloria Quensel and her niece Shauna Quensel. Shauna Appleyard is here. She’s won the Safety Champion Award. She’s the lead health care assistant at Sidney All Care Residence. She has family present here as well — Michelle Cowperthwaite, who is her mother, which is really exciting.

Finally, Hank Van Ryk, who is winning the Ed Helfrich Long Service Excellence Award tonight from H and H Total Care Services. He’s here with his wife, Renie, and son Hendrick. These are extraordinary people, and I think everyone in the House would like to wish them congratulations. Hon. Speaker, you know I don’t do many introductions, so I’m taking my time here. I’m trying to get it all right. I’ve got names on a list here, and I’m going to do my best. I’ d also like to introduce some people here from the B.C.

Care Providers: the CEO, Daniel Fontaine; his effer- vescent director of communications, Mike Klassen — and, of course, members of the B.C. Care Providers Association board of directors, especially Karen Baille from Abbotsford, who does extraordinary work, as everyone knows; and someone I also met with this morning, Aly Devji, who’s vice- president of the B.C. Care Providers and is from Delta View. I hope everyone in the House — we have many visitors here today — will wish everyone welcome. J. Y ap:It’s my pleasure to make five introductions. In the gallery with us are Anand Dhatt and Saroop Dhatt.

In the precincts — and, hopefully, joining us the gallery shortly — we have Aaron Yiren Xia and Simon Qing Xia and Peggy Peizhang He, who are visiting from my riding, Richmond- Steveston. I’ll be talking a little bit about Aaron and Anand in my member’s statement. Please, Members, give a warm welcome to our guests. Hon. M. Farnworth:As those members of this House know, whether government or opposition, we are ably assisted during each session by interns, who have a tremend- ous time here, get some considerable experience in how gov- ernment and the House work.

It’s my pleasure today to introduce the five interns who’ll be working with the government caucus over the next sev- eral months.

They are Tabitha Black-Lock, who has studied political science and environmental studies at the University of Victoria; Max Gardiner, who’s completed a master’s degree at UBC on accountability in the Canadian public transit sec- tor; Brett Koenig, who’s majored in sociology with a minor in gender studies at the University of Victoria; Barbara Szm- czyk, bachelor of business administration operations man- agement at Simon Fraser University; and Brady Y ano, who’s majored in political science with a minor in development and sustainability at Simon Fraser University.

Would the House make these very valued interns most welcome. [1:40 p.m.] Tributes JUSTIN KRIPPS AND ALEX KOPACZ D. Ashton:An introduction today of the gold-medal win- ners from Summerland. I would like all of us to recognize Justin Kripps and Alex Kopacz, the bobsled team that has brought gold home to Canada. On behalf of all Canadians, we’re incredibly proud of the wonderful showing that they and their other teammates have done at the Winter Olympics. Introductions by Members Hon. R. Fleming:I can’t remember the last day when I got to introduce my dear dad and my beloved sister, and today is not that day.

But I do have the pleasure of introducing the dear father and beloved sister of my administrative coordin- ator, Andra Hahn, who is sitting in the gallery with these individuals. I’ d like to take a moment to introduce Mr. Gor- don Hay, who is from Cultus Lake, Andra’s father; and her dear sister, Karen McCartney, who is from Port Moody. 2687

I would ask the House to make these visitors most wel- come here today. J. Isaacs:I would also like to welcome the B.C. Care Pro- viders Association to the House. Specifically, I would like to recognize B.C. Care’s board president, Karen Baillie, and CEO Daniel Fontaine. B.C. Care represents home cares, assisted living and home care providers across the province. Today the B.C. Care Pro- viders Association is celebrating the province of British Columbia’s proclamation of the second annual B.C. Seniors Care Providers Day and the fifth annual B.C.

Care Awards, which celebrate the work of dedicated senior care providers. This will be taking place this evening. I would also like to welcome the four winners of the awards, who are also in the Legislature today: Sarah Reiter, Lynda McDermott, Shauna Appleyard and Hank Van Ryk. Each day senior care providers work to ensure the quality of care and quality of life of B.C. seniors.

They work tire- lessly, quietly, and are often underacknowledged, yet any one of us who has had an older friend or relative who has needed the support of a seniors care provider will recognize the value of this work, which these thousands of women and men do across the province each and every day. I would like to ask the members of the Legislature to join me in extend- ing a warm welcome to our guests. Hon. K.

Chen: I’m so happy to have the opportunity to welcome a group of grade 11 and 12 French immersion students and their teachers from Cariboo Hill Secondary School from Burnaby-Lougheed, who will be visiting our Legislature today. Hopefully, we’ll see them in question peri- od soon.

While I will be meeting with the students after question period, I would like to make a special mention that Cariboo Hill Secondary is part of the Family of Schools network that is organized by parents, teachers, staff and community mem- bers from three schools in the same neighbourhood where my constituency office is located, including Cariboo Hill, Armstrong and Second Street School. These three schools work together on projects and activities to create a vibrant and connected community. The Family of Schools is a great model for many other school districts and communities.

I’m so thrilled to welcome the students here, and I hope that they will enjoy their visit. I ask the House to make them feel very welcome. I. Paton:I’m proud to introduce a young man today that’s here with the B.C. Care Providers. His name is Aly Devji. The Devji family are very close to my family, as their farm is right next to our farm in Delta. They also own an absolute five-star facility called Delta View Habilitation Centre in Delta, specializing in Alzheimer’s care. Aly owns this along with his family — his mom and dad, Amin and Jane Devji, his brother Salim Devji and his wife Shayda.

I would like you to make Aly Devji feel welcome here today. Hon. K. Conroy:It gives me a great deal of pleasure today to introduce a different kind of partner in my life today. It’s our cattle partner, who’s joining us in the gallery today. His name is Murray Gore. He’s from Surrey. He’s been involved with our family now for, I think, 30 years. Y es, 30 years. Please join me in welcoming Murray to the gallery. [1:45 p.m.] A. Weaver:It’s a historic day today in the B.C. Legis- lature. It gives me great pleasure to introduce the very first two interns working with the B.C.

Green Party, here today in the gallery and the Legislature. They are Kayla Phillips, from Simon Fraser University, and Alex McGowan, from Kwantlen College. We look to give them a very rewarding experience, as I can guarantee that they’ll have a lot of fun downstairs. Would the House please make them feel very welcome here. Tributes JUDE SCHOONER Hon. C. Trevena:I’ d like to share with the House some sad news. The mayor of Tahsis, who I think most people on both sides of the House would have had some knowledge of or worked with, died suddenly at her home over the week- end.

Jude Schooner was passionate about her community, her adopted community. She and her husband, Scott, had lived there for 18 years. I think everybody who had met her — I know members of the former government did know her, and I know members from this government also knew her — knew of that passion and that commitment.

She was first elected to council in 2008, became mayor in 2014 and stood up very proudly for that community, a small community on the west coast, fighting, whether it was for an improved road service, whether it was for water, whether it was for forestry, but always standing up and fighting for the community that she really loved. She also left truly a legacy of improved relations with the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations in the community. She was working extraordinarily hard on reconciliation. She was leading the way. I think the work that Tahsis has done is an inspiration to all of us.

I think that’s very much thanks to the hard work of Jude. She is going to be sorely missed by the community, by everybody who has worked with her and has known her. I would hope that the House would send their sympathies to her husband, Scott. Introductions by Members A. Weaver:Not a great start. I do wish to apologize to Alex McGowan. It flowed off my tongue from many decades in academia. It is now Kwantlen University. Would the House please make Alex welcome from Kwan- 2688 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

tlen University, not Kwantlen College. Hon. S. Simpson:I’ d like to take this opportunity to wish my partner, my wife, Cate Jones, a happy birthday today. As you’ll all know — we all know well…. She’s in Vancouver, I’m here, and we’re not going to get to celebrate that for a few days. But happy birthday. I love you, and we’ll have a glass of wine on the weekend. Hon. J. Horgan:Although I’m a day late, it’s been a tradi- tion since I was elected here to remind everyone that now 34 years ago Ellie and I were married in a quiet…. Actually, it wasn’t a quiet ceremony at all.

It was very raucous, and I’ve had the time of my life every day since then. Ellie, I know you’re watching because you love question period. Happy anniversary. Statements (Standing Order 25B) SEASPAN AND SIR JOHN FRANKLIN FISHERIES SCIENCE VESSEL B. Ma:What’s red and white, weighs over 3,000 tonnes, is over 60 metres long, was built in North Vancouver and could be a key tool in helping us better understand our marine life? Why, it’s theSir John Franklin, of course. It’s the first offshore fisheries science vessel built for the Canadian Coast Guard by Seaspan, and it all happened right in my constituency.

As one of the successful proponents of the government of Canada’s national shipbuilding strategy, Seaspan Marine Corp. has been granted the daunting task of building science vessels, support ships and patrol vessels as part of an $8 bil- lion non-combat work package. They are definitely up for the challenge. After an invest- ment of $170 million, Seaspan is the proud owner of a state- of-the-art shipbuilding facility capable of building state-of- the-art ships.

They also get to lay claim to having Canada’s largest permanent gantry crane, which gets the engineer in me all excited. [1:50 p.m.] The positive impact that Seaspan’s shipyard has on the local community and the province is nothing to be sneezed at either. Their North Vancouver facility employs around 700 people, including 70 apprentices. These are good, well-paid jobs that support families — exactly the kinds of jobs that we need. At peak construction, Seaspan expects to employ nearly 1,000 people.

Estimates suggest that the national shipbuild- ing strategy creates 5,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs over the next 20 years, adding almost $500 million per year to B.C. ’s GDP . I know everyone in this House appreciates the value that Seaspan’s work on the national shipbuilding strategy brings to this province. Our provincial industrial marine sector is critical to our economy, and this work is building a sustain- able shipbuilding industry on the west coast. Thank you, Seaspan. And many thanks to the government of Canada for the national shipbuilding strategy. ACCESS TO FAMILY PHYSICIANS L.

Throness:Last October I learned that almost 25 per- cent of people in the city of Chilliwack do not have a family doctor. In fact, one million British Columbians do not have access to a family physician, and the crunch is only going to get worse as baby boom physicians retire. We need and appreciate the hard work of our doctors. Government can and should train more of them, but there is another solution that wouldn’t cost a penny. We have a com- mand and control health system where managers give direc- tion to everyone — to nurses, to lab techs, to 27,000 work- ers, for example, in the Fraser Health Authority.

This is not a sign of disrespect to those workers. This respects the needs of patients. However, we don’t take the same approach with doctors. We train them, and then we set them free to make their own decisions. Doctors can work the hours they want. They can set up a practice wherever they want, move to or from a community whenever they like, or they can specialize at will. The government, or perhaps the College of Physicians and Surgeons, could say to a doctor, “Do you want to move out of Chilliwack to another town in B.C.?

We need to you stay put for a few more years” or “We need you to become a spe- cialist now” or “We need you to wait before you specialize. ” Or say to a medical student: “For the first three years after med school, we’re asking you to practise in a rural area of our choosing. ” Or say to them: “B.C. needs full-time doctors, not part-time ones. ” Such reasonable requests need only affect future doctors. Candidates for med school would learn after graduation that there will be parameters around their practice if they want to practice in B.C. We have to answer this basic question.

What comes first: the health needs of the people of B.C. or the free agency of doctors? The needs of the people of B.C. must come first, so I call upon the government to bring before this House policy or legislation that will ensure a sufficient, rational and equitable distribution of family doctors across every area of this province and into the future. LOVE HAIDA GW AII INITIATIVE AND LOCAL SPENDING J. Rice: For every $100 that we spend locally, up to $48 stays in our communities. Compare that to just $14 when you shop at a big-box or chain store.

Keeping our dollars cir- culating locally is key to the economic health of our rural and remote communities. True economic diversification comes from 50 businesses who are able to create one stable job each, rather than one large employer creating 50 more vulnerable jobs. Anyone that knows me knows that I love Haida Gwaii, Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2689

but I love Love Haida Gwaii. Love Haida Gwaii is part of Love Northern B.C., which has now evolved into one of the largest Shop Local programs in Canada. Over 34 central and northern B.C. communities are participating, showcas- ing well over 1,500 unique locally owned and independent northern B.C. businesses. Covering a region of about two-thirds of the province, the project just continues to grow. Love Northern B.C. had its beginnings in Quesnel with the launch of small town love in 2011.

Quesnel entrepreneur Amy Quarry developed a vis- ion through her company, Small Town Love Media, to help small businesses hold their own against chain stores and on- line competition and to inspire communities to support and shop with their local business owners and neighbours. Michael H. Shuman, author of the bookGoing Local says: “Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It means nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports.

Control moves from the boardrooms of distant corporations and back into the community where it belongs. ” Love Haida Gwaii businesses are independently owned, non-franchised businesses, as well as certain kinds of home- based businesses such as artists, artisans, crafters, food pro- ducers and farmers.

Love Haida Gwaii is a great marketing tool and promotes businesses that are focused on retail goods and services, rather than industrial companies. [1:55 p.m.] The Love Haida Gwaii initiative is championed on the islands by Misty Isles Economic Development Society in partnership with Northern Development Initiative Trust. To love all that Haida Gwaii has to offer, you can learn more about the unique businesses and the characters that run them by visiting lovehaidagwaii.com. SPECIAL OLYMPICS B.C. ACTIVITIES IN RICHMOND J.

Y ap:I rise in the House today to speak about a very important program delivered by a very important organ- ization: Special Olympics B.C. In my riding of Richmond- Steveston, along with the other Richmond ridings, more than 200 volunteers work tirelessly to deliver programs for Special Olympic athletes in our community, including ten- pin bowling, curling, figure skating, soccer, boccia and Club Fit. I was unaware of the latter program, Club Fit, but thanks to my constituents Aaron Xia and Anand Dhatt, I am now fully informed. Aaron participates in Club Fit, and Anand is his coach and friend.

Club Fit is a fitness program aimed to improve fitness and overall health for Special Olympic athletes at all skill levels. Aaron, as well, is incredibly interested in politics and has a goal of running for Prime Minister of Canada. I have no doubt he can achieve this. Aaron and Anand are two great young leaders in Richmond-Steve- ston, and I’m pleased to welcome them to the Legislature and to Victoria for a visit today. Special Olympics B.C. has helped so many participants develop not only their athletic skills but life skills and per- sonal confidence as well.

Recently Special Olympics B.C. has been reaching out to our ethnic communities in Richmond and Surrey to identify barriers to program participation and to work with community organizers to address them. I hope all members will think of ways we can work with Special Olympics B.C. to enhance the well-being and happiness of British Columbians with intellectual challenges in our province’s diverse communities. VISION LOSS AW ARENESS AND WHITE CANE WEEK R. Leonard:Courtenay resident Mike McLellan is a self- assured man. He sits on five boards, including as president of B.C. People First.

He ably goes where he wants with the use of his white cane. One day in early February, as a man without sight, he waits for the sound of the walk signal before stepping off the curb to cross an intersection, but a reckless driver without regard for the white cane narrowly misses striking Mike. He told me about this incident to demonstrate that there’s still more to be done to cultivate due regard for those navigat- ing with a white cane. After all, it is a growing demographic, especially those with age-related vision loss, and 135 people a day in Canada are declared blind.

Enter White Cane Week, the first week of February, ded- icated to raising awareness about vision loss. Y esterday I met the blind Comox resident who instigated this special dedic- ation in B.C. for the first time this year. Pat Chicquen is a Comox resident and second vice-president of the Canadian Council of the Blind, B.C.-Yukon division. She encourages sighted and blind people to get involved with one of the 29 white cane clubs in B.C. As she reminded me, you need to get connected if you want to learn about all the services that are available.

A lot can be done to minimize many forms of vision loss, and there are so many services available to support the blind and partially sighted to achieve their full potential. As the Canadian Council of the Blind says, the white cane is a sym- bol of blindness, courage and independent spirit. It is a sign of ability, not disability. SQUAMISH ESTUARY SALMON HABITAT RECOVERY PROJECT J. Sturdy:I am pleased to share with the House a poten- tially game-changing restoration project at the mouth of the Squamish River. The Squamish estuary is located at the head of Howe Sound where the Squamish River meets the ocean.

The estuary is an important ecosystem which provides a transition area between fresh and salt water. [2:00 p.m.] 2690 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

In the 1970s, a dike was built along the Squamish River to control sediment and river flow and to potentially infill the estuary behind the dike. That plan was eventually aban- doned, but the isolating impacts to estuary health are indis- putable and continue to this day. The installation of culverts has made some difference, but the swiftness of the river flushes many salmonid fry out into deep water without giving them a chance to acclimatize.

In the meantime, because the wind and water are just so at the end of the dike, the Squamish Spit has become one of the best places in the world to kiteboard — yes, in the world. The Squamish River Watershed Society is leading a project with funding from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the coastal restoration fund, the habitat conservation fund and B.C. Hydro.

In true collaboration, the watershed society, the Squamish Nation, the district of Squamish, Squamish Ter- minals, the federal and provincial governments, the Squam- ish Windsports Society, the Nature Trust and many inter- ested citizens are moving forward with the Squamish estuary salmon habitat recovery project.

This project will support salmonid access to the Squamish estuary, as well as improving estuary water quality and stor- age and increasing and improving habitat for a range of other fish and wildlife, all the while retaining recreation access for a world-class sport venue and, at the same time, man- aging sediments for an adjacent and busy deep-water port of Squamish Terminals. It’s quite a mission, but I know that this group is up to the task. Oral Questions ENVIRONMENT MINISTER ATTENDANCE AT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP EVENT P .

Milobar:Last week the Minister of Environment con- firmed he was at a private, two-day retreat of activists called the Kinder Morgan strategy group. In fact, he attended a din- ner with that group on the same day as he triggered the trade war with Alberta. To the Minister of Environment: who attended this meet- ing? Hon. G. Heyman:I attended a dinner. I attended a ques- tion-and-answer period. I did not attend a strategy session. There were somewhere in the neighbourhood of 40 attendees, many of whom I did not know. I know some of them.

I think the name of Tzeporah Berman has been identi- fied, and I have spoken to that. There were many others, but I cannot give you a full list. Mr. Speaker:Kamloops–North Thompson on a supple- mental. P . Milobar:That’s fairly troubling because unlike the other groups the minister referenced last week, groups whose boards and CEOs are all publicly known, there is no publicly available information about the Kinder Morgan strategy group or the two-day retreat that the minister participated in, by way of that dinner. To the minister: why will he not tell us who attended?

Is it because they have neglected to register as lobbyists? Hon. G. Heyman:As I’ve already said, I was not present for the entire two-day retreat. I was present for a dinner. I can name some of the people that I spoke to during that peri- od of time: Tzeporah Berman, Karen Mahon, Sven Biggs and Khelsilem Rivers, who is a newly elected councillor. I don’t want to give a list from memory because I may miss somebody, but I can also say that I do not know all of the people who were at the meeting. But we can certainly look at our records about who was there. I attended an invitation to answer questions.

I do not believe it is — in fact, I know it is not — the responsibility of government to ensure that people we meet with are registered as lobbyists. It is the responsibility of lobbyists to ensure they’re registered as lobbyists. Mr. Speaker:Kamloops–North Thompson on a second supplemental. P . Milobar:I know that the members opposite, some, are finding this to be quite humorous, but this is quite serious. This was a dinner on the same night that the trade war with Alberta was triggered by statements made by the Minister of Environment.

Now, I can appreciate that, perhaps, you don’t personally know every single person that was at that dinner and that, perhaps, you may not even know the names and if they’re registered as lobbyists or not. I’m assuming by your last answer, then, that you won’t be making us go through an FOI so the public can have a very transparent view of who was there, but you will be tabling your calendar and any materials, as well, that were prepared for your presentation at that dinner. [2:05 p.m.] Hon. G.

Heyman:I attended a dinner to answer the ques- tions of legitimate people with interests in British Columbia, as I’ve attended dinners that many members of this House have attended with groups who come to Victoria. I’ve attended a luncheon hosted by the Business Council of British Columbia. I could not tell you the name of every person who was in the room, just the ones whom I happen to know personally and remember being there. Our calendars are published proactively. The reason that the member knows about this meeting was because it was in my calendar, which was published proactively. T.

Redies:On the day of the minister’s announcement, Kinder Morgan shares dropped by over $800 million. Inter- estingly, one group that wasn’t surprised was the group the minister met with on Bowen Island. Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2691

Here’s an email from a meeting participant: “Kinder Mor- gan’s stocks dropped — good news for us. I’m at a retreat on Bowen Island for Kinder Morgan strategy group. After a day of interviews, the Minister of Environment kept his promise to share dinner with us. ” To the Minister of Finance. She must be aware of the ser- ious implications of this. Will she investigate the actions of the Environment Minister? Hon. G. Heyman: I don’t want to make light of any of the serious issues that face people in this province.

These are issues of the economy and the threat to our economy — to tens of thousands of jobs that depend on a healthy coastline, a healthy environment. Let me give the member opposite some examples. I take these examples from an announcement that was made in 2016, referring to 2014 figures, by a former Agriculture Min- ister, now the Member for Kelowna–Lake Country. We had 3,400 jobs in the primary seafood sector in coastal com- munities and $981 million in seafood exports in 2014.

If the question is, “Should I be faulted for keeping a prom- ise to have dinner and answer questions with British Columbians?” I don’t think I should be faulted for that. I do my best to keep the commitments I’ve made to meet with all British Columbians, as I do my best to keep the commit- ments of our government to represent British Columbians’ interests, our jurisdiction, and to protect our economy and jobs for British Columbians. Mr. Speaker:The Member for Surrey–White Rock on a supplemental. T. Redies:On the eve of the budget, I’m very surprised that we have to spell this out for the other side of the House.

For a government minister to work with a third party whose goal is to negatively impact the share price of a publicly traded company is completely inappropriate. These groups had press releases already drafted and ready to send out immediately after the Environment Minister’s announcement. Back to the Finance Minister. Will she get to the bottom of exactly what information the Environment Minister shared with his Bowen Island buddies? Hon. G. Heyman: If my buddies are to be judged by those people with whom I meet, then I’m proud to count B.C.

Business Council president, Greg D’ Avignon; the vice- president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Produ- cers, Brad Herald; the president of the Mining Association of B.C., Bryan Cox; as well as members of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, with whom I’ll meet next week; and members of the B.C.

Chamber of Commerce. [2:10 p.m.] I am answerable for what I do as minister, and I’m happy to stand in this House and answer for the measures that we’re taking to assert every bit of legitimate jurisdiction that our province has to protect our environment and our economy and the thousands of jobs that depend on a clean, healthy coastline. That’s what British Columbians expect of me and our gov- ernment. That’s not what they got from the previous govern- ment. We’re taking action to correct that. INTERIOR FRASER STEELHEAD POPULATION AND CHUM GILLNET FISHERY A. Olsen:The Interior Fraser steelhead are in crisis.

Last October I sent letters to FLNRO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Ministry of Environ- ment asking for information about what was being done and how we could be of help. Despite knowledge that the letter was circulating amongst external government contacts, I never got a response. Since then, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada initiated a seldom-used fast-track process and concluded that two populations of steelhead trout breeding in the Thompson and Chilcotin river systems in B.C. are at imminent risk of extinction. I’m going to ask again.

The Thompson should have a run of steelhead of 10,000. This year it had 177. The Chilcotin should have had a run of 5,000. Instead, there were 58. I am gravely concerned about the future of the Interior Fraser steelhead stocks. To whichever minister is going to take the lead in this emergency, can you please clarify what is being done on this urgent issue? Hon. D. Donaldson:I appreciate and welcome the ques- tion from the member. Any time we can talk about steelhead or wild salmon in this chamber, it’s an important day to be remembered.

Y es, the precipitous decline of the Interior Fraser steelhead populations is on record. It was as many as 2,500 spawners returned in 2007. This year, 235. There was a lack of focus by the previous government on wild salmon and steelhead and a lack of action by the previous federal government on steel- head and wild salmon in B.C. We need to maintain the dis- tinct genetic stock and be aware of environmental impacts, concerns from First Nations and nearly 10,000 good jobs that depend on the salmon fishery.

We’re pleased to hear about the federal changes to the federal Fisheries Act and the support for habitat restoration that’s needed in B.C. We are taking the lead through my min- istry in making sure that the federal government’s feet are held to the fire. The commercial bycatch in the Fraser is of utmost concern to us. I know I’ve talked to the member about this, that we’re making every representation we can to the federal government to correct that. Again, we welcome the changes in the federal Fisheries Act that will help us address the habitat concerns as well. Mr.

Speaker:Saanich North and the Islands on a supple- mental. 2692 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

A. Olsen:Thank you to the minister for the response, but two ancient steelhead runs are facing imminent extinction under the watch of this government. As you well know, steelhead returned to the Fraser at the same time as DFO was opening gillnet fisheries for chum salmon. B.C. steelhead experts estimate that 50 percent of the Thompson and Chilcotin steelhead are accidentally caught by these nets as they try to swim upstream to spawn.

We are down to dozens of steelhead, with no capacity to lose more, but our government continues to support the gillnet fishery, with the Ministry of Agriculture awarding the chum fishery a marine stewardship certification, promoting it as sustainable to the world. My question again: will the minister initiate an immediate provincial protection and recovery action plan to save this endangered species, starting by pulling the chum gillnet fish- ery’s MSE sustainable listing? Hon. D.

Donaldson:On the overall issue, I certainly don’t want to be part of a situation where we fight over the last Interior Fraser steelhead in the system. I don’t think any member in this Legislature would want to be part of that. [2:15 p.m.] We’re consulting on the last remaining recreational fisher- ies, where Interior Fraser steelhead are incidentally caught as a bycatch. As you know, there is no more recreational fishing of the steelhead and no more catch and release for that par- ticular species.

We’re working with DFO to identify higher-risk commer- cial and First Nations net fisheries impacting the Interior Fraser steelhead, exactly as the member pointed out. We’re working with DFO. It’s a DFO jurisdiction on the gillnet fishery, and we’re working on that. And we’re consulting with Interior First Nations on the potential closing of Interior Fraser food and commercial fisheries in light of the conser- vation issue. I met just recently with the five chiefs of the Nicola Valley bands on this issue, on Friday, as well as with the B.C. Wild- life Federation.

The long-term goal is to ensure that those steelhead return in the years to come. DISPUTE WITH ALBERTA ON TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE AND WINE INDUSTRY D. Ashton:As the wine war continues, it seems the only people coming out ahead are the lawyers. Today the gov- ernment launched more court action; $70 million in wine sales is being lost. As winemaker Jennifer Molgat points out, “replacing that revenue could take years. ” Will the Minister of Agriculture stand up for our wine- makers and tell the Premier to please end this trade war? Hon. B. Ralston:I thank the questioner.

Clearly, under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, there are certain oblig- ations. All provinces and territories signed the agreement. It was signed and came into effect in July 2017, under the watch of the previous government.

They have previously supported the principles in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, but what is clear is that although the Premier last week invited the Leader of the Opposition to condemn the actions of Alberta under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, the Leader of the Oppos- ition refused to stand up for British Columbia wineries, for British Columbia jobs and for the British Columbia industry, choosing instead to side with Alberta. Mr. Speaker:The member for Penticton on a supplement- al. D. Ashton:My question is to the Minster of Agriculture.

Winemakers like Hermann of Dirty Laundry Vineyard in Summerland are at great risk, not only from the boycott, but 45 percent of their visitors come from Alberta. To add insult to injury, B.C. Liquor Stores are currently promoting an American wine on sale. My question, again, to the minister. The minister’s wine month will not help Dirty Laundry Vineyard or the other 300 plus wineries. Will she please assist the Premier in end- ing this incredibly damaging trade war? Hon. L. Popham: Thank you for the question. We take this situation very seriously. We know how important our wine industry is.

We have been consulting with the wine industry, the Wine Institute, vineyard owners and wine- makers, and they have put forward measures that they believe would help them in the short term. We have followed through with that. The things we’re doing are…. We’re increasing market- ing support so that we can market our incredible product, not just domestically but internationally. We’re increasing shelf space in our B.C. Liquor Stores to include wines that normally wouldn’t be found there from small-scale and medium-scale wineries.

This is opening up an opportunity that they’ve been asking for in the past, and we’re following through on that right now to help them through this diffi- cult time. DISPUTE WITH ALBERTA ON TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE AND TOURISM INDUSTRY D. Clovechok:It’s just not the wine industry and the wine tourism that are suffering as a result of this trade war with Alberta. Businesses in my riding are receiving, daily, angry communications from Albertans stating their intent to boy- cott B.C. tourism. [2:20 p.m.] Sadly, none of this bothers the Minister of Tourism.

She actually told the media last week that she’s not concerned. To the Tourism Minister: what specific actions is she taking to support this industry, which now finds itself caught in the Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2693

crosshairs and the crossfire of a trade war her leader started? Hon. L. Beare: I thank the member for the question. B.C. wine producers are facing an unfair attack from Alberta, and that is wrong. We are standing up for B.C. wine producers and the B.C. tourism industry. This attack violates trade agreements signed by the previous government. Instead of supporting our government’s effort to support the wine industry, to support B.C. tourism, the members opposite are suggesting that we aren’t working and that it’s a waste of money in doing the work that the Minister of Agri- culture has done.

It is too bad that the members opposite are interested in scoring more political points instead of sup- porting the tourism industry. Mr. Speaker:The member for Columbia River–Revels- toke on a supplemental. D. Clovechok:Wayne Gretzky tweeted today: “Canadians play for ‘we, ’ not me. It’s what makes me proud to be part of this country. ” Given the canned answer that I just heard from this minister, I would suggest strongly that she and her lead- er take to heart Mr. Gretzky’s words. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members, we shall hear the question. Thank you. D. Clovechok:To the minister: here’s the reality.

In the words of a now former tourist from Alberta: “In light of your government’s decision to delay Kinder Morgan, we will not be celebrating our anniversary in Fairmont” — part of my riding — “which was our first choice. We’ll now be celebrat- ing in Canmore, Alberta. ” To the minister, how long is she prepared to sit on the bench with her eyes closed, pretending that this is not hap- pening? Hon. J. Horgan:I’m grateful that the member made ref- erence to reality. It’s a shame that the opposition doesn’t live in reality.

Now, on January 30, the government of British Columbia issued a press bulletin outlining our intention to consult with British Columbians to protect our economy, our environ- ment and our coast. Interjections. Hon. J. Horgan:The response…. The members have lost themselves in their partisan playground, rather than focus- ing on the interests of British Columbia. The response from the government of Alberta was to impose a trade sanction on British Columbia. Press release over here; trade sanction over here. The response from this side of the House has been measured. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members.

Members, we shall hear the response. Hon. J. Horgan:The response on that side is as hysterical as the histrionics coming from Alberta. I would like the members on the opposite side to stand up for their constitu- ents and stand up for British Columbia. PATTULLO BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT I. Paton:This government announced its plans to build a bridge last week, but it wasn’t the Massey Tunnel they chose to fix.

When the government announced its plans to replace the Pattullo Bridge, it committed $1.4 billion out of the cap- ital budget, leaving the rest of the province wondering what other projects will be cancelled in order to pay for this. Can the minister tell this House if the Massey bridge replacement will be included in tomorrow’s budget? [2:25 p.m.] Hon. C. Trevena:We announced a $1.377 billion bridge on Friday, and we’re very, very proud of that. It is a bridge that is needed. The mayors of the region wanted it. The community wanted it. It is to replace a bridge that had well outlived its lifespan.

The Pattullo Bridge was designed in 1929, built in the ’30s. It had a 50-year lifespan, and it’s well beyond that. Anybody who travels that bridge knows it needs replacing. We, unlike the previous government, listened to the mayors. We listened to the communities who had it on their priority list to replace the Pattullo. Since 2008, they had been waiting for a government to take action and help them. We stepped in. We’re replacing the Pattullo, and we’re proud of that. Mr. Speaker:The member for Delta South on a supple- mental. I.

Paton:By going it alone on the Pattullo Bridge, the capital budget will shrink for other projects around the province. So my question to the minister is: can she tell the House if the federal government was approached to cover some of the costs of the Pattullo Bridge? Hon. C. Trevena:I find it quite amazing that the member opposite can talk about how the bridges are going to be fun- ded. The Massey replacement, at more than $3 billion, was going to be paid for by the taxpayers of B.C. every time they crossed it because of tolls. We have removed tolls, as one of our first actions, because it is not fair.

We want to make sure that people can travel freely and easily right around our province, and that’s why we dealt with affordability by removing the tolls — unlike that government, whose whole infrastructure strategy was predicated on that. 2694 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

As far as the federal government is concerned, we are talk- ing to the federal government about funding, but we know that we have to move in to deal with this bridge that needs replacing. L. Throness:It’s clear that our relationship with Ottawa is a casualty of the trade war with Alberta. The feds wouldn’t even appear in the same room with this government on a child care announcement. On Friday, the government announced $1.4 billion for the Pattullo Bridge, with no fed- eral contribution at all. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Did she ask the feds for help, and did they say: “No way”? Hon. C.

Trevena:We are in negotiations with the federal government on many projects. Mr. Speaker:The member for Chilliwack-Kent on a sup- plemental. L. Throness:More discussions. Last Friday the Premier said he would continue discussions to secure federal dollars for the Pattullo Bridge, and the minister continues in saying that. They really demonstrate their great negotiating skills. Why would the government announce that the province is willing to pay for the whole bridge before securing a federal contribution? Hon. C.

Trevena:As I said, we are in discussions with the federal government on a number of issues and a number of projects. We are very hopeful that we will get agreement on a number of projects, but it would be wrong for us to prejudge what they’re going to be funding. We have applications in that will affect the Pattullo, that will affect many of our other infrastructure projects — unlike that government, who weren’t looking for federal funding for the Massey replacement. REGULATIONS ON SPILL RESPONSE J.

Tegart:January’s announcement by this government to obstruct the federal permit process gave no firm details or timelines on the government’s intent. To the Minister of Environment, will he confirm a specific timeline for the development of his proposed regulations? [2:30 p.m.] Hon. G. Heyman: First of all, thank you to the member for the question. We’ve made it clear to British Columbians that it’s import- ant to us to protect our environment and to protect the tens of thousands of jobs that depend on a clean coastline, that depend on protecting our rivers and streams.

To that end, we announced that we would put out an intentions paper for discussion amongst all stakeholders of a series of regulations for spills prevention and recovery. We will put out the inten- tions paper when it is ready for public consultation, and we will make an announcement to that effect. Mr. Speaker:The member for Fraser-Nicola on a supple- mental. J. Tegart:The continuing uncertainty created by the gov- ernment has a direct impact on jobs in my riding and in the province. The confusion the minister has created must be addressed. This is a very simple question.

Again to the minister, on what date will the regulations he has proposed be put in force? Hon. G. Heyman: It would appear that the member would like us to dispense with consultation and promulga- tion of the intentions paper and simply go right to regula- tions. But seeing as the member mentioned impacts on jobs, and other members have talked about impacts on tourism, let me talk for a moment about the importance of the tour- ism industry to British Columbia. People…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Minister, proceed. Hon. G. Heyman: Hon.

Speaker, the member has refer- enced problems that she believes might be created for the economy in her region. Tourism is important to all of British Columbia. Our coastal attractions in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island are a gateway that leads tourists to every part of this province, to every tourist attraction, creat- ing jobs in every part of this province. We are standing up for jobs, for the economy, whether it’s tourism, whether it’s film and television, whether it’s the marine harvest or sport fisheries.

It is important that British Columbians know that unlike the previous government, we won’t wash our hands of our constitutional jurisdiction to protect our rights here in British Columbia. We’ll stand up for B.C. and B.C. jobs. [End of question period.] Reports from Committees FINANCE AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE B. D’Eith:I have the honour to present the second report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Govern- ment Services for the second session of the 41st parliament, entitledAnnual Review of the Budgets of Statutory Offices. I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved. Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2695

B. D’Eith:I also ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the report. Leave granted. Mr. Speaker:Please proceed. B. D’Eith:I move that the report be adopted, and in so doing, I would like to make a few brief comments. This report provides the committee’s unanimous recommenda- tions regarding the budgets of British Columbia’s eight inde- pendent statutory offices. On behalf of the committee, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the statutory officers and their staff for their cooperation in last year’s fall budget process.

I’ d also like to thank Clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd and her amazing staff in the Clerk’s office for all the work they do. This wouldn’t have been possible without all that work. So thank you very much. The committee looks forward to a continued dialogue with the statutory officers in the year ahead with respect to their budget plans and priorities, as well as opportunities for savings and efficiencies.

I would also like to thank all members of the committee — especially the Deputy Chair, the member for Penticton — for their collaborative approach and thoughtful contri- butions to the committee’s important work on the statutory office budgets. [2:35 p.m.] D. Ashton:I would like to echo the comments of the member for Maple Ridge–Mission, who is the Chair of the committee. I really would like to thank all the members of the committee, the incredible staff at the committees office and the staff and officers of the statutory offices. But espe- cially, I would like to thank the Chair.

Unanimity can be dif- ficult around here, but his leadership made the difference in being able to deliver a unanimous report. Mr. Speaker:The question is the adoption of the report. Motion approved. SELECTION COMMITTEE Hon. M. Farnworth:I have the honour to present the first report of the Special Committee of Selection for the third session of the 41st parliament. I move that the report be taken and read as received. Motion approved. Hon. M. Farnworth:I ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the report. Leave granted. Hon. M. Farnworth:I move that the report be adopted. Motion approved.

Orders of the Day Hon. M. Farnworth:I call continued debate on the throne speech. [L. Reid in the chair.] Throne Speech Debate (continued) J. Rustad: It’s an honour to be able to continue my response to the throne speech, from last Thursday. I want to start, taking a moment…. Last Thursday I didn’t have the opportunity to recognize Paul and Raven Lacerte and to thank them for the work that they’re doing on the Moose Hide Campaign. I was participating in that fast last Thursday. Ending violence is an important piece, an import- ant work that they’re doing.

They’ve taken it, now, from a B.C. initiative to something that’s gone across the country, and I just want to thank them for that work and for the continued efforts to bring about an end to violence against women and girls. Along those lines, last Thursday I was talking about this continuous assault by this government on business activities, whether it be small business delays, whether it be on the forest industry or mining or the oil and gas sector. But I want to talk a little bit, as well, about First Nations in some of the time that I have remaining.

First Nations are an important component of our society, an important component of this province. But for too long, First Nations have missed out on economic opportunities. Under the previous number of years, under our government, we had signed a tremendous number of agreements to try to help bridge that, to try to move forward. It was Joseph Gosnell from the Nisga’a First Nation that said it’s long past time that First Nations not only catch up economically but, if possible, surpass the rest of Canada. To that end, that is something that we work towards, that we try to find the ways to bridge.

What I find interesting in the throne speech…. The throne speech talked about wanting to close the gap, close the eco- nomic gap for First Nations. Those are nice terms, a nice thing to talk about doing. But the reality is they have opposed every opportunity to do that. Y ou can’t close the economic gap unless there are actual investments in this province, and those are investments that have to come in the resource sector for the most part.

Tourism plays an important piece, and that will be, certainly, a makeup of the composition for where First Nations can close the gap. [2:40 p.m.] The reality is, whether it’s liquefied natural gas and the 2696 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

NDP’s opposition to projects like Pacific NorthWest LNG, whether it is gas projects up in the northeast, whether it is other projects, forestry activities, mining, etc., we need to find ways to be able to have First Nations be able to come to the forefront of these projects, capitalize on their rights and title, work with government and work with industry to be able to see the success of these projects and the lifting of First Nations people out of abject poverty and social challenges.

When you look at any statistic, whether it is the suicide rate or poverty numbers or children in care or the number of people on unemployment, there’s no question in my mind that those problems cannot be solved by govern- ment. Government needs to play a role. They need to be able to support First Nations. But the only way those numbers are truly going to be meaningfully changed is to engage in economic activity. I’ll give you some examples.

My colleague from Skeena has talked about his nation, where they were around 60 per- cent unemployment, and through engaging in the economy, they got down to around 15 percent unemployment. I’ll give you an example from my own riding, though, Lake Babine Nation. When the mill blew up in Burns Lake a number of years ago and the tragedy that happened to Babine Forest Products…. The aftermath of that, of course, was people unemployed. There was the tragedy of the loss of life, but there was also the tragedy of people having an uncer- tain future.

The number of social issues and family issues that happened increased significantly. A number of counsel- lors were brought in to and tried to support families through that challenging time. The reality is that with the loss of economic activity, we saw deterioration in the social conditions for the nation. As soon as the mill started its reconstruction, made the decision, those numbers came down. As soon as the mill actually started opening again, those numbers came down again.

It’s a real-life example of what happens when you have economic activity engaging and how it can change the out- comes for people on the ground. I find it interesting that we were signing agreements at a rate over…. I think it was over 200 agreements that were signed just in the last year alone that we were in government, yet I haven’t seen any signed by this current government. Maybe there has been some, but it’s certainly not something that they talk about. They pooh-pahed, if I can use that lan- guage…. Interjection. J. Rustad: Sorry. From my learned colleague, that is unparliamentary language.

I cannot pooh-pah. Okay. If that is the case, I will find other words to choose. They spoke elegantly against…. Interjection. J. Rustad:Pooh-poohed, not pooh-pahed? Sorry. I digress. The reality is they opposed all of these types of agreements that we signed, calling them “mean- ingless. ” But when you look at what happened on the ground, a very different story can be told about what the agreements did. One of the other chiefs in my riding, who is no longer chief — he’s had some serious health issues — said he had, tragically, five attempted suicides in his riding. One, tragic- ally, lost their life.

He said it was enough. Enough of saying no. He said they have to find ways to be able to create suc- cess, to create economic opportunity in the riding. The pipeline that went out to the Pacific NorthWest LNG would have made a huge difference for that riding and for the people in that riding — to give jobs, to give hope to the young people that there was an opportunity to be able to build a future, to get people working instead of sitting idle.

There are projects right across this province that need to be promoted, projects right across this province that need to have capital investment pulled into this beautiful province that we have — to make that difference for First Nations and for many communities, like the communities in my riding of Nechako Lakes that I have the honour to represent. How do people sitting in a boardroom make a decision to spend $100 million or $700 million or $3 billion or $4 bil- lion or $34 billion when the messages that are sent from this government are continually no? “Y ou can’t invest in this province. There’s uncertainty.

Y ou’ll have more regulations. ” It says that right in your throne speech. “We’re going to cre- ate trade wars if we don’t like something that goes on. We’re going to work against various things. ” [2:45 p.m.] That’s not how you create investment. What you have to do is you have to set rules, and you have to make sure those rules are followed. But at the same time, you have to be able to show that investors can make a decision in this province in a reasonable period of time and create an opportunity that’s going to have jobs, support the economy and be paying taxes. These guys don’t seem to get that.

I think the throne speech was a huge miss in terms of its ability to be able to highlight the need for driving the economy. It’s not by chance that it was more than two-thirds of the throne speech gone before they even got on to talking about the economy. It’s a sad part when you sit down, go through and look at that. In addition, it’s very troubling to think that there are out- side groups — outside of this province, outside of this coun- try — that have come in and have campaigns to oppose eco- nomic development in this province, and that spend money.

Furthermore, they also support, through a third party and directly, political parties, to fight economic development and resource development. I know the members opposite are proud of seeing that. They’re proud of that. They go to dinners to be celebrated for opposing economic development. But the cost is to the people of this province, and particularly, the First Nations, where lies and misinformation are spread. Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2697

I saw a tweet just the other day from one of these organ- izations that I’m sure was part of that group that celebrated the Minister of Environment at the dinner on Bowen Island back on January 30, a tweet that said that if more tankers start moving through this coast, it will kill the orcas. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is the thing that we forget. We even forget our Cana- dian history, our own Canadian history. Whales were being hunted to extinction. Victoria, back in the 1800s, used to promote itself as the place to come, to the whaling industry, as an opportunity for development.

Y et it was a Canadian invention through oil and gas that, overnight, saved the whales. The oil and gas industry — get that — saved the whales because kerosene, overnight, was substituted for the oil that was extracted from whales. Overnight the whaling industry was obsolete. Oil and gas. Celebrate that if you celebrate wanting to save the whales. Y et these groups spread this kind of misinforma- tion out there to the public. It’s a real shame. Y ou think about it when you think about Kinder Morgan and whether Kinder Morgan goes ahead or not.

That’ll be determined, obviously, through many decisions other than what’s going on currently with the debate on the throne speech. But let’s be realistic about what it represents. The current risk in this province of an oil spill from oil moving through from the Kinder Morgan pipeline is about one in 3,036 years — one chance for a significant oil spill in 3,036 years. Interjection. J. Rustad:The member opposite just said: “Hey, we’re going to make it seven times greater. ” That just shows what the lack of understanding of NDP math is. There are 23,000 movements of ships in this province annually.

The expansion on the Deltaport alone will bring in another 5,000 additional movements on the ship. The movement of oil will bring in another 700. That’s how much more. What does that do in terms of the risk factor? First of all, all those other ships, whether it be B.C. Ferries carry- ing lots of fuel and vehicles or whether it be tugs, barges or all these other things bringing things around…. Those ships will actually have to be tethered with two tugs. The chances of a spill are virtually zero. Let’s say that, okay, now you’re going to have this expan- ded number.

Read the National Energy Board report before you start heckling members from opposite. When you actu- ally stand to look at it, the odds will now be, if it goes ahead, one spill in every 2,398 years. Figure out what that minus- cule number is. I see my time is running out. [2:50 p.m.] The reason why I talk about this is that I talk about it from a perspective of Nechako Lakes. We don’t have that pipeline going through, but I do have many other projects going through.

Whether it is First Nations or non–First Nations alike, we need to see economic activity to be able to prosper for families, to be able to see communities prosper, to be able to bring forward what we would like to see for a healthy environment, for healthy communities, for healthy families. That is completely missing in this throne speech. That is why it is very unfortunate to see the kinds of attacks and the kind of misinformation that is being spread out there. For my family and for families in my riding, we want to be able to see a new mine in our riding because we know what it means.

We want to be able to see investment in forestry because we know it supports our family. We want to see investment in agriculture because we know what that will mean for our communities. It’s a tremendous honour to represent the people of Nechako Lakes, to have the chance to be able to stand in here and share a few words. I look forward to the continued debate on not only the throne speech but on budget and other things so that for the people of Nechako Lakes, their voices can be heard, their priorities can be clear and so that we can move forward and push for a better future for all of our people. Hon. R.

Fleming: It’s a pleasure to be able to rise both as the Minister of Education and as the MLA for Vic- toria–Swan Lake to speak to what was an historic throne speech for this chamber, one that signifies — in very, very stark, contrasting terms — the priorities of a new govern- ment that is centred around making ordinary middle-class family life in British Columbia affordable again — with what we endured for many, many years under the previous government.

This afternoon I would like to draw the stark contrast between a throne speech and a government that has emphas- ized the power and the wisdom of investing in education of our young people, both at the earliest learning years in the child care sector as well as the K-to-12 system, so that we can successfully have confident, young adults with the compet- encies needed to be successful in the 21st century economy, transition into post-secondary education and be the job cre- ators, innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled people that our economy needs in the future.

That’s what we laid out as our blueprint in the throne speech that was introduced to this House last week. And I’m proud of this throne speech for many, many reasons. I’ll con- fine most of my remarks this afternoon to the portfolio of Education and why I think this throne speech is visionary and supportive of a government direction that will pay tre- mendous dividends to this province for decades to come. That is because the emphasis of the throne speech and of this government over the last six months — a mere six months, if I can put it in those terms — has been all about people.

It’s been investing in young people. It’s been investing in people who are struggling to get ahead in this economy. It’s been investing in having a home to live in. It’s been about investing in communities to support business and private 2698 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

sector investment that will create jobs and reduce unemploy- ment and create more GDP , more taxes and more prosperity to share around British Columbia in every region. Let me return to some of the things that the throne speech committed to solving. Some of these problems, it must be said, are not easy ones to solve. It is very difficult, for example, to try and steer a real estate market in one partic- ular direction. There is no, obviously, magic wand for any Minister of Finance or government to be able to do that.

There are some instruments available for governments to use, instruments that the previous government chose not to use, on the tax side, instruments around creating housing stock that is affordable in communities. I can tell you, as a previous director in the non-profit housing sector, some years ago here in the capital regional district we saw the programs for affordable family housing eliminated by the previous government, in its very earliest years of the long 16 years which we’ve endured. [2:55 p.m.] Y ou have to go back and imagine what the province would look like.

Communities like Victoria, which I’m privileged to represent, and Saanich and other parts of the province where the rental scarcity, rental crisis and home ownership chal- lenges are the greatest…. What would it be like if we had built thousands of units of affordable rental family housing over the years, or rent-to-own housing? We indeed had a program like that that was scrapped by the previous govern- ment. We would have tens and tens of thousands of addi- tional units, instead of having thousands and thousands of people on wait-lists to get into affordable homes.

The reality is that we’re at a place where we have to account for what’s gone on over the recent decade and a half, where there was an underinvestment, and underbuilding, in affordable family housing in my community and many com- munities around British Columbia, and we have a scarcity of housing today. That’s why the emphasis of this throne speech was so ambitious: to turn the page on the neglect of the last 15 years and to declare an intention that British Columbia is going to tackle this problem head-on.

We are going to have an investment that is the most ambitious and largest, histor- ically, in B.C. ’s history. That was the first paragraph of the throne speech, to which I am so glad to respond here today. The other major theme around making life more afford- able that was committed to in the throne speech — this will come as no surprise to members in this chamber and, I hope, citizens around British Columbia — is that we have a gov- ernment now that is interested in investing in early child- hood education in a way that the previous government nev- er, ever committed to do.

We have a partnership with the federal government to do that. But let’s be clear: the major- ity of the investment will come from our new provincial gov- ernment. It sets about to do a couple of things. One, it’s based on the observations in other prosperous jurisdictions that have made substantial investments in universal-like child care systems and the benefits that those countries have been able to achieve. Many of those countries are in the North Atlantic regions of Europe and the northern countries of the European continent.

But there are many places around the world that have had significant investments in early child- hood education — even in Canada, a number of provinces —

whereas B.C. has found itself lagging so far behind under the previous government. That’s something that we need to correct in British Columbia, for a number of reasons. The first reason is that child care is disproportionately and exorbitantly expens- ive for young families. We know that it actually changes people’s life choices. They’re afraid to have children in many parts of British Columbia because it is so expensive to do so.

Because it makes their employment vulnerable and it makes their ability to contemplate how they will raise a family in a decent standard of living, it influences a choice away from having kids. That’s wrong. That’s a problem for British Columbia domestically that will accumulate if we don’t address it. It’s also an issue that employers have been asking government to address for years and years and years, both small business employers and large employers in this region and throughout the province.

Chambers of commerce, the business council — all of the major business voices — have been telling government for a number of years that you must make an investment that is significant in helping us to recover and retain valuable employees, to allow business to plan appropriately and also to attract employees from outside of the province to get the skill sets that are in demand in B.C. ’s economy. Failure to do so is actually slowing GDP growth in British Columbia.

Tomorrow’s budget will outline an array of strategies to increase the number of daycare spaces; drive quality improvements in the child care sector; have many, many more families involved in child care; and make it more affordable for the pocketbooks of average British Columbi- ans. But we have to remember that this is an investment for everybody in British Columbia, and it’s one that will pay sig- nificant economic dividends for all parts of the economy in British Columbia. That’s what the throne speech spoke to.

That’s a new direc- tion that our government seeks to take, and it’s one that I’m incredibly proud of. [3:00 p.m.] We have been hard at work since last summer, tackling a number of problems that have been left for us. We know we have a lot more to do. There’s no question about that. Things cannot be fixed overnight or in six months. We have heard the Premier on a number of occasions talk about the importance of developing an economy that works for everyone.

I was so pleased, recently, to hear that the commission looking at achieving a $15-an-hour minim- um wage, with the consensus of both labour and business and other interest groups, was able to deliver a substantial pathway and a program to give everybody in the economy a Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2699

raise. Those 250,000 families that actually earn the minimum wage will have incomes that grow by $10,000 a year by the time our new minimum wage is introduced. That’s one part of the economy, but it shows that, over the last six months, an incredible body of work has been achieved and accom- plished by this government. I want to say that, from my perspective as the Minister of Education, I was very pleased that the throne speech said that education is the great equalizer.

It recognized the tre- mendous power that educating young people has over both an individual’s life chances as well as transforming an eco- nomy that is prosperous. It is the single greatest investment that we can make. I think we have enough examples all over the world. We have seen countries that have even arisen from the ashes of World War II become some of the most pros- perous, dynamic, diversified economies in the world because they made significant investments in education. Canada is no stranger to that either, by the way.

We have achieved many great things as a country because we have made a number of investments in education. But the reality — and I think the throne speech and, certainly, the budget tomorrow is going to address this even further — is that Brit- ish Columbia chose a different path as we entered the 21st century than other jurisdictions in the country. We didn’t choose to substantially ramp up investment into our K-to-12 education system, for example. In fact, we went from the second-best funded provincial jurisdiction in the country, when it came to our school system, to the second worst.

That’s a trajectory that we took as a province under the former government, and that’s what we have to deal with now in our school system as we try and drive improvements. I have to tell you that the agenda that’s been outlined by this government…. Myself, as the Minister of Education, the deputy minister, every part of the Ministry of Education is working on a vision with our partners in the education sec- tor that says: “Look, we have a very good, very strong edu- cation system. Various parts of the world have recognized that in British Columbia, but it’s time to strive for more. ” We cannot be complacent.

We cannot continue to defund edu- cation, as the previous government did. It’s time to do right by more kids. It’s time to pursue excellence in the education system like we have not seen in British Columbia for decades now. That’s what we intend to do, and that’s what the throne speech signalled, in terms of its intentions around this government’s direction of the K-to-12 system. It’s why, for example, we hit the ground running as a new government to hire thousands of new teachers in the school system.

The largest hiring of teaching staff in B.C. ’s school system in generations was achieved by this government in this current school year that we are in. It’s why the speed of badly needed new seismic upgrades in our schools has been a major focus of my work, of the government, the Premier, and everybody working in the Ministry of Education. We’ve said we want to accelerate the safety of kids in schools so parents can sleep at night, knowing that in the event of a traumatic seismic event, we do not have a tragedy, which we have seen in other countries that, unfortunately, has seen the loss of life.

We have told every partner in the school system: “Let’s get to seismic investments quicker. Let’s do them better, smarter, more efficiently. ” The sector has responded brilliantly. That’s what we have been able to do, just by turning the page on the previous 15 years of photo ops with no follow-through and to say, instead, to school districts that have a significant backlog of these types of projects: “Let’s work together.

Let’s do it as effi- ciently as we can. ” That’s what’s happening right now in Brit- ish Columbia. [3:05 p.m.] I’m so happy, too, in building this new relationship that we have with educators and parents and school boards and communities across B.C., to have a positive, proactive con- versation about the power of public education, that there is a distinct enthusiasm in every community across British Columbia to turn the page and have that new positive con- versation.

I’m also very pleased, too, that just four or five months after our government announced, as one of its very first actions, the abolition of tuition fees for adult basic educa- tion, which the previous government foolishly introduced, I might add….

When we announced the abolition of those fees, we could not have anticipated such a dramatic uptake in interest from people in the economy — young workers, moms and dads working long hours for low pay because they didn’t have a high school transcript that was able to get them into post- secondary education and into a vocation that would allow them to have a better life and earn a better salary and take a better place in the economy. We abolished those tuition fees, and we saw, immediately, a 30 percent increase in enrolment.

That speaks to the people that were left behind by that previous government and the interest in what our government is doing. They grasped that opportunity after that government kicked out the ladders and rungs of opportunity on those very people. I’m so pleased to have met a number of students who have enrolled in adult basic education courses. Some of them, having the courses they need and having the grades that are required to get into programs, are already transitioning into college and university. It is a fantastic and very early success story for our government.

I’ve spent the last few months travelling across the province. I’ve met with students and parents, school trustees and staff, throughout this great, diversified province of ours. I’ve visited schools across Metro Vancouver and here on southern Vancouver Island. I’ve travelled to Prince George, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Campbell River, just to name a few locations. I even visited I think what may be…. It may not be the smallest school, but at nine students, Surge Narrows….

I was very privileged to take a water taxi out for 45 minutes into the middle of the channel to attend a school on 2700 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

Read Island and to install a satellite system that will allow that community to have Internet and all of the on-line learn- ing tools that are available in the 21st century to that place. I have seen and learned a lot of things from families and from students and from those who teach or support teachers in our school system. That is that they love their work, take pride in it, and they have great hopes that the work that they do is literally helping to build better lives.

They love their work, and they also like the fact that they have a government that values and recognizes their work, after so many years and years of the previous government deliberately picking fights with teachers, for example, drag- ging them through the court for 12 years. We could go through the testimony of those divisive trials, but that’s not my intention. I’m trying to make a point about how our throne speech from last week marks a radical and welcome departure from where we were just a short year ago in British Columbia on something as important as K-to-12 education. We’ve done away with that.

Nobody is talking about the kinds of nasti- ness and divisiveness that the previous Premier and her gov- ernment deliberately provoked within the school system — that the courts found the government to have acted illegally and unconstitutionally about. It does certainly leave bitter, painful memories, especially for those who lost income or had significant career displace- ment caused by the government’s reckless action. There’s no question about that.

There’s a generation of students too, by the way, who liter- ally had hundreds of millions of dollars of annual classroom resources ripped away from them and in their entire learn- ing careers knew nothing else than Christy Clark and her ways of disrupting the school system. People want to move on to a different conversation. I cer- tainly do as well, as the Minister of Education. So does our government. I think that we are very lucky to have, in Pre- mier John Horgan, somebody whose own life story…. Deputy Speaker:Member, no first names. [3:10 p.m.] Hon. R. Fleming:Sorry.

The member for Langford–Juan de Fuca and Premier of British Columbia. We’re very fortu- nate to have somebody whose own life story has such a pre- dominant and compelling story around how the school sys- tem helped him out of difficult times — as somebody whose father had died at a young age, who grew up in tough times and who maybe made some choices, as a youngster, that were not the kinds of positive ones that would have led to a good result.

He has credited, on many occasions — and I know you’ve heard him speak to this, Madame Speaker — teach- ers and those in the school system, those adult profession- als who care and are dedicated, for steering him in a pos- itive direction. He has been able to, obviously, lead a very productive life and is now — who would’ve thunk it? least of all him — the head of government in the province of British Columbia, giving back to what the school system gave him as a young person. What he is giving back is a record investment in our public school system because he believes in it, because he’s seen it firsthand.

He also knows that it’s going to be B.C. ’s single-greatest bet that we can make as a recipe for eco- nomic success. We have invested $200 million just since September 1 on the seismic safety file. Thirteen replacement schools and seismic projects have been announced, and in every part of the province: Saanich, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Surrey, Richmond. Madame Speaker, I’m very pleased to have been out in your area to make a much-needed, long- delayed announcement in Richmond. Maple Ridge has also been the recipient of welcomed seismic projects, and Delta.

We have found a way to get everybody working and pulling in the same direction, to be able to get capital announcements quicker. I have to say, those of us on the government side now have scratched our heads and wondered how the previous government failed so miser- ably on so many seismic promises they made. We have to wonder whether it was incompetence or just disingenuous at the time. I’ll give you an example.

In April 2013, on the eve of the last election before the one we’ve just been through — it was literally 12 hours before the writ period, if you must know — the former Premier announced seismic upgrades to 45 high-risk schools. Now, you can imagine I was very curious to get behind the curtain of government and actually track how many of those investments were now supported by real business plans and real dollars.

No doubt it sounded great in 2013, but I am very disappointed to say that five years later, half of those schools are still incomplete and many of them are no closer to construction than they were in 2013. That’s an indication of the situation we have inherited as a government. We are working as fast as we can with school districts to get those projects moving again, but we’re also dealing with a cupboard that was left almost bare for us as a government. There were no decisions that had been made.

There were no projects that were proceeding to design and tender in the way that we had hoped we would find so we could get to the next tranche of projects. No, we have had to clear up a backlog that had no sup- portive work behind it, in many cases, and go back and make good on commitments the previous government had made in photo ops but then done nothing with for five years. That’s what we’re dealing with as a government.

The budget tomor- row, in terms of its capital plan, is going to address some of the symptoms of how the previous government behaved, in terms of putting in some dollar amounts to get at the back- log of projects that I’ve discussed. We have set an internal target to approve 50 new seismic projects over the next 18 months. That won’t be all of the ones that need to be done. But let me tell you, if the previous government had announced, on a regular basis, 50 projects Monday, February 19, 2018 British Columbia Debates 2701

over 18-month time periods, we wouldn’t even be talking about seismic investments in the year 2018. We would’ve been done with it, as other jurisdictions up and down this same shared fault line on the coast of North America have already completed their projects. Instead, British Columbia is still talking about it and still trying to come together with timelines that will give parents the security to know that their kids study, and that teachers and support staff go to work, in schools that are safe each and every day. [3:15 p.m.] We’re fixing serious problems that were left behind by the previous government.

We’re also addressing some that maybe didn’t get the due attention in the media. This isn’t a criticism of the media, but one of the issues that I’ve cer- tainly picked up on over the years as a parent and, pre- viously, as the Education critic is that for bizarre reasons, our school system — cash-starved as it was over a whole number of areas and indicators — did not fund replace- ment playground equipment. Y ou had these old 1970s…. I don’t know how many teeth these things have chipped off, but you know the equipment I’m talking about. I’m looking at the member from West Vancouver.

I was so pleased to be in his constituency the oth- er day and announce a brand-new Handsworth Secondary in the district of North Vancouver. I know that he was a sup- porter of that project. Playground equipment is a major burden for parent groups to have to fundraise tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of dollars to pay for because the pre- vious government didn’t have a funding allocation for that. We’re creating a playground fund. There will be details in tomorrow’s budget; it was referenced in the throne speech.

It seems like a simple thing, but I can tell you that parents around the province are relieved that government has finally listened to them and that they can get on with funding other kinds of things, doing other kinds of activities, spending more time on the learning environment and the education cultures of their schools instead of having a zillion bake sales every year and trying to reach impossible targets. One parent group told me that they had a 12-year fun- draising campaign to have a playground.

Some of the parents that were involved had kids that were now in university, but they were still supporting — out of their own wallets, their own pockets — a fundraising campaign that they had initi- ated 12 years earlier. That is wrong. We’re going to fix that in the budget tomorrow, and the throne speech spoke to that. We have done a lot to revitalize B.C. ’s education system. I have mentioned some of it. Fully funding enrolment growth, I think, is a key commitment that you would think the school district partners of ours would expect at a minimum.

But they didn’t always get that treatment under the previous government. That means tens of millions of new dollars into the education system, by making good on the commitment to fully fund enrolment growth. With 3,700 new positions funded as a result of the MOA with the BCTF , that’s a total of $409 million just this year. There will be more in the budget tomorrow. I know the opposition will be looking for that, because it’s something that they bitterly fought for 12 years. They wanted to keep class sizes overly large.

They wanted to make sure that composition wasn’t addressed for special needs learners in our school system. If they protest that that wasn’t their intention at all, they have to account for the fact that they took every legal step that they possibly could, until they lost — in a 15-minute decision, I might add — at the Supreme Court of Canada. We could go over the transcripts from those court hear- ings at the B.C. Supreme Court, where government actually found, through sworn testimony of witnesses, that govern- ment deliberately sought to provoke a strike for political gain.

In other words, government set fire to disputes to make sure they happened, in order to create political chaos that they hoped to benefit from. I don’t know what more I can add to that tale of what a sad place British Columbia was made to be or of what a ridiculous position for a government to take. I can tell you that in a very, very short period of time — with the infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars of new funding, with the lowest ratios of teacher to student in classrooms in British Columbia in perhaps 30 years — we’ve achieved a tremend- ous amount.

I’m also happy to say that it’s not just 3,700 new teachers that have been hired in British Columbia, but we have 600 more education assistants, working in the school sys- tem just this year, over last year. It’s tremendous. When you think of 5,000 new students coming into the school system this year, that they have 3,700 new teachers, 600 new EAs…. It’s almost one adult in the school per new kid coming into our school system.

That is a fantastic sea change of how the education system is being resourced and is being prioritized by this government, compared to where it was just a few short years ago, or just over a year ago, under the previous government. [3:20 p.m.] We do know, however, that the work isn’t done. Y ou can imagine how difficult it is, logistically, to hire the most teach- ers that we ever have in generations. We know, and we have struck a recruitment and retention task force to deal with that. I’m very happy to say that that task force took just six weeks to make some immediate, quick-action items that were recommended.

We’re acting on them already. We’ve just announced $1 million to train more than 100 new teachers — specialist teachers, French immersion teach- ers, science, math, Indigenous teachers throughout the school system. We will be recruiting and working with our school district partners to hire the balance of teachers required. We are undertaking a K-to-12 funding review, the first one in 30 years in this province. We have signed off on a set of principles with our partners the B.C. School Trustees Association to guide that exercise. That is an exciting exer- 2702 British Columbia Debates Monday, February 19, 2018

cise, because it will look at what sustainable K-to-12 educa- tion funding looks like going forward. It will look at the new emphasis in the curriculum around core competencies, dif- ferent styles of teaching and learning and how we align that with a sustainable funding regime going forward. These are vastly different conversations than the previous government was ever willing to undertake. In fact, they shut them down and would not allow them. Today, just a short period of time since the election, six months, we’ve already launched this exercise.

We’re already through phase 1 of the education funding review, and I look forward to being able to complete that exercise within six months and share the results with executive council of government later this year. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the throne speech this afternoon. I’ll take my place. R.

Sultan:Before I get into the main body of my remarks, let me respond to the comments on the throne speech by the previous speaker, the Minister of Education, and express my personal thanks to him and his ministry for the vitally important replacement of Handsworth School, which had always questionable seismic qualities. Thank you for that. Let me also say I admire the agility with which he wove together two principle points — namely, our school system. Our public school system in British Columbia is truly one of excellence.

In fact, this is demonstrated by international comparisons over and over again when countries like Japan, Singapore, Finland and other high-performing, smaller — elite, you might say — education systems are compared with the performance results of British Columbia students across the board. We’re not talking just the privileged areas of the province, by any means, but a large dosage, for example, of First Nations students. We rank right up there at the front, and that is an incredibly impressive accomplishment by our school ministry.

I would suggest to the Minister of Educa- tion that if he merely maintains the present level of excel- lence and replace the odd Handsworth School, he will go down in history as a great Minister of Education. Anyhow, turning to the Speech from the Throne laying out the current government’s plans and intentions, I had looked forward to this speech with a certain nervous appre- hension, expecting some clever and highly disruptive blend of environmental activism and social justice. Instead, we were given a combination of platitudes and motherhood. For the government, I must say, a huge missed opportunity.

Its emptiness reminds me of literary references to the void. T.S. Eliot once wrote: “What are the roots that clutch? What branches grow out of this stony rubbish? Son of man, you cannot say, or guess, for you know only a heap of broken images. ” Oh, Mr. Eliot, not very complimentary. British Columbia, the canvas on which we impose our laws and regulation, is woven from one of the most marvel- lous combinations of nature’s bounty, strategic location and creative humanity that I think you will find almost anywhere in the world.

I’m indebted to the constituents who allow me to represent one corner of this fantastic place. [3:25 p.m.] I’m indebted to this province, which allowed my Swedish parents, off the farm and educated to grade 3, to come here in a previous century, help build a new society, raise eight kids in a three-bedroom house in East Vancouver and allow me to pursue my studies to the highest level at Harvard. The magic ingredient in this story is opportunity. Since those earlier days, my family’s immigrant experience has been replicated thousand-fold in British Columbia.

We look to the Speech from the Throne to assure immigrants of today and their children that opportunity will be as undimmed for them as it was for me. But this government’s road map as defined in this Speech from the Throne disappoints me. I search in vain for the foundation stones and accelerators of opportunity. It’s not as if underperformance and lack of vision is bred in this government’s NDP bones. To the contrary, as I have spoken previously in this House about my admiration for the recently deceased David Barrett, an NDP Premier who was a true public servant and who left behind a lasting legacy.

For all the Barrett government accomplished, and it was a lot, it was accomplished between 1972 and 1975. This is almost hard to believe. They passed 367 bills, something like one new law every three days. Y ou might call this the Barrett benchmark. One informed observer wrote: “Every British Columbian who has ever bought auto insurance, attended community college, ridden an ambulance, taken the SeaBus, tangled with a boss about wages or benefits or vacationed in one of scores of wildern

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20180219pm-Hansard-n80
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20180219pm Hansard n80
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	208606edb7b76a119352d62a29f82773798ce21e

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