Fifth Session, 41st Parliament

(2020) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 321

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill 5 — Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2020

Hon. H. Bains

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Izzy comfort dolls international initiative

L. Reid

Social workers

M. Dean

Jerry Asp and Tahltan Nation

E. Ross

Wildlife and habitat protection

B. D’Eith

Careers in skilled trades

J. Thornthwaite

World Hearing Day

N. Simons

Oral Questions

Strata insurance cost increases

T. Stone

Hon. C. James

J. Thornthwaite

Transit services and funding

A. Olsen

Hon. C. Trevena

Strata insurance cost increases

S. Bond

Hon. C. James

L. Throness

M. Hunt

J. Johal

Orders of the Day

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 8 — Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2020

Hon. R. Fleming

D. Davies

Hon. K. Chen

B. Ma

Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Ministry of Children and Family Development

Hon. K. Conroy

L. Throness

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

The House met at 10:04 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: M. Stilwell.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. M. Farnworth: It’s my pleasure today to introduce some very important individuals.

All of us on both sides of the House benefit from the work that our interns

do when they’re with us. It’s an amazing program. It’s my pleasure today to

introduce the government caucus interns for 2020.

First is Emilio Caputo, who majored in history and minored in

political science and philosophy from the University of Northern British

Columbia; Sam Harrison, who majored in engineering, science and minored in

economics from the University of Toronto; Saige Lawson, who majored in

sociology at the University of Victoria; Patricia Masur, combined majors in

political science and history from Dalhousie University; and Patrick Vachon,

who majored in history and minored in political science from Kwantlen

Polytechnic University.

Would the House please make these amazing young people most welcome

and thank them for the great job that they do.

Hon. J. Darcy: I’m really, really pleased to have two very special guests from New

Westminster in the gallery today. They are Shane Poole, the vice-president

of New Westminster Firefighters, and Randy Stuber, the treasurer of New

Westminster Firefighters. Not only do these two wonderful men and their

colleagues go to work every day, put themselves on the line, put their lives

on the line on behalf of the very, very grateful citizens of our community,

but they also give back to our community in so many ways with their

charitable foundation.

They are the rock of New Westminster. If I could just ask everyone in

this House to join me in giving them a very, very warm welcome and an

enormous thank you.

M. Lee: I would like to welcome four members, visitors to our House: one a

regular guest, Jason Goertzen, of Leading Influence, the organization; and

of course, Tim Schindel, the president and national director of that

organization.

This morning many members of this House, 35 in fact, were able to

attend, by invitation, the Leading Influence MLA Prayer Breakfast. It’s a

very important reminder to all of us in terms of what we do in our roles as

MLAs in this House.

I know that all of us in this House, all members, benefit from the

prayers and the good thoughts of that organization on a non-partisan basis,

particularly as they continue to encourage good governance by all

legislators across this country, including here in B.C.

Today they brought with them…. Dave Carrol is here, as well as Brian

Beattie. Brian is the chair of ONEchurch Brantford and the lead pastor of

the Freedom House church in Brantford, Ontario. His colleague Dave Carrol

was the guest speaker this morning. He spoke about the kindness project and

the work that he’s done over many years in Brantford, which has had a

terrific impact and was a great example of the kind of leadership and the

kinds of initiatives around caring for our neighbours and caring for those

who are less fortunate in our society and the kind of impact that that can

have. I know that was a very important message that resonated with each of

us at the breakfast.

So thank you for delivering that, otherwise known as Captain Kindness.

Will all members join me in welcoming all of you to this House.

N. Letnick: My father had Lewy Body disease, which is a form of dementia. It’s

actually a mix of dementia and Parkinson’s disease. He passed away with

that. My mother had Alzheimer’s. She passed away. My mother-in-law had

Alzheimer’s. My story, I don’t think, is much different than many of us in

this chamber and of all of our citizens that we serve throughout British

Columbia.

[10:10 a.m.]

We are very blessed in B.C. to have an Alzheimer’s society that looks

after us and encourages us to take action to try to prevent it and supports

us with research and other actions we can do if we do have it.

Today the Minister of Health is being very kind in hosting a luncheon

at noon in the Hall of Honour. Everyone is welcome to meet these wonderful

heroes of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

On behalf of everyone, I would hope, I would like to welcome Maria

Howard, CEO of the Alzheimer Society; Barbara Lindsay; Cathryn France; Jen

Stewart; Katie Hoy; Jasmine Chauhan; Paul Wu; Lynn Jackson; Katrina

Prescott; Myrna Norman and her partner, Dave Norman; Paul Blanchet; Ken

Walker and his partner, Mark Demers; and Steve Shaw.

The last thing I would say before we welcome them is that we all

understand, in this House, the challenge of intergenerational equity —

making sure that not only our young people have the tools they need to get

ahead in life, but also making sure that our seniors have the resources they

require. It’s always that struggle. But today at lunch, we’re going to focus

on Alzheimer’s and the good work they do.

Would the House please make them feel very welcome.

Hon. H. Bains: We’re joined in the House by a few of the very, very special people

that I have, and we all have, the pleasure of working with: Stephanie Smith,

president of BCGEU; Sussanne Skidmore, secretary-treasurer of the B.C.

Federation of Labour; Christy Slusarenko, vice-president of MoveUP; Rysa

Kronebusch, vice-president at MoveUP; Danielle Marchand of BCGEU.

These people and the work that they represent have been instrumental

in voicing their concerns and recommendations and participating in public

consultations that we have held, as a practice, when considering legislative

changes. Today they are voicing their support for the work that we are doing

providing strong protection for workers around the province.

Please join with me and give them a very warm welcome.

T. Shypitka: Kootenay East is honoured and privileged. We have the best

firefighting locals in the province. We’re equally blessed today, as we’ve

got a couple of members from the Cranbrook Professional Fire Fighters Local

1253. We’ve got Paul Relkoff and Murray Robertson in the House. Would the

House please give them a warm welcome.

Hon. K. Conroy: I think I’ll challenge the member for Kootenay East. I’m going to

introduce who I think are the best firefighters in the House. Our

firefighters are from Trail, Local 941. With us we have Mike Parsons, a

trustee; Rick Morris, the secretary-treasurer; Lee DePellegrin, the

president of the Trail Fire Fighters Local 941 and the Kootenay

vice-president of the B.C. association.

I just have to tell you how incredible these fellows are. I have taken

my grandkids there a couple of times. They go out of their way to make sure

that they get the best experience possible. So much that…. I haven’t told

them yet, but one of the youngest — she’s only four — is determined she’s

going to be a firefighter someday.

They also are the best parade organizers. They’ve organized the Trail

parade for Trail Silver City Days, I think for going on 40 years now. I

haven’t been there that long, but I know that they’ve been doing it. Neither

of these guys, but the Trail local has been doing it for years.

I just want to thank them for all the work they do and the incredible

gifts that they give to our community.

B. Stewart: It gives me great pleasure to introduce two firefighters who are

joining myself here today from the city of West Kelowna, Trevor Bredin and

Nathan Pike, who have been making this trip annually for quite some time. I

think I speak for all the members of this House that…. I think that the

firefighters that come to the Legislature probably do some of the best, if

not the best, representation of their organization on issues that we’ve

tackled. More importantly, I’m looking forward to discussing that here with

them today. I just want to welcome them here in the precinct.

M. Dean: Today I have some very special guests in the gallery. We have Maura

Gowans and Sarah Thomas, who are from the Aboriginal Mother Centre Society.

We have Elijah Zimmerman, who is from the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre.

We’re also joined by Caroline Marchand, who is a community member and

advocate, and Makenna Rielly, who is here on behalf of the B.C. Association

of Transition Houses as well as Victoria Women’s Transition

House.

[10:15 a.m.]

I want to say thank you to you all for all of your amazing service and

your advocacy. Thank you for being here with us today.

Would you all please make them very welcome.

G. Kyllo: We’re joined in the House today by someone that’s no stranger to this

House — a dear friend, Lynn Kline, who is the absolute champion of the B.C.

Ambulance Service. Would the House please make Lynn feel very

welcome.

Hon. A. Dix: I’d like to join my colleagues from across the way, first of all, in

thanking everyone at Leading Influence for the breakfast this morning. I

think that in Jason, Tim and the Captain, I sense a good road buddy movie,

maybe visiting miniature golf courses across the country. I think in the

sequel, you’ll go to Vegas, so that’s good. We really enjoyed it this

morning. I think the discussion of kindness is an excellent preparation for

what we’re about to receive. It’s wonderful to see you all.

Of course, I want to join my colleague from Kelowna–Lake Country and

acknowledge the personal story that he evokes about Alzheimer’s and thank

Murray and the whole team from the Alzheimer Society for being there, for

joining us at lunch. We welcome all members to join us at lunch for what is

always an important presentation in our lives, and it’s part, of course, of

the lives of so many people in our communities.

D. Davies: Since I’m the last person to do the introductions, I can actually say

that two of our best firefighters in the province, representing the best

local in the province, have joined us today. Certainly, I do recognize in

the House that all of our firefighters across the province do an amazing job

keeping us safe. They all do an incredible job in our communities. Nothing

like the Fort St. John Firefighters Charitable Society, which helps people

that travel to medical appointments and at a time of need. We’re so far away

from many services that I know that their charitable society gets leaned on

a lot to help people move around the province to seek medical appointments.

Would the House please welcome Matt Crompton and Chris Austin.

S. Furstenau: I have a couple of introductions to make today. Joining me for the day

are two UVic students who will be shadowing me. Valerie Bouilane grew up in

the Okanagan, where she did environmental studies at the Okanagan College.

She’s now at UVic doing a double major in political science and

environmental studies — a very good combination, I think. Claire Eppler grew

up in Parksville. She’s also at UVic studying political science in her third

year. I’m very excited to have them here. I hope that all members will make

them feel most welcome today.

I also want to echo the words of my colleagues, very much

acknowledging the presence of the Alzheimer Society today and the leadership

group of people living with dementia and their caregivers. In particular, I

have a constituent here today named Christine Kenzit, who is part of the

leadership team for the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

I think that the words this morning from Dave Carrol, a.k.a. Captain

Kindness, really fit in with how we can be approaching looking at how we

make a society that is structured better for people living with dementia and

Alzheimer’s. The starting point really is kindness and empathy. It’s a nice

combination to have those two themes come together, because really, we all

understand and recognize that Alzheimer’s and dementia touch all of us. We

do need to work very hard to make sure that this is a society that works for

everybody, including those with Alzheimer’s in society.

Finally, I’d just like to say hello to my constituent Lynn Kline. It’s

always lovely to have him in the building, and I hope I run into him in the

hallway.

L. Reid: I would ask the House to join with me today in wishing my son a happy

16th birthday. I can tell you it was lovely, and I knew it was time to take

him home to the riding when he told his little preschool buddies that he

lived in a really big house and we had parking for 400 people.

[10:20 a.m.]

S. Chandra Herbert: I would like to join everyone in the House in welcoming their

firefighters, but in particular Local 18, the Vancouver firefighters, over

800 members. I also want to acknowledge their charitable work. They have a

very, very popular calendar, the Hall of Flame Calendar. Members here might

want to pick up a copy to take home to their friends and family. It helps,

of course, kids, seniors and everyone else in our community through their

charitable arm as well. Please make them welcome.

A. Olsen: I, too, want to raise my hands to the fire services that are in

Saanich North and the Islands. Particularly, we’ll be having a visit later

today with the assistant chief of the Salt Spring fire service, Jamie

Holmes, as well as Lieutenant Mitchell Sherrin, who are in the building

today. I very much look forward to meeting with them — what has become an

annual visit. But also to raise my hands to the other mixed services in my

riding, in central Saanich, North Saanich and Sidney, and, of course, to the

full volunteer services on Pender, Mayne, Galiano and Saturna. These are

incredibly difficult places to service.

I really thank all of the members of our communities who commit to

that important work. I stand with all the members in this place in thanking

the fire services for their incredible work — and the

firefighters.

HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM.

J. Sims: Seeing all the accolades for the firefighters, I couldn’t possibly sit

quietly and not mention the amazing group of firefighters who are here from

Surrey, of course — Local 1271. These are the people who put themselves in

front of danger to protect us each and every day. Thank you.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL 5 — EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

AMENDMENT ACT,

Hon. H. Bains presented a message from Her Honour the

Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Employment Standards Amendment Act,

Hon. H. Bains: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time

now.

This bill amends the Employment Standards Act to provide a new

employer-paid leave of up to five days for employees experiencing, or

who have specific family members experiencing, domestic or sexual

violence. It builds upon the unpaid job-protected domestic or sexual

violence leave this government introduced for employees last year and

represents further progress on our commitment to support individuals

experiencing this type of violence.

This will help people who have faced domestic or sexual violence

by giving them the space to rebuild their lives. This may mean getting

medical support, psychological support. It could mean they have the time

necessary to find a new place to live or a new school for their

children, all without sacrificing their job or their pay. These

amendments will modernize B.C.’s employment standards and bring our laws

to protect workers in line with other jurisdictions.

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

Motion approved.

Hon. H. Bains: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second

reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 5, Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2020, introduced, read a

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

at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

IZZY COMFORT DOLLS

INTERNATIONAL

INITIATIVE

L. Reid: I dedicate my remarks today to Ella Tanner and the knitters of

Granville Gardens. Ella was kind enough to tour me and show me this

amazing array of Izzy dolls. Their work is actually knitting these dolls

that become part of these packs that doctors carry across the globe.

Knitters and crocheters across Canada keep Health Partners International

supplied with a very special product for the physician travel pack, the

Izzy doll.

Doctors and health care professionals who carry this mobile

medical kit, packed with essential medicines and supplies, give Izzy

dolls to the youngest patients. Sometimes the handmade doll is also

known as a comfort doll and is oftentimes a child’s first

toy.

The physician travel pack puts the essential life-saving medicines

into the hands of doctors so that people can be treated and healed. It

is such a neat and concrete way of offering your time and skills for a

little child who doesn’t have much.

In fact, in memory of Master Cpl. Mark Isfeld’s mother, Carol….

She created the Izzy dolls so he would have something to give to the

children he met while serving as a peacekeeper. In 1994, Mark was killed

by a land mine explosion while serving in Croatia. Mark’s comrades in

one combat engineer regiment asked Carol to continue making the dolls

for them to give out.

[10:25 a.m.]

The physician travel pack is a mobile medical kit filled with

essential medicines and medical supplies. The PTP contents are donated

by Canadian health care companies to Health Partners International of

Canada. Each can provide 600 treatments. Almost every day of the year, a

doctor, nurse or other health professional leaves Canada equipped with a

physician travel pack to bring health and hope to a community in the

developing world.

I thank the knitters. I thank the physicians. I thank everyone who

makes a child’s day brighter.

SOCIAL WORKERS

M. Dean: March 15 to 21 is Social Work Week in British Columbia, and March

is Social Work Month. I am very proud to rise today, as a social worker,

to recognize and honour B.C.’s social workers and every front-line

worker who delivers social work service across the province.

We have nearly 3,500 staff delivering front-line work on behalf of

the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The work is demanding

and draining, and these staff serve families with care and compassion.

At a time when families are struggling, our staff is there to bring hope

and vision for the future, which is often life-changing.

Every day they are advocating for people, providing counselling,

navigating access to services, responding to trauma and supporting

families. They make a difference in the lives of families and at a

crucial time. Social workers offer supports to families to help them

succeed and to build plans with families in order to keep kids safe.

This includes ensuring that families are supported in their communities

and cultures and working in partnership with local communities,

organizations and agencies. They ensure that children are safely

supported to grow and thrive in their own families and

cultures.

Their tireless work is something we recognize and are grateful

for, not only during Social Work Week and Month but throughout the

entire year. I hope that everyone here will join me in thanking all of

our front-line staff for their kindness, passion and commitment to

putting people first and building a better B.C.

JERRY ASP AND TAHLTAN NATION

E. Ross: I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts led

by one of Canada’s most remarkable Indigenous leaders, a leader who I

believe deserves more credit for all the work he has done for the

benefit of the Tahltan people. Phillip Jerry Asp, or Jerry, is a member

of the Tahltan Nation. Jerry, like other Tahltan leaders, is committed

to enhancing Indigenous lives through the creation of new business

opportunities and skills development.

His story is unique because, as early as 1987, Jerry ensured that

Indigenous people had a spot at the table alongside government and

industry so his people could fight for a better future. What is

remarkable is the year — 1987. Jerry’s advocacy was done without the use

of Aboriginal rights and title case law that many leaders today use as

our mechanism for change. The combination of his timing and strategy

make his story truly inspiring.

In addition to working in the mining sector, Jerry’s career

includes becoming president of the Native United Steelworkers local,

founding the Tahltan Nation Development Corp., founding the Canadian

Council for Aboriginal Business and founding the Canadian Aboriginal

Minerals Association. He has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond

Jubilee Medal, the Skookum Jim Award, the Frank Woodside Past Presidents

and Chairs Award and the Indspire Award for Business

Commerce.

However, a written list of Jerry’s accomplishments cannot possibly

encompass the impact he has had on individual lives of Indigenous

people, not just in Tahltan but across B.C. and Canada. B.C. is lucky to

have him fighting to create prosperity for Indigenous communities all

across western Canada and making B.C. stronger.

His narrative should be listened to and learned from. My personal

opinion is that Jerry, on behalf of the Tahltan, should be recognized

thoroughly, especially through the Order of B.C. or the Order of

Canada.

WILDLIFE AND HABITAT PROTECTION

B. D’Eith: Today is World Wildlife Day. Scientists predict that more than a

million species are on track for extinction in the coming decades. Due

to accelerated climate change and global inaction, wildlife is facing

threats like never before.

Recently in Australia, 1¼ billion animals died in brush fires. For

these animals that survived, many of their former homes are now

uninhabitable. We should recognize the threats to wildlife, but we

should also celebrate the efforts that are being made to protect species

in our province.

[10:30 a.m.]

In an historic agreement with federal and provincial governments,

First Nations and two fish farms, Marine Harvest Canada and Cermaq

Canada, all 17 fish farms in British Columbia’s Broughton Archipelago

will either close or be moved in an effort to create a migration path

for wild salmon.

Also, last century saw an over 90 percent decrease in the caribou

in the Peace region. The provincial government recently signed an

agreement with the West Moberly and Saulteau Nations to protect caribou.

This agreement will protect 700,000 hectares of caribou

habitat.

Now, at the local level, groups throughout the province are also

working tirelessly to defend our wildlife. In my riding, the Alouette

River Management Society has done fantastic work for decades to protect

salmon in the upper Alouette River. The Kanaka Education and

Environmental Partnership, or KEEPS, are doing great work for salmon.

They installed a fish fence in the Alouette River, and this is a great

resource for our community, for classrooms and researchers wanting to

see salmon close up in their natural habitat.

Of course, First Nations have been protecting wildlife for over a

millennium. This work continues. The Katzie Nation is working to restore

the Blue Creek habitat in Upper Pitt River. And the Kwantlen Nation

currently has programs integrating science and data with traditional

Indigenous knowledge of their lands to help salmon

conservation.

For future generations and for communities that depend on wildlife

for their culture, it’s important to bring awareness to endangered

species and take the steps to protect them now and in the

future.

CAREERS IN SKILLED TRADES

J. Thornthwaite: A university education can provide a great opportunity for people

to establish themselves and their careers, but this does not mean it’s

the best route for everyone. In 2016, 42 percent of university graduates

borrowed money to pay for their degrees, owing an average of between

$20,000 and $25,000. Many university graduates are still paying off debt

into their 30s and may not have a well-paying job nor any job security

after graduating.

In contrast, most students who entered the trades right out of

high school will have minimal, if any, student debt and will gain

on-the-job, paid experience throughout their four years of training. The

construction labour shortage will only increase in the coming years,

promising job security for people interested in working in the

trades.

Take my friend Erik Bornestig. By 23, he was a journeyman

electrician making $85,000 a year. By 24, he owned his own company, now

called Born West Electric. By the age of 25, he had earned enough money

to put a $125,000 down payment on a townhouse in North Vancouver. Today

he owns his own house, he’s got no student debt, owns his own company,

employs four people, and he’s only 29 years old.

Erik is a leader in my community, serving as vice-president of the

Lynn Valley Lions Club, and he regularly visits high schools to speak to

youth about the benefits of red seal trades and financial

responsibility.

In an

article that was published by Katie Bingham-Smith last week

about the stigma surrounding trade school: “Parents, the stigma started

with us, and it needs to end with us.” Young people need to know that

they can have a valuable career as an electrician, a carpenter or a

plumber, and parents and teachers can help by educating their young

people to consider these valuable, lucrative careers. We need

them.

WORLD HEARING DAY

N. Simons: Today is World Hearing Day, and every year the World Health

Organization chooses a theme and creates materials for governments and

health organizations to use to raise awareness on how to prevent

deafness and hearing loss. This year’s theme is “Hearing for life!” to

highlight that timely and effective interventions can ensure that people

with hearing loss are able to achieve their full potential.

The key message people should get from this awareness campaign is

that communication helps us to connect to each other, to our community

and to the world. For people with hearing loss, appropriate

interventions can open doors to education, to employment and to a better

quality of life. We should be aware that in many jurisdictions, there’s

a lack of access to the appropriate interventions, such as hearing

aids.

I’m glad to say that in British Columbia almost every newborn is

screened for hearing loss. When undiagnosed, the child’s learning and

language development can be delayed. But with the screening, families

can access support and care to ensure that appropriate steps are taken

to ensure children reach their potential.

Just to put this into perspective, about one in 400 children are

born with a hearing loss, one in 50 for children with other complex

health issues at birth, and most are born into families with no history

of hearing loss.

[10:35 a.m.]

Like a lot of people, I didn’t realize that my hearing loss was

significant until I got tested. I knew one ear was a little better than

the other. I’d hear a sound and turn the wrong way. People would say

maybe I was too loud when I heckled or when hotel security banged on my

door to ask me to turn down my television.

The bottom line here is that you should get your hearing tested.

Even as an adult, intervention can forestall further hearing loss. If

you find yourself thinking that people mumble more than they used to, if

you ask people to repeat themselves, if you don’t hear the dripping of a

faucet that you know you didn’t fix, if you miss words within a sentence

or maybe people say you talk too loudly, these might be

signs.

I have a hearing aid now. I’m happy, even though I can hear you

all better.

Oral Questions

STRATA INSURANCE COST INCREASES

T. Stone: British Columbians living in condos and townhomes want the NDP to

take action today. Strata insurance premiums are skyrocketing by as much

as 400 percent. Judy Dryden says: “The huge increases heaped upon condos

are making it difficult to meet our monthly bills. These huge increases

are attacking very vulnerable people.”

My question is this to the minister. What possible reason could

the minister have for not acting quickly to help Judy and the thousands

of other British Colum­bians just like her?

Hon. C. James: As the member knows, this issue is urgent and challenging and

complex. This is a private industry. These are private businesses that

set their terms for condo insurance. We are looking at options to be

able to tackle the challenge, both short term and long term.

As I’ve mentioned, there are issues that we believe we can look at

in the short term, but there are long-term issues that also need to be

addressed, which is why we’ve referred it to the B.C. Financial Services

Authority to take a look at regulation. We’re examining the bill that

has come forward from the member for Kamloops–South Thompson. It doesn’t

appear that there are things that will address the challenges

immediately, but there are some interesting pieces that we’re

reviewing.

One of them, for example, is the issue of water damage and a

prevention program, which the member mentioned. This is very similar to

the leaky-condo program that was in place by the past, past, past

government and actually cancelled by the other side. But it’s an

interesting idea to bring forward. I think there are some options there

that we’re certainly reviewing.

We recognize the pressure that this is putting on businesses, and

that’s why we’re working with condo associations. That’s why we’re

working with the industry. That’s why we’re working with the B.C.

Financial Services Authority as well.

Mr. Speaker: Member, Kamloops–South Thompson, on a supplemental.

T. Stone: Well, the minister says that she’s talking and talking and talking

more. This is cold comfort for the thousands of British Columbians who

are facing very serious financial hardship due to these skyrocketing

strata insurance costs.

It actually turns out that the Finance Minister has 75 million

reasons for her delays and excuses. Budget 2020 shows that the NDP will

collect an additional $75 million in tax revenue on insurance premiums

over the next three years. The NDP are actually profiting on this strata

insurance crisis.

Now, Laura Opsal says this….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. Order, please. We shall hear the

question.

T. Stone: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Laura Opsal says this: “Enough is enough in money grabs, be it our

taxes or our strata costs.”

My question is this. Why is the minister gouging British

Columbians like Laura? Why is she not taking swift, decisive action to

address these skyrocketing strata insurance costs?

[10:40 a.m.]

Hon. C. James: Well, I don’t know if it’s entertainment for the other side to be

able to have the member stand up and talk about gouging when we know

exactly the work he did that gouged taxpayers and ratepayers at ICBC for

years. Unbelievable. Unbelievable to hear the member talk about profits

and taking profits. That’s exactly the problem we ran into at ICBC

because of the work of that member over there.

So I will take no lessons from that member on the other side. Nor

will the taxpayers or the ratepayers of ICBC, because they know what

happens when they listen to the other side. That’s why you’re on the

other side, Member, and not over on this side.

This is a very serious issue. This is a complex issue. That’s why

we are working with the strata associations. That’s why we’re working

with owners. That’s why we’re working with the insurance industry.

That’s why we’ve engaged with our colleagues across the country, because

this is not a unique issue to British Columbia.

The national commercial insurance task force is also looking at

this issue, because it is an issue that’s causing problems across the

country. We are working on both short-term and long-term solutions. The

member will hear that when they come forward.

J. Thornthwaite: There is a 4.4 percent provincial tax applied to every strata

insurance premium. So when premiums skyrocket, the NDP reaps a windfall.

This year alone the NDP are collecting an extra $15 million in insurance

premiums tax.

Dianna Lukacs calls rising strata costs “totally unfair to all the

condo owners as well as seniors on fixed incomes and everyone else stuck

in this situation.”

My question to the minister: how is this fair to

Dianna?

Hon. C. James: So $1.2 billion from ICBC that taxpayers had to cover because of

the costs that that side brought forward. I’m sorry. Doubling of tuition

fees. Doubling of MSP premiums. And you are talking about affordability?

The other side is talking about affordability? I’m sorry, there is

no….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, order, please.

Hon. C. James: There is no advice around affordability that can come from that

side that has any credibility for the taxpayers of British Columbia. We

are working on this issue with the people involved, with strata owners,

with people across the country. As I said, this is a national issue.

That’s why the national association is being involved. That’s why the

provincial association is being involved.

That’s why we’re looking for short-term solutions that will help

condo owners and long-term solutions that are going to address this

issue. It’s important because it is a critical issue for those people

who are being affected. It’s also a very complex issue. We need to make

sure we get this right.

Mr. Speaker: The member for North Vancouver–Seymour on a

supplemental.

J. Thornthwaite: Well, it’s very interesting that while the Premier’s ratings

plunged 10 percent, the strata insurance fees are going skyrocketing 400

percent. The fact is that the….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, I was reminded this morning that Tim, Jason and

Captain Kindness are in the gallery. I can only assume that they’ve

already left. Perhaps we can be a little more respectful. Thank

you.

J. Thornthwaite: The fact is that the NDP are actually profiting from this

insurance crisis. That may be the reason why they’re not

acting.

Bev Fenton says…. This is Bev Fenton’s quote. This is not my

quote; this is Bev Fenton’s quote. “This is beyond ridiculous. I’m on a

pension and cannot afford what may happen with the insurance issue. Get

on this, Premier.”

When is this government going to do something?

Hon. C. James: Once again, we are working with the condo owners. We are working

with the insurance industry. We’re working with our colleagues across

the country, because this is not an issue unique to British Columbia.

This is an issue that is being seen across the country.

[10:45 a.m.]

It has everything to do with skyrocketing real estate prices that

have occurred in the last while. It has to do with the insurance

industry and the challenges in the insurance industry with some

businesses leaving and competition issues. It has to do with climate

action and the issues that are there. It’s a complex issue. It’s an

urgent issue. That’s why we’re working together.

TRANSIT SERVICES AND FUNDING

A. Olsen: Now, more than ever, governments need to invest in accessible,

reliable, convenient public transit options. It reduces greenhouse gas

emissions and increases affordability. Investments to increase capacity

to come before increased ridership. These values attract people onto the

service. If these values are maintained and the experience is positive,

people will make the decision to get rid of their vehicle and commit to

public transit.

Instability, uncertainty and unreliability all diminish

convenience. That’s what leads people to abandon public transit and

invest in what they can count on, even if it’s a long commute in an

expensive vehicle.

In Budget 2020, this government is reducing funding for B.C.

Transit this year and implementing a freeze over the next two

years.

My question is to the Minister of Finance. At a time when we need

to be accelerating investments in our public transit operations to

support a shift to a clean economy, this government is pumping the

brakes. Why is the government reducing funding for B.C.

Transit?

Hon. C. Trevena: I would like to thank the member for the question. Good public

transit is essential, as he says, to making life more affordable for

people. It is essential as we tackle climate change. This is why our

government has partnered with federal and local governments to fund $1.2

billion worth of transit investments across B.C. in this decade. This is

paying for new and replacement buses — usually CNG clean fuel buses —

transit facilities, upgrades to existing facilities, transit exchanges,

park-and-rides and, what we’ve seen work so successfully, new bus

lanes.

To the member’s question about funding, government funding on

public transit should go to the services people rely on. If large

reserves are built up year after year, as has been seen in B.C. Transit,

it isn’t going to those services. That’s why we’re working with B.C.

Transit, asking them to draw from their $42 million in reserves, as we

work to expand transit services to serve more and more

people.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Third Party on a supplemental.

A. Olsen: In my community on the Saanich Peninsula, I have heard from

employers that a lack of public transit is a barrier to growing their

business. I hear from employees that public transit would increase

affordability and their quality of life. I hear from people from all

parts of my community how important the expansion of public transit

is.

I appreciate that this government may want to force B.C. Transit

to use their surplus this year, but this government is also planning a

funding freeze over the next two years. As a result of this freeze, B.C.

Transit predicts that ridership numbers will go down over the next few

years. This is because funding will lag behind demand, meaning service

levels will drop and people will choose not to take transit. B.C.

Transit needs certainty about their funding to be able to make the

crucial planning decisions they need to increase service levels to grow

ridership.

My question is again to the Minister of Finance. If you’re

committed to seeing growth in public transit, why forecast a freeze in

funding over the next two years, handcuffing B.C. Transit’s ability to

plan and grow for the future?

Hon. C. Trevena: I think that the member is very well aware of our investment in

transit systems in his own constituency. We are seeing hours of service

increase. We are seeing that ridership has reached record levels. It’s

expected to grow even larger in ’20-21 to a record 60.8 million

trips.

[10:50 a.m.]

Accurate ridership predictions for the following year are based on

next year’s budget, so as B.C. Transit does draw from their larger

reserves this year, there’s going to be no reduction in services, no

impacts on expansion projects.

Public transit remains a top priority for our government. We want

to make life more affordable. We want to tackle climate change. We want

to make sure people have options when it comes to how they travel.

That’s why we’re going to continue to maintain a positive approach to

B.C. Transit.

STRATA INSURANCE COST INCREASES

S. Bond: Well, the Minister of Finance stands here in the Legislature and

admits to British Columbians that skyrocketing strata insurance fees are

an urgent issue, yet all she does is talk about it. She can continue to

say: “Well, it’s bigger than just in British Columbia.” Well, the fact

of the matter is, and the minister knows this, that almost 9,000 British

Columbians have sent a message to this government that they want action.

Not somewhere down the road, not in a little while, not after a lot more

talk — they want action now.

The minister also knows that her ever-shrinking surplus is

benefiting and being propped up by millions of dollars from the

insurance premium taxes. It’s a fact. Members opposite may not like it.

All they need to do is look in the budget.

Here’s what Pam Scott writes to this minister: “Potentially

massive increases in our strata condo insurance will make it very

difficult to keep our home. Our budget simply cannot absorb hundreds of

dollars more per month to pay for insurance.”

It’s time for the Minister of Finance to get up. People are

potentially going to lose their homes. The time for talk is over. It’s

time to look at the bill that this side of the House has introduced and

finally do something.

Hon. C. James: In fact, as I said at the very first question that I received, we

are looking at the bill that came forward from the member for

Kamloops–South Thompson. We’re looking at all the options and ideas that

are coming forward.

There were two pieces that were interesting in that bill. One, as

I mentioned, was the issue of water damage, which was a program that was

in place for the leaky condo issue in the ’90s. That was a program

cancelled by the other side. They didn’t feel that that was a good

program to put in place. I appreciate the member bringing it back again

as an idea for us to take a look at.

One of the other pieces that has been suggested by the insurance

industry as well, as well as some of the condo folks, is to actually

look at closing a loophole which allows stratas to defer their

depreciation reports. That’s, again, a loophole that the other side

opened. They gave the opportunity for people to defer their depreciation

reports, which isn’t helpful when it comes to insurance. That’s another

piece of the member’s bill that we are taking a look at.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Prince George–Vale­mount on a

supplemental.

S. Bond: Well, thank you very much. We’re encouraged to hear that the

minister is looking at the bill. Here’s what we’d like to challenge her

to do. There’s time, actually, this week to call the bill, put it on the

floor of the House and do something about this issue.

The minister can continue to deflect and refer this issue to all

kinds of other people. This is squarely on her watch. She’s the

minister. This is an issue she needs to deal with.

She keeps referring to the condominium owners. Well, let’s

actually have a look at what they have to say. They’re actually very

supportive of the bill that’s been tabled by members on this side of the

House. Let’s look at the quote that they made: “This isn’t just about

large corporate interests and risks. Individual homeowners are feeling

the effects deep in their pocketbooks and increased exposure to high

rates and deductibles.”

The minister has every opportunity and has had lots of time to do

something about it. It is time for her to stand up, to call the bill and

to tell the almost 9,000 British Columbians who’ve reached out to this

government that they’re paying attention and that they’re finally going

to do something.

Hon. C. James: In the initial review that we’ve done of the member’s bill, as I

said, there are a couple of interesting pieces that we’re looking at.

But it’s not clear how the other proposals in the bill, in fact, will do

anything for condo owners — will do anything to address the pressures

that people are facing in the strata.

[10:55 a.m.]

People deserve the time to make sure that we look at a solution

that’s actually going to work for the people who are facing this

critical issue. That is exactly what we’re going to do. We’re going to

make sure that we’re looking at an issue and a solution that are going

to assist the people who are in stratas and who are facing the pressures

and that are going to work for not only the short term but the long

term. There’s no point in trying to address something unless we take a

look at both the short term and long term. That’s what we’re

doing.

That’s why…. As I mentioned, there are a couple of pieces in the

member’s bill that are interesting that we’re taking a look at. Overall,

some of the other changes won’t do anything for strata

owners.

We’re taking seriously the issue, and we’re working on

it.

L. Throness: British Columbians who live in condos and townhomes want action

now from this government. Instead, we have a minister who is

sleepwalking while thousands are living a personal nightmare.

Cheryl Salmon signed the petition that my colleague talked about.

She says: “This is totally unfair to strata owners and will have a

negative impact on the condo industry, our housing options and the

economy. They need to be protected.” They do need to be

protected.

What will the minister do today to help Cheryl?

Hon. C. James: As I’ve said, and as I say again, we are working hard with the

condo owners. We are working hard with the insurance industry. We are

looking at options that are going to work.

Again, taking a look at the private member’s bill, it doesn’t

appear that there are things that actually are going to assist strata

owners.

We want to make sure that we’re addressing this issue. It is an

issue, as I said, that is not unique to British Columbia. It is across

the country. That’s why those conversations are taking place.

L. Throness: One and a half million people live in condos and townhomes in B.C.

This is a big issue. Thousands are facing personal financial disaster,

and this minister doesn’t seem to get it.

James O’Commor says: “My kids are new condo owners and first-time

buyers. This will potentially make them lose their condo and their life

savings.”

Why is this minister content just to talk — and to rake in

millions, by the way, while she’s doing that — while people are looking

at losing their own homes?

Hon. C. James: I would suggest that the public has seen how the previous

government, the other side, doesn’t care about real estate pressures,

doesn’t care about housing.

We hear the members on the other side now say that they care about

people and affordability. Where were they with skyrocketing real estate

prices? Where was the other side when we saw a 75 percent increase in

housing, when it comes to the Metro Vancouver area, in five years? When

we saw people not being able to afford…. The other side was ignoring the

issues when it came to homelessness, when it came to women fleeing

violence, when it came to affordability for families.

Those are issues we are taking seriously, just as we’re taking

this issue seriously. We are going to work hard to make sure that people

get the service they should have had for the last 16 years.

M. Hunt: From Lonsdale to Guildford, from Prince George and beyond, this

crisis is sending shock waves throughout this province as people try to

grapple with these skyrocketing premiums. Here in Victoria, we seem to

have a complacent government that seems to be content to sit back and

collect record tax revenue while this crisis goes on in our

province.

Leslie Sullivan says: “People are going to lose their homes.

Nobody will purchase them with exorbitant strata fees. They will have to

just walk away with nothing. It’s outrageous.”

The simple question is: when is this minister going to act and do

something about it?

Hon. C. James: Once again, as I’ve said, this is an issue across the country.

This is not an issue unique to British Columbia.

We are working to look at both short-term and long-term solutions

so the issue is fixed. Part of it will be responsibilities for strata

owners. Part of it will be responsibility for the insurance industry.

Part of it will be solutions that government is looking at.

[11:00 a.m.]

We’re putting all of those together in a comprehensive approach.

We are working hard to get that done so we can address this complex

issue.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Surrey-Cloverdale on a supplemental.

M. Hunt: The strata fees are skyrocketing. This government is doing zero,

except, of course, pocketing the extra tax revenue.

Now, I find it always interesting that these members are really

loud inside the House, but when it gets outside the House, complete and

total silence.

Sharon Saw says: “I live in a strata, and I think it’s deplorable

that families should be put in this position. What are we supposed to

do?”

We’re seeing people lose deposits. We’re seeing people not being

able to proceed with sales. The minister is happy to sit around and

monitor the situation and think about it.

Well, the time for thinking is gone. We need action. Sharon can’t

wait. What is she supposed to do?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Back to question period.

Hon. C. James: I think we just heard the slogan for the next campaign: “Time for

thinking is over.” That’s what we’ve seen when it comes to the other

side.

We are taking this issue very seriously. We’re working hard on the

issue, as I mentioned. We are looking at the parts of the bill that may

make some sense, to be able to take a look at. There are other pieces of

the bill that make no sense and that, in fact, would add more costs to

individuals. There are suggestions in the private member’s bill to take

a look at the pressures that people are facing and insist that they get

insurance for their individual suites, which actually adds costs to

people, not take away costs.

It’s important to make sure that we take this issue seriously,

that we look at what’s going to work for the strata industry, for the

owners, for the insurance industry, and that’s exactly what we’re

doing.

J. Johal: I see the folks across the way are yukking it up. You know, if 4.4

percent doesn’t catch your attention, how about the fact that he’s down

10 percent in the polls? Maybe you should start paying attention. Ten

percent. How are things going over there? Ten percent.

When strata premiums skyrocket 400 percent, so does tax revenue.

The minister is profiting from the misery of condo owners like Shayna

Lahall. Shayna says: “I’m a single mom living in a condo building. I

live paycheque to paycheque as it is and cannot afford any increases in

payments.”

The minister is addicted to taxes. Why isn’t she helping people

like Shayna?

Hon. C. James: This is a serious issue. There are many condo owners who are

facing great pressure. Across the province, there are different examples

of the kinds of pressures that are occurring. Certainly, in large

buildings — buildings that may have put their depreciation reports aside

— it appears that there are real pressures being faced. That’s why we

need to make sure that we’re taking this issue seriously and looking at

the data that’s out there.

The B.C. Financial Services Authority is taking the time to be

able to gather the data that’s needed. We are looking at short-term

solutions that could assist owners now and long-term solutions. If we

simply fix it now, we’re going to continue to see these pressures.

That’s why we’re making sure we gather the information and work with

people.

I know the other side doesn’t like to work with others. We on this

side are going to be working closely with others. We’re going to be

coming up with solutions, and we’re going to be addressing this issue.

But looking at very simplistic approaches isn’t going to solve the

problem. It’s not going to address the issue. We’re going to take this

issue seriously.

Mr. Speaker: Richmond-Queensborough on a supplemental.

J. Johal: I remind the Finance Minister that she could do something today.

Get rid of that tax, even if it’s temporary. Get rid of it.

[11:05 a.m.]

This is impacting everybody across British Columbia, from Maple

Ridge to North Vancouver to Port Moody. It’s across this province.

Thousands and thousands of people are being impacted.

Linda Kintner says: “My mother is on a fixed income. A huge

increase will endanger her ability to live on her own.”

Premiums are going up as much as 400 percent, and the NDP are

receiving a tax windfall. Those are the facts.

Will the minister drop the delays and call the bill?

Hon. C. James: Once again, bringing forward a bill that does nothing to address

the pressures that are being faced does not make a good solution. That’s

why we’re taking a look at the pieces in the bill that may be able to be

worked through to be able to help owners. As I said, the water damage

piece is one.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. C. James: That’s why we are taking a look at the pieces of the bill that may

have some solution there. I mentioned the water damage issue and looking

at that idea. It has been in place before, as I mentioned, in the 1990s.

Cancelled by that government.

We’re looking at the depreciation, when they were government.

We’re looking at the depreciation issue again and the loophole that was

opened by the other side to allow people to defer their depreciation

report. We’re making sure we’re taking a look at the depreciation report

issue. Again, that’s another piece that’s come forward.

We are looking at other ideas that are coming forward. If the

members have other approaches they want to bring forward, they should.

We’re making sure that we address this in the short and the long term.

It is not only a complex issue. It’s also a pressure being faced by

condo owners right now.

[End of question period.]

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: In this chamber, I call second reading on Bill 8, Education Statutes

Amendment Act. In Committee A, the Douglas Fir Room, I call the estimates of the

Ministry of Children and Family Development.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Second Reading of Bills

BILL 8 — EDUCATION STATUTES

AMENDMENT ACT,

Hon. R. Fleming: I move that the bill now be read a second time.

The legislation before the House today amends the School Act and

the Independent School Act to focus on four main objectives.

First is to clarify the authority to issue provincial graduation

certificates to students of First Nations schools to support the

implementation of the British Columbia Tripartite Education Agreement,

First Nations.

Secondly, this bill clarifies that boards of education may offer

before- and after-school child care directly, rather than through a

separate, licensed child care provider to support government’s broader

child care initiative.

Third, the bill authorizes the issuance of personal education

numbers to children at an earlier stage to support evidence-based policy

decisions and capacity for K-to-12 enrolment planning and

preparation.

Finally, this bill enhances the K-to-12 funding model by

modernizing provisions related to online learning, introducing

provisions to ensure boards adhere to sound financial governance and

management practices and removing provisions related to the learning

improvement fund, which is no longer part of the ministry’s

appropriation.

[11:10 a.m.]

Let me begin with a more thorough description of the bill’s intent

around the B.C. Tripartite Education Agreement. Regarding the amendments

related to BCTEA, these amendments set out the parties’ respective roles

and responsibilities in improving educational outcomes for First Nations

students, something that is incredibly important in the K-to-12

education sector today. These amendments are also in support of First

Nations control of First Nations education, a direction that the

province of British Columbia and Canada are moving towards.

This amendment forms part of government’s fulfilment of the Truth

and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, part of government’s

larger agenda on reconciliation and the importance of the school system

in delivering and moving our province forward on reconciliation, writ

large. The BCTEA includes specific commitments to enable students and

adult learners attending First Nations schools to obtain provincial

Dogwood graduation certificates, known both as the Dogwood and the adult

Dogwood.

The reality is that for several years now, the Ministry of

Education has been offering the Dogwood to students who complete grade

12 at First Nations schools that meet specific criteria established by

the ministry. In addition, the Ministry of Education began offering the

adult Dogwood to students of First Nations schools in June of 2019. This

legislation will provide clear authority for what is a current practice

in the school system.

It’s important to note that the proposed legislation relates to

article 14 of the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous

peoples, which affirms that “Indigenous individuals, particularly

children, have the right to all levels and forms of education of the

state without discrimination.” By providing clear authority for the

minister to issue the Dogwood and adult Dogwood to students of First

Nations schools, the proposed legislation supports equitable access to

post-secondary education for these students.

In addition, in keeping with the province’s BCTEA consultation

obligations, and with the draft principles that guide the province of

B.C.’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, the ministry worked closely

with the First Nations Education Steering Committee on these proposed

changes. If passed, the proposed amendments to the School Act will

fulfil a significant commitment of the province under the BCTEA, in

alignment with Bill 41, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous

Peoples Act.

I’m confident that as part of the implementation of BCTEA, this

legislation will provide us with the structural framework to continue

our efforts, together with our education partners, to improve outcomes

for Indigenous students right across British Columbia.

Let me move on to the second

section of this amendment bill as it

relates to child care. Relating to child care on school property, this

amendment clarifies the School Act and requires them to develop policy

promoting the use of board property by licensed child care providers on

business days. The act does not currently contemplate boards of

education directly operating child care. That will change under these

amendments.

We have had a very fruitful engagement with the early childhood

education community and the education system. We had a successful Early

Learning Summit. One of the ideas that was supported on a consensus

basis, coming out of those consultations, was to do exactly what this

bill will do. We heard from school leaders, board chairs and others that

they desire clarity. This bill will bring clarity and will help our

government, at the same time, deliver on the expansion of child care

spaces that match the investments we’ve made as a government to create

tens of thousands of high-quality, affordable child care spaces for

families and communities across B.C.

The proposed legislation specifically amends the act to clarify

that it is within a board of education’s mandate to operate before- and

after-school care directly if it so chooses. It will enable the Minister

of Education to make orders respecting the content of a board of

education’s child care policies. For example, a minister’s order could

require board policies to promote partnership between boards of

education and before- and after-school child care providers where

possible, and require boards to consider such important matters as

reconciliation and inclusion of special education in their policies. It

will also enable the Minister of Education to make orders regarding the

provision of child care on boards of educations’ property more

generally.

[11:15 a.m.]

For example, a minister’s order could require that where a board

of education has received government funds for the creation of child

care spaces in a school or on a school ground, the board should maintain

that space for child care purposes. This will protect government’s

investments in child care spaces and ensure that space allotted for

child care continues to be used for this purpose.

Let me move on to the third

section of the bill and illustrate

what these amendments propose and will indeed do if this bill passes the

House. This

section relates to the personal education number. Members of

this House will know that the personal education number, or PEN, is a

unique nine-digit student number that has been in use and issued to

B.C.-resident students since 1993.

Today, in debate of this bill, we propose to make some changes

that I think are long overdue and innovative for government to consider.

The proposed amendments will allow PENs to be assigned to children who

are resident in B.C., as it currently does, but this legislation will

now enable the PEN to be assigned at birth or upon application of a B.C.

Services Card.

Currently the PEN is assigned to children as they enter the school

system — typically at age four or five, as they enrol in kindergarten —

and it’s used to provide supports and services for students as needed

and to inform provincial education policy. The PEN is also used by

individuals, of course, to order high school transcripts, graduation

certificates and be able to view their scholarship records.

What we propose to do in the short term, by assigning the PEN at

an earlier stage, is to benefit families by streamlining kindergarten

enrolment processes, as well as registration in early learning programs

operated by boards of education. These are known as StrongStart programs

in our communities.

It will support more accurate K-to-12 enrolment forecasting,

planning and preparation by the Ministry of Education, and that is

critically important. In the longer term, the proposed amendments will

support more efficient and accurate data collection to better inform

cross-government policies and programs that aim to serve the well-being

and successful long-term development of B.C. children and

youth.

What we will gain from this amendment are rich data sets that can

answer the questions that policymakers have. For example, when we have

data sets in the next number of years, we’ll be able to very easily

focus in, as a government, to look at whether there are differences in

achievement throughout a kid’s entire school learning career, between

those who were involved in high-quality early childhood education and

those who were not.

As we involve more and more children in early childhood education,

we will be able to see what those gains mean. Do they make a difference,

for example, in kindergarten and grade 1, when the early development

instrument is applied, to look at the vulnerabilities that students

entering the school system for the first time may have? In other words,

are early childhood education investments by our government reducing the

vulnerabilities of students and making them more ready to learn when

they start their learning careers? That’s critically important for a

government to know, and this legislation will enable those sorts of

things to happen, those kinds of analytics to inform government

policy-makers.

It’s important to note that this initiative involves no

application process and comes at no cost to families. A PEN will

automatically be assigned when a parent or guardian applies for a birth

certificate or a B.C. Services Card for their child. With respect to the

protection of privacy, the Ministry of Education will continue to be

bound by the personal information protection provisions in the Freedom

of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and in the School Act as

well.

Lastly, I’ll highlight some of the amendment as it relates to

changes to the funding model. Following the completion of a

comprehensive review of the K-to-12 funding model, government is

implementing a two-phase plan to improve the way education is delivered

in B.C. The amendments will support the implementation of this plan and

will achieve three main goals.

Firstly, it will modernize the provisions of the School Act and

Independent School Act as it relates to online learning, formerly known

as distributed learning, and will support a new delivery model for

online learning across the school system focused on program quality and

student achievement.

Innovating online learning in B.C. is a high priority, going

forward, for our government. It was subject to the first review of any

significance under the funding model review that government recently

completed — the first review, in fact, of online learning since distance

education was largely done through the mail, through print materials,

and by dial-up modem in communities. So a lot has changed in technology

and speed of the Internet.

[11:20 a.m.]

A lot of the language referred to as distributed learning is not

accessible to the public, and these amendments will bring clarity to

online learning and enable us to modernize and innovate the provision of

online learning in B.C., moving forward.

Secondly, under this

section on funding, we introduced provisions

to ensure that boards adhere to sound financial governance and

management practices, including a ministerial order–making power that

respects the management of operating reserves and transfers for local

capital.

This particular item has been the subject of many, many reviews

over the last number of years by the Auditor General, by the community

of school districts in British Columbia and all the stakeholders

involved in public education and, of course, by the funding model

review. We have consulted extensively with the stakeholders I mentioned

— most critically and importantly, the B.C. School Trustees Association

— to arrive at a place where we have a consensus on this being a good

way forward to provide transparency and accountability in the school

system.

The third part of this fourth amendment relates to what is really

a housekeeping item. That is to repeal the provisions relating to the

learning improvement fund — or LIF, to introduce another acronym to the

debate. The learning improvement fund, or LIF, is no longer part of the

ministry’s appropriation. It in fact no longer functions or exists. The

LIF provisions in the School Act are no longer operational. As members

will recall, the LIF was in fact transferred to the classroom

enhancement fund, or CEF, as part of an agreement with the B.C. Teachers

Association following a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that went against

the previous government.

I appreciate the time to make comments and introduce second

reading of this bill. I look forward to what members on all sides of the

House have to say about the innovation and modernization that is

proposed here, the expansion opportunities to child care services. I

will take my place and close debate at a later time.

D. Davies: I’m pleased to be able to rise today and give my remarks on Bill

8. I’m certainly pleased to see how much this bill revolves around

updating language around online learning. Of course, updating any

legislation into the modern world…. The minister mentioned dial-up

modems. Things have come a long way for all of us.

However, there are pieces of the legislation, of course, where we

do have many questions, and there are some concerns. The minister talked

about the previous learning improvement fund, which was a fund that was

put in place by the previous government in 2012 to support teachers. It

had been in place for the last six years. We understand this has been

eliminated and been replaced with the classroom enhancement fund. We

certainly have questions around the comparables — what this looks like

compared to the learning improvement fund. Was this a cost-saving

measure? Are there funds being reallocated from elsewhere?

It’s important that any legislation expand supports available both

to teachers and students alike. This legislation also adds potential

restrictions on school boards and their independence in deciding pieces

of their own budget. Bill 8 proposes that school boards must ask the

minister’s approval for preserving surpluses in the future.

As we move forward in debate and committee stage, I’m certainly

curious to hear the minister’s motive for such action and why this has

been brought up. Have there been issues brought forward with school

boards in their ability to plan for their own future? It seems like it’s

certainly a big change. Of course, there are few institutions with the

deeper insights into the needs of our schools than school boards

themselves.

We need to ensure that we continue to invest in programs that will

benefit students the most and plan for a future, rather than resort to

spending money just for the sake of spending money. There is little

error margin these days. Of course, our province is teetering on the

brink of a deficit, and it may not be the most fiscally wise decision

right now to force our school boards to leave little in their reserves

or for projects.

We’ve seen global events recently unfold, beyond control of our

own province, that can seriously impact our own economy beyond ways that

we can plan for. There’s no telling what impact our school districts may

have in the future. Of course, who better knows that than the local

school districts themselves? With small hope for financial relief from

our province, I think it might be prudent to allow the school districts

some autonomy around their budgets. Again, I believe there’s little room

for error.

[11:25 a.m.]

Of course, the minister talked in depth around the child care

piece. It proposes expanding options for school districts to set up

child care in unused spaces. While we’re not opposed to this, this is a

big change, and there are many questions around what this looks like.

What are the impacts and implementation? What does it look like,

etc.?

Parents deserve to have choice on how they want to raise their

kids, whether they are at home or with the assistance of child care.

It’s a good opportunity to help them with that choice, but the question

remains: how will the government support school districts to set up

these new child care options? In 2017, a total of nine daycares were

kicked out of schools in Chilliwack and in Abbotsford because of school

overcrowding. Yet there are many daycares still around schools in B.C.,

including in Fort St. John. I’m wondering if there could be more

eviction notices as a result of this bill moving forward.

I’m also wondering what protections this bill offers to such

daycares. They do, after all, serve a very important purpose, in

particular for single parents who want to continue their own education

and get qualified to get good, well-paying jobs. Daycare is an important

piece of that puzzle, and it’s most convenient, obviously, to offer care

for them right in the school that they are attending. School boards,

once this bill passes, will obviously be pressured, I suspect, to

provide for after-school and before-school care. Will there be leases

terminated for care providers that are already in the

schools?

Another concern, which is huge right now, is training for these

care providers. British Columbia is already critically short of ECE care

providers, and these proposed increased daycare spaces are going to put

an even greater strain on this market. I’m curious how it might impact,

again, the serving private sector daycare jobs — pulling out of that

industry right now.

This legislation also does not address key questions that members

of this House, as well as parents across the province, will want to

know. What is this all going to cost? The bill mandates that school

boards charge their own cost, and there will be no profit allowed.

Basically, they’re going to be charging rock-bottom prices on child

care, but there’s going to be very little overhead, as we can imagine,

on this. First of all, for the physicality of the school that’s already

there, that cost is going to be borne by the provincial taxpayer. There

are no lease costs. The school boards are going to be operating the

program directly.

This is going to ensure that school programs are going to have

quite the competitive edge over the top of the market-based operator and

could be driving them out of business, which is now going to add more

problems around the requirement of daycare spaces. There are no

market-based options that would be able to survive, because they simply

would not be able to compete against a school-board-and-government-run

daycare operation. The school board would be the only game in town,

which, at the end of the day, could become very worrisome.

For transparency, I think it is important that school boards

should have to publicly report all their extra costs that the boards

will incur to set up before- and after-school care programs. For

instance, will there be the requirement to build portables if needed,

more play structures and other hidden improvements? It’s obvious that

there will be a provincial subsidy for this program, but there are other

subsidies for this program.

Even if there are no structural improvements, the Education

Ministry will be subsidizing these programs in other ways. Just the fact

that there will be no lease payments is a subsidy in that amount. The

centrality of the school, the ease of access, is a natural subsidy for

people to use school district–based daycare programs. The cost of heat

and cooling, the cost of gymnasium space and equipment…. The list does

go on and on. The Minister of Education has a responsibility to

estimate, for provincial taxpayers, the amount of this subsidy that

taxpayers will be giving to before- and after- school care.

[11:30 a.m.]

Another question that I have about the general provision of

services: will the daycare workers in the school programs be brought

into the union — benefits, strikes, slowdown provisions and all the

extra costs that are associated with unions and other seniority pieces?

Related to this, is there a piece in this bill that will account for

disruptions in school services — a strike, or even weather, for that

matter — where parents will be suddenly left with no other options

outside the school grounds?

Does this mean that there could be more portables? We’ll have to

find that out during committee stage.

Will there be limits to where before- and after-school programs

will be located in the schools? Will they be in classrooms, which are

usually thought to be the private domain of the school teachers

themselves? How long will students be able to remain at schools after

school? How will the board cope with the extra wear and tear on the

school property, which is certainly going to be happening?

Unfortunately, this government has fallen dangerously far behind

on its promised child care spaces, and the promise of $10-a-day daycare

has obviously fallen by the wayside. The Vancouver school board is

chronically underfunded, and we most certainly cannot expect them to

bankroll any new child care spaces — especially, again, considering the

clause does not allow them to profit from it.

What can we expect from these spaces? Where will the funding come

from? As mentioned before, what can British Columbian parents expect in

terms of costs and wait-lists? These are all questions that we do plan

to bring up in committee stage.

It’s good to see that the legislation will enable the personal

education numbers. Early enrolment, the system feature, will allow a lot

of planning and will certainly, no doubt, benefit the ministry as well

as our school boards as they move forward to plan for school

spaces.

In all, this is good legislation. We are looking forward to

getting into committee stage. Once again, though, my concern is that

what we are seeing in this bill, like many bills before, is more

government regulation, red tape and oversight, and less autonomy for the

institutions to decide how they move forward.

We need to ensure that these actions are truly in the intentions

on providing our students the best education that we can provide and

provide our teachers with the needs that they have.

I’ve kept my remarks short. I do look forward to getting into

committee stage. With that, I will conclude my remarks.

Hon. K. Chen: I’m really happy to be here today and speak in support of the

Education Statutes Amendment Act.

I really want to give a big thanks to the Minister of Education

and his incredible team for bringing a lot of important and positive

changes in quite a few areas, including school-age child care on school

grounds and also supporting First Nations students completing grade 12,

and also on the personal education number system to ensure we have

better information about a child’s learning experience from not just

K-to-12 but birth-to-12.

This legislation would also support the work that the Minister of

Education has been doing after the completion of a comprehensive review

of the K-to-12 funding model.

Of course, I would really like to begin by talking about the

changes to school-age child care. This is really an exciting and quite a

historical change. Finally, we are connecting child care, early

learning, school-age care to the Ministry of Education and to boards of

education.

As many of the members in this House would know, parents have been

really struggling to be able to access child care services, and that’s

not only for children under five. School-age care has been an area where

many parents have been struggling to find the services available. It’s

really hard for a lot of parents to, for example, go back to full-time

work, to continue to pursue their education or other career choices,

because of lack of before- and after-school care.

During the past 2½ years that I’ve really had the honour, and I’m

very thankful to have the opportunity, as the minister of state, I’ve

been working hard with our team — and, also, thanks again to the

Minister of Education. We’ve been working to look at: how do we address

the child care chaos that has been existing in B.C. for many, many

years?

I’ve met with a lot of parents who are unable to return to work or

pursue their educational goals because of a lack of child care services.

I’ve met with single parents who have no choice but to live on income

assistance, give up their good-paying jobs. They have no choice but to

struggle during their children’s early years, not being able to return

to full-time work.

I’ve met parents who are trying to do shift work between the

parents. They barely get a chance to see each other or get together as a

family because one parent has to work during the daytime, and the other

parent has to do evening work.

[11:35 a.m.]

Really, that struggle across B.C. is something that has motivated

our government to make sure…. This is the first time in B.C.’s history

that child care is a top priority for our government and making sure

that we are building a new system to look at how we bring down the cost

of child care, how we accelerate the creation of spaces and, also, how

we support early childhood educators and professionals who are working

with the sector to build an affordable, quality, inclusive early

learning and care system that includes before- and after-school care to

all families in B.C. who want it or need it.

As a mother with a young child, I have gone through that struggle

myself. When my son was born, it was really, really hard to deal with

our child care needs as a new immigrant family without any family

support here. It was a really tough choice for me and my husband. We

were one of the lucky ones that we were able to hang in there, trying to

make things work for the first five years after my son was

born.

Last year my son got into kindergarten, and before- and

after-school care became an issue as well. If my husband wants to return

to full-time work, how do we deal with the hours of the pickup and the

drop-off? It has been quite a struggle during the past few months,

trying to deal with my own before- and after-school care needs as

well.

We have a lot of work to do. During the past 2½ years since we

introduced the Childcare B.C. plan, we have accomplished a lot. We have

been accelerating the creation of child care spaces across B.C.

communities. And in only about ten months since we introduced our new

spaces program, we’ve funded more spaces than the previous government

has ever funded in their last four years in government.

We are on target, and we are on the right path every single week.

I would like to let the critic know that every single week there are

spaces being built and opened across this province, and families are

accessing those spaces. I cannot tell you how many letters and feedback

I’ve been getting from parents about how each and every

one of those spaces means that their family

is getting the relief.

We’re really happy to provide you with an updated number. It’s

been exciting that in the first year since we introduced the new spaces

program, we got a lot of applications. We definitely met our target. But

the second year went way better. We got so many applications from across

B.C. providers, and I would say the vast majority of the non-profit and

public spaces applications that we have received were from school

districts. That is why this legislation is so important, to make sure we

build that relationship with local school districts.

Many of them are already providing before- and after-school care

opportunities. Many of them already rent their spaces out to child care

providers. So we want to make sure, through this amendment and this

legislation, that we’re going to make that relationship better and

encourage more creation of spaces on school grounds so parents can drop

off their kids at the same spot, if they have an older child going to

the school or if they have a younger child going to child care or they

are able to have their children in the school a bit longer with before-

and after-school care activities provided on the school

ground.

This legislation will really support the broader plan on our

Childcare B.C. plan. It will clarify that it is within the board of

education’s mandate to operate before- and after-school care directly.

The legislation will also enable the minister to make orders respecting

the content of the board of education’s child care policies. For

example, an order may be requiring board policies to promote partnership

between boards of education and also the before- and after-school care

providers.

This is very important, as I mentioned, as a lot of school

districts have already been having that relationship with local

providers. But we need to make sure that there are policies and that

this is a partnership and that before- and after-school care is

something that we have to work on and making sure parents have that

choice and that relief and support.

As a former school trustee, I cannot tell you how many

high-quality and very wonderful before- and after-school care activities

I’ve seen on my local school district’s school site — some of the

programs that support the social and emotional needs of young children.

After school, they can have children that require extra support or need

some other extra, additional activities to be able to make sure that the

program addresses those students’ needs and those types of partnerships

that the provider, whether it’s a non-profit or local provider, has with

the school district.

They have been very valuable and very meaningful to lift our

families up, making sure children who need those extra supports…. Not

just for the reason for care, so that parents can continue to return to

full-time work, but also the quality program to support a child’s

social, emotional and developmental needs. It can be huge if we can work

together with local partners and providers on that need through before-

and after-school care.

[11:40 a.m.]

In addition, this legislation would enable the minister to make

orders regarding the provision of child care on board of education’s

property generally. For example, an order could require that where a

board has received government funds for the creation of child care

spaces, that the board should maintain those spaces for child care

purposes.

I know the critic mentioned child care being removed from school

grounds. That is true. That has been a situation that has been there for

many, many years. That was a situation that was neglected,

unfortunately, by the previous government. No one has looked into, “How

do we work together to protect those child care spaces on school

grounds?” — especially when the child care spaces are created through

government support and government funding.

This is unacceptable. We need to make sure we’re working together

to make sure as many child care spaces are protected and that it’s a

really healthy partnership between the provider, between the school

district, between our government and that we are giving them the support

and working together as partners collaboratively to make sure we protect

those spaces. By protecting those spaces, we are protecting services to

families who really count on the before- and after-school care services

or families who count on the under-five child care spaces that they

desperately need to make sure they can continue with the balance of

their life and work and child care needs.

Through this legislation, the changes to the child care portion

that…. It really will help provide stability. I think this is, really,

an important beginning on a long journey as we continue to build

inclusive, quality universal child care services for all B.C. families.

It provides some stability to make sure we have this partnership with

school districts. It will give parents the peace of mind that we are

working collaboratively as partners with school districts to make sure

we can, again, address the child care crisis.

We’ve really started and are trying to implement our child care

B.C. plan with over three dozen new initiatives that we have rolled out

during in the past 2½ years. I cannot thank our child care team enough

for all the work that they’ve been doing to support providers, families,

children across B.C. It is also really good for our economy when you

invest in child care and early learning that is good for our children,

our families and employers who have been struggling to retain workers

who could not return to work because of their child care

needs.

So there’s a lot more work we have to do, but this legislation

fits into our vision to create a universal, inclusive, affordable

quality child care system that families need and want across B.C. It’s

an important step toward the right direction. Again, I cannot thank the

Ministry of Education and the minister enough for taking this very

important step together.

In addition to that, the proposed legislation will authorize the

assignment of the personal education number to children who are

residents in B.C., which can be assigned at birth or on an application

for a B.C. Services Card. Currently, the personal education number is

assigned to children as they enter the school system and is used to

provide supports and services for students as needed and to inform

provincial education policy.

But through these changes of legislation, we can assign the PEN

number at an earlier stage, which will be the first important step to

obtaining better information about a child’s experience prior to

entering the school system and to support evidence-based policy

decisions and capacity for our K-to-12 enrolment planning and

preparation.

This really shows how our government continues to focus on the

importance of early learning. A child’s brain develops the fastest

before the age of five. My son is six now, but when I saw how much he

has grown in five years, it was incredible. Every day he was learning

something new. He actually teaches me a lot of things, as a young child.

I learn a lot from my son as well. I just see how the developmental

needs of a child before the age of five are incredible.

By following and making sure that we can have an evidence-based

approach and to learn about a child’s early learning experience before

the age of five is going to be critical to make sure we have more

information about the child when they enter kindergarten, to make sure

that through K-to-12 education and through our early learning system

that we’ll be able to support the child as a whole.

A child is a child regardless of their age. They don’t just become

a child when they enter kindergarten. They need the support equally, if

not even more, before the age of five. I think this is a really great

approach. We are going to track their learning experience from zero to

five, from K to 12 and continue with post-secondary education throughout

B.C.

[11:45 a.m.]

I’m really excited about this change. It may seem like a small

step, but it’s really critical as we continue to learn about how we

support the early learning needs of children in B.C. Again, this is the

first time government has put a focus on early learning and care in B.C.

We’re really proud of that, and we want to continue that

work.

This legislation also supports the work, as I mentioned earlier,

that the Ministry of Education is making in the K-to-12 education

system. Following the completion of a very comprehensive review of the

K-to-12 funding model, with an unprecedented level of consultation with

all 60 school districts and over 250 educational partners and

stakeholders, this is an important work. Again, thanks to the minister

and the Ministry of Education for doing this very important

work.

Through that consultation process, I know the ministry has heard

loud and clear that, unfortunately, the years of underfunding and

neglect from the previous government on public education have left far

too many of our most vulnerable children not getting the supports they

need to be engaged and successful in school. As a former school trustee,

I cannot agree with that enough. There’s so much work we have to do to

address the needs of the public education system.

To address these issues, the panel made recommendations to ensure

that every student is supported to reach their full potential and to

build bright futures for themselves in an ever-changing world with equal

access to the supports and services that they need, no matter what their

circumstances are or where they live.

The proposed legislation will ensure school districts continue to

provide services and supports based on the unique needs and priorities

in their communities, while strengthening transparency and

accountability. The previous government, unfortunately, often imposed

changes to education without consultation. We’ve seen that happening

throughout B.C. communities, unfortunately, including changes that

resulted in countless school closures throughout the province. So many

school districts were really struggling for so many years under the

previous government’s watch.

We are very committed, and we’re proud to continue to collaborate

and work in partnership with all education partners throughout the

province throughout this very important process.

Last but not least, this legislation…. We talked about

partnership. This legislation will also help to support First Nations

students in B.C. Right here in B.C., we are incredibly fortunate to have

a long-lasting relationship with the First Nations Education Steering

Committee, an organization that has been advocating for Indigenous

students for the last 27 years.

This organization has really been instrumental in ensuring that

B.C. led the way as the first and only jurisdiction in our country to

have the tripartite agreement between our province, First Nations and

the Canadian government. This is an incredible and very important step

to ensure that First Nations students in B.C. have equal access to

public education or to education in general, whether they study in First

Nations schools, in public schools or in independent schools.

This is a big deal. This is going to help First Nations

communities invest significantly in educational excellence in First

Nations communities across B.C. That will also benefit generations to

come.

This agreement is part of our government’s commitment to a true

and lasting reconciliation and to work with Indigenous peoples to

implement the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, to

co-create an action plan and, also, to look for ways to increase shared

decision-making.

The proposed legislation will help to honour those commitments and

take it to the next step by ensuring students who complete their

education at First Nations schools are awarded the Dogwood or adult

Dogwood graduation diploma, just like their peers do across our

province.

We know that it takes time and hard work to truly support

Indigenous self-governance and self-determination, as hundreds of years

of colonization will not disappear overnight. But by working together

and working collaboratively together and in partnership, each step we

take will make sure that it will bring us closer to the day when we

truly have a level playing field for all students to thrive.

As the Premier often says, public education and education are the

best equalizers for our community and for people across the province. I

believe this is a really critical and important step that we have to

take.

Hon. Speaker, I cannot tell you how thankful and happy I am to

have the opportunity to support Bill 8, the Education Statutes Amendment

Act. This legislation will really help to make critical and very

important positive changes to support children, young learners and

families across B.C.

[11:50 a.m.]

B. Ma: It is my pleasure to rise today to speak in favour of Bill 8, the

Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2020, brought forward by our hon.

Minister of Education. Recognizing that we only have a few more minutes

before we have to move to break, I’d like to focus my remarks on the

issue of child care.

In my riding, North Vancouver–Lonsdale, we have many families that

are led by single parents. Almost one in five families in North

Vancouver are led by single parents. The issue of child care is an

enormous question that has been challenging many of these families for a

long, long time. I’m so incredibly grateful to the work of the Minister

of State for Child Care.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

The work that she has done towards actually bringing us forward

and towards universal child care has changed lives. I know that the work

isn’t done yet and that we still have much more to do, but I’m already

hearing from parents who are benefiting from the $10-a-day child care

pilot programs, whose partners have gone back to work in industries and

in professions that we desperately need more people in.

For instance, I remember a family where the mother had decided to

stay home in order to take care of her children. She is actually a very

qualified nurse. For many years, she’s wanted to go back to work and

work as a nurse. She hasn’t been able to. In the meantime, we’re

struggling to fill spaces in a lot of the areas where we need

nurses.

Now, the parents and the community members in my riding have been

benefiting greatly from the child care subsidies and from the new spaces

in North Vancouver. On the North Shore, we’ve actually received funding

for 461 new licensed child care spaces — changing lives again. They’ve

also been benefiting from the grants and programs that support early

childhood educators in getting their licences and getting upgrades over

at Capilano University. They have a fantastic program there.

Consistently, however, while people are often coming to me to say

how grateful they are for the work in zero to five, they also don’t

hesitate to remind me that before- and after-school care is also

extremely important, because of course children don’t stay under five

years old forever. Eventually, they do go to schools. Because schools,

as most people know, run around 8:40 a.m. to 3 p.m. and very few jobs

run those shifts, a lot of these parents are struggling to be able to

make sure that their children are cared for in the hour and a half

before school starts and for the couple of hours after school ends as

well.

I’ve actually had many meetings with parents exactly on this issue

— the need for more before- and after-school care and the need for more

integrated before- and after-school care, because one of the things that

parents tell me is that it doesn’t really help them to have before- and

after-school care in a place that is different from where their children

need to go to school.

I actually have a family who will drive their children to their

before- and after-school care and then arrange for their parents, the

grandparents of the children, to pick them up from before-school care to

drive them to school and then arrange for a different set of

grandparents to pick them up from school to drive them to after-school

care. Then their parents negotiate between themselves who is going to

take off early from work in order to go back to the after-school care

and bring their children home.

In a riding like North Vancouver–Lonsdale and an area like the

North Shore where traffic is actually one of the number one issues for

the community, this adds a huge amount of traffic to our roads. Last

year TransLink actually released information about the types of trips

that people were taking in their cars on a daily basis. It found that

between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., fully one-quarter of every trip made in a car

throughout the North Shore was to drop a kid off at school. It’s a huge

amount of traffic and a huge amount of additional congestion.

[11:55 a.m.]

Imagine multiplying that by multiple times because they also have

to bring their children to before-school care in a different place and

after-school care in a different place or bring them home early or pick

them up early or so forth. It’s just an incredible amount of

coordination. At the same time, parents are distracted at work as a

result of worrying about whether or not their children can make it to

school safely and make it home safely.

I guess the long story short of all of this is that before- and

after-school care is a critical service that our government needs to be

supporting. This bill allows for that work to be done.

To allow school districts to actually provide before- and

after-school care directly is a huge boon to parents who need this

service. And to support these school districts in having much more

collaborative relationships with third-party providers is also extremely

important.

Right now school districts primarily have relationships with

third-party before- and after-school care providers as sort of like a

landlord-tenant situation. It’s treated almost like a separate

nice-to-have service, as opposed to a really critical service that

parents desperately need these days.

So I’m very grateful to be able to support Bill 8. I’ll leave it

at that for now, because I know that there will be more speakers coming

up, and I believe we are going to take a break now.

B. Ma moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Committee of Supply (Section A), having reported progress, was

granted leave to sit again.

Hon. R. Fleming moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:57 a.m.

PROCEEDINGS IN THE

DOUGLAS FIR ROOM

Committee of Supply

ESTIMATES: MINISTRY OF

CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT

The House in Committee of Supply (Section A); S. Malcolmson in

the chair.

The committee met at 11:12 a.m.

On Vote 19: ministry operations, $2,228,446,000 .

The Chair: This is Committee of Supply,

Section A. We are currently

considering the budget estimates of the Ministry of Children and

Family Development. I will recognize the minister.

Do you have an opening statement?

Hon. K. Conroy: I do. Thank you, Chair.

Before I start with my opening statement, I would like to

acknowledge my excellent executive team that’s with me here today. Here

at the front I have my deputy minister, Allison Bond, and my ADM, Rob

Byers, the executive financial officer of finance and corporate

services.

We also have, in the gallery with us, ADM Teresa Dobmeier, service

delivery division; ADM Cory Heavener, provincial director of child

welfare and Aboriginal services; ADM Christine Massey, early years and

inclusion; ADM Cheryl May, policy and legislation division; ADM Carolyn

Kamper, strategic priorities division; and ADM Denise Devenny,

partnership and Indigenous engagement — all of who will be supporting us

throughout the next few days.

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the territories of the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ-speaking peoples,

the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, on whose land we do our

work.

I want to thank our team of over 5,000 staff, who dedicate

themselves every day to children and families right across the

province.

I’d also like to recognize the Minister of State for Child Care

for her tireless energy and passion when it comes to bringing about and

creating a universal child care system. She will be here with us to

answer the child care questions as the critic asks those questions. So

I’m really thrilled to be a part of this team.

Last year I was able to stand here and report progress on my

mandate letter. This year I can report continuation of the progress.

It’s exciting to see the changes that we have made in the lives of the

children and youth and families that we serve.

[11:15 a.m.]

My mandate letter focuses on improving child protection services

and reducing the disproportionate number of Indigenous kids in care. My

ministry does provide better supports to keep Indigenous youth in their

homes and communities and to help youth aging out of care successfully

transition to adulthood. We continue to make great progress on this

front, and we’re seeing the lowest number of children and youth in care

in 30 years and the lowest number of Indigenous children in care in

almost two decades, and that trend is continuing.

Last year we introduced significant increases to the caregiver

rates so that foster parents would have the recognition they deserve. We

also brought the out-of-care rates up to par with the foster parent

rates, increasing them by 75 percent so that more children could stay

with families, rather than coming into care. As a result, we’re seeing a

record number of kids being cared for by their aunties, uncles and

grandparents. This means more children can stay in their communities and

stay connected to their culture.

Other government supports are helping to increase the rate of

family preservation for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous families.

After receiving supports, almost 91 percent of children in need of

protection are able to stay and live safely with their

families.

We continue to work closely with the First Nations Leadership

Council and the communities to see the transfer of jurisdiction for

child welfare to Indigenous communities. The path to jurisdiction is now

much clearer with the passing of the new federal act, C-92 Respecting

First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families.

We are continuing our discussions at tripartite tables across the

province. With the new federal act, we are moving even closer to the day

when we will see nations exercise their jurisdiction over child and

family services. Legislative changes to the Child, Family and Community

Service Act came into place this year. As a result of these legislative

changes, Indigenous communities are more involved in child welfare

decisions.

In this budget, government is investing $50 million over three

years so that Indigenous children in government care are able to create

and maintain strong connections to community and culture. The ministry

continues to engage with former youth in care to learn about what they

need to live healthy lives. As a result of these consultations, we have

made incremental changes to support youth who age into adulthood from

the system of care.

We continue to do many things with this ministry that are

benefiting children and youth right across the province. I look forward

to answering the member’s questions because I think that we will be able

to talk even more about the good things that the ministry is

doing.

The Chair: I recognize the member for Chilliwack-Kent and invite you to

make any opening comments before you begin your

questions.

L. Throness: Thank you, Chair, and welcome to the chair.

Welcome to the minister and her staff. This estimates process is a

really fantastic process, and I appreciate very much being able to ask a

whole lot of questions that I have prepared for the minister.

Just a few general remarks. If I were to put a theme to my first

set of questions this year for MCFD, it would be feast and famine. On

one hand, there’s a great feast. The government is spending a truly

enormous amount of money on child care. From the first NDP budget to the

end of this one, over $3 billion will be spent — $88 million more in

this coming year alone. That doesn’t include the dozens of millions

coming from the federal government, nor the $160 million the minister

gets for her own budget.

On the other hand, there is famine. Travelling around the

province, I have met brave people running small programs doing amazing

work and barely able to survive as the ministry nickel-and-dimes

them.

Last spring the Standing Committee on Children and Youth held

hearings throughout B.C., listening to groups and individuals talk about

their work with special needs children. Let me tell you about a typical

parent who would come to the table, sit down and begin by bursting into

tears for a while, composing him- or herself and then beginning their

presentation. I was struck by how these parents are heroes in bearing

burdens that I would think it impossible to bear, motivated by their

passionate love for and commitment to their children. It’s the job of

government and this ministry to help bear those burdens.

I thought and I said to my standing committee colleagues at the

time, the study that we’re writing will only be a success if we can find

some extra help for those families which are the most needy and under

incredible strain because of the multiple needs of their children. So I

don’t know how to set the priorities of this ministry, with its enormous

wealth of resources right now. I do know that when the weakest and the

poorest are suffering and even the small amounts they get from

government are cut back, the minister’s priorities need

adjustment.

So my first question. I want to ask about the final recommendation

of the report that our standing committee wrote last fall on which four

government members sat: “Provide more funding for and increase access to

respite care across the province.” I see this for adults in the budget,

and that’s good. But I want it confirmed that there is also funding for

the At Home program serving children.

[11:20 a.m.]

I’m wondering how much there will be for respite and medical

benefits for them.

Hon. K. Conroy: Just to correct the record, the statement the member made. Due to

caseload demands, medical benefits were increased in this year’s budget

by $600,000.

And I just wanted to reiterate what happened with direct-funded

respite and the At Home program. Last year they received a 10 percent

lift, which increased the base amount available for families from $2,400

to $2,800 per year to a maximum of $3,080 per year, which improved

eligible families’ access to respite services that suited their

needs.

I also want to point out that we also suspended income testing for

the direct-funded respite At Home program. This was done last year.

Prior to that, all parents had to pay, because there was income testing,

and I don’t think any family that has a child with multiple extra needs

can afford those additional costs. Income testing was suspended, so a

lot more families were able to access those services.

[11:25 a.m.]

L. Throness: So more benefits for wealthier people, and nothing new in this

budget for medical benefits.

Something else we heard over and over was that there is specific

funding for autism but not for other conditions, like FASD, although

sometimes they exhibit similar symptoms. For example, someone from

Terrace said to me: “If children are assessed for autism and are turned

down, they still have behaviours that need to be addressed. There are

huge waits for all kinds of diagnoses, but behaviours need to be

addressed, regardless of diagnosis.”

Surely the minister has heard this as well. Does she have any

intentions in regard to functional over diag­nostic

assessment?

Hon. K. Conroy: I’m sure the member is well aware of the child and youth with

special needs system, because it was actually his former government that

set up the system the way it is today and how it’s working today. That

has been a concern of mine, because I do know that families that are

seeking support for children and youth with special needs face a

fragmented system. So we are looking at that.

We are developing a child and youth with special needs service

framework, and it’s going to guide the delivery of the services to

better meet the specific needs of children and youth and their families.

The framework will also guide how the entire suite of children and youth

with special needs programs and services are funded. The government

needs to understand that this framework just can’t be created in

isolation and needs to be informed by the experiences of those needing

supports, those receiving supports and those delivering those

supports.

That’s why we’ve done a bunch of consultation and research. It was

conducted by a broad range of talking to families and service providers

throughout the province and probably talked to some of the same families

that the member refers to. We needed to hear those voices and see what

they’re seeking, what kind of services they’re looking for from the

children and youth with special needs services.

We heard that the complement of services is generally right but

that more is needed. We heard that the current system favours families

with resources to find and access the children and youth with special

needs services.

[11:30 a.m.]

We heard that culturally responsive and trauma-informed services

are needed and that family support, including case coordination, is

desired. Families regard a one-stop hub infrastructure as

ideal.

Findings from this research — along with information provided in

reports and recommendations from the Office of the Representative for

Children and Youth and other organizations and academic literature — was

used to prepare a draft child and youth with special needs service

framework document. The implementation of this service framework will

happen in phases over the next couple of years as we work towards

ensuring that more children get the services that they need.

L. Throness: I didn’t really hear anything there in answer to my question about

functional versus diagnostic assessment, but we look forward to the

minister bringing forward her framework in a timely way.

I want to continue to ask specifically about FASD, because I heard

that there are four times more people with FASD than with autism and

that 70 to 80 percent of people in prison have undiagnosed FASD. In

Alberta, there are 160 assessment clinics, while we have two. Does the

minister have any new funds directed toward FASD in

particular?

Hon. K. Conroy: Yes, fetal alcohol…. The FASD services are part of the suite of

services that are inclusive of the child and youth with special needs.

That’s why we’re looking at the framework. We have heard from families,

just as the member has, of the need for supports. So that is part of

what we’re looking at, with the entire framework, and looking at how we

relook at providing services to children and youth with special

needs.

L. Throness: I want to bring to the minister’s attention the situation of

several agencies which are emblematic of this issue of feast and

famine.

It’s World Hearing Day today, we learned, so it’s appropriate that

I would bring forward the B.C. Family Hearing Resource Society, which

has been providing services to families with deaf and hard-of-hearing

children, for 30 years across B.C., through an MCFD contract with two

subcontractors. While the number of families needing help has doubled to

547, the contract amount has stayed the same, resulting in a deficit and

severe cuts down the line. The Deaf Children’s Society, a subcontractor,

is on the verge of closing the only preschool for deaf children in

B.C.

With hundreds of millions spilling out for child care and other

things, why are these good people starved for funds, and how will the

minister protect these invaluable services for hearing-impaired children

under six?

[11:35 a.m.]

Hon. K. Conroy: The Ministry invests $1.8 million in services like this, and we

recognize the importance of early language development for deaf and

hard-of-hearing young children. I actually met with the B.C. Family

Hearing Resource Society, and I want to thank the member for

Surrey-Fleetwood who invited me to go to the centre in his

constituency.

We had an excellent meeting with them. They provide incredible

services and supports. I met with families. I met some of the children,

saw some of the work they do and was very impressed with the work they

do. I understand the pressures that they’re feeling. Our staff continue

to work with the organization.

Again, that is why we are looking at the child and youth with

special needs framework. That’s why we recognize that things need to be

done differently. We are doing the work on this framework to ensure that

services can be provided to children and youth across the

province.

L. Throness: Services like outreach travel, sign language teaching, group care

and preschool programs are all going to be cut under this minister’s

watch. The member for Surrey-Fleetwood should bring this to your

attention, Minister.

[11:40 a.m.]

Let me quote from a letter from the Deaf Children’s Society of

B.C. asking for targeted funding. “These actions will undoubtedly

contribute to the decline of language and cognitive capacity in young

deaf children, weaken family units, lower graduation rates of deaf

children, increase unemployment rates of deaf adults and significantly

impact the mental health needs of deaf children, youth and

adults.”

The minister received $160 million more in her own budget in this

year alone. Why can’t she find any money to provide targeted programs

for preschool deaf children?

[11:45 a.m.]

Hon. K. Conroy: Just to clarify for the member, the $160 million increase is

actually increased caseload pressures. Pressures within the ministry

increased, so we got an additional $160 million to deal with that.

That’s caseload pressures across the sector.

We’re looking at all supports for this sector. Actually, the good

news is that the assistant deputy minister who is responsible for

children and youth with special needs is meeting with this organization

this week. They’re going to have a more fulsome discussion than what can

be exchanged through a letter. They can share information. They can

respond to the issues that were raised. I think it’s really important.

We are meeting with families; we’re meeting with providers.

We need to look at the long-term pressures on this sector. Again,

as I said, the existing child and youth with special needs framework

that I inherited is not working for families. The member is right. It’s

not working for families. We’re looking at it and saying: “What can we

do to ensure that all people, all families, all children who are encased

within the child and youth with special needs framework are going to be

able to access services?” We need to relook at the framework.

I know the member might think just throwing money at something is

going to change it, but I don’t think it is. I think we need to look at

the framework and say: “What can we do differently to ensure that all

children are getting access to the services they need and that their

families are getting the support?” We’re going to work together with the

families and with the providers to ensure that we’re going to do just

that.

With that, I move that the committee rise, report progress and ask

leave to sit again.

Motion approved.

The committee rose at 11:46 a.m.

The Official Report of Debates ( Hansard ) and webcasts of

proceedings

are available on the Internet. Chamber debates are broadcast on

television.

Copyright © 2020: British Columbia

Hansard Services, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada