Fifth Session, 41st Parliament

(2020) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, August 10, 2020

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 352

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

Money laundering

B. D’Eith

M. Lee

Clean energy

E. Ross

D. Routley

Innovation to address climate change

R. Glumac

P. Milobar

Economic plan for B.C.

J. Martin

R. Kahlon

Private Members’ Motions

Motion 10 — Equitable economy

R. Singh

M. Hunt

J. Brar

T. Redies

J. Routledge

M. Bernier

J. Rice

G. Kyllo

J. Sims

S. Cadieux

M. Dean

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020

The House met at 10:05 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: D. Davies.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

MONEY LAUNDERING

B. D’Eith: For far too long, national and transnational criminal

organizations have had a foothold in our province, using money

laundering as a vehicle to access their ill-gotten gains. When the

government took office in 2017, it immediately dug into this issue. I

was shocked to learn about the massive scale and extent of the problem.

It’s estimated that $7 billion in dirty money was laundered in British

Columbia in 2018, and between $800 million and $5.3 billion of that was

laundered through the real estate market.

Now, there have been a number of reports commissioned. There are

three, two of which were carried out by Dr. Peter German. In June 2018,

the government accepted, in principle, all 48 of Dr. German’s

recommendations outlined in his first report, Dirty Money ,

which are being reviewed and actioned by the government in coordination

with the B.C. Lottery Corp.

As of June 30, 2020, a total of 33, or 69 percent, of the 48

recommendations has been addressed. Nine, or 19 percent, of these

recommendations must be addressed through legislation. An analysis of

the remaining recommendations is ongoing.

The 33 fully addressed recommendations are in addition to the two

interim recommendations that Dr. German provided in December of 2017,

which have been fully implemented, one of which resulted in a

significant drop in the number of suspicious transactions reported. The

overall value of those suspicious transactions was down.

Government efforts remain focused on working on legislation to

create the new independent gaming control office, a standards-based

model and a review of the roles and responsibilities of the regulator

and the BCLC. All other recommendations are being analyzed in a broader

context of a provincial response to money laundering across all

sectors.

Significant progress is being made on these issues. Between July

2015 and March 2020 — of course, casinos were closed due to COVID-19 —

there has been a reduction in the number of suspicious transaction

reports filed by the BCLC from a high of 187 in July 2015 to 25 in March

2020, representing a decline of 87 percent, and the value of suspicious

transactions from $27.2 million to $237,783, a decline of 99

percent.

Of course, there’s a lot of work that has to be done with the

federal government, and the government continues to call on the federal

government to coordinate a strong response. In ongoing discussions with

our federal partners, the government is advocating for amendments to the

Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act — it’s

a mouthful; it’s to expand the numbers and types of entities that need

to report to the financial tracking and reporting and analysis centre,

well known as FINTRAC — and for increasing funding, expertise and

coordination in the areas of investigation and enforcement of financial

crimes.

[10:10 a.m.]

Of course, we all know that money laundering is not a victimless

crime. It has driven up housing costs as much as 5 percent and has hurt

hard-working B.C. families who are being pushed out of their

communities. A vast majority of British Columbians work hard, they play

by the rules, yet the dream of home ownership is still far out of reach

for far too many in this province.

In one year since the introduction of the 30-point housing plan,

government has taken the following actions to address tax fraud and

close loopholes in the real estate market:

(1) introduced legislation to establish Canada’s first public

registry of beneficial owners to put an end to the hidden ownership of

real estate in British Columbia;

(2) established Canada’s first online register for presale condo

sales to track assignments;

(3) updated the property transfer tax return to uncover beneficial

owners behind corporate trusts;

(4) enacted legislation to allow information-sharing on the

homeowner grant with federal tax officials to improve tax

enforcement;

(5) strengthened the property transfer tax auditor’s ability to

take action on tax evasion;

(6) implemented the speculation and vacancy tax which targets

foreign ownership and satellite families who own real estate in the

province, who pay little or no tax; and, of course,

(7) established a federal-provincial working group on tax fraud

and money laundering.

Now, of course, the problem is also linked to the distribution of

fentanyl and the overdose crisis, which has tragically taken the lives

of so many people in our province. From January to August, 2017,

fentanyl was detected in approximately 81 percent of illegal drug

overdoses. These deaths are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, siblings,

partners and friends that will never come back. While the government

continues to combat this overdose crisis from a medical and a social

point of view, it’s crucial that we put a stop to the flow of dirty

money in our province.

In May of 2019, the government announced a public inquiry into

money laundering in British Columbia so that British Columbians can get

the answers they deserve. The commission, headed by B.C. Supreme Court

Justice Austin Cullen, is examining the extent, growth, evolution and

methods of money laundering across several sectors of our economy,

including real estate, gambling, financial institutions and corporate

and professional sectors. It will also examine regulatory authorities

and barriers to effective law enforcement of money laundering. The

commission has actively been engaging with participants, witnesses,

subject-matter experts and the public and has actually been able to

pivot during COVID-19.

We believe it’s critical to restore British Columbia’s reputation

and to ensure that B.C. is never again considered a safe haven for

laundering of proceeds of crime. Wealthy criminals and those attempting

to evade taxes have had the run of our province for far too long, and

this problem has been able to fester. But as they say, sunlight is the

best disinfectant, and by bringing this problem to light and launching

an independent inquiry, we’re committing to stamping out this practice

in our province.

The government is closing loopholes and enforcing improved laws to

ensure British Columbians who actually play by the rules are rewarded

and those who break the law face the appropriate consequences. To quote

the May 2019 report, Combatting Money Laundering in B.C. Real

Estate : “A society without the underpinning of the rule of law

is a very precarious society.” We’re not close to this reality in

British Columbia and Canada, but precautionary tales from other

countries teach us that we should not take the rule of law and democracy

that we have for granted.

M. Lee: This issue has certainly been a point of much discussion in recent

years. The government has called a public inquiry and has been underway

for some time. That is the place for this issue, without the type of

interference in the manner just expressed. I do have some questions

about why it has been chosen as a topic of discussion on this last

Monday morning of the special legislative session. I have questions

mainly because, more than any other issue, what is on the minds of

British Columbians today is the challenge we all face with

recovery.

How do we respond and recover from a global pandemic that has

changed so much of our daily lives in just a few months? How do we make

sure our families and communities are healthy, our economy rebounds and

our children can continue their education safely? These are just some of

the questions that weigh heavily on the minds of British Columbians and

for which we need answers now.

This province needs to get our economy back on track. We have seen

the collective progress made to date with public health efforts in the

fight against COVID-19 here in B.C. We need to continue to remain ever

vigilant, particularly in view of the recent spike of COVID-19

cases.

[10:15 a.m.]

We know that health measures are important to ensuring a strong

economy. However, they alone cannot drive economic growth. We need to

see this current government take real strides to grow our economy once

again with new jobs. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. We have

yet to see a true comprehensive economic recovery or jobs plan from this

government, even though we are more than five months into this crisis.

We are seeing the consequences of the lack of a plan. The unemployment

rate in B.C. for July is 11.1 percent. With this rate, B.C. is now sixth

in Canada, falling from first place before the current government came

into office three years ago.

We have been particularly hard hit by COVID-19, as unemployment in

B.C. increased by more than 135 percent since January, compared to the

rest of Canada where it has only increased by 88 percent. Youth

unemployment in B.C. is up 230 percent since January, nearly twice the

amount as the rest of Canada, which is up 119 percent over the same

period. Thousands of businesses have had to close down. Tourism is

struggling. Even before the pandemic, we lost over 30,000 jobs in the

eight months prior to the outbreak, largely in the resource

sector.

While everyone has felt their lives shift because of COVID-19,

there are also so many other pressing challenges in our province that

need to be addressed quickly.

Thousands of British Columbians are struggling with skyrocketing

strata insurance premiums, with the disproportionate impact on seniors

and those on fixed incomes. They’re seeing their deductibles and

premiums increase, sometimes by more than 800 percent. The government’s

recently introduced legislation involves more consultations and delayed

action and does not provide the immediate relief that is needed now to

help condo and townhome owners across our province.

Additionally, we are continuing to face another crisis in mental

health and addictions, with both the opioid crisis and the COVID-19

pandemic. We are seeing profound and growing need for mental health and

addictions support. Supportive housing projects in communities

throughout British Columbia are failing because the supports that are

needed are just not there. People are not getting the help they need to

get well, and communities are feeling the effects.

Businesses are experiencing spikes in crime, and residents are now

fearful in their neighbourhoods where they once felt safe. This is

putting even greater stress on communities that are already overwhelmed

trying to deal with the impacts of COVID-19.

Stress is also now heightened in discussions about going back to

school. We recently heard the back-to-school announcement from the

government, which has raised significant concerns. Teachers, parents and

students are all experiencing significant stress and anxiety at the

thought of returning to school full-time in the fall, and this needs to

be addressed and understood. British Columbians deserve a clear,

comprehensive and safe back-to-school plan that takes into account the

needs of all those involved.

There are so many challenges and issues for our province that need

to be addressed right now, and British Columbians are looking to all

members of this House for leadership. On this, the last Monday of our

legislative session during the middle of a pandemic, it is not the time

for political posturing. This is the time to be debating and discussing

measures to help everyone in our province recover and rebuild so that

B.C. is able to continue to grow and thrive in the future.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member. Again, the Chair would like to remind all

members that the first hour is always supposed to be and should be

non-partisan.

The member for Maple Ridge–Mission will continue.

B. D’Eith: I find it fascinating the member for Vancouver-Langara refused to

even comment on the money-laundering crisis that we’re facing in this

province, especially given the fact that we have a second public health

crisis in this province, which the opposition has brought up many times,

in regards to the opioid crisis, and money laundering is a very, very

profound and big part of that. So I find it fascinating that the member

chose to ignore the topic entirely in his response.

It’s essential, in our view, that B.C. never again be considered a

safe haven for the profits of organized crime. For too long, people

trying to evade taxes and wealthy criminals felt they could launder

dirty money in our province with impunity. Of course, this has a

profound impact on the opioid crisis.

Money laundering exacerbates the housing crisis, as well, in our

province, making life harder for British Columbians and the B.C.

community. So if we’re talking about recovery, we’ve got to talk about

housing. Housing in our province needs to be provided for safe housing

for our families in our communities, not to serve as a laundromat for

illicit funds. I know we’re all committed to making sure that criminal

money doesn’t push B.C. families out of their communities.

[10:20 a.m.]

Money laundering also compounded the overdose crisis, as I said,

and we need to address the overdose crisis with compassion, but with an

approach grounded in medical evidence. We’re also committed to cracking

down on the proceeds of drug trafficking, which has done so much harm in

our communities. We’re making progress on combating money

laundering.

Dr. Peter German’s report Dirty Money brought to light a

critical discussion on how we can prevent criminal proceeds from

infesting our society. Knowledge is power, and thanks to Dr. German and

other experts who have carefully studied this issue, we now know the

scope of this challenge and what steps need to be taken to address it.

As of June 2020, 69 percent of the recommendations of Dr. German’s

report have been addressed. The number of suspicious transactions have

declined with BCLC by 87 percent in the past years.

I want to, again, bring attention to the important warning from

May 2019, the report from 2019. The rule of law in British Columbia is

still strong, thankfully, but lessons from around the world can and

should caution us that if left unchecked, criminal elements can threaten

the rule of law and democracy, especially during a crisis.

We must be vigilant. We can never take these institutions for

granted. Democracy and the rule of law are so important. We, on this

side of the House, are committed to defending them.

CLEAN ENERGY

E. Ross: On behalf of the riding of Skeena, I’m honoured to move the

following statement this morning, entitled “Clean energy.”

B.C. is blessed when it comes to clean energy, especially when we

talk about hydroelectricity and natural gas. When you look at the

history, B.C. has proven that the environment and resource development

are not mutually exclusive. So 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the

W.A.C. Bennett dam. Fifty-one years later LNG Canada announced its $40

billion final investment decision on their project to ship B.C. LNG to

Asia.

In these two historic achievements, we also have to remember the

basics of supply and demand, and more importantly, the foresight to plan

for clean energy usage around the world, not just here in B.C. There’s

no doubt that the W.A.C. Bennett dam kept B.C. emissions down for 50

years while keeping consumer rates at the fifth-lowest in North America.

But at the same time, we have to realize that W.A.C. Bennett dam was

built for a population of 1.8 million people.

Today our population has grown to 5 million and growing. The

demand keeps growing, and not just in B.C. Demand keeps growing for

energy all across the world, especially in countries who want the same

standard of living and opportunity that we have enjoyed here in the west

for decades. So now it is our turn to plan for the future to provide

energy for the next generation.

We’ve taken the first steps in this regard with the construction

of Site C. The construction of LNG Canada’s natural gas project can only

ensure that B.C. takes its place in the world in the push to reduce

emissions while feeding the demand for energy worldwide.

Hydro power still provides the majority of clean energy to

consumers. In the case of B.C., 90 percent of what we use comes from

hydroelectricity, as compared to worldwide use at 16 percent. The

critics who say that Site C is not needed right now are ignoring the

simple fact that the W.A.C. Bennett dam wasn’t built for five million

people. It was built for 1.8 million people.

As large hydro dams have a lifetime of 50 to 100 years, we are not

the ones to definitively say what the energy need will be in the year

2120. We can only predict based on our past that energy demand will

always be there, and world populations will continue to grow.

As for natural gas, we can still include natural gas to meet

current and future demand here in B.C. by transitioning our remote

communities from diesel-generated electricity to natural gas. This would

not only reduce emissions but also reduce the environmental impacts that

come from a diesel spill on our west coast and inland waters, which is a

reality.

The alternatives for clean energy are not in our best interests as

British Columbians. The United States currently runs 90 nuclear reactors

in 30 different states. It may be carbon free, but I have never heard of

British Columbians screaming for us to use nuclear power over our

hydroelectricity or natural gas. The United States also generates 23.5

percent of its electricity from burning coal. It’s interesting, though,

to note that the United States’ reduction of emissions is due mainly to

transitioning from coal-generated electricity to natural gas, not from

shutting down the electricity plants.

[10:25 a.m.]

In considering all of this, it makes no sense for British Columbia

to become energy-reliant on the United States through the North American

grid, especially when we have clean sources of energy already in our

natural gas deposits, the W.A.C. Bennett dam and the future Site C

dam.

We already have the highest environmental standards in the world,

but we also have to consider the economic growth that comes from our

efforts to produce our own energy, which we can now proudly say includes

First Nations in almost every aspect, including the W.A.C. Bennett dam.

Yet we need more projects like Site C, LNG Canada and Chevron’s KM LNG

project, which not only provide energy for future British Columbians but

also make for a stronger B.C. overall, as well as helping the world

problem of emissions.

D. Routley: Thank you to the member for his motion, his statement and his

presentation. I appreciate that and his experience with the issue as a

community leader in a region that’s developing these

resources.

I would 100 percent agree with the member that a commitment to

clean energy is beyond simply a benefit. It’s essential, when we

consider our legislative commitments to reducing carbon output in this

province. So I’m pleased that he would, by his presentation, agree that

insisting that B.C. Hydro move to a 100 percent clean energy standard

is, in fact, the appropriate and best thing to do.

Right now hydro is essentially 98 percent clean energy. It’s

required to be 93 percent clean energy, but it is, in fact, 98 percent.

Moving to 100 percent would have B.C. Hydro access other markets for

electricity, but only clean electricity, which is not currently the

case. So this would require that B.C. Hydro buy clean energy but also

answer our number one priority for the provision of energy in this

province — that is, that it’s most affordable to the citizens of British

Columbia at the same time as achieving these environmental

goals.

The suggestion that we would be energy-reliant, I think, is….

That’s where we would have a point of debate. In fact, B.C. Hydro is

acting in the best interests of British Columbia in getting the very

best price for electricity and, at the same time, moving ourselves and

the rest of North America towards a cleaner standard.

We do not exist in a vacuum in British Columbia. The attempt to

have a self-sufficiency standard in British Columbia led to exorbitant

fees being paid for electricity over very long periods of time in order

to answer what is, essentially, a false requirement. We are a part of

the grid. We do provide energy into the grid when it benefits us, and we

take energy out of the grid when required, always with the notion that

we would make a profit in doing that and hand that profit to British

Columbians in the form of lower energy prices.

That’s the way British Columbia operated for years, in that we

were, in fact, a net importer of energy but made hundreds of millions of

dollars in doing that because we have the flexibility, given our dams,

to run them when the prices are high and to buy off the grid when the

prices are low. That only makes sense.

I know the member represents a party that takes pride in

nominating itself to be a business-conscious enterprise, so I assume

that he will agree that that’s the best route for British Columbia, for

B.C. Hydro: that we provide the cheapest possible energy while achieving

our clean energy goals and protecting the generation and capacity for

future generations. That’s exactly what we’re attempting to do with Bill

17 and the other measures that have been taken to improve B.C. Hydro and

to meet our legislated climate goals.

E. Ross: Thank you to the member for the response.

[10:30 a.m.]

It contradicts the whole idea of energy reliance, when we’re

saying that we’re part of the North American grid, that we’re going to

buy power from the United States, which actually generates electricity

from coal and nuclear power plants, while actually excluding clean

energy sources in B.C., especially in a time when First Nations are

stepping up to the plate to develop their own clean energy projects. And

now we’re talking about: “No, we’re going to buy power off the North

American energy grid.”

Minor projects, as well, can actually add value to current

initiatives that, in turn, create more spinoffs to provide jobs and

training opportunities. That’s what clean energy provides, whether it be

natural gas, Site C or even the W.A.C. Bennett dam.

For example, the Olefins $5.6 billion petrochemical plant out of

McLeod Lake proposed to include an ethylene derivatives plant and a

natural gas recovery system. This is a spinoff from the natural gas

pipeline, and it actually leads the manufacturing. Given that other

jurisdictions around the world don’t have the same environmental or work

standards as we have in Canada, it would be a shame to see these

plastics being developed elsewhere, especially when we consider the

plastics that are being used for the air industry and the car industry,

especially when we all agree we should be looking to develop more

manufacturing opportunities and capabilities here in B.C.

Top Speed and similar projects are also looking to export natural

gas, but they’re also keen to help remote communities by transitioning

them from diesel-generated electricity to natural gas. I’ve already

mentioned how this does get rid of the impact of an environmental spill,

which we have seen for decades on the west coast of B.C., whether we’re

talking about fishing boats or barges carrying diesel.

We have the BitCrude proposed for Prince Rupert that proposes to

export crude oil as a solid in container ships to complement, not

replace, current pipelines and tanker methods. We have proposals to ship

methanol to Asia — clean, B.C. methanol — because right now Asia is

supplying their own needs for methanol through coal.

Of course, we can’t ignore projects like Pacific Traverse Energy,

Cedar LNG, Woodfibre, Chevron’s KM LNG. We can’t ignore this, especially

at our time of need in this COVID crisis when we’re all looking to

develop an economy and come out even stronger than what we were before

this crisis. Chevron LNG, in its plans to export 18 million tonnes, will

provide more spinoffs like what we’re seeing in Terrace right now —

Progressive Ventures’ inland port to service Prince Rupert, Kitimat and

Stewart.

They’re all spinoffs. They provide tremendous value, in terms of

jobs and opportunity, as well as complementing our clean energy

needs.

INNOVATION TO ADDRESS

CLIMATE

CHANGE

R. Glumac: Usually, at this point, I would say that I’m standing in the House

to speak. But, of course, I’m not in the House, and I’m not standing.

I’m speaking from my home. It’s one of the changes we’ve all had to make

in these challenging times.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Technology, I come across change

every day, in the way of innovation. Many companies right here in B.C.

are the architects of change as they are coming up with new ways of

doing things — more efficient, or cleaner, or cheaper, or simply better

ways of doing things. The tech sector in B.C. is world-class. It has the

potential to grow even more and become a major part of our

economy.

As we discuss economic recovery, I often hear about the role the

tech sector will play in that recovery. I’ve been hosting economic round

tables with stakeholders in the tech sector over the last few months.

One message I’m hearing loud and clear is this: the pandemic is our

opportunity to recreate the B.C. economy to be an economy of the future

that embraces innovation and is cleaner, greener and more

sustainable.

The challenges we are facing today, individually and throughout

the economy, are enormous. At the same time, we can’t forget the other

crisis that will become increasingly impossible to ignore — the climate

crisis. It hasn’t gone away.

Economic opportunity and climate action go hand in hand, and I

believe that the Burrard Thermal lands are the prime location to unlock

these opportunities, to nurture innovation, to create jobs and help

rebuild the economy and to make advances in clean energy and clean

technology that could make a significant impact on climate change.

Because that’s what we need to do. We need to explore all options when

it comes to fighting climate change — all options.

[10:35 a.m.]

Scientists have been warning about the importance of limiting the

warming of our planet to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Why is 1.5 degrees so

critical? It’s because above this temperature, there are certain tipping

points that may cause temperatures to rise much more significantly. This

is the challenge of climate change: the crisis is in the future, but the

action needs to be taken now.

After 1.5 degrees, the Antarctic ice sheets are at risk of

melting. The West Antarctic ice sheet, which has already started

melting, holds enough ice to cause sea levels to rise 3.3 metres. That’s

just one source of sea level rise. Part of the East Antarctic ice sheet

is also melting, which could contribute another four metres to sea level

rise. The Greenland ice sheet could contribute seven metres of sea level

rise. Once these ice sheets start melting, they will continue melting.

That is why it’s called the tipping point.

This is only one of many tipping points. After 1.5 degrees

Celsius, there will be further thawing of permafrost in the north, which

will release more greenhouse gases from carbon-rich soils. Adding more

carbon into the atmosphere will further increase global temperatures,

another tipping point.

The drying out of the Amazon rainforest. The shifting of ocean

currents in the Atlantic, causing massive changes to Europe’s

temperatures. The dying off of coral reefs all over the world. The loss

of fisheries. The shifting and strengthening of monsoons in Africa and

Asia. The shifting of boreal forests, with the increased dying of trees,

will actually cause these forests to emit more carbon than they absorb.

Once these things start happening, there is no magical way to make them

stop.

The only way to stop is to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees

Celsius. It will take a massive effort to do that. Even if all countries

acted on their pledges to reduce emissions as part of the Paris

Agreement, scientists estimate that the warming will still continue to

rise by more than 3 degrees Celsius. Without significant action, our

children will inherit a world that is nothing like the world we live in

today. The only way we can actually achieve a major reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions is to stop these tipping points from being

triggered.

I believe we can’t do that without some sort of transformative

technology. That’s what we need. That’s one of the reasons why the

Burrard Thermal lands are so important. The Burrard Thermal generating

plant was shut down in 2016 under the previous government. It wasn’t

decommissioned in a way that would allow it to be restarted. So the

question has been: what do we do with these lands?

For some time, I could see the potential for this site to be

utilized to foster clean tech innovation, specifically around fighting

climate change. My conversations with industry and with local

constituents confirmed that there is significant interest in this

possibility. There is no site like this in B.C. It’s an ideal location

for cutting-edge clean tech innovation.

Let’s move forward. Let’s embrace these opportunities and lead the

world in the fight against climate change.

P. Milobar: It gives me pleasure to rise to speak to innovation to address the

climate change. It’s unfortunate that in that six-minute

preamble,

innovation was mentioned for about 35 seconds. So let me take this

opportunity to maybe speak about innovation. Although Burrard Thermal

lands are an interesting piece to a puzzle, potentially, it is a little

disturbing that that seems to be the only idea around innovation as it

stands today.

I say that because there are a great many other projects in this

province that need the help and the support of governments provincially,

federally and municipally to try to advance and make sure they are on

the cutting edge of innovation. Of course we are going to need

innovation to address climate change. By the very nature of the

definition of “innovation,” that’s exactly what it would speak to. So it

is, I guess, a very obvious or redundant statement that we are having

here today.

[10:40 a.m.]

When you look at the Burrard Thermal lands — again, an interesting

concept — it’s interesting that both this speaker and the previous

speaker from the government side seem to be referencing back to Bill 17,

a bill that has actually been pulled by the government because they did

not have the supports to move it forward. The Burrard Thermal lands are

part of Bill 17, as well as what we were hearing about clean energy and

First Nations reliance on clean energy projects. So I would suggest that

we are a long ways off from trying to advance anything with Burrard

Thermal lands.

In the meantime, we have a great number of technology companies

out there trying to do great work on the innovation side of climate

change. What they are missing is a competitive environment to stay

within British Columbia. I would hope that instead of fixating on a

piece of land that will take years and years and years to move forward

with as a Crown, we would not hold all innovation back, as the member

previous seems to be indicating that everything is hitched to the

Burrard Thermal lands.

There is technology being developed across British Columbia. What

those companies need, what those companies require, is a competitive tax

regime, not one that has seen 23 taxes added to or increased or brought

in new to their cost structure when they’re trying to compete with other

areas around intellectual capacity within their workforces.

It simply is not feasible to try to attract high-end skilled

workforces when you have personal tax rates brought in that would make

us one of the highest taxed jurisdictions in North America. Innovative

companies will not be locating in British Columbia, not because of a

lack of land to develop their factory or their processes on. It will be

because they are simply uncompetitive to attract labour, to attract the

skill sets required from those people, from the highly educated

workforces that would be required for innovation companies.

So those types of cost pressures…. The ever-increasing employer

health tax is another example of cost pressures that will make these

innovative companies…. They are very dependent on intellectual minds to

come in and actually do the work. They can do that from anywhere in the

world on the research side, on the innovative, cutting-edge side. They

do not need the Burrard Thermal lands to be tied up in a process over

the next five or six years to try to remove it out of Crown

possession.

What they need, in the very short term, in the very immediate

term, is an actually truly competitive environment where they can go out

and compete with other jurisdictions around the world and attract that

workforce into British Columbia to help guide us to the next wave of

what innovation can do to help combat climate change.

Without that piece…. You can have all the pieces of land you want

sitting around. People will not come. We heard from the member for

Skeena all of the great innovative things going on in the northern

reaches of the province. They did not require the Burrard Thermal lands

to be able to do that. Perhaps the member is unaware that this is a big,

vast province with lots of land opportunities for companies to invest

in, to actually locate in. It doesn’t all have to be centred on the

Burrard Thermal lands.

What we need to do is support the existing technology companies

that are out there making a real difference and make sure they stay in

British Columbia and expand in British Columbia, not drive them out of

British Columbia because of a repetitive, ever-increasing, oppressive

tax regime that we are seeing come forward right now. So those 23

increased taxes, the highest personal taxes in the nation, are not a way

to keep driving forward for innovation.

R. Glumac: B.C. has a world-class clean tech sector. We have nearly 300 clean

tech companies, employing over 16,000 people, and it’s been growing

every year. B.C. is home to a quarter of the clean tech companies in

Canada. Seven of these were on the Global Cleantech top 100, which lists

the top companies in the world with the most innovative and promising

ideas in clean technology. These are companies that focus on everything

from clean energy generation to clean transportation to electricity

transmission and carbon capture and storage.

New companies are entering into this space every day, with the

help of provincially funded clean tech business accelerators like

Foresight. A breakthrough in this sector could have a transformative

impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions around the world. To prove

out these technologies and scale up ideas, industrial spaces such as

those in the Burrard Thermal lands, with access to ports and clean,

high-voltage electricity, can make a big difference in moving towards a

breakthrough.

[10:45 a.m.]

Jeanette Jackson, CEO of Foresight Cleantech Accelerator, has been

spearheading a provincewide clean tech cluster initiative for B.C. She

sees a centre of clean tech innovation at a place like the Burrard

Thermal lands as a place where technology, people and resources can come

together in a collaborative way. She says: “Our vision for B.C. is to

become a world leader in the clean tech industry, estimated to be worth

$2.5 trillion in the next two years. To do that, we must provide

much-needed space to innovate and be willing to invest in larger-scale

projects.”

In the context of the economic challenges that we are facing

because of a global pandemic, it’s critical that we capitalize on the

strengths that we have here in B.C. CleanBC is a strength. A

world-leading clean tech sector is a strength. An abundance of clean

electricity is a strength. We are well positioned to jump-start a green

economy here in this province. Let’s build on our strengths and make

that happen.

ECONOMIC PLAN FOR B.C.

J. Martin: It’s very good to be here today. This is my first time in the

Legislature since February. I had an opportunity to visit downtown last

night, and I was reminded of a lyric in a Tom Waits song: “It felt

lonelier than a parking lot when the last car pulls away.” Seeing all of

the establishments near empty was very, very uncomfortable. That will

segue into what I’m about to speak to, and that’s the immediate need for

an economic plan for B.C.

Week after week, we’ve been stressing the importance of an

economic plan, a plan to help revive the staggering economy during this

challenging time, a plan to foster the conditions for job creation. Many

businesses, under the provincial health order, had to close or limit

operations to help flatten the curve and help the community become

safer.

British Columbians have risen to the challenges posed by the

biggest health crisis in our province’s history. We can’t just forget

about their sacrifices. Now these businesses need every opportunity

available to keep their doors open or to reopen. These people need jobs

to keep a roof over their heads, to feed their families. We’ve stepped

into August, along with the concern about a second wave of infection.

B.C.’s unemployment rate remains above 11 percent.

We used to be the province with the lowest unemployment rate in

Canada, something that we were all very proud of. Well, that’s not the

case anymore. Hundreds of thousands of British Columbians have been and

remain out of work. Many businesses are struggling and on the edge of

shutting down for good. Families are hurting. Women and youth are

particularly hit hard. The most vulnerable are the most

affected.

People are facing a huge challenge. What they want from the

government is a plan to help them get back on their feet. The business

community throughout the province has spoken up time and time again.

Over 1,400 member businesses from groups including the Business Council

of B.C., the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and the B.C. Chamber of

Commerce are calling for a bold and long-term recovery plan.

What do they think of the current restart plan? Forty-seven

percent of the businesses were not confident. One in ten of them expect

temporary or permanent closure. Nearly 60 percent of them anticipate

layoffs or cutting workers’ hours.

This is the time we need to stay sensitive to the vulnerability of

these struggling businesses. Val Litwin, with the B.C. Chamber of

Commerce, said: “Governments must keep focused on delivering their

recovery plans swiftly.”

Businesses want a bold economic recovery plan. It’s

incomprehensible how British Columbia has done better than any other

jurisdiction in combating the pandemic, thanks to health officials, but

our economy recovery has fared far worse.

Why is B.C. falling behind other provinces? Alberta put out a plan

in June to create jobs, build infrastructure and diversify their

economy. Ontario rolled out a plan in July to attract investment, cut

red tape and modernize services. By not having an economic plan, B.C. is

losing its competitiveness with other jurisdictions in Canada and

globally. British Columbians deserve more.

[10:50 a.m.]

Unfortunately, here in July, we heard the province faces a $12.5

billion deficit, the biggest fiscal catastrophe in our history. Now,

five months after the announcement of a $5 billion economic response

plan, the only thing that’s really clear is that there’s an online

survey. What will that survey do? Well, we would hope that, at least, it

means listening to what different communities have to say. That may be a

bit optimistic.

In July, 21 business and industry groups representing thousands of

small businesses and employers urged the government to do no harm and

set aside any measures that increase costs, add to the regulatory burden

or create further uncertainty for employers.

To be clear, from calling for a recovery plan to calling on the

government to do no harm, that’s the business community literally

begging policy-makers to not add insult to injury. All employers are

already experiencing higher operational costs due to the extra measures

needed to ensure safety — this, while revenues decline. The last thing

they need right now is any policy that would put jobs at further risk or

pile more costs on small businesses.

Jock Finlayson, executive vice-president of the Business Council

of B.C., said: “The government has largely carried on with its

pre-pandemic policy agenda, which paved the way for increased tax and

regulatory burdens for most businesses and higher payroll taxes for

employers.” The business community wants to see a change of direction

from policy-makers to kick-start economic recovery and make British

Columbia a top-ranked jurisdiction for new private sector investment and

entrepreneurial activity.

We are calling for an economic plan that takes into consideration

the voices, the suggestions and the ideas of different groups, including

small business, that represent 98 percent of all businesses in B.C. Many

of these businesses will not survive without an economic plan in place

very soon.

R. Kahlon: Thank you to my colleague from Chilliwack for his remarks. I, too,

look forward to being over in Victoria in the coming days. I appreciate

the sentiment around not seeing the normal amount of people that you

would see and how troubling that can be, especially because I was born

and raised in Victoria.

There are a few comments that I want to make regarding economic

recovery. I think that foremost to that is that the economic recovery

and health care measures cannot be disconnected. You cannot have a

proper economic recovery with the situation that we’re dealing with —

COVID — without having the health component be a central piece of that.

I’ve heard some members of the Legislature — in fact, from the

opposition — mention the separation between the two. But I don’t think

there’s an economic leader — anyone from the business community to the

non-profit community — or any political leader, other than maybe perhaps

some here, who has made that frame that you can separate the two. In

fact, we need them to be connected.

I’ve had the opportunity to have hosted many round tables in the

last few weeks. I’ve had a chance to talk with business leaders about

what they would like to see as part of the economic recovery. In fact, I

know that some are frustrated that we didn’t just roll out a plan

ourselves without talking to people, but it’s important to hear from

people about what they want to see in part of the economic

recovery.

I think what jumped out at me from those conversations are three

main themes. First is climate change. I think there is an understanding

that when we’re dealing with one crisis that the world is dealing with,

we should not neglect the other crisis that the world should be dealing

with. Here we have an opportunity to address both economic recovery with

addressing our climate change targets. I know that CleanBC is a model

for all jurisdictions in North America. I’m very proud of the work

that’s being done there.

We have an opportunity, I think, to really move that along to

ensure that we can meet our targets — so both address climate change and

put people back to work. I think of a company in my community called

Hydra, which I just had a chance to tour, which is doing just that —

creating jobs and looking to make massive investments in B.C. They do it

here because they know that the government is serious about climate

change. So it’s a very important step.

[10:55 a.m.]

The second one that jumped out at me is around in­novation.

It’s everywhere. I see the member from Port Moody, who often talks about

innovation and how important it is for his residents in his community. I

can say that it’s been a consistent theme that’s been raised. As we come

out of this COVID crisis, we must embrace innovation. Whether that’s

mass timber, which is a triple-word score: creating good jobs in B.C.,

addressing climate change and also enhancing innovation for our

construction and development community…. I think there are tons of

examples around innovation in the tech sector that we need to

enhance.

I think the last thing I’ve heard clearly from people is that we

can’t forget about people. You know, it’s easier to think about numbers

and stats, but people are struggling. When the tide comes out, as it did

with COVID, you see the challenges that we have in society become more

glaringly obvious. In fact, they actually step up a lot more than we

even can imagine.

I think of mental health, for example, and how many people are

affected by COVID when it comes to mental health. Again, we can’t

separate one, a health outcome, from economic recovery. We need to think

of those as one, and that’s what COVID has taught us.

What also — the member just mentioned it — jumped out at me was

around who is impacted by COVID. We’ve seen a disproportionate amount of

effect on women of colour. The average job loss was 9.2 percent for

women, and South Asian women were 20.4 percent; Arab women, 20.3

percent; Black women, 18.6 percent. So it’s critical that when we think

of economic recovery, we think of those people who are greatly

affected.

I look forward to continuing this conversation. I know the member

and I can continue this for hours, but I look forward to hearing his

thoughts.

J. Martin: Thank you to the member for Delta North for that

commentary.

What I’d like to do in the time I have left is talk about some of

the suggestions that my colleagues have made to the government since the

beginning of the pandemic.

We have proposed more than 68 commonsense solutions to help small

businesses, including help with funding to provide access to personal

protective equipment, to ensure employee and customer safety and boost

consumer confidence.

It’s the responsibility of the government and employers to invest

in and to provide what’s necessary to maintain a safe workplace. To

achieve that, it’s critical to ensure that B.C. workers compensation

system is committed to being financially stable and sustainable over the

long term, especially in the middle of a pandemic with so much

uncertainty in our midst.

This system is funded by premiums paid by employers, many of which

are struggling right now. That’s why we propose giving refunds to

employers from the WorkSafeBC surplus for the cost of PPE up to a

maximum of 30 percent of the premiums that they’ve paid, since

WorkSafeBC will see reduced claims this year.

Maintaining safety and healthy workplaces is essential to

restoring economic activity while keeping employees as safe as possible.

This is just one of the many proposals to enable businesses of all sizes

to restart, to reinvest, to rehire. In addition, we also propose broader

economic actions such as a temporary PST relief. Similarly, the business

council released a 31-page economic recovery plan, Stronger

Tomorrow, Starting Today , on July 29 with a number of

recommendations, including PST relief to spur consumer spending,

improving conditions for hiring and private sector investment, adding

child care spaces and fast-tracking projects like the Massey Tunnel

replacement.

The government has set aside $1.5 billion to fund economic

recovery, but this money has been sitting idle for the most part. No

decisions have been made. Actions have yet to be taken. The challenges

our province is facing won’t simply go away. We’ve seen other provinces

respond and adapt to the new reality with concrete economic plans. We

can’t afford an economic free fall. We need an economic plan for B.C.

right now.

Hon. H. Bains: I ask the House to consider proceeding with Motion 10 standing in

the name of the member for Surrey–Green Timbers.

[11:00 a.m.]

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to

proceed with Motion 10 without disturbing the priorities of the motions

preceding it on the order paper.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 10 — EQUITABLE ECONOMY

R. Singh: It is my honour to move the motion:

[Be it resolved that this House agree that governments should work

to build an equitable economy for all — not just the wealthy

few.]

We all know that for far too long in our province, only the

wealthy few at the top benefited, while good opportunities became

further out of reach for most.

[S. Gibson in the chair.]

People deserve to have an economy and governments that work for

them, not one that will take the benefits of their hard work and give it

to the top 2 percent while making it harder to get by, year after year.

For far too long in this province, we had a government that…. For that

government, economic opportunity really only meant opportunity for those

at the top.

For 16 years, that government was giving billions in tax cuts to

the richest people while the average British Columbian was suffering.

They increased hydro rates, ICBC premiums and ferry fares. They tripled

tuition fees and doubled MSP fees. They put steep tolls on key commuter

bridges where transit options don’t exist and did nothing while the

price of housing and rent went through the roof.

They refused to make investments that would benefit everyone in

B.C. The minimum wage in British Columbia was kept low,

disproportionately affecting women and immigrant workers. Health care

wages were rolled back due to privatization. Educational opportunities

and skills training were all but eliminated. Not enough investments were

made in affordable housing and child care. Short-sighted and

mean-spirited policies kept too many people stuck in an endless cycle of

poverty.

I’m so glad that now we have a government that is committed to

shared prosperity for everyone in B.C. Before COVID-19, we were making

progress on the things that people care about. People are the economy.

We’ll build B.C. back stronger, so everyone has a good job and a secure

future.

This government is working towards economic recovery around

everyday people, not just the richest 2 percent — helping people get the

training and education they need to get good jobs and building

infrastructure like roads, mass transit and bridges that will boost the

economy and create good jobs. This government is also continuing to

manage COVID-19 to help our economy build back stronger.

The government has a vision for a strong, sustainable economy that

provides good-paying jobs and quality public services for people and

provides businesses with the opportunities they need to compete and

thrive in the marketplace. Also, in the current government, people’s

wages are finally starting to grow. They were up 4.4 percent in 2019

after years of stagnating under the previous government.

Now is not the time to turn back the clock. Let’s keep building a

better B.C.

M. Hunt: To create an economy that is equitable for all means that

opportunities must be available for everyone. This means an economy that

is strong, that is creating jobs and that is providing a real sense of

future for British Columbians. This is something that we all want in

this province and, certainly, in our own communities.

The past few months dealing with the pandemic have really

equalized the playing field, as we all, regardless of the factors that

sometimes separate us, were brought together in this mutual struggle.

With that have come catastrophic job losses, economic fallout and the

challenge that we’re all facing — what to do in the face of such

difficulties. Now more than ever there’s a need for a recovery plan, a

direction forward that creates opportunities through meaningful economic

stimulus and expansion.

[11:05 a.m.]

We have seen how many small businesses have been shuttered in the

wake of COVID-19, and it is clear that those numbers may only get worse.

So I would hope that this government is doing everything in its power to

ensure that everyone is able to be a part of this economy. But there are

those situations where an attempt for providing equitable access to some

means demonstrably alienating others.

Let me give you an example of this. The first of three phases of

the long-awaited Salmon Arm west highway expansion project went to

tender in June, three years behind

schedule and now projected to cost

British Columbians an additional $40 million, or 34 percent more than

what was previously estimated. The reason: the NDP’s community benefits

agreement structure.

The NDP’s stated goal is to ensure increased hiring of locals,

women and First Nations on these major projects, which is great in

theory. However, under the guise of this being all about equal

opportunities, the CBA structure actually denies economic opportunities

to over 85 percent of B.C.’s construction workers, because if

prospective bidders do not want to join one of the NDP’s handpicked

unions, they simply aren’t able to compete on the projects.

How is this equitable? How is this an opportunity for all British

Columbians to get equitable access to these opportunities? To me, this

system is laden with hypocrisies and is frankly poor financial

management.

Vaughn Palmer highlighted recently that under the NDP’s watch, the

combined budgets of four Trans-Canada Highway projects under the CBA

format have increased about 30 percent. They have gone from $875 million

to $1.13 billion. If the goal is an equitable economy, then these

opportunities should not be hidden behind a series of members-only hoops

that people have to jump through in order to get the favour of this

government. In this case, the NDP is, in fact, making it harder for

British Columbians to find meaningful employment, and it’s costing

millions to do so.

Now, it’s one thing to preach about an equitable economy, but it’s

quite another to actually put it into practice and do it. Now, I hope

this government can find that balance. But given their actions and the

costly hypocrisies that we have seen demonstrated by this government, I

don’t think it’s possible. You see, government’s job is to make

opportunities available to all, not to pick winners and

losers.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we see. We see a government

that is making opportunities, yes, for their friends and insiders, and

everybody else is on the outside.

J. Brar: I’m very pleased to support the motion introduced today by the

hon. member for Surrey–Green Timbers “that this House agree that

governments should work to build an equitable economy for all — not just

the wealthy few.”

People deserve to have an economy and government that works for

them, not one that will take the benefits of their hard work and give it

to the top 2 percent, as the B.C. Liberals did. For 16 years the B.C.

Liberals forced hard-working British Columbians to pay more while giving

billions and billions in tax cuts to rich people, under their watch.

They forced the people of Surrey and other areas to pay tolls on the

Port Mann Bridge. The member who, just before me, was speaking, is also

from Surrey, and he knows about it.

They doubled the MSP, costing $467 more for individuals and $933

more for a family. They increased hydro rates, ICBC premiums, ferry

fares and tripled the tuition fees for our students. As a direct result

of B.C. Liberals’ bad choices, B.C. became the province with the

second-highest income inequality in the country, according to Statistics

Canada data.

[11:10 a.m.]

B.C. had the highest rate of poverty for the working poor,

according to a report by CCPA. Under the B.C. Liberals, Metro Vancouver

had the worst housing affordability ever in Canada in history. Clearly,

they refused to make investments that would benefit everyone in

B.C.

The minimum wage in B.C. was kept low to support their rich

friends. Health care wages were rolled back due to privatization.

Educational opportunities and skill training were all but eliminated.

Not enough investments were made in affordable housing and child

care.

Now the Leader of the Opposition is planning, once again, big tax

breaks to those at the top at a time when people can least afford it.

They plan to bring back MSP to pay for the tax cuts to the rich. They

will cut health care and seniors care, and that will weaken our system

when we need it the most. They will cut education and child care,

hurting our kids and reducing opportunities for people to get ahead. For

16 years, the B.C. Liberals helped their wealthy friends but did nothing

for everyone else. They will do the same again.

Our government is fully committed to shared prosperity for

everyone in B.C. Before COVID-19, we were making progress on the things

people care about. We eliminated MSP — the largest middle-class tax

reduction in a generation. Elimination of MSP premiums combined with the

new B.C. child opportunity benefit would mean that a family of four

earning $80,000 will have their provincial taxes reduced by up to 43

percent in just three years.

People are the economy. We will build an economic recovery around

everyday people — not just the richest 2 percent, as the Liberals did —

by helping people get the training and education they need to get good

jobs, by building infrastructure, like roads and mass transit and

bridges. That will boost the economy and create good jobs.

We will continue to manage COVID-19 to help our economy build back

stronger. We have a vision for a strong, sustainable economy that

provides good-paying jobs and quality public services for people and

provides businesses with the opportunities they need to compete and

thrive in the global marketplace.

Let us not turn back the clock. It’s not the time to turn back the

clock. Let us keep building a better B.C. for everyone.

T. Redies: I’m pleased to stand for what will be my last five-minute

statement in the House.

Now, clearly, we want to build an equitable economy for all. It’s

not only the right thing to do; if we don’t make sure all people can

reach their optimal potential, the economy in turn does not reach its

full potential.

We must ensure that women can be full participants in the

workforce and are able to make their highest contribution with equal pay

and benefits and access to opportunities. For much of my career, sadly,

women have typically been paid only three-quarters of what men are paid

for the same work. This must stop.

That’s why I’m disappointed that my colleague from Surrey South’s

private member’s bill, the Equal Pay Reporting Act, has not been brought

forward for debate or received support by this government. This is a

step to fill the gender pay gap, to make businesses accountable for

equality in the workplace, and it’s an appropriate instrument for a more

equitable economy. This bill has now been introduced twice, yet it still

languishes on the order paper.

It’s also important that new immigrants and people from First

Nations communities can reach their full potential. For too long, we’ve

seen First Nations communities living generations in poverty and

immigrants unable to use their education here in Canada. This must also

stop.

Access to education and high-paying private sector jobs represent

the best way out for those living in poverty. I believe in investing in

education at all levels and making sure that every child in this

province has the skills and the support to thrive in the 21st century,

whether they are children of First Nations communities, immigrant

families, diverse abilities or affluent families.

[11:15 a.m.]

This is not only the right thing to do; it is in all our

interests, as a community, province and country. Other than health care,

I’m hard pressed to find a single more important role for government.

It’s probably where my own and the current government’s philosophy are

most aligned.

Where we differ, however, is the belief in the need for job

creation and opportunity to be led by the private, not the public,

sector. Why do I say this? Both public and private sector jobs generate,

on average, about 10 percent of wages in provincial tax revenue. But 100

percent of the cost of the public sector job must be paid for by the

taxpayer.

So while it is good to have some public sector jobs, an economy

led solely by public sector growth is not viable over time. It is a

vibrant private sector that is the most sustainable way to ensure that

there are good-paying jobs that allow people to not only earn a good

living but have the pride of providing for themselves and their

families.

Now, we are in the middle of a 100-year crisis, where consumers

and businesses have massively reduced spending. Given this, we know that

governments must step up across the world and significantly increase

spending on infrastructure and even social programs to reboot the

economy. But this must only be for a short period of time. Ultimately,

we need the private sector to fire on all cylinders if we are to provide

jobs for the now 300,000 unemployed or partially employed in this

province.

This government must act quickly to improve competitiveness,

decrease taxation and reduce regulatory burden if we are to create the

conditions where businesses have the confidence to reinvest. This is

especially important now, as we see over 14,000 businesses have closed

their doors during the first two months of the pandemic.

Building a solid economy where everyone can benefit requires a

vibrant private sector, one that has the ability to attract and retain

talent and create high-paying jobs. We cannot rely only on the public

sector to create jobs. Unfortunately, B.C.’s competitiveness had already

deteriorated greatly under the current government, with billions of

dollars in new taxes hitting the private sector well before

COVID-19.

Ultimately, we want governments to spend our tax dollars wisely,

invest sufficiently in public sector infrastructure like education, and

support a vibrant, job-creating private sector that can generate tax

revenues to support those who need a leg up.

If they stall the business engine by creating conditions that make

business unable or unwilling to invest, ultimately, governments will run

out of tax revenues to fund vital public services. That’s what happened

in the 1990s under successive NDP governments. I lived here in that

decade, and it must not happen again.

It’s imperative that this government takes the necessary steps to

ensure a strong economy, led primarily by private, not public, sector

job growth. The government needs to reduce taxes and regulatory burden

and enable businesses to invest. Then businesses can create the jobs

which will be sustainable and provide a solid, reliable tax base for

public services. It’s only then that we can build an equitable society

that will be sustainable for generations to come.

J. Routledge: I rise to speak in favour of the motion: “Be it resolved that this

House agree that governments should work to build an equitable economy

for all — not just the wealthy few.”

I believe that the operative words in this motion are “work to

build.” I contend that unless governments take proactive measures to

distribute wealth fairly, wealth will continue to gravitate to those who

are already rich. How so? Why is it that wealth begets even more

wealth?

Well, the mechanics are pretty simple. The more discretionary

income one has — that is, what’s left over after you’ve paid for

necessities like food, clothing and shelter — the more money you have to

save and to invest. This, in turn, generates more capital, which, in

turn, can be reinvested. Since large sums of invested money yield higher

returns, we can expect that the growth in the net worth of the already

wealthy will outpace everyone else’s by a larger and larger factor with

each passing year.

That is exactly what has been happening. Wealth is accumulating at

the top, where it is needed the least. Between 2012 and 2016, according

to a study done by the Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives, the net

worth of Canada’s wealthiest resident families rose by 37 percent, while

that of the middle class rose by only 16 percent, and much of that 16

percent was tied up in skyrocketing house values.

[11:20 a.m.]

Eighty-seven families now possess more than 4,000 times the wealth

of the average Canadian family.

If governments did nothing, wealth would accumulate at the top.

But what the previous government did was worse than nothing. They

actually accelerated the concentration of wealth in the hands of the

few. One of the first things the B.C. Liberal government did, when they

took office in 2001, was to cut personal income taxes by 25 percent.

They cut corporate taxes by 13.5 percent and then again to 10.5

percent.

By the time they left office, they were collecting more in MSP

than they were in corporate taxes. In fact, they doubled MSP premiums

and tuition fees and created a host of new flat taxes that ate up a much

bigger percentage of small paycheques than it did from the rich. Then

they held their thumbs on the scale when they introduced laws that

entrenched economic inequality. They created a two-tier minimum wage.

They rolled back the wages of B.C.’s lowest-paid health care workers,

and they amended labour laws to make it harder for working people to

organize or seek redress.

My colleagues across the aisle are trying to tell you that they

did this to stimulate the economy. They’re telling you that wealthy

British Columbians reinvested their windfall back into the hands of

average British Columbians by creating jobs. It’s called the

trickle-down theory. But in reality, that did not happen. According to

the B.C. Business Council, the growth in gross domestic product and

investment in machinery and equipment was higher during the 1990s, under

the B.C. NDP government, than it was in the 2000s, after the B.C.

Liberals came to power.

By 2017, when the B.C. Liberals left power, the richest 10 percent

held 56.2 percent of all the wealth in British Columbia, while the

bottom 50 percent held a mere 3.2 percent. That is a yawning and

dangerous gap. Every year, the United Nations reminds us that the

happiest, healthiest, safest, most socially cohesive countries are those

in which wealth is distributed most evenly. Yet the leader of the B.C.

Liberals continues to advocate for tax cuts for those at the

top.

In three short years, our government has taken deliberate,

proactive steps to build an equitable economy for all. We have

eliminated MSP premiums. We are laying the foundation for a universal,

affordable, accessible child care program. We introduced a 30-point plan

to make housing more affordable. The list goes on, and it’s a long list.

I trust that my colleagues on this side of the House will use some of

their time to add to that list. I’m proud of what our government has

already done to build an economy that is equitable for all, but we have

much more to do.

M. Bernier: You know, this morning when I was looking at this motion…. There’s

a typo. Obviously, the NDP government here forgot to add in that it’s

equitable for all “as long as you belong to one of our handpicked

unions.” I mean, I’m listening to the speakers before me from the

government side of the House, and it is quite interesting. I know

they’re just reading the notes that somebody wrote for them, but I

wonder if they actually believe what they are saying.

When you look at what’s happening right now, the economy was

already in decline before COVID even hit. That was almost entirely to do

with government and NDP policy coming in. So when you sit here listening

to the NDP members, who are standing up saying that they want to make it

equitable for all, it’s complete hypocrisy. You hear the member for

Surrey-Fleetwood — who is completely misleading the public with his

comments — saying that we would consider adding MSP back or increasing

taxes, when in fact the member that just spoke before me talked about

how everything we do is about decreasing taxes.

[11:25 a.m.]

Even the NDP can’t get their stories straight of what they think

we’re going to do. What they need to look at is what the economy looked

like when we were in government. We had the strongest

economy.

I’m not sure why the NDP thinks it’s bad to wake up in the

morning, to work hard, to try to get a job, to try to make your company

do better in order to employ more people. Somehow that’s a bad

philosophy with the NDP. God forbid that we actually have people who do

well in British Columbia. “Let’s have a policy. Let’s increase taxes.

Let’s look at every means possible to make everybody mediocre.” That

seems to be the NDP policy, rather than looking at what we did when we

were in government, making sure we had policies in place to ensure that

everybody had opportunity. That’s what we did.

When you look at now, what we’re hearing from companies…. I look

at rural B.C. Forestry, mining, oil and gas. Everybody, right now, is

suffering under the policies of this government. Nobody is standing up

and saying: “Thanks for increasing my taxes. I’m going to hire more

people. Thanks for including an employers health tax now that I never

had to pay before. Now I don’t know if my business can actually stay

profitable or even stay in business anymore.”

For this government to put a motion forward today and these

members to sit there and smirk and think that they’re actually doing

something for all of B.C…. They actually aren’t looking at the actual

numbers that are in place. You have 85 percent of the workers in British

Columbia who have been completely shut out of anything, of public sector

dollars being spent on projects, unless, of course, you join one of the

handpicked unions. Isn’t that convenient? “Let’s just make it beneficial

for all that donate to the NDP.” That seems to be the other part that’s

missing out of this motion.

I look at, again, companies right now that are struggling. Since

when — I guess under an NDP government — is it bad to be a company who

is trying to get ahead, to employ people? This government’s opportunity

right now is: “Let’s knock everyone down. Let’s….” Well, let me back up

for a second. I guess it’s okay to knock down all the companies and not

care if they employ people. Maybe the NDP’s policies are to ensure that

everybody just has government jobs. Maybe that’s what it is. “Let’s have

government jobs. We don’t need companies anymore.” Everybody can just

work for the NDP, whether you’re a union or a government

employee.

Look. At the end of the day, we want to ensure that we have

policies in place that will help people in all of British Columbia,

which is what we did when we were in government. When you look at the

economic drivers, you can see by almost every measure that was put in

place under the B.C. Liberal government that people were working, people

were thriving and companies were staying in business. Why? It’s because

we ensured that we had policies to help everybody so people could work,

could get ahead, put food on the table for their families. Too bad this

government, under the NDP, only wants to help a select few.

J. Rice: Earlier this summer a survey released by the Canadian Centre for

Policy Alternatives showed that three-quarters of British Columbians

want governments to build a better, more equitable, sustainable economy

after the pandemic is over.

Decades of negligence and patronage by the previous government led

to increasing inequality and a rising cost of living for the average

British Columbian. When we took office, British Columbians were facing

some of the highest housing prices in the world; increasing levels of

homelessness; a money-laundering scandal of massive proportions; a

ballooning ICBC debt that was adding costs to families across the

province; rising child care costs that were, particularly, keeping women

out of the workforce; a lacklustre climate action plan that ignored the

realities of climate science; and a growing overdose crisis that was

killing hundreds of our friends, our families and our

neighbours.

Since we took office in 2017, we have worked to make British

Columbia’s economy more equitable and life more affordable for all. In

our three years in government, we have funded over 16,000 new,

affordable child care spaces across the province.

[11:30 a.m.]

We have pushed back against the rising cost of housing by tackling

speculation and investing millions into affordable housing. We have

supported renters by making needed changes to the Residential Tenancy

Act and reducing annual rent increases.

We have brought ICBC from the verge of bankruptcy and made changes

to reduce premiums by an average of 20 percent.

We have put in place new prevention and harm reduction policies to

tackle the overdose crisis. We have eliminated health care premiums for

households to ensure basic health care is not a burden on the incomes of

our families.

We’ve added over $1 billion to public education funding. We have

made education and job training free for former youth and children in

care.

We have banned big money in politics, so our government works for

people not big donors.

We have raised income and disability assistance to support our

most vulnerable neighbours, following a ten-year freeze under the

previous government.

We have raised the minimum wage to $14.60 per hour to raise the

standard of living for workers and are scheduled to raise it to over $15

an hour next year. We have increased protections for workers and made it

easier for them to join a union that will protect their labour

rights.

We have made historic investments in public transit to ensure

people in both urban and rural communities have affordable

transportation options in their communities.

We have launched a public inquiry into money laundering to ensure

our housing market is working for people and not criminals.

We have invested in on-reserve housing to support Indigenous

communities forgotten by previous governments.

We have implemented the most ambitious climate action plans in

North America to ensure our children have a thriving and sustainable

economy that is not hobbled by catastrophic climate change

impacts.

Our government has been working towards a more just and equitable

economy since the day we took office. We have made life more affordable,

empowered workers and provided more support to the most vulnerable

members of our society.

The pandemic has thrown a wrench into many of our plans. But this

is not the time for our government or any government to stop striving to

build a more equitable economy.

The pandemic has put in sharp focus the fault lines in our

society. According to multiple studies, it has disproportionately

affected those who can least afford it. The economic fallout has hit

those in low-wage industries, workers without union representation,

women, young people, single parents, small business owners and recent

immigrants.

In rebuilding our economy after the pandemic, we cannot go back to

the old normal — when wealthy investors were allowed to avoid taxes by

laundering money through our housing market, when corporations were

allowed to pay poverty wages and disregard labour rights, when

governments worked for their political donors and not for the people who

voted them into government.

We need to create a new normal, where the economy works for

everyone and not just the wealthy few at the top. This pandemic has

given us an opportunity to reimagine what is possible for our society

and our economy. We must ensure that our new normal is based on equity

and justice.

We are committed to building a new equitable economy that works

for all. I hope that all the members of this House make the same

commitment.

G. Kyllo: It gives me great pleasure to rise in the House today to speak to

the motion provided by the member opposite.

In reading this statement, though, I think that this statement

could also be put forward:

be it resolved that this House agree that

government should work to build an equitable economy for all — not just

those that support the NDP.

When you have a look at what has happened to our economy in just

the last three years…. The current pandemic certainly is the single

largest economic hardship that this province has ever endured. The

members opposite like to remind and they speak quite often about the 16

years that the B.C. Liberals actually were in power.

But a bit of a history lesson. If we go back to the 1990s, the

decade of destruction, when British Columbia went from No. 1 in economic

growth to No. 10 — the first time that B.C. ever was actually a have-not

province — it was because of the poor policy decisions of the

administration sitting opposite.

[11:35 a.m.]

If you’re looking at hiring a board of executives for any

corporation on this planet, the most important thing is your business

plan. What business plan does this government have on growing the

economy and creating opportunity for all British Columbians? They don’t

have one. There is no jobs plan.

The B.C. jobs plan that was put together first in 2011 was a very

aggressive plan. It was very successful. We led the country in economic

growth and job creation, largely through the entire term that the B.C.

Liberals were in government. What has this government done? What have

they learned from the 1990s? Nothing. Since forming government, they’ve

increased red tape, increased regulatory burden. They’ve increased

taxation to the point that corporate taxation in British Columbia is now

50 percent higher than our neighbouring jurisdiction of Alberta — 50

percent higher.

We know that to grow an economy you need to attract capital

investment. With that capital investment comes the opportunity for jobs.

I think we would all agree that a healthy community is a working

community. When you have high rates of employment, you have people that

have the dignity of a job. When the economy goes the other way and you

see increased levels of unemployment — which is exactly the path that

this administration is going on — you’ll see increased family domestic

violence, you’ll see increased alcohol and drug abuse, and you’ll see

increased crime. That is what this administration is going

for.

I am very proud to stand as a B.C. Liberal and look to the record,

where we saw significant economic growth. I agree that we need to have

an equitable economy that is for all British Columbians. But you don’t

do it by penalizing the select few that actually invest capital and

bring dollars to this province. What we have seen in just the last few

months…. It was only about a month ago that this current administration

came forward with their economic update. They announced on, I believe,

the 14th of July, a $12.5 billion deficit.

That’s a huge amount of money that is going to add about $2,600 in

increased debt on the backs of every British Columbian. Not eight days

later…. Now this is a plan, an update, the fiscal update we waited for,

for three months. Not eight days after announcing a $12.5 billion

deficit — this is the planning that happens on the other side — they

added another billion. Another thousand million dollars in debt was

decided upon by this government not eight days after coming forward with

their big fiscal update.

We have a Premier of this province that has chaired the Economic

Recovery Task Force for over four months. What have we heard from this

economic task force that apparently meets every week? What have we heard

from them? Nada. Not a thing. The tourism sector has been hardest hit of

any economic sector in our entire province. What has this government

come forward with, as far as an economic plan to help this sector that’s

struggling harder than any other sector in the province?

Nothing.

This is a management that is stuck in ideology and is not

undertaking any efforts to actually grow the economy and to attract

capital investment to this province. I am very disappointed with the

direction that the current administration is going under. With that, I

will take my seat.

J. Sims: It is my pleasure today to rise and speak in favour of the motion:

“Be it resolved that this House agree that governments should work to

build an equitable economy for all — not just the wealthy

few.”

We are at a pivotal point. As the previous member mentioned, we

are in the middle of a pandemic, a pandemic like one that none of us

have experienced — neither governments, nor individuals, nor our

business community. I’m a great believer that out of every challenge

comes opportunities. I believe this is an opportunity for us, in the

middle of this health challenge, health pandemic, to re-vision and

reimagine how we want our world to look like.

[11:40 a.m.]

One of the things, the phrases, I heard over and over again,

during the health pandemic is: “We are all in this together.” I

absolutely believe this, because we knew that COVID-19 did not

differentiate between your socioeconomic, between your cultural, your

ethnic, your region. The COVID-19 virus has no favourites. Because of

that, we all had to work together and continue to work together to take

on this virus and to make sure we mitigate until a solution is

found.

Well, let’s apply that. Let’s apply that to our economy. In our

economy, if we were all, on all sides of the House, to see that we are

in this together and that government has a role to play to make sure

that everybody who lives in our society has a place, has a job and has a

decent living and to make sure that those who go to work are not the

working poor.

Under the 16 years of the B.C. Liberals, we in B.C. had the

second-highest differentiation between the rich and the poor, the haves

and not-haves. That’s because for 16 long years, they failed to look at

the full spectrum of the people who live here in B.C.

So if we apply that lens — we are all in this together — then I am

very proud of the work that our government has done on this side of the

House to make sure that when we’re looking into the future, when we’re

looking at our economy, we are putting people in the right in the

centre.

Our economy has to be about shared prosperity for everyone, where

people are the economy. People are not the enemy of the economy. Whether

they’re the top 1 percent or the other 99 percent, they are the

economy.

During this COVID pandemic, we realize the value of our front-line

workers. We woke up one day and realized how critical the workers were

who worked in our grocery food supply chain. We realized the importance

of the health care workers, who are going into our seniors’ homes and

are putting their lives at risk. We realized the importance of all those

who are ensuring our food security. Yes, we realized during that time —

and I heard it from a wide range of people; you know what — that we’re

not paying these people enough.

Well, under the 16 years of Liberals, minimum wage was kept

artificially down. As a matter of fact, in many sectors, they went one

step further. In the health care sector, for HEU, we saw their wages

being slashed. What we saw was contracting out and all kinds of things.

In education, we saw attacks on education and the underfunding of

education. We saw ICBC and B.C. Hydro — money being taken out of

them.

What we saw was an abject failure on the part of the previous

government to invest in much-needed infrastructure. Having a good public

transit system, having hospitals in communities that need them and

having schools for kids to go to are not luxury. They are a necessity.

Health care, education — absolute necessity. Yet we saw an extreme

underfunding in both those areas.

So not only did our kids suffer, and those who went into health

care, but that failure to invest in child care and invest in education

didn’t help. They balance their books by selling off valuable land —

land that could have been used for schools and hospitals

today.

S. Cadieux: I’m glad to speak to the motion before the House today. I’m

surprised how much time the NDP speakers have spent on our time in

government instead of their own. But I’ll do the same, because during

our time in government, we worked hard to make our economy more

equitable and provide greater opportunity to those who needed it most. I

spearheaded a number of those initiatives.

The single-parent employment initiative, for example, which

started in September 2015, was designed to remove barriers for single

parents on income and disability assistance. It wasn’t right that people

were essentially trapped in the welfare system, so we attempted to

change it.

[11:45 a.m.]

Within two years, 4,554 people had taken part, developing new

skills and opening opportunity for their future. I’ll note the

government continued this program. Kids from care, a highly

disadvantaged group, needed supports to build their lives, so I worked

with universities like VIU to pilot the tuition waiver program to prove

these kids just needed an opportunity, and it was worth investing in.

Government expanded on that, and I’m glad they did.

People with disabilities on assistance were challenged by the

system and still are, but I introduced an annualized earnings exemption

for British Columbians receiving disability assistance so those who

could work, fluctuating throughout the year, could keep that money. We

invested in labour market programs so that more than 27,000 people with

a disability could find work. We launched the presidents group to focus

on inclusion in the workforce.

There’s so much more to do to improve these systems, but all we’ve

seen from this government so far is talk and a continuation or expansion

of our initiatives.

Highlighted by this pandemic, we can’t truly have an equitable

economy until we close the gender pay gap. This spring I introduced the

Equal Pay Reporting Act, and the government has thus far not decided to

call the bill for debate, which is disappointing from a government that

wants to be perceived as taking these issues seriously. Unfortunately,

it’s just one of many examples of contrast between what the government

says it will do and what they actually put into action.

They’ve droned on about us not caring about minimum wage. Well, I

increased it as minister, and so did my successors. We reduced child

poverty faster than their so-called plan targets to do. They claim we

didn’t care about rising house prices, but gee, housing prices are up

and so are rents, on their watch. They’ve added thousands of people to

the welfare rolls, just like happened during their last time in

government.

They say how terrible things were under us, yet British Columbians

re-elected us five times. We’re in a pandemic. They say we need to build

back better. Let’s do that. I am in favour of that. But to do that, you

need a plan, and a plan is something we just don’t have from this group.

Saying you support a more equitable economy is one thing, but we have

yet to see government take real steps towards greater equality and

opportunity.

I’m tired of the insinuations that the NDP care and we don’t. Our

track record proves otherwise. They talk; we act. That’s the difference.

The NDP are now standing on the soapboxes we built and have done nothing

yet than to expand on our initiatives. I haven’t heard a unique idea yet

from that side of the House. But I’m waiting, and so is British

Columbia, because opportunity for all is possible in this province. It’s

essential, and we can deliver it, but it takes a lot more than words and

slogans.

When I’m hearing the members on the opposition repeat, speaker

after speaker, that now is not the time to turn back the clock, that

sounds a lot more like electioneering to me than it does doing. We need

a plan for our economy, for everyone, and we need it now.

M. Dean: I am very honoured to rise today to talk in favour of this motion.

We all know that for far too long in our province, only the wealthy few

at the top benefited, while good opportunities became further out of

reach for most.

People deserve to have an economy and government that works for

them, not one that will take the benefits of their hard work and give it

to the top 2 percent while making it harder to get by year after year,

like Mel from Colwood. A single mom, she works three jobs to get by, and

she still had to consolidate her debt with a financing agency just to

stay afloat.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

It’s critical for workers to have affordable child care to be able

to actively participate in the workforce, especially women. Well, the

previous government scrapped universal child care, cut subsidies for

low-income parents, put child care out of reach thousands of British

Columbian families, forced women to leave or stall their careers, maybe

take part-time work, accept lower-paid work or lower their career

ambitions.

The B.C. Liberals cut the child care operating fund by 27 percent

in 2007, sending less help to existing child care providers and

cancelling subsidies to new providers. For Steve and Jan who had four

kids, with two in full-time daycare, this meant additional costs of

almost $160 a month.

[11:50 a.m.]

Under the B.C. Liberals, B.C. became the province with the largest

wealth gap in the country and the second-highest income inequality.

Well, our government is committed to sharing prosperity for everyone in

B.C.

Before COVID-19, we were making progress on the things that people

care about. People are the economy. We’ll build B.C. back stronger, and

everyone can have a good job and a secure future.

We’ll build an economic recovery around every British Columbian,

not just the richest 2 percent. We are helping people get training and

education that they need for good jobs. We’re investing in training

women in trades so that they can also access those family-supporting,

well-paid careers.

The importance of child care has risen to the spotlight during

this crisis. Without child care, our economy will not be able to fully

recover. With child care, we’re going to be able to build an equitable

economy for everybody. We have recognized this issue across the whole of

the country, and B.C. is recognized as a leader in this area because we

have already spent three years investing in a child care

system.

We’ve invested a record $1.3 billion in child care over three

years, building the foundation for a universal child care system that

will give B.C. parents access to affordable, quality child care when

they want or need it. This is especially important now as so many women

are displaced from the workforce.

We are creating over 10,400 new licensed child care spaces. We’ve

launched the fee reduction initiative and the affordable child care

benefit. This is saving many families more than $19,000 a year. We have

over 2,500 prototype $200-a-month universal child care sites. We’re

providing wage enhancements for early childhood educators, and we’ve

expanded Aboriginal Head Start programs.

Inequality makes people who are systematically disadvantaged more

vulnerable to the impact of a disaster like COVID-19. Women are at

higher risk of long-term economic insecurity as a result of this

pandemic because of their overrepresentation in part-time work and

highly affected sectors like health, education, home support and service

industries. Women make up 62 percent of minimum-wage workers in B.C.,

and almost 82 percent of liquor servers are women.

In addition, economic insecurity associated with the pandemic is

more likely to be compounded by other factors and amplified for

Indigenous women, immigrant and racialized communities, LGBTQ2S+ people,

youth, and people with disabilities. The youth unemployment rate is an

overwhelming 29 percent, and women make up more than 60 percent of the

job losses in the hardest-hit sectors.

As we restart our province, we have an opportunity to build an

equitable economy that benefits everyone, not just the wealthy few. As

B.C. works to build its COVID-19 economic recovery plan, it’s vital that

everyone, especially those who face disadvantages, are supported and

given the best possible opportunity to be part of B.C.’s restart. We

cannot go back.

M. Dean moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. H. Bains moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:54 a.m.

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