Fourth Session, 42nd Parliament

(2023) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 286

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

Tributes

Yang Dong Wei

H. Yao

Introductions by Members

Speaker’s Statement

International Women’s Day

Introduction and First Reading of

Bills

Bill 14 — Miscellaneous Statutes (Modernization)

Amendment Act, 2023

Hon. B. Bailey

Bill M214 — Mental Health Amendment Act,

E. Sturko

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

International Women’s Day and gender

equity

K. Paddon

International Women’s Day and workforce gender

equity

R. Merrifield

Community Social Services Awareness Month and role

of social workers

M. Dykeman

Fraser Valley Gleaners

B. Banman

South Vancouver Family Place and early childhood

educator training

G. Chow

Day One Society

T. Stone

Oral Questions

Women’s access to health care

R. Merrifield

Hon. A. Dix

S. Bond

Gender-based violence and support for Indigenous

women and LGBTQ2S+ persons

A. Olsen

Hon. G. Lore

Safety of nurses in health care system

K. Kirkpatrick

Hon. A. Dix

Gender-based and sexualized violence supports at

post-secondary institution

C. Oakes

Hon. S. Robinson

Court case on access to legal aid by victims of

gender-based violence

E. Sturko

Hon. N. Sharma

Government hotline for racist incident

reporting

T. Wat

Hon. N. Sharma

Petitions

J. Rice

Tabling Documents

Labour Relations Board, annual report, 2022

Orders of the Day

Budget Debate

(continued)

M. de Jong

D. Routley

R. Merrifield

A. Olsen

Hon. B. Ma

T. Stone

Hon. J. Brar

N. Simons

Hon. K. Conroy

Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room

Committee of Supply

Supplementary Estimates: Ministry of Agriculture and

Food (continued)

I. Paton

Hon. P. Alexis

Supplementary Estimates: Ministry of Social

Development and Poverty Reduction

Hon. S. Malcolmson

D. Davies

C. Oakes

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023

The House met at 1:33 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: S. Chant.

[1:35 p.m.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. D. Coulter: Today we have a delegation from Ironworkers Local 97 in the House, and

I’d just like to recognize them.

We have Paul Beacom, who is the president of Local 97; Doug Parton,

who is the business manager of Local 97; and Carla Visscher Hensel, who’s a

level 1 apprentice, who has come to the Legislature with them today. Carla

discovered ironworking in an exploratory program. She has since completed

her foundations course, and now she’s working on the new student housing at

BCIT.

Would everyone please welcome our great ironworkers from Local

Hon. M. Farnworth: All of us rely on, in our constituencies, our constituency assistants,

and I have mine over here today. I’m going to mention their names, and then

I want to talk briefly — it is introductions — about two of them.

With me today are Ruth Graham, Justin Traviss and Nicole Preston, who

have been in my office not for a long time. They’ve been trained by two

individuals who are now retiring from my office. They are Gord Wickerson,

who started in my office in September of 2009, after a career teaching at

Centennial high school and Banting junior high school, at that time, in

Coquitlam; and Glen Pollock, who started working for me in 2010. He was a

city counsellor, a long-time PoCo resident.

I just want to tell both of them how much I have relied on them. Since

they joined my office, they have done an incredible job on behalf of

constituents in my riding. I just want to thank them so very, very much for

doing an amazing job all these years.

I’m going to miss you guys in my office, but you’ve done a remarkable

job training a new generation of constituency assistants who will do a

wonderful job. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for everything

you’ve done.

R. Merrifield: Today I rise to welcome to the House Amber Frost. She’s an exceptional

young woman who is shadowing myself and getting to know some of our B.C.

Liberal caucus today. She’s the program administrator for the Indigenous

youth internship, and she has a keen interest in learning more about the

legislative process and women members of the Legislative

Assembly.

Would the House please join me in welcoming Amber Frost.

Hon. A. Dix: Today members from all sides of the House took

part in the annual

Dementia-Friendly Legislature Luncheon sponsored by the Alzheimer Society of

B.C.

My colleague the member for Prince George–Vale­mount spoke. My

colleague from Saanich North and the Islands spoke. We had some outstanding

speakers representing the society and their families and caregivers as well.

I’d just note Jana Schulz, from the East Kootenay, who gave just an

exceptional presentation. She’s a caregiver, and it was great to hear from

her. Of course, Jennifer Lyle, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society; Amy

McCallion, the chair of the board.

I also want to note old friends like Barbara Lindsay, Members of the

Legislature, of Jim Mann, of Alice Mann, who were there as well. I also want

to note Heather Cooke, who’s an old friend of my wife, Renée Sarojini

Saklikar. She’s there. All of these people did an exceptional job, I think,

representing all of us and representing the community that is affected by

Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

I ask everybody in the House to make them welcome.

S. Bond: I want to join with the Minister of Health in welcoming the delegation

that’s here today, thank them for the very poignant ceremony at lunchtime.

So appreciate them.

We all have examples in our lives, and it was so great to hear the

stories shared by the House Leader of the Third Party, the minister. We want

you to know how much we are committed to working to create a more

dementia-friendly province.

[1:40 p.m.]

I would just like to add a few names to the list that the minister

mentioned in welcome to this place: Paula Brill; Heather Cooke; Heather

Cowie; Cathryn France; of course, the Premier has mentioned Barbara and Jen;

Lynn Jackson; Stuart Macdonald; Amy McCallion; Jen Parry; Laura Siberry;

Karen Tanaka and Lauren Weisler.

I must also say to Jim and Alice: how wonderful it is to see you here.

I still remember the first time I met Jim. He did not hesitate to tell us,

as policy-makers and legislators, exactly what we should be doing. I think

that speaks to his passion and the incredible person he is.

Welcome to all of you, and thank you for the good work that you

do.

J. Routledge: I’d like to introduce four incredible young women in the gallery today

who are part of the Indigenous youth internship program within the

government of British Columbia. They are Anna Ratzlaff, Jordyn Morin and

Katisha Paul. They are accompanied by the program administrator, Amber

Frost.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, they are being hosted on

a one-day twinning program by our British Columbia branch of the

Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians.

Please join me in giving them a very warm welcome.

E. Sturko: I have a very important introduction to make today. Shortly I’ll be

introducing a private member’s bill, which was inspired by two individuals,

Todd Marr and Nicole Chan. I’m grateful to be joined by their families in

the chamber today.

Todd took his own life while struggling with his mental health, during

a courageous battle with addiction, on September 9, 2009. He was 32. Nicole

took her own life while struggling with her mental health, on January 27,

2019. She was 30.

Both Nicole and Todd died by suicide after having been released from

hospital. However, Todd’s and Nicole’s lives are not defined by their

struggles, nor their manner of deaths. Both continue to be loved and dearly

missed by their families and friends.

Todd Marr was a loving son, brother and friend. His family celebrates

his happy childhood, his kindness, his valued friendships and many

accomplishments. Since Todd’s death, his parents, Lorraine and Chuck Marr,

have been tirelessly supporting at-risk teens, and they’ve set a goal this

year of raising $50,000 for Langley School District Foundation’s project

resiliency.

Nicole was a loving daughter, sister and friend. She was kind,

athletic and fun-loving. She had an amazing smile and contagious laughter.

She was a selfless person, and in her time, she became a police officer

because she believed in serving her community. Her life was defined by love,

friendship and service. After Nicole’s death, her sister Jenn has

courageously shared her story, including participating in a coroner’s

inquest.

The loss of both these promising young people highlights the need for

change to our mental health system. I ask everyone here today to welcome

Jenn Chan, Andrew van Rijswijk, Lorraine and Chuck Marr.

Tributes

YANG DONG WEI

H. Yao: Today, with shock and a sad heart, I’m doing an introduction about

an individual who has recently passed away. Mr. Yang Dong Wei was an

entrepreneur and a philanthropist in our community. He was born in 1971

in a rural area and slowly made his way into a bigger city and finally

immigrated with his family to Vancouver, British Columbia.

His passing was shocking to everyone, as he had just finished a

meal and showed absolutely no other signs. Then, later, his family

discovered him. He had passed away in peace and quietness. Also, his

passing at a young age led to shock and pain for many of his family

members and his friends.

I’m asking my colleagues in this chamber to join me to express our

sincere condolences to Mr. Yang Dong Wei, a Hunanese entrepreneur and

philanthropist who had done a lot of great work, cross-cultural efforts

in building bridges for our community.

Introductions by Members

N. Letnick: In the precinct today, we have the mayor of Kelowna, Tom Dyas, and the

city manager, Doug Gilchrist, amongst other staff, who are meeting with

ministers, looking to encourage them to come to Kelowna with their

chequebooks and their announcements.

[1:45 p.m.]

I would like to re-emphasize that they are certainly welcome, during

the two weeks of spring break, to come over. Lunch is on me. Just bring your

announcements and chequebooks, and we’ll be happy to have you. Will the

House please make them feel very, very welcome, especially when they come to

Kelowna.

Also, I’d like to recognize, in the House today, Karen Bill. She’s

saying: “No, no. Please don’t.” Karen was my chief of staff while I had the

privilege of being the Minister of Agriculture in this place. She did a

great job and continues to do a great job as my research officer and, of

course, with other MLAs.

Would the House please welcome Karen Bill.

S. Chant: Today I’d like to welcome a group of Girl Guides who are with us today

for International Women’s Day. The B.C. provincial commissioner is with

them, Diamond Isinger. There is also Renee McCulloch, the southern Vancouver

Island commissioner. Then we have Demyllia McCulloch, Isabelle Corless,

Arden Giles, Jenny Smithers and Erin MacLean, who are Pathfinders from the

Raven area.

I think they’re looking forward to their visit here, and they are

meeting with our Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity as part of

International Women’s Day. They are also greeted by our MLA for

Richmond-Steveston. We have all been Guiders.

G. Kyllo: Today, on International Women’s Day, I want to give a special

shout-out and a thank-you to Brynn Bourke, the president of B.C. Building

Trades. They hosted us this morning for a great breakfast, and we heard

directly from the B.C. Building Trades on additional efforts that can be

undertaken by the construction industry to make the construction industry

more welcoming for women.

I’d also like to introduce a very close friend of mine, Doug Parton,

the business manager for Ironworkers Local 97. Doug and I have been friends

for many years. We don’t always see eye to eye on all policy, but Doug is

definitely a fierce advocate for his 2,000-plus members of Ironworkers Local

97. I want to thank him very much for the work he does on behalf of the

construction sector in B.C.

B. D’Eith: I also wanted to thank and greet the folks who are here from the

Alzheimer Society today. It was a wonderful event. I did want to single out

one particular woman, Myrna Norman. Myrna is from our area in Maple

Ridge–Pitt Meadows. What’s really important is that while she’s a really

strong advocate for dementia and Alz­heimer’s, she’s also living with

dementia.

It takes incredible courage, I think, for people and their families to

step forward. I’ve heard her speak many times, from the heart, about

dementia and Alzheimer’s. I just want to say how important it is that people

with lived experience be allowed to speak and have that space to also fight

stigma, and particularly her, for her spirit. She’s a lovely woman who just

tells you exactly what’s on her mind, and I love hearing that. Thank you so

much, Myrna Norman.

I hope we can all welcome her to the House today.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Saanich North and the Islands.

A. Olsen: HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM . Thank you,

Mr. Speaker.

Today I have the honour of welcoming into the Legislature

TSEPYULPULWET, a powerful W̱SÁNEĆ

lady.

ÍY, ȻNES QENOṈE ṮÁ . It’s

wonderful to see you here today.

We had the honour of getting to know one another. TSEPYULPULWET, also

known as Katisha Paul, is here with the Indigenous youth interns.

I’m very, very happy to have met you. I just want to let you know that

there is absolutely a seat in this House for you.

HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM .

[1:50 p.m.]

Hon. J. Whiteside: I want to echo the introduction of my colleague the member for

Shuswap, to introduce a constituent, a friend, a neighbour, an absolute

force in New Westminster. As well as being the executive director of the

B.C. Building Trades, Brynn Bourke is a force in all of those areas, and

we’re so lucky to have her as a member of our community in New

Westminster.

Would the House please make her welcome.

Speaker’s Statement

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to acknowledge that today is International

Women’s Day.

When this House first met in 1872, there was not a single woman in

its membership. In fact, as I noted a few weeks ago, there was not a

single women’s washroom in the precinct. In 1917, some women in British

Columbia were given the right to vote. In 1918, the first woman was

elected to serve in this House. However, it was not until 1952 that all

disenfranchised people, including some groups of women, were given the

right to vote.

There have been remarkable women who served, and serve, in this

House and who marked firsts in public office in British Columbia, in

Canada and even in the Commonwealth. They include Mary Ellen Smith,

Nancy Hodges, Tilly Rolston, Rosemary Brown, Grace McCarthy, Rita

Johnston, Carole James, Stephanie Cadieux, Christy Clark and many

more.

These women, and the women who serve in this House today,

demonstrate how critical it is to have women’s representation, to have

their voices at the table, and the powerful impact that has on

strengthening governance. This includes championing changes to how this

House undertakes its business. I note that this month marks five years

since the amendment of Standing Order 23, which now permits infants in

the care of a member to be present on the floor of this House during its

proceedings.

Today, there are 37 women who take their seats in this chamber,

just over 42 percent of all members here. While much has been done,

there is much more to do.

To the incredible trail-blazers, and especially the women who take

a seat in this House, I wish you a happy International Women’s Day, and

I salute you, all women members. Thank you.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL 14 — MISCELLANEOUS STATUTES

(MODERNIZATION)

AMENDMENT ACT, 2023

Hon. B. Bailey presented a message from Her Honour the

Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Miscellaneous Statutes (Modernization)

Amendment Act, 2023.

Hon. B. Bailey: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time

now.

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to introduce Bill 14, the Miscellaneous

Statutes (Modernization) Amendment Act.

Words matter, and they have a powerful effect, whether written or

spoken, and all British Columbians deserve to see themselves reflected

in British Columbia’s programs and services. This bill will modernize

B.C.’s legislative framework by amending more than 2,300 instances of

outdated gender and binary language found across 21 ministries and in

more than 200 provincial statutes, ensuring that all British Columbians

can see themselves reflected in our laws.

Words matter when it comes to promoting inclusion and eliminating

discrimination, and this bill represents a key step to furthering our

government’s commitment to do just that.

[1:55 p.m.]

Modernizing language is important for creating an inclusive

society, and it also aligns with legislative drafting best practices.

With Bill 14, British Columbia will become the first province in Canada

to systematically amend provincial laws to remove outdated gendered and

binary language, better reflecting the diversity of our

province.

This bill also proposes minor amendments to various acts, such as

repealing outdated sections and reflecting the evolution of technology

and its uses, especially when it comes to working and meeting

remotely.

B.C. is recognized as a leader in legislative modernization and

reform, and these amendments will ensure that we continue to promote a

modern, inclusive economy and equality for all British

Columbians.

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

Motion approved.

Hon. B. Bailey: 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.

Bill 14, Miscellaneous Statutes (Modernization) Amendment Act, 2023,

introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day

for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

BILL M214 — MENTAL HEALTH

AMENDMENT ACT,

E. Sturko presented a bill intituled Mental Health Amendment Act,

E. Sturko: I move the bill entitled Mental Health Amendment Act, 2023, of

which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced

and read for the first time now.

Helping people in their moment of crisis is one of the reasons

that I became a police officer. Now, as an MLA, that mission has only

deepened. Every year, hundreds of people in a moment of crisis are

apprehended under

section 28 of the Mental Health Act of British

Columbia. With multiple documented cases in B.C. where individuals have

been apprehended, not certified, and then have self-harmed or died by

suicide shortly after their release, it’s clear that this is a gap that

must be filled.

Const. Nicole Chan died by suicide only a few hours after she was

released from an emergency room in January of 2019. In the coroner’s

inquest into her death, the jury recommended direct communication

between police, paramedics who are bringing in a person apprehended

under the Mental Health Act and the hospital doctors receiving the

patient.

If passed, the Mental Health Amendment Act, 2023, aims to prevent

suicide deaths by requiring physicians or nurse practitioners to seek

further information on a person’s psychological history when considering

whether to involuntarily admit and treat someone under the Mental Health

Act.

By proactively reaching out to individuals with close knowledge of

this individual’s situation, such as family members or first responders,

physicians can gain valuable background information that might otherwise

be overlooked. This critical background could help mitigate the risk of

self-harm and improve mental health outcomes.

We must take every action to help people in crisis. I know there’s

much more that should be done to save lives in our province when it

comes to mental health and addictions, but this is a meaningful first

step. I hope that the government will see the urgent need for this

reform so we can work together to pass it as quickly as

possible.

Mr. Speaker: Members, this is the first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

E. Sturko: I move the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second

reading at the next sitting after today.

Bill M214, Mental Health Amendment Act, 2023, introduced, read a

first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading

at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

AND GENDER

EQUITY

K. Paddon: Today, on International Women’s Day, I’m honoured and privileged

to be able to stand in this House to celebrate the remarkable

achievements of women throughout history, recognize challenges that many

con­tinue to face and reconfirm our focus on achieving gender

equality and empowering all women and girls.

International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1911. In that

year, over one million people attended rallies in several countries to

demand the right to vote, work and hold public office. These women

fought hard so that many of us can be here. This day was recognized by

the United Nations in 1975 and has been globally celebrated ever

since.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Embracing

equity.” Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have.

[2:00 p.m.]

We’ve made great investments in our journey towards equity in

B.C.: birth control, increased family benefit, child care, expanding

transportation, expanding connectivity, expanding free menstrual

products, sexual assault services and, just this week, introducing

pieces of legislation that will change British Columbia for women,

girls, gender-diverse and two-spirit people.

We know that we have more to do. We know women continue to face

discrimination, harassment and violence in their homes and other places.

They are underrepresented in positions of power and decision-making.

These injustices not only harm women, but they hold back our societies

and our economies as a whole.

We must work together from all sides of this House to break down

barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential. We must

work to listen to women. We must also look at the root causes of gender

inequality, such as patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes, and create

culture that values and respects women and girls.

On this International Women’s Day, let us recognize the invaluable

contributions of women to our societies and economies.

Let us work together to create a world where women, girls and

gender-diverse people can feel free from discrimination, violence and

fear and fully realize their potential.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

AND WORKFORCE GENDER

EQUITY

R. Merrifield: Well, today I, too, rise on International Women’s Day excited to

stand here and celebrate all women — the resilient, strong and caring

women that continue to shape our societies. The bold impact of our

female British Columbians in the world is increasing. Today is just a

reminder that we need to keep going, because even with this growing

role, to achieve gender equality, a lot more needs to happen.

The tall poppy syndrome, named after the flower, is noted to occur

when people are belittled due to their achievements and success. This

year the Tallest Poppy 2023 study specifically looked at working women

from 103 countries from different demographics and professions to see

how they had been affected through interactions with their

colleagues.

It revealed extremely high numbers of women who feel they cannot

show their success for fear of being penalized. Specifically, 77 percent

of respondents said they must downplay their achievements to not be cut

down in the workplace. The effects of women downplaying their success

leads to women holding fewer executive positions, experiencing lower

self-esteem, impacting their desire to apply for promotions and feeding

the cycle of gender stereotypes and biases.

We’ve seen major progress for women in the workforce, but further

measures to improve equality are needed. How do we measure equality, and

how will we know it’s been achieved? Well, perhaps I won’t have to do a

speech like this.

We need to consider this as a society. Until then, every member of

this Legislature should continue to do their part by recognizing the

role women play and empowering them and thinking of how we can inspire

and welcome the next generation of leaders. As we reaffirm our

commitment to advancing the success of all British Columbian women, I

would like to recognize the smart, fierce, creative and dynamic women

that surround me in this chamber.

COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES

AWARENESS MONTH

AND ROLE

OF SOCIAL WORKERS

M. Dykeman: It’s a pleasure to rise in the House today and acknowledge that

March is Community Social Services Awareness Month.

This month is a provincewide public awareness campaign about the

community services sector. It is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on

the vital role this sector plays in our lives and in building safe,

healthy and caring communities in British Columbia.

British Columbia’s community social services organizations, in

partnership with government and other public sector agencies, provide

vital services to some of our province’s most vulnerable individuals.

Every day, thousands of British Columbians depend on the supports and

services provided by over 140 community social service agencies across

British Columbia.

More than 4,200 community social services workers work tirelessly

to provide critical supports in our communities. To name just a few,

they support people struggling with mental health and addictions,

working one-on-one with people struggling with substance abuse. They

provide life-saving services for people and children fleeing violence.

They work in community centres to assist newcomers to get settled so

that they can call British Columbia home. They provide people

experiencing homelessness with housing options, and they work with

families and children with special needs to help them be set up for

success.

[2:05 p.m.]

Community social service workers are on the front lines, leading

serve people with empathy, dignity and respect. As community builders

and advocates, I know that community social workers will keep on

amplifying the voices of those who too often go unheard. There is no

question that they make life better for all British Columbians every

day.

Would the members of the House please join me in recognizing March

as Community Social Services Awareness Month.

FRASER VALLEY GLEANERS

B. Banman: Today I would like to speak about an inspiring organization called

the Fraser Valley Gleaners.

The Fraser Valley Gleaners is a non-profit, faith-based

organization that is dedicated to feeding the hungry and reducing food

waste in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia, an organization

that achieves this by gleaning surplus produce from local farms and

orchards, which would otherwise go to waste, and processing it into a

dried soup mix that is then distributed to food banks, relief agencies

and other organizations that serve the needy.

While Christian-based, the Gleaners go above and beyond to ensure

everything they produce is respectful of other religions and diets and

culturally sensitive, while ensuring it is nutritionally balanced. No

small feat indeed.

This is a wonderful initiative that not only addresses the issue

of hunger but also helps to reduce food waste and promote

sustainability. By utilizing surplus produce, the Fraser Valley Gleaners

is helping to ensure that valuable resources aren’t being wasted and

that the food is going to those who need it the most.

The organization relies heavily on volunteers, who help with

gleaning, sorting and processing the produce. They also welcome

donations from individuals, businesses and farmers who want to support

their mission.

In the past year alone, the Fraser Valley Gleaners has processed

over half a million pounds of fresh produce, which has resulted in over

1.5 million servings of soup mix. This is an incredible achievement that

has had a significant impact on the community.

In conclusion, the Fraser Valley Gleaners is an inspiring

organization that is making a real difference in the lives of those who

are struggling with food insecurity.

I urge all British Columbians to support their mission in any way

they can, whether it be through volunteering, donating or simply

spreading the word about their important work.

SOUTH VANCOUVER FAMILY PLACE AND

EARLY CHILDHOOD

EDUCATOR TRAINING

G. Chow: I’d like to speak to the important work of community organizations

in our province like South Vancouver Family Place in my riding of

Vancouver-Fraserview.

South Vancouver Family Place was established in 1975 with the

objective to support young families through the services and programs it

delivers. Services include licensed preschool programs, parenting and

family drop-in programs, food security programs and training

opportunities such as the early childhood education certificate program

and supply chain management specialist training.

Recently South Vancouver Family Place partnered with Vancouver

Career College to administer the early childhood education certificate

program, receiving funding through WorkBC’s community workforce

re­sponse grant, which is funded by the federal government. This

program supports in-demand skills training that leads to employment for

individuals wanting to enter or re-enter the workforce.

As a non-profit, South Vancouver Family Place was granted this

funding through the emerging priorities stream, which focuses on

communities experiencing challenges entering the workforce and needing

skills training for new opportunities. This certificate program not only

covers important topics in early childhood education but also provides

students with the opportunity to create job plans and obtain necessary

certification, such as first aid and FoodSafe level one, while gaining

valuable work experience.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to South Vancouver Family

Place for the graduation ceremony of the early childhood education

certificate program. The program enrolled over 40 students, and I saw 36

graduates as newly trained early childhood educators, training that will

help our government’s effort to ensure child care is available for all

so that women with children can go to work.

[2:10 p.m.]

The graduates vary in age and background. Many were new immigrant

women. I would like to thank South Van Family Place for all its good

work in the community, especially this early childhood education program

that will provide many women with the training they need to enter the

workforce. Happy International Women’s Day.

DAY ONE SOCIETY

T. Stone: I rise today to celebrate the amazing achievements and the

incredibly important work being done by the Kamloops Society for Alcohol

and Drug Services, which recently rebranded as the Day One

Society.

For 50 years, the society has offered hope, help and healing to

community members through connection, whether that’s connection to detox

services at its Phoenix Centre facility, or to youth alcohol and drug

counselling and support to families, or to day treatment for young

women. They are there for people at the start of their recovery journey

and remain with them every step of the way.

Their new name, Day One Society, was chosen after engaging with

the community for its input. It serves as an umbrella for the many

services being offered, with the hope that these services can

potentially be expanded in the future. The new name is also a reminder

that recovery happens one day at a time. Community members note that it

represents the possibility of a fresh start no matter what. The society

says that this belief remains extremely important, particularly in

recent years, as it’s seen more demand for services brought about by

both the overdose crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

I want to congratulate the Day One Society, led by executive

director Sian Lewis, the board of directors and staff members, who are

working day in and day out to help, counsel and support those who often

have nowhere else to turn. The people of Kamloops are grateful for their

50 years of service to our community.

We all look forward to what’s ahead, as this organization and

everyone in it make a huge difference in the lives of so many British

Columbians in the years ahead.

M. Starchuk: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Introductions by Members

M. Starchuk: Joining us today are grades 6 and 7 classes from Adams Road School.

They are here today chaperoned by their teachers Kori Langston and Jennifer

Cox. Could the House please make them welcome as they’re here

today.

Oral Questions

WOMEN’S ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE

R. Merrifield: Women are suffering disproportionately under the collapsing health

care system under this NDP government. Maternity services are lacking,

leading to clinic closures, frequent ward diversions and severe

shortages of ob-gyns and midwives. Gynecological oncologists are

lacking, with the fewest of any province in Canada.

Cervical cancer screening turnaround times? Well, they’ve

increased to 18 weeks, endangering women’s lives. Then there are the

growing medical imaging wait times, forcing diseases such as breast

cancer to go undiagnosed and untreated.

Women are being denied basic health care. Their pain and their

health matter.

When will this Premier finally deliver the health care results

that women deserve?

Hon. A. Dix: Thank you to the member for her question. Women’s health has been

a high priority for our government from the beginning. A significant

difference has been made both for health care providers — in the

majority of cases, women. Of course, for women receiving care,

significant action has been taken across the board and consistently,

including, if we’re talking about maternity care, the significant

investments in midwives and significant investments we need to increase

training spaces for doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and

midwives.

[2:15 p.m.]

It is of the highest priority to us every single day. The list of

actions that have been taken is long. But what is important is we have

to continue to build our public health care system. It’s why we have a

health human resources plan — with more than 70 actions for more nurse

practitioners, more nurses, more doctors and more health care workers —

and why I think this government has made a real change in the care

provided to women, no matter where they are in the health care system,

by treating all health care workers, the majority of whom are women,

with respect.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Kelowna-Mission, supplemental.

R. Merrifield: The minister’s rhetoric…. It just doesn’t reflect the reality that

women are experiencing today.

Here is an example of a woman that’s facing an issue in our health

care system right now. In this email, Crystal is pleading for her

daughter who is ill. Crystal’s daughter has been in and out of the ICU,

with overworked nurses unable to provide care or answer questions,

leaving Crystal, her daughter and her family in the dark and

suffering.

Crystal’s experience with her daughter at KGH has been gruelling

and heartbreaking, with packed hallways and a lack of privacy that make

it impossible for them or any of the other patients to rest, get

information, have some privacy or just communicate. Crystal’s plea is

very simple, and I’m going to quote it. “Imagine it was your sister

admitted to a bed in the hallway.”

Across B.C., countless women continue to be denied access to basic

health care.

How much longer is this Premier going to continue to neglect the

health of women like Crystal and her daughter?

Hon. A. Dix: I think, as a public health care system over the last number of

years, our health care workers, our health care professionals, have

demonstrated extraordinary skill and extraordinary compassion under the

most challenging of circumstances — two public health emergencies

presenting concurrently, and significant challenges people

face.

Over the last couple of years, for example, the number of people

waiting, women and men, on surgical wait-lists has been reduced in a

time of extraordinary challenges in our health care system. It is true,

at present, there are approximately 10,000 people in acute care

hospitals, admitted to acute care hospitals, in B.C. This is an

exceptional challenge.

Our staff, under the most difficult of circumstances, have been up

to that challenge. They have worked exceptionally hard providing care

for everybody, every person in our health care system. They deserve our

respect, and they have it. They deserve our support, and they have it.

They deserve our investment and action, and they’ve seen it.

We are going to continue to act to support women and all people

who need care in our public health care system.

S. Bond: I can’t even begin to imagine what the health care system would

look like today without the undying, tireless, unbelievable efforts of

health care workers in this province, but the reality of the situation

for many women in this province is that it is about results. It is about

how the system is managed. Every single day we hear from women across

this province who want this Premier to do something.

Five months ago, I shared Sara’s story — a pregnant mother, in her

second trimester, left alone for hours at the hospital, forced to have a

miscarriage in the washroom and left traumatized.

That wasn’t the only case. Over the weekend, we learned about

Sonia Portillo’s story, a young woman who suffered an untreated

miscarriage. She was left in a hospital hallway in Langley overnight,

bleeding heavily and experiencing excruciating pain.

[2:20 p.m.]

In Sonia’s words — not mine, her words — she said: “I was bleeding

through my clothes. I tried to get up and walk, and it was a no go. Just

instantly dizzy, nauseous, and I needed to lay down even to recuperate

my breath.”

To the Premier, six years, two terms. Sara, Sonia and dozens and

dozens and dozens of other women like them. How many more patients like

Sonia need to suffer before women in this province receive the health

care results that they deserve?

Hon. A. Dix: Losing a baby during any stage of pregnancy is a traumatic thing

for all involved. It’s an awful thing and very difficult for people to

deal with. And the circumstances, regardless of what they are, are ones

for which we all can have, I think, the most profound sympathy and

support.

People involved in the case mentioned by the hon. mem­ber….

The issues will be brought forward to the Fraser Health patient care

office because concerns about care are always important. When people

present in emergency rooms, they are regularly checked on, of course, by

health professionals doing exceptional work. And every time there are

concerns with our public health care system — not sometimes but every

time — we respond.

It shows why we need to take the actions we’ve taken — the actions

we’ve taken in primary care, more than 2,000 doctors joining a new

payment model; the actions we’ve taken in nursing care, leading the

country in new registered nurses since I’ve been Minister of Health; the

actions we’ve taken for health sciences professionals to add, in that

case, this year more than 336 training spaces; the actions we’ve taken

to add health care workers and to treat them with respect in our public

health care system. That is fundamentally important.

We’ve added net 38,000 workers, and the challenges are real, and

we’re going to have to add, in the next five years, 38,000 more. That’s

why we’ve taken actions time after time after time to make things better

and to support our public health care workers and all the patients in

that system.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Prince George–Valemount, supplemental.

S. Bond: Well, as difficult as it is to even share their stories, women

like Sara and Sonia simply don’t believe that the action has resulted in

the kind of care that they deserve, and hundreds of other women like

them in this province.

What they know is that their experience was a nightmare. It was

painful. Following her miscarriage, Sara was left without basic medical

care and, in fact, lost three litres of blood while waiting in a

hospital hallway in our province.

This isn’t about overworked and under-resourced and demoralized

nurses or doctors. They do their best every single day. This is about

where it starts, at the top. It’s about the Premier. It’s about the

minister. It’s about doing the job that will make a difference for women

like Sara and Sonia.

Women today are not having their most basic needs met. What kind

of system do we have that leaves a young woman like Sonia in critical

condition without medical care or support in this province?

When will the Premier step up, hear the stories and the voices of

Sara and Sonia and hundreds of other women and take the action that

results in providing better health care outcomes that the women of this

province deserve?

Hon. A. Dix: All patients admitted to the emergency room get care, and they get

care on a regular basis. I want to make that very clear to everybody.

When people need to go to an emergency room, they will get exceptional

efforts by everyone involved.

In this case, of course, these are matters that are appropriately

dealt with. Complaints when they’re brought forward, concerns when

they’re brought forward are appropriately dealt with by the patient care

quality office. That is the system that we set up together as a

Legislature, to do that in order to give people a voice and to ensure

that their voices are heard and that change is brought.

[2:25 p.m.]

We’re going to continue to act to make the changes for women’s

health. Some of the most significant changes in….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. A. Dix: Some of the most significant changes have been brought about in

the history of our public health care system to support the health of

women over the last number of years and continue to do that, whether

it’s in maternity care to end-of-life care, to ensure that all women get

the care they deserve.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

AND SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN

AND LGBTQ2S+ PERSONS

A. Olsen: Today and every day I honour the matriarchs whose patience, love

and support have forged the person that I am today. These two questions

that I’m about to ask are in honour of my friend and colleague the

Leader of the Third Party; my grandmothers; my aunties; my mother; my

sisters; my nieces; my cousins; my wife, Emily; and my daughter,

Ella.

My question to the government: what progress has been made on the

many, many, many promises to address gender-based violence in British

Columbia?

Hon. G. Lore: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. I share his

commitment to this work and our obligations as government, as members of

our community, to stand up against gender-based violence in all its

forms. It happens in communities of every kind across our

province.

We know that Indigenous women and girls, racialized women,

newcomers, immigrants and trans people in our communities are

disproportionately likely to face violence. We are committed to taking

action on gender-based vio­lence and supporting survivors. We’re

building an action plan led by the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender

Equity to end gender-based violence and ensure that the supports are

there.

While that work is underway, we’re continuing to take steps to

ensure that supports are there, providing funding to about 50 community

centres, sexual assault centres, and increasing it by $10 million a

year. This is funding that is for emergency sexual assault response. I

know the member opposite has a commitment to this issue, as do

We’re providing stable funding to over 400 victim services and

violence-against-women programs, investing in housing for women leaving

violence and seeking safety and opportunity with their children. This is

work we are committed to, me personally and all those on this side of

the House, and we’ll continue this work.

Mr. Speaker: Member, supplemental.

A. Olsen: Nearly 45 percent of Canadian women have experienced some form of

intimate partner violence, and this rate is increasing. The numbers are

even higher for Indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ and two-spirit

people.

This government has made many promises, including the promise of

an action plan to address gender-based violence that the minister

mentioned. That was due by the end of 2022, and we’re nearing the end of

the first quarter of 2023. We’ve not yet seen that.

I have stood many times in this House when there are ministerial

statements with respect to missing and murdered Indigenous women and

girls and the very small amounts of money that have been invested in

action by this provincial government. As the minister mentioned, there

has been, finally, after many years of advocacy from the minister before

she was a member of this place, to increase the funding for sexual

assault centres…. And certainly, I know there’s gratitude for

that.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t appear, despite the promises of

action plans and the promises that have been made, that gender-based

violence is actually a priority for this government. Again, the promises

are not actions.

When is this B.C. NDP government going to deliver on the promises,

with actions to address gender-based violence?

Hon. G. Lore: With regard to the action plan, that is a commitment our

government has made. We’re taking the time to get it right, including

with our partners in the communities — our community partners, service

delivery partners and Indigenous partners. That action plan is underway,

but we’re not waiting for the plan to take those concrete steps that

survivors need and that communities need.

[2:30 p.m.]

Just this week the introduction of the intimate images act was one

example. All post-secondary institutions are now required to have sexual

violence and misconduct policies. Investments in transition homes and

safe homes and second-stage housing. Working with our partners, from

police to front-line service providers.

This work is underway for an action plan. Steps are taken, across

all parts of government, to have the services and supports in there

while we undertake that big-picture work.

SAFETY OF NURSES

IN HEALTH CARE

SYSTEM

K. Kirkpatrick: In his response to my colleague’s previous question about very

serious issues around women’s health, the minister read off a list of

things that the government has done but did not talk about the

results.

What this minister is doing and what this government is doing with

respect to health and women’s health is simply not working. Despite all

the announcements and the press releases from the NDP government, nurses

are continuing to face physical assaults and unsafe working conditions

in hospitals, and the situation, as we all know here, is only getting

worse.

The threat of being muzzled by the Minister of Health — this is a

real threat, and we hear it over and over again — has not silenced

nurses at Royal Inland Hospital, who are reporting to us multiple code

white assaults and attempted assaults in just the last few weeks. One

nurse, who can’t be named for fear of retribution by this NDP

government, says: “I fear for my personal safety and fear that more

violent incidents are yet to come.” It has rippled through the

department, causing a visible increase in staff anxiety and

concerns.

Five months ago this NDP government made yet another empty

announcement of 320 protection officers, but none have been seen. Zero

have been seen.

When will nurses finally see some real results from this Premier

instead of empty NDP promises?

Hon. A. Dix: Yes, indeed, working with the B.C. Nurses Union, working with all

health care unions and all workers in health care, we are changing the

way we do security to support workers in our public health care system,

and we’re doing it in cooperation.

I must say that one of the things we have changed is to bring back

an independent occupational health and safety system for health care

workers in B.C., one that, by the way, the previous government got rid

of in 2010, got rid of by the Leader of the Opposition.

We have changed, for our health care workers in B.C., by giving

all health care workers their rights back. People will recall the impact

of Bill 29 and of Bill 94 on health care workers across B.C.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: The minister will continue.

Hon. A. Dix: The Leader of the Opposition, no doubt, shouting across more

lessons in empathy.

I would say that these issues are of fundamental importance, and

that’s why we’ve done this work together. That’s why we’re bringing

about this change together. Yes, the previous government privatized

security. Yes, the previous government laid off health care workers. We

are giving them back their rights. I simply reject the

suggestion….

With the changes that we’ve put in place, in terms of the Public

Interest Disclosure Act and rules in place at all health authorities….

We hear from people every day, critical and not. I am happy to hear from

them always. We treat every….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh, Members. Members.

The minister will continue.

Hon. A. Dix: We treat everybody with respect: health care workers and nurses

and patients.

[2:35 p.m.]

It’s a fundamentally serious issue. It’s one I take,

fundamentally, seriously. It’s one we’ve taken action on. It’s one that

we’re implementing. It’s one we’re implementing with the B.C. Nurses

Union, with the Health Sciences Association, with the HEU.

The reason we’re doing it is we know how important it is to every

health care worker and to every patient that they be safe in our

hospitals and our health care facilities, and we are going to continue

to act in this area.

GENDER-BASED AND SEXUALIZED

VIOLENCE SUPPORTS AT

POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTION

C. Oakes: One in five women will experience a sexual assault during their

time at post-secondary.

Let us be clear. It was in 2016 that our former government made it

law in this province for public post-secondary institutions to establish

sexual misconduct policies on every campus in British

Columbia.

Now students from across British Columbia are calling on this

government for funding to further that work, to ensure that sexualized

and gender-based violence supports on campus are properly funded and

resourced. This Premier and this budget have failed to answer that call.

The Alliance of B.C. Students has said: “Leaving sexualized and

gender-based violence supports on campus under-resourced and underfunded

is both irresponsible and dangerous.”

Why has the Premier failed to provide the necessary funding to

protect students from sexual assault and gender-based violence on

campus?

Hon. S. Robinson: I join with the member about sexualized violence on campus. That

is wrong, and it will not be tolerated by anyone, I think, in this

House.

The member is correct. It was under her government that policies

were required to be put in place. But I want to remind everybody in this

House that that came with zero dollars. It was our government that

provided three-quarters of a million dollars to colleges and

universities to prevent and to respond to sexual violence. That was our

government.

We also provided half a million dollars to public post-secondary

institutions to establish and improve anony­mous reporting

systems. They needed help, and it was our government that responded with

the resources that they needed.

We also introduced a new requirement that all private training

institutions must now have sexual violence policies and report on them

annually. The previous government let them off the hook around

this.

We’re going to continue to work with our private and public

post-secondary institutions to make sure everyone feels safe on

campus.

COURT CASE ON ACCESS TO LEGAL AID

BY VICTIMS OF

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

E. Sturko: Gender-based family violence is a life-or-death issue, and women

are disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to family legal

services. Shockingly, 70 percent of legal aid applications are made by

women, and 55 percent of those applications are denied.

Despite the urgent need for support, the Premier, in his former

role as Attorney General, repeatedly put up roadblocks to quash a case

launched by the Single Mothers Alliance in 2017. Last year the Premier

even directed lawyers to try to have the case thrown out. Women fleeing

domestic violence and abuse deserve better than a Premier who actively

tries to deny them access to justice.

Why did this Premier try to throw out the case of the Single

Mothers Alliance?

Hon. N. Sharma: I want to thank the member for the very important

question.

As the matter is before the court, I can’t comment on the

specifics of the case. I can say that access to justice is something

that this government takes very seriously.

We’ve invested and continue to invest in access-to-justice

services, particularly in the area of family law, by focusing on early

resolution for family law. Women and people without access to lawyers

can get early resolution for the matters that they need and divert

things away from the courtroom.

We’ll continue to focus on investing in the services that we know

people need, particularly women, when it comes to the court

system.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Surrey South, supplemental.

[2:40 p.m.]

E. Sturko: Well, the problem is that we are talking about a specific case,

one intervened in by the Premier himself. That answer just simply wasn’t

good enough. The Premier led the effort to intervene in a case against

the Single Mothers Alliance, and he needs to make the effort to fix the

damage that he has done.

To the Premier, when will the Premier fix the damage he has done

opposing the Single Mothers Alliance?

Hon. N. Sharma: As I’m unable to talk about a case before the court, I’d like to

talk about our investments in legal aid.

When they were in government, Mr. Speaker, they had 40 percent

cuts across the board, and they cut family law services by 60

percent.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. N. Sharma: They completely eliminated poverty law services in this

province.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: It’s okay.

Hon. N. Sharma: They cut the number of staff from 460 to 155 and the number of

offices from 42 to just seven. That’s what they thought about access to

justice.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. N. Sharma: We’ve been continually investing in services to make it easier for

people to access our justice system, and we will continue to do

so.

GOVERNMENT HOTLINE FOR

RACIST INCIDENT

REPORTING

T. Wat: It is shameful that Vancouver has become the anti-Asian hate crime

capital of North America. Asian women are facing rising violence, based

on both race and gender.

My colleagues and I have been calling for a racist incident

hotline since 2020, but the NDP government has only made empty

announcements for years. As is typical of NDP, they’ve failed to do

it.

The Human Rights Commissioner has called out the NDP for their

delay and lack of action, saying: “The ministry was unable to provide

details, including when it would be operational, who would operate it

and what funding would be allocated to it.” This delay is unacceptable

and leaves Asian women at risk of more violence and

discrimination.

Why did this Premier break his promise to implement a racist

incident hotline?

Hon. N. Sharma: I would like to thank the member for raising this important issue.

I was at the announcement yesterday with the Human Rights Commissioner,

where she addressed the rise in hate that we saw during COVID. I got to

hear firsthand of some of the incidents of that hate and what people

suffered.

It’s obviously something that we take seriously and that we can

all, in this House, condemn, jointly and together, and send a clear

message that hate in this province is unacceptable. One thing I’d also

like to say is that this is why we reinstated the Human Rights

Commissioner in 2019.

You can see, with that anti-hate report she issued yesterday, the

valuable contribution that having an independent Human Rights

Commissioner does for our province, for us to understand, in government,

how we need to respond.

I’ll be looking at those very detailed recommendations. We’ll be

reviewing it with our team, and this government will respond to

them.

[End of question period.]

Petitions

J. Rice: I rise today to present a petition. The undersigned petitioners call

on the government of British Columbia and the Legislative Assembly to amend

the Ports Property Tax Act, SBC 2004, as soon as possible, to reinstate a

sunset clause or to exempt the city of Prince Rupert.

The legislation was instituted in 2004 as a temporary incentive to

spur port investment. In hindsight, that goal was achieved. Granting

petitioners this request will have numerous benefits, such as that the tax

burden will no longer be unfairly shifted from port industries to

home­owners and small businesses.

The provincial treasury will save millions of dollars. Taxpayers will

no longer subsidize wealthy multinational corporations. The risk of trade

war with the U.S.A. can be avoided. Municipal tax autonomy will be restored,

and lastly, port properties will finally pay their fair share of property

taxes to support vital investments in communities.

[2:45 p.m.]

Tabling Documents

Hon. N. Sharma: I have the honour to present the annual report of the Labour Relations

Board for the year ending December 31, 2022.

Orders of the Day

Hon. R. Kahlon: In the main House, I call continued debate on the budget.

In Committee A, I call continued debate on supplementary estimates for the

Ministry of Agriculture and Food, followed by supplementary estimates for the

Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Budget Debate

(continued)

M. de Jong: Before the Finance Minister is taken to other duties, I thought I

would alert her to my initial remarks, which is to acknowledge the work that

she and her staff have done on this, her first budget. It is a challenging

task to coordinate the requests and priorities of an agency as diverse as

the provincial government has become, to distil that down and present it to

be confronted by the questions and the scrutiny that comes from the

media.

This is her first opportunity to do that, and there is a tremendous

amount of work involved. That’s worth acknowledging. I’ll have other things

to say about some of the choices that have been made along the way, but the

effort is worth acknowledging. I’m sure that she has other duties that will

call her attention.

Having said that, I want to say candidly and up front that the budget

troubles me. I am not supportive of the choices and the overall direction

laid out in the budget, and I’ll endeavour, over the time available to me,

to explain why that is.

In doing so, I’d like to focus on a word that, over the time I’ve been

here, has come into considerable usage, perhaps in a slightly different

context than I am about to apply it, but I think it’s equally applicable in

these circumstances. The word I’m talking about is “sustainable.” As much

used as that word is….

It’s usually in the context of environmental public policy. The

Forests Minister is here and knows that much of what he is charged with

overseeing, as it relates to applying the annual allowable cut, is rooted in

the principle of sustainability, the notion that it would be folly to

authorize the wholesale harvest of timber in a way that wouldn’t allow or

ensure that there is a timber resource available in the future.

That is equally true of other resources. Fishing — we talk about

harvest levels because it’s fundamentally understood that if we overharvest,

if the harvest is not sustainable, then ultimately, great problems will

exist. Ultimately, that resource will disappear. Even in agriculture, the

cycle of production, of generating waste, the idea that it needs to be

sustainable is something….

I see the former Agriculture Minister, who I presume would not quarrel

with the importance of that concept as it relates to the agricultural and

agrifood sector in the province.

[2:50 p.m.]

All to say that it’s a concept I think is widely embraced in that

context, and if it’s possible to come up with a definition, I would say

this. Over the years, I have come to understand sustainability as engagement

in an activity in a manner that may continue in perpetuity and doesn’t

compromise the ability of others to pursue that activity in the future. I

don’t know if that’s a perfect definition, but I hope this notion of

sustainability and the perpetual ability to engage in an activity and not

compromising the ability of others in the future to engage in that activity

is a meaningful and appropriate one.

If that is so, and if that notion of sustainability is equally

applicable in the context of financial planning and budgeting, then by that

measure, this budget is unsustainable. It is unsustainable in so many

different ways that the government is reluctant to or refuses to

acknowledge.

I’ll begin. The government has committed to deficit financing, not on

a short-term or limited basis. In the absence of any comment to the

contrary, one must assume that they have committed to that on an ongoing

basis. Over the course of the three years of this fiscal plan, deficits are

not expected to reduce below $3 billion ever. In fact, for a couple years,

they are over $4 billion.

The government inherited, six years ago, a circumstance: a healthy

balance sheet, a strong economy and a taxpayer-supported debt of

approximately $42 billion. It took 130 years in British Columbia to

accumulate just over $40 billion in taxpayer-supported debt. This fiscal

plan anticipates taxpayer-supported debt, by the time it’s complete, of $100

billion. Let me say that again: 130 years to accumulate $40 billion. Over

the course of seven years, the province is planning on adding in excess of

$60 billion, in that short, limited period of time.

Insofar as the fiscal plan and the budget that is before us represents

a blueprint and a window into the direction that the government intends to

take not just for this year but for the three years of the fiscal plan and

beyond that, I think it’s fair to extrapolate on where this might take us.

So let’s look even three years beyond this fiscal plan. I don’t think that’s

unfair. I don’t think that’s unreasonable to at least ask the question,

based on the direction that is charted in this budget, in this fiscal plan,

where we might end up by the year 2029.

Well, here’s what the numbers tell us. We will have an accumulated

taxpayer-supported debt of somewhere be­tween $140 billion and $160

billion. We will have a taxpayer-supported debt-to-GDP ratio of 30 percent

and taxpayer-supported debt-to-revenue numbers that seem to be increasing on

average by 15 percent and that, if that trend continues, will be 190

percent.

[2:55 p.m.]

Now, I was tempted to draw a comparison between those numbers and what

occurred in the 1990s, but there’s no point in doing that, because these

numbers are way worse. These numbers make that set of fiscal challenges pale

by comparison.

I say this not to be needlessly provocative, but if anyone needs to be

reminded of the complications and the challenges that resulted from that

manner of fiscal planning — or non-planning, if that’s the more appropriate

term — then one only needs to look at the fact that the government of that

day was reduced to two seats. That’s how difficult the circumstances became

and how unable, ultimately, that government was to deal with the challenges

that resulted from that manner of fiscal mismanagement.

The challenge is that it could be even worse, because the government

has chosen, in this budget, to do something that we haven’t seen since 1996,

which is that they have begun to manipulate the numbers. In the aftermath of

what famously became the fudge-it budget, a set of safeguards were put in

place, one of them being the introduction of the forecast council, the body

independent from government that brought its considered opinions and offered

its views on what would be happening to the economy in terms of growth

projections and that sort of thing.

From that point forward, and certainly starting in 2001, governments

were loath to inject themselves and manipulate those numbers. But this

budget does just that, because for the first time since then, since that

scandal — and it was a scandal — the government has chosen to supplant the

forecast council’s advice with numbers of its own and, particularly in the

out-years, has substituted its own growth forecasts for those of the

forecast council.

The rationale for doing that is fascinating and somewhat ironic. In

explaining why the government feels entitled to substitute its economic

growth forecast numbers for that of the forecast council, here’s what the

government says: “The ministry’s medium-term outlook is slightly higher than

the average Economic Forecast Council forecast to account for the

anticipated effects of LNG production over that period.”

Well, isn’t that interesting? The government, the group, the party

that only a few short years ago ridiculed LNG as a pipedream, said it would

never happen, a sizeable percentage of their caucus being opposed to it even

today, is now relying upon that very activity to justify overruling a group

of experts who say economic growth will not exist, will not take place at

the levels this government is predicting.

In the 1990s and in ’96, that was referred to as injecting a little

extra optimism into the budget. It proved catastrophic. It proved wrong. Yet

today this government has fallen victim to the same temptation to base a set

of numbers not on what experts are saying but on what they hope might

happen.

[3:00 p.m.]

What do we have to show for all the spending that exists within this

budget? Are we getting better value for money in health care, in housing, in

capital projects? Well, we just listened in question period to a whole

series of issues involving our health care system.

Ongoing challenges: a million families without a family doctor;

ambulance waits; quite frankly, the lack of access to basic care in our

hospital facilities. Does the government really think that if they asked

people on the street about the effect of housing policies, people would tell

them: “Oh, yes, you’re doing great. It’s so much better”? Quite the

contrary, Mr. Speaker. It’s worse than ever. Capital projects continue to

run behind

schedule and over budget, where the mantra today is, “Less for

more,” as opposed to: “More for less.”

The government says to people, “Ah, but look at this; measure us by

the extent of the spending, by the extent of the investment we are making,”

yet asks people to ignore the results associated with that

spending.

For all of that, I am going to say this. The budget is not, in my

view, unsustainable purely because of the overall spending levels, although

I think I can make a pretty compelling argument around that. Actually, that

challenge, that problem, can be overcome.

The budget is ultimately unsustainable because of what it’s missing,

and what it’s missing is a coherent, discernible plan for promoting economic

growth. All of the indicators, whether the government wants to admit this or

not, contained in its budget are pointed in the wrong direction.

You go to page 84, a nice little graph at page 84 of the budget, table

3.1. You look at what the forecasts are around exports. We are a trading

jurisdiction. The export numbers are significantly in decline. You look at

the manufacturing numbers. Exports are down 11 percent this year, another 12

percent next year, significant declines in exports. Manufacturing shipments,

again, anticipated to be to be in decline going forward.

Retail sales. There’s a nice little graph on page 87 of the budget,

“B.C. retail sales.” The government and the Finance Minister will quickly

point out: “Ah, but retail sales are still trending on the positive side of

the ledger. They’re still going up by 2-point-something percent.” Except,

Mr. Speaker, we measure retail sales on the basis of value, and with

inflation running at, at least, 6 percent, a 2 percent increase actually

represents a drop. It actually means peo­ple are spending less, and

they’re spending less because they’re worried, spending less because they’re

terrified of what the future holds. The trend lines are in the opposite

direction.

Where is the strategy to grow aerospace? Where is the strategy to grow

our shipping sector and shipping support sector? Budgets are instruments

that can be used to promote positive economic activity and

growth.

Yet when you go to this document, this budget, and you go to page 136,

you see the international business activity program tax refund has actually

been eliminated. Now, that’s a decision that was made earlier. How dare we

use the tax system to try and attract people to come and do business here?

Now, the irony: it was a tax credit for promoting international business,

engage the attention of foreign operators.

[3:05 p.m.]

It’s interesting that while it’s being eliminated, right above it is

an indication that the amount of B.C. tax money going to foreign film

production is now up to $900 million, almost $1 billion. It’d be interesting

to know the justification for why, as I’ve heard so many times from the

government benches that using the tax system to attract international

investment and business is such a terrible thing, yet almost $1 billion is

now being sent to studios in Hollywood.

We can all think of worthwhile ways to spend more taxpayers’ money.

I’ve got some ideas of my own as it relates to helping young people gain

access to education and training. But to be sustainable, a budget needs to

also lay out a plan and a vision that promotes the economic growth that will

be required to pay for those ideas.

All of us can pick something out of this budget and hold it up as

worthwhile and worthy of support. Opposition has spoken positively about

taxpayer support for access to contraception. But with a record $80 billion

in spending, you would expect to find at least a couple of things in the

budget that you like. But I’m going to say this. A house with a new TV, a

new dishwasher and a new couch isn’t going to last very long if the

foundation is crumbling. The path we’re on leads to a crumbling

foundation.

I will say this again. Surely the individual programs that are

referred to in a fiscal plan like this are not the sole measure of a budget

that needs to address the immediate and future needs of nearly five million

people. Surely it’s also important to ask these questions: how does the

budget protect people from future unforeseen calamities? How does the budget

create future opportunity? How does it preserve choices for future

generations? As I say, how sustainable is the path that the government has

chosen, the fiscal path that the government has chosen?

By all of those measures, this budget fails. Yes, budgets are about

people, but they should be about all people, including children and

grandchildren. Budgets shouldn’t be compromising children’s and

grandchildren’s future for short-term political gain.

Someone asked me, I guess a week or two ago, after the budget had been

tabled and I was back home: how would you describe the budget? What’s one

word you would use to describe the budget? I thought for a mo­ment,

and I said: “Selfish.”

It’s a selfish budget, a selfish budget advanced by a government whose

members seem to be driven first and foremost by their desire to secure

political self-preservation. I understand how easy that is. That temptation

is easy to succumb to, because there’s something else the proponents of this

budget, I think, understand, and understand very well. They won’t be here to

clean up the mess. They won’t be here to clean up the mess that lies at the

end of the trail this budget and this approach to fiscal planning is

forging.

[3:10 p.m.]

I began by referring to the concept of sustainability, and I think

that is where I’ll end my remarks. I’ll try to draw this analogy. The fiscal

plan before us, in my view, is the budgetary equivalent of clearcutting the

fiscal forest. This budget and the direction it charts will leave future

generations with a barren, desolate, lifeless economic landscape that allows

for few choices beyond debt repayment and entirely exposes our citizens to

the kinds of calamitous events that can be visited upon us in an

unpredictable and unstable world.

This budget, because of its unsustainability, in my view, robs choice

and opportunity from young people. It will, ultimately, rob choice and

opportunity from children. It will, ultimately, rob choice and opportunity

from grandchildren. I will not be party to that kind of theft, and for that

reason, I will not support this budget.

Deputy Speaker: Member, of course, language alleging illegal activity is not allowed

in the chamber unless you’re going to move a motion, so I would ask you to

withdraw that last word.

Thank you, Member for Abbotsford West.

M. de Jong: Withdrawn.

D. Routley: It’s my pleasure to rise in support of Budget 2023 and to offer a

counter-narrative to what we’ve just heard. In fact, what is happening in

B.C. is not a fiscal clearcutting but a silviculture effort aimed at making

that forest healthy again, restoring balance and supporting the healthy

growth of a diverse and thriving ecology, fiscally and financially, as well

as socially, in this province. Those things are interlinked in a way that

cannot be separated.

That is one of the fundamental misunderstandings of the previous

government’s approach to governing in this province. B.C. is a great place

to live. People are certainly facing real challenges in our province, and

they are uncertain about the future. What they do know is that they have a

government that is standing in the corner with them and ready to fight for

their well-being by making strategic and necessary investments in the

services of this province that help support a thriving economy.

Those investments include, in housing, $4.2 billion — the biggest

three-year investment in B.C. history. These are the areas of concern for

British Columbians. All of us on all sides of the House hear from British

Columbians, and these are the things we hear about. We hear about housing.

That $4.2 billion will go a long way to creating the housing stock that the

province lacks.

One of the other primary concerns people have is with health care. In

health care, this province is investing $6.4 billion in a variety of ways,

from mental health care through to hospitals, research and cancer

care.

Another area of concern for all of us in all of our communities,

whether they be small or large in this province, is the crisis regarding the

mental health and addictions of British Columbians. In that area, we also

see an unprecedented investment of $1 billion, addressing the foundational

strengths of B.C. that the member previous attempted to refer to.

[3:15 p.m.]

Yes, British Columbians are facing increased costs — just as every

citizen of the planet and, certainly, of this country — but this province is

not leaving them alone in that challenge. We are investing $4.5 billion in

helping families meet the increased costs that they’ve been facing. That

includes $3 billion in new tax credits for B.C. families, including the B.C.

family benefit, the climate action tax credit and the new income-tested

renter’s tax credit. These are elements that will help people weather what

is sure to be a downturn, globally, that will affect B.C.

If the government were to follow the path of the previous B.C. Liberal

government, none of these investments would be made. In fact, the opposite

would be happening. If the B.C. Liberals were guiding the good ship B.C. at

this point, we would probably see what we saw in their 16 years in

government — cuts to services and tax breaks for the wealthy.

Another area of concern for every British Columbian is public safety

and access to justice. We heard about that earlier today. This government is

investing $462 million in public safety measures and increased access to

justice for British Columbians, particularly vulnerable and struggling

British Columbians.

We are also developing a Future Ready plan for our labour force, to

deal with a labour shortage and to upskill British Columbia’s labour force.

So $480 million will go into that effort to train and upskill British

Columbians and to invest, so that when the downturn that is anticipated

subsides and we return to a healthier environment, B.C. will be ready to

lead again. If we were to follow the example of the B.C. Liberal government

of 16 years, those services would be continuing to be cut.

In climate and environment, $1.4 billion is being invested to protect

things like watershed restoration.

Yes, the fiscal facts are…. The deficit is anticipated, in ’23-24, to

be $4.2 billion but will decline from that point forward, with $3.8 billion

anticipated in ’24-25 and $3 billion in ’25-26.

The member for Abbotsford West was concerned about debt. Well, he

should feel reassured. We have the strongest economy in Canada and the best

credit rating. The debt-to-GDP ratio will remain relatively low compared to

other provinces. It is manageable and, contrary to what the previous speaker

indicated, sustainable. What is unsustainable would be cuts to services that

British Columbians depend on when they need them most.

The public accounts for 2022-2023 will return to order. British

Columbians have that faith. B.C. is, as I said, a great place to

live.

Let’s consider what would have happened had we not made these

investments. For example, one of the measures that this government took was

to restrict rent increases to 2 percent. The previous government had changed

rent increases to be inflation plus 2 percent. If that had happened, British

Columbians would have seen 8 percent increases in their rent this year,

rather than 2 percent.

The misguidedness represented in that would have been permanent. Of

course, it’s not as though those rents will go down when the economy

recovers or when interest rates go down. That would be baked in as permanent

inflation in our economy and in the lives of some of the most vulnerable

British Columbians. Instead of giving massive tax breaks to wealthy people,

this government chooses to invest in the people of British

Columbia.

The opposition leader says that he is opposed to investing the surplus

this year into services for people, investing in people. He would cut

supports like the $1 billion growing communities fund that was recently

announced.

[3:20 p.m.]

Every local government elected official that I’ve spoken to is very

happy to see this unprecedented investment in their community. Just in the

communities that I represent, over $40 million is being invested in a form

that allows local government to set its own priorities and to leverage that

money to their own best advantage. That’s an unprecedented investment in

support for local governments that the B.C. Liberal government never

provided.

We are investing in cancer care. The opposition voted against that

investment. The opposition leader has promised that he would not make those

investments. So, in fact, those services would be cut if our government

weren’t in office.

The B.C. affordability credit that provides up to $410 in support for

a family with two children would be gone. Can you imagine? At a time when

costs are increased, that family would not only have faced perhaps an 8

percent rental increase, which would have averaged somewhere around $2,500

per year per family, but they’d also lose their B.C. affordability

credit.

The opposition leader has a record. In 2012, his budget increased

costs on people and made aggressive cuts to their services. He hiked MSP

premiums at that time. Over the time of their government, they doubled those

premiums. We eliminated MSP premiums. That was the largest middle-class tax

break in the history of the province. Not only did they hike MSP premiums,

but ICBC rates skyrocketed under the former government. At the same time,

they raided half a billion dollars in order to balance the budget in

They cut child care funding at that point. How would families cope

right now if child care were cut? A family receiving child care benefits in

this province now benefits to the tune of up to $900 per month per child. A

young family renting, if the B.C. Liberals were in government, would be

paying MSP premiums, would be paying an 8 percent rent increase and would

lose their $410 support for their family. That family of two would lose up

to about $2,000 per month in child care subsidies.

These are life-changing supports that were provided by this government

that would be ripped out from under those families should the B.C. Liberals

be controlling the budget.

They froze education funding and ordered universities to cut $70

million from their budget. That’s what they did in 2012. They started the

fire sale of public properties. That eventually sold $1 billion in public

land, much of it at a fraction of its value, to high-value donors to the

B.C. Liberal Party, including the sale of the Surrey Hospital lands.

Yes.

This is the record of the previous government and their failure to

support B.C. families. Budget 2023 turns that around and continues the

effort to pull the plane out of the dive, to climb again and to provide the

supports that families need in order to create and provide a thriving

economy. Because, contrary to what the previous speaker suggested, it is not

any government that provides a thriving economy. It is the people of

B.C.

The people of B.C. delivered the Canada-leading economy that we enjoy

now. The people of B.C. delivered the fastest recovery from COVID that this

country has seen. How? Because they did that through partnership with a

government that has their backs and that understands that investing in the

people of B.C. is indeed the true foundational strength of our province, to

use some of the phrases that the previous speaker, I would suggest,

misused.

Yes, all those cuts were made by the previous Finance Minister, Leader

of the Opposition, in 2012. But he found something to give out to some. He

found resources to introduce a new $42,000 tax break for people buying a

second home or a vacation home.

[3:25 p.m.]

That was the priority. That was the priority in 2012 — a $42,000 tax

break for people buying a second home.

While this government takes measures to reduce speculation and its

effect on inflation, that is the record of the B.C. Liberal government.

People couldn’t afford that approach then, and they can’t afford it now.

British Columbians are depending on us to provide the support

needed.

The Representative for Children and Youth, at the time in 2012, said:

“This will hurt people who are poor or vulnerable. There’s been a real

abandonment of the families-first agenda. It’s a very harsh and punishing

budget.” Those were the words of the Child, Youth and Family Advocate at the

time.

We are investing in all of the measures that people depend on and

expect us to recognize and to place as priority, similar to their own. That

is the job of government, in my opinion. This government is finally doing

that.

Just in terms of helping people meet the challenges of inflation, the

rising costs of living, this government has rolled out already almost $2.4

billion in supports. That’s since 2022. Three B.C. affordability credits in

October, January and April. Higher B.C. family benefit amounts for January,

February and March. A $100 credit for people’s power bills. ICBC rebates for

drivers — multiple rebates. Enhanced school affordability fund to help

parents and kids with back-to-school costs.

Thousands of B.C. families are benefiting from lower child care fees

through the affordable child care benefit, the $10-a-day child care B.C.

program and the child care fee reduction initiative. These save families up

to $900 per child per month.

Those are life-changing savings that not only contribute to the

well-being of a family but the well-being of the overall economy. These are

families who aren’t taking that support and spending it in a resort

somewhere. They’re spending it in their local community, supporting their

families. That’s why it’s good for B.C.

Budget 2023 invests $214 million over three years to expand existing

school food programs. B.C. will also be the first jurisdiction in Canada to

make contraception free to all of its residents, which supports a family’s

right to plan and a woman’s right to choose.

Families with children will see a 10 percent increase in the monthly

B.C. family benefit, starting in July 2023. For a two-parent family with two

children, this amounts to as much as an additional $250 per year to help buy

healthy food, pay bills and enroll kids in extracurricular activities. For a

single parent with one child, this amounts to an additional $650 per year or

almost $12,000 in extra support over 18 years.

A new income-tested renter’s tax credit will be provided. It will

provide as much as $400 annually to renters. That starts in 2024.

Recognizing the tight rental market that British Columbians face, this

government is acting.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

In terms of affordable housing, where we were in 2018, housing prices

were being driven up by rampant speculation and years of underinvestment in

creating new homes. Homes for B.C.: A 30-Point Plan for Housing

Affordability in British Columbia set out the first phase of the

province’s actions to address housing affordability with an initial

investment of $7 billion over ten years to build new homes — that being the

biggest housing investment in B.C. history to date.

The plan also included measures to moderate an overheated housing

market, crack down on tax fraud, close loopholes, prevent speculation and

provide security for renters and homeowners.

How does that compare to the B.C. Liberal record? Well, the B.C.

Liberals opened up the Residential Tenancy Act and opened up renters to

renovictions, opened up mobile home park tenants to redevelopment of parks

without penalty to the owners. Those were the measures that the previous

government took with housing, at a time when the federal government had

stopped housing transfers.

[3:30 p.m.]

We are building and unlocking more homes. With the growing population

in B.C., we need more homes to address the pressures of the housing and

rental market and to have an affordable housing supply for the future.

Budget 2023 makes significant investments to help put more shovels in the

ground and get more affordable, attainable homes built throughout the

province. Almost $1.7 billion in operating and capital funding over the

fiscal plan will create thousands of homes through the B.C. Builds and

Building B.C. programs, which include targeted investments in the Indigenous

housing fund and the community housing fund.

The rapid housing initiative is a federal-provincial cost-share

program; $66 million will help people in B.C. who have urgent housing needs.

The government is taking action to address homelessness and encampments. As

much as $640 million in additional funding over three years for the

supportive housing fund will help build and operate more supportive housing

for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Our government is taking action with a further $169 million over the

fiscal plan to create additional new complex care housing units, as well as

$97 million in operating funding that will support complex care services

such as enhanced health, mental health and substance use services for people

who need additional support beyond traditional supportive

housing.

I’m proud of the budget and the steps that our government is taking to

support families. The member for Abbotsford West indicated that

sustainability is an issue that needs to be addressed through budgets.

That’s exactly what this government is doing: building sustainable

investments in education, housing and child care that, in turn, create the

foundations of a sustainable economy. I’m not surprised that the member

misunderstood those investments, because their time in government showed

that they had failed to grasp the importance of those to the health and

well-being of a sustainable economy.

Advancing skills for the jobs of the future. A new grant for

short-term skills training will help people get relevant skills and training

they need to succeed in good-paying, high-demand jobs.

One of the biggest challenges to businesses throughout the province is

the labour shortage, particularly the skilled labour shortage. New funding

to assist small and medium-sized businesses in funding and implementing

practical solutions to current labour market challenges and to prepare for a

changing economy will help them adjust.

We’re creating more opportunities for Indigenous peo­ples,

including funding to support Indigenous-led programs, such as the new

guardian training program that will be co-developed with Indigenous peoples.

We are creating thousands of new training seats for in-demand fields to help

build up workforce-ready participants who are able to meet the demands of

the future.

We are looking for clean, sustainable economic development. Budget

2023 invests more than $250 million over three years to protect, maintain

and care for B.C.’s abun­dant natural resources, including $21 million

to partner with First Nations on eight more forest landscape planning tables

to protect more old growth while providing greater certainty on where

sustainable harvesting can occur.

This is so important. We need to build a new social contract for

forestry, and we’re doing that by encouraging Indigenous and community-led

planning and participation in forestry, and to value forests for their full

spectrum of value.

And $77 million is being invested to speed up natural resource

permitting and begin modernizing B.C.’s permitting service delivery model,

which will help reduce backlogs and help communities that are

forest-dependent reach their goals.

[3:35 p.m.]

Also, $6 million will be invested over three years for a new critical

minerals strategy to leverage B.C.’s natural resource advantages and to

continue to assess the critical mineral value chain potential; $101 million

will be invested in operating and capital funding over the fiscal plan to

help preserve and enhance outdoor recreational opportunities in B.C. Parks

and outdoor recreation sites and trails; and $49 million in operating and

capital funding over three years to maintain and upgrade forest service

roads.

These are fundamental investments in our forest econ­omy,

fundamental investments in a sustainable B.C. economy and an effort to

develop a community-led and Indigenous-led plan for landscape management

that will provide certainty to industry and sustainability to the

communities of British Columbia.

B.C. has one of the strongest climate plans in North America, and

Budget 2023 continues to build on the cornerstones of the CleanBC Roadmap to

2030 to reduce emissions and build a sustainable economy for the

future.

Building on the past investments, this budget commits $100 million

over the next three years for building active transportation networks, the

single largest investment in active transportation in B.C. history. As a

cyclist, that was welcome news to me and my friends. Whether people are

cyclists like myself or they walk or take transit, this new funding will

expand different modes of transportation that work best for various B.C.

communities, as they see fit.

Approximately $40 million will move forward B.C.’s transition to a

zero-emission economy through the CleanBC go electric commercial vehicle

pilot program, and that will help B.C.-based businesses, non-profit

organizations and eligible public entities make the switch to zero-emission

vehicles, including medium and heavy-duty trucks.

We are also building climate-resilient communities. Budget 2023

includes more than $1.1 billion over the next three years to fight climate

change by building more climate-resilient communities. For those communities

still affected by climate-related disasters, Budget 2023 makes smart

investments to help local communities build back stronger and help people

seize the opportunities of a low-carbon future.

That plan includes $750 million committed in Budget 2022 to help

communities affected by extreme climate-related disasters, such as wildfires

and the November 2021 floods. Through Budget 2023, the province is

allocating an additional $300 million in capital funding over the fiscal

plan to support the repair or replacement of provincial infrastructure

damaged by climate emergencies.

We are investing in B.C. We are investing in the people of B.C. We are

investing in training and child care and housing and community safety and

transit and transportation and infrastructure. These are the things that are

the priorities of British Columbians. I started out by listing those

priorities and pointing out how Budget 2023 is directly addressing the

priorities of British Columbians. I pointed out housing, health care, mental

health and addiction, help with costs — the cost of living, the pressures of

inflation — public safety and access to justice.

We heard about the previous government’s record of closing justice

centres, of closing courthouses, of cutting off access to justice through

legal aid cuts, cutting education, cutting university funding, giving tax

breaks to the most wealthy in this province, giving tax breaks to

speculators — counterproductive. The very measures that put us in the place

that we found ourselves in 2017, with the plane headed to the ground. Well,

we pulled up. We levelled, and now we’re climbing along with the people of

B.C.

[3:40 p.m.]

They are the ones who deserve the credit for having done this, not the

government, not the opposition. The people of B.C. deserve the credit, and

they deserve a partner who will stand with them, make the investments

necessary to support them and to see their success. That’s what this

government does. We understand that healthy, thriving public services are

the core foundational elements of a thriving private economy. That’s

balance.

British Columbians are comfortable with what they see as a government

trying to take a balanced and measured approach to the vexing problems we

all face together. None of them are easy problems to solve: education,

homelessness, the forestry industry, the ecological challenges we face,

climate change.

Everyone who I represent understands that there are no simple

solutions, certainly not simple enough that a tax break will solve their

problems, certainly not so simple that cuts to services will somehow help

them. No, they expect their government to have their back, to make the

investments that will support them, to see that only when they thrive will

B.C. thrive.

That’s the essential equation that this government works with: that

supporting people will result in a thriving British Columbia. We intend to

continue supporting them. We hope that as they recognize the difference

between these investments and the cuts that they experienced in the 16 years

of B.C. Liberal governance, they will understand that this government has

their back, that they can build a thriving life in their communities and

that we will be there with them every day.

R. Merrifield: After that very impassioned address by my colleague from Nanaimo–North

Cowichan and his airport and airplane analogies, I feel like I would

characterize this budget as: “Mayday, mayday, mayday. We’re coming in for a

crash landing.”

It is always a privilege, though, to rise in this House and to speak

on behalf of my amazing riding and all of the residents of Kelowna-Mission.

I do want to acknowledge the work that staff did in the Ministry of Finance

and the minister’s office to prepare this budget because I understand the

tremendous amount of work it takes, and their efforts on behalf of British

Columbians are commendable.

Really, this budget is the first chance that we get to see our new

Premier in action, the first chance that he gets to put his stamp on the

place. He has been measuring the drapes for a while. We’ve had over 100 days

of his leadership. As an observer, albeit a partisan, my initial reaction to

his 100 days in office was: “Meh.”

What did he really do? Did we get any real action to increase public

safety? No. Random attacks on British Columbians continue at an alarming

rate. Repeat offenders still roam our streets with impunity, and communities

live in fear. Mayors, police and prosecutors are waiting for solutions to

put a stop to the catch-and-release system initiated by this Premier while

he was the Attorney General — waiting, waiting.

Did we see any real action to address our health care crisis? No.

British Columbians are still languishing on long wait-lists, waiting outside

walk-in clinics in the cold because they don’t have a family doctor, waiting

for cancer treatment — waiting, waiting.

The Premier did come home with some federal money, though, for health

care, but nothing more than a drop in a bucket. I don’t even think that

deserves a golf clap. Sadly, the money will go down to pay the massive

deficit the community scam agreement has caused in the construction of the

Cowichan Hospital project, so no real lift from those federal dollars to

assist British Columbians or our overworked, stressed and worn-out health

care workers.

[3:45 p.m.]

Did the newly minted Premier move quickly to address our opioid

crisis, the toxic drug crisis that has taken the lives of almost 2,300 of

our fellow British Columbians just in the last year alone, six people a day?

He must have worked at lightning speed to open treatment options, to

increase capacity to detox, right? No, he didn’t. Those addicted to these

drugs are waiting for just a sliver of hope, a lifeline that they could grab

onto, because their next hit could be their last. Families are begging the

government for options just to save their loved ones. They’re waiting for

real results. They’re waiting, waiting.

Housing. Surely he did something meaningful to fix our crisis of

housing. Last week I rose in this place to talk about an 81-year-old senior

living in their car, waiting for a spot in seniors subsidized housing for

two years, now forced to live in their car — in their car — waiting for

action from this new Premier, waiting, waiting.

Here we were, Tuesday afternoon, budget day 2023. I was actually

naively excited. I was ready to give this new administration the benefit of

the doubt that this budget would finally make good on so many promises made

by this NDP government, spanning two elections, two terms, six years. This

budget would finally deliver the results that so many British Columbians and

residents of my riding in Kelowna-Mission have been waiting for. Naive, I

know. I really should know better by now. This may be a new Premier, a new

Finance Minister, but this is still the same old NDP.

The budget delivered last week sounded very much like the budget

delivered in 2022 — lots of promises, lots of spending, high on rhetoric,

low on results. In fact, the spending was almost chaotic. As I’ve been

listening to others speak about the budget, it literally sounds chaotic.

It’s devoid of any connection to meaningful outcomes, and that seems to be

the playbook of this government. They aren’t interested in results, in

outcomes. When we question them on outcomes and results, all they want to

talk about is how much they’re spending.

That isn’t what British Columbians expect. British Columbians want

results for their hard-earned tax dollars, because the chaotic spending

isn’t the money that this NDP government has. The money is from taxpaying

British Columbians. Right now British Columbians don’t have money to spare.

Some 44 percent are $200 away from bankruptcy, 28 percent of women are out

of money, and 22 percent of the population is….

They aren’t asking a lot. British Columbians want to see a doctor when

they’re sick. British Columbians would like a place where they can afford to

live or call their own. British Columbians would like to buy groceries and

still have enough left over to save for a rainy day. British Columbians

would like to be able to find essentials, like cold medication, when they

need it. British Columbians would like to walk their streets, not feel

afraid, and not face the risk of a random attack.

These are all reasonable requests in a province that is as wealthy as

ours is. These are all requests that a competent and attentive government

should be able to deliver, but not this government,

unfortunately.

[3:50 p.m.]

The silver lining of this budget: free contraception. Government made

British Columbians beg for six years for this. So if it was a bit

underwhelming, forgive us. The world for British Columbians has changed in

the six years that this government has been in power.

Let me read you a quote from a letter written by a constituent of

mine.

“My wife and I had a serious discussion this evening about our options

to leave British Columbia. It’s gut-wrenching to think of leaving family and

friends and selling the two businesses we spent most of our lives building.

But what other options do we have?

“Our effective tax rate, after all is said and done, is north of 60

percent. With the sales tax, carbon tax, federal tax, it’s 60 percent of our

income.

“My pregnant wife can’t see a doctor when she needs to. When my son is

sick, we sit in non-emergency care or walk-ins for hours and hours on end,

hoping he doesn’t have RSV or strep, because we can’t get

antibiotics.”

I ask you, hon. Speaker. Does this sound like a British Columbian who

is getting value for their hard-earned tax dollars?

This budget communicated absolutely nothing but flashy promises and

shiny packaging. No path forward towards results for British

Columbians.

This budget has revenues going down, while spending is going up. Think

about that. Revenues are going down, while spending is going up. Instead of

spending on investments into our economy, trying to restart the engine, and

into jobs, this budget frivolously tries to hand out measly trinkets of

dollars without changing the lives of British Columbians at all.

A text message I received the night after the budget was released,

from a senior in my riding who was on the brink of homelessness himself,

said: “Do they think we’re stupid?”

British Columbians are not fooled by $33 in a month, paid next year,

after taxes are filed, for a renters rebate that was actually promised six

years ago. They want a great-paying job, a thriving economy and a government

that invests in their futures and in the futures of their kids and their

grandkids.

Where were the senior supports in the budget? I couldn’t find them.

They, out of everyone in British Columbia, deserve more. They can’t just go

out and make more money to cover the costs and the inflation that this NDP

government is creating.

Here’s the context for us. Since the NDP took over in 2017, spending

has increased by 57 percent. Likewise, the public service has expanded by

close to 30 percent. Have services gotten better? No, not even a

little.

Interjection.

R. Merrifield: Clapping with a no. That’s really awesome. I would not celebrate the

fact that people can’t get a doctor, that people can’t get into a hospital

and that people can’t find affordable housing. That is nothing to

celebrate.

Let’s look at the reasons that were given in the budget for these

expenditures: a growing economy and population. That’s why we need to spend

57 percent more. But over that same period, the economy only grew by 15

percent and the province’s population by six.

Across both of these baselines, then, it’s fair to say that government

operations have been extensively widened, without a measurable impact

whatsoever. Spending of this nature, if allowed to continue unchecked,

represents a challenge to long-term sustainability. Consider this the

check.

Let’s talk about how things are going with all of this spending by the

NDP. After six years of this NDP government, housing has never been more

expensive — the highest cost in North America, the most expensive in all of

Canada. Certainly not a badge I would want to wear.

On my way to the airport, I spoke to a constituent in his 70s who is

no longer able to make his ends meet. His rent has almost doubled this last

year, as his unit was turned into a seasonal rental, sending him to look for

another rental in town.

[3:55 p.m.]

He showed me his budget. After I looked through it, I was filled with

indignation, knowing that society is asking him to subsist below any

minimum-income job.

This is a familiar tale. Young adults are living with parents for

longer, as they cannot afford to move out. Most will not be able to even

afford housing ownership, as right now it takes an income of $250,000 per

year to qualify for an average home in B.C. That’s if they could even save

up the down payment, as a recent study found that it would take 22 years to

save for a 20 percent down payment currently.

I am so sorry for reducing the emails and the letters and the phone

calls that I receive from my constituents to statistics or an

argument.

This last week I received an email from someone in my riding who is so

desperate. They actually asked if I could help them access MAiD rather than

live in poverty. That is where British Columbians are at.

What was the current NDP government’s answer to this crisis that

they’ve created? Budget 2023 predicts housing starts to fall over the next

three years, which actually means things are going to get worse, not better.

The NDP promise of 114,000 homes disappeared completely, with not even a

mention in the budget. Still keeping the 13 new taxes and fees that they’ve

brought in to skyrocket the costs of housing.

Oh, remember that $400 renters rebate that was promised to British

Columbians in two consecutive elections but never delivered? Now it’s a

renter’s tax credit. Well, that’s the same as $1 a day for a renter making

less than $40,000, while rents have skyrocketed by thousands of dollars per

year for every single renter across this province. Sadly, this credit isn’t

going to even help.

According to the recent report from CMHC, rents in Kelowna have risen

to the fourth-highest in Canada, behind only Toronto, Vancouver and

Victoria. Kelowna has a supply problem, with a vacancy rate of just under 1

percent. This new and shiny tax credit won’t even cover half of the increase

of rent for one month.

It’s no wonder that we have people sleeping in their cars. It’s no

wonder that seniors in Kelowna worry that they might lose their housing and

be pushed out into the streets. It’s no wonder that I have constituents

begging for MAiD rather than trying to make ends meet. This budget didn’t

have hope for any of them.

Let’s talk about those streets in Kelowna, which they would end up on

without housing. Well, they aren’t safe anymore. Kelowna RCMP recently

presented their annual report to Kelowna city council. In 2021, metro

Kelowna reported a crime rate, per 100,000, of 11,112. The national rate was

5,375 per 100,000. Kelowna RCMP isn’t expecting that rate to decline when

the new Stats Canada report is released this summer.

In addition to having the highest crime rate among Canadian

metropolitan centres, Kelowna had the second-highest crime severity index in

the nation. Break and enters, both business and residential, jumped a

combined 17 percent, mostly driven by business break-ins, which rose more

than 26 percent.

Who is committing all of these break-ins? Well, the report from the

Kelowna RCMP says 28 prolific offenders on release were responsible for 483

property offences. The key words are “prolific offenders on release.” Why

are these prolific offenders on release? Why, it’s the Premier’s own

catch-and-release system that puts these repeat prolific offenders back into

our community.

[4:00 p.m.]

The Kelowna RCMP year in review showed that 20 individuals were

responsible for more than 3,575 property crimes between 2020 and 2022. The

RCMP told Kelowna city council it works out to 60 service calls per person

per year. “It means our officers, on average, are arresting all 20 top

repeat offenders more than once a week every week for the last two

years.”

The prolific offenders right to reoffend is more important than the

rights of Kelowna residents and business owners to feel safe. That’s where

we are in Kelowna and in B.C. after six years of the NDP government. Many of

these prolific offenders and many of those on our streets have underlying

mental health issues in addition to hard drugs. What was in the budget to

address this problem and the horror that our toxic drug public health crisis

is creating?

We gave the NDP great ideas — ideas the Premier actually publicly

agreed with. The Leader of the Opposition announced a Better is Possible

plan, which would resource mental health care and supports, more residential

care, more treatment beds, more complex care and wraparound services. As

someone who has long advocated for wraparound supports, I know that this

system of care is long overdue.

Wraparound supports are crucial for individuals with mental health

challenges, as they provide comprehensive care and services that address

their unique needs. This includes access to health care, psychiatry,

counselling, occupational and physical therapy, rehabilitation, housing,

employment and education, among other things.

Steal the plan. Take it. Use it, because it would only make things

better. But instead, Budget ’23 contained band-aids and was in no way a

bold, comprehensive plan that would deliver results and outcomes for those

suffering with an addiction.

Our Kelowna RCMP had 2,897 calls for service with mental health

components, 613 with Mental Health Act apprehensions and 34 calls for

service for overdose. Our fire hall in downtown Kelowna has had over 4,500

mental health–related calls. They used to go on a two-year rotation but have

had to switch to a one-year rotation, because they are burning out our

firefighter responders.

By the numbers, there are 160 beds of complex care today. This

government has announced some of these in Kelowna three times, giving us 20

beds announced. Of those 20, only eight are actually activated and funded,

but only three are actually open. So out of 160, Kelowna received three,

when Kelowna actually helped to pay for the white paper, spearheaded with

health authorities and with government agencies, that said that Kelowna

requires over 300 beds. So, what? Over the next year, maybe, I should, out

of the 190 that’s proposed, expect three more? Six total? Eight total,

maybe?

The minister spoke of expanding the Red Fish Healing Centre. There’s

nothing in the capital plan for Red Fish expansion. There’s nothing in the

capital plan for the 300 beds that Kelowna needs. There is no capital for

complex care.

Last year in estimates, I canvassed the Housing Minister, now Premier,

for over an hour on where the capital was supposed to come from for

communities who desperately needed complex care. There is no

capital.

What is getting funded right now out of this funding that is

available? More drugs. The government is spending $184 million over three

years on the public supply of addictive drugs. Nearly $100 million more than

their prolific offender programs, which totalled $87 million. So not on

reducing the month-long waiting lists before a person can actually get

treatment. No immediate change to eliminate fees for treatment, which was

and is a cornerstone for our Better is Possible plan, just more drugs and

decriminalization.

[4:05 p.m.]

In 2022, nearly 2,300 people lost their lives in B.C. That’s 87 in

Kelowna alone, eight on one weekend.

Clearly, what the B.C. NDP government is doing is not working. The

recent decriminalization of drugs without treatment is going to be

disastrous. Look no further than to Oregon to see how that’s played out.

After decriminalization, their overdose deaths have risen, not lowered. The

overdose deaths doubled in the first year of Oregon’s

decriminalization.

In my travels to Portugal to investigate the Portugal model of care

known as SICAD and meet with Dr. João Goulão, who is the architect of the

system…. I went to understand more fully how their success is happening in

their treatment and rehabilitation and care for the mentally ill and how it

was all achieved. In fairness, Portugal’s SICAD model actually includes

decriminalization and safe supply. It’s just not the focus, and it didn’t

come before treatment beds were available.

In 2018, SICAD’s Dr. Goulão spoke with the Vancouver Sun

about the importance of treating drug use as a public health issue. He noted

that decriminalization is not enough and that comprehensive care and support

must be in place to help individuals overcome their challenges and live

healthy, productive lives.

British Columbians deserve hope. They deserve wholeness. They deserve

a program that takes those that are experiencing homelessness and gives them

community.

So what about health in Budget ’23? British Columbians deserve the

best universal health care. Our health care system is imploding, and not

because of the heroic efforts of all of our front-line workers, but because

this government has allowed the health authorities and bureaucracies to eat

up health care dollars that should be going to produce better outcomes for

British Columbians and instead are going to pay for what can only be

described as bureaucratic bloat.

One example of this: 64 vice-presidents in B.C.’s health authorities,

earning more than $400,000 a year. Health authority admin costs are up by

$1.3 billion, double the level it was in 2017 — double. Same old NDP. We’ve

seen this before.

When we’ve asked about these increases and ridiculous costs, the

Health Minister rattled off a series of useless stats about how much money

they’ve thrown at our health care system. But guess what he doesn’t talk

about: outcomes, because they’ve never been worse. Wait times for cancer

treatment? Worst. I have constituents waiting for life-saving surgeries for

months. Cancer is winning.

How about emergency room lines? Worst. Wait times to see a specialist?

Worst. Lineups outside walk-in clinics? Worst. Lineups outside urgent and

primary care centres this government seems so proud of? Worst. Access to

life-saving antibiotics? Worst.

Oh, wait. They’re building a new hospital in Cowichan. But it’s also

$850 million over budget, almost $1 billion. That’s where we’re at after six

years of this NDP government.

British Columbians want to get back to work, to build, grow and afford

a life, to get ahead, to make ends meet. What’s in the budget to help small

and medium businesses? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Not even talk of growing our

economy, supporting businesses to innovate, attract and retain new

employees. No. There’s nothing.

While this government is predicting a recessionary decrease in our

GDP, they’re predicting our businesses are going to continue to increase

wages and pay higher employment health tax. But this EHT has ballooned by

over $500 million to $2.7 billion per year without any relief to businesses,

such as even lifting the $500,000 threshold for small business

payrolls.

How could B.C. increase revenues? Well, this government is saying that

they’re bullish on LNG. It’s actually the only saving grace of their entire

budget, and they predicted better than their economic forecasters because of

these revenues. But the rest of natural resource revenue — that’s all

dropping by 33 percent. Instead of cutting the red tape and getting the

backlog cleared, well, the NDP had an epiphany.

[4:10 p.m.]

They’re going to hire another 160 government employees to — get this —

try to reduce natural resources permits backlogs. Or is it housing permits,

or wait, environmental permits, or wait…? Let’s just put them all in one

paragraph, and they’ll all read the same. Only an NDP government would think

that adding more bureaucrats would actually make things move faster. Truly

unbelievable.

The NDP government has ignored rural British Columbians and the

natural resource sector, which actually generates the majority of wealth for

our province. Oh, but the carbon tax is due to rise $65 a tonne. A news

flash. This is going to make everything more expensive. Is it revenue

neutral, like it was under a B.C. Liberal government? Nope. The NDP just

pour it into their general revenue. Just a tax grab.

What about the B.C. climate action tax credit? Well, they’re going to

give about $400 million to people, but it’s not going to be equally

distributed. It’s a regressive tax. Those living close to transit in urban

centres still get the tax credit even though they don’t actually pay it. But

in rural B.C., without access to public transit or other alternatives? Well,

they get to pay more and get less.

Where does this end up? In $3.3 billion to service our

debt.

My constituents care about the economy and about driving an actual

plan for recovery.

My constituents care about mental health and getting treatment

facilities for those that need them.

My constituents care about health and getting critical surgeries and

cancer treatments done while planning for the future.

My constituents care about having a family physician and about having

affordable and accessible child care.

My constituents care about the environment and not choking with smoke

from fires or having emissions steadily climb, despite doing their

part.

My constituents care about the cost of living and inflation and having

a responsible government.

My constituents care about the cost of housing and are trying to make

ends meet.

My constituents desperately want and need hope. Rather than join the

conversation, we have nothing more than lip service.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing