First Session, 43rd Parliament

Official Report

of Debates

( Hansard )

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 10

The Honourable Raj Chouhan , Speaker

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

Contents

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill M201 — Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act, 2025

Kiel Giddens

Bill M202 — Eligibility to Hold Public Office Act

Darlene Rotchford

Members’ Statements

Ryan’s Rainbow Emergency Food Outreach

Rohini Arora

Support for Agriculture and Farmers

Jordan Kealy

Little River Multi-Use Trail Project

Dana Lajeunesse

Mount Boucherie Bears Senior Boys Basketball Team Championship Win

Macklin McCall

Festival du Bois

Jennifer Blatherwick

Kootenay Rockies

Pete Davis

Oral Questions

Police Investigation of Charlotte Kates and Potential Hate Crime Charges

John Rustad

Hon. Niki Sharma

Government Action on Antisemitism

Korky Neufeld

Hon. Niki Sharma

Disaster Financial Assistance Criteria and Funding

Jeremy Valeriote

Hon. Kelly Greene

Involuntary Care for Mental Health and Addiction Issues

Trevor Halford

Hon. Josie Osborne

Youth Mental Health and Addiction Services

Steve Kooner

Hon. Josie Osborne

Call for Independent Review of Metro Vancouver Regional District Governance

Tony Luck

Hon. Ravi Kahlon

Government Action on Issues in Health Care System

Bryan Tepper

Hon. Josie Osborne

Orders of the Day

Committee of the Whole

Bill 2 — Acting Conflict of Interest Commissioner Continuation Act

Steve Kooner

Hon. Niki Sharma

Reporting of Bills

Bill 2 — Acting Conflict of Interest Commissioner Continuation Act

Third Reading of Bills

Bill 2 — Acting Conflict of Interest Commissioner Continuation Act

Committee of the Whole

Bill 3 — Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025

Trevor Halford

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson

Reporting of Bills

Bill 3 — Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025

Throne Speech Debate (continued)

Teresa Wat

Rob Botterell

Nina Krieger

Kristina Loewen

Hon. Christine Boyle

Bruce Banman

Hon. Jennifer Whiteside

John Rustad

On the amendment

John Rustad

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

The House met at 1:32 p.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: Claire Rattée.

Introductions by Members

Hon. Lisa Beare : As you can see, today is Pink Shirt Day, and we are all here to stand united against

bullying and hate of all kinds.

I rise today to introduce a special group of teachers and kids who joined us this

afternoon for our pink shirt event today at the Legislature. From Reynolds Secondary,

we have choir teacher Katy Kerr and the junior choir, who provided a fantastic performance

of “Time after Time.” Tricia Hinrichsen, a teacher at James Bay Community School,

also brought her grade 4/5 elementary class to learn about Pink Shirt Day.

I would like the members to please join me in welcoming them, along with Councillor

Sherry Thomas from the Esquimalt Nation, who provided us all with a warm welcome.

Tony Luck : I would like to introduce three guests to the House this afternoon, one of which

is my wonderful and supportive wife, Wanda Luck. She worked tirelessly with me during

our campaign this past fall and continues to be my rock and support.

[1:35 p.m.]

My two other guests are the hard-working and active New Westminster city councillors

Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas. Councillor Minhas is a long-time business owner.

He operates the very successful Judge Begbie’s Tavern in downtown New Westminster

and has been a strong advocate for a more responsive city hall.

Councillor Fontaine was recently appointed to the board of Hockey Canada and has always

been a staunch advocate for more openness, transparency and accountability at the

unelected and accountable Metro Vancouver.

May I encourage all members to please join me in offering a warm introduction to these

guests.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : I have some guests here from different parts within the Ministry for Housing. Folks

that are visiting today, they all work in the different ministry offices.

I want to welcome, from the deputy minister’s office, Jana Sexton and Amy Greenwood.

From the assistant deputy minister’s office of homelessness and partnerships and housing

supports division, we’ve got Rebecca Harris. From the assistant deputy minister’s

office of housing and land use policy, we have Laurie Duncan.

I’m hoping the House can make them all welcome today.

Scott McInnis : Today we have many teachers from across the province in the gallery participating

in the Teachers Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. I myself, in 2022, was a proud

graduate of that program here.

The work from the parliamentary education office team — Karen, Michelle, Nathan….

I know you certainly changed my life, and I know the first-class treatment these teachers

will receive here will be memories they will have forever.

Please join me in welcoming these great teachers, as well as congratulating the parliamentary

education office staff.

Hon. Christine Boyle : I want to recognize my parents, who are also my constituents, who are here today,

Jim and Nancy Boyle. They spent their lives working in health care while raising three

lively children. I’m the middle, and I can confidently tell you I am definitely in

the top three of their favourites.

They taught us to be good neighbours and to contribute to our communities. They are

excellent grandparents, especially as I am away from home more these days, and I am

incredibly grateful for them.

Will the House join me in making them feel welcome.

Hon. Jodie Wickens : In the precinct today, we have members of B.C. Association of Child Development and

Intervention. BCACDI is a provincial organization that consists of a number of child

development centres across British Columbia. Child development centres deliver crucial

services, such as speech language pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy.

These members do really important work.

I want to give a special shout-out to Jason Gordon, who is the provincial advocate.

Jason has ended his time as the provincial advocate. He did really, really important

work advocating for children and families across this province.

Will the members in the House please join me in thanking them and welcoming them to

the Legislature today.

Claire Rattée : I just wanted to recognize David and Nico from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

— they aren’t in the gallery, but they are in the building; and Emily from Simon Wiesenthal

Center.

They came and talked to our caucus today, teaching us about antisemitism. As a Jewish

woman in this place, I really appreciated everything that they had to say and everything

that they taught us. I think it is especially fitting today on anti-bullying day.

I just want everybody to make them feel really welcome and let them know that we appreciate

what they did for us today.

Hon. Jennifer Whiteside : You know what we say in New West — that New Westies are the besties. It’s always

a good day in the House when New West is here. I’d like to join my colleague from

Fraser-Nicola in welcoming Daniel and Paul to the House.

Please join me in making them welcome.

[1:40 p.m.]

Hon. Rick Glumac : I would like to introduce two of my constituents that are in the House today, one

of which I’ve known since 2008 when she flagged me down after one of my first municipal

council debates, when I first ran for city council, and has been a volunteer and a

friend ever since, Jacqui Boyer.

The second is also a really great constituent who is familiar to this House, because

she was here when I asked her to marry me a little while ago — my wife, Haven Lurbiecki.

Would the House please make them both feel welcome.

Mable Elmore : Hon. Members, I’m pleased to welcome 23 teachers from across British Columbia, who

are here with us for the remainder of the week to participate in the 25th B.C. Teachers

Institute on Parliamentary Democracy, an intensive 4½ days of professional development

on democracy, politics and governance. They’re continuing to expand their knowledge

of our parliamentary system, to return to their classrooms to better equip B.C. students

on democracy and civic responsibilities.

They’re joined by three of their peers, who are returning in the role of facilitator:

Michele Cumberland, Michael Cook and Lisa Reid. They’re also accompanied by Jennifer

Lennie, manager of public affairs from the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

Many of you will have the opportunity to meet them at lunch tomorrow, hosted by Mr.

Speaker, where you can discuss civic engagement and the incredible work they do in

their classrooms.

I’d ask you to please make sure we make them all feel very welcome today in the chamber.

Hon. Lisa Beare : Our grades 4 and 5 class, all wearing their pink shirts, from James Bay elementary

has arrived in the House.

We would like to make Tricia Hinrichsen and her class feel very welcome.

Welcome, students.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Bill M201 — Low Carbon Fuels

Amendment Act, 2025

Kiel Giddens presented a bill intituled Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act.

Kiel Giddens : I move that a bill entitled Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act, of which notice has been

given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read for a first time now.

I am very pleased to present this bill in the Legislature. It’s very important for

workers in Prince George–Mackenzie and, indeed, for B.C.’s economy. In a time when

trade and sovereignty issues are top of mind, we can’t let B.C.’s own laws take jobs

away from British Columbian families. Flaws in the NDP government’s Low Carbon Fuels

Act have enabled subsidized American refineries to engage in the dumping of renewable

diesel into the British Columbian market.

Tidewater Renewables, in my riding, produces renewable diesel out of Canadian canola

oil, beef tallow and used cooking oils. Their parent company also operates a legacy

refinery in Prince George that is part of these operations. Together, the refineries

employ 165 family-supporting jobs, with hundreds of spinoff jobs related to this strategic

asset.

The refineries in Prince George serve the forestry sector, the mines, the Port of

Prince Rupert, trucking and drivers across northern B.C. to keep people and our economy

moving. The jobs and the strategic economic output are at severe risk due to the government’s

2022 version of the act.

Tidewater has publicly disclosed that it is facing insolvency as early as March of

this year unless a solution can be found. Both the renewable diesel and legacy refinery

are at risk of closure. We have limited refining capacity in this province, and losing

this asset puts B.C.’s energy security at risk. It would lead to supply disruptions,

fuel price fluctuations and an increased dependency on the United States to provide

our fuels.

The Low Carbon Fuels Amendment Act will close the loophole that American refineries

are using to undercut our domestic production of renewable fuels in B.C. When refineries

outside of British Columbia are provided with production subsidies, this amendment

act will give the director the authority to reduce the compliance units eligible to

be received by the importer into B.C. by an equal amount.

This will level the playing field in the low-carbon fuels market here in British Columbia.

There is no carbon benefit in renewable diesel being shipped by rail from Louisiana.

This bill is about saving jobs and protecting our energy security in British Columbia.

I’m asking all members of this House to join in supporting the quick passing of this

bill before it’s too late.

The Speaker : Members, the question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Kiel Giddens : I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the

next sitting of this House after today.

Motion approved.

[1:45 p.m.]

Bill M202 — Eligibility to Hold

Public Office Act

Darlene Rotchford presented a bill intituled Eligibility to Hold Public Office Act.

Darlene Rotchford : I move that the bill Eligibility to Hold Public Office Act, of which notice has been

given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read a first time now.

The bill would ensure British Columbians can have confidence that their representatives

aren’t collecting two separate paycheques and aren’t in conflict of interest and are

focused on addressing the challenges facing people at a provincial level.

This bill would bring British Columbia in line with rules in other provinces such

as Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Ontario.

The Speaker : The question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Darlene Rotchford : I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the

next sitting of the House after today.

Motion approved.

Members’ Statements

Ryan’s Rainbow

Emergency Food Outreach

Rohini Arora : I’m honoured to lift up an organization that is dedicated to meeting the needs of

community.

In 2017, Teresa Rasquinha founded Ryan’s Rainbow Emergency Food Outreach Society.

It’s a 100 percent volunteer-run non-profit in Burnaby East that provides emergency

food assistance to ensure that individuals and families in need can nourish themselves

and their loved ones.

The heartbeat of Ryan’s Rainbow is local community involvement, a collective effort

of 45 dedicated volunteers who offered their time and energy, and it is the support

of local businesses that power the organization’s work and its impact.

Among the dedicated volunteers are David and Rose Turrin, Earl, Patty and Nino, all

of whom consistently help with donations pickups; Mirella, who takes care of the needs

of mothers and children every Thursday by distributing diapers, formula and other

necessities for infants, toddlers, kids and new moms; Andrea, who picks up donations

from Langley Farm Market every Thursday morning; and Tina Caccia and her team of three,

who manage clothing and furniture donations, often helping families settle into their

new homes in a new country.

Ryan’s Rainbow creates a compassionate and inclusive environment for everyone they

serve, not only addressing immediate food needs but also empowering individuals and

families to achieve long-term food security.

Often for volunteers, this is a commitment as a family and speaks to their values

of love and community service. So I’d also like to take this moment to congratulate

Tina Caccia’s parents, Giovanni and Citina Caccia, who celebrated their 70th platinum

anniversary on February 19, still full of happiness, humour and joy.

“L’amor che move il sole el’attre stelle. The love that moves the sun and other stars”

— Dante.

Support for Agriculture and Farmers

Jordan Kealy : I want to take this time to feature the Fort St. John Farmers Market, B.C. Farmers’

Market Association, as well as markets all over the province for allowing people to

buy amazing grown foods produced locally and crafted in B.C.

Now more than ever, we can embrace buying locally and within Canada, especially when

the money stays local. We need to support and enhance the growth of farmers and their

products.

As the critic for agriculture expansion and food security, I was tasked to double

food production, so I ask British Columbians to embrace farmers to put great food

on your tables.

Farmers take pride in the products that they produce, but it is not easy to be a farmer.

If it isn’t the economy, taxes or Mother Nature, Murphy’s law can come and kick you

where the sun doesn’t shine.

[1:50 p.m.]

Children need to know that their food doesn’t come from a grocery store. It comes

from a farmer like myself and other producers. We need our children to see a future

in agriculture.

I would also like to feature and thank 4-H, an organization that helps teach our youth

to respect others, to raise animals and so much more. It teaches about how to do public

speaking, do demonstrations and how to become great leaders. I was in 4-H, and it

was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It’s actually one of the reasons

why I’m speaking right now.

In 4-H, we pledge: “My head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands

to larger service for my club, my community, my country and my world.” It’s not just

a product that farmers produce. It’s a way of life. This is part of who I am and where

I come from.

Little River Multi-Use Trail Project

Dana Lajeunesse : Three weeks ago, on February 7, I attended a long-anticipated event to celebrate

the beginning of construction of the Little River crossing and multi-use trail project,

which will form a vital link in my community, the district of Sooke, between the neighbourhood

of Sunriver and École Poirier Elementary and Journey Middle School.

This corridor will provide a safe alternative to a four-kilometre journey along a

very busy

section of Highway 14 with a 600-metre pedestrian-friendly path, reducing

the distance by 85 percent. It offers an opportunity for residents and visitors to

my community to enjoy the natural environment as it passes through some rather difficult

terrain in a forested area that also includes a 110-foot span across the Little River.

Additionally, it will provide multimodal connectivity between Sooke’s town centre

and the newly constructed Ravens Ridge Sport Box, where, at the grand opening, former

Premier and longtime Sooke MLA John Horgan proudly displayed his lacrosse skills to

a number of local youth and community leaders.

This project is a result of the vision and dedication of many, including the parks

and trails advisory committee and the Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society.

Special thanks go out to T’Sou-ke Nation Chief Larry Underwood, David Planes and Billy

Mobley for their cultural and environmental guidance. I also want to acknowledge Emma

Taylor, parks and facilities manager for the district of Sooke, and Laura Hooper for

their leadership.

This $2.7 million project is made possible by partnerships and funding support, including

from the province of British Columbia.

Thank you to all the partners, including Sooke School District 62, for making this

vision a reality.

Mount Boucherie Bears Senior Boys

Basketball Team Championship Win

Macklin McCall : Today I rise to recognize a remarkable achievement that has brought pride to our

communities in the riding of West Kelowna–Peachland.

For the first time ever, the Mount Boucherie Bears senior boys basketball team has

earned a place in the provincial championship, following a 75 to 72 win against the

Kelowna Owls that won the Bears the Okanagan Valley championship title. No West Kelowna

school has advanced to provincials since 1985.

This achievement is a culmination of hard work, determination and teamwork. I am proud

to stand here today to support our local high school champions. Coach Kelly, himself

a graduate of our high school, and his players have set an inspiring example for all

of us, proving greatness can emerge when we invest in our young people.

It is a testament to the resilience of our youth and shows that with dedication and

the support of family, friends and community, anything is possible. The team’s qualities

of resilience, skill and determination were on full display during this historic match.

[1:55 p.m.]

This achievement extends beyond the court. It represents the spirit of my constituency

and the value of positive competition. This victory is not just a milestone for Mount

Boucherie School but for the entire West Kelowna community as the team now prepares

to represent our region on the provincial stage. As the team heads to the B.C. quadruple-A

provincial championships, I stand in support, eager to see them reach even greater

heights.

Sports such as basketball are more than just games. They teach the life skills of

discipline, teamwork, leadership and perseverance. These values are integral not only

in sports but in all aspects of life.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating the Mount Boucherie Bears, their coach

and those who have supported them.

It is my pleasure to congratulate you on this hard-won success here in this House.

Go, Bears!

Festival du Bois

Jennifer Blatherwick : Je prends la parole aujourd’hui pour vous parler d’un événement qui s’est déroulé

dans ma ville : le Festival du Bois. Nous célébrons le 36ème anniversaire du Festival.

Le Festival du Bois est une occasion importante pour la communauté. Nous célébrons

la tortiere, la culture, la musique, la langue, l’histoire et le cœur des Canadiens

[French text provided by Jennifer Blatherwick.]

I stand today to share with you all about the Festival du Bois. This is the 36th year

of the festival, held in the heart of Coquitlam-Maillardville. For over 3½ decades,

the Festival du Bois has been a celebration of French-Canadian culture, music, language,

history and food.

Thank you to all the volunteers who have supported the festival for so long. They

have given countless hours to make sure this festival was successful, attracting thousands

of visitors every year. Their dedication brings the Festival du Bois to life.

One volunteer is retiring after many years of giving so much: Joanne Dumas. Her passion

to promote, celebrate and elevate French-Canadian culture has been an essential piece

of the festival. We all thank her for her dedication and know that we will still see

her every year, hopefully spending more time enjoying than organizing.

Merci, Joanne.

We normally say that someone has big shoes to fill, but in her case, it is a big smile

and an even bigger heart.

I also wish to thank the incoming president of the Société francophone de Maillardville,

Pooja Parsan, and wish her the very best as she starts this new journey.

One final note. Gilberte Knapp, another long-time volunteer, turned 100 this year.

Up until three years ago, she was still making the tourtière meat pies for the entire

festival. She will be there to celebrate her 100th birthday.

So if you can, please join us under the big tents in Mackin Park for the 36th annual

Festival du Bois on March 7 to 9. Merci.

Kootenay Rockies

Pete Davis : I rise today with deep humility and immense pride as the elected representative for

Kootenay-Rockies, because if you’ve ever experienced the Kootenay Rockies, you know

we don’t just have it all; we have something truly extraordinary. Towering snow-capped

peaks. Crystal lakes. Endless untamed forests. The Kootenay Rockies don’t just whisper

for attention; they command it.

But the true heart of the Kootenay Rockies is not just the land; it’s the people —

hardworking, resilient and unshakable in their commitment to their families, their

industries and their communities. For generations, mining, forestry and agriculture

have built more than economy. They’ve built a way of life.

Then there’s tourism, because once you set foot in the Kootenays, you never want to

leave. Whether it’s skiing fresh powder, fishing pristine waters or playing golf,

where every hole comes with a million-dollar view, our region isn’t just a place;

it’s an experience.

I don’t want to just talk about the Kootenay life. I actually do live it. Whether

I’m boating at Lake Koocanusa, tearing up back roads on my side-by-side or carving

through mountain roads on my Harley, one thing is certain: there is never a dull moment

in the Kootenays. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, another breathtaking view

appears around the bend, reminding us how lucky we are to call this place home.

To my colleagues here in the House, if you haven’t been to the Kootenay Rockies yet,

what are you waiting for? Consider this your official invitation. Call me when you

arrive, and I’ll personally show you why our home is one of the most remarkable places

on earth.

Being the MLA for Kootenay-Rockies isn’t just a title; it’s a responsibility I carry

with pride and conviction. I will fight for our industries. I will fight for our families.

I will fight to ensure that the voices of Kootenay-Rockies aren’t just heard in the

House. They are impossible to ignore.

[2:00 p.m.]

Oral Questions

Police Investigation of

Charlotte Kates and

Potential Hate Crime Charges

John Rustad : Last April Charlotte Kates, the international coordinator for Samidoun, was arrested

for glorifying the October 7 attacks committed by Hamas and referring to several terrorist

organizations as heroes.

The Vancouver police department recommended charges against Kates in June, and Samidoun,

her organization, was listed as a terrorist organization under the Criminal Code in

October. Yet charges against Charlotte Kates have not been laid by the Attorney General,

allowing Kates to act with increasing impunity.

A very easy question to the Attorney General. Will the Attorney General today lay

charges against Charlotte Kates?

Hon. Niki Sharma : I want to start by saying that antisemitism has no place in this province, in this

country, in this world. We all need to do everything we can to step up every system

available to make sure that we’re combating antisemitism in all its forms.

I don’t lay charges as Attorney General. The Leader of the Opposition has been in

government a long time. I’m sure he knows that it’s the B.C. prosecution service’s

job, which acts independently of government, to lay charges. But we are doing everything

in our power to combat hate in this province. Not only am I informed that the B.C.

prosecution service’s hate crime policy now includes wilful promotion of antisemitism;

they’ve laid charges in a case in January 2025 in Kelowna.

We’ve made security funding available to institutions like synagogues and other organizations

to keep them safe. We’ve included bubble-zone protections for Jewish schools, mandatory

Holocaust education in schools and a new anti-racism incident help line. That is for

anybody out there that’s experienced antisemitism to call 24 hours a day. They will

receive services and get the help they need.

We all need to work together to make sure we’re pushing back on any rise in antisemitism.

The Speaker : Leader of the Official Opposition, supplemental.

John Rustad : Yet weekly we have marches here, right in Victoria, chanting slogans of hate.

Let’s be clear. Charlotte Kates is the head of a terrorist organization that advocates

terrorism and celebrates the slaughter of people who were celebrating peace at a music

festival. Instead of criminal charges, Charlotte Kates went to Iran to collect a human

rights award. Instead of criminal charges, Charlotte Kates went to Beirut to honour

deceased terrorist Hassan Nasrallah of the Hezbollah.

It’s been nine months since charges were recommended. The Premier is a former Attorney

General.

Certainly here on Pink Shirt Day, will the Premier demand his Attorney General send

a strong message that glorifying terrorism and hate has no place in B.C. and lay charges

against Charlotte Kates?

Hon. Niki Sharma : We are sending a strong message. In fact, we as a government have done way more to

combat hate than any government in history in this province, whether it’s passing

anti-racism legislation to make sure that antisemitism is included in there and….

That would make sure our government services are tasked to remove any forms of hate,

including antisemitism, from their services.

We’ve launched help lines that did not exist before to make sure people are getting

the services they need and are directed to the supports they need when they experience

anything. We’ve stepped up…

Interjection.

The Speaker : Member.

Hon. Niki Sharma : …supports to make sure that police officers know how to investigate and prosecute

hate crimes. We will be attending the National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism that

will happen coming up. We are doing everything we can to condemn and push back on

antisemitism in this province.

[2:05 p.m.]

Government Action on Antisemitism

Korky Neufeld : Tackling antisemitism is more than words. It takes sustained and focused action.

We in the official opposition proposed an antisemitism strategy during our election.

It’s been 16 long months since the October 7 attacks on Israel, and this government

says it is listening.

How long does it take to listen before this government will finally start to act on

antisemitism in British Columbia?

Hon. Niki Sharma : Again, we’ve been taking this issue seriously.

Not only has the Premier but I, myself, have met with many Jewish organizations and

groups in this province to understand what tools they need to combat it — whether

it’s getting better security funding available for synagogues, the bubble-zone legislation

that protected Jewish schools, mandatory Holocaust training, the new help line which

specifically is funding and resourcing Jewish organizations to help people that are

facing antisemitism or the direct inclusion in our Anti-Racism Act of antisemitism

as part of it.

This is a list of actions, and we are not going to stop. We’re going to keep going,

and we’re going to keep going to make sure we can push back this rise of antisemitism.

The Speaker : Member for Abbotsford West, supplemental.

Korky Neufeld : Antisemitism is a virus that needs to be addressed, and the shocking rise in British

Columbia alone is validation enough that we finally need some action. Vancouver PD

reported that antisemitism increased 62 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

To the Premier or the Attorney General, will this government adopt the opposition

plan to stamp out the virus of antisemitism in British Columbia?

Hon. Niki Sharma : I do think this is a very important topic that’s being talked about today. We have

been seized with every action we can take to push back on antisemitism. Again, I remind

the members opposite — some people are new — that the B.C. prosecution service acts

independently and is tasked with laying charges and doing that side in the justice

system.

My job is to make sure the system is tooled with what it needs to respond. We have

taken action, tons of actions. This time the Premier has tasked me with looking again

at how we can make sure our hate crime policy and everything in this province is directly

focused on combatting antisemitism and all forms of hate in this province.

Disaster Financial Assistance

Criteria and Funding

Jeremy Valeriote : On December 14, just over two months ago, a landslide devastated the community of

Lions Bay, in the riding I represent. The resulting debris flow of rocks, trees and

mud buried a home, killing longtime residents David and Barbara Enns. This is a tragic

loss.

The bereaved son and daughter of the Ennses have been denied disaster financial assistance.

They were told the event was not sufficiently widespread or extensive. The family

told me it seemed like an attempt to “wash their hands of us because we don’t have

a loud enough voice.” The magnitude of the event shouldn’t matter.

We feed cynicism when our government isn’t there for people when it should be. The

Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said in this House last week

that disaster financial assistance criteria are currently under review, which is welcome.

I will say that help with cleanup from an emergency response fund is also appreciated.

However, the Ennses’ home was their legacy for their children and grandchildren. It

was uninsurable for this event, and it lies destroyed.

When they meet the required number of indicators in policy, which I reviewed, why

is their grieving family being denied disaster financial assistance?

Hon. Kelly Greene : I want to begin by expressing my sincere condolences to the family, friends, loved

ones — everybody who’s been impacted by the loss of two dear people in their lives.

It’s an incredible loss for them.

I appreciated you reaching out after the event to discuss how we can support the community.

Disaster financial assistance is available for eligible sudden, unexpected and widespread

events. If you’d like to continue our conversation, I’d welcome your feedback. Come

to my office.

The Speaker : Member, supplemental.

Jeremy Valeriote : Climate-related disasters will increase in frequency and severity in this province,

leaving residents and local governments footing the bill for damages and skyrocketing

insurance costs. The Union of B.C. Municipalities called for long-term, secure funding

to help tackle natural hazards that are being exacerbated by climate change. So far

the B.C. government has not agreed to long-term funding.

[2:10 p.m.]

The province needs to take leadership and help communities confront the increasing

risk of disasters resulting from climate change — landslides as well as flooding and

wildfires, as we all know.

My question again is for the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.

Will the province commit to long-term, secure funding for communities to mitigate

these disasters?

Hon. Kelly Greene : To the member, I think it’s a really important question about how we move forward

as a province. We are experiencing increasingly severe events that are escalating

due to the effects of climate change. We know that we need to support communities

to be more resilient, to be able to recover more quickly after disaster strikes.

That’s why we’re partnering with communities, with First Nations, to make sure that

we understand the needs of communities and are meeting those unique needs, because

hazards differ depending on where you are in the province.

We’ve provided $487 million to help communities prepare and mitigate risks and have

taken important steps to change the way that we respond to emergencies, including

B.C. Wildfire Service being year-round, and additional alerts for emergency heat response

and other important things.

It is top of mind for our government, and we want to continue to make those investments

to keep people safe.

Involuntary Care for

Mental Health and Addiction Issues

Trevor Halford : In the early hours of this morning, a man in psychosis broke into multiple Surrey

homes. The result? An elderly resident, brutally attacked, fleeing to a neighbour’s

house, covered in blood, seeking help.

This attack is the direct result of the Premier’s failure to address the crisis of

untreated mental illness and addiction. In two elections, this government has campaigned

on involuntary care.

How many British Columbians have to be injured, maimed or even killed before this

Premier opens a single one of his long-promised involuntary care beds?

Hon. Josie Osborne : Thank you to the member for raising this very serious issue.

I think we are all appalled to hear of an incident like this — the kind of shock that

that provides people and the impacts that it’s making on people.

We know we all want to take the steps that are needed to make sure that people feel

safe in their communities and that they know that work is also being done to help

people who are suffering from severe substance use addictions, who are suffering from

mental health illnesses and who, in certain cases, are also suffering from brain injuries

that are acquired after repeated overdoses.

There is a group of people out there who do present a risk not only to themselves

but to others. That is why the Premier has been very strong in his support for moving

forward with secure care. We’ve announced this, and we’ve spoken about this.

Interjection.

The Speaker : Member.

Hon. Josie Osborne : The timelines have become more clear, and we know that work has to be done properly

to set these facilities up. That’s why….

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members, Members.

Members, thank you.

Minister, conclude please.

Hon. Josie Osborne : Hon. Speaker, this is an incredibly serious issue…

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members.

Hon. Josie Osborne : …which is why we have to take the proper steps and the right steps to set up a facility

under the right conditions and terms.

Interjection.

The Speaker : Member.

Hon. Josie Osborne : That’s exactly what we’re going to do. As we’ve stated before, these facilities are

slated…. The first is to come online later this spring. We are on track, and we’ll

be delivering.

The Speaker : Member for Surrey–White Rock, supplemental.

Trevor Halford : The minister says, “as stated before,” “as they’ve stated before.” Nobody in this

House or in this province would consider this Premier to be strong on this topic.

[2:15 p.m.]

A horrific stabbing in White Rock, on the promenade. Days later, another stabbing,

resulting in a fatality. A decapitation in Vancouver. Moments later, someone loses

their limb. A brutal assault on a Crown prosecutor. An unwell person enters a 7-Eleven,

stabs somebody in the eye and is ultimately killed by police. And this minister gets

up in this House and says: “Be patient. We’re working on it.” Not good enough.

How many more innocent victims need to suffer or die while this Premier sits on his

hands and this minister fails to open one single bed for involuntary care?

Hon. Josie Osborne : I’m pleased to provide a few more details, and I hope that it will help members of

the opposition understand just how seriously we take all of these issues around community

safety, around supporting people who, through sets of circumstances, find themselves

in a place where they are not able to help themselves in the way that we would have

all hoped to see.

People know that Premier Eby has appointed Dr. Daniel Vigo as…

The Speaker : No names, please. No names.

Hon. Josie Osborne : …B.C.’s first chief scientific adviser to provide support on these, around psychiatry,

toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, as I just spoke to.

We will be providing longer-term care at a newly designated mental health facility

for people who are held under the Mental Health Act. This first facility will open

in Maple Ridge at Alouette Heights this spring. We’re working towards a designated

mental health unit at the Surrey Pretrial Centre to provide that rapid, involuntary

treatment for people with these kinds of challenges. This also is expected to open

later this spring.

In addition to this work, we will continue to build a seamless system of mental health

and substance use care for people who are seeking help, who voluntarily want to seek

that treatment, and we are going to continue this work.

Youth Mental Health and

Addiction Services

Steve Kooner : On February 13, I attended a funeral in Surrey of a 14-year-old girl. What did she

die of? A drug overdose, at only 14 years old.

Her mother referred to her as sweet and innocent. She said the family was trying to

work through Fraser Health to get her support but faced nothing but roadblocks. The

system failed this young girl and her family.

How can the Minister of Health look this family in the eye and say she’s doing everything

she can to help?

Hon. Josie Osborne : Thank you to the member for the question. That is absolutely a tragic circumstance,

a tragic outcome that he’s describing. Nobody should ever want to face the loss of

a child this way. It’s so important that we continue to do everything in our power

to keep our children safe.

We know how important it is for people to get help early on, before small problems

can snowball and become more complex and difficult to tackle. That’s why we are taking

particular focus on expanding supports for children and youth to help with prevention,

with early intervention and voluntary treatment services like expanding the Foundry

youth centres.

Currently there are 17, and 18 more are in development. These are one-stop shops for

youth to have that access to mental health services, to physical and sexual health

services, substance use services, social services — all focused on young people.

We’re going to continue expanding the integrated child and youth care teams that are

working in communities across the province, adding youth addiction services, youth-specific

treatment beds. Yes, there is a lot more work to do, and we’re going to continue to

do this work.

The Speaker : Richmond-Queensborough, supplemental.

Steve Kooner : The minister’s comments have zero comfort for this family.

[2:20 p.m.]

The story gets worse. After agreeing to treatment, a Fraser Health worker met with

the parents and this young girl and forced the parents to leave so that the worker

could talk to the girl alone. The result? The girl refused treatment. Now she’s dead,

and the community is enraged.

To the Minister of Health, who is more important to listen to, a health authority

bureaucrat or desperate parents begging for help?

Hon. Josie Osborne : It’s important to listen to each and every person who is impacted by this toxic drug

crisis: people with lived experience and who are living this right now; the parents

and families of youth and children; the people who work on the front lines, both in

hospitals and other facilities; and also all the community service organizations out

there — everybody who is working to tackle this crisis.

We’re going to continue to do this work. We’re going to continue to expand these supports,

working with youth and children and their families and…

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members.

Please conclude.

Hon. Josie Osborne : …ensuring that we take absolutely every step that we can, because we know just how

critical this is at this time.

Call for Independent Review of

Metro Vancouver Regional

District Governance

Tony Luck : Every day calls for an independent review of Metro Vancouver are growing. Taxpayers

and others want answers and have completely lost faith in Metro Vancouver.

When will this Premier answer the calls and convene an independent review of Metro

Vancouver?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : Thank you to the member for the question. Certainly, I share some concerns, as well,

around some of the things that are happening in Metro Vancouver. The Premier has made

it clear that he shares those concerns.

We have indicated to Metro Vancouver that a governance review is required. We said

that we would participate in a governance review only if they included pay for members

as part of that review. That step is happening. We’re working through that right now.

I know it’s frustrating for people when they hear about double salaries. What I would

say to members in this place is that it’s easy to throw rocks at other levels of government

when it comes to double salaries, but perhaps we should look at the members in this

House who are right now being paid two salaries. How about we look at the members

right now?

Interjections.

[The Speaker rose.]

The Speaker : You expected…. When the question is asked, we obviously expect an answer. The answer

can only be provided if we are prepared to listen. So, please.

[The Speaker resumed his seat.]

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members.

The minister will conclude.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : Thank you, hon. Speaker.

I’ll re-emphasize the point. If we want to hold Metro Vancouver to account and we

want to make sure that they’re transparent, we have to do the same in this House.

We can’t have MLAs collecting salaries as well as collecting salaries from the same

community….

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : We can’t have MLAs being paid more….

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members, if you are only interested in asking questions, no answers, we can arrange

that.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members. Members.

Please conclude that.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : I think members should be just as offended about salaries as they should be when

MLAs are collecting two paycheques. I do believe….

Interjection.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : I don’t understand why this member is not bothered by people collecting two paycheques

for serving the same community.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members.

Minister, please conclude.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : It’s hard to answer the question when they keep heckling, but perhaps the member

will ask another one, and I can finish the answer.

The Speaker : Fraser-Nicola, supplemental.

Tony Luck : Just an easy question. Every NDP member that did not get a pay raise, please stand

up.

[2:25 p.m.]

This is really easy. The Premier has the power to call an independent inquiry into

this mess over at Metro Vancouver. He said in the House some time ago, and I quote:

“If it was easy, he would do it.” This is easy to do. He has the power. Metro Vancouver

has lost control. Even Surrey wants to come out of Metro Vancouver as well.

Can we get a commitment from this Premier to immediately launch an independent investigation

into Metro Vancouver?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon : Clearly, double-dipping on their caucus has hit a nerve with them.

I would remind the member that all MLAs received an increase in pay. He should ask

his Whip, who voted in favour of that when he was on the other side of the House.

Perhaps he can fill the caucus in. Maybe they won’t cheer as loud next time the comment

is made.

I want to correct the record. The member just mentioned Surrey. Surrey actually is

not talking about pulling out of Metro Vancouver. I spoke with the mayor this morning.

Surrey has got issues with the regional growth strategy. We had a conversation. We’re

going to continue to engage with them on that.

Metro Van needs a governance review. As long as the salaries are included in that,

we have agreed to participate in the governance review. That process is going forward,

and I look forward to being able to provide information to the public about how that

governance review is progressing.

Government Action on

Issues in Health Care System

Bryan Tepper : Health care wait times have ballooned to longer than half a year. Timely medical

visits are as likely as winning the lottery. Our health care system is in crisis.

When will this government fix it before even more people die waiting for access to

treatment?

Hon. Josie Osborne : Thank you to the member for the question. We want people to access care as quickly

as possible and as close to home as possible.

The amount of work before us all in ensuring that in this time of a global health

care worker shortage, we are able to train more doctors here in British Columbia….

That we are able to attract and retain more doctors, nurses, all the health care workers

across the system that are needed for a strong public health care system is absolutely

vital.

That’s why we’ve been taking so many actions towards this work, from a human health

care resource strategy in ensuring that those workers come on board, tripling our

capacity to credential doctors who are coming from other jurisdictions; funding new

medical seats at UBC; building a new medical school in Surrey, an opportunity that

the Leader of the Opposition said no to when he was in government.

There’s no doubt about it. We have huge challenges ahead of us.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Josie Osborne : But creating a two-tier, U.S.-style form of health care….

Interjections.

The Speaker : Are we done?

The minister will conclude.

Hon. Josie Osborne : Bringing a two-tier, U.S.-style form of health care into the states, as the B.C.

Conservatives would have if they were on this side of the House, is not the answer.

It would poach doctors, nurses and others from the system, and it would make things

worse.

Interjection.

The Speaker : Member.

Hon. Josie Osborne : It would make the problems worse. That’s why we’re going to continue to take all

the steps that we are to strengthen our public health care system, and we are not

going to stop.

The Speaker : Surrey-Panorama, supplemental.

[2:30 p.m.]

Bryan Tepper : Emergency room wait times continue to grow. Patients continue to suffer and die while

this government sits on its hands. Surrey Memorial Hospital ER wait times are already

at 18 hours, and with Delta’s ER closures, it’s going to get worse.

Why is this minister allowing chaos to run our health care system?

Hon. Josie Osborne : This government is investing in health care, is building new facilities across B.C.

This government is building a new hospital in Surrey, not selling the land on which

it could have been built.

[End of question period.]

The Speaker : Members, keep the noise down, please.

Orders of the Day

Hon. Mike Farnworth : I call committee stage, Bill 2.

The House in Committee.

The committee met at 2:34 p.m.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Committee of the Whole

Bill 2 — Acting Conflict of

Interest Commissioner

Continuation Act

The Chair : Good afternoon, Members. We are going to call this House back to order, and this

afternoon we will be considering Bill 2, Acting Conflict of Interest Commissioner

Continuation Act.

On clause 1.

Steve Kooner : My question is in regards to

section 1(2). The

section reads that

section 14(7)(

c) of the Members’ Conflict of Interest Act does not apply in respect of an acting commissioner

appointed on or about January 6, 2025, under

section 14(6) of that act.

[2:35 p.m.]

In regards to that, my understanding is there’s a 20 sitting day limit for acting

commissioners, ensuring the role is temporary right now. Is that correct?

The Chair : Just to remind members to address through the Chair.

Hon. Niki Sharma : Before I start, I want to make sure that I get to introduce the great team that’s

with me here. We have Anita Nadziejko, director of policy and legislation; Tarynn

McKenzie, senior policy and legislation analyst. I just want to appreciate all the

work that they’ve done on this bill.

Short answer is yes to the member’s question.

Steve Kooner : So the government is currently seeking to suspend the time limit to make that position

from temporary to continuing. For how long will that take place?

Hon. Niki Sharma : Yes; until the next commissioner is appointed, or the next clause deals with when

the act itself is repealed, which would put that final timeline on it. And it’s designed

in a way to create enough time for the process of the Special Committee to be underway.

Steve Kooner : What’s the next procedure? Will this position have to be staffed eventually? Will

there be a permanent staffing of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner? That’s the

next question.

Hon. Niki Sharma : There is a commissioner in place right now. It’s still Victoria Gray that will be

serving. So there’s one in place right now with a staffed-up team.

I’m informed that the Special Committee has been appointed and is for a five-year

term. So that work will get underway.

Steve Kooner : It’s my understanding that when the election happened in 2020, there was a fall session

that took place for about two weeks in December.

My follow-up question is: if we had had an earlier sitting, could a committee have

been appointed then? And the staffing requirements, could they have been met then,

if we had had an earlier sitting?

Hon. Niki Sharma : The Special Committee requires a six-to-eight month process in order to find and

conduct their work in getting a new conflicts commissioner. The inevitable thing was

that we would have come up upon the current commissioner being timed out and having

to have an acting commissioner, to make sure that the Special Committee had that timeline

of the six to eight months to make sure that there was a fair process for the new

commissioner to be appointed.

[2:40 p.m.]

Steve Kooner : Is it acceptable to say that we wouldn’t be in the position right now if we had had

a fall sitting?

Hon. Niki Sharma : No, it’s not fair to say that. I can take back the timelines I just mentioned. The

special committee would take six to eight months before they would…. They need to

do that process. It’s a very important position, as an independent officer of the

conflict commissioner. In order to do the fair process that they would be tasked to

do, it would take six to eight months for that to happen.

So we’ve designed this bill to accommodate proper process and time. I’m very grateful

for Victoria Gray to have offered up serving as an acting commissioner in that case.

And that would have had to happen because of the timing of the election, which was

in the fall.

Clause 1 approved.

On clause 2.

Steve Kooner : In regards to clause 2, it states: “This act is repealed on March 31, 2026, or an

earlier date prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.”

Why does this legislation have a sunset clause? Why is there a time limit on this

piece of legislation?

Hon. Niki Sharma : It’s to ensure that it’s clear that the acting commissioner can’t stay in place forever,

that there’s a process for a new one.

Clauses 2 and 3 approved.

Title approved.

Hon. Niki Sharma : I move that the committee rise and report the bill complete without amendment.

Motion approved.

The Chair : This committee will stand adjourned.

The committee rose at 2:42 p.m.

The House resumed at 2:44 p.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Reporting of Bills

Bill 2 — Acting Conflict of

Interest Commissioner

Continuation Act

Lorne Doerkson : The committee on Bill 2 reports the bill complete without amendment.

The Speaker : When shall the bill be read a third time?

Hon. Niki Sharma : Now.

Third Reading of Bills

Bill 2 — Acting Conflict of

Interest Commissioner

Continuation Act

The Speaker : Members, the question is third reading of the bill, Bill 2, Acting Conflict of Interest

Commissioner Continuation Act.

Motion approved.

[2:45 p.m.]

The Speaker : Bill 2, Acting Conflict of Interest Commissioner Continuation Act, has been read

a third time and passed.

Hon. Niki Sharma : I call committee stage of Bill 3.

The House in Committee.

The committee met at 2:45 p.m.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Committee of the Whole

Bill 3 — Protected Areas of

British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025

The Chair : Good afternoon, Members. We will call the committee back to order.

We’re going to contemplate Bill 3, the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment

Act of 2025.

On clause 1.

Trevor Halford : I want to thank the minister, and also her staff that are joining her today, which

I’m sure she’ll take an opportunity to introduce. I’m not going to spend a fair amount

of time on here, but I do want to get some stuff, I think, that we can put on the

record and clear up any confusion.

Can the minister outline the consultation process that was utilized before the bill?

Can the minister outline the consultation process for this particular bill?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Thank you for the question.

For any of the substantive changes, we did consult with our local government and our

local First Nations. Any smaller administrative changes, those were not consulted

on.

Trevor Halford : From the minister there, can the minister confirm, then, that there was no public

consultation done referencing Bill 3?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : There was broad engagement done on the Kilby and the Naikoon Park, especially around

the cemetery. There was some stakeholder engagement done on the other additions and

deletions.

Trevor Halford : I don’t mean to be challenging or difficult, but my first question was asking about

consultation that had been done, particularly on this bill.

So when I ask about public consultation, if stakeholders were consulted, does the

minister have a list of those stakeholders for each of the parks where there have

been changes? What was the time frame in terms of when those consultations were done,

and if anything would be made public in terms of any concerns regarding any of the

changes, whether they be name changes, boundary changes or anything like that?

[2:50 p.m.]

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Thank you for the question. The nature of the public engagement really depends on

the substantive or administrative changes.

We didn’t engage publicly on the bill as a whole, but where there were substantive

changes, such as Kilby and Naikoon…. For Kilby, we did do a public meeting, and then

for Naikoon, we did send out letters to all of the Tlell residents to make sure that

they understood the changes.

When you’re adding or subtracting any kind of land from parks, we make sure that we

try to do as much engagement as possible with the stakeholders. Then we also have

reached out on all of these in terms of local government and First Nation communities.

Trevor Halford : I thank the minister for her answer.

I’ll combine the next one into one question. When we look at all the nations that

are potentially impacted by this piece of legislation…. I’ll combine that with local

governments as well. Did either any of the nations or local governments express any

written concerns, or anything like that, with the changes that are before us today?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : No, there were no concerns raised.

Trevor Halford : Just to confirm, then, nobody at all had any significant problems or challenges with

this piece of legislation. That is good.

We’ll dive into some of the particular parks, but just in terms of the change in terms

of public access…. I know that with different parks there are going to be different

jurisdictions, different responsibilities, different caretakers, but can the minister

confirm there’ll be no change to public access or use of any of the parks or ecological

reserves listed in this bill?

[2:55 p.m.]

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : No, this will not result in any disturbances to public access.

Trevor Halford : Are there any existing recreational tenures or permits that may be affected by the

proposed amendments to this act?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : These amendments will not result in any changes to the tenure holders.

Trevor Halford : To my other question on that, and it’s regarding permitting. I assume, then: that

would encompass permitting as well?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Yes, the same would apply for permits.

Trevor Halford : Just to get a bit of a clarification here, because I don’t want to waste anybody’s

time, obviously, with staff here as well.

I do have questions specifically on Kilby Park and Naikoon Park. I imagine those are

contained under clause…. Can we deal with those under clause 3?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Yes, we can deal with those under clause 3.

Clauses 1 and 2 approved.

On clause 3.

Trevor Halford : In regards to Kilby Park and the historical site there, that had been operated by,

I think…. My understanding is the heritage branch has been the park operator for Kilby

Park. It’s remained under the protection of the Park Act, but removing this park from

protection and placing it with the heritage branch, I guess, maybe would be a little

bit easier to administer.

With this change, can the minister provide assurance that Kilby Park will remain protected

for its existing use of the lands and remain unchanged for the people of that community

and, well, for the people of B.C. in general?

[3:00 p.m.]

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Yes, the heritage branch and the site operator have both said that their intention

is to keep it open for public recreation and enjoyment.

Trevor Halford : Thank you for that, to the minister.

I just want to pick up on the word the minister used there, the word “intention.”

The minister said: “The intention would be….”

My question would be: would the heritage branch have the ability — not the intention,

but the ability — to close the campground and use the land for any other potential

uses?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Thank you to the hon. member. That was a good question.

Some of the properties for Kilby are held in trust to the province for the establishment

or purpose of a public park for the recreation and enjoyment of the public, and this

will continue to be adhered to by the heritage branch.

Trevor Halford : Thank you to the minister for that clarification. My understanding is that the heritage

branch is under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism, correct? So they would indeed….

Is that…?

To clarify, they would have the ability to make those closures outside of the Ministry

of Environment if they so wished.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : This site has been operating since 2003, and they could no longer because they’re

not under the Park Act. However, the change under the ownership to go to the heritage

branch…. The request was made by the site operator.

During the public meetings, the site operator made a public commitment to keep it

open and operating as a campsite, and then also making sure…. Because they wanted

to have more efficient dealings with the government.

[3:05 p.m.]

Trevor Halford : To clarify, we can talk about a commitment made by the operator, but how firm is

that? What degree of confidence does, I guess, the Minister of Environment…? I would

have to include the Minister of Tourism in that as well, because ultimately it is

the Minister of Tourism that now, through this legislation, will actually have control

of Kilby Park.

What guarantees can they give to the residents that this park — that there will be

no changes and the use will still be allowed as it was prior to this bill being introduced?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Thank you for the question.

I would like to say that the Minister of Tourism has also made public comments about

the continuation to operate the site as a campsite. There’s going to be no change

to the public. The public supported this change for the efficiencies to be dealing

with the government.

Trevor Halford : Moving on to Naikoon Park, can the minister please share the total taxpayer dollars

used to purchase the land for the expansion of the park?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : For Naikoon Park, the total cost for the land acquisition was $748,000, and the B.C.

Parks Foundation contributed $100,000 toward that purchase price.

Trevor Halford : I imagine those dollars get the $100,000 that the minister just referenced. Would

the other $648,000 have come out of the Ministry of Environment, or was that a different

ministry that made that purchase?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : That came out of the Ministry of Environment budget.

The Chair : I believe the minister would like to move an amendment that’s on the order paper

today.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Thank you, hon. Chair.

I move the amendment to clause 3, standing in my name on the orders of the day.

[ CLAUSE 3 (d), by deleting the text shown as struck out and adding the underlined text as shown:

(

d) in the description of Naikoon Park by striking out “ Plan 3 Tube 2024 ” and substituting “ Plan 4 Tube 2029 ” and by striking out “ The whole park containing approximately 69 149 hectares (67 039 hectares of upland

and 2 110 hectares of foreshore). ” and substituting “ The whole parking park containing approximately 69 320 hectares (67 210 hectares of upland and 2 110 hectares

of foreshore). ”, and . ]

[3:10 p.m.]

Amendment approved.

Clause 3 as amended approved.

Clause 4 approved.

On clause 5.

The Chair : Before you speak, Member, I just wanted to let everybody know that it’s pretty clear

we’re having a couple of technical issues. Hansard does an amazing job for us, but

they are having some challenges with your mics today. Apologies.

Trevor Halford : Just because

Section 5 deals specifically with Wells Gray Park, my question is going

to be very similar. Can the minister please share the taxpayer dollars used to purchase

the land expansion for Wells Gray Park?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : Before I answer the question, I just wanted to say thank you to my staff that are

here with me today: Sydney Martin, Jaime Hilbert and Brett Hudson. I want to thank

them for all their help.

For the Wells Gray Park, the total cost of the acquisition was $792,973. The B.C.

Parks Foundation also contributed $49,500 towards the purchase.

Trevor Halford : Thank you to the minister for that answer. I’m assuming, again, all that money was

contained within the Ministry of Environment budget.

I don’t think that I need to spend much more time diving into this piece of legislation.

I will make the comment that we’re very busy in this House, and our constituents expect

that. We did spend about five to six hours debating this in second reading. I think

we’re able to get through a lot of the meaty questions, here in committee stage, in

probably under 45 minutes. So figure that out if you will.

I want to thank the minister and her staff for their time today.

Clauses 5 and 6 approved.

Title approved.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson : I move that the committee rise and report the bill complete with amendment.

Motion approved.

The committee rose at 3:13 p.m.

The House resumed at 3:14 p.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Reporting of Bills

Bill 3 — Protected Areas of

British Columbia Amendment Act, 2025

Lorne Doerkson : The committee on Bill 3 reports the bill complete with amendment.

[3:15 p.m.]

The Speaker : When shall the bill be considered as reported?

Hon. Niki Sharma : At the next sitting.

The Speaker : So ordered.

Hon. Niki Sharma : I call continued debate on the throne speech.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Teresa Wat : Well, good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. First of all, congratulations on your appointment.

We are so glad that you are in the chair, and I’m glad that I can speak in this people’s

House for the first time with you on the chair.

It is indeed a great honour and a privilege for me to stand up in this chamber to

bring the voices and concerns of my constituents of my beautiful riding of Richmond-Bridgeport

to this House.

Now I am going to talk about one of the issues that they are so concerned about: supportive

housing. I am outraged and disappointed by this government, its reckless decision

to approve the supportive housing project on Cambie and Sexsmith Road in my riding

without proper consultation.

I must say that this project is well-intentioned but, unfortunately, it was rushed

through without sufficient consideration for the concerns of Richmond residents. The

lack of transparency and disregard for community input are staggering. We all want

to support vulnerable populations and provide them the necessary services, but not

at the expense of community safety and well-being.

The residents of this neighbourhood have legitimate concerns about increased crime

and open drug use. It’s certainly unacceptable that this government ignored their

concerns, failed to provide sufficient information and disregarded the very people

they are supposed to serve. We demand better. We demand transparency, accountability

and genuine community engagement. It’s time for this government to listen to the people

and address the concerns that have been ignored for far too long.

I urge this NDP government to take immediate action, to conduct thorough community

consultation, address concerns, and gather feedback from the residents. They have

a lot of feedback they want to pass on to this government, but it never gives them

opportunity. Provide transparent and detailed information about this project, including

safety measures and support services. Develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate the

impact of this project on local residents and also businesses.

We, the official opposition party on this side of the House, will not stand idly by

while our community is disregarded and disrespected. We will, each one of us, will

continue to fight for our rights, our safety and our well-being.

We all need supportive housing, but this government needs to do a better job of bringing

people along and providing the support needed for people who will live there. Unfortunately,

we see time and time again that this government does neither.

Proposing a location where there is hardly any public support sets the people who

would live there up for failure. The government failed here. Why? Why build a project

on a foundation of failure?

[3:20 p.m.]

This NDP government knew it wanted this project here, but knowing that they failed,

they put it on ice until after the election. We all thought it was a shell game, and

it would come back if they won. Here it is, coming back again. If this NDP government

says this isn’t about politics, why did they stop it before the election? Why? Why

did they? If this is not about politics, if they heard what the residents told them,

that they need proper consultation, then do it. Let’s do it.

I simply don’t understand the mentality — not even any common sense. Why introduce

it in the month when most of the Asian-Canadian residents are celebrating the lunar

new year? Probably this government thought that they were so happy celebrating the

lunar new year, they wouldn’t even notice this announcement. Why? Why did we introduce

it now?

Well, the Housing Minister of this government said that they will reveal the other

five locations. But they haven’t released the site of the five locations for the residents

to try to see whether those five locations are appropriate. The government said that

they are not appropriate. They said: “Sorry, we can’t release the five locations for

confidential information.”

They didn’t even bother to inform the city of Richmond. Neither the mayor nor all

the, I think, seven city councillors knew anything about the five locations. They

were only told on the day the announcement was made, in the morning around nine, that

they were going to make this announcement. This government owes an explanation to

the city government, not only to the residents.

We all know the residents in my riding. They are all aware that we need more supportive

housing. It’s clear that we do. But we need to build the supports around it and the

security for neighbours to feel safe. We need to win over the neighbourhood. If you

don’t, it’s doomed to fail. It’s such common sense. Talk to the people before you

decide.

It really makes people feel like their voices mean nothing. That’s not really democracy.

I immigrated to this country, to this province, 35 years ago because I admire and

respect the democracy of Canada. I thought: “I’m coming here so that every one of

us lives under this democracy. We can all express our viewpoint.” We expect elected

officials, we expect government, to listen. But obviously, not in this case.

No wonder Richmond residents, my constituents, are so angry. They are so furious.

We do have other supportive housing in Richmond that has had problems with drugs and

crime. While it’s a different project…. It’s on Alderbridge, also in my riding. I’m

so lucky to have so much supportive housing in my riding, which is good if it’s well

managed. But it has zero support and security.

I really want to take this opportunity to thank the city of Richmond for listening

to residents, to my constituents, who said an emphatic no to the plans for ill-considered

supportive housing units at Sexsmith and Cambie.

[3:25 p.m.]

We need to help those in need, but it should not be done behind closed doors and without

the community voices and their concern.

Shame on our provincial government to proceed with the project without proper public

consultation. Shame on them to put this project on pause prior to the October election

with the full intention of bringing it back post-election. That’s what my constituents

told me. As I said, they are so furious, so angry. Shame on the Premier and the Minister

of Housing to say that this was the best location, over community opposition.

Let this be a lesson to learn. Our voices matter, even under a tone-deaf government.

I call on this government to do the right thing: to listen to our voices and to work

with us to find solutions that benefit everyone — everyone — including the children

and the seniors, the husbands and the wives and the business people.

Now, I want to turn my remaining two minutes to talk about the schools in Richmond

City Centre. I urge this NDP government to allocate necessary funds in Budget 2025

to support the growing education needs of the city centre of Richmond.

Over the past five years, our community has experienced a staggering 40 percent growth

in student enrolment, with 834 new students joining our schools. This rapid expansion

has pushed our existing schools and facilities well beyond their operating capacity.

The driving force behind this growth is an influx of young families and new developments

in the area. Currently, Brighouse Elementary is the only school serving this community,

and it’s clear that we need more educational infrastructure to keep pace with this

growth.

Looking ahead to 2034, projections indicate a 40 percent increase in housing. I’m

not going to go into details. I only have one minute to go.

That’s why I’m calling on this provincial government to allocate $15 million in Budget

2025 to support the construction of a new school in Richmond City Centre west, and

I also urge this government to allocate $30 million in Budget 2025 to support the

construction of a new school in Richmond City Centre east.

Otherwise, the young children might have to study…. Again, maybe they have to bus

to other areas, and they cannot enjoy the kind of education they have.

So I urge this government to action. Allocate the necessary funds to support our schools,

our students, our families. They all are counting on us.

I see my time is up. I have so much that I want to talk about.

Rob Botterell : I rise on behalf of the Third Party as the designated speaker to provide my response

to the Speech from the Throne.

I first wish to acknowledge that this Legislature sits on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

I also wish to acknowledge the W̱SÁNEĆ people. As MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, I am grateful to live and work

on their territory.

[3:30 p.m.]

I wish to acknowledge and thank the many First Nations I have had the privilege to

work with over the past 2½ decades, among them, Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Cowichan

Tribes and Tsawwassen First Nation.

I hold up my hands to former Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert Dennis, current Chief

Councillor of Huu-ay-aht John Jack, former Cowichan Chief Councillor Lydia Hwitsum

and former Tsawwassen Chief Councillor, Kim Baird.

The Huu-ay-aht honoured me with the traditional name Naacaɫuk, which means “always watching” in nuučaan̓uɫ. It is a name I carry with pride and deep respect for the responsibility it carries.

I also want to take a moment to thank the many people who brought me to this moment.

Thank you to my nearly 58,000 constituents in Saanich North and the Islands. Whether

you voted for me or not, I am deeply humbled to represent you in this powerful place

and promise to be a fierce advocate for you. We know British Columbia is the best

place to live in the world, but I would be remiss for not mentioning that the best

place to live in British Columbia is Saanich North and the Islands.

Thank you to my amazing staff in the constituency office, at the caucus, for your

principled and tireless dedication to serving this province.

Thank you to my mentors, retired Green MLAs Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen.

I stand on the shoulders of all the work you accomplished and hope to continue your

legacy as principled legislators, truth-tellers and tireless advocates for the voices

that are often ignored.

To my fellow MLAs: I honour your commitment to the people of British Columbia and

to the work we will do together.

Finally, to my partner for life, Inga, and my family: thank you for supporting me

on this new journey. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.

As I, along with all MLAs, embark on the important work of this House, I am reminded

of the powerful words of Esquimalt Elder Mary Ann Thomas when opening the House earlier this February. I quote: “You

gave up your life to a special home here, where we can do our decisions, where we

can work together, how we can love and help and forgive one another…. In this room,

there’s no time for any judgment, any anger, because all that is poison.”

As I begin my work in this House, I remind myself of the lesson I have learned on

the journey to this day: to succeed in our work together, we need to have the courage

to take the road less travelled, a willingness to take risks and make fiscally responsible

investments in innovation and creative solutions, to ground all of our actions in

community consultation, to never take no for an answer, and to be guided by the wisdom

of our elders.

We live in perilous times. Whether it’s the impact of accelerating climate change

on our environment, the continuing cost-of-living crisis, lack of affordable housing,

lack of timely access to health care, especially for our most vulnerable, the halting

progress on Indigenous reconciliation or the threat of a trade war and annexation

from south of the border, British Columbians are tired of talk and no action.

The threat of climate change is no longer theoretical. Entire countries are starting

to disappear as ocean levels rise. Entire communities have been razed by wildfires.

Families have been wiped out by landslides following fierce winter storms. And 2024

was the warmest year on record, with a global average temperature of 1.55 degrees

centigrade above pre-industrial levels. As these temperature increases continue to

march towards the 2-degree-centigrade critical threshold and beyond, one can only

imagine the devastating climate disasters we’ll face on an annual basis if we do not

take decisive action now.

Despite these dire conditions, this government’s CleanBC response has been insufficient

and ineffective in reducing our emissions. The Roadmap to 2030 is mostly aspirational.

[3:35 p.m.]

In the most recent, 2023, climate change accountability report, very little substantive

progress is reported. Emissions continue to rise. Moreover, CleanBC has omitted the

two most important greenhouse gas sources in British Columbia: natural gas exports

and wildfires.

We’re also moving away from putting people first. Despite living in the ninth-wealthiest

country by net worth, with the strongest economy in Canada, one out of every four

British Columbians are living paycheque to paycheque, and 10 percent of our population

is living below the poverty line.

After 50 years of unparalleled economic growth, children are going hungry. We rely

on school breakfast programs organized by NGOs to ensure that vulnerable children

can learn after a nourishing breakfast. Almost 150,000 children, one in six children

in this province, are living in low-income households.

The government is dragging out full implementation of the Declaration of Indigenous

Rights Act, rather than embracing reconciliation as a priority and a key contributor

to a bright future B.C.

As my colleague from West Vancouver–Sea to Sky pointed out in his response to the

Speech from the Throne, members on both sides of this chamber have made a habit of

using phrases like “laser-focused” when describing their tariff response, but a laser

focus leaves too many crises in darkness. To tackle the overlapping challenges facing

our province, including reconciliation, we need floodlights, not laser focus.

We have only to look south of the border to see where a laser focus on industry leads

when politics is driven into a two-party system, when good, hard-working people are

abandoned by a neoliberal global-trade economic system, and when, moreover, the richest

men in the world can dismantle foundational institutions and replace them with an

economic oligarchy.

To avoid the same fate, we must strive for greater equity, more representative democracy

and a broad government response that puts people and the environment first. When we

face the threat of an economic trade war, now is not the time to double down on status

quo economic solutions which hardly pay lip service to accelerating climate change,

worsening living standards and services for the most vulnerable, nor is this the time

for lethargic action on reconciliation.

Further, solutions to the current economic threat must not rely on the panacea of

unlimited economic growth in a world of finite resources. That’s no solution at all.

Too often in the past 50 years when faced with adversity, our leaders have relied

on familiar short-term fixes. They’ve convinced us that the world is full of difficult

trade-offs, so that we should accept limited progress on the multiple challenges we

face.

We put off real progress on climate change and accept continued environmental degradation

because we’re told that’s all we can afford. We delay full implementation of DRIPA

and turn a blind eye to our society’s most vulnerable, rationalizing that we are making

some progress. When we do make real progress, for example, the Haida Act, it’s not

long before it’s denounced — falsely, I should add — as a threat to private property

and freedom.

We need to build a 21st-century economy that fosters innovation, creativity, knowledge

and skills in each part of this province and in all key economic sectors. We need

to build an economy that generates return for everyone, not just for the top 1 percent

and major corporations. And we need to do it now, not sometime over the next 50 years.

We’ve been on the “promise and never deliver” plan for far too long. That must change

now. We can build a 21st-century economy that turns challenges into opportunities.

Over the last few years in the province, we’ve seen floods and fires, with disastrous

consequences. Instead of reporting tragedies, we should be making headlines as a world

leader on climate action and environmental protection.

[3:40 p.m.]

Let’s build infrastructure to adapt to our current climate, while investing in sustainable

projects that make our future brighter. By investing in energy-efficient buildings,

renewable energy projects and efficient public transportation, we can support economic

growth that is long term and sustainable.

B.C.’s green building sector employed over 20,000 people in 2020 alone, with stable,

full-time jobs. This work is not just good for our planet. It’s good for us. It generates

well-paid jobs that support families and protect our wealth.

We need to continue the hard work of reconciliation. We’ve already seen how partnerships

with First Nations in this province have generated economic wins for all British Columbians,

Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. B.C. is home to the second-largest number of

Indigenous entrepreneurs in Canada, with over 2,000 Indigenous-owned businesses across

the province. Economic growth in Indigenous communities through entrepreneurship creates

opportunities for innovation and independence.

When I was a boy in Victoria, there were no tent cities or visible homelessness on

our streets. Now even middle-class families live in fear that one missed paycheque

will force them to lose the roof over their heads. In a province as rich as ours,

that is beyond shameful. Being world leaders in the fight against climate change,

fully supporting those most vulnerable to unemployment and poverty and completing

the hard work of reconciliation is not part of the problem. It is the solution.

A zero-carbon economy in the future: B.C. can be a spectator or an active, engaged

participant. Protecting the environment of this special province will be our legacy

to future generations. Eliminating unemployment and poverty will not only be a much

more visible demonstration of dignity and compassion. It will reduce costly demands

on our overstretched health and social support systems. Advancing Indigenous reconciliation

will create the certainty needed for Indigenous people across B.C. to take their rightful

place at the centre of our future together.

To make this transformation in times of adversity, we need the courage to take the

road less travelled, a willingness to take risks and make fiscally responsible investments

in innovation and creative solutions, to ground all of our actions in community consultation,

to never take no for an answer, to be guided by the wisdom of our elders.

Let me explain how I came to this realization. My father was a pilot in the Second

World War. After serving overseas, he was posted in Ucluelet and at Pat Bay, where

he flew Catalina amphibious aircraft out over the Pacific, searching for enemy submarines

and other threats.

After the war, my parents settled in Victoria. My dad became a lawyer at what was

then Crease and Co. My mom worked as a social worker. Then, one morning when I was

a toddler, my dad died. In an instant, at the age of 42, my mom became a single mother

of three. Her whole life was turned upside down.

It was 1958, and many of my mom’s friends and neighbours counselled her to take the

life insurance money and be a stay-at-home mom. My mom disagreed. Instead, she made

the decision to go to UBC law school, become a lawyer and carry on the legacy of my

dad.

In 1960, she met with the dean of law and asked to be admitted on the condition that

if she failed, at Christmas, she would leave. She was accepted and joined two other

women law students. Against all the social norms and gender barriers of that era,

she graduated with her law degree in 1964.

When I was older, I realized that having the courage to take the road less travelled

was part of my DNA. I imagine every MLA in this House has a similar story where, in

the face of adversity, they were courageous and pursued the road less travelled.

We’ve faced adversity before. The COVID pandemic is a recent example. Yes, we looked

to internal resources first. However, when necessary, we ran deficits. That was the

fiscally responsible approach.

[3:45 p.m.]

Some say we must reduce taxes and balance budgets at all costs. Some will say that

we cannot afford to make the investments necessary to transform our economy. It’s

unfortunate that people will remain mired in poverty, they say. The climate fight

needs to be put on hold. And Indigenous people must accept being second-class citizens

in one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the world.

I say no. In times of adversity, we cannot afford not to borrow and invest in innovation

and creative solutions.

In my own career, I think back to the adversity I faced as financial comptroller for

the TD Bank in B.C. in the ’80s, when most of the world was in the midst of a deep

recession. Like now, there was pressure to be fiscally responsible and cling to the

life raft of old ways of delivering services. At TD, we ensured that we were fiscally

responsible, but that did not stop us from finding the resources to innovate, finding

new ways to operate and finding creative solutions to the challenges of the day.

The same is true today. Yes, we must be fiscally responsible, but we can’t let that

be an excuse to stop investing, innovating and transforming our economy from one suited

to the 1970s to one for the 21st century.

Take forestry in this province as an example. For decades, B.C. has allowed decisions

on how its forests are managed or how timber pricing works to be determined by the

Americans. We have exported the financial returns from forestry to the U.S.A., and

our reward? The U.S.A. has demonstrated that they will apply tariffs no matter what.

We must stop appeasing the United States and manage our forests on our own terms,

take the path less travelled, become world leaders in forest sector innovation and

value-added, while all the time respecting Indigenous rights and fully implementing

the old-growth strategic review.

To succeed in the face of adversity, we must take risks, make fiscally responsible

investments and innovate in every sector of the economy in a way that enables us to

fight climate change and preserve the environment, end poverty once and for all and

ensure that every British Columbian has the health care and housing we expect and

deserve. Celebrate Indigenous sovereignty. Don’t fight it. Celebrate it. Rely minimally

on U.S. markets. Our job as government is to create the financial, regulatory and

policy environment to support this private sector innovation.

I am not alone in this assessment. Dan Breznitz, the Munk chair of innovation studies

at the University of Toronto, summed up the benefits of innovation in the fall of

2024 in a series of articles in the Globe and Mail .

His observations apply to all of Canada, but are equally applicable to B.C., and this

is what he had to say: “Our highly educated workforce, if it can be matched with an

export-oriented, highly productive and innovative business sector that is leading

the world in engaging in knowledge and investing in the newest equipment and technology,

should be the best foundation for sustained prosperity, the foundation so that we

have no poverty, that we fight climate change, that we deal with all of the things

that I’ve just mentioned.”

He goes on to say, however, that at least as importantly, such a vision is as far

away as one can think from the vision the United States, Silicon Valley and Wall Street

celebrate, a vision in which only a tiny sliver of the society, the geek elite, their

financiers and their celebrity chefs enjoy both good, challenging jobs and immense

riches.

Clearly, if there is any silver lining to the threats of tariffs and a trade war with

the U.S.A., it is forcing us to do something we should have done 25 years ago, invest

in the heavy lifting to create a 21st century economy.

With tariff threats changing by the day and economic instability shaking every part

of our society, I know this government is feeling pressure to act quickly, but that

cannot be an excuse for cutting corners.

[3:50 p.m.]

When NDP Attorney General Colin Gabelmann asked me to lead the team that developed

B.C.’s first Freedom of Information Act in 1991, I was told to move fast but to ensure

that everybody inside and outside government was fully consulted. The election had

been in mid-October. At the time, Premier Harcourt wanted this FOI bill to be one

of the first introduced in the following spring session, so about now.

We viewed consultation as an advantage, not an inconvenience, and we built the legislation

from the ground up with broad consultation. The Premier wanted to create the best

FOI legislation in Canada, and community engagement was a key to success. That public

engagement did two things. It created better legislation, and it built political will,

all while meeting our deadline.

After the bill was introduced, we did another round of consultation. We listened.

We didn’t disregard a suggestion because it came from another party or a particular

stakeholder. Nobody has a monopoly on great ideas. We let reason and science, not

anecdotes and made-up facts, guide the legislative process.

In fact, we made an unprecedented 36 amendments before final passage of the bill.

Committee stage and everything was real, and there were amendments. Even then, everybody

did not get what they wanted. But they appreciated the fact that they were heard,

and the amendment process was real. When it passed, journalist Vaughn Palmer said

that experts agreed it was the best legislation of its kind in Canada.

Rapid response is not an excuse to skirt consultation, nor to avoid working with stakeholders

to build solutions from the ground up. I learned through my experience with freedom-of-information

legislation that if you want legislation to endure, you have to do the work. You have

to build consensus. You have to be inclusive. You have to work across ministries.

You have to reach beyond your usual networks and nurture new relationships to create

real, positive change.

Huu-ay-aht First Nations is an inspiration for all of the work I do. Huu-ay-aht exemplifies

one of many Indigenous nations in B.C. who have successfully travelled the path from

nearly being wiped out and having their children, culture, economy, fisheries, landhold

— everything about them — almost erased. And now they’ve become a modern nation with

a bright future.

Like nearly all other First Nations, Huu-ay-aht lost 90 percent of its population

following contact. Imagine if you walked through your neighbourhood today and nine

out of every ten friends and neighbours and family were lost.

If we had more time, I would welcome an opportunity to share Huu-ay-aht’s remarkable,

courageous, “don’t take no for an answer” history of the past 40 years with you. For

today, I wish to share three sacred principles that I believe are central to the success

of Huu-ay-aht and which have guided our work together over many years.

First, Hišuk ma c̕awak: everything is one, everything is connected — people, air, water, lands, forests,

fishery, everything. In a governing context, we must not operate in silos, and we

must take everything into account.

Second sacred principle, ʔuuʔałuk: taking care of everyone. In a governing context, we must always support and take

care of everyone and everything, no matter the circumstances. Nobody can be left out.

That is what humanity demands.

Finally, ʔiisaak: conducting yourself with utmost respect. In a governing context, we must treat each

other with utmost respect.

[3:55 p.m.]

As we work together in these perilous times, I urge every MLA in this House to reflect

on the wisdom of these three sacred principles and consider applying them to your

work in the House on behalf of your constituents and British Columbians across the

province. That’s what British Columbians expect.

With the foundation of that understanding, I’ll now respond directly to the Speech

from the Throne. At a time when we must apply 21st-century thinking to the perfect

storm we’re facing, this government is pulling us back. At a time that calls for courage

and big ideas, this spring’s Speech from the Throne was narrow-minded and incremental,

repeating old announcements and tired policies.

This government is falling back, so far, on resource extraction and raw exports when

we need the courage to innovate, invest in value-added industry and diversify our

markets and economy. We can revitalize old but viable sectors, like forestry, while

investing in emerging sectors, like clean tech and sustainable tourism.

The throne speech offers only incremental implementation of the Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act when that work is foundational to our shared, prosperous

future.

The throne speech puts the environment in a silo, often ignored unless it’s an obstacle

on the path to fossil fuel expansion. Instead, we should be protecting and investing

in the environment for the well-being and prosperity of future generations.

In a throne speech filled with talk of tariffs, trade, industry and the environment,

there wasn’t much mention of people. Where was the support of our most vulnerable?

Those living paycheque to paycheque; those facing extreme challenges with housing,

health care and groceries; those struggling with addictions.

It is shameful in one of the wealthiest jurisdictions that 10 percent of our population

live below the poverty line. That’s 500,000 people who deserve to live healthy, fulfilling

lives, who want to contribute to B.C. instead of living in a constant state of uncertainty.

If we lift our most vulnerable out of poverty, not only do we help individuals; we

also help our overstretched health care and social programs.

Now is not the time for incremental change. Now is the time to work together to take

bold, courageous action to transform our society so the next generation has every

opportunity to thrive.

The Premier has leapt into action in response to this tariff threat, but tariffs are

not the only threat to B.C. The accord our Green caucus negotiated with this government,

the confidence and responsible government agreement, CARGA, tackles many of the challenges

facing our province. It provides a roadmap for building resilience in our province,

diversifying our economy and achieving well-being for all.

The accord is not on the never-never plan. CARGA lays out 2025 deliverables for both

short-term progress and for long-term transformation. This year we will be working

with many ministries to lay the groundwork for systemic change. This is a collaborative

relationship to deal with and address some of the critical issues we face.

Systemic change.

Performance analysis of B.C.’s primary health care system to understand how we can

create the best form of health care for different communities across B.C.

A complete overhaul of CleanBC. When the impacts and costs of the climate emergency

are inescapable and accelerating, CleanBC is a mere shadow of what it must become.

A review of the rental protection fund.

A forest review and action plan to address concerns about sustainability, jobs, environmental

protection and the future of industry.

Working together to strengthen our collaborative local processes around water management.

A review of social security and disability rates.

Working together with the paaʔčiidʔatx̣ and other key stakeholders to permanently protect Fairy Creek.

Last but not least, an evaluation of policy and legislation recommendations for increasing

democratic engagement, including considering methods of proportional representation.

[4:00 p.m.]

Let me stop here to emphasize the importance of further considering proportional representation.

The 2018 referendum on proportional representation was destined to fail because the

question was indecipherable. The Premier has even acknowledged that.

The case in favour of proportional representation is still strong. Voters are able

to vote for the party and platform they support, rather than being forced to vote

strategically. Democracy is strengthened as a result, and polarization from a first-past-the-post

system is ameliorated. Nobody wants a system that generates the swings we see in the

United States.

While systemic change begins in 2025, the accord also includes immediate action to

support British Columbians. Funding for community health centres. Investments in mental

health, bringing psychology visits under MSP.

Thirty thousand units of non-market housing, including 7,500 units in 2025. Expanded

access to SAFER and RAP, including increased eligibility and no more clawbacks. Active

support for local government housing models that provide wraparound services and reflect

local conditions to tackle the overlapping crises of homelessness, toxic drugs and

disconnected communities.

Frequent, reliable and affordable regional transit on key interregional routes, and

a focus on the Sea to Sky corridor in 2025. That’s fundamental to tackling the climate

crisis. Significant funding to provide heat pumps to low- and moderate-income households.

Closing the property transfer tax loophole for the sale of properties by trust.

This is our moment. There’s so much we can accomplish within this accord, and we know

that working collaboratively, this government can do and achieve so much more in 2025.

At the beginning of this speech, I spoke about the many mentors who’ve shaped my life

and will inspire my work as MLA. Among them were MLAs Sonia Furstenau and Adam Olsen,

who left an incredible legacy in this building and an inspiring list of accomplishments.

As I close my first speech in this House, I hope I am able to honour their legacy

by contributing tangible benefits for my constituents as well as all British Columbians.

To do that, we will all need to work together, having the courage to take the road

less travelled, the willingness to take risks and make fiscally responsible investments

in innovation and creative solutions, the strength to ground all of our actions in

community consultation, the resolve to never take no for an answer, all the while

being guided by the wisdom of our elders.

Nina Krieger : Thank you for the opportunity to address the Speech from the Throne.

When my six-year-old son asked me how I felt to go to work in my new job as an MLA

today, I replied, with candour: “Nervous.” Without missing a beat, he immediately

added: “And brave. You’re nervous, but you’re also brave.”

I will endeavour to channel this energy and to be courageous each and every day that

I have the privilege of representing the good people of Victoria–Swan Lake in this

House, in this beautiful and historic Legislature. I can’t imagine that the magic

of entering this awe-inspiring building will ever fade.

My thanks to the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, on whose territory we gather and I live. Thank you to Elders Butch

Dick and Mary Ann Thomas for their powerful remarks that opened the throne speech.

Elder Mary Ann Thomas asked us to serve in this House with an open heart and to ensure

that love is central to the work we do. I want to thank her for this message and for

her bravery in sharing her experiences and insights with us as a residential school

survivor and also as a daughter, a mother and a grandmother. I will carry this with

me always.

[4:05 p.m.]

From my longtime work in Holocaust education, I learned the power of becoming witness

to a witness. I borrow this phrase from a dear friend and B.C. resident, Lillian Boraks-Nemetz,

who is a child survivor of the Warsaw ghetto and a prolific writer and poet.

I learned about the importance of listening carefully to those who have wisdom based

on lived experiences, who can teach us not only the worst that humans are capable

of but also the best. The kindness and the strength that Elder Mary Ann Thomas embodies

is a shining light and a North Star to us all.

As I reflect upon my responsibilities and opportunities as a member of this Legislature,

I believe that at the heart of it all is the need to listen deeply and compassionately

and the need to translate learnings into meaningful actions for the citizens of this

province.

This is why I am proud to be part of this government and pleased to support the throne

speech, which foregrounds a people-centred vision for this province. The outline of

our broad goals for this legislative session reflects a commitment to meeting the

challenges of our moment head-on and to building a more prosperous, healthy and equitable

society for all British Columbians.

At this time of great uncertainty, our government is working to ensure that nobody

is left behind. While acknowledging the emerging challenges we face, our government

is leveraging B.C.’s many advantages — first and foremost, our people — to build a

better province, the province of our dreams. I am honoured and humbled to play a role

in this project, and I am grateful for this opportunity.

First and foremost, I thank the voters in the wonderful neighbourhoods of Victoria

and Saanich that make up Victoria–Swan Lake for their support and their trust. I will

do my level best each and every day to represent your interests.

Thank you to former MLA and minister Rob Fleming for his tireless work on behalf of

British Columbians over his 20-year career in provincial politics. I am so grateful

for his friendship and mentorship and his legacy of tremendous contributions for the

people of our riding.

I’m also grateful for my small but mighty campaign team, led by Melissa Farrance and

rounded out by Tyler Trupp and Sophia Brownsey. As a first-time candidate, I counted

on and learned so much from their strategic and practical guidance. This was implemented

thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers who worked alongside me literally every step

of the way.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone that contributed donations,

time, expertise and passion to my campaign. Together, we did it.

Thank you, too, to my family — to my husband, son, parents and sister — for their

boundless love, encouragement and support. How lucky am I that my husband is such

a rock and a rock star and that our son is best friends with his beloved nan and pa.

I grew up in a politically engaged family of educators and artists, with a union leader

as a father, in a family of eastern European immigrants who, on my mother’s side,

survived great hardships during the Second World War and, on my father’s side, by

a stroke of luck, came to North America in the early 20th century, escaping the terrible

fate of most European Jews during the Holocaust. My grandparents never missed an opportunity

to acknowledge their and our great fortune to be living in Canada and the beautiful

British Columbia.

I have been grateful for and inspired by the work of so many people who dedicate themselves

to making our country and province the best it can be, who are dedicated to building

a better and a more inclusive society. Among these are public servants at a time when

service is more important than ever.

[4:10 p.m.]

I would like to thank my colleagues in government. I am so grateful for the guidance

of veteran MLAs and ministers and the solidarity of new members, as well as to the

phenomenal professionals that support us. From the teams at the Clerk’s office to

those in Hansard Services and in the Legislative Library, perhaps the gem of this

precinct, the quality and the commitment of people who support our democratic institutions

and processes is truly inspiring.

A special thanks to legislative assistant Helena Keenliside, as well as research and

communications officer Astra Lund-Phillips, whose everyday assistance is invaluable.

Thanks also to Rachel O’Neill and Linda Gillespie, my outstanding constituency advisers

in the Victoria–Swan Lake constituency office, which is the HQ and heart of our work

in the riding.

In recent months, I’ve been immersed in outreach and engagement work. I have met with

community leaders and non-profit professionals working tirelessly to ensure that children,

youth, seniors, families and workers in our communities live healthy, safe and good

lives. I have met with local businesses, municipal representatives and law enforcement,

as well as labour and faith leaders.

I have met with community members about their challenges and concerns, working with

my team to direct them to provincial programs and services. Hearing from a diversity

of individuals, organizations and other stakeholders provides invaluable information

and insights to inform my work in this House. My heartfelt thanks to all of those

that I’ve connected with. I look forward to many more conversations, visits and events

in my wonderful riding and throughout the city and province.

For those of you who are new to the capital region, Victoria–Swan Lake makes up the

northern portions of Victoria and the southern portions of Saanich. The Victoria section,

which is north of Bay Street, consists of the neighbourhoods of Burnside Gorge, Hillside

Quadra and Oaklands. In Saanich, the electoral district covers Tillicum-Gorge, Uptown

and Quadra–Cedar Hill.

Alongside natural gems such as the Gorge waterway and Swan Lake–Christmas Hill Nature

Sanctuary, and its stellar coffee shops, the riding is best defined by its people,

by their diversity and their community-mindedness. This made door-knocking, main-streeting

and candidates meetings during the campaign such a joy. The people of Victoria–Swan

Lake are politically engaged, caring and compassionate, deeply invested in building

good lives for their own families and also for their neighbours and the most vulnerable

in society.

This is perhaps best embodied by our vibrant and diverse network of neighbourhood

associations and community centres. From Burnside Gorge neighbourhood association’s

Christmas hamper baskets to Quadra Village Community Centre’s youth drop-in program,

from the Oaklands Community Association’s queer community dinners to Saanich Neighbourhood

Place’s bustling child care centre, it’s places like these that are the cornerstones

of caring and compassionate communities.

The riding is home to people who have come from all over the world. The Gurdwara Sahib

Khalsa Diwan Society on Topaz Avenue, founded in 1912, is one of the oldest Sikh settlements

in North America.

The 150-year-old synagogue Congregation Emanu-El is just over in Beacon Hill, and

my riding is home to the first Jewish day school on Vancouver Island, which opened

its doors last year to meet the needs of the fastest growing Jewish community in Canada,

here in Victoria.

There is the Masjid Al-Iman mosque on Quadra Street.

The Victoria Bengali Cultural Society hosted a beautiful event for International Mother

Language Day this weekend. Also this weekend I joined a moving program of remembrance

for the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the Ukrainian Cultural

Centre.

I love Victoria–Swan Lake and the people that live there. I am here because I am dedicated,

and I have been dedicated, to building and bridging communities. I am here because

I want my neighbours to be able to thrive as kids, as elders and as everything in

between.

[4:15 p.m.]

I’m here because I’m dedicated to working in a way that is rooted in community and

informed by expertise to make a difference in people’s lives. I am here to fight for

civil discourse and civil society, to be part of a government that brings people together

and knows that there is strength in diversity of backgrounds and experiences.

This is why I am so pleased to support the throne speech. It offers a broad roadmap

that speaks to the issues that matter to British Columbians and how this government

is continuing to address these. And I say continuing because work has been ongoing,

started well before my own election, and there have been many achievements and much

to celebrate.

Addressing the cost of living has been a central issue here in B.C. as it has been

for other Canadian provinces. Global inflation has made food more expensive and everyday

costs much tougher to manage.

Perhaps the single most important affordability measure that our government has advanced

relates to child care. We have cut child care costs by more than half, on average,

saving families up to $900 a month per child. This has been an absolute game-changer

for families, something I heard about time and time again on the doorsteps and out

in community during the campaign. I heard from people who shared that they would not

be able to return to work and not be able to live in this city without the B.C. NDP’s

support for affordable child care.

Even before the risk of the Trump tariffs, we have been building an economy with higher-paying

jobs and training people for those jobs. We have boosted skills training with programs

like the $3,500 future skills grant to help people get short-term training for in-demand

jobs.

In Victoria–Swan Lake, we trained 160 participants in the Indigenous peoples trades

program at Camosun College and also provided funding for the women in trades program

at Camosun. These have provided vital training opportunities and are making important

contributions to economic development.

Housing affordability is a big challenge here in B.C., and this government has been

taking bold and comprehensive action on this front. Our government has been standing

up to speculators and has an action plan that experts say will create 300,000 additional

middle-class homes in the next decade.

The government has been taking on the things that have been driving up housing costs

with an expanded speculation tax, a flipping tax, a crackdown on stand-alone short-term

rentals and an initiative to protect existing affordable rental stock.

We have built over 700 units of student housing at the University of Victoria, supporting

students while also bringing down pressure on the local rental market.

A housing project with provincial support that I’m particularly excited about in my

riding is the first phase of Victoria Cool Aid Society’s Crosstown project. This includes

over 150 units, including 54 supportive units, with a broad spectrum of rental rates

that prioritize housing diversity and inclusivity. Additionally — and people are very

excited about this — the project will feature a daycare with 36 affordable child care

spaces.

In Saanich, the government is investing in a new transit-oriented development near

the Uptown shopping centre, which will provide hundreds of new homes, public and commercial

spaces and community amenities. These are tremendous contributions to our neighbourhoods

and the people that call them home.

Like other Canadian provinces, B.C. is still feeling the fallout from the pandemic.

Communities are growing. Our family members are getting older, and many doctors and

nurses are retiring, which means that people are finding it harder to access health

care. There is much work to do, but important progress is being made.

B.C. is hiring more doctors to provide immediate support and training new doctors

to meet future demands. This includes over 900 internationally trained family doctors

and specialists who have been licensed to practise here in the past year.

[4:20 p.m.]

Our nursing workforce is growing faster than in any other province. Many more people

are getting access to primary care every day, thanks to these measures.

In Victoria–Swan Lake, the new Gorge Urgent and Primary Care Centre opened its doors

in 2022, providing vital health care services to the region. That same year, a new

community health centre opened at Luther Court, which is a recognized leader in offering

outstanding care for seniors in our community.

Now, with support from Building B.C. community housing fund, Luther Court Society

is building a 95-unit intergenerational project geared to students, older adults and

families as part of what the society calls a campus of care in Saanich. This is just

one example of the innovative, people-centred housing projects that are making our

communities better for everyone.

Nurturing and educating the future generations of British Columbians is vital for

the success of our province. So, too, are investments in school infrastructure. Last

year students in my riding began to enjoy a new seismically upgraded and expanded

Victoria High School, which received $97 million in investment from the province.

Soon the students at Cedar Hill Middle School will attend a new, seismically upgraded

school, with $49.9 million in provincial funding.

Just yesterday the greater Victoria school district shared a Facebook update about

Cedar Hill Middle School. It reads: “Every day, students and staff witness the exciting,

exponential progress that is taking place outside their current classroom windows.

In addition to seismic safety, the new design offers more collaboration spaces, including

an Indigenous welcome centre, and is setting new standards for sustainability in the

district.” They say: “We look forward to providing more updates as we near planned

occupancy in the summer.”

You can imagine the excitement for these students, their teachers, their parents and

the whole community.

The people of Victoria–Swan Lake care deeply about their neighbours, not only in the

immediate term but also for generations to come. That is why it is so important that

our government is committed to protecting our land, air and water, taking action to

tackle climate change while we grow our economy. We are going to continue to keep

focused on that work and on keeping people and communities safe through wildfires,

droughts, floods and other climate emergencies.

Underlying all the government’s work is our partnership with Indigenous peoples. Advancing

reconciliation, implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

and working in partnership with First Nations rights holders to advance shared interests

is integral to the work of this government.

As we heard during the throne speech, eight of the nine new successful clean energy

projects announced by the Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions have 51 percent

First Nations equity ownership. This is historic.

To get this electricity online faster, new wind-powered projects will be exempt from

the environmental assessment process. We are prioritizing efficiency and regulating

in a way that makes sense while continuing to ensure that our rigorous standards are

met.

I have highlighted much of the work we’ve done and will continue to do to meet the

needs of British Columbians.

The throne speech also speaks to the work our government is doing to quickly reorient

itself to a changed landscape. The current and evolving dynamic with our closest neighbour

and ally, the United States, was impossible to fathom months ago. The Trump tariffs

and the President’s repeated threats to Canadian sovereignty have fundamentally altered

our course as a country and as a province.

The throne speech affirmed that difficult times such as these call for action that

is thoughtful and decisive. As we’ve heard, our strategy is three-pronged. We’re strengthening

and growing our economy to be more agile and durable, diversifying our trading relationships

and responding firmly and forcefully if required.

[4:25 p.m.]

This is such important work. I am proud of this government for working to turn a crisis

into opportunities for our province. I’m proud of our commitment to supporting industries

and to supporting workers.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film, I have the honour of supporting the

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport to identify opportunities for B.C. to

enhance and grow the arts, culture and film sectors and to ensure their long-term

prosperity.

On the film and television front, there have been important developments in recent

months highlighted in the throne speech. B.C. is one of the largest motion picture

hubs in Canada and in North America, with more than 26,000 jobs, employing more than

70,000 people, including gig workers, in the industry throughout the province.

B.C. offers a range of competitive tax credits to both domestic and international

production companies to attract acclaimed productions like The Last of Us and SHŌGUN , and to nurture homegrown projects, such as Murder in a Small Town , for export.

Tax credits generate economic benefits. In 2022-2023, we provided $941 million in

tax credits to this industry, and this generated $2.7 billion in total GDP. Film production

in B.C. has taken a big hit over the last few years due to significant impacts from

the pandemic, multiple labour disruptions and changes to consumer behaviour.

In my first days on the job, I joined a mission to Los Angeles with the Minister of

Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and the Minister of Finance. Alongside delegates

for Screen B.C., we met with studios down south to highlight the advantages of partnering

with the film and TV industry in our province. We underscored B.C.’s commitment to

supporting this vital sector.

The timing of this visit was critical, as it provided studio decision-makers with

the important information about the value of filming in B.C. they needed for their

production planning.

In every meeting in L.A., we heard glowing praise for the province’s highly skilled

crews, extensive infrastructure and natural scenery. We also heard directly from studio

executives how critic