Fifth Session, 42nd Parliament

(2024) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 440

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Personal Statements

Service as MLA and message of appreciation

N. Letnick

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Richmond South Centre community achievements

H. Yao

Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail

G. Kyllo

Graduates of 2024 in Langley

M. Dykeman

End of session and Legislature staff thanked

S. Furstenau

Coquitlam–Burke Mountain investment and achievements

F. Donnelly

Moose Hide anti-violence campaign

M. Lee

Oral Questions

Government action on drug toxicity crisis and overdose deaths

K. Falcon

Hon. D. Eby

First-responder training and naloxone access on post-secondary campuses

S. Bond

Hon. J. Whiteside

Hon. L. Beare

Site C power project

S. Furstenau

Hon. J. Osborne

Water management and use for fracking

S. Furstenau

Hon. N. Cullen

Purchase of hotels by B.C. Housing and call for audit

J. Rustad

Hon. R. Kahlon

Health care services in Parksville

A. Walker

Hon. A. Dix

Medical residency positions for foreign-trained physicians

A. Walker

Hon. A. Dix

P. Milobar

Hon. N. Sharma

Wildfire management

D. Davies

Hon. B. Ma

Government action on drug toxicity crisis and overdose deaths

T. Shypitka

Hon. J. Whiteside

Petitions

A. Walker

Orders of the Day

Personal Statements

Farewell addresses by retiring MLAs

D. Clovechok

R. Merrifield

Tributes

Mike de Jong

T. Stone

Hon. M. Farnworth

Personal Statements

Service to Legislature and message of appreciation

M. de Jong

Tributes

Matt Rogers

I. Paton

Petitions

J. Rustad

Tributes

John Goudy

R. Parmar

Personal Statements

Farewell addresses by retiring MLAs

J. Rice

N. Simons

D. Routley

Hon. K. Conroy

Statements

Message of appreciation

Hon. D. Eby

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Office of the Premier (continued)

K. Falcon

Hon. D. Eby

S. Furstenau

B. Banman

Petitions

D. Davies

Supply Motions

Reports of resolutions from Committee of Supply

Hon. K. Conroy

Funds granted for public service

Hon. K. Conroy

Funds granted for capital expenditures, loans, investments and other financing requirements

Hon. K. Conroy

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill 28 — Supply Act, 2024–2025

Hon. K. Conroy

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 28 — Supply Act, 2024-2025

Hon. K. Conroy

Committee of the Whole House

Bill 28 — Supply Act, 2024–2025

Report and Third Reading of Bills

Bill 28 — Supply Act, 2024–2025

Royal Assent to Bills

Bill 14 — Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act 2024

Bill 20 — First Nations Mandated Post-Secondary Institutes Act

Bill 21 — Legal Professions Act

Bill 22 — Safe Access to Schools Act

Bill 23 — Anti-Racism Act

Bill 24 — Energy Statutes Amendment Act, 2024

Bill 25 — Haida Nation Recognition Amendment Act, 2024

Bill 26 — Name Amendment Act (No. 2), 2024

Bill 27 — Municipalities Enabling and Validating (No. 5) Amendment Act, 2024

Bill Pr401 — Vancouver Foundation Act

Bill 28 — Supply Act, 2024–2025

Government Motions on Notice

Motion 35 — Adjournment of the House

Hon. R. Kahlon

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024

The House met at 10:04 a.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: R. Merrifield.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

The Speaker: Let me caution members. We have lots of items on the agenda, and we

are going to have very brief introductions, not more than 30 seconds

each.

Hon. H. Bains: There are some very, very special guests in the House today. As the

Minister of Labour told me…. It’s a rarity, and I agree with him. My wife,

Rajvinder, is in the gallery. She’s here with her childhood friend, Jaspal

Karpatharia — they are from California; her husband, Nanikpal Karpatharia;

their daughter Amun Yatter; her husband, William Yatter; and their two

children, Avery and Brandon.

Please help me give them a very, very warm welcome.

Personal Statements

SERVICE AS MLA

AND MESSAGE OF

APPRECIATION

N. Letnick: I had been scheduled to do my farewell speech last week, but

unfortunately, I had to return home suddenly, so thank you for allowing

me to say some brief words of farewell.

First and most of all, to my family, and especially Helene, for

her sacrifices over the past 43 years and especially those of the last

I love you, honey.

Thank you to all my caucus family. You are a great team, and I

care for each and every one of you.

Thank you to the community leaders, Barb Logie, Kiley Sales,

Walter Gray and James Baker, for their support and

friendship.

To my constituency assistant, Katja Maurmann, and many other

superstar CAs…. You are an exceptional person, Katja, and I’m honoured

to be your friend.

Deputy Ministers Derek Sturko and Stephen Brown.

My chief of staff, Karen Bill and the entire agricultural office

team in Victoria and around B.C.

Special mention to two superstar assistants here in Victoria,

Shala Robins and Luella Barnetson, and all the other caucus team of

superstar staff working in all three floors, past and

present.

Special thank you to MLA Steve Thomson and the members for Kelowna

West, Kelowna-Mission and Vancouver-Kingsway.

All B.C. Liberal and now B.C. United party leaders, especially

2009, including Premier Gordon Campbell, Premier Christy Clark, Andrew

Wilkinson, Rich Coleman, the member for Prince George–Valemount and the

Leader of the Official Opposition.

Also, my thoughts to all the legislative team, from Hansard to

Clerks, from janitorial to security.

Thank you.

But most of all, I want to thank my constituents and wish all our

B.C. United candidates throughout the prov­ince good luck in the

upcoming election. I’ll be there to help you. It’s been a privilege to

serve and a lifelong dream of mine and will soon be

completed.

With that, I will now take my seat as an MLA for the last time,

given that it’s in Kelowna, and look forward to sitting in the back row

as a visiting MLA in the years ahead.

Thank you for the privilege. [Applause.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. K. Conroy: Today is a very special day. I really want to thank the House Leader.

My family couldn’t be here, but I just wanted to give them a shout-out

because some of them are watching.

I do want to acknowledge my legislative family who, many, many of

them…. No, I’m not going to introduce them all. I just want to introduce the

ones that are with me right now.

Danielle, Keefer, Emma, Edena, Brittany, Adrienne, Lisa and Sarah,

you’ve all been incredible.

All of you who have served me in this place have been

incredible.

Love to you all.

D. Clovechok: I want to introduce in the gallery today some special people that have

come to witness this departure.

My wife, Susan, is in the gallery today. She’s also the vice-chair of

the regional district of East Kootenay. I’m really happy to have her here

with me.

One of my best friends, Mark McLoughlin, and his son Matt are here

today as well. Mark was one of the best placekickers in the CFL. I think

he’s in the hall of fame, or it’s coming.

Anyway, if the House would make them feel welcome.

R. Merrifield: I’m going to call this introduction the great breakout of 2024,

because joining us in the House today, the B.C. United caucus literally has

our research team, our communications team and almost all of our legislative

executive coordinators. I am going to say their names because some of these

individuals have worked for us for the last ten, 11, 12, 14 years, and for

some, this is the very first time that they’ve ever been in this

gallery.

[10:10 a.m.]

Today joining us we have Derek Cummings, Parnian Taheri, Dion Weisner,

Karen Bill, Jennifer Wizinsky, Ryan Mitton and Parveen Sandur, all joining

us from the research team.

From the communications team we have Sean Roberts; Kevin Franceschini

— sorry, Frankie; Sarah Ash; Steph­anie Marshall-White; Ryan Braude —

and no, it’s not Brody, just Ryan; Kalith Nanayakkara; Andrew Reeve; and

Siyun Zeng.

We also have our legislative executive coordinators: Shelley Frost,

Wendy King, Louise Denis, Luella Barnetson, and yes, that’s rounding out the

team. Without these individuals, we wouldn’t do our jobs, and we certainly

would never do them as well.

Could the House please join me in welcoming them today.

D. Routley: I would like to briefly introduce my partner, Leanne Finlayson, who’s

here today to join me for my farewell speech later. She’s currently in my

office doing immigration work for the MP that she works for.

I love Leanne so deeply, and I can only ever dream of being able to

repay the support she has given me.

K. Falcon: In addition to the outstanding staff that were listed here earlier, we

also have the benefit of having interns working with us in the official

opposition. These are outstanding young people that have done an amazing

job. I’ve enjoyed so much the opportunity to work with them.

I do want to recognize them. They are here in the galleries today, and

their names will forevermore be imprinted into history. I want to thank Amy

Topshee, Lauren Parry, Nina Andrascik, Sage Benet and Sloane Zogas, who have

been exceptional as our interns.

I also want to do a quick shout-out to my chief of staff, Corrie

Delisle, and my very recent executive assistant who’s joined me, Simone

Rutherford, for all the great work they’ve done, along with our outstanding

interns.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, I forgot Shala Robins, my very, very capable LEC, who

also does exceptional work.

M. Elmore: I have a very special introduction today for an incredible young

woman. Her name is Reem Emil Qureshi. She is supporting a campaign for

Covenant House. Many of you know the great work Covenant House does to

support homeless youth, provide counselling, provide services for youth

coming off the street.

She is at the centre of a campaign launch. I encourage everybody to

check out their website. Support the great work they do. She’s got great

aspirations to study law, so kudos to her.

I’d ask everybody to please give her a very warm welcome.

M. Morris: Today somewhere in the crowd we have my two constituency assistants

from Prince George.

Charlotte Groot has served at least seven or eight terms as a CA in

the province here. She’s been a phenomenal supporter of mine over the

years.

And Brenda Federink.

Would the House please make them welcome.

Hon. R. Fleming: I want to join the chorus of thanks to our staff who help us do our

jobs each and every day and give a shout-out to my long-standing chief of

staff, Veronica Harrison; MAs Sophia Brownsey and Joey Mitchell; my AC,

Taylor Cunningham; and my administrative assistant, David Castello; and

introduce in person, who is in the gallery, my newest staff member, who is

my executive assis­tant, Georgia Becker, who moved here late last

year. This is her first legislative session that she’s experienced. She

watches QP, of course, every day, but this is her first time watching

question period in person in the gallery.

Would the House thank all of my staff and welcome Georgia to the

gallery today.

T. Shypitka: In the precinct today is my wife, Carrie Shypitka. She doesn’t get

down here very often. She’s in charge of holding down the fort back in

Cranbrook with our two kids, Adam and Allie. She’s making a rare appearance

this weekend, as the last weekend of the session.

I love her dearly, and I wish the House would just give her a big

round of applause.

[10:15 a.m.]

S. Furstenau: In the gallery, along with all of the amazing interns, are the two

Greenterns, Sarah Salloum and Miriam Dumitra. We just want to extend our

huge appreciation for their incredible hard work.

Every session when the interns come, our caucus size goes up by 33

percent, so that’s amazing. But Sarah and Miriam have been an integral part

of our team and indeed raise the level of our work. They’ve been

extraordinary interns this year, and we can’t wait to continue working with

them again.

Would the House, please, on behalf of the Green caucus, thank Sarah

and Miriam for their great work.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

RICHMOND SOUTH CENTRE

COMMUNITY

ACHIEVEMENTS

H. Yao: I want to thank the constituents of Richmond South Centre for

trusting me to represent them for the last four years. It was a unique

honour and privilege that I did not take lightly or for

granted.

Thanks to my incredible constituency advisers — Amy Li, Dicken Lau

and Robert Chu — for their tireless efforts to understand, engage and

support our constituents. They worked diligently, coordinating with the

ministries and community organizations and other levels of government to

strengthen our community together.

I’m grateful for my colleagues and ministers who have worked so

supportively to help my team care for and empower the people of

Richmond.

Some of the major investments in my community include addressing

the Chinese language issue with TCM examination, securing funding for

helping Richmond Night Market during the pandemic, investing in the

Richmond media lab to help youth develop employable skills, funding for

Richmond Food Hub, expanding over a total 275 school seats in Cook and

Brighouse Elementary Schools, assisting Richmond Caring Place with roof

repair, seismically upgrading Howard DeBeck, two urgent pri­mary

care centres in Richmond, milestones achieved for Richmond Hospital

expansion, Richmond Foundry to help youth mental health and additional

child care space and $10-a-day care child care space, and of course

additional housing for women with children and families with low

income.

As an MLA, my team and I attended many community events and hosted

numerous events such as invasive species removal, diaper drive, toy

drive, fraud prevention seminar, grant application workshops and

seasonal celebrations. We have facilitated multiple round tables with

the community on the economy, housing, tourism, sports and recreation,

public safety, mental health stigma, international students and

traditional Chinese medicine.

Unfortunately, two minutes are insufficient to cover everything,

and we have much more work to do.

In the end, I want to thank Richmond South Centre constituents for

the privilege and honour to serve and represent.

SHUSWAP NORTH OKANAGAN RAIL TRAIL

G. Kyllo: I’m certainly very proud to rise in the House today to celebrate

the grand opening the Enderby-Splatsin pilot

section of the Shuswap

North Okanagan Rail Trail. This first two-kilometre

section that was

constructed is the first phase of the project, which will eventually run

for 50 kilometres between Armstrong and Sicamous.

The Sicamous to Armstrong rail trail project first came to my

attention nearly 11 years ago when I was first elected as MLA for

Shuswap. The project’s vision inspired me to become not just an advocate

but a passionate champion for the rail trail.

One of the proudest days as MLA for Shuswap was announcing the

$2.2 million contribution towards the acquisition of the former CP rail

line from Sicamous to Armstrong back in 2017. The initial funding

covered one-third of the purchase price with the remaining two-thirds

being covered by the Columbia Shuswap regional district and the regional

district of North Okanagan.

I would also like to bring awareness to the rights of local

farmers in the Spallumcheen area whose properties flank the rail trail

and who expressed a strong desire to obtain registered easements across

the rail trail, providing certainty for access to their homesteads and

farmlands. I’m heartened by conversations with local government

representatives who expressed a keen desire to continue dialogue in

addressing these concerns.

The Shuswap Rail Trail governance committee has recently committed

to taking the proactive step to meet directly with impacted farmers in

the weeks ahead.

[10:20 a.m.]

A project like this would not be possible without the incredible

leadership of the Shuswap Trail Alliance, Splat­sin First Nation,

the Columbia Shuswap regional district, regional district of North

Okanagan and so many others who have worked so hard towards the

completion of this project.

I’m proud of what has been accomplished to the

Sicamous-to-Armstrong trail, and I’ll continue to support the project in

the months ahead.

GRADUATES OF 2024 IN LANGLEY

M. Dykeman: I’m just thrilled to rise in the House today to talk about one of

the most exciting times of year in Langley township and in the city, in

fact. It is one of the most exciting times of year for the Langley

school district as a whole.

It’s graduation season, and I remember fondly my time as a school

trustee, attending the various gradua­tions and seeing the

excitement of the students who were crossing the stage to go on to their

next

chapter and watching the pride that just exuded from principals,

staff, all the support staff that worked so hard to make these

graduations such an amazing success, and the feeling of admiration and

love from family and friends that are watching people that they care

about go across the stage to celebrate 13 years of hard work.

This year in the township, there are 2,030 grads that are going to

be graduating. Our fast-growing district has so many more students that

are graduating each year. Just thinking about the numbers, when I

started as a trustee to now, is mind-boggling.

I wanted to take the opportunity to congratulate all of the 2024

graduates in the Langley school district. I wish you the best on your

next chapter. No matter where you go, I know that being a graduate from

the Langley school district, you received a top-notch education. I hope

that you come back to share with us the stories and the adventures that

you have had the opportunity to share as you move on to the next

chapter.

To all the graduates of Langley school district, way to go. We

wish you well.

I’m wondering if the House could just join me in congratulating

them all.

END OF SESSION AND

LEGISLATURE STAFF

THANKED

S. Furstenau: We have had our ups and downs in this place, to say the least;

maybe a few more valleys or volleys than peaks, if we’re honest and, you

know, not misleading the House. We haven’t all toed the line. I mean,

where are those lines, anyways? But we’ve done the heavy lifting of

reading speeches written by our hard-working staff and raising glasses

filled for us at receptions and debating hard about which delicious

special to order for lunch from the dining room.

I expect we will all feel some closure. Well, we’ve felt closure

every session, haven’t we, with all the time allo­cation motions,

instead of carefully allocating time for fulsome, or is it fearsome,

debate. Many of us won’t pause until after the election, although some

of us will go right on menopausing.

But it’s time for our farewell to arms, or should I say

Sergeants-at-Arms, until we meet again. Don’t know where; don’t know

when.

A huge thank you to everyone who keeps this building operating so

smoothly: the Clerk’s office, Hansard, the chamber attendants, the hall

attendants, the leg. drafters, maintenance and cleaning crews,

librarians, dining room cooks and staff, precinct security, education

office, gift shop, tour guides.

You can all certainly do your jobs without us, but we couldn’t do

our jobs without you.

Mr. Speaker, after today, you won’t have to tell anyone to shut

the front door, because the precinct team does such a great job of

keeping this place safe and secure for everybody.

COQUITLAM–BURKE MOUNTAIN

INVESTMENT AND

ACHIEVEMENTS

F. Donnelly: As I rise for the last time in this Legislature, I’d like to

acknowledge the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking

people.

It’s been an absolute honour to serve the good people of

Coquitlam–Burke Mountain in the 42nd parliament. I’m proud of what our

government has accomplished for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain and, indeed,

our province. We invested in health care, housing, child care,

education, watershed and climate security and so much more.

[10:25 a.m.]

During the 2020 election, Burke Mountain parents told me how badly

our community needed a new high school. We delivered, investing $135

million for a new 1,000-seat high school which is being built right

now.

We also opened Coast Salish Elementary, expanded École Panorama

Heights Elementary and Scott Creek Middle School.

We took action on affordable housing, including a $71 million

investment for Tri-branch and Garden Court co-ops and $14 million for

Hoy Creek Co-op.

We invested $8.1 million to build Robert Nicklin Place and $3

million to build new homes on

kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First

Nation.

We expanded the emergency room at Eagle Ridge Hospital and opened

the Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addictions.

Our office worked hard to engage diverse communities within

Coquitlam–Burke Mountain.

We hosted a successful multicultural lunar new year event with the

Tri-City Chinese Community Society and the Golden Maple Arts

Association.

We organized a successful multicultural B.C. Day

celebration.

We held an Iranian leaders round table with the Premier, and a

“Woman, life, freedom” performance with the Iranian Seniors Club right

here in the Legislature’s Hall of Honour.

Last week I thanked dozens of people who’ve supported me over my

21-year political career, and I want to thank a few more: Joan Sawicki,

Ivan Thompson, Kennedy Stewart, Don Davies and Brian Masse.

Finally, I want to thank all those who make this place

tick.

I ask all members of the House to please join me in thanking

them.

MOOSE HIDE ANTI-VIOLENCE CAMPAIGN

M. Lee: Today is a different day of campaign. It’s the Moose Hide Campaign

Day. I know that for all members of this chamber that wear the Moose

Hide pin, there’s a daily reminder of the need to stand against

gender-based violence against women and children and the

disproportionate violence that Indigenous women and children have

experienced and faced.

Today here in Victoria, British Columbians will be gathering at

noon for the Walk to End Violence, which will end here on the

Legislature grounds. I hope that everyone in the House will join us in

reaffirming our commitment to end gender-based violence in British

Columbia.

We know that the inspiration of the campaign came from Indigenous

co-founders Paul and Raven Lecerte while they were on a hunting trip on

their traditional Carrier territory on the Highway of Tears, Highway 16.

They harvested a moose and had the idea to tan its hide and cut it into

squares to inspire change.

Paul has seen the need, of course, as we all do as parents, to

ensure that our children have a life of dignity and free from

violence.

This pin that many of us wear on every day of the year starts the

conversation and recognizes the need to con­tinue to have that

commitment in terms of the efforts. The vision of distributing ten

million Moose Hide pins across this nation is one that we should all

support, because it serves as a visual commitment to honouring and

respecting the women and children in our lives.

I hope that you’ll all participate today on the campaign, and

every day as we continue with that commitment.

Oral Questions

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON

DRUG TOXICITY CRISIS AND

OVERDOSE DEATHS

K. Falcon: Sidney was an 18-year-old general science student at the

University of Victoria, like all 18-year-olds full of life and promise

for the future. Tragically, her bright future was ended by a preventable

overdose.

Today her devastated parents are fighting for accountability and

changes so other families will not have to endure this agony. In a

letter to the Premier, her parents write: “Our daughter’s death was

completely preventable. Systemic failures by both the province of B.C.

and the University of Victoria led directly to Sidney’s un­timely

death.”

My question to the Premier: how many more young lives will be lost

before this government recognizes that his government’s approach to this

drug crisis is tragically failing and that dramatic changes are

necessary and urgently needed to protect our youth?

[10:30 a.m.]

Hon. D. Eby: This is an absolutely horrific situation for Sidney’s family, for

her friends. The timeline of events is profoundly disturbing,

reconstructed by Sidney’s family.

They have the 911 call, which they’ve listened to. I can’t even

imagine what that would be like as a parent. I’ve had a very brief

conversation with Sidney’s mom, who has been advocating for her daughter

— that her daughter’s death will not be in vain, that it will result in

reform and that what their family is going through won’t be

repeated.

The Solicitor General will be directing a coroner’s inquest. The

point of the coroner’s inquest will be to get the answers for Sidney’s

family, absolutely, to get answers for British Columbians and to get

answers for this place, to make sure that we’re doing all we can to

prevent every death that we can in this terrible toxic drug crisis that

has taken so many lives and damaged so many families.

I’ve stood a number of times here and explained our twin goals: to

keep people alive — to make sure that they’re able to survive; and to

support them in recovery, while ensuring safe communities.

Sidney’s death is horrible. It is a death that was preceded by

thousands of other deaths and affected families and friends.

This toxic drug crisis is a public health crisis. It is a

tragedy.

It’s hard to think of a case that better illustrates that tragedy

than the death of such a remarkable young person as Sidney.

The Speaker: Leader of the Official Opposition, supplemental.

K. Falcon: As the parent of two daughters myself, I know that I speak for all

parents who are concerned that more words are not going to be enough.

Changes are needed so that we get different results.

I’ve been talking about this with this Premier ever since I’ve

been in the Legislature. We are eight years into what has been called a

public health emergency; it was designated as one in 2016. The response

under this Premier can best be described as a patchwork of half-measures

and fatal inconsistencies.

Some campuses have accessible naloxone, while others restrict

access to business hours — a life-saving measure that is impeded by

bureaucracy.

In their letter to the Premier, Sidney’s parents demand mandatory

CPR and naloxone training; free and widely available nasal naloxone;

improved emergency protocols on campus; and yes, a coroner’s inquest.

I’m pleased to see that the Premier, I believe, has committed to at

least making sure that that happens.

Will the Premier listen to this grieving family and follow

through, not just on the recommendations but on the call from this

opposition — as we’ve been calling for, for years — that the solution to

this drug crisis also has to include education for our young people, so

that they understand that all drugs are dangerous, and drugs can be

fatal? Will the Premier at least commit to doing that, and protect the

next group of young people from not having to go through what Sidney and

her family have had to deal with?

Hon. D. Eby: Part of the tragedy of Sidney’s death, as I understand it, is that

there were security from UVic that were in the room as she died and that

had naloxone. They had naloxone training and did not deploy that

naloxone immediately.

There are serious questions that need to be answered about this

horrific death, which is why the Solicitor General has directed a

coroner’s inquest. We are reaching out to university presidents right

across the province to make sure that they are doing all they can on

their campuses. We have naloxone available for every post-secondary

institution.

[10:35 a.m.]

This is a situation that anyone can imagine. There’s a kid in a

dorm room, with a friend that they trust and like and that offers them

something. They don’t know where it came from, and it ends up in a

horrific result that could have been prevented. This is

horrific.

We will work with the family to get them the answers that they

deserve. We will ensure that any necessary policy changes are in place

to prevent similar deaths.

FIRST-RESPONDER TRAINING

AND NALOXONE ACCESS ON

POST-SECONDARY CAMPUSES

S. Bond: Part of the action that is required is to actually remind young

British Columbians that there are no safe drugs. The Premier completely

avoided committing to talking about that in British Columbia.

My question is to the Minister of Post-Secondary Education, a

straight question: does her ministry oversee and regulate the training

of first responders on post-secondary campuses to ensure that they are

equipped to handle medical emergencies involving students?

Hon. J. Whiteside: Thank you to the member for the question.

Of course, in this House, we are all grieving with Sidney’s family

today as a result of her tragic death.

I want to assure the member, all members of this House and

everyone in our communities that we are working across all of our

post-secondary system, across our health authorities and in public

health to ensure that we have the appropriate procedures and training in

place to ensure that this doesn’t happen again — including our education

campaign, which is very much exactly that: telling youth that the

illicit drug supply is poison. It is contaminated.

We’ve been running that campaign last fall.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Member.

Hon. J. Whiteside: It’s running right now.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Member, shhh.

Hon. J. Whiteside: It is going to be….

Interjection.

The Speaker: Member for Surrey South, control yourself, please.

Minister will continue.

Hon. J. Whiteside: This is work that we do across the education system to talk to

youth about the dangers of the illicit drug supply right now. We will

continue to do that work.

The Speaker: Prince George–Valemount, supplemental.

S. Bond: I am sure those words bring little comfort to Sidney’s parents and

to people across British Columbia who are grieving every day. All we

hear from this minister is words.

Yesterday the Minister of Post-Secondary Education ran for cover

when she had an opportunity to answer these questions. The Minister of

Post-Secondary Education de­clined yesterday to speak with

Postmedia about how her ministry is safeguarding over 300,000

post-secondary students from overdose crises.

She has not addressed even today why naloxone is available and

easily accessible in emergency boxes on some campuses, while others

restrict access to business hours only. That is her job. That is her

responsibility.

She should have stood up yesterday and said: “I’m taking care of

this. I will ensure that this is mandated for every single

post-secondary institution.” She refused to answer the

question.

Will she do it for Sidney’s parents today?

Hon. L. Beare: I want to echo the Premier’s sentiments and pass on my

condolences. My heart goes out to Sidney’s family and to her brother and

her friends. This is a tragic incident.

We are taking action. I am meeting with the presidents of the

post-secondaries to review the policies that are in place…

Interjection.

The Speaker: Shhh, Member.

Hon. L. Beare: …so that we can make improvements and ensure that students are

kept safe. Naloxone was in the room, Mr. Speaker, and unfortunately it

was not used in a timely manner, according to what we’ve

heard.

There is a review underway with B.C. emergency health services.

The Minister of Public Safety has directed a coroner’s inquest to get

more answers.

We are taking action to make sure that we get answers for Sidney’s

family and so that we can protect students on our campuses all across

this province.

[10:40 a.m.]

SITE C POWER PROJECT

S. Furstenau: The Site C dam is the largest publicly funded infrastructure

project in B.C.’s history. The price has doubled since the government

came to power. The last time we got an update, it was $16 billion. I’m

guessing that, like most things we buy today, we can expect to pay

between 18 and 25 percent more.

This project has been plagued by geotechnical problems. It

trampled Indigenous rights. It will result in the loss of vast amounts

of fertile agricultural land, and the reservoir will be a source of

methane emissions. This project has been cloaked in secrecy and

obfuscation, and it represents the betrayal of the public’s

trust.

This government promised supporters they would not forge ahead

with this boondoggle in 2017, but they did. While it nears completion,

it remains to be seen if it will even be able to produce the promised

electricity because severe drought, linked to climate change, has

significantly restricted electricity production in the Peace

region.

My question is to the Premier: does he regret approving Site C,

particularly given the huge financial burden it will put on the people

of B.C., while the energy it generates will go to the climate-destroying

fossil fuel industry?

Hon. J. Osborne: Thank you very much to the leader of the Green Party for the

question.

Site C is going to add about 8 percent of electricity to B.C.’s

grid, and with B.C. Hydro’s call for power issued just this spring,

another 5 percent will be added to that grid. This is vital, clean

electricity that we need to power homes. We need to power the choices

that British Columbians are making as they switch and move away from

fossil fuels into B.C.’s clean electricity. The project is an

impor­tant project that will supply that electricity.

I want to be very clear. B.C. Hydro accounts for and plans for

drought. The water levels in the reservoirs this year are higher than

they were at this time last year.

Planning is underway to ensure that British Columbians will always

have safe, reliable, clean electricity that we need as part of this

global energy transition.

The Speaker: Leader of the Third Party, supplemental.

WATER MANAGEMENT

AND USE FOR

FRACKING

S. Furstenau: I really wonder what the people of B.C. think when we’re building

a mega-dam to provide so-called clean electricity that is really

destined to prop up the fossil fuel industry in this

province.

The flooding of the Peace River Valley for Site C will not just

undermine food security; it will impact water security. Drought levels

are extreme. Fires are threatening towns, displacing people, and smoke

and air pollution are harming people’s health, but this government acts

like it’s 1989. For seven years, there has been no real urgency to

respond proactively to the diminishing water in our province. Efforts to

get water users licensed were weak and ineffective. The investments to

build water tables around the province have been sorely

lacking.

Meanwhile, trade in water in Alberta has begun. If the members are

actually serious about affordability for people in B.C., they should

think really hard about what it will mean to have supply-and-demand

pricing for fresh water.

My question is to the Premier: how does he square the fact that

we’re in severe drought with his government being hell-bent on scaling

up the water-gobbling fracked gas industry in B.C.?

Hon. N. Cullen: Thanks for the question.

We have been reporting publicly at the beginning of each month our

snowpack levels in B.C. They’ve been raising serious concerns because

they are sitting at historical lows. For those that are unaware of that

concern, it’s because that water is the water we rely on through the

spring, summer and into the fall months.

Droughts historically in British Columbia have been very localized

and relatively short term. We have seen with last summer and previous

summers and our expectation is this summer, unfortunately, that droughts

are more pervasive and long term. That’s why we’ve been working very

closely with the Ministry of Forests and particularly the Ministry of

Agriculture in standing up more than $100 million for agriculture

producers, ranchers across this province, to be able to hold water back

on the land.

We recently announced the weir in Cowichan, which my friend was

at. It’s another example of the many projects that are being lifted up

by communities we are trying to support, because we know that we must

consider water differently. We must value it and understand its impact

on our economy, our culture, particularly wild salmon.

Our efforts will continue. They’re efforts that we have to make at

all orders of government, with partners from industry, First Nations and

every individual British Columbian, because every water drop

counts.

The Speaker: Members, just a reminder: no electronic equipment during question

period.

Leader of the Fourth Party.

[10:45 a.m.]

PURCHASE OF HOTELS BY B.C. HOUSING

AND CALL FOR

AUDIT

J. Rustad: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This government has made a lot of noise

about hotels that have being purchased for housing. Let’s have a look at

a couple of these hotels that were purchased.

In Prince George, the Knights Inn was purchased for $1.1 million.

Four years later it was then sold, as part of a housing project, for

$4.1 million, a nice 400 percent increase on the project.

The individuals involved in this project, Mr. Khatrao and Mr.

Banipal, were also involved in another project in Prince George, the

North Star Inn, which was purchased for $3.25 million and was then sold

to B.C. Housing for $10.5 million. That’s just a mere four years for

another quick 300 percent profit. The same individuals were involved in

this deal.

My question to the Premier is this. This not only looks bad; it

does not pass the smell test. Will the Premier commit today to doing a

forensic audit of B.C. Housing so that the people of British Columbia

know that the money is being spent appropriately and that there is

nothing inappropriate happening in B.C. Housing?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you for the member’s question.

It is correct that we purchased the North Star Inn. It was an

important measure to address homelessness, the encampments that we’re

seeing in Prince George. We’ve been working closely with local First

Nations, with the city to ensure that not only are we able to open up

more spaces but, in some cases, acquire buildings that are on the market

that are available to get people in.

The 120 units…. Every time a building is purchased, it follows the

same protocols that were in place when that member was in the B.C.

Liberal government. The procedures are: there are appraisals done;

there’s a validation done of the price compared to what’s on the

market.

I think the member would agree, because he represents some of the

region, that it’s vitally important during these challenging times that

we get people indoors.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. Governments have had

to go in and purchase buildings. We do verify through independent bodies

to ensure that whatever purchase prices are being used for B.C. Housing

meet what the market is at.

The Speaker: Leader of the Fourth Party, supplemental.

J. Rustad: It’s interesting, though, that it’s the same individuals that are

involved in this and making these significant profits.

You know what? It doesn’t end there. There was another purchase in

Prince George called the Lotus Hotel, which was purchased for $700,000

and 18 months later was flipped to B.C. Housing for $2 million, another

quick 300 percent profit in 18 months.

Not only did this hotel that was purchased have to be renovated

because it wasn’t suited, but B.C. Housing was actually renting this

building. They could have just bought it before these people that did

the flip bought it. At that time, it was sold for $566,000.

So we’ve got three hotels in Prince George, all with the same

individuals involved, all with massive profits for hotels that also

needed to be renovated afterwards. It’s not like there was a lot of

investment done in between.

This trend is very disturbing — to see that these kinds of trades

are being made, that these individuals, whether having inside

information or whatever it may have been…

The Speaker: Question, Member.

J. Rustad: …have been able to make significant profits on these housing

projects at the expense of the taxpayers of British Columbia.

The Speaker: Question.

J. Rustad: Once again to the Premier: will you commit to a forensic audit of

B.C. Housing to put to rest, once and for all, all of these sorts of

concerns and issues to make sure taxpayers’ moneys are being spent

appropriately?

Hon. R. Kahlon: As I said earlier to the member, the procedures that are in place

for B.C. Housing are similar to the procedures that were in place when

he was a member of the B.C. Liberal Party. There are independent checks

done by third parties that come in and assess the purchase

value.

Now, it’s hard to understand if the member is suggesting whether

we should buy hotels early or whether we should buy them late. But

what’s most important, I think, for any community that’s struggling with

people that are in encampments or homeless is getting housing options

available right away.

[10:50 a.m.]

It takes time to get communities to agree to build housing. It

takes time for that housing to be built. When you have a challenging

situation, you’ve got to act quick.

The previous government, when the member was part of the B.C.

Liberal government, did the same thing — which is good; it should be

commended — where they stepped in and moved people into hotels, acquired

buildings to move people in. And we have to do the same when issues like

this arise.

I appreciate the member’s interest in wanting to ensure people

that are vulnerable get housing. That’s what we’re going to continue to

focus on, on this side of the House.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN PARKSVILLE

A. Walker: There are nearly 12,000 people in Oceanside on a wait-list for a

family doctor, a wait-list that is three years long. In a community with

more seniors than any other community in this country, that means that

people are waiting longer than they should for access to cancer tests.

They’re waiting for hip and knee referrals. They’re waiting to get

access to the health care they deserve, the health care that they paid

for their whole lives.

Island Health has been renting a vacant space in a rural part of

our community for more than two years with the promise to build a new

clinic. The space doesn’t meet the zoning, and it has currently

ballooned to nearly $2 million. Worse still, we have two family doctors

that want to work with Island Health to work out of this clinic, but

Island Health has refused to adapt their plans to get these doctors into

this facility. They are refusing two doctors to come to our community.

They are refusing 3,000 patients to get connected with primary

care.

A question for the Minister of Health: why is there no one working

at a local level to connect existing doctors, the division of family

practice and Island Health to connect people with primary

care?

Hon. A. Dix: Over the past number of years, we’ve made significant changes to

improve access to family doctors. We signed with our family doctors and

developed with the Doctors of B.C. a new payment model that has seen an

unprecedented increase in the number of family doctors, 21 percent

across Vancouver Island.

That’s not all. We have developed across Vancouver Island and

across B.C. primary care networks.

The member says they should be developed locally. They’re

developed locally. They’re funded by the province, permanent funding,

which has never happened before. The primary care network in his region

and the primary care networks across B.C. are developed locally. They

invest locally; they invest in team-based care.

Currently across British Columbia, 1,800 FTEs work in primary care

networks, part of which are urgent and primary care centres.

We work, as he well knows, with doctors and nurse practitioners

and health care professions and communities everywhere to establish

community health centres in communities across B.C., from Rutland to

Lake Country to Sooke to Vancouver to Surrey, and we’re going to

continue to do that work.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

MEDICAL RESIDENCY POSITIONS FOR

FOREIGN-TRAINED

PHYSICIANS

A. Walker: The minister mentions the primary care network. The executive

director of our primary care network just quit. All the admin staff of

our primary care network just quit. These are people that want to get

things done, but government keeps getting in the way. The red tape and

the gatekeeping are keeping patients from having access to health

care.

My office is working with advocates and a local non-profit to get

a community-led clinic going. Through this process, we have met six

foreign-trained doctors in our community that are trying to get their

credentials recognized, doctors with years of experience that are

getting stuck in processes that other provinces have found the way to

get doctors through. Nova Scotia has shown leadership.

Why is it in the province of British Columbia that government is

in court right now fighting to prevent foreign-trained doctors from

having access to residency spaces at UBC?

Hon. A. Dix: What have we done? We’ve increased the number of spaces at UBC by

128. That was work done by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of

Post-Secondary Education. We’re adding a new medical school at

SFU.

Last year was a record year because of changes we made in

foreign-trained doctors and foreign-trained nurses coming to British

Columbia.

We’ve added, across B.C., 78 primary care networks, all developed

locally; 34 urgent and primary care centres, one that we opened last

week in Mission, providing care for people in Mission.

On Vancouver Island, you see the effect of this: 21 percent more

doctors. There is not a health authority in Canada that saw the increase

in longitudinal family practice doctors that we’ve seen on Vancouver

Island.

We’re going to continue this effort with action after action after

action.

GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT WITH

AND ROLE OF LOCAL NEWS MEDIA

P. Milobar: B.C. United fully supports local news and the critical role that

they play in informing communities, especially in a time of emergency.

This Premier, however, decided to sell out the local news industry to

Facebook in a backroom deal in exchange for government advertising and a

promise by Facebook to amplify NDP propaganda, conveniently in the

months leading up to the provincial election.

[10:55 a.m.]

Now, this has real-world implications when right now we’re having

government news releases going out promoting the evacuation efforts,

conveniently ignoring that those same people are now being evicted out

of the hotels they were placed in. That is the critical connection that

local news plays.

Why did the Premier abandon his promise to support local news, not

only to prioritize NDP propaganda but right before an

election?

Hon. N. Sharma: Nothing could be farther from the truth than what the member just

said.

We are a government that’s taking unprecedented action for people

of this province, including at their highest time of need. That table

Canada and North America, to get them to take real action to protect

British Columbians.

We’re doing that for youth, youth that are being ex­ploited

online by predators. We’re protecting them more.

We’re doing that for people that are facing really stressful

wildfire situations, when they need information. The Premier has been

clear on this. We expect those platforms to deliver that information

straight from the ministry.

We’re going to continue to do that work. We’re very proud of

it.

WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT

D. Davies: While there has been rain in the northeast and it has helped the

forest fire situation, Fort Nelson is still under immediate threat — the

Parker Lake fire and now the Patrick Creek fire, which have both grown

into monsters.

I witnessed firsthand…. I was lucky enough to work in the

reception centre in Fort St. John and see the faces of people coming

through. Some people think it might be the last time they see their

houses. People are angry.

Residents in my community are furious at this government and their

inaction on failing to deploy all available equipment that is available

in that community.

Since this weekend and even up to today I’ve heard directly from

many local contractors that have water trucks sitting, bulldozers,

excavators sitting while the fire is on the edge of that

community.

When will the Premier finally mobilize every available resource

and let the community help fight its fire?

Hon. B. Ma: I want to thank the member across the way for his work as a local

MLA during this time of crisis. I’ve appreciated the constant

connections, the communication about challenges being faced on the

ground so that we can mobilize and address them as quickly as

possible.

When homes are under threat of fire, as they are in Fort Nelson

and the surrounding areas, it is absolutely understandable that people

and businesses want to help. The wildland firefighters at the B.C.

Wildfire Service do work very closely with contractors, including local

businesses, forestry industry, local governments, First Nations and

more. We do have many contractors working to help keep Fort Nelson safe.

In fact, the 18 pieces of heavy equipment that have been hired are from

local companies, and they’re supporting response in Fort Nelson right

now.

There are many local resources being utilized, and I recognize

there are more. We are always in active discussions with additional

contractors who are capable of providing that. I encourage any

individuals with heavy equipment who would like to support that wildfire

response to register through the B.C. Wildfire Service. Those

conversations are constantly happening.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON

DRUG TOXICITY CRISIS AND

OVERDOSE DEATHS

T. Shypitka: Well, it’s another tragic and sad day here at the Legislature. We

heard today, already, about the tragic, preventable death of Sidney, an

18-year-old at the University of Victoria.

Another devastating tragedy has unfolded in Cranbrook, where a

13-year-old girl has died from an overdose. Several weeks ago the young

girl overdosed, was taken to the hospital and was released from the

emergency room only to fatally overdose five days later. She was

described as a happy, sweet kid, full of love, but she was failed by the

lack of treatment options, and she was failed by the lack of legal tools

to provide her secure, mandatory care.

How many more lives will be lost before the Premier commits to a

safe care legislation to prevent more families from suffering such

unbearable loss?

[11:00 a.m.]

Hon. J. Whiteside: Thanks to the member for raising this tragic

circumstance.

Our hearts, of course, on behalf of everyone in this House, go out

to the family and the circle of that youth.

We are continuing to work with our health authorities and with our

partners through our school system to build out the supports that we

know youth need to have access to in order to support them dealing with

mental health challenges. We know that the situation for youth has

worsened since the pandemic. That’s why we are working so diligently and

so hard through our health care system and with education in order to

build out those supports.

We will certainly understand more in the coming weeks about that

particular situation so that we can understand what happened and ensure

that this, again, does not happen to another youth.

[End of question period.]

Petitions

A. Walker: I rise to present a petition of 944 signatures calling on this

government to ensure that laws are in place to ensure that wolf-dogs are not

released, causing harm to the public.

R. Merrifield: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

The Speaker: Please proceed.

Introductions by Members

R. Merrifield: Surprising me this morning is my amazing husband, who came here to

hear our farewell speeches. I’d like to introduce to the House, as others

know him, Carlos Alentejano, and as I know him, my Joao.

G. Kyllo: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

The Speaker: Proceed.

G. Kyllo: I wanted to recognize Kevin Dixon.

Now, Kevin Dixon has been my legislative executive coordinator for a

number of years now. He’s also the sole employee of the Whip’s office and

does an amazing job of keeping us well looked after.

Would the House please give recognition to Kevin Dixon for the amazing

work that he does in helping us.

Orders of the Day

The Speaker: Members, pursuant to the order of the House adopted yesterday, the next 45

minutes are dedi­cated to farewell speeches and responses.

The next member will be the member for Columbia

River–Revelstoke.

Personal Statements

FAREWELL ADDRESSES

BY RETIRING

MLA s

D. Clovechok: I m reminded, speaking to you today, of the first time I sat here

in this House as a rookie. I was completely and totally blown away by

it, the presence of this room and the people, and I’ve got some stories

to tell about that later on. As I sit here today, I’m still blown away

by it. It’s an amazing place. It’s a magnificent place where really

magnificent things can happen for the people of British

Columbia.

When you think that less than 1,000 British Columbians have ever

served in the role of MLA and when you think about it again, over 140

years of history of this province, I got to be one of them. I got to be

one of them, and I’m so proud of that.

Columbia River–Revelstoke is the size of Switzerland. It’s a

little over 40,000 square kilometres. It’s six mountain ranges and a

ferry ride away from Victoria. Where I live, it’s closer to the capital

of Alberta.

As the MLA, it’s been an honour and a privilege to serve, and I

want to express my gratitude to my constituents and everyone that helped

to get me to this place. As of today, when I’m leaving this place, I can

say that my heart is full. I am humbled. I truly am humbled to have been

given this privilege.

Being elected and remaining elected and serving elected is a team

sport. There are so many people that I want to thank, and if I miss

anybody, I ask their forgiveness, because there’s a long list of

folks.

My wife, Susan, who’s up in the gallery — she’s my rock. She’s the

best campaigner you could ever find. I can’t tell you the number of

doors and phones that she’s been on. She’s my fan; my most honest

critic, sometimes too much; my best friend; and there are so many other

things.

I love you.

[11:05 a.m.]

My daughters Steph and Jenn and my son Paul stood beside me all

the way, supported me all the way through this.

My granddaughter Ava is going to turn 15. I can’t believe she’s

turning 15 this week. It’s tomorrow, actually, the same birthday as my

son.

Shane, Nate, Parker and Dawson, who live in the United States,

give me calls and say: “You can do this.”

And my son-in-law, Devan Dubnyk, who played for — go, Edmonton,

go, tonight! — the Edmonton Oilers, retired from the NHL in Minnesota

and now broadcasts for the NHL. But I’ve got to stick with the

Oilers.

They’ve all been there for me with their love and their support,

and it’s been endless. For that, I can’t think of a greater joy that any

man could ask for.

I also want to recognize someone who sat in this House for 16

years. I would not be here if he hadn’t taken me under his arm and his

wing, and that’s Bill Bennett. Everybody knows Bill Bennett. How could

you forget him. How could you forget him.

The first time I met him was in a cafeteria in Kimberley. I was

decided to run, and in walks this guy that I saw on TV the night before

who had just got kicked out of cabinet. We were going: “Oh my God. This

is going to be a gong show.”

Then he sat down right beside me in the restaurant. I was talking

away, and then he interjected, which sometimes Bill does. It took me

about 30 seconds — he said that’s “because you’re not that bright; it

should’ve taken you less” — to realize this guy knows what the hell he’s

talking about.

Forgive me, Mr. Speaker. I don’t want to get kicked out of here

again. That’s already happened once — just once. Yeah.

I realized I had to listen to this guy. He knows what he’s talking

about.

I remember during my first campaign, I’d phone him, and I’d say —

this was in 2013: “I’ve got some really good ideas. What do you think?”

He goes: “You know, those are really good ideas, but this is what you’re

going to do.” I tell you what. I listened to him all along the way, and

him and I and his wife, Beth, and my wife, Susan, have become best of

friends.

Later in your life, you don’t think that you’ll find a bestie.

Well, that’s the relationship that we found. We go on vacations

together. We fish; we hunt. I’m going to do a lot more hunting with Bill

coming up. But I just want to thank Bill and Beth for the support that

they’ve given me since 2013.

He’s still as crotchety as he was always, but I’ll tell you what,

he’s still smart, like a fox. I just want to thank Bill for everything

along that.

I also want to thank Christy Clark. When I first moved to British

Columbia, I was going to run federally. Christy helped me understand

that that wasn’t the right idea. I found out that it’s very hard to say

no to that woman. But she also never wavered once in her belief in me

that I could win an NDP riding.

I remember during my campaigns in 2013 and 2017, specifically in

2017, she showed up with her bus. I had no idea she was coming. She

says, “That’s because I think you’re going to win this riding,” even

though our pollsters said it wasn’t going to happen. That’s what polls

are all about.

But I want to thank Christy. She never wavered. She supported me,

and we won, and we held it in the subsequent election. I owe a lot to

Christy and the encouragement she gave me.

My brother Larry and wife Mari were all there as well.

Our friends Bev and Al, across the road, that own the resort —

they were there for me.

Our riding executive and so many others.

Todd Mitchell was my bag man. That guy can raise money, let me

tell you. He was there with me from day 1.

Mark McKee, who was the mayor of Revelstoke, actually ran for us

in 2009.

Peter Bernacki.

George Buhler — he’s a hook and bullet guy. A guide-outfitter,

he’s 84 years old, and I sure wouldn’t want to fight him. He is a tough

old guy.

Judy Blakely, Doug McIntosh, Steven Begin, Wendy Booth, Mac

Campbell, Frank O’Grady, Wilma Croisdale and so many others. This is a

team sport, and I had a hell of a team behind me, and I’m so grateful

for that.

[11:10 a.m.]

In the 2020 election that was supposed to never happen but it did,

we had over 150 volunteers on the phones. I didn’t go door-to-door, but

on the phones. What I discovered about volunteerism is that there’s

nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer that’s committed. I’m so

grateful for all those people who decided I was going to be their

guy.

I want to talk a little bit about my political family. There’s no

clock running here. That’s good.

We have a caucus that is just truly amazing and a leader that I am

so proud to support. My only regret around Kevin Falcon is that I won’t

be here to serve with him when he’s Premier of this province. I’m so

proud of Kevin and what he’s been able to achieve in bringing us

together. We have an amazing caucus together, some of the most amazing

people in this country.

We have laughed together. We’ve fought with each other. We’ve bled

together. We’ve dreamed together. The thing about our leadership is that

we put those dreams into action. They’re people who care about other

people. It’s a true team, and they always have your back.

Most of all, they’re a team who cares about the people of British

Columbia with all of their hearts, people who will do whatever it takes

to help their constituents, like Jackie Tegart and her people in Lytton,

above and beyond duty.

The wonderful things they’ve done…. To talk about everything, I’d

need days to do that. But I do want to mention a couple of

them.

Shirley Bond. When Shirley became the interim leader, she

appointed me part of her leadership team. This is one of the most

amazing women I have ever met.

Donna Barnett, who was in her mid-to-late 70s when she was here

with us and with me. She’s the feistiest woman I’ve ever met in my life.

She’ll tell you exactly. You never get a knife in your back; you’ll get

a punch in the face.

Then there’s Mike de Jong, who, every time he stands up in this

House, I learn something from. Just an amazing orator. I tell you, I’ve

been lucky to do that.

Todd Stone, who has been not only an incredible House Leader but

has grown so much, and he has got such passion for this job.

I want to recognize Mike Morris, who is one of the most principled

men I think I have ever met.

And then Lorne Doerkson, who was my Deputy Whip. We had a lot of

fun. We navigated….

I could go through the entire list of people, but I

can’t.

Who I do want to talk about really quickly is Greg Kyllo. Greg has

been my roommate for the last seven years. I’ve spent more time with

Greg than my wife, not that that’s a bad thing. We started out as

roommates, but I honestly consider him now to be like my little brother.

He’s become my family, and we always will be family. His family is my

family.

It just goes to show you that through this job, lifelong

friendships can be built. What an amazing experience it’s been to work

with these people.

I just want to say to my caucus: thank you so very much, and I

love you all.

My riding elected partners: Mayor Gary Sulz from Revelstoke; Ron

Oszust from Golden; director Karen Cathcart from the CSRD; Roberta

Schnider from area G with the RDEK; Mike Gray, the mayor of Radium; Al

Miller, the mayor of Invermere; my wife, the area F representative; Mark

Doherty, the mayor of Canal Flats; Jane Walter, the director for area E

for the RDEK; and Mayor Don McCormick from Kimberley.

I have ten elected officials with all those councils. That just

goes to show you that you can’t swing a cat by the tail and not hit a

government official in my riding. Not that we would swing cats by the

tail, just clarification. I’m a dog guy.

Together we’ve worked on successes with Three Valley Gap and the

fencing around Three Valley Gap. I remember that in Premier’s estimates,

I brought that to Mr. Horgan’s attention. MOTI told me they’d never seen

anything happen so quickly. We got that done, and I want to thank them

for that.

[11:15 a.m.]

The creation of Cherry Creek Falls Regional Park. That’s a long

story there, but we did that. We actually got that park taken out of the

mining tenure. That was the first time that ever happened in the history

of B.C.

We got $300,000 for Angel Flight. It took me two years and a lot

of pressure, but I want to thank Mike Farnworth. We got $15 million for

Avalanche Canada, which was so needed for 15 years.

Thank you, sir, for that.

BCEMS with their SOCs. I remember being on the phone with the

mayor of Kimberley and the mayor of Golden with the Minister of Health.

We worked through that, and we told them that it’s not going to work in

rural British Columbia, and he listened. He listened.

The Golden water company. As the critic of the Columbia River

treaty, water is gold, and our negotiators are doing a wonderful job.

But a water company came into Golden from China. Led by a group of

passionate women in Golden — the Golden Water Guardians, they called

themselves…. They called me, and they said: “We’ve got to shut this

down.”

Well, the then minister of forests and lands and water or whatever

it was, Katrine Conroy…. I talked to her, and, well, that application

still sits on the front desk. We tracked them down. Their office was in

a residence in Richmond, so it wasn’t all that legitimate.

I could go on and on about the things…. The Kicking Horse Canyon.

That was a huge achievement that we’ve all worked on. But I’ve got to

tell you, I want to give creds to MOTI, to two people: Hillary Barnett,

who’s now the regional manager; and Katie Ward, who was the regional

manager. They are still awesome people. When we had a problem, we got it

done. They took care of it.

Also, we were going to lose two of our traffic members with the

RCMP. The Public Safety Minister made sure that that didn’t happen,

either. So you can work across the lines with each other. That’s what I

learned very quickly.

My non-political family. Kevin Dixon, Stephanie Marshall-White,

Luella Barnetson and all the other staff in this building. Rachel

Loganberg, who was my first CA, set up my offices. Stacey Brensrud,

Sioban Staplin and Chelsea Meulendyk.

I could not have done this without them.

The Speaker. Thank you, sir. It’s been an honour and a

privilege.

Then there’s Kate.

The Speaker: I love you too, Doug.

D. Clovechok: Well, what’s not to love, pal?

Kate, the kindest person and the most patient person, because you

have to be patient with me. I just want to say thank you so much, Kate,

for all the work that you’ve done.

Artour popped up the other day and tried to explain to me how a

few things work. He didn’t get too frustrated, but we got through

it.

Thank you so much.

Thank you to everybody in the Clerk’s office.

The Sergeant-at-Arms. We knew, when he came in, he was going to be

great, because he was from Calgary, worked for the best police service

in Canada, the Calgary police service. You know he’s got respect,

because he’s the only one in this House right now that’s packing

heat.

I want to say thank you to the Sergeant-at-Arms and all the other

staff in this House, the guys and the women that give us water and keep

us well taken care of. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you guys as

well.

I’ve had some unique experiences in this building. I’m going to

share these with you very quickly. I remember getting lost the first day

I was here. I was in a place where nobody’s ever been, I don’t think: in

the basement. This security officer that works for the Sergeant-at-Arms

said: “What are you doing here?” I said: “I’m so lost. But don’t tell

anybody.”

She was able to get me out of there. Then I got lost again, and I

was wandering around. The session was in, and, of course, you’re not to

be out of the building. I was wandering around the rose garden and our

Whip, Eric Foster, said, “Clovechok’s in the rose garden.” Christy, I

guess, leaned back and said to one of the RCMP detail: “Go get him.

We’ve got a runner.” I was back in the building by the time they came

out, but I did hear about it in the caucus that night.

I’ve been the Whip. I’ve been Parliamentary Secretary to Premier

Clark. I would like to have had that last a little longer, but in any

event, it was a great experience. I’ve been the shadow minister for

Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the shadow minister for Indigenous Relations

and Reconciliation with Michael Lee. The shadow minister for the

Columbia River treaty, Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Power

Corp.

We need to spend more time on that. Water is so precious, and the

Americans want it. They want it.

[11:20 a.m.]

Deputy Chair and member of the Select Standing Committee on

Finance and Government Services, Dep­uty Chair for the Special

Committee to Appoint a Chief Electoral Officer and a member of the

select standing committee on Indigenous affairs and reconciliation —

I’ve had some great experiences, and I’m so profoundly grateful for

those.

Very quickly here, the protesters, the memories — I could go

through a whole bunch of them. But I think one of the ones… They had a

protest here, and the Victoria police service was escorting me into the

building.

It was kind of like on Seinfeld. Have you ever seen the spitting

episode? This guy tried to spit on me. When you do that to somebody from

the Kootenays, those are fighting words. So I went after him, but the

police grabbed me and said: “We’re going to have to hook up the wrong

guy here.” We stopped doing that, but that was an interesting

event.

Again, I want to thank my constituents. I made them three promises

in 2013. A guy asked me to tell him what I could promise them, and I

said: “That’s easy.” I got to go last because everyone was reading off

their scripts. I said: “I’ll never lie to you, I’ll work my ass off for

you, and the rest we’ll figure out together.” And that’s exactly what

we’ve done. That’s exactly what we’ve done.

Just to sum up quickly, because I’m getting the hook….

Interjection.

D. Clovechok: Eleven seconds? Oh, there is a clock now. See, these interruptions

give me more time.

I think the future is going to be incredibly exciting for me, as

it has always been in my life and my career, what­ever I’ve done,

and I’m excited for it.

Since 2017, we faced our fair share of challenges: COVID, the

forest fires, wildfire protection issues, health care issues,

affordability issues, safety issues, mental health and addictions

issues. The issues go on and on, but that’s part of this job.

As a riding and a province… And this is really important because I

think we live in some really troubled times. It’s sad to see this. It

really is. The conflict in the world, the conflict that’s in this

province, that’s in this city, that’s everywhere. It’s rife.

As we as a riding, Columbia River–Revelstoke, and as a province

and as a country become more diverse, we must work harder to unite

around our common values. We have to work hard on those common values

and our common humanity, and that’s who we are as British Columbians.

We’ve got to never forget that, that we are British Columbians

first.

I think Robert E. Lee said that, and it didn’t work out well for

him. I really believe that we can overcome all of this.

I just want to say, Mr. Speaker, that it’s been a hell of a ride.

I look forward to continuing to serve until the next election. I’m going

to be working hard for our candidate, who is absolutely an amazing guy,

a 6-foot-5 guy. You’re almost as tall as him. He’s a little fellow, but

he’s going to be an amazing candidate.

I want to thank everybody here again for this opportunity. It’s

been amazing. Thank you. [Applause.]

R. Merrifield: Well, it is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of gratitude that

I stand before you to deliver my farewell speech.

Serving as a member of this Legislative Assembly has been one of

the greatest honours of my life, and as I take my leave, I am filled

with just such a mixture of emotions: pride in what we have been able to

achieve together, sadness at parting ways, and a profound gratitude for

the incredible individuals who have walked this journey with

me.

I entered into politics with clear and urgent missions: to address

the housing crisis, to help solve mental health issues and to truly

revolutionize health care.

In housing, I could see that the youth in our community were

losing hope as housing prices soared and affordable options became

scarce. I knew that the direction we were heading would result in even

higher housing prices, pushing stability further out of reach for so

many. It’s actually how the MLA…. I’m going to say his name because Doug

got to. It’s actually how Norm Letnick and I became friends, working on

affordable housing in Kelowna.

[11:25 a.m.]

And as stability was further out of reach, I wish I had been

wrong. But housing is just one canary in our coal mine of B.C. If we

don’t have housing, we don’t have workers. If we don’t have workers, we

have no industry or services, and then we have no economy. And with no

econ­omy, there are no social supports.

It’s with this passion that I started my company, Troika, almost

25 years ago when the NDP were last in power. The economy was

obliterated, jobs were scarce, and industry had left. I started Troika

to be an answer for the call of housing, for great jobs and for a

sustainable future for our province and our country.

But I didn’t stop there, because sustainability is four­fold

— economic, environmental, cultural and social. I worked on all of those

aspects of sustainability in the private sector, pursuing better

environmental technol­ogies, lowering the carbon footprint of the

housing we built while doing it, working towards better jobs and a

positive economic future.

We also worked culturally on reconciliation and working with our

Indigenous partners to help bolster their capacity and contribute to

more economic hope and futures for their nations, and Troika continues

to do so today.

I also worked on social sustainability, on health care and mental

health — they truly became passions — serving on the Interior Health

Authority board and overseeing our special priorities committee, which

was mental health and substance use when then Health Minister Terry Lake

declared the emergency back in 2016.

I also invested personal dollars in mental health knowledge and

understanding mental illness and forward momentum on that file. I’ve

spoken in this House about my learning from Dr. Goulão and the Portugal

model, and I’m so proud that my party has taken the fundamentals of this

model and put a B.C. lens on it in our Better Is Possible plan. Seeing

all that Portugal has accomplished has me believe that treating everyone

with hope and dignity is possible.

And you’re gonna do it, girl.

While my goals remain the same coming out of politics as going in

— to ensure that everyone has access to safe, affordable housing, to

provide robust mental health supports and to innovate in health care —

I’ve come to realize that I can best serve my community by returning to

the private sector.

There I will continue to fight for the same principles and

advocate for solutions that address these critical issues. But don’t get

me wrong. My commitment to these causes is unwavering, and I hope that

by working from a different vantage point, I can make a substantial

impact.

Being here doesn’t happen without support from people who believe

in you and support you.

I want to take a minute to express my profound grati­tude to

the love of my life, Joao.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

Your unwavering support, love, and encouragement have been my

bedrock. You are my confidant, my cham­pion, my cheerleader, my

lover. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say that. And my friend. You are a

political adviser. Really, everyone should utilize you.

It takes an incredibly strong and confident man to be with a woman

like me, and I thank you for trying to love me every day. I am so

grateful for you and the strength that you provide me each and every

moment that I sat in here apart from you. I’m runnin’ to you,

babe.

To my three wonderful kids and my two incredible stepkids and

daughter-in-law — Mik, Zoe, Dom, Austin and Judy and Connor: you are my

inspiration and my greatest joy.

Mikhail, Zovya and Damek, you made my heart so much bigger when

you made me your mom.

And Austin and Connor, thank you for welcoming me into your hearts

almost a decade ago.

I am so friggin’ proud of each one of you. Thank you for being my

anchor and for always reminding me of what truly matters and for

challenging me on my thinking and pushing me to see things from a

different perspective. You give me and all of us in here great reasons

to fight for not only you but the next generation.

[11:30 a.m.]

To my family — my parents, Bruce and Norma; and my siblings,

Karine and Dave, Lance and Yvonne, and Lane and Amanda: you are

inspiring. And you have truly made me who I am today and supported me

all along in this journey.

To my team in Kelowna — Teresa, Susan, Gordy, Parm­jeet,

Aman, Colin, Steve, Sonia and Kara: you guys are the dream team of

campaigners. You’ve been with me since the beginning, and I’m so proud

of each one of you and how you fight to make our province better. And

don’t worry. We’ve got a lot of work to do to make sure that the next

candidate gets elected.

But I must also thank those who are in the trenches with me

daily.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Rob Murphy.

Rob, you were voluntold to work with me, but you’ve become so much

more than just a colleague. You and Natalie are dear friends. Rob, your

unwavering support, dedication and the many laughs we’ve shared have

made me better and made even the most challenging days manageable. Thank

you for talking me off the ceiling more times than I can count and for

supporting me with your exceptional skills and knowledge.

Then there’s Luella Barnetson, my legislative executive

coordinator. She was the first greeting to the Legislative Assembly, the

guidance through the morass of this space and the constant emotional

support and cheerleader in my days and weeks. She truly wants everyone

around her to succeed, and she dedicates all of her expertise and skills

towards that end.

You will always be a dear friend.

Then there’s those in the constituency office at home, Jody

Cleland and Sonia Sandhu.

Jody, you’re an extraordinary person. The tears we’ve shed

together over the plights of those we serve are a testament to your big

heart and unwavering commitment to our community. Thank you, Jody, for

always seeing our constituents, always remembering our “why,” fighting

for each person we serve and being a friend I can count on.

Sonia, thank you for being who you are; for jumping in and

learning so much, for being there for the citizens of Kelowna, and for

always being a loyal and trusted friend and team member. There are

bright days ahead for you.

There’s another team I must thank. I’m grateful for the incredible

team at Troika, CorWest and HOD.

To the leadership team: your sacrifices have allowed me to serve

in this role.

The whole Troika family — I’m so proud of the growth that you’ve

achieved over the last four years. Your hard work and dedication have

not only supported me but have also given our organization new heights

to achieve while providing housing for so many. Thank you for your

unwavering commitment and for continuing to push the boundaries and set

new standards of excellence. We’re going to solve the housing

crisis.

The other team that I cannot live without is the team sitting

around me here, the team at B.C. United. I am so grateful to the B.C.

United caucus, each and every one of you. I love how much fun we have

together, the friendship that we have created and the fight that is in

each and every one of you to fix B.C. I remain steadfast in supporting

you and ensuring that you become the next government. Because united, we

can fix it.

I’m going to take a moment just to especially thank the fierce

women in our caucus. You are warriors for good. Your strength,

determination, and unwavering commitment to our shared values have been

inspiring. Shirley, keep bringing us in. Keep bringing us in.

To my constituents: thank you for giving me the opportunity to

serve you. It has been such an honour to represent you and work towards

a better future for our community, from fighting with the business

community for safer streets, for better child care, for more trade

spaces and specific women-in-trades funding, for better housing, for a

new Rutland Middle School and Glenmore high school, for Starbright and

better supports for children with needs, for the animation sector, for

more cancer care, for a new URBA on-call service, and watershed

protections.

Thank you. Thank you for letting me fight on your

behalf.

[11:35 a.m.]

But for as much as we’ve accomplished in Kelowna, there’s so much

more to do. As I step away from this role, I do feel like I’m leaving

things unfinished, with so much more fight to go.

This is my call to my colleagues in B.C. United. We have to get

housing under control and the dream of home ownership restored. We have

to revolutionize health care so that people stop dying on wait-lists. We

need a system of treatment and recovery for those with addictions or

mental illnesses and stop drugs from killing our kids.

We need to lower the cost of living. We need more child care that

costs less. We need to get our debt under control. We need to bring back

our world-class education system. We need more trades. Coralee, you have

to do that.

We need to rethink our environmental cause and think way beyond

this province and get our natural re­sources to places in this

world that can lower their emissions with them.

We need to get our wildfires under control so people can

breathe.

We need to get our economy working again for the private sector

and for jobs that are productive and give better paycheques.

And we need to get rid of the divisive politics that seek to

cancel and instead bring ideas together and listen.

Believe me, just like I told the Minister of Health when he fired

me from the Interior Health Authority board, I’m going to come back like

a rash. You won’t know when, or you won’t know how, and it will be hella

itchy and maybe a little burny. But I will be back, because you won’t be

able to get rid of me easily.

I’ll leave you with these, my final words.

Don’t ever stop believing in what can be accomplished, and don’t

ever settle for where things are at. You are not Pollyanna or too

optimistic or too idealistic.

You just may not be dreaming big enough. Thank you.

Deputy Speaker: Government House Leader.

T. Stone: Government House Leader. Wow. Okay.

Deputy Speaker: Sorry. Opposition House Leader.

T. Stone: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Tributes

MIKE DE JONG

T. Stone: Well, on behalf of the B.C. United official opposition, it is my

honour to pay tribute to a titan among us, a man whose dedication to his

constituents — yes, his frugality — his unwavering commitment to public

service has clearly left an indelible mark on the fabric of British

Columbia. Of course, I’m talking about Mike de Jong, a stalwart MLA from

Abbotsford West, whose career spans an impressive 30 years.

Mike was first elected as an MLA in a by-election in 1994. He

defeated another titan, Grace McCarthy. That was in the Matsqui riding.

I have fond memories of that by-election, because it was actually the

very first grassroots campaign that I went door-knocking on. I came down

from Kamloops with a whole bunch of others, and we knocked on doors for

this young, energetic lawyer by the name of Mike.

Now, that night, he didn’t win by very much, but his victory did

mark a significant turning point in B.C. politics, and, of course, the

rest is history. Mike won again in 1996, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017

and 2020.

During his 16 years as part of successive B.C. Liberal

governments, Mike went on to play instrumental roles in the cabinets of

Premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, holding several key

portfolios, including Finance Minister, Health Minister, Minister of

Aboriginal Reconciliation, Minister of Forests, Minister of Labour and,

of course, Attorney General.

As Finance Minister, Mike delivered five consecutive balanced

budgets — five of them. He highlighted his commitment every single day

he could to fiscal management and his absolute respect for British

Columbia’s taxpayers. Under his leadership, the province saw a very

significant reduction in public debt and increased economic stability.

He was instrumental in implementing policies that were the first of

their kind at the time.

[11:40 a.m.]

In 2013, Mike was instrumental in British Columbia becoming the

first foreign subnational jurisdiction to issue bonds into the Chinese

renminbi market, opening up doors to new investors and raising B.C.’s

profile in the Asia-Pacific. The panda bond, it was called.

He worked hard and successfully established educational

partnerships in India. This was very, very important for him throughout

his career. The University of the Fraser Valley now delivers

undergraduate programs in Chandigarh, India. It’s directly as the result

of the efforts of Mike de Jong.

As Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, he played

a crucial role in signing modern-day treaties, a significant step in

reconciliation in this province.

Whether in opposition or in cabinet, Mike has been a passionate

advocate for Abbotsford, always working to secure funding for local

infrastructure projects.

Now, if you’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with Mike,

you’ll know that he’s not your run-of-the-mill politician. Mike is cut

from a different cloth. For one, he’s what you might call famously

frugal. Everyone has heard the legendary stories about that same old

Mazda Miata that he has been driving around for decades. In fact, there

are folks in Abbotsford West that apparently have started a petition to

declare it a historical landmark.

He always zips around in that Mazda in style. He’s always got that

grin on his face, with the top down, I think harkening back to the time

when he could remember the wind blowing through his hair. But let’s not

forget or mistake his thriftiness for lack of taste or style.

Speaking of Abbotsford, who could forget that Mike still lives on

the family farm? He’s just as comfortable giving a legislative update as

he is roaring around on his tractor, and often he does both, we believe.

Behind that down-to-earth exterior, lies a sharp mind and a wicked sense

of humour.

There are many facets that make Mike de Jong a truly remarkable

individual. As I’ve said, he’s not your typical MLA. He’s actually a

force of nature and very adaptable. He’s as comfortable sharing a pint

and swapping stories in a local pub as he is discussing intricate fiscal

policies with the titans of business in world capitals. Often he will do

those two things in the same day.

Mike’s ability to seamlessly transition from the festive

atmosphere of the neighbourhood pub to the high-stakes world of global

finance speaks again about his versatility. Whether he’s charming locals

that he bumps into on the streets of Abbotsford with tales from the

political trenches or engaging in nuanced discussion with international

lenders, Mike exudes a rare blend of charisma, intelligence and warmth

that’s adapted to that particular moment within which he finds

himself.

Let’s not forget about Mike’s passion for hockey. Despite his busy

schedule, he always finds the time — I think, still to this day — to hit

the ice and indulge in the love of the game. One year as Finance

Minister, as he prepared to introduce a provincial budget, he actually

purchased skates instead of new budget shoes. Of course, I don’t think

he ever purchased new budget shoes. He would resole his shoes year over

year. I think they were the same shoes, and he would resole them up the

street at a cobbler that he got to know pretty well in James

Bay.

And of course, how can one forget the launch of one of Mike’s

leadership campaigns, which is seared in our memories. Part of this

video profiled him in full hockey gear. He had either just come from a

practice or from a game and he was sweating, and he wasn’t actually

wearing all of the gear. There was actually a moment where you could see

a jockstrap.

I often wonder if that was the moment that kept you out of the

Premier’s office, Mike.

Interjection.

T. Stone: His shortcomings, he says.

It was definitely a bit much.

Now, it’s easy to focus on all of Mike’s legislative triumphs and

policy achievements over the 16 years that he was in government and, of

course, the 30 years that he’s been in this building. But I think it’s

important to take a moment to shine a light on something that also

really matters, and that is the immense respect that this man has for

this institution, for this Legislature.

You see it in so many different facets. You see it in the

unbelievable recollection and knowledge of the most obscure practices of

this place, which aren’t necessarily written down but are practices that

are taken into account in the proceedings, which he knows about because

he, you know, drew upon some practice 16 years ago.

[11:45 a.m.]

You see it in the incredible friendship that he has with one of

the other key Mikes in this building, the Solicitor General, the

friendship they developed over the years, recognizing that you do get

way more done in this place when you actually work together.

Fundamentally, while we have partisan differences and a different

approach to getting to the same destination, there can always be

respect. There can always be mutual respect for one another. You see

that in how Mike treats everybody in this place.

We also see it in those moments where we might be in an intense

debate in this chamber, and then Mike stands up, and he delivers a

one-liner that only Mike could have come up with that just results in

everybody breaking into laughter. It certainly happens in our caucus all

of the time.

So as we bid farewell to Mike de Jong, let us not only celebrate

his impressive tenure as an MLA but also his humour, his unwavering

dedication and his profound respect for this place.

Mike, your legacy will endure long after you’ve left these halls.

I certainly am very grateful for your mentorship, your friendship over

the years. You’re on to new challenges, and frankly, we know you’re

going to be successful in this next

chapter in your career. And the

country that you love, Canada, is going to be so much better for having

your service at the federal level.

Thank you, Mike, for your decades of dedicated service and your

unwavering commitment to the constituents you have so loyally served and

to the people of British Columbia. We wish you very, very well, my

friend. [Applause.]

Hon. M. Farnworth: It is a pleasure to rise and to respond and to pay tribute to my

colleague across the way, the member for Abbotsford West. I have five

minutes, which is 300 seconds, which is literally ten seconds for each

year that he has served in this place.

It’s important to look back to February 17, 1994. People say that

your vote doesn’t count. Well, if ever there was a by-election that

showed your vote counted, it was that one. Forty-two votes he won by; 42

votes that changed the political dynamic and history of this province,

that saw a party that had ruled this province for more than almost 30

years disappear and a new one take its place. It’s a pretty remarkable

achievement.

Politics is also interesting. It’s like life, because it comes

full circle, and 30-some-odd years ago the member for Abbotsford West,

or Matsqui then, was elected. In fact, when I look at him, he’s wearing

exactly the same suit. He’s wearing exactly the same tie. He’s got the

same hair, or maybe not, the same glasses. But looking at that suit,

it’s clearly…. He’s added so much to his figure.

As I look now, he’s also sitting on the same side of the House as

he did 30 years ago. As I said, life comes full circle. But what’s

important is not the beginning and is not the end, but it’s what

happened in between. And during that time of what happened in between, I

watched a young, bright….

You could tell right from the beginning that he was going to be a

character, that he was someone who was meant for this place. You knew it

in the questions he asked. You knew it in the way that he asked the

questions, sometimes serious, sometimes more like a ticking time bomb —

he knows that one — but always, always sharp.

And you knew, when you were on the government benches — at that

time when he first got here, I wasn’t a minister but later was — that if

he got up to ask you a question, you better be prepared, because he’d

done the research, and he knew his stuff.

[11:50 a.m.]

I wasn’t here for four years, when he came to government and

started to take the ministerial roles that he has undertaken. But in

’05, I did get to come back. I got to be House Leader, and I got to see

a second stage of Mike de Jong, how he had matured to really understand

what this place was about and, as the current Opposition House Leader

has said, the respect for this institution.

The friendship that developed between the two of us is based on

mutual respect, understanding of what this place is about and that this

institution matters. What we do here matters. I know it’s often

dismissed. I know it’s often put down. I know we’re all…. People say

things about the people who are here — not always nice. But at the end

of the day, we’re all here for the same thing: to do right by the people

of British Columbia.

Part and parcel of that is having a respect for this institution,

being able to have a conversation in terms of the business of the day,

being able to know that when you have that conversation, whether you’re

in the opposition or government, you don’t have to worry about the

individual running out to the press and saying: “Mike said this” or

“Mike said that.” That’s what makes this place work. Mike de Jong — I

know I’m not supposed to do that — emphasized that.

As I said, it’s what happens in between that’s important. I think

he has built a legacy that he and all of us and the people of this

province can be proud of.

Before I finish my remarks, I just want to make one reference to

his frugality. You’ve talked about the Miata, but there’s another

reference to his frugality, and that’s the linoleum story. I don’t know

how many people know this one.

Mike grew up in and, I think, still has the farmhouse. Apparently,

one day he noticed that the linoleum was a bit cracked. This is only in

2008 or 2009. I think he turned to his parents and said: “That needs to

be fixed.” They go: “Oh well, we’d better get some new.” He goes: “No,

no, no, no.” He says: “I was looking. That linoleum has a lifetime

guarantee.”

So he phoned up the company and said, “We need the linoleum

replaced,” and they go: “Linoleum — do people even use that anymore?” He

goes, “Yeah,” and they go: “Well, do you want something…?” “No. It was

put in with a lifetime guarantee.” They come back: “Yeah, that was

1964.”

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Exactly, a lifetime.

So the company had to live by its guarantee, and linoleum that was

now 40 years old — lifetime guarantee — gets replaced. That’s Mike de

Jong.

I just want to finish by saying this. Thirty years is a remarkable

career in politics. Eight elections undefeated is a remarkable

achievement. To have the respect of everybody in this chamber — not just

in this chamber but the people who work here — is a remarkable

achievement. I know he’s going on to bigger, not necessarily better,

things than this place. Because at the end of the day, British Columbia

is a very special province, but it will be poorer for his absence from

this chamber.

On behalf of the government and all of us: thank you, Mike, for

your commitment to public service over the last 30 years.

[Applause.]

Personal Statements

SERVICE TO LEGISLATURE

AND MESSAGE OF

APPRECIATION

M. de Jong: Well, how to respond, to begin to thank the House itself for its

kindness today in affording me this opportunity.

To the Opposition House Leader, Todd: I remember that by-election,

obviously. I remember pushing you around in a stroller.

To my friend across the way, with whom I have shared more

conversations and negotiations: thank you. Thank you for the kindness

you have shown through the years and for the remarks today.

[11:55 a.m.]

To other members of the government, senior members of the cabinet,

Mr. Premier: these are busy days for any government. Thank you for

affording me the honour of being here.

And of course, my colleagues. I’ll come to that.

I do want to say to members who have otherwise spoken and are

departing, the only thing that distinguishes me from you is having hung

around a little longer. We are all, those of us who are departing, doing

so voluntarily. That is not always the case in this place.

Someone asked me: “Do you get something?” I said: “Well, you get

the tremendous satisfaction.” “No, no, do you get something? Like, do

you get some kind of long-term…?” I suppose it’s a bit inappropriate for

me to be talking about swag and rewards at a time like this, but I’m

frugal, and merchandise is….

I had a nice plaque at 20 years, and some of you probably got one

of those. I’ll put it on the record. I have my eye on that wood

splitter. I don’t know where it is. I don’t think it would be missed.

[Laughter.]

Do you remember your first day? Every one of us. Do you remember

the awe you felt coming up the stairs for the first time and looking at

this place, probably mindful of some of the history of the buildings, of

this room, the days of Bennett and Barrett and even beyond that,

Pattullo’s and McBride’s? We don’t have actual memories of those, but

the place…. Steeped in the history of this place…. I certainly

do.

I have to tell you, honestly, that it feels like it was yesterday.

I remember virtually every aspect of that day. I remember driving over

here with Isabelle — yes, in the Miata. We pulled in, and I got a

parking ticket that day. I don’t know how that happened, but I did get a

parking ticket. We came here. My parents were here. They came over. It

was 30 years ago.

My mom’s here today — 96. She’s here with my sister Pat to make

sure that all of her travel needs… She’s like an EA now. She makes sure

all the travel needs are looked after.

Pat, thank you.

My brother Rick came down, a councillor up in West Kelowna. It’s

great to have them here.

Sitting amongst them is my roommate from law school, Cam Hope.

Someone talked about hockey. He’s the executive director for B.C.

Hockey, and he’s going to rejig my draft eligibility. I’m not done yet.

Yes, I was wearing the same suit, same tie, with the lapels that would

make Don Cherry blush.

How do you summarize, in the time available, the passage of 30

years? I don’t think it’s for me to talk about achievements. Others can

decide whether there were. I hope there were. I think there were. Maybe

I can take a moment just to talk about some of the people that I have

encountered here and some of the things that they have taught me along

the way.

I have to first, I think, acknowledge the people in my hometown,

the people of Abbotsford West — before that Abbotsford–Mount Lehman,

before that Matsqui. We’ve heard, from my friend, those remarkable days

in the end of ’93-94, a by-election….

One of the first teachers I had was a lady named Grace McCarthy.

She taught me a lesson that I’m sure she didn’t want to teach, because

it’s fun to be on the winning side of a 42-vote decision.

[12:00 p.m.]

She taught me this can be a very unjust vocation and that

sometimes being in the right place at the right time has as much to do

with where you end up as any particular skill you bring to the equation.

She was an icon, an irrepressible matron of B.C.

The people in Abbotsford took a chance in ’94. I hope they

consider that that chance was, in retrospect, warranted, but I am

grateful for them. They have overlooked flaws and a lot of mistakes

along the way. They have stood with me and provided me with the honour

to come here year after year, election after election. I am very

grateful to them for that.

They have been served by this remarkable individual, who’s also in

the gallery, named Linda Paluck, who for over two of those decades has

provided service to the families and, I dare say, helped save people’s

lives. When we are here, engaged in the cut-and-thrust and the fun of

debate, people like her — in my case, Linda — are there, attending to

the crises that descend upon families. She has done so faithfully and

with dedication.

To say that I am grateful diminishes what the community would

feel, Linda, for the work that you have done on their behalf over the

years. Thank you.

Behind her, Louise, who got me addicted to coffee in my first

ministerial position, sits as a receptionist and teaches the importance

of meeting people with a smile, engaging with them. Because however bad

our day is, there’s a good chance their day is a little bit worse. She

does that for us, and with us, each and every day.

Thank you, Louise.

You’ve heard about Luella from my colleague Renee. What an apt

description for a remarkable lady who juggles so many responsibilities

with panache, with good humour.

Lu, thank you, thank you.

Over the years I’ve been here, I think about the ministerial staff

from when we were fortunate enough to be on that side of the House —

people like Brian Menzies, Dave Cyr, Mario Miniaci, Marty Snider, and

Melissa and Little Em. All people that contributed to whatever success

we could boast as individuals.

Of course, the irrepressible Ms. P, with whom everyone in this

chamber is certainly acquainted now. She would not want me to go on and

repeat all the things that Todd, our House Leader, has said about her,

but they are so incredibly true. In a place that is deserving of

respect, she sets the benchmark for the reverence that one should have

for this assembly and this chamber — not to say that there isn’t a place

for change — in a thoughtful way, mindful of what this chamber

represents.

There is a time-honoured tradition in this chamber. At times like

this, if you want them to pay attention, you say something nice about

the media. This is the part where I read. Oh, I’m kidding. I’m

kidding.

I have to tell you that my experience has been exceedingly

positive. You get to know some of these people, like Vaughn Palmer. He

is the dean.

He follows in the footsteps of Bruce Hutchinson, storied amongst

political commentators in Canada.

Les Leyne, who taught me about lawn tennis, toils on behalf of his

readers faithfully, and he has toiled through­out the time that

I’ve been here.

Keith Baldrey, of course, started writing and is still a mainstay

— and his colleague Richard Zussman.

[12:05 p.m.]

We remember those people, and I thank them for the work they do.

Their business has changed so dramatically. When I arrived here, we

actually talked about deadlines. We thought: “Oh well, they have to file

by a certain time. If they don’t file immediately, they’re old

news.”

How that has changed — don’t worry; I’m not going to give anyone a

lecture about technology — the work they do. How that competition now

exists with anyone with an electronic device who wants to call

themselves a journalist has put a tremendous amount of pressure and

changed the economics of the media world.

I am grateful for the friendships, what they have taught me. I

left one name out, and it’s not an insignificant name, because I thought

about asking Rob Shaw to deliver this speech for me. When I approached

him about that possibility yesterday, he said no. The prospect of that

troubled him. He opted not to do it.

To the legislative staff…. Robert, thank you.

Thank you and your team, Paul and the others.

All of you will know that there are moments in this chamber when a

gentle nudge or a wink can mean the world. These are people who serve us

in this capacity here but who have, themselves, served our country in

different capacities in the past. We are, all of us, tremendously

grateful. I have come to know them and their colleagues over the years,

and I’m very grateful for that.

Hansard, which has to listen to us over the years, has been

incredibly kind to me in correcting things that I’ve said or deleting

things that I’ve said.

I see Jason, who is a faithful adherent to these debates and

reminds us constantly, certainly once a year, that there is an

importance attached to the collegiality of this place, and that links us

together.

Madam Clerk, we arrived about the same time. I think you are still

nearer to the beginning of your career than the end.

To you and your staff, I thank you for the years of advice, your

willingness to engage, your friendliness and the wealth of knowledge

that you dispense to all of us in the chamber.

If I can, Madam Chair, a few words about some of the other people

that I have encountered here. I’ll start with the leaders. Not all the

leaders became Premiers, but they were still leaders.

I got here, and Mike Harcourt was the Premier. Dignity — another

example of what can happen. Though I disagreed with many of the things

his government advanced, he’s a leader who was ultimately undone,

really, at the end of the day, by a scandal that was beyond his control,

that he was not answerable for but was ultimately answerable

for.

Glen Clark. I think of Glen Clark. I think of the

confi­dence of a young man who became Premier as a young man and

then went on to display an affinity for capitalism that none of us

really knew existed, and to achieve great results in that

regard.

Dan Miller. Now, Dan Miller combined modesty with a tactical

genius, and he taught me something I never forgot around this place. In

the cut-and-thrust of the debates and discussions we have, especially

when you are in government, you’re sometimes dealt a pair of

twos.

[12:10 p.m.]

It’s tough sometimes. When you’ve got a pair of twos, don’t

pretend you’ve got a full house. You might get away with it once, but

you won’t get away with it a second time. Dan Miller understood that and

was happy to convey that to me.

Ujjal Dosanjh became Premier. I think of the courage he

demonstrated before he was in politics and while he was in politics. It

could not have been easy. Whatever our partisan instincts were in

competitiveness, it could not have been easy going into the 2001

election campaign.

I’m sensing agreement from at least one member of the

assembly.

Yet he performed his duties and went on to perform other duties on

behalf of the country.

And in the aftermath of that, Joy MacPhail came to this place as

part of an opposition of two and, by any measure, displayed an ability,

a respect, a loyalty to the processes of this chamber in the most

extraordinarily difficult circumstances you can imagine. But she did it

and earned, I think, respect from all quarters.

She did it with a colleague, Jenny Kwan. I’m not forgetting that.

But I may meet Jenny later in another setting, so I’m going to be a

little bit cautious about heaping too much praise on her. I’m kidding,

of course.

Then I met two Premiers that I worked with. Gordon Campbell — a

driven individual who had a vision. Some people agreed with the vision.

Many people did; many people didn’t. But he was driven to realize on a

vision to effect change, to effect what he saw as

improvement.

And after Gordon Campbell, Christy Clark, who possessed this

irrepressible optimism and affection for people — who could light up a

room and can still light up a room, unlike any other.

The thing they both had in common, in a very personal way, is they

had the confidence, perhaps bad judgment, to provide me with an

opportunity to partake in public service at levels I never would have

dreamed possible when my parents brought me here as a ten-year-old. For

that, I am incredibly grateful. One vainly hopes that one had a positive

impact along the way. Again, others can render their judgment in that

respect.

John Horgan drew on a humanity that helped British Columbia

through a very difficult time and was able to convey that humanity in a

way that a lot of people doubted yet was able to do so in a way that was

important for that period of time.

And the present Premier, on whose shoulders the weight of

responsibility now rests. Though the debates in this chamber centre on

oppositions, emphasizing the shortcomings, critiquing the negativity,

understand that anyone who has been involved in government at this

level, at the local level, understands that governing is hard. It’s a

hard thing to do, and that old adage about pick your poison reveals

itself often on a daily basis.

To the people that I see and hear and will continue to hear from

who heap derision on governments, I can tell you I have no hesitation in

telling them: “Yeah, but someone has got to do it.” And we have a

process for selecting who is going to do it.

[12:15 p.m.]

There are members of the cabinet that I have come to know, some

over a period of time. The Minister of Health is here. The Minister of

Forests. The Minister of Finance, with whom I have worked and with her

now departed husband, Ed.

You create a relationship that sort of transcends time. I hope

that when I say that I have found these people — you — to be worthy

adversaries, which I think in this place is probably the highest form of

praise you can offer, it’s that you have been worthy adversaries. I

hope, in my own way, that I have been equally worthy.

I notice, by the way…. You’ll pick this up in

chapter 3 of my

book, but Nanaimo–North Cowichan was here a few moments ago. I think it

was about probably 20 years ago I labelled a former member from Merritt

by the name of Harry Lali as the member for Harry Rosen. I have decided

that on my way out the door I am going to label the member from North

Cowichan the member for Dodd’s Furniture.

Of course, my friend from Coquitlam, Mike Farnworth.

Interjection.

M. de Jong: Port Coquitlam. I’ll get it right one day.

You are the remaining link with the 20th century, my friend. You

are the remaining link with the 20th century.

Over 12 years we worked together as House Leaders, and there were

two things that I reflect upon fondly. He mentioned one of them, and

that is the degree to which we could convey information back and forth

honestly, reliably and with respect. I think it made this chamber a good

place, maybe even a better place.

The second thing I reflect upon in those 12 years is that I spent

the majority of them on that side of the House, but that is a bit

self-serving on my part.

The opposition benches — the Third Party. We became acquainted in

2017 in rather unusual circumstances. They, too, perform a very

difficult task, with a caucus of two.

I remember those discussions and negotiations that took place,

upon which depended the outcome of an entire election and who was going

to form government. They were, for us — “us” I say was the B.C. Liberal

Party at the time — obviously difficult. But the Green Party had to

choose a partner with whom to dance. Just like most of my high school

career, they didn’t choose me. As they say, the rest is history. But

they have grown to become, I think, very respected members of this

chamber, parliamentarians worthy of respect.

There’s a Fourth Party. Look, the worst battles in history tend to

be civil wars. I don’t know if there’s a negotiation or what that would

look like, and I won’t be involved. Well, who knows? Who knows what will

emerge in the weeks and months ahead? But one can speculate and remain

hopeful.

The independent members, who toil in a fairly lonely way but are

no less committed.

[12:20 p.m.]

There are independent members today, and I have known independent

members over the course of my time here, and they bring the same, I have

found, level of commitment and the same concern for their constituents

but are asked to present that without the benefit of the collegiality

and the resources that the rest of us enjoy as larger parties or

opposition parties or government.

And then, of course, my colleagues in the official opposition, for

whom I have had the great pleasure of toiling these past number of

years, these past seven years. It does seem like a thankless job,

doesn’t it, many days, and it is inherently negative. It is by

definition negative, and when you’re not a negative person, that’s

difficult. Yet in many cases, that is the task you have, we have — to

point out the shortcomings, to point out alternatives. You have gone

about that….

Some of you I have known a long time. I have worked with, in

government, Todd and Ben and, of course, Shirley.

I’ll go to my grave with your finger pointing at me. I think of

the bruising and the cuts and the attacks, and then you leave caucus to

come into the chamber to do…. [Laughter.]

But let me just offer this. We serve a vitally important purpose

and role in this parliamentary democracy. I know we say that, and we go:

“Well, that’s fine; I wish we didn’t have to serve the role for as

long.” I’ve done it for 14 years, as Michael has pointed out.

It represented a form of apprenticeship. I have no doubt of that

to the extent anyone thinks the government I was a part of served some

useful purpose, that it was a better government because of the time that

group spent in opposition. Even our friends across the way will, in

their quiet moments, concede that no one governs forever. Happily, in a

democracy, no one governs forever.

So think of this as that apprenticeship, however long it might

last. Maybe I’ve worked with another Premier. We will know when the

people decide to tell us later this year.

Lastly, you’ve been very kind. I mentioned my family.

Mom, everything I have, everything I am I got from you and Dad.

It’s remarkable that you’re here 30 years on. When we get home, we’re

going to pour some more cement and do some other work around the

farm.

Isabelle, you have weathered the demands of this job. Everyone in

this chamber knows what that represents, and you have been there every

step of the way. Thank you. Merci beaucoup.

My brother and sister, whose older brother has quite frequently

not been there for them, have understood and never complained. Thank

you. Thank you.

So it’s time to say goodbye. It’s time to get out of this suit,

get into the Miata — the same car, the same girl — head on down the

highway.

[12:25 p.m.]

This place, this garden of democracy. Folks, I have been

incredibly lucky to have the gardening tools for 30 years. Now it’s up

to you. The democratic garden needs tending. The flower of democracy is

fragile. It’s up to you to keep it healthy.

I know you will.

Goodbye. Good luck. [Applause]

Deputy Speaker: Thank you to all the members who have spoken this

morning.

Seeing no further speakers, this House will recess until 1

p.m.

The House recessed from 12:26 p.m. to 1:01 p.m.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Deputy Speaker: All right, Members. Let’s call this House to order.

I. Paton: I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Leave granted.

Tributes

MATT ROGERS

I. Paton: I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable individual whose

legacy will endure for years to come.

Matt Rogers, a cherished resident of Delta South, an educator, a

community leader, passed away this month, leaving behind a profound and

outsized impact in our community.

Matt’s dedication to education spanned nearly three decades, where

he served as a beacon of knowledge and inspiration at North Delta

Secondary School for 28 years and later at Simon Fraser

University.

Matt was heavily involved in local heritage groups and efforts

towards the preservation and conservation of built heritage in the

community. Matt had a personal history and involvement in the Delta

Museum and Archives Society, particularly with the work he put in to

help set up the Delta archives in 1979.

In 1992, when the city of Delta issued a demolition permit for

Kirkland House, an old dilapidated heritage farmhouse on Arthur Drive,

Matt rallied the community to action. With unwavering determination, he

spearheaded a volunteer effort that breathed new life into a derelict

structure. Despite its interior being wrecked, with only one window

intact, Matt’s vision and tireless advocacy led to a remarkable

transformation. Through his leadership, volunteers worked tirelessly to

clear overgrown shrubbery, replace windows, rewire, plumb and refurbish

every corner of Kirkland House.

Matt’s ability to mobilize resources and inspire others was truly

remarkable. He orchestrated partnerships with local businesses, engaged

students from Delta Secondary School and galvanized retirees to invest

their time and skills in maintaining the house and its surroundings.

Today, thanks to Matt’s unwavering dedication, Kirkland House stands as

a testament to the power of community collaboration and the enduring

legacy of one individual’s commitment to making a difference.

Every Canada Day the Kirkland House Society opens up the old house

to the community. Local residents get to marvel at the outstanding

restoration work, as well as the beautiful heritage Harris Barn and the

grounds around Hawthorne Park, which are meticulously maintained by

local volunteers.

Matt’s spirit lives on in the volunteers who continue to uphold

his vision, ensuring that Kirkland House remains a cherished space for

generations to come.

As we reflect on Matt’s extraordinary contributions, let us honour

his memory by embodying the same passion, resilience and sense of

community that defined Matt’s life.

J. Rustad: This is just a small sampling of over 6,000 postcards that

have been collected by volunteers around the province that are very

concerned….

Deputy Speaker: Member, you need to seek leave if you’re going to do

this.

J. Rustad: I thought you don’t need leave for a petition. I

guess….

Okay. I seek leave for a petition, then, please.

Deputy Speaker: We do at this junction. Yes, we do.

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: Please proceed.

Petitions

J. Rustad: Thank you once again, Mr. Speaker.

This is a small sampling here of over 6,000 postcards that have been

signed by people across the province that have expressed concern associated

with the Health Professions and Occupations Act. These are addressed to

individual MLAs. The recipients would very much appreciate a response from

the MLAs when they receive them.

M. Elmore: I seek leave to make a brief introduction.

Deputy Speaker: A brief introduction, yes.

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: Please proceed.

[1:05 p.m.]

Introductions by Members

M. Elmore: I have a very special guest here in the House, Patrick Vachon. He’s

part of our team that makes everything that happens here all possible, a

legislative assistant. I just appreciate his indispensable role.

It’s going to be his last day here. He’s planning to go into law

school at UVic in September, and he’s off to Ireland and Scotland next

week.

I just ask everyone to give him a very warm welcome.

R. Parmar: I would like to seek leave to make a brief statement.

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: Please proceed.

Tributes

JOHN GOUDY

R. Parmar: I have got some sad news to report to the House.

Earlier this week John Goudy, a pillar of the community, of the

city of Langford, passed away, a former councillor, one of the first

councillors in the community, served for a number of years, a local

philanthropist, as well as someone who immigrated here to Canada and

served as a lieutenant commander in the navy, as well as a professor at

the University of Victoria.

For anyone who goes into Langford…. They’ll know the name Goudy

Branch at the library. They’ll know Goudy Field. They’ll know the

investments that he has made at the YMCA.

John is survived by his wife, Gabrielle.

He always had a passion for sports and education. I know that my

community of Langford is mourning his loss.

I hope the House will take an opportunity to acknowledge all of

the incredible people we have in our communities.

Today I will be remembering John and his family for all th