British Columbia Hansard — 27 February 2019, p.m., Issue 209 (41st Parliament, 4th Session)

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British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Fourth Session, 41st Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday, February 27, 2019 Afternoon Sitting Issue No. 209 THE HONOURABLE DARRYL PLECAS, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raj Chouhan Assistant Deputy Speaker................................................................................................................................................................... Joan Isaacs Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ....................................................................................................................................................Craig James Acting Clerk of the Legislative Assembly...............................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Clerk Assistant — Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..........................................................................................Susan Sourial Sessional Law Clerk...............................................................................................................................................Loredana Catalli-Sonier, QC Parliamentary Counsel ...................................................................................................................................................................... S.

Suzie Seo Sergeant-at-Arms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary Lenz Acting Sergeant-at-Arms......................................................................................................................................... Randall Ennis, MMM, CD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ..............................................................Jordan Sturdy Party Standings: BC Liberal 42; NDP 41; BC Green Party 3; Independent 1

CONTENTS Wednesday, February 27, 2019 Afternoon Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 7293 Introduction and First Reading of Bills................................................................................................................................ 7294 Bill 9 — Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 2019 Hon. D.

Eby Statements (Standing Order 25B) ......................................................................................................................................... 7294 Pink Shirt Day and prevention of bullying M. Dean Marc Pelletier and Michael Dally M. Stilwell Coldest Night of the Y ear fundraising walk A. Kang Pacific Autism Family Network and Wall of Love initiative T. Wat Harmac mill D. Routley Pink Shirt Day and prevention of bullying D.

Barnett Oral Questions......................................................................................................................................................................... 7296 Marine traffic and protection of resident orca population A. Wilkinson Hon. G. Heyman Government policies on oil transportation A. Wilkinson Hon. J. Horgan P . Milobar Hon. G. Heyman Call for public inquiry into money laundering S. Furstenau Hon. D. Eby Government policies on oil transportation and U.S. tanker traffic S. Bond Hon. G. Heyman T. Stone Hon. J.

Horgan Trans Mountain pipeline and transport of oil by rail M. de Jong Hon. G. Heyman Orders of the Day Budget Debate(continued) .................................................................................................................................................... 7302 Hon. S. Robinson A. Wilkinson M. Dean D. Davies Hon. K. Conroy R. Sultan J. Routledge T. Wat D. Routley G. Kyllo J. Brar

WEDNESDAY , FEBRUARY 27, 2019 The House met at 1:35 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. Introductions by Members Hon. D. Eby: We have a special guest on the floor here with us today. I will read to you, a little bit, from the back of his new book, calledTake the Torch, for members who aren’t familiar with him. “Ian Waddell has been on the front line of progressive change in Canada for over five decades. When he ran a storefront law office in Vancouver in the ’70s, he argued and won the first class action lawsuit in Canada.

A few years later he was accompanying Tom Berger on his groundbreaking hearings in Canada’s north. Almost by accident, Waddell found himself in Canada’s parliament, embroiled in battles over the national energy policy, gas exports, national park reserves, the right to die, cultural policy, NAFTA, amongst others. ” Joining us is Ian Waddell. He has his assistant with him here today. Colin Edmundson is joining us as well. Will the House please make this former member of this place feel very welcome indeed. Mr. Speaker:And he was a good professor. A.

Weaver:It gives me great pleasure to introduce a group of first-year University of Victoria political science students. They’re MA and PhD students who are visiting the Legis- lature today to learn about our politics and parliament firsthand. The group is spearheaded by someone many of you may know: former 2016 B.C. legislative intern Michael McDonald. He’s pursuing his master’s degree in political sci- ence at the university in my riding. Would the House please make them all feel very welcome. I have another introduction.

My good friend and dear col- league Michael Markwick is in the precinct today with three visitors from the Metro Vancouver region. Would the House please make Michael and his guests also welcome today. B. Ma: The Leader of the Third Party stole my thunder there on one of my introductions. I would also love to be able to introduce Dr. Michael Markwick. Dr. Michael Markwick is a resident of the North Shore. We actually ran against each other in the 2017 election — not quite in the same riding. He was up against a much more formidable opponent, the hon. member for West Vancouver–Capilano.

In the years since, I have been so incredibly honoured to be able to not only work with him on an incredible num- ber of issues — including helping vulnerable people in North Vancouver to find housing, on the reduction of poverty and on actions to address climate change — but also to be able to call him a friend. He is here today visiting with a delegation of incredible women, who I will leave to the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity to introduce. Would the House please join me in making him feel very welcome. R. Kahlon:I have two guests here today in the House. They are Jan and Dan Donnelly.

They are celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary. They’ve made their way to Vic- toria to watch the proceedings. I’m hoping the whole House can please make them welcome. Hon. M. Mark: Joining us in the chamber is a fierce advocate, someone I respect very deeply. Her name is Fay Blaney. She has been a leader in the Downtown Eastside, fighting for missing and murdered Indigenous women. She is an educator; she’s an activist. She’s someone that I highly respect. Will the House please join me in welcom- ing Fay Blaney. [1:40 p.m.] M.

Dean:Today we were honoured to meet with a delega- tion on systematic human trafficking. I want to thank Trisha Baptie, Fay Blaney and Laurel McBride for sharing their wis- dom and experience with us today. Would everyone please make them very welcome. Hon. J. Horgan:For those who can’t see it, I’m wearing a pink tie today. I didn’t even know it, but I am. I wanted to thank all members from every corner of this House for join- ing us on the stairs today with representatives from school districts around greater Victoria.

Particularly, I want to pay tribute to Chantelle and Isa- bella from the great high school of Reynolds. Go Roadrun- ners. They were here with teachers and other associates, kids from Northridge School, kids from Central Middle School, reminding all of us how important it is to be kind every day. I know that that’s self-serving just before ques- tion period, but it is something I know we all hold in our hearts. I want to thank all members for doing that not just today but every day. Hon. R. Fleming: I have a couple of introductions to make. The first: joining us in the gallery is Mr.

Gordon Swan, who is the president of the B.C. School Trustees Association and has been involved in public education for something like 19 years — been involved in that organization for many, many, many years, playing a leadership role that has been essential. I don’t think I’m spreading any rumours, because he announced it before about 200 or so school trustees a week ago, but Mr. Swan is hanging up his boots, so to speak, as president. I just want to not only welcome him but thank him for his years of service for our public school system and welcome him to be here today. 7293

We have a few other guests who are joining us in the pre- cinct here as well. Gordon Matchett, is the CEO of the Take a Hike Foundation, which many members of the House will be familiar with. He’s joined by Deb Abma-Sluggett, who’s the director of philanthropy, and Larissa Hayes, who’s the man- ager of philanthropy for Take a Hike, which is a very, very innovative alternate education program that is establishing a presence in more and more school districts each year with an investment from our government. We’re very pleased to see the results for students in the Take a Hike program.

Very welcome and very pleased to have them here in the precinct today. Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL 9 — ATTORNEY GENERAL STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2019 Hon. D. Eby presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 2019. Hon. D. Eby:I move the bill be introduced and read a first time now. I’m pleased to introduce the Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 2019. This bill amends the Family Law Act to add the statutory authority needed to implement planned reforms through the Provincial Court family rules.

This bill also amends several sections of the Wills, Estates and Suc- cession Act, which was brought into force in 2016. The purpose of these amendments is to clarify the oper- ation of these sections and to improve the ability of those provisions to achieve their intended purpose. Doing so will help to reduce the potentially time-consuming, costly need to seek court direction on how these sections will apply. Mr. Speaker:The question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Hon. D.

Eby: Now 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 9, Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 2019, 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) PINK SHIRT DAY AND PREVENTION OF BULLYING M. Dean: Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes and on line. It’s a significant threat to the health and well-being of British Columbians. It is cruel, harmful and preventable.

Today is the 12th annual Pink Shirt Day, a day where thousands of British Columbians join together to take a stand against bullying. Pink Shirt Day aims to raise the awareness of the issues as well as support programs that help build and foster kids’ self-esteem. It is now a movement to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting positive social relationships. The theme this year is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can happen around the clock and can follow victims every- where, including home, into bedrooms and invading safe spaces.

In today’s digital world, it can be impossible to escape on-line bullying, whether it’s harassment, spread- ing rumours or threats. [1:45 p.m.] This year Pink Shirt Day is encouraging all British Col- umbians to combat cyberbullying by thinking twice before posting something negative and instead encouraging others to use the Internet as a positive sharing platform. B.C. ’s ERASE program was recently expanded and now focuses on social media and on-line safety, mental health and wellness, substance use, gang prevention and supporting students of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Every child has a right to feel safe, accepted and respected, regardless of their race, culture, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. We need to stand up with those being bullied and show them they’re not alone. I encourage all British Columbians to practise the principles of Pink Shirt Day every day, not just today, as we help build a brighter future for all. MARC PELLETIER AND MICHAEL DALLY M. Stilwell:All RCMP members and auxiliaries make our communities healthier, safer places every day.

Today I want to pay tribute to two such individuals with big hearts and big smiles who are big supporters of community, Oceanside RCMP staff sergeant Marc Pelletier and auxiliary constable Michael Dally. These two men go above and beyond to sup- port and connect with our community. Auxiliaries must volunteer a minimum of 160 hours each year, but in 2018, Michael logged more than 12 times that amount: 2,291 hours. He’s a wonderful ambassador for the RCMP with a larger-than-life personality, a booming laugh and his love of people.

Whether it’s teaching children about cyberbullying or conflict resolution, raising money for the Salvation Army or helping people feel more secure in their homes, he’s always willing to help. Staff Sgt. Marc Pelletier started at the Oceanside detach- ment in 2016, and under his leadership, Secure-Us was launched. The initiative is all about empowering victims of property crime and educating people on how to make their properties more secure. He also makes every effort to be at many community events — putting on an elf hat to celebrate 7294 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

the holiday season with the family resource centre or wel- coming the new Canadians at citizen ceremonies. Just last week he and Michael took the ice-cold plunge for Special Olympics B.C., raising a combined total of more than $3,000 as part of Team RCMP Copsicles. Both men have also been recognized by the RCMP for building positive and respectful relationships with Indigenous communities, which speaks volumes to the community connections that they have made. Oceanside is so fortunate to have these two individuals in our community. I thank Michael and Marc for all that you do.

COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR FUNDRAISING W ALK A. Kang:Imagine that you have to keep moving and walk- ing to stay warm because you are homeless and out in the cold. Imagine that you’re constantly tired and low on energy because you’re homeless and you’re out in the cold. Imagine that your fingers and your lips are numb, chapped, cracked and bleeding because you’re homeless and out in the cold. Imagine. Just imagine. I can only imagine because this thought is abstract to me. I can only imagine because I have never lived it. I can only imagine because I have not walked a mile in their shoes.

I rise today to recognize the joint effort of Burnaby Com- munity Services and Society to End Homelessness in Burn- aby in raising homelessness awareness and organizing the Coldest Night of the Y ear walk 2019. The Coldest Night of the Y ear walk event raises awareness by offering a glimpse into the challenges faced by people who are homeless. Although we may never truly understand the hardship of those who do not have a place to call home, I hope that through efforts like this, we can rally more support to take care of the most vulnerable in our society.

It was approximately 2 degrees Celsius when we began our walk, but as the sun began to set, the weather felt like it dropped a few degrees below freezing. Many of us had walk- ing shoes, some of us wore warm boots, and we were all giv- en some really cool-looking toques. Participants can choose to walk two, five or ten kilometres. But at the end of the cold walk, we will all return home to our warm beds. [1:50 p.m.] Change can only happen when people are empowered to improve their lives and the lives in their community.

I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who participated, donated, volunteered and sponsored this event. PACIFIC AUTISM FAMILY NETWORK AND W ALL OF LOVE INITIATIVE T. Wat:I’m proud today to rise in the House to speak on the unveiling ceremony of the Wall of Love at the Pacific Autism Family Network Centre last week in my riding of Richmond North Centre, hosted by the Canada Y outh Sports Alliance in support of those with autism spectrum disorder.

I would like to thank the alliance — especially the 18 fam- ilies mentioned on the Wall of Love, as well as the three fam- ilies that came forward to donate during the ceremony — for their efforts to raise funds for the Pacific Autism Fam- ily Network. With the theme of “Lighting up the dream, to shine, ” the Wall of Love is an honorary mural in the centre. It was lovingly painted with paper planes, each filled with the names of families who donated to the network. The opening of the centre in 2016 by former Premier Christy Clark was a seminal moment.

Thanks to the $20 mil- lion funding by the former provincial government, vital sup- port is provided to those with autism spectrum disorder and to their families. For the past few years, Canada Y outh Sports Alliance pres- ident Frank Wu has been actively engaging the Chinese- Canadian community in understanding autism disorder spectrum. Frank and I were among the many people who joined the centre’s opening ceremony, and we were moved by their care and passion.

Frank also noticed that very few Chinese-Canadians were present at the opening ceremony, which shows a relative lack of knowledge and attention to autism in the community. This was the driving force for his determination to promote awareness of autism in the Chinese-Canadian community and the meaningful work of the Pacific Autism Family Net- work. Over the years, much has been accomplished on this front, and I will continue to actively support this effort. I’m extremely touched to be a part of this event and hope that more will join this worthy cause. HARMAC MILL D.

Routley:I’ d like to tell you a little story about a mill named Harmac. Harmac is a pulp mill in my riding. It was owned by MacMillan Bloedel. It was first started by them and named after Harvey MacMillan, thus “Harmac. ” Pope and Talbot was the last company to own it before the employees, and they went bankrupt in 2007. That left the community of Nanaimo — the region, the workers, their families — on the edge of an irreplaceable loss. Those workers saw opportunity. They gathered together, formed a workers’ cooperative and became partners in res- cuing that mill.

They did so with the help of the Sampson family — Levi Sampson is now the president of the company — and a couple of other investors, including Williams Lake–based Pioneer Log Homes, the subject of the reality TV showTimber Kings. The Sampsons, the employees at Harmac and their other investors carried forward where no one thought they could. They started with no line of credit because of inherited environmental liabilities. This meant that they had to pay their hydro bill every day — $50,000 a day, $100,000 on Sat- urdays to cover Sunday. They struggled.

Harmac made the decision to sell its first order, 15,000 tonnes, at a loss. Levi said: “We were in a tight spot, losing money. It was hard to get customers back. ” They Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7295

were afraid they wouldn’t be around in a couple of months, so they weren’t necessarily wanting to fill out order forms. Since then, more than $20 million has been paid out in municipal taxes by Harmac. Things haven’t always been easy. The union stepped in during the first couple of years with a $1.2 million loan. But Harmac enjoys a competitive advant- age, and that is the workers and the partnership they have forged, which delivers competitive business results, fairness and prosperity to families, and spreads that prosperity out into the region broadly. I thank them, all of them, for everything they’ve done.

PINK SHIRT DAY AND PREVENTION OF BULLYING D. Barnett:Pink Shirt Day was inspired in 2007 in Nova Scotia when David Shepherd and Travis Price saw another student, who was wearing a pink shirt, being bullied. These two courageous young men stood up to the bullies for the young lad. [1:55 p.m.] As a result, a protest was staged, and Pink Shirt Day was born. We continue to wear pink on this day as a message to our young and old alike that no one should be bullied. Every day many are still subject to the nastiness of bully- ing, so we must continue to ask why. Where does bullying come from?

It starts with what children see from birth, at home, at play and at school, but what starts in children often doesn’t end when they’re 19. Nowadays bullying occurs across society, including many workplaces. As a result, Pink Shirt Day is highly relevant to us all, no matter what age and whether or not we have chil- dren. Unfortunately, bullying is now more potent and harm- ful than it ever has been. A new mode of bullying has evolved from the new eco- nomy and the world of technology — social media.

Social media has taught our society to say anything, to post any pic- ture and to do all of this behind a shield of anonymity. It is far more difficult to hold modern-day bullies to account, and these modern-day bullies, in the truest sense of the word, are cowards. They can’t even bring themselves to face those who they destroy. Pink Shirt Day provides all of us with an opportunity to reflect on what we say to others, both in person and on line, and on what effect these words may carry. Think about the pain that those who have been and are still being bullied endure on a daily basis.

Think about those who could no longer endure the bullying and took their lives. Think of the loved ones they left behind. More importantly, allow today to be a reminder of the reflections we all must make on a daily basis to do our part to stop bullying. S. Furstenau:I seek leave to make an introduction. Leave granted. Introductions by Members S. Furstenau:Having gotten leave, I might take a little bit more than people are expecting. Y ou may have noticed a large group of students come in wearing pink shirts just now. This is half of a group of grade 10 students from Shawnigan Lake School.

There are 120 of them here in the precinct today, wearing their pink shirts. These students have just completed a mock parliament, complete with political parties, a coalition agreement and a decision to pass a bill to bring in a national carbon tax as a means to address the very serious challenge of tackling cli- mate change. I’m absolutely delighted to see them here today. I want to also congratulate their teacher Paul Klassen, who’s providing the opportunities for these and many other students to again and again realize they are not the future leaders we are wait- ing for.

They are the leaders we need right now. D. Routley:I seek leave to make an introduction. Leave granted. D. Routley:Joining us later in the precinct today will be Mike Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation, and director Levi Sampson, who I mentioned in the statement earlier, the president of Harmac pulp mill. They’ll be meeting with members of government in order to bring attention to the fundraising that they do, last year raising $10 million at their annual event to support families of children who are having transplants. Oral Questions MARINE TRAFFIC AND PROTECTION OF RESIDENT ORCA POPULATION A.

Wilkinson:Our Environment Minister is no doubt aware that the world’s leading scientific journal goes by the name of Nature. A recent report inNature entitled “Evalu- ating Threats to Endangered Killer Whales” makes it very clear that commercial vessels, including freighters, tankers and ferries, are all a threat to our killer whale population. [2:00 p.m.] The expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline would res- ult in 29 extra sailings per month, about one per day. The Environment Minister recently defended the addition of 2,700 sailings per year by B.C. Ferries, on top of the existing 117,000 sailings by B.C.

Ferries. Is the Environment Minister prepared to ignore the sci- ence in pursuit of his political agenda around killer whales? Hon. G. Heyman:Well, only the opposition could try to convince British Columbians that they cut ferry service to remote communities in order to save an endangered species 7296 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

but declined to introduce any legislation to do the same or to act on the many threats to species around British Columbia. The Minister of Transportation, I, my ministry, take the report very seriously. We have worked and will continue to work with B.C. Ferries on all reasonable methods that we can discover and ones that are being explored, like electri- fication, to cut down on the noise from ferries, but we will stand with people in remote communities and ensure they have the services they need. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Official Opposition on a supplemental. A.

Wilkinson:Now, an additional report was commis- sioned by the Port of Vancouver from JASCO Applied Sci- ences entitledRegional Ocean Noise. That report found that B.C. Ferries contributes 67 percent to the lost foraging time by our southern resident killer whale population due to its sailing schedule. Traffic from the shipment of petroleum products in Canadian waters contributes 1 percent of the noise that inhibits that foraging. Is the minister prepared to defend a further 2,700 sail- ings with the accompanying noise pollution?

Is he just becoming a complete hypocrite on this file when it comes to noise pollution? Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Hon. G. Heyman: Well, I think British Columbians will be interested to know that the opposition thinks that their ability to get from remote communities to other communit- ies via B.C. ’s long-standing ferry service is less important to them than a sevenfold increase in the number of tankers potentially putting our coast at risk. I’m, in fact, shocked to hear that. We take the safety and the protection of orcas seriously. We’re working with the federal government on a number of measures.

We’re in regular contact with the Ministry of Fish- eries and Oceans, who were pleased to note the new minister is from British Columbia and understands the importance of this iconic species to British Columbians very clearly. We will work with B.C. Ferries to minimize the threat to orcas, and we will continue to defend our coast, our envir- onment and tens of thousands of jobs from a project that we continue to stand against because we believe it is not neces- sary and it’s a threat to British Columbia. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Official Opposition on a second supplemental.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON OIL TRANSPORTATION A. Wilkinson:Let’s be clear what the Environment Min- ister is saying. He is prepared do nothing about the 500 large crude carriers that go down the Strait of Juan de Fuca every year to Anacortes and Birch Bay — nothing at all — while the Premier goes to Olympia, Washington, to cozy up to the governor who’s protecting that tanker traffic.

We have an Environment Minister who is prepared to do absolutely nothing about thousands of railcars being pur- chased to bring oil down the Thompson River, down the Fraser River, when we’ve just had a derailment that sent 110 grain cars into Kicking Horse Canyon. We have an Envir- onment Minister who is prepared to do nothing in the face of 120,000 B.C. Ferries sailings generating noise pollution when two-thirds of the problem with the killer whales comes from those sailings.

This minister sits in this House and smiles and says: “Oh no. ” He’s “protecting the coast of British Columbia. ” Please, will someone on the other side stand up and do something to protect the coast of British Columbia? [2:05 p.m.] Hon. J. Horgan:I will take the Leader of the Opposition up on his invitation to stand and defend the coast, because we’ve been doing that since we were sworn in, in 2017.

I’m as incredulous as the Environment Minister to hear the Leader of the Official Opposition say to British Col- umbians on the coast and on Vancouver Island: “Stay in your homes, because we want to make sure oil products can get, not refined here to help British Columbians, to help Canadians, but sent somewhere else so they can cre- ate jobs somewhere else. ” The Liberals, to recap, say: “We want to send raw products as far away as possible, not create jobs and wealth and oppor- tunity here.

And we want people in coastal British Columbia to stay home because we don’t want to fund the ferry ser- vice. ” Outrageous. P . Milobar:It’s always astounding — the attempts at deflection from the real question when it comes to this gov- ernment. This isn’t about the ferries. This is about the ferries not having a plan that’s any faster than 50 years from now to try to address the noise as it relates to the killer whales. Let’s look at what the science says about the noise implications within these waters. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Thank you. P .

Milobar:The shipment of energy contributes just 1 percent of noise pollution to the killer whale situation. The expansion of Trans Mountain adds one more trip per day. Other threats are ignored. Y et this government chooses to block the pipeline for political reasons. They seem to think that if a spill happens on the other side of the international Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7297

waters, the bitumen and the oil in the water will respect the dotted line on the map and not wash up on our shore. Why should our economy and B.C. workers have to pay the price for this minister and this Premier cozying up to the United States’ energy interests instead of Canadian interests? Hon. G. Heyman:Only the masters of spin on the other side of the floor could think that protecting British Col- umbians’ jobs, environment and coastline is somehow act- ing for political reasons instead of the reasons we were elected to serve.

The member opposite should know that those tankers are outside the jurisdiction of British Columbia. They are regulated by the federal government. We are talking about applying B.C. ’s jurisdiction on a hazardous product that transports through a pipeline or by rail through our territ- ory and the impacts it may have on the marine environ- ment and our coastline. We’ve been clear. We’ve been con- sistent. We’re standing up for British Columbia, and we’ll continue to do that. Mr. Speaker:The member for Kamloops–North Thomp- son on a supplemental. P .

Milobar:I think that answer very clearly demonstrates the blinders that this minister has — him and his Bowen Island buddies — when it comes to protecting things along our coastline. They seem to have no problem whatsoever…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Members, the chamber is suffer- ing from noise pollution. If we could respect the member for Kamloops–North Thompson. Thank you. P . Milobar:They have absolutely no problem turning a blind eye to what is going on in our oceans, in our seas, right next door to us. The Premier goes down to Washington state and never broaches the subject at all.

Y et when he comes home, the governor from down in that same state is mak- ing statements about our energy shipments and our energy products in Canada. Again, their goal seems to be to landlock Canadian resources while saying nothing about the U.S. oil and gas interests and the U.S. tankers right next to our waters and our shorelines. How is that protecting our coastline? Again to the Minister of Environment, why does he prefer foreign tankers and foreign jobs over Canadian tankers and Canadian jobs? Hon. G.

Heyman:Again, only the opposition could pre- tend that turning a blind eye to the risks of a project — risks that were confirmed by the National Energy Board but which they chose to ignore, risks to our coastal economy, risks to tens of thousands of jobs — is somehow siding with interests outside of British Columbia. It’s simply not true. [2:10 p.m.] Let me say again: we are consistent. We are rational in our position. We’ve stood up for British Columbia’s environ- ment, our coastal economy and tens of thousands of jobs.

We haven’t flip-flopped back and forth like the members of the opposition when they were in government. Bring on another question, and I’ll tell you exactly how you’ve done that. CALL FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO MONEY LAUNDERING S. Furstenau:I’m sorry to disappoint the Minister of Environment, but we’re going back to money laundering, which is prospering in B.C. Money laundering enriches those who are damaging our society, and it’s harming citizens across the province. As criminal money pours into our housing supply, jacking up the prices, it pushes people away from homes that they could’ve lived in.

It also fuels the opioid crisis that is destroy- ing families and communities across this province. Last week I raised the issue of the integrity of past anti- money-laundering investigations and the role of the B.C. Lottery Corp.

In his response, the Attorney General stated that the U.S. lists Canada as “a problem jurisdiction for money laundering. ” He also stated: “It appears as though money-laundering investigations aren’t taking place to the degree that they should. ” Y esterday, in a response to my colleague’s call for a public inquiry into money laundering, the Attorney General stated that the procedure his office is taking to address the issue is faster than a public inquiry.

However, the main appeal of a public inquiry is not its speed but its depth — its ability to expose the legal gaps of our system, dig deep into the roots of the issue in public and use legal powers to summon indi- viduals to cooperate. My question is to the Attorney General. There is wide- spread agreement that money laundering is a huge problem. It’s not being adequately addressed. Will his government launch a public inquiry into money laundering? Hon. D. Eby:I thank the member for the question.

Obvi- ously, the approach that we’re taking is aimed at stopping the activity that is happening right now in British Columbia. That is our main focus, and it is taking the government’s full attention to work on that. I agree with the member, though, that a public inquiry does bring the benefit of going into significantly more depth on these issues. One of the pieces I was concerned about when Dr. German’s initial report came out was that there were many stories in that report that didn’t get attention.

Beyond that, there were likely many stories that were not told, just given the amount of time and the scope that we gave Dr. German, because we wanted answers quickly about how to stop what was happening in our casinos. I agree with her about the benefits of a public inquiry. But 7298 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

I hope she also agrees with me about the benefits of trying to stop the activity as quickly as possible that’s happening in B.C. and keeping the option of a public inquiry open, if that’s necessary. Mr. Speaker:The House Leader, Third Party, on a supple- mental. S. Furstenau:It’s great to see agreement on this front, because I think so many people across B.C. really are asking when the evidence is enough to make the move towards hav- ing a public inquiry.

The German report originally estimated that the levels of money laundering were in the hundreds of millions, but now the Ministry of Finance has estimated that the problem is closer to $1 billion. A recent Global B.C. report reinforces this, estimating that roughly $5 billion of illegal funds have been laundered in Vancouver real estate since 2012. The evidence of the problem does continue to grow, as does its size and scope. We know the two reports the minister is expecting in March will likely raise even more concern.

The Attorney General said earlier this month that public inquiries generally take a long time and that he doesn’t think solutions are so complicated. Y et clearly, we have no idea how big this problem is or how deep it goes. My question, again, is for the Attorney General. I know he has not ruled out a public inquiry. I’m heartened by his words today. But when will the public know if an inquiry into money laundering is going to happen or not? Hon. D. Eby: We’re expecting the reports from Dr. Ger- man and from Maureen Maloney at the end of March.

We expect that they will be of great interest, both within this House and outside of this House, to many British Columbi- ans — and, likely, to many Canadians — who are concerned about what they’re seeing happening in British Columbia. I’m sure we will have more conversations at that time. [2:15 p.m.] GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON OIL TRANSPORTATION AND U.S. TANKER TRAFFIC S. Bond:Right now there are eight foreign tankers off our coast carrying Alaskan crude oil.

Because these tankers are not subject to National Energy Board speed requirements, they have a much greater impact than the proposed single sailing a day from a potential pipeline expansion. Can the Environment Minister stand up and tell British Columbians why he is silent about the foreign tankers that are off our coast today and every day and why he refuses to stand up for Canadian resources and Canadian jobs? Hon. G. Heyman: We on this side of the House are pleased to stand up for Canadians, for British Columbians and for our jobs every single day we’re in office. That’s exactly what we’re doing.

The members opposite can say that it’s simply one tanker a day, but the fact is that that’s a sevenfold increase over one tanker a week. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Hon. G. Heyman: A couple of days ago the member for Kamloops–North Thompson claimed there were multiple tankers in the Salish Sea carrying Alaska crude to Washing- ton. The members opposite might want to do some research. He pointed to a specific tanker, theT Rex, holding it up as an example of a foreign tanker carrying oil off our coast. In fact, that tanker was in Vancouver’s harbour.

If it was in Vancouver’s harbour, it’s because it was carrying chemicals, not crude oil. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. The member for Prince George–Valemount on a supple- mental. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Member, you can wait until you feel that there’s quiet enough for you to ask your question. S. Bond:Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Let’s be clear. To the Minister of Environment, we are talking about one additional sailing a day. Today, right now, there are eight tankers sitting off our coast.

Let me paint the picture, because this is a minister who apparently believes it’s acceptable that if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. Let me paint the picture. ThePolar Enterprise tanker is approximately 15 kilometres off Saturna Island right now. It is a 141,740 tonne oil tanker carrying crude oil to the Ferndale Refinery in Washington state. Y et this government hasn’t said one thing to Governor Inslee about these U.S. tankers, even while that governor is busy attacking Canadian projects and Canadian jobs. Well, apparently, the minister has no problem with foreign tankers…. Interjections. Mr.

Speaker:Members. Thank you. S. Bond: Well, apparently, the minister has no problem with foreign tankers sailing off the coast of British Columbia day after day. He refuses to support one sailing a day of a ship that carries Canadian resources and creates Canadian jobs. A simple question to the minister: why is it acceptable for foreign tankers to sail off our coast and not one additional vessel carrying Canadian resources? Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7299

Hon. G. Heyman: We in this government regularly and collaboratively talk to other jurisdictions about how to min- imize the risk to our respective coastlines and to the sea that knows no borders, just as orcas know no borders. We work collaboratively to try to minimize risk, and we will continue to do that. We had hoped to be able to work collaboratively with governments in Canada to look seri- ously at the risk that was posed to British Columbia’s coast- line, our economy and tens of thousands of jobs, but appar- ently, that wasn’t on the agendas of the other governments with whom we tried to deal.

We continue to state that we want to protect British Columbia jobs. It’s sad to note that it wasn’t enough for the members opposite, when they were in government, to cut coastal ferry service to remote communities and endanger tourism indus- tries that were dependent on those routes. They now, appar- ently, would like this government to cancel them all over again and put those communities and those tourism jobs at risk. Well, we’re not interested. [2:20 p.m.] T.

Stone:Effectively, the Minister of the Environment, the Premier, the government have continuously stood in this House and they’ve basically said that because these U.S. tankers aren’t in Canadian waters, they’re not a threat to Brit- ish Columbia’s coast. But the hundreds of tankers that are plying the waters off of B.C. ’s coast from Alaska to Washington do indeed pose a far greater risk to British Columbia’s coast than the one additional tanker per day that would come as a result of the Trans Mountain pipeline project.

The Premier has said “out of sight, out of mind, ” and he’s very happy to lock arms with his compatriot, Washington Governor Inslee, and work together to kill the Trans Mountain pipeline project. My question is this. The Washington governor is standing up for U.S. interests. He’s standing up for U.S. resources, and he’s standing up for U.S. jobs. When will this Premier and this government do the same for Canadians? Hon. J.

Horgan:Although all of the things allegedly said by me were never said, I want to thank the member for his question, because I think that’s a theme that they’ve got going and they’ve got half an hour to kill. I respect that. I understand the challenges of opposition, and I have sym- pathy for the members having to continue to go down a road where they’re not going to get any success. I did meet with Governor Inslee. That is true. We talked about orcas. We talked about chinook salmon. We talked about the mutual interests between our two jurisdictions.

We talked about a range of issues, because I believe the best way forward is to work cooperatively with people of differ- ent persuasions, different perspectives. I think the member on the other side should adopt that position as well. Mr. Speaker:The member for Kamloops–South Thomp- son on a supplemental. T. Stone:The interesting thing here is it seems like the Premier is kind of harkening back to the day when you’ d walk into a restaurant and there was a smoking

section and a non-smoking section. Y ou’ d say, “I want to sit in the non- smoking section, ” as if the smoke wouldn’t waft over to your table from time to time. To the Premier: an oil spill off of B.C. ’s coast is an oil spill off of B.C. ’s coast. There are hundreds of U.S. tankers plying those waters every single day. He doesn’t appear to have raised it with the governor of Washington. The Premi- er’s buddy, the governor of Washington, clearly wants to landlock Canadian resource projects to benefit U.S. interests.

That’s what he wants to do, including in his own state, in Washington state, where they refine nine times as much as we do here in British Columbia. Y ou don’t have to take my word for it. The CEO of the Tacoma refinery — the Tacoma refinery CEO — said in a recent investor conference call: “ As you all know, dips for Canadian crude are at record levels, and the Tacoma refinery is a big beneficiary of this pricing environment. As a result, we expect a significant increase in profitability from Tacoma next year. ” Well, to the Premier, well done. Well done.

Y our policy with the governor of Washington has enriched the bottom lines of U.S. oil companies. It’s certainly strengthened the jobs of U.S. workers. He’s even gone down to Washington state with a cheque in hand for a high-speed rail project. This is all ridiculous, and the Premier should be embarrassed. Why is the Premier turning a blind eye to the hundreds of U.S. ships that ply our coast and the Salish Sea every single year instead of siding with Canadian interests and Canadian jobs? Hon. J. Horgan:I thank the member from Kamloops for his question.

Not being a coastal dweller, he won’t have the same profound impact when his leader stands up and says we should cut ferry service. I recall him being responsible for ferry service at one time, I believe. I remember the member for Cariboo-Chilcotin pleading and begging with him when he was minister to not cut service to her community. But that fell on deaf ears. [2:25 p.m.] We’re committed to making sure that we protect the interests of British Columbians. That means working cooperatively with people from other jurisdictions — Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska. Interjections. Mr.

Speaker:Members. Hon. J. Horgan: To be so narrow-focused to suggest that the province of British Columbia can stand up and say, “International waters no longer exist. We can dictate 7300 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

to other jurisdictions how they conduct themselves…. ” It’s ridiculous. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Hon. J. Horgan:What we can do is control those things within our jurisdiction. That’s why, in the interests of our environment and our coast, we have gone to create a refer- ence case to test the jurisdiction to make sure British Col- umbians can indeed stand up and protect our environment. Everyone on this side of the House, the majority in this House, agrees with that position. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members.

TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE AND TRANSPORT OF OIL BY RAIL M. de Jong: I’m trying to be fair in assessing the approach that the government is taking to this issue, but to be fair, we have American oil tankers plying our coast on a daily basis. And actually, the additional marine pro- tection that was pledged by the Canadian federal govern- ment is not there because of the actions of this govern- ment. Meanwhile, the amount of bitumen and crude that is flowing through British Columbia transported by rail is increasing dramatically. The minister promised a year ago to release the statistics. So far, nothing.

I warned him a year ago, and he suggested that I was exaggerating the risk. Well, here’s what the Nation- al Energy Board says. “In July of 2017, the amount of bitu- men exported from Canada was 92,000 barrels a day. Today it is over 350,000 barrels a day. That is five 100-car trainloads every single day. ” The International Energy Agency, whose predictions have been bang on so far, says it’s going to 600,000. Six hundred thousand barrels a day. Will the minister admit that his politically motivated approach to this issue has been a failure?

Instead of pro- tecting the British Columbia environment, he has actually put it at risk and, more importantly, put British Columbi- ans at risk. Hon. G. Heyman: Only the members opposite could expect British Columbians to be gullible enough to believe that the only way we can get the protections for our coastline that we deserve from the federal government is to increase the risk to our coastline sevenfold. We would have welcomed it… Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Hon. G.

Heyman: …if the members opposite had stood with this government when we introduced regulations to protect both our land and our coastal waters, washing up on our shoreline, from the threat of the spill. We brought in regulations to specify specific geographic response plans, to specify mandatory response times that needed to be tested by exercise, to expand our jurisdiction to that part of the marine environment which is clearly within our jurisdiction and to ensure that if there was an impact on communities, they were compensated. But the people on the other side did not stand with us.

As to rail, most of those shipments go directly south from Alberta. We demanded from the rail companies… Mr. Speaker:Thank you, Minister. Hon. G. Heyman: …that they release to us the volumes of oil being shipped, and they took our order to the Envir- onmental Appeal Board and asked for an injunction till their appeal was heard. It is to our great regret that they were gran- ted that injunction. We will continue to push… Mr. Speaker:Minister, thank you. Hon. G. Heyman: …for the information that British Columbians need for their health and safety, and we will not stop. Mr.

Speaker:I will allow that supplemental question. That answer went on at length. [2:30 p.m.] The member for Abbotsford West on a supplemental. M. de Jong:Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I related some statistics to the House and to the minister. I don’t actually need the stats, because like hundreds of thou- sands of British Columbians, I can watch the trains roll by from my porch. They roll by, train after train, car after car, as they do through towns up and down the Fraser, the Thomp- son, the Columbia River. And there will be a derailment.

There will be a derailment, just as there was in Saint Lazare, Manitoba, where 37 cars carrying crude oil slipped the track and leaked their contents into the environment. What does it look like when 37 cars are floating in the Fraser River, in the Fraser Canyon? What does that look like? I don’t actually think the minister is evil, and I don’t think he intends for harm like that to occur. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. M. de Jong:But will he admit that it is his policies and the policies of his government that have created a circumstance Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7301

where rail shipments of crude oil by rail are increasing dra- matically, that it is increasing the risk of a derailment and increasing the risk to the environment and increasing the risk of safety to the British Columbians who live along those rail routes? Hon. G. Heyman: What I will admit to is doing every- thing possible to defend British Columbians against a cata- strophic oil spill, whether it’s from pipeline or rail.

Let me quote the then Minister of Environment, the mem- ber for Langley, who said: “We believe that right now all land base spills preparedness and response is not sufficient in British Columbia. ” That’s why we introduced two phases of spill control regu- lations, the second phase of which I outlined a few moments ago — to require specific plans, to require adequate response times and to ensure that compensation was available in the event of a spill as well as measures to protect our coastline. Part of that is demanding from oil companies that they release volumes. They’ve refused to do that.

We’re pressing that. We will do everything possible to protect British Col- umbians with these new regulations, which we’ll be releasing in a matter of a few short weeks, against a spill, whether by rail or by pipe. Let me close by quoting former Premier Christy Clark. Our job “is to stand up for British Columbia. It’s to fight to make sure our coasts, our land base, our communities are protected…. ” I agree with her on that. Apparently, the members oppos- ite no longer do. [End of question period.] Orders of the Day Hon. M. Farnworth:In this chamber, I call continued debate on the budget. [2:35 p.m.] [R.

Chouhan in the chair.] Budget Debate (continued) Hon. S. Robinson:It is my pleasure to be up on my feet in the House, in a full House today — we have, it looks like, some students who are joining us — to provide my response to Budget 2019. It’s a pleasure, I have to say, to represent Coquitlam-Mail- lardville. My community is on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish people and the Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Coquitlam is a traditional suburban community that’s in the process of transformation as investments and transit infra- structure have seen the Coquitlam central area create a city centre with high densities, restaurants, shopping and so much community activity. It’s a community that my husband and I have chosen to raise our family in because of the good schools, the good neighbourhoods, the community amen- ities and, certainly back in the early ’90s when we arrived there, because of its affordability. Now, I do want to speak to affordability because it’s a very important issue to our government.

It’s an import- ant issue to British Columbians. Before I do that, I want to just take a moment to thank the staff who work so hard on my behalf while we spend so much time here in Vic- toria as well as travelling the province as a minister. I want to thank my constituency assistants — Laura Gullickson, Linda Asgeirsson and Erica Williams — for the work that they do to make sure that the citizens of Coquitlam-Mail- lardville are well served and understand what their gov- ernment services are, and to help to make sure that they are connected to their government.

I also want to take a moment to thank my ministry staff, because they spend so much time making sure that we’re able to deliver on our government’s priorities in the areas of municipal affairs and housing as well as TransLink. I want to thank Craig Ashbourne; Daniela Gardea; Matt Djonlic; Christine White; Lisa Grant, who has gone on to work else- where just recently; and also, new to our team, Jena Rayner. They really do help keep my office going and making sure that we are able to deliver. Back to talking about my community and about the affordability issue.

When I arrived in Coquitlam in ’94, affordability was manageable. We could find enough resource in our capacity to pay for a mortgage and pay for child care, pay for dental care, do all of the things that we want to be able to do when we have a young family. I know that all members of this House have heard just how difficult it has become. We certainly heard that on the doorstep in the 2017 election. It’s becoming so much harder for families over this last decade. It’s become so difficult. It’s resulted, I have to say, in stressed out families who are concerned about their sur- vivability in my community.

We are seeing instances of seniors who are being priced out of their rental accom- modations; young people who are unable to move out of their family home. Now, this reminds me of a family that I came across when I was knocking on doors back in 2017. It was the very last door that I knocked on, and there was a young couple who answered the door. I asked them some questions about what was important to them and what mattered to them, and their priority was that they wanted to be able to save money to get out of their parents’ house. It was really important to them to be able to find a way to move forward.

I asked them. I said: “So tell me a little bit more about who you are and your family. ” And they said…. One of them was a pharmacy assistant, and the other one worked in the med- ical technology field. They had finished their education. They were looking to move forward in their life. But they could not move out of his parents’ basement. They couldn’t figure out how they were going to, on their salaries, make it work. 7302 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

This has always stayed with me because we know that the previous government ignored this issue. It’s one that’s been going on for a very, very long time. Because of the previous government’s lack of interest in it…. Or maybe it was their choice to not act on it. I’m not going to pretend to under- stand, but they clearly chose not to act to make sure that housing was available for people when they needed it. [2:40 p.m.] I’m really proud of all the three budgets that our govern- ment has brought forward.

Budget 2019 is a continuation of the budget update that we did in 2017 and then that we pres- ented last year in 2018. Again, I have to say that when you take a look at the scope of what we have been able to do in 18 months, I think it’s absolutely outstanding. I’m very proud to stand here and to defend the budget that was presented by the Minister of Finance. Just to remind everyone in the House and to remind Brit- ish Columbians, in 2017, our government made historic investments not just in transit infrastructure but also in housing and in child care.

These three things combined have been starting to put money in people’s pockets. Investments in these key areas mean that people can not only work and participate more fully in the economy, but it means that they can find a place to live, a place to raise their family. This is a part of a strong economy that we need. We need it in every urban centre in our province, and we need it in rural British Columbia. Now, I think it’s important to remember that people have been asking for these investments for years. I’m proud that we are able and willing to deliver them.

I also think it’s important to recognize that the business sector has been strongly advocating for these investments as well. We’ve cer- tainly heard from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. They were calling on addressing housing affordability. They’ve been calling on the need for child care and, abso- lutely, the need for investments in public transit. The thing that I think we need to remember is that when you invest in these things, you actually put money back in people’s pockets. When people have money in their pockets, they can buy more things. They can go out to more restaur- ants. They can get haircuts.

They can also save for the future. I have heard from constituents, particularly on the child care front, about what it means for them when they have an extra $400 or $500 in their pocket because of our invest- ments in child care. This one family said: “I’m thrilled to have this money, because I can do two things with it. One, I can now afford to buy new hockey gear for my son, who keeps outgrowing it. While I do go to the KidSport fun- draiser and get used equipment, sometimes I can’t find what I need.

Now I don’t have to figure out how I’m going to pay for new skates or new shoulder pads. ” The other thing she said where she’s putting some of those savings is into an RESP , because she knows that she wants her child to be able to go to post-secondary education, whether it’s a trade school or academic setting. She wants to be able to help her children to thrive and to have those opportunities. So she feels like a good parent. She feels like she is preparing her children for the future, and that means that she has the confidence that her family will be okay and taken care of.

These are the kinds of things it really means when you invest in people. Now, Budgets 2017 and ’18 also invested significantly in housing — 2,000 supportive modular homes. About 800 of these homes have opened already. More are opening every week. And 1,700 homes that were made more affordable — that was back in 2017. These, too, are coming to fruition, and they’re making a difference in people’s lives. Budget 2018 built on that — $7 billion over ten years in housing. That is the single-largest commitment that any gov- ernment has ever made in this province on housing.

We’re seeing the first of 4,900 homes announced last fall for fam- ilies and seniors who are falling further and further behind, because it’s getting harder and harder for them to find the kind of housing they need. Also, we have an Indigenous housing fund. We are com- mitted. We’re the first government committed to support Indigenous people living on reserve and supporting them in their housing, because they’re British Columbians, and they need housing that works for them. We’re committed to working with them. The first of 1,100 of these homes were announced last fall. [2:45 p.m.] Women fleeing violence.

This is the first time in 20 years that a call has been put out to communities that this govern- ment is investing in the families that are affected by violence, making sure that those children and those women have a safe place to call home. Almost 300 of these homes are mov- ing through the development process as we speak. We’re investing in additional supportive housing that is building on Budget Update 2017, an additional 2,500 units of housing over the next ten years.

I have to say, given the response from local governments and homelessness and housing task groups from around the province, Budget 2019 has added an additional 200 homes just like this so that, all told, we have 4,700 homes for those who are most vulnerable in our province that will be coming on line over the next ten years, with 2,200 of them in the near term. Budget 2019 is a continuation of this work, recognizing that there is still so much more to do. Life in British Colum- bia has become unaffordable for most British Columbians. Now, those at the top, under the previous government, bene- fitted.

There was lots of opportunity for them. But many Brit- ish Columbians certainly got left behind. Budget 2019 builds opportunities for British Columbians, and it introduces the B.C. child opportunity benefit. Nearly $400 million will be returned to B.C. families, those families who are raising children, those families who have been say- ing: “It’s getting really hard. I can’t do it. I have to think about leaving this province. ” Or it’s been creating so much stress that it’s actually destroying families. This is a commitment that our government has made, and I’m very proud of that commitment.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7303

When I hear members from the other side say that they’re not going to support this budget, then they’re not interested in supporting these families who have been struggling for so long, or providing them with some relief. They’re saying they don’t support relief for families. We’re also eliminating interest on B.C. student loans. We’re fully eliminating the MSP , saving families as much as $1,800 a year. Again, when I hear members from the other side say they’re not supporting this budget, they do not sup- port eliminating the MSP . In fact, if I recall, it doubled under their watch.

Again, it’s about paying attention to who British Columbi- ans are and what they need. British Columbians are people trying to raise their family, trying to get ahead, trying to make sure that their kids have the resources they need so that they can fully participate in the economy. People in Coquitlam-Maillardville are looking for relief, and this budget provides those families with the relief that they have been desperately looking for.

When I think about what this means, when they have this money in their pocket, when they have that little bit of extra, I think of the families who want to make sure that their kids get swimming lessons. They want to make sure that their kids and their families get dental care. They want to put away money so that they can purchase a house. They want to be able to send their child to a summer camp or to take guitar lessons or gymnastics or karate lessons. Having that extra money in their pockets means that they will be able to deliver for their children.

When I hear the members from the other side say that they’re not interested in what this budget brings to the table for British Colum- bians, it says that they’re not interested in supporting those families. I want to say a little bit more about what we’ve been doing, particularly in my community, because I think we need to recognize that in Coquitlam-Maillardville, we’re sort of in between two hospitals. At my community hospital, which is Eagle Ridge Hospital, it was announced recently by the Min- ister of Health that we’re finally, finally expanding the emer- gency department.

I have to say how grateful I am that it also means that the health authority doesn’t have to sell the land, that we made sure that the hospital and the expansion are funded properly and appropriately. I know that that will bring relief to people in my com- munity. They’ve been asking for it for years.

The foundation has been working on this for years, and I’m very, very proud to be part of a government that is delivering on that kind of health care for the people in my community. [2:50 p.m.] Now, I also want to make a couple of comments about the CleanBC and that our government has made a commit- ment for over $900 million to put us on a path to a clean- er, brighter, low-carbon future: reducing air pollution and saving families money through the clean energy vehicle pro- gram, incentives for energy-saving home improvements, a net-zero building code and programs to help communities transition to cleaner energy solutions.

I also think it’s important to recognize that our 2018 budget, where we are investing almost $1 billion into energy retrofits for social housing right across this province to make sure that it’s quality housing that will last for another gen- eration and also reducing GHG emissions, is part of this plan. That’s a significant investment in housing that cur- rently exists. I also want to point out that the largest single-transit infrastructure in the Lower Mainland is also contributing to lower GHG emissions.

We have a million more people com- ing to the Lower Mainland, and making sure that we have a transit infrastructure that’s built out to accommodate that is absolutely critical — making sure that people get out of their vehicles and have the opportunity to do that in Vancou- ver and out to Surrey, as well as 900,000 more hours of bus service so that we can actually reduce congestion but also reduce our carbon footprint. That’s also an investment that our government is making, and I think that’s really important to recognize.

I also want to just make a few comments about some things that I’m also really proud about and it seems like members on the other side aren’t interested in supporting. That’s our commitment to expand high-speed Internet in rural and remote communities throughout B.C. That’s $50 million. I have been the critic for local government, and now I’m the minister responsible for local government. In all these years, I’ve spent a lot of time really wanting to make sure that I understood the challenges of rural and remote British Columbia. I am an urbanite, a suburbanite.

I’m very familiar with that kind of living in an urban environment, where we really do take high-speed Internet for granted. But it’s really a challenge in rural communities, and it’s really a challenge in remote communities. Making sure that they have that is absolutely critical to their survival and to their growth. Imagine that you want to take courses, but you can’t access the Internet because you don’t have a high-speed Internet connection. So you can’t build an economy, you can’t build a business, and you can’t get an education.

I think it’s abso- lutely critical that we support that, and I would hope the members on the other side would consider that. I also want to point out that, as a responsive government, we have been listening to communities, because that’s what responsive governments do. We’ve been hearing from rural and remote British Columbia that there have been certain challenges, certainly in the northwest. The pressures from private sector investments that are coming to the northwest are significant.

I stood very proudly with the Premier not too long ago, and with a number of mayors from the northwest, as we announced a $100 million northern capital and plan- ning grant that will go to four regional districts and their 22 municipalities. We recognize that the hard-working people of the northwest absolutely contribute to the 7304 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

prosperity of our province, but the success of that hasn’t been poured back into their communities. In fact, Prince Rupert still has wood pipes. I have to say that the mayors of Kitimat and Terrace, both of those mayors, were present. The mayor of Terrace was weepy when we made the announcement. She kept saying: “Y ou heard us. Y ou heard us. Y ou heard what we’ve been say- ing for years — that our capacity to support resource invest- ment, as a community, is so hard.

We don’t have the capa- city to do that. ” This grant opportunity gives them the ability to do the planning that they need so that their communities don’t struggle under the burden of having to respond to the excitement that comes with resource investment. I’m very proud of that. I think having a government that is prepared to put a budget together that responds to all of those needs, those challenges that people have in all parts of the province, is something that I know that everybody should be proud of.

I know that everybody on this side of the House is very proud of that — very proud of a government that is committed to listening to people and responding to the needs as they describe them. [2:55 p.m.] That’s not just those top 2 percent, not just those who get the ear at a lobby event, but those who are on the ground doing the work, those who are saying: “I worry that my kids will never be able to stay here because they can’t afford a home” or “I worry that I can’t get an education because I can’t access the Internet, so my ability to move forward in my life is being compromised” or “I’m concerned that my kids won’t be able to get the education they need because the interest is going to add such a burden to them that they’re going to be overwhelmed with it. ” So we’ve taken those steps.

There is more to do, but I really do want to encourage everybody in this House to support the budget, because it’s a damned good one. A. Wilkinson:Of course, this is the time of year when, in the halls of government, hopes run high. We all converge for the first day of the sitting for the throne speech, and we wait for a week for the budget. This year, sadly, we were dearly and steeply disappointed. The throne speech contained next to nothing, and of course, it ended with this pearl of wisdom on behalf of the government: “Too many British Columbians feel that no matter how hard they work, they can’t get ahead.

Affordabil- ity remains the biggest challenge facing B.C. families. Many people are working two or three jobs, commuting farther for work and spending less time with their families just to make ends meet. But no matter how hard they work, they cannot seem to get ahead. ” On one point at least, the government is exactly correct. This budget, after that statement in the throne speech, does absolutely nothing to help people to get ahead in British Columbia. It’s all about affordability. We all know what the issue is. And what does this government do in its budget?

It increases taxes by $6 billion over the next three years. That boils down to, amongst five million British Columbi- ans, $1,200 for every living, breathing human being in this province. Only about half of us pay taxes, because some are children, some are seniors, some are incapacitated, so for a family that’s merging up to $3,000, $4,000, $5,000 per family in increased taxes that have to be paid to pay for this government’s agenda.

On the other side of the coin, this government has laid out nothing whatsoever to stimulate the economy, to support entrepreneurs, to create opportunity, to support our resource projects. There is nothing in this throne speech or budget to build the future of British Columbia. This is something of which this government should be ashamed. There are a few pros in this budget that they can be proud of and that we support them on. Increased support payments for foster parents. This is a good thing. Mental health initiat- ives for youth — a $74 million agenda. That is a good thing.

We wholeheartedly support those initiatives. But overall, this is a budget that leaves people with less money in their pock- et, no sense of hope or opportunity and a future where the state takes on more and more functions at the expense of cit- izens of British Columbia. Piling on these taxes does not create prosperity. Y ou cannot tax your way to prosperity.

That is a lesson that this government has failed to figure out from all of its legis- lative history in the early ’70s and all through the dismal decade of the 1990s where they thought that government knows best and money is better off in the hands of the state than it is in the hands of the citizens. This is a continuing pattern with this budget. The housing initiatives that they constantly tout, having started the election with 114,000 houses they’re going to build…. What are we seeing?

We’re seeing a few thousand modular homes for people who have otherwise been home- less, but nothing whatsoever for working British Columbians no matter what their income is. The consequences of their housing policy has been a crash in high-end housing prices, so it’s cheaper for rich people to buy a house. They have accomplished absolutely nothing in terms of affordability of housing in the middle and lower ranks for people who are having regular working lives.

This has been a shameful effort on the part of this government, which is really an investment in a pending recession in the housing industry with no benefits to the people of British Columbia — just a pending construction crash with unemployment in the construction sector but no cheaper housing for people who are in need of that housing, unless they happen to be fabulously rich. [3:00 p.m.] This budget assumes that people will continue to pay higher and higher ICBC rates.

We hear the games being played by the Attorney General, where he’s moving numbers around the balance sheet and pretending that the deficits rocket up and down magically and that somehow, with his magic beans, he’s going to solve the ICBC problem the next Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7305

year. But in the meantime, he’s been slapped down by the courts on his first initiative. It’s gone to pieces already. Average British Columbians, all of us who drive motor vehicles, are going to pay more for ICBC, and it’s still going to run deficits. They keep pretending, on the government side, that the deficit is going to go away. This model of auto insurance is broken, and it’s time for an honest assessment of what we can do better for consumers and automobile insurance.

The goal of government has to be to make life better for citizens, not to keep piling costs onto them because govern- ment knows best, because all too often government doesn’t deliver on the grand promises. We’re seeing that right now, and I’ll talk about that further, with respect to daycare and with respect to housing. The carbon tax, sadly, has turned into a cash grab — $6 billion of revenue projected over the next three years. That comes from people who use gasoline, who heat their homes, who have to go and drive around the countryside to do their work or to visit their family members.

It’s individual British Columbians who pay it. There’s no way around that. Out of five million people, $6 billion in revenue, every single person in British Columbia is going to pay $1,200 in carbon tax. Not all of us have a car; not all of us drive. Some of us are seniors or under the age of 16. They’re not paying carbon tax, but everybody who has a motor vehicle is pay- ing it, and everybody who heats their home is paying it. And everybody who goes to a shopping mall is paying it indir- ectly.

What that amounts to is thousands upon thousands of dollars in carbon tax, and it is no longer even a dream that it would be revenue-neutral. There are no corresponding tax reductions, the way there were under the B.C. Liberals. It’s a cash grab by the NDP . We are faced with a government that is having trouble balancing its budgets. In spite of being given phenomenal economic success after 16 years of good government, this government has inherited a surplus, which has disap- peared.

It’s now running a budget where it’s back into the House here, asking for permission, because nine of its ministries overspent by hundreds of millions of dollars. That has not happened since the Great Recession of 2008. This government says we’re in prosperous times, so why are they overspending? It’s because they don’t have a handle on their fiscal picture. They don’t have the ability to manage their ministries to keep them on budget. This is a huge disappointment and a shameful performance by this government, because British Columbians are now being asked: “Oh sorry, Mom and Dad.

We’re in the last six weeks of the school term. I just need a few thousand more dollars. ” That’s what this government is doing. It is coming back to the bank and saying: “Sorry. We spent all the money you gave us. Can we have some more?” They surely must do a better job than that. They’re also being saved, whether we like it or not, by a one-time $1.6 billion transfer from Ottawa. Think about that. That’s $320 for every British Columbian, which we got out of the clear blue sky unexpectedly. What has this govern- ment done? They turned around and instantly spent it. It’s gone.

We have a government that’s a little drunk on spending and drunk on taxation and seems to have forgotten where it all comes from. This is a government that doesn’t seem to be overly con- cerned about where the economy generates this wealth. That’s most notable in the housing situation. In their own budget book, it shows a massive impending collapse in house starts — from 50,000 in 2018 to 31,000 this year and 30,000 the year after. Think about that. If 20,000 new homes are not being built, what happens to the tens of thousands of people who work in construction? They’re sent home with no income.

Think of the purchasers of homes. If they’re looking for a place to live and the number of housing starts drops, what happens? Supply and demand. The prices will stay up. Affordability goes out the window. Those 10,000 construc- tion workers can’t afford anything. We’re seeing that in cer- tain quarters of the province already, notably in Surrey, where there’s a lot of anxiety now about the impending slow- down in construction. [3:05 p.m.] On the flip side of that, the prices aren’t going down. We’ve all noticed that.

What’s happened, of course, is that a lot of people who’ve been chased out of the upper end of the market have come into the mid-market, and they’re driv- ing the prices up or keeping them floating up. There’s no cheap housing out there, folks. There’s nothing affordable, even though this government said it would make it happen with their fiction of 114,000 new homes. Let’s add on to that the resource economy. We’re looking at, by their own numbers, a 30 percent drop in resource rev- enue. They don’t seem to be overly concerned about this. They’ve admitted it, for the next three years.

We’re seeing a massive slowdown in the resource sector, but we hear noth- ing from them about it. “Oh well, that’s too bad. ” Maybe that’s because the vast majority of the NDP seats are well removed from the resource economy. They represent most of Vancouver Island. They repres- ent much of the eastern suburbs of Vancouver. They do not represent the Interior of British Columbia, 250, where all of British Columbia and the Interior, with the exception of Smithers, Prince Rupert, Nelson-Creston, Castlegar and Trail…. Everywhere else is represented by the B.C. Liber- als.

There is a cold, complete silence from this government about that resource-based economy because they, appar- ently, couldn’t care less what happens to our resource- based industries. That is starting to show in a budget that does nothing at all to help the resource-based economy of British Columbia. We’ve also seen a few little tricks in their budget. There was much talk, and a complete

section of the budget last year, about the speculation tax. “This is going to be the greatest thing going. ” It would create opportunities for people to rent properties. It would put people back into 7306 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

housing. None of this has come true. Instead, what did we get? Well, 1.6 million people are being asked to fill out a 20-page form to prove that they exist, they’re telling the truth, and they’ve paid income tax. They may or may not have children. Are they renting? How many days a year? It’s an interrogation, and people resent it. I had that experience last weekend in Coquitlam. There’s a tiny town called Belcarra, population 800. It’s just outside of Port Moody. It’s on Indian Arm, across the way from Deep Cove in North Vancouver. These have been seasonal homes, traditionally.

There’s now a road to Belcarra, but there are still a lot of cabins up Indian Arm — hundreds of them. They have fallen within the speculation tax zone. Many of these cabins have no running water. Most have no insulation, and none of them are habitable year-round. They are all in the speculation tax zone, and they are all being told: “Unless you rent this place out, you’re a speculator. ” Some of them have been there for 70 years. They are owned by fourth-generation family members. And these people are not people of means. Last week I met a woman who is widowed. She’s one of three family owners in a cabin.

Her income is $22,000 a year. She is being deemed a spec- ulator, has to fill out the form and is now libel for the spec- ulation tax. This is an offence to so many people in British Columbia who are being accused of things they have never done, under an NDP-driven ideological agenda with a tax policy that doesn’t work. Lo and behold, in this year’s budget — poof! — no men- tion of the speculation tax. It has disappeared because it’s not working. This government said last year that in the first three months of this year — now — they’ d be collecting $87 mil- lion in speculation tax.

It has proven to be such a gigantic blunder. They haven’t even got the forms back yet, let alone collected any money. And they certainly haven’t generated any housing stock in terms of people putting things on the market or people moving into those houses or renting them out. Nothing has happened in a good way from the specu- lation tax. It’s nothing but a class warfare way of collecting revenue for a government that has run out of ideas. Now let’s talk about the employer health tax for a moment.

We have heard endless stories in the last year where compan- ies, small and large, say: “It’s not worth building your com- pany in B.C. anymore. ” Window manufacturers in the Fraser Valley, freight-forwarding companies in Vancouver — com- panies all over this province — say they’re not hiring in B.C. anymore because the cost base has gone up so much that it’s easier to hire people elsewhere or, worst of all, to move your manufacturing operations to Washington state. So here we have…. The NDP’s idea of social equity and tax fairness is to drive jobs out of British Columbia and penalize employers.

This has been a debacle, and the NDP refuse to admit it. [3:10 p.m.] For those employers, the MSP premiums are still in place, so their bill has tripled this year. Why didn’t they put it up incrementally if they were going to do this? Why a big whack of tax all at once in 2019? It’s because this is a gov- ernment that seems to think that if you’re employing more than a dozen people, you’re some kind of fat-cat capitalist who should be penalized for it to benefit the workers.

Noth- ing could be further from the truth, because what happens is that for those employees, their numbers are capped or they’re laid off because the jobs are going elsewhere. We’ve seen the same attitude with this government’s approach to rentals: “Let’s protect the renters. ” I was a renter for 15 years. I lived in a dozen different rentals. It was chal- lenging at times, but it was fun. It was part of growing up and getting better. We’ve all done it. It’s kind of a wacky time of life, but it can be really enjoyable. Being a renter is a fact of life; it’s a rite of passage.

What this government has done is try to pander to renters with their $400 renters rebate, which suddenly vaporized. There’s no sign of it. Two years into their mandate, nothing has been done. They’ve put all kinds of restricted caps on the behaviour of landlords around changing rents, long-term leases and renovation of apartments. The net effect is that people are getting out of the landlord market. Why would you go and take that on? In particular, some of those folks in Belcarra said this.

The ones who have road access say: “It’s not worth having a ten- ant anymore, and it’s not worth having this cabin anymore because of the speculation tax. Now I can’t sell it, because nobody wants to buy a cabin that they’ll be forced to rent out, and there’s no way to deal with a troublesome tenant. ” What do we get? Shrinkage of the rental market — con- gratulations to the NDP — and static rental situations where you can’t find a place to move to. Most renters move up the scales, slowly but surely.

I crawled out of those tiny basement suites into a place with some sunshine and finally was able to purchase a place. Y ou kind of moved up the ladder because there was another place to rent. Nowadays it’ll be tough to find anything to move to because the landlords are not inter- ested anymore. We’ve also seen this in the child care policy of this gov- ernment. The information we get from the city of Victor- ia: 250 new spaces were created; 450 closed. Why? The operator said that the NDP has dictated such restrictive, oppressive terms that they can’t make it work anymore.

We’ve heard any number of stories — from Amanda Worms in Kelowna, from a six-pack of providers in Maple Ridge. These are all women in their 30s whose life’s dream was to run this nice little business, rent a place for five years and provide top-quality child care. One day they woke up, and the NDP said: “What you’re doing isn’t good enough. Y ou can’t make it work. Y ou’re going to go broke. ” It’s over — shattered dreams, shrunken spaces, disappointed parents and frustrated kids. Congrat- ulations to the NDP on yet another high-handed state-run concept that turned out to be driving the car into the ditch.

The proof is in the pudding in terms of human behaviour. The budget itself says that in the last three months of 2018 the total net migration from other parts of Canada — I Wednesday, February 27, 2019 British Columbia Debates 7307

moved here from Alberta — was 400 people a month. It has shrunk dramatically because British Columbia is no longer the land of opportunity. It’s a place to be wary of. My own kids don’t intend to live here, because they can’t see the opportunity here to match the cost of living. They just don’t see the chance to get ahead and to climb the ladder here, so they’re looking elsewhere. As a parent, I’ve got to tell you: that hurts. Y ou feel like you’ve watched the world go by, and somehow you bear it, because it’s your problem. Y ou didn’t fix it. I have the sad duty of telling them: “Don’t worry.

It’ll be better if we can just remove the NDP from government. Wait, hold on. Hold your breath. Don’t write us off com- pletely. ” That’s a sad way to describe the province of which you’re a citizen, of which you’re very proud and which, like all of my colleagues in this House, you decide to dedicate your best adult years to making a better place. Instead, you’re making excuses for the performance of this economy and the performance of this government. Let’s talk about building B.C. Let’s start with how you actually build the infrastructure. We’ve all heard about com- munity benefits agreements.

Well, we call them union bene- fits agreements. There was a very good column yesterday in theVancouver Sun by our most eminent columnist in the province, probably, Vaughn Palmer, pointing out three major projects, totalling $4.64 billion of our taxpayers’ money — the Pattullo Bridge, the UBC SkyTrain and a project in the Interior. [3:15 p.m.] All of those are coming under the community benefits agreements, which means that the costs are going up by at least 7 percent, for the benefit of union bosses and no dis- cernible benefit for the workers or for the communities.

These are dressed up as some kind of wonderful social project and engineered agenda. They accomplish absolutely nothing for the people who are affected by them, and they mean that we pay in that case. Put 7 percent out of $4.5 bil- lion. That’s $300 million of other opportunities squandered, because this is an ideological government trying to support its pals in the union movement. Not all their pals are in the union movement, only the ones who were donors to their past campaigns. They are amongst the 19 selected locals that are eligible for community benefits agreement employment.

We visited a crane company out near the Port Mann Bridge. They were Teamsters Local 31, and only Teamsters Local 33 was allowed to be in the community benefits agree- ment. They’re shut out completely. So they have to go to their workers and say: “Y ou know, folks, you’re going to have to look for another job, or go to your union and say we’ve got to change locals, because the NDP is playing games. They’re saying you’re not good enough. Y ou have to be a certain kind of Teamster — not Teamster A.

Y ou’ve got to be Teamster B. ” What kind of arrangement is this, where people are picking favourites that way because of past political dona- tions? This is an offensive kind of behaviour by the NDP , and it’s got to stop. We also have the whole phenomenon of investment attraction. There is nothing in this throne speech or budget about economic prospects for British Columbians, no sense of encouraging small business.

The tech sector gets no men- tion whatsoever — after we’ve had all kinds of chit-chat from this government about having an innovation commissioner who’s going to do wonderful, magical things and create the kind of technology sector we see everywhere else on the west coast of North America. It was a budding, burgeoning sector under the B.C. Lib- erals. Thousands of people have been employed. Most of us who are aware of the Oscars know that Sony Imageworks won the Oscar for best animation with their team based in Vancouver. Vancouverites won that Oscar. What does this government do? It ignores them completely.

It does nothing for the sector. They need talent, they need ideas, they need capital, and they need markets. This government ignored them on all four counts. It’s time that we had a government that served British Col- umbians. We need to be the land of opportunity so that my kids and yours can be happy and contented and say: “This is the place I’m going to get ahead. This is the place where I can be my best. ” We also have to look at the resource projects going on. The long and sad story of Trans Mountain — we won’t recap that here. But where are we now?

All we’ve got left is a scrawny little lawsuit run by this government that will probably fail to try and stop the government of Canada from providing for the export of Canadian resources to foreign markets. Is that a goal we should pursue? Is this something we should be doing as our purpose in life — fighting the rest of the country in the courts and pretending the constitution doesn’t exist, all because of some shallow dream from the NDP to block the development of the Interior economy? Coastal GasLink is part of this huge LNG opportunity in British Columbia. All of us are wanting it to happen.

What do we have with this government? They announce with great enthusiasm, October 1 of last year, that it’s going to happen. Then they start dilly-dallying with all kinds of obscure interests for trying to block the project. It’s their job to deliver this project, not to say: “Well, your $40 billion might or might not be of interest. I’ve got to go talk to my friends, and they might not want to do it. ” It’s too late for that. It’s time to get on with it. That’s the job of the government — to make opportun- ities real, rather than be part of what the C.D.

Howe Insti- tute calls the $100 billion loss of capital projects in Canada because of the kind of behaviour we see from this govern- ment. It’s time for us to wake up in this government and this province and say: “We cannot just depend on ongoing prosperity. ” We can say: “We’ve got the lowest unemploy- ment in the country. Isn’t that great?” That’s no good if you can’t afford to live here. The Premier himself had two or three jobs just to try and get ahead. What happens? People can’t get ahead. They get despondent, and they leave.

What good is full employment if 7308 British Columbia Debates Wednesday, February 27, 2019

you can’t afford to live here? We all have to take that to heart, look at it through the eyes of our kids and our citizens and say: “What’s the purpose of government here?” It’s to make life better for everybody. It’s our duty to the citizens of this province. The key issue in this province is that there’s not enough take-home pay to get by and get ahead. [3:20 p.m.] The solution to not having enough take-home pay is not to increase taxes by $6 billion, take more money out of your pocket and reduce your take-home pay. That just leads to despair, the sense you’re never going to get any- where.

Off to the Payday Loan operation — that these folks are trying to regulate even further — because people are going to run out of steam. Those tens of thousands of con- struction workers not only on major projects but on resid- ential housing who face unemployment have to find a way to get ahead, and they may find it somewhere else. That would be a failure for all of us. So what do we people do? What do we need to do? What’s the purpose of being here in government and trying to sort things out? What we propose is to get people out of that rut of looking for their second or third job just to get by.

We need lower taxes so that people have the money in their pockets to get ahead. This is critical. This government doesn’t care to understand it, because they think they know better what to do with your money than you do. This is their whole philosophy — that the state, embodied by the NDP , is smarter than you are. History has shown that is just plain dead wrong. We’ve got to lower the cost of living. There’s a critical issue around housing, and it will not be solved by constraining supply and putting on tighter rental rules.

It will be solved by providing more housing for the 60,000 people who move here from elsewhere every year. They’re coming mostly as immigrants, just as I did. As we have heard earlier, the inter- provincial migration from Ontario and Alberta has com- pletely dried up because B.C. is starting to close its doors and shrivel up as a place to do business and get ahead. We have got to focus, as I’ve said, on lowering the cost of living, increasing take-home pay and making sure that there are good jobs out there. Sadly, this budget did noth- ing at all on the employment side of the equation. Nothing on major projects.

Nothing for small business. Nothing that will lead to the kind of prosperity we need in this province to get ahead. We should be able to look people in the eye and say: “We work every day — on the government side, the Third Party and us — to make this a place where you can get ahead and have a good life. The state is not smarter than you are. Our job is to support you. ” We want the citizens of British Col- umbia to have that smile on their face of their take-home pay going up, their costs going down and an even better job on the horizon — not the prospect of the NDP telling them how to live.

With that remark, I’ll close my speech and say we all have a duty here to keep things in focus. It’s not working right now. So let’s make British Columbia a better place. Let’s work together to do some things that are good for the people of British Columbia, and let’s make it possible to look our kids in the eye and say: “Y ou are going to be suc- cessful here. Y ou’re going to have a great life right here in British Columbia. ” Sadly, it may not be this year. M.

Dean:It truly is an honour to be here on the tradition- al territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt people and for me to take my place in the debate on Budget 2019. I’ d like to start by taking a few moments to thank some of the so many people who play a major

part in my life as an MLA and support me during my time here at the Legislature and in my constituency of Esquimalt-Metchosin. My constituency assistants are enormously dedicated, and I feel very grateful and fortunate to have them in our office. Thank you to Nubwa Wathanafa, Andrew Barrett and Lawrence Herzog for everything that they do day in, day out in my constituency office and across our community. Thank you to all of the volunteers and those who support me every day in so many ways. Thank you especially to the people of Esquimalt-Metchosin, who inspire me every day with their generous, hard-working spirit of getting things done and taking care of ea

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20190227pm-Hansard-n209
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20190227pm Hansard n209
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	2fd15145a35260bb417b7fc757f6213470a41a49

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