Second Session, 41st Parliament

(2017) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 24

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

Orders of the Day

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 4 — Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner

Continuation Act

Hon. J. Sims

S. Thomson

A. Olsen

Hon. M. Farnworth

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Hon. C. Trevena

D. Davies

Hon. S. Fraser

J. Thornthwaite

Hon. D. Eby

M. Morris

B. Ma

T. Wat

Statements

Comments made in the House

Hon. M. Farnworth

Throne Speech Debate

Hon. L. Popham

J. Rustad

Royal Assent to Bills

Bill 7 — Supply Act (No. 2), 2017

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

The House met at 1:35 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

E. Ross: It’s a well-known fact that my band has been advocating for LNG for

the last ten years. For the past five years, we made a commitment to work

with government. I’m happy to say that in the recent election they

overwhelmingly voted in the last chief and council to continue that work. In

fact, chief and council came down yesterday to advocate with the current

government to continue the dream of pushing for LNG. Unfortunately, my chief

councillor had to return home for an emergency, but her colleague is in the

House today.

Please make welcome to the House Mr. Jason Majore from chief and

council.

L. Krog: There’s nothing more pleasing to a New Democratic member of the

Legislative Assembly than to introduce a former Liberal member of the

assembly. All joking aside, I’d like the House to welcome Ken Jones, who was

part of the class of 1991.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call second reading of Bill 4.

Second Reading of Bills

BILL 4 — ACTING INFORMATION AND

PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

CONTINUATION ACT

Hon. J. Sims: I move that Bill 4, the Acting Information and Privacy

Commissioner Continuation Act, be read a second time.

The bill before us today provides a temporary but necessary

legislative solution to address a unique circumstance. On June 29, 2016,

Drew McArthur was appointed acting Information and Privacy Commissioner

by the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council to serve while a special committee

of the Leg. Assembly undertook the important work of executing a

comprehensive recruitment strategy and interview process to identify a

new appointee to the position of Information and Privacy

Commissioner.

The law requires the special committee to make a unanimous

recommendation of a new appointee to the Lieutenant-Governor. On March

16, 2017, the special committee tabled its report. In that report, the

committee indicated that it had not been able to come to a unanimous

recommendation for a new appointee. As a result, the committee

recommended that after the election, a new special committee should be

established to undertake the work to fill the important position of

Information and Privacy Commissioner. Mr. McArthur was appointed for a

second term as acting commissioner on March 17, 2017.

We now find ourselves in a conundrum. The Freedom of Information

and Protection of Privacy Act, FOIPPA, states that the current acting

commissioner’s appointment ends after this Legislative Assembly has sat

for 20 days subsequent to his appointment. This narrow window is not

likely to provide enough time for a special committee to do its

work.

In order to ensure continuity of oversight over information access

and privacy issues in the interim, the bill before us proposes a

short-term remedy that would temporarily suspend the legal effect of the

provision in FOIPPA that sets this time limit on the term of appointment

of an acting commissioner. This will enable an acting commissioner to

remain in office for a period sufficient to allow the special committee

to reach a unanimous recommendation for a new appointee.

While this legislative override is in place, suspending the legal

effect of the provision of FOIPPA, an acting commissioner appointed by

the Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council without the unanimous recommendation

of an all-party special committee would be able to hold that office

indefinitely. Therefore, in order to preserve the integrity of the

special committee appointment process for the future, it is desirable to

set a sunset date for this override.

[1:40 p.m.]

The bill contains a sunset clause, effectively repealing itself on

March 31, 2018, or on an earlier date prescribed by the

Lieutenant-Governor-in-Council. I have every confidence that the special

committee will come to a unanimous recommendation on or before this

deadline.

S. Thomson: I’m pleased to provide very brief comments in second reading in

response on Bill 4, the Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner

Continuation Act, to advise that the official opposition will certainly

be supporting this legislation. As the minister pointed out, it is there

to ensure that there is someone to act as the commissioner temporarily

until someone is suitable to fill that position.

In doing so, I want to acknowledge the work done by the special

committee chaired by the member for Vancouver–False Creek and deputy

chaired by the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan, who did a lot of work

to try to find a unanimous recommendation. Unfortunately, they weren’t

able to do that, as required by the legislation, but I think a lot of

the work they’ve done is going to set a good base for the work of the

special committee that will now be tasked with making a recommendation

for a commissioner.

So we support the intent of this legislation, recognizing that it

is temporary. The acting commissioner, Mr. McArthur, has done a good

job, and we support his continued work. The commissioner does play a

very important role, as you know, in providing leadership and ensuring

that the government remains transparent and protects the privacy of our

citizens.

With his experience, he will provide that continuity, as the work

of the special committee is done, to provide a unanimous recommendation

for an ongoing commissioner. We will support the legislation,

recognizing that this is, as you said, a conundrum that we find

ourselves in, and we need to deal with it. We’ll be supporting the

legislation both in committee stage and when it comes to a

vote.

A. Olsen: I also rise to speak to Bill 4, the Acting Information and Privacy

Commissioner Continuation Act. I also will be supporting the bill so

that we can make sure we can get somebody in and a unanimous decision.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner performs a vital role in our

democracy, protecting and upholding the information and privacy rights

of British Columbians. In the 21st century, with growing concerns about

data security and the ever-increasing creation and use of data in

British Columbians’ day-to-day lives, this responsibility is very

important.

We’re happy to support the temporary solution as put forward by

the minister and supported by the members of the official

opposition.

Also, I’d like to thank the previous committee that was looking to

do this work. Then, as well, I’d like to thank the acting commissioner

for his ongoing work. I look forward to seeing the work completed by the

committee and a new commissioner appointed to take on the

responsibilities.

Hon. J. Sims: I move second reading of Bill 4.

Motion approved.

Hon. J. Sims: I now move that the bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole

House for consideration at the next sitting after today.

Bill 4, Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner Continuation Act,

read a second time and referred to a Committee of the Whole House for

consideration at the next sitting of the House after today.

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call continued debate on the throne speech.

[1:45 p.m.]

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Hon. C. Trevena: It’s a great pleasure to pick up from where I left off before lunch to

continue my remarks about what I can only describe as a very inspiring and

exciting throne speech.

[L. Reid in the chair.]

I mean, we came into government, I think everybody is well aware,

right at the height of the forest fire crisis. The word “unprecedented” I

don’t think has ever been used quite so much as it has over the last couple

of months. Like everyone, my heart goes out to those living and who are in

the area where there’ve been the fires. It has devastated communities and

has been a huge impact, and we hear the impassioned pleas from the members

of the opposition talking about their communities.

I’ve been very pleased with the response from our government, who, as

has been mentioned in the past, formed government and were thrown straight

into this. My own ministry has been helping on the refencing with the

cattlemen, but there’s also been work with evacuees and work with businesses

and making sure that, in what is a disastrous situation, we’ve been trying

to mitigate the effects, working with those people who had to leave their

homes, working with those families, working with those

businesses.

As things, we hope, start to ease, now we’re obviously going to be

looking at how we can learn lessons from what has gone on. I think that

that’s one of the questions that we always have, of what you are going to

learn from a disaster and how you’re going to put it into effect. I’ve got

to say that I’m very proud that this government will actually learn from

what has happened and not just move on and pretend that it’s business as

usual, as we have seen in the past.

It’s great to be part of a government that has made great strides

already. I mean, this week alone we made two major announcements. One is we

ended big money in politics, and there’s been a lot of debate in this House

about that. We did end corporate and union donations, as I mentioned earlier

on today.

We’ve also stated very clearly that there’s going to be a significant

limit on individual donations. We are going to be the second lowest in the

country on individual donations, which will have a huge effect on the way

that business is done. Instead of pouring copious amounts of money to try to

buy an election, as we’ve seen in the past, we’re actually going to have a

very rational approach, with limited amounts of money that can go in and a

limited amount that can be spent on an election.

Our democracy is too fragile and too important to just let it be

controlled by big money, and that’s the way it has been for the last number

of years. Those who have the money feel that they have the right to buy

access, buy influence and try to control the way that our system works. So

I’m very, very proud to be part of a government that is saying: enough.

We’re going to limit the amount that individuals can spend and we’re going

to say that large contributors can’t spend, so no unions and no

corporations. That will obviously also have an impact on third-party

donations. I’m extraordinarily, extraordinarily pleased with

that.

The other initiative we launched this week — again, something, we

should all, I hope, in this House recognize is a very important initiative,

and I hope that members opposite will also engage in this — is the

reinstatement of the B.C. Human Rights Commission.

We’re out talking to people, listening to people, but we want to make

sure that everybody’s rights are recognized because everybody’s human rights

are important. We have made it very clear that the reinstatement of the B.C.

Human Rights Commission is fundamental. It’s important to us. We’re really

pleased to have been able to make that announcement yesterday with the

Attorney General and his colleague the MLA for Delta North, who was there

and is leading this for us. And as I say, I’m seriously anticipating that

members opposite do the right thing and get involved with this also, because

it is doing the right thing.

Just going through the checklist, we’ve only been in government for

ten weeks, but we have done a number of things. I mentioned in the first

part of my speech, though, the elimination of the tolls on the Port Mann and

Golden Ears bridges. It’s going to have a significant effect on both

individuals and families, as well as the commercial truck drivers, saving a

lot of money and ensuring that they can then put that money back into their

businesses if they’re commercial truck drivers or into basically the cost of

living, and in a very expensive area. If you’re a family living in the Lower

Mainland, to save $1,500 a year is significant.

We’ve also assisted, really, some of the poorest of the poor by

immediately initiating the increase in disability and income assistance

cheques, which had been frozen for years.

[1:50 p.m.]

You look at the cost of living. As I mentioned earlier on this

morning, my riding is one that is a microcosm of the province. It is not as

expensive, by any means, as the Lower Mainland, but regularly in my

constituency office, I meet with people who simply cannot afford to live.

They have faced living either on a disability cheque, where it is punitive,

where just because they have a disability they are treated as second-class

citizens, or on income assistance, equally punitive — and not seen any

increase for years. So I’m extraordinarily proud that our government has

made that one of its immediate actions.

Likewise, the investment in education and, as I mentioned earlier, the

3,500 new teachers, which is going to be significant for all our students.

After 16 years where we’ve seen money clawed back and clawed back and

education become a political football — so much so it went up to the Supreme

Court of Canada for redress — finally we are actually seeing an investment

back into our classrooms. That, too, is an extraordinarily exciting

thing.

Our budget highlights what we’re going to be doing in the next few

months and in the next few years. We have made it very clear we are going to

be investing in housing. Housing is fundamental, whether it is in Campbell

River, the main community in my constituency, or whether it is in Maple

Ridge, in Vancouver or in Burnaby or Burns Lake. Housing is a fundamental

issue for people. There simply is not enough affordable rental housing for

people in this province, so I’m very proud that we are saying we are going

to have a housing strategy here in B.C. The federal government may not have

taken the initiative, but we can do it in B.C. and work on this.

These are some of the things that we’ve been talking about. We’ve got

investments in health care — bringing back the therapeutics initiative,

investing in the healthy kids program, having our own Ministry of Mental

Health and Addictions.

When we have the opioid crisis in this province, and spreading across

the country, to finally have a minister who’s responsible specifically for

both mental health concerns and addictions, it’s a supreme statement of the

importance we are putting on that and the importance we’re going to be

putting on trying to deal with that. It’s a huge task. I think everybody is

aware. I think we’re horrified. I know that I am horrified as you see the

numbers of people who’ve died as a result of the opioid crisis

climb.

I’m constantly shocked when I see the people who are living with

mental health problems, who are on our streets, who are camping in our

parks, who have, for many years, been let down by government. Now we have a

ministry solely responsible for their well-being. Again, it’s something that

I’m just extraordinarily proud to be a part of.

I’m also proud to be a part of a government that is being serious

about climate change. We have said we are going to be increasing the carbon

tax, and we’re taking away this false dichotomy of saying its

revenue-neutral, which always left a big question mark for me. I think it’s

on record the many times I’ve talked about it in this House. I had a big

question with how you can have a revenue-neutral tax on something as

important as that.

We want to invest the money that is coming from carbon tax in

initiatives that will reduce greenhouse gases. As the Minister of

Transportation, I’m very, very aware that one of the biggest areas that

contributes to greenhouse gas emissions is the transportation sector. So as

well as my priorities as a minister that have been given to me by the

Premier, I’ll be looking at ways that I can work with the Ministry of

Environment, Ministry of Solicitor General and other ministries to bring

down greenhouse gas levels in the transportation sector.

I’d like to highlight, in just my last few minutes, the issues that

have come out of my mandate letter that reflect the province and reflect my

constituency. Some of my constituents are wondering why I’m not acting on

some of them, I think, but I am.

Part of my mandate letter — we have one check mark — was to remove

tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges. I was very pleased to be

with the Premier earlier this summer when we were announcing the toll

removal, so that by Labour Day, people did not have to pay the tolls. That

being said, up until Labour Day, up until August 31, tolls were

imposed.

I’m hoping that everybody who still has not paid their toll will pay

what is owed, because otherwise it’s going to become a problem when they’re

trying to renew their driver’s licence in a few months’ time. We still have

a bit of a backlog in tolls, but that was a great announcement.

[1:55 p.m.]

Likewise in my mandate letter is the commitment to move on the

Pattullo Bridge, a vital crossing for everyone in the Lower Mainland,

linking Surrey and New Westminster. It is in really bad shape. There’s no

person I have met who will say that it’s got much more life left in it. So

we’re working to ensure that we can get that replaced — working with the

Metro Vancouver mayors and TransLink on that.

One of the ones that is a big-ticket item on my mandate letter that

I’m absolutely committed to is accelerating the four-laning of the Trans

Canada — Highway 1. I’m hearing rumours that we are trying to stop that.

There is absolutely no way. This is a vital concern. It’s a safety

concern.

The previous government, the B.C. Liberals, picked off the easy parts.

Looking at the Shuswap, Salmon Arm, right through, they picked off some of

the easy parts. The area that my government is going to be focusing on is

the area where there are, sadly, the most deaths, which is between Golden

and Revelstoke. This is an area of priority. We’re going to be looking at

some of the really tough areas. I am committed to making sure that, instead

of just letting this project drift on and drift on, as the previous

government did, we will accelerate that.

The other areas in my ministry. I talked earlier about the false and

dangerous split that we have between rural and urban B.C. We need each

other. We work together. We live together. We all depend on one another. As

the minister responsible for Transportation and Infrastructure, I’m going to

be working on how to ensure that in rural B.C., whether it is rural

Vancouver Island, rural Interior, rural Haida Gwaii or rural Kootenays,

there is an investment in our roads, because that is what keeps our

communities going. What keeps our province going is a strong investment in

our roads as well as a strong investment in transit.

I’ve got to note, at this point, that I also have the question that

will possibly be facing us about what Greyhound is doing or that the

Passenger Transportation Board is looking at Greyhound’s plans to pull back

service, leaving the north isolated, which would be completely unacceptable.

You cannot just cut off transportation for more than half the province. That

is something that has come up in my term here, and I will be looking at

that.

Also on my mandate letter, and these are areas that are very near and

dear to my constituents, are the commitments on B.C. Ferries. We are going

to be freezing the fares on the major routes, reducing the fares by 15

percent on the minor routes and bringing back free travel for seniors Monday

to Thursday.

This is something which is so vital. I would love to be able to say to

my constituents that it’s happening now, but like so many things in our

plan, we’ve got to look in the long term. We’ve got to look four years. The

residents of coastal communities and businesses in coastal communities don’t

have to wait that full four years. It’s just till next spring. They will be

bringing that in, in the next budget. I’m very pleased that we will be

acting on that.

We’re also looking at a comprehensive review of B.C. Ferries. It’s

been allowed to evolve its own culture. After 16 years, when it was created

by the B.C. Liberals, it has become unaccountable, acting in its own

interests and not acting in the interests of the coastal communities which

it was built to serve. It’s not acting in the interests of the residents who

live on the coast, the businesses that work on the coast or the communities

that are trying to survive and thrive on the coast.

The review that we’ll be having in the next few months will be trying

to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong with B.C. Ferries and how we can

right it. I think everybody’s got a solution. I talk to people on the ferry

that I go on very regularly. People anywhere have always got a solution as

to how to fix B.C. Ferries. What we want to do is really get to the bottom

of what is wrong with B.C. Ferries and then work on fixing it.

Likewise, when in opposition, I brought in, several times, private

members’ bills on making sure that we could build our ferries in B.C. again.

This is one of the aspects on my mandate letter — to work to get ferries

built in B.C. again, work to get those boats that we rely on so much not

being shipped out to Poland, shipped out to Germany or shipped out now to

Romania. The last thing I know that was built in Romania was a nuclear

reactor, which was not exactly safe.

I think if we can get the building back here, get the jobs back here,

get the investment back here, we create a whole industry that will be good

for everyone in B.C. and particularly good for those on the coast. So that

is another area on my mandate letter that I’m extremely excited to start

working on and getting into.

[2:00 p.m.]

Then there is the question that keeps coming up — the B.C. Liberals,

when they were in government, never quite got a handle on but kept promising

— which is the review of what they’re going to be doing with what is

described as ride-share. That is also on my mandate letter — how to work

with the taxi industry, how to work with new technologies to ensure that

people can travel across areas, in communities; getting a car, whether it is

a taxi or another sort of vehicle; and how to make sure we have a level

playing field so that everybody can travel safely.

I think one of the things that is very clear is that the Minister of

Transportation has a big responsibility. Also work in the Solicitor General

— a huge responsibility for safety on our highways…. I get many emails on

speed limits, on stoplights, on crashes — the very, very basic things that

people see every day on the highways.

I am committed to — as well as looking at the big picture of how I can

be working to achieve our government’s goals on greenhouse gas reduction and

the responsibility we have as we’re going in a time of climate change —

making sure that whatever we are doing, we are putting safety as a very

clear lens on all the decisions.

As I say, it is with great pleasure that I stand to speak on the

throne speech. I think this might be the first time I’ve had the opportunity

to speak since the election.

I would just like to wrap up with recognizing the extraordinary hard

work of my staff in Campbell River, my staff in Port Hardy, my staff here in

the Legislature and all those people who got me to where I am now four

times, and the many, many volunteers who worked in my campaign, who just

were so passionate about our platform, what we are putting forward as a

then-hopeful and now government. I know there’s a huge

excitement.

As well, to the people of the North Island who now, for four times,

have put their trust in me as their representative in this place: it’s an

honour, it’s a privilege, and it is something that I never take lightly. I

will continue to represent them to the very best of my abilities.

D. Davies: It is my pleasure to rise today and debate the throne

speech.

I think I’ll start again, as I did in the previous throne speech —

which seems like it just yesterday, but it was not — by first of all

thanking all of my constituents in Peace River North for giving me the

privilege to represent them in this place. I also want to take the

opportunity to recognize and thank my constituency assistant, Tamara

Wilkinson, who is at home, as many of our other CAs are, working hard for

all of us and the residents of our riding. A big thank you to

her.

I also want to thank my legislative assistant, Marissa Olsen, who has

been an incredible help, certainly, to a new MLA — helping me kind of find

my way around this place and get the help that I do need.

In the face of the throne speech and the budget — wild spending, lack

of planning — I take this responsibility to represent my constituents more

than ever. As the representative, I will certainly continue to fight to make

sure that our province is stronger and provide a bright future for the

province of British Columbia as well as the constituents of Peace River

North.

I want to thank my wife. Without her continued love and support and

understanding, I would certainly not be in this place today. I certainly

wouldn’t have made it this far, in regards to representing my constituents.

As well, to my children, I’d like to certainly thank my son, Noel, and my

daughter, Hana. I thank them for their motivation for me continuing to do

this. It is for them, as well as our next generation, that I’m sure all of

us are here for, that we want to make this province the best province in the

country.

I also want to take a moment to recognize the firefighters, the

volunteers, the residents throughout the Interior that are in the midst of —

and hopefully nearing the end of — the worst wildfire situation in British

Columbia history. Our thoughts and gratitude are with all of them. We hope

that we can put closure to this and make sure that everyone is taken care

of.

[2:05 p.m.]

As I mentioned before, in a couple of opportunities that I’ve had to

speak in this place, my region is quite unique — unique within this

province, unique within this country. Again, I'm so happy to represent the

communities that make it up.

The land mass of Peace River North is 161,000 square kilometres. Just

to put that in perspective, that is the same size as Ireland, Switzerland,

and Vancouver Island combined. It gives me absolute honour to know that I

represent citizens with diverse backgrounds in mining, ranching,

agriculture, oil, gas, small business owners from all sides of my

riding.

As I’ve also mentioned before, I was born and raised in Fort St. John.

Fort St. John is the largest community in Peace River North, and we’re very

lucky. We’re blessed to have so many industries that we have in our area. As

I mentioned, we have oil. We have gas. We have forestry, agriculture, mining

and tourism.

In tourism, we have approximately 300,000 vehicles a year that travel

up and down the Alaska Highway. We are the second community — Dawson Creek

being Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway — at Mile 48 on that highway and, of

course, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Alaska Highway.

These industries that I’ve just talked about all provide well-paying

jobs for families, supporting jobs for hard-working British Columbians, and

are an integral way for our unique way of life. That’s why hearing the

throne speech was troubling to me.

What seemed like a 20-minute recap of the province’s future laid out

the priorities of the government, which demonstrated that they don’t really

seem to have a great plan. They aren’t really aware of some of the policies

that they’re putting in place and how they’re going to affect and devastate

some of the economies in rural communities. I think the throne speech was a

warming-up of the GreenDP agenda. It seemed very deliberately vague on

details, and we saw a continuation of this in the recent budget

update.

British Columbians are looking for a strong vision. They’re looking

for a charted course forward. But they were left confused, as this

government seems to be floundering to try and find a purpose other than —

we’ve seen this recently again in the budget — a purpose to spend their

hard-earned tax money.

I think that the NDP — we’ve heard this a few times — is realizing

that governing is a challenge, certainly. It’s a lot harder to govern and

create good policy than it is to complain. Now they’re faced with the

dilemma of having made dozens of promises, worth billions of dollars, and no

real plan to implement them.

What was most telling was what I think wasn’t in this throne speech. I

just mentioned that my riding contains oil and gas, mining, forestry,

agriculture. There was no real mention of these industries in the throne

speech. A couple of them were briefly mentioned in speaking, and the budget

was mostly void of mention to these critical industries that this province

relies on.

The promise of $10-a-day child daycare — for months, telling parents

and families it would be coming right away…. Now they’ve replaced it with

some unknown, vague promise of universal child care. Parents have been left

in the dark. Not even the government can tell us when this might be coming

in some form.

The government is also entirely silent on creating wealth and growing

the economy. No plans for industries that matter most. The government likes

to talk about the economy that supposedly works for everyone. But so far,

every step that this government has done is to create an economy that we can

see where nobody will be working — threatening Site C and Kinder Morgan,

forcing out the Pacific NorthWest LNG and cancelling the Massey Tunnel, for

starters.

The NDP tried to paint a bleak picture about the current state of

British Columbia, making it seem like they were grabbing the reins of a

failing and faltering economy, a province that was in dire straits, but we

know that the exact opposite is true.

[2:10 p.m.]

The NDP have inherited one of the top-performing economies in the

country, number one in growth for multiple years. Unemployment rates are

low. And we’re all putting that at risk.

I want to talk a moment now — I’ve mentioned this a few times as I go

through — on LNG, because LNG is extremely important for the residents of my

riding. Some say that LNG is an industry that doesn’t exist, but my

constituents know better. For us, LNG represents the future of our cities,

the future of our communities — a way to reduce global greenhouse gases,

food on the table, quality of life.

It’s easy for someone that’s roughly 1,300 kilometres away to talk

about how LNG is nothing but a pipedream that will never come true. I

believe that’s what the member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head has called it

repeatedly: a pipedream.

I’d invite those people from this place to come to my riding. Visit

Fort St. John and the thousands of people that are working in the natural

gas and liquefied natural gas sector right now. Come up and talk to them,

and tell them that this industry is a pipedream. I encourage you to come up

to Fort Nelson and talk to the people up there that are hoping and are

wishing that this comes true. It is truly going to be the future for so many

communities in my riding.

Canadians and British Columbians have always been dependent on natural

resources. It’s historical, going all the way back to the fur trade in the

1790s, when Alexander Mackenzie established one of the first trading posts.

That is the founding trading post, I might add, for Fort St. John. It was

founded on the banks of the Peace River. At the present day, it’s called the

Old Fort.

Being a resource community is part of our provincial identity, and

doing it responsibly is our pride. LNG means long-term jobs for prosperity

for our communities, which have been hit by everything from floods to fires.

Communities like Fort Nelson need LNG to become a reality. That’s why,

unfortunately, the rhetoric from this government is troubling to me

personally.

When the Premier was Leader of the Opposition, he and the now

Environment Minister wrote a letter to the federal government saying no to

the Pacific NorthWest LNG project. Then, when he and the government MLA for

Oak Bay–Gordon Head signed their deal, Petronas cancelled the project

altogether. Coincidence? I think that we can probably answer that question.

What a reflection of this government.

The members opposite blame market conditions for the cancellation of

the project. The truth is that what should have been a project that would

have jump-started a magnificent new industry for our province, an industry

that would have created a new economy with thousands of jobs, exporting

western Canada’s world-class Montney shale gas, which would be put to great

use reducing the carbon footprint and reducing pollution in Asia…. That

opportunity has unravelled, due in large part to fears that this current

government is anti-development — that this anti-development government would

ensure that these resource projects never happened.

The government has made massive demands, and we’ve seen them in the

budget. That includes higher non-revenue-neutral carbon taxes. They want to

bleed companies dry with carbon and corporate tax increases, stifling our

economic growth.

I just want to talk a little aside about the carbon tax as well.

People in my community and communities in the Interior — which have winters

that are much longer, minus-30-degree temperatures — are going to really be

hit hard in the pocket with this carbon increase — hundreds of dollars a

year just on their natural gas bills to heat their homes every year. We

don’t have that option. We don’t have that option not to heat our homes

without natural gas. So this really doesn’t sit well with me, and especially

not being revenue-neutral.

[2:15 p.m.]

The new government demands protection for our land, air and water. It

includes living up to our climate change commitments, as we all do.

Everybody wants that, and the Pacific NorthWest project demonstrated a

willingness to cooperate, which is why it led to environmental permits and

assessments for the project from both the federal and provincial

governments. The government’s refusal, though, to stand up for the resource

communities, communities in my riding, and the lack of understanding led to

the cancellation of this country’s largest private sector

investment.

This investment — we’ve all heard the numbers — cost $36 billion to

us, tens of thousands of jobs lost. The future of clean LNG, hopefully,

isn’t fully lost, but it’s not looking very good for British

Columbians.

That’s the first reaction to this government, and I fear that these

job losses and this threatening of our resource sector are only the

beginning. We lost over 5,000 jobs when Pacific NorthWest cancelled — good

family-supporting jobs in an area of the province that is currently

suffering. The government’s hostility toward this project and other projects

made this happen. The poor attitude toward resource development meant that

1,139 businesses in British Columbia missed out on contracts and employment

— employment for our citizens.

Many of those, again, are in my riding and my colleague in Peace River

South’s riding. The cancellation of this project means that First Nations in

other communities will miss out on over $156 million in contributions —

contributions that can create new life in communities and new infrastructure

and new businesses in these communities. The tunnel vision that we’re seeing

means that this will never come to pass.

My colleague the member for Skeena has frequently talked about how he

himself, as a former First Nations chief councillor of the Haisla First

Nation, saw personally the benefits that came from the LNG agreements that

the Haisla Nation signed with both B.C. and the proponents. I quote him here

when he said: “These opportunities offer dignity and pride and also a

solution to a problem that couldn’t be fixed without economic development.

Believe me, I tried.” He goes on further to say that those agreements

provide “benefits, prosperity, hope and opportunity.”

Dignity and pride, benefits and prosperity, hope and opportunity. We

can only hope that the government’s shortsightedness won’t keep other

communities in our province from achieving the same benefits from our

incredibly responsible resource industries.

Governments across Canada lost $2.5 billion in annual tax revenue when

the Pacific NorthWest project was cancelled — revenue that could have built

the infrastructure that we all know we need: roads, transit, hospitals and

schools across our entire province. That’s revenue that could have hired

doctors, teachers…. This revenue would have made an incredible difference in

many of our communities.

Site C. Of course, the Site C project sits seven kilometres from the

downtown of Fort St. John. There seems to be a lack of vision. We’ve heard

it in here over the last few days — and the lack of mention, even in the

throne speech, of this infrastructure project, which is the biggest in B.C.

history.

This project is absolutely vital to our communities in the Peace

region. On the Site C project, we know there are 2,600 workers, roughly 700

of them just in the northeast, wondering if they’re going be getting pink

slips as we move toward Christmas. That will wipe out a potential of 10,000

jobs — spinoff jobs, people working on the site — if this project is

cancelled. It’s another huge contributor to our economy, which the NDP seems

determined to strangle.

Over the life of construction, it will contribute $3.2 billion to our

provincial GDP, including approximately $130 million just in the Peace River

regional district alone.

[2:20 p.m.]

Cancelling Site C will also forgo $40 million in tax revenue to local

governments. I sat around the table as a municipal councillor when we

negotiated, these governments. It was a great thing that was coming for many

of our communities in the north.

Again, the member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head, as well, has called the

jobs at Site C that are being created artificial. I’ve mentioned it here in

this place before in a couple of other talks. Artificial. I find that

upsetting. The jobs that are at Site C right now are providing for 2,600

people to pay their mortgages, put food on the table, make sure that their

families are thriving. What is artificial is the idea that this government

doesn’t really have a plan to create jobs in my riding. We’ve seen that. All

of these things are going to have a devastating impact on the residents of

Peace River North.

The fact remains, though, that despite what the members opposite say,

including the ministers and the junior members of government, we know the

power produced will be needed. We’ve seen this in studies. We’ve seen this.

As our province moves to become more electrified — more electric cars,

moving homes to electric heating — the need for electricity is going to be

critical as we move forward.

Site C will provide 1,100 megawatts of dependable capacity and

generate about 5,100 gigawatt hours of energy each year, enough to power the

equivalent of 450,000 homes a year. By providing an abundance of clean,

renewable energy, Site C would help British Columbia and other regions

transfer away from fossil fuel use as we combat climate change.

What is surprising to me is it would appear that the Green Party is

more interested in playing games than actually creating renewable energy.

Site C is not only a generational opportunity; it will play an important

role in helping British Columbia and Canada meet their climate

obligations.

Furthermore, much of the power produced right now in Alberta is

produced by coal-fired plants that emit massive amounts of greenhouse gas

emissions. With the power produced from Site C, we will have an opportunity

here to significantly reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, helping to

fight against climate change, as Alberta transitions, like they said they

are doing, from coal to hydroelectricity.

That’s why this government’s review of the project is disheartening.

The political games that the government is playing with Site C — and we’re

seeing it play out right now — are putting the livelihoods of thousands of

families at risk. I hear this firsthand whenever I’m out and about in Fort

St. John, out in the coffee shops. People are talking about: “Am I going to

have a job? Am I going to have a job next week, next month? Am I going to be

working? Am I going to be able to provide presents for my children at

Christmas?”

In a more than 800-page submission to the BCUC, Hydro showed that they

have done their due diligence on this project. It can amply demonstrate that

it is both the best and cheapest option for clean, renewable power for the

future.

I found it really interesting when the government said in their budget

that they want people to use more electricity now that they’ve implemented

the B.C. Liberal cut to PST. Now, it’s surprising because their primary

argument against Site C is that we don’t need the power that it will

provide. If power consumption is to increase following the reduction of PST,

then it stands to reason that the capacity will increase as well. That’s the

whole point of this visionary project.

[2:25 p.m.]

It’s not just Site C and LNG that are industries that we need to

continue to fight for, that I vow to continue to fight for. The strength of

our province’s economic success is derived from the resilience of our forest

industry. Our government has previously taken action on this file, including

naming the B.C. trade envoy to the United States.

The NDP claim that they will fight for the deal, but there was no real

mention, again, in the throne speech. The Premier made a trip to Washington

to meet with the president of the Steelworkers. There hasn’t been any

notable development since that meeting — on the forest file,

anyway.

Education. The government said in the throne speech: “Education is one

of your government’s highest priorities.” Yet the throne speech only had two

short sentences on what they were going to do in education. The government

has made big promises on education, but they didn’t mention them in the

throne speech. The focus on capital and elimination of portables in Surrey —

a huge promise. No mention in the throne speech. No new money in the throne

speech. I don’t know how they propose to do this.

The Premier promised last year that B.C. would be first in per-pupil

funding. No mention of that in the throne speech. This government further

showed that they don’t intend to spend any more money on education, any more

money than the B.C. Liberal government had committed. Much like their most

recent platform — not a dime extra, no plan despite all the

rhetoric.

I’ll conclude my remarks. The throne speech was an opportunity for

this government to lay out their plan for the future of British Columbia.

Instead, it was vague. It was empty, devoid of purpose. It showed that the

government doesn’t have a clear idea of its priorities for the residents of

this great province. It showed a lack of vision and truly demonstrated that

this government doesn’t understand the pressures and the challenges that

British Columbians, especially rural British Columbians, face.

Hon. S. Fraser: It’s always a pleasure to stand in this place. I’ve been doing this

job for 12 years, and now we are government. I want to just acknowledge the

members opposite. I understand the role of the opposition. I very much

appreciate it and our parliamentary system and the check and balance that

has to happen. I certainly don’t always agree with the members opposite. The

member for Peace River North I disagree with on a whole bunch of different

levels there, which I’d like to leap into. I shan’t do that because I do

have other plans for my throne speech. I might have time at the end to

actually touch on some of the issues that he has raised in his response to

the throne speech.

That being said, we are all here for a reason. I very much respect

that, and I respect all opinions in this place. I see us as a government

that embraces all opinions. I’ve always thought that the system is such

that…. You know, you win by a few seats, and it’s winner take all. Those who

get elected and do not actually form government…. I do not believe that

their opinions and their insight and their advice should be marginalized. I

have felt that way for over 12 years, and I’m hoping that we can act

differently as a government to embrace all opinions in this place with

respect.

I’d like to begin by certainly acknowledging this is the territory of

the Lekwungen-speaking people and the Songhees and Esquimalt nations. This

place, this magnificent building that we are gathered in today…. And welcome

to all the students from…. I’m not sure which school, but everybody, let’s

give them applause.

This building is sitting on First Nations’ territory. That was unceded

territory, and I think it’s important that we reflect on that. We are moving

into a new era of working with First Nations in partnership, and I’m going

to touch on that, certainly, as I proceed.

[2:30 p.m.]

Before then, I’d like to…. Just to acknowledge, I have been doing this

job — my 13th year as an elected representative, first for the constituency

known as Alberni-Qualicum. Then the boundaries got changed to

Alberni–Pacific Rim, and in this last election, it got changed to Mid

Island–Pacific Rim. There is a workplan here, and it is changing business

cards and letterhead. It’s a big job doing that every time.

Throughout my first 12 years, right up to this last election, Brenda

McLean served as my constituency assistant. She retired with this last

election. I just want to acknowledge the great work that she did. I was

terrified when she announced that she was retiring. She certainly deserved

that. These are hard jobs, being on the front lines in constituency offices.

I don’t think there’s a job description that does it justice. But thanks to

Brenda McLean for all those 12 years.

Andrea McDonald was a young student that came in and offered to help

at some points in my time as MLA and did volunteer work in the office. She

has now become my Brenda McLean. She’s taking on the job very well. I

already find her completely indispensable. Thank you, Andrea, for being

there for me.

Also, Patty. Patty Edwards has been with me for the full 12 years. I

feared she would also retire with this last election. She does a significant

amount of casework in my constituency. It’s needed work, and she’s filling a

vacuum in a system that is not helping everyone as they need. She is filling

that vacuum in a way and helping hundreds. She’s helped hundreds and

hundreds of people find their way through the myriad of roadblocks that

people often face when they’re trying to deal with the system that they do

not understand. She helps them every step of the way, and I want to thank

Patty for deciding not to retire and staying with me. It gave me a relief

there.

Then, of course, Dolores. My wife is my partner in life and my partner

in this job, and I could not do this without her. So thank you so much, my

love.

Mid Island–Pacific Rim changed significantly in this last election,

with the name Mid Island–Pacific Rim. It was not just a name change. I

picked up a significant amount of area in my constituency. The original

Alberni–Pacific Rim, the previous constituency, was all of the west coast,

of Tofino, Ucluelet. Many people know that. That’s Nuu-chah-nulth territory

— many communities there. All of Clayoquot Sound and Barkley Sound down to

Bamfield — Huu-ay-aht territory — up to Hesquiaht on the north, and then all

across the Island.

A lot of it is largely uninhabited, beautiful country. Highway 4 is

the route. It’s a curvy road. It’s exciting. For those who haven’t travelled

it, sometimes it’s a little scary. But it leads from west to east to the

Alberni Valley, Sproat Lake and the city of Port Alberni at the centre of

the riding. That’s where my constituency office is. Then it moves on to the

other side of the Island, to Whisky Creek, Coombs, Errington, Bowser, Deep

Bay. That was my previous constituency.

In the new riding of Mid Island–Pacific Rim, I picked up Fanny Bay;

Union Bay; Buckley Bay; Royston; Hornby and Denman islands, which are

restricted by ferry travel, getting out to there; and the village of

Cumberland, which is a beautiful community that’s growing fast and

attracting young families.

I have a huge change all of a sudden, and I feel like I’m the luckiest

MLA in this place and in this country. I have the most beautiful

constituency.

N. Simons: One of them.

Hon. S. Fraser: It’s one of them; that’s true. Powell River–Sunshine Coast — we could

actually, if we could see better, wave to each other across the Salish

Sea.

I am bragging. I have bragging rights now because I have the floor. I

say I have the most beautiful and vibrant constituency, with varied

constituency issues, depending on where you go — and some of them have

issues in common.

One of those issues in common is addressing equality, I would call it.

The throne speech goes right to the heart of what’s important to my

constituents, and it deals with equality. People have been left behind, and

we’ve seen a concentration of wealth under the previous

government.

[2:35 p.m.]

I believe they were misguided in this — wealth being concentrated in

the top 1 or 2 percent in this province at the expense of everyone else.

It’s expense not just of the creation of more poverty, a large and growing

poverty class in this province, but also, with that, the loss of services

that so many depend on. While we, as members of this place, may not always

need these services, we will some day — if we haven’t already — need the

services that are there, should be there, for people as they need

them.

It is a sign of a civil society, and our throne speech is a beacon of

hope in actually reinstating and working on providing and making sure those

services are there. They’ve been, in many cases, gutted. They are being

rebuilt by us — and a change of wealth to make sure that the common wealth

is distributed more fairly and equitably in this great province. That is how

you build a province: from the ground up.

I’m not an economist, and people can throw GDP numbers and debt-to-GDP

and all sorts of numbers. The reality on the ground is what I care about. My

constituency is not feeling the wealth. People who have been on social

assistance for over a decade have seen that diminish as costs in this

province have gone through the roof, and there has been no

relief.

This throne speech has provided the first help that the many people

who need this help get, with a $100-per-month increase on income assistance,

the first raise for so many people. People with disabilities — a similar

situation. They’re basically relegated to well below the poverty line, as

are people on social assistance. We need to bring people up. We know we need

to do more.

The throne speech recognizes that while we need to do something more,

we need to do something right now too. Providing people on social assistance

and people with disabilities with the first raise they’ve seen in over a

decade is an important first step.

I would submit that along with that we have created…. This has already

happened. We’ve only been in office for two months, and hundreds of

thousands of people have suddenly felt a benefit and a feeling that a

government is there to help when they need it. We are.

We raised this so many times when we were on the other side of the

House: we have been the only province in the country that does not have a

poverty reduction strategy. The cruel irony of that reality has been that we

have some of the worst poverty statistics in the country. We have committed

to and we are providing…. We have a ministry now that is not just dealing

with social services but is specifically mandated to deal with poverty

reduction. A full strategy is being developed that will help move us forward

well beyond the increases to social assistance rates and to help people with

disabilities.

I’m very proud. I was proud and honoured to be with the Minister of

Social Development and Poverty Reduction within days, I think, of being

sworn in as minister — all of us in cabinet. That minister, the member for

Vancouver-Hastings, signed an order-in-council that gave the first relief,

the first raise, that helped hundreds of thousands of people in this

province. The reality is that we, as government, can help people as they

need it, can help lift people up to live closer to their potential. It will

benefit not just them and their families; the entire province is benefitted

by that.

I would submit, also, that we’ve seen people…. I don’t want to use the

word abandoned, but certainly many have felt abandoned by the previous

government when it came to education — people that are trying to increase

their education, those that have not completed high school, adults trying to

go back and make their lives better to live up to their potential. Charges

were put on them. Costs were put on them to try to do that work and try to

improve their education.

[2:40 p.m.]

Those costs have been removed. The fees for adult basic education have

been removed by this government in the first two months, helping bring

people up. All of these things…. There’s no silver bullet. It’s piece by

piece by piece to help people that need it the most and help them live up to

their potential, to help them be a productive part of our great

province.

want everyone moving to this great province, who we’re attracting from all

over the world, to be able to live up to their potential. Having those that

barriers there. The previous government did just that. So we have removed

those barriers too.

As those that have been part of our child care system age out of that

system, the statistics are not good, certainly, for those getting into

post-secondary education. They’re actually pretty grim statistics. Those

people need assistance and help to improve their lives so that they can

achieve what they need to in post-secondary education. The tuition fees for

those people that have aged out of care in this province have been removed

by this government — again, helping people that need it the most to make the

most out of their lives and to make them contributing members to our society

and to this province. This throne speech addresses all of that.

We are on our way towards bringing in a minimum wage that will help

lift people out of poverty. I remember when I was younger. I remember

getting minimum-wage jobs. You could actually live on the minimum wage when

I was younger. It has fallen so far out of step and, basically, relegated

people that are working to poverty. They’re working full-time jobs, and they

are living below the poverty line. This is not an anomaly. There are

hundreds of thousands of people in that situation in this province. That is

simply unfair.

And it’s not good for the economy. We know that for jurisdictions

where they have raised the minimum wage in an appropriate fashion to reflect

the economic realities of the jurisdiction they’re in, it’s shown every dime

of that gets spent in local economies.

Now, you can give tax breaks to the top 1 or 2 percent — the

millionaires, the multi-millionaires — in the province. Diminishing returns

there. The trickle-down theory went out with Ronald Reagan. Many of you up

above may not know who Ronald Reagan was. This is a theory designed by the

wealthy to benefit the wealthy to ensure that they get more of the common

wealth of the province.

We need people to have a fair wage in this province for their

families, of course, but also for the economy. It drives the local economy.

People that work in the local economy should be able to…. They can spend

that money to drive the economy from the ground up. Nothing happens

trickle-down. It’s all ground-up.

We’ve ended the big money in politics in this province, finally. The

end of that strategy that has been used by governments previously and that

reflects, I think, in some cases, influence peddling — certainly, the

appearance of such things — is over. The idea that you can buy the ear of

government — that era is over. That’s huge.

Those people that need government help the most, that need the ear of

government the most, are the people that cannot afford to buy the ear of

government.

[2:45 p.m.]

Governments, no matter what their political stripes, should be making

decisions based on the public interest and the needs of the people of this

province. That changed this week. That’s a huge change.

I want to reflect that people on disability — I forgot to mention this

— will be receiving their bus passes back. I know, for many, that doesn’t

seem significant. It’s huge. I have friends with developmental disabilities

that thought they got help from government and the previous administration,

and then it was taken away. It was heartbreaking. The decisions of whether

to use it for transportation, which they vitally needed, or food, which they

vitally needed, was a tough one, as everyone might surmise. That bus pass is

coming back, and it’s not coming out of any raise of $100 a month. I know so

many people that that will help.

We’re ending the grizzly bear trophy hunt. Over 90 percent of British

Columbians have said that that is unacceptable in this province. I believe

government’s role is to reflect the will of the people of this province.

This is more than a symbolic gesture. The grizzly being an icon — I get

that. As time changes, values change, and governments must make the

decisions that reflect those values, and this decision does just

that.

I am so honoured to be the Minister of Indigenous Relations and

Reconciliation in this new government. I wake up in the morning, and I

wonder if it’s real. I am exhilarated. I am terrified. I am excited.

Different days, different amounts of all of those feelings. But it’s mostly

excited, and it’s mostly exhilarated. It’s a chance to make a

difference.

I’ve been the opposition critic and spokesperson for Aboriginal

relations for the better part of my 12 years in this place. The opportunity

to bring forward an agenda from the Premier, a mandate letter from the

Premier, that allows me to move the province in a way that it hasn’t moved

before, in true partnership with First Nations and Indigenous peoples in the

province…. I feel so honoured and daunted by that.

I have developed so many friends and colleagues throughout the

province as I traveled, First Nations and Indigenous people, that are

helping me, that are advising me. The leadership gathering we

had….

I want to say, taking partisanship out of the throne speech for a

moment…. I’m trying to reduce that. I’m used to being in the opposition and

tend to be more partisan, I think, on that in many ways. But this is not a

partisan thing at all. We had a gathering this year that had more chiefs

than ever before, that had over 600 meetings, one-on-one meetings, with

chiefs and cabinet ministers. This was a gathering that welcomed our Green

colleagues, that welcomed Liberal members, that welcomed federal

representatives.

It’s important, I think. Reconciliation can’t be about a party,

whoever happens to be sitting on this side of the House. Reconciliation must

involve all members of the House, because governments will come and go. Our

time will come and go. The Liberal time will come and go. The Green time

will come and go. There will be other parties under a new proportional

representation system, I’m sure. They may come and go.

Reconciliation has to be embraced by everybody in this place and in

this province. It’s about moving forward and unleashing and unlocking the

true wealth — every meaning of the word “wealth” — in this great province.

Our government is making different choices. We’re putting people first —

First Nations and non, Indigenous and non.

[2:50 p.m.]

We have a vision of British Columbia that will not only make life

affordable, but it will kick-start the economy. Part of that is in the role

of my ministry, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. I’m proud of our

vision of partnership with Indigenous peoples. We are at an exciting time in

history right now, and we are committed to working with Indigenous peoples

to create a joint vision for reconciliation based on the premise of respect

and recognition.

Bold action must be taken across government. We’re taking away the

silos. It’s not just the role and responsibility of one ministry, Indigenous

Relations and Reconciliation, to bring about reconciliation. The mandate

letters from the Premier went to every minister in this place and reflected

the values that we need to incorporate — the words, the actual actions. The

articles of the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples and the

calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission — these aren’t

things to be afraid of. They should not be tools to divide and

conquer.

This is about the right thing to do. The world community demands it.

The UN declaration was signed ten years ago. The anniversary just passed.

The previous government was reluctant. I believe they created some fear

around the UN declaration. It’s a human rights instrument. It’s a guideline.

It’s a road map towards reconciliation that was developed over 25 years —

Canada played a large

part in developing that — and adopted by 148 nations.

The world community is watching. We have an opportunity to show the world

how to do it right, right now, and we’re doing that.

Our commitment to the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous

peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action are not the only

things that we’re embracing. There has been a history in this province.

Since many treaties were not actually developed historically in British

Columbia, unlike other provinces, we have a history of going to court — of

getting taken to court. First Nations are winning those court cases in a

court system not designed by First Nations. That should be a wake-up call to

everyone.

The Tsilhqot’in decision followed Delgamuukw, Haida-Taku — many court

decisions. But Tsilhqot’in is particular. It recognized, for the first time,

that title — First Nations, Aboriginal, Indigenous title — exists in this

province. It creates fear amongst some, and we need to address that because

we’re all here together. First Nations have been here for millennia. We are

relatively new as settlers, as the European contact. This is all recent

history.

It’s going to require all of us working together to create true

reconciliation, and we are committed to working on creating a vision of that

with First Nations. This is not prescriptive. We’re throwing out the

colonial stuff across government, and we are moving forward with a vision

that is government to government in partnership. We listened and learned at

the gathering and started building a respectful relationship to create real

and positive change in this province.

I’m hearing a sense of optimism from Indigenous leaders and Indigenous

communities and from non-Indigenous leaders and non-Indigenous communities.

We’re all going into the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention next week.

This is a week-long convention that has all the mayors, councillors and

regional district directors. Thousands of people show up at these things.

There are great things that local communities are doing, working closely

with First Nations — partnerships at that level. We need to encourage that.

Those government-to-government-to-government relationships are very much

important.

[2:55 p.m.]

I had the opportunity, when I was living in Tofino back in the ’90s

and was the mayor, of being on a group called the Clayoquot Sound central

region board. It was a great model, I thought. It had five First Nation

representatives, Nuu-chah-nulth representatives; five local government

representatives and appointees by the province; and two co-chairs, one

appointed by Nuu-chah-nulth, one by the province. It was even. It was 50-50.

The board members makeup was First Nations and non–First Nations. The

leadership, the co-chairs, were First Nations and provincial

appointee.

It worked. We got to know the local governments. I was the new mayor

in Tofino when we began this. I didn’t know anything about my neighbours

that were on all sides of us, the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples that have a great

history. I learned so much in my time from Nuu-chah-nulth leadership and

Nuu-chah-nulth elders. I feel so privileged to have had that. We need to

look at models like that, to develop models like that to ensure that our

trip together, our voyage together from now on, working with First Nations,

involves all levels of government.

I’ve worked, right from the beginning, in this new job as minister

with my federal counterparts, too, to make sure that we’re all working

together. We have to remove the silos, and we have to recognize that we’ve

had something of a dark history when it comes to the colonial relationship

with First Nations. That would be an understatement.

Today was Orange Shirt Day, and I want to comment on that. I saw that

the time is growing to a close. Today was, I think, the fourth or fifth

annual event here in Victoria. The actual Orange Shirt Day is on September

30. It’s in Victoria. Anyone who’s here in Victoria, please — Centennial

Square, I think it’s from 12 to four o’clock. The mayor will be there.

There’ll be dignitaries. There’ll be First Nations.

The true hero of this is Phyllis Webstad, and she joins us with a

group. I’m going to name them again: Hank Adam, Kristin Spray, Eddy Charlie,

Bear Horne and Monique Pat — who are all participating in the Orange Shirt

Day campaign. It’s to raise awareness of the survivors and what they went

through at residential schools.

That’s part of my mandate. I want to thank Phyllis, Hank, Kristin,

Eddy, Bear and Monique for helping me do part of my job that’s part of our

job. It’s part of our mandate to actually apply the Truth and Reconciliation

Commission’s calls to action. They’ve helped me do that, and I thank them so

much. My time is up.

J. Thornthwaite: On behalf of my constituents in North Vancouver–Seymour, it is with

great pleasure that I rise in the House today to respond to the throne

speech of the second session of the 41st parliament. There’s a little bit

the same as my budget speech remarks, but I’ve stuck some new stuff in

there, so you can follow along and get some new information.

Anyways, it’s business as usual back at the constituency office, and

accordingly, I’d like to thank my constituency assistants back in North Van,

Nick Hosseinzadeh and Stephanie Marshall-White. They go to events on my

behalf when I’m not there. Just yesterday, Nick went to the North Vancouver

Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards finalists announcement, and I

was happy to see our friends from the Seymour Salmonid Society as finalists

in the category of community contribution. I want to congratulate them for

that.

I’d also like to thank my new caucus staff here at the Legislature —

Steven Lee, my legislative assistant; Dion Weisner, my research officer; and

Sean Roberts, my communications officer. These guys have done a fantastic

job for the short amount of time we’ve been back, and I’m really, really

pleased with this new pod that I have.

Of course, I’m always grateful for the patience and support that is

shown to me by my family, who is always there to encourage me.

Lastly, I’d like to acknowledge and thank the residents of North

Vancouver–Seymour, who I have had the privilege of representing as their MLA

for this, now, my third term. It’s truly an honour, and I can continue to

reassure them that nothing has changed when it comes to engaging with my

constituents throughout the riding, despite being in opposition.

[3:00 p.m.]

I’d just like to talk a little bit about some community events that

I’ve attended since my budget remarks last week. It was a pleasure to

officially open the Lynn Valley Link at Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge with

Mayor Walton and the Lynn Valley Community Association. This is the first

phase in connecting parks and trails in North Vancouver district to make it

not only a more walkable community but also to help residents know just how

big the networks of paths are in North Vancouver.

It’s always nice to see my friends from the North Shore Black Bear

Society, North Shore Rescue and the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, who

attended the event along with their booths of information. I was delighted

to attend the Creative B.C. grand opening, at their beautiful new office,

with the new minister. B.C.’s creative industries saw a rise in their

contribution to our economy of 35 percent this year — over $2.5 billion to

our GDP.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

I always enjoy getting updates at the local liaison governance group

on the North Shore at Lions Gate Hospital. This is a round table that

encompasses leaders from Vancouver Coastal Health, our public health

physician, school boards, RCMP, district of North Vancouver, city of North

Vancouver, and all four of the North Shore MLAs were represented. Mental

health and addictions did come up, as it often does, as well as

affordability on the North Shore.

Last Thursday I was proud to greet Joe Roberts on the front steps of

the Legislature to support his Push for Change campaign. This is to help

youth homelessness. Joe was on day 502 out of 517 into his national walk

across Canada, pushing a shopping cart — the symbol of chronic homelessness.

It was my pleasure to introduce Joe and his partner, Marie, to the

Legislature and thank them for bringing their campaign to Victoria and

meeting with us to bring awareness and raise funds for youth

homelessness.

Also, last week I was honoured to meet with Leslie McBain, founder of

Moms Stop The Harm, at my Victoria office. Sadly, Leslie’s son lost his life

to an overdose in 2014. This year he would have been 29 years old, just two

years older than my son.

Leslie believes that everyone should be trained in giving naloxone to

prevent deaths due to overdose and, of course, to never use alone. I was

pleased she was able to give me and my colleagues a demonstration on how to

use the kits and to encourage us to help remove the stigma for those with

substance use disorders. She also gave me some helpful advice in my role as

critic for Mental Health and Addictions.

After 16 years of strong fiscal management, five balanced budgets and

the best-performing economy in the country, the Green-NDP coalition

government has inherited an economy that is the envy of the rest of the

country. Just last month, the Auditor General confirmed exactly this: a $2.7

billion budget surplus and a debt-to-GDP ratio of 15.8 percent.

We left this government with the lowest unemployment in the country, a

triple-A credit rating and a diversified economy that offers opportunities

for all. We had a solid plan to keep taxes low, attract investment, create

jobs and further grow the economy.

Now I see a nervousness about the economic uncertainty that this

government is creating for British Columbians. We are now faced with an NDP

government that is set to kill B.C.’s record on job creation and turn back

time on years of historic economic growth. When it comes to creating wealth

so it can be shared with British Columbians, the government is silent. They

talk about an economy that works for everyone, but so far all they have done

is create an economy where no one is working.

Where is the plan to grow the economy and continue our strong record

we created on jobs? Where is the plan to generate revenue and attract

investment? Who is going to pay for all of the spending promises and no job

growth? The answer is: all of us, through increased taxes and

taxpayer-supported debt.

First, the NDP will raise the personal income tax rate for individuals

earning over $150,000 from 14.7 to 16.8 percent. Next, the NDP is going to

raise the corporate tax rate from 11 to 12 percent. But that’s not all when

it comes to taxing hard-working British Columbians. The NDP plans to

increase the carbon tax and abandon the revenue-neutral requirement that has

been in place since its inception.

Under our previous Liberal government, we were the first jurisdiction

in North America to introduce a broad-based revenue-neutral carbon tax, and

we won global awards because of it. Carbon neutrality means that every penny

raised through the carbon tax is returned through tax cuts to directly

support British Columbians and B.C. businesses.

[3:05 p.m.]

But now the government is set to excessively raise the price at the

pumps and the cost to heat our homes across the board. I know that an extra

seven cents a litre, on top of the $1.32 we are paying in North Vancouver

today, is not going to go over very well with my constituents.

Moving to a subject that I’m very passionate about: mental health and

addictions. Our former B.C. Liberal government made record investments in

mental health and substance use, and we want to see that trend continue. As

such, I implore my colleagues on the other side to make sure that B.C. has

the finances in place to be able to support these promises.

The opioid crisis is affecting foster children. B.C.’s Representative

for Children and Youth provided figures that show the number of

substance-related injuries for children in care is climbing. The B.C.

Coroners Service found that the number of illicit drug overdose deaths for

those aged ten to 18 increased 140 percent from 2015 to 2016.

As reported by Tracy Sherlock in “Opinion: Politics,” there has been

no money allocated in the NDP budget update to help implement Grand Chief Ed

John’s recommendations, although the NDP has promised to do so. The Ministry

of Children and Families did get a $109 million budget increase in February,

but that was from our budget, the previous government.

The representative went on to say: “There is no new money — strong

commitments — but I worry that the words in the budget won’t translate into

funds where they are needed.” He said: “I will hold their feet to the

fire.”

The government created a new Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions,

which I have congratulated them for. But the representative is concerned

that the ministry’s budget won’t be adequate to help and that the new

ministry might just create more bureaucracy. I quote our representative:

“Was this something that sounded good to include in a throne speech while

we’re dealing with an opioid crisis? I hope that it’s more than that, but to

date, I’ve not seen any evidence of that.”

This summer I was honoured to be appointed the official opposition

critic for the new Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions by our new

interim leader. In both my role as Parliamentary Secretary for Child Mental

Health and Anti-Bullying and Chair of the Select Standing Committee on

Children and Youth, I saw this issue firsthand. It is very near and dear to

my heart.

Our committee’s final report in January of 2016, titled Concrete

Actions for Systemic Change , was one of the most comprehensive

reports on child and youth mental health in B.C. I’m proud that many of the

recommendations were subsequently adopted by our government. In fact, one of

the key recommendations in the report no doubt led to this new ministry of

Mental Health and Addictions in the new government.

Also near and dear to my heart is the work being done by Foundry. I

thank the new minister for the invitations for the official grand opening

tomorrow. I was able to attend and speak in my role as parliamentary

secretary when they had their soft opening several months ago prior to the

last election. A few years ago, I met Dr. Steve Mathias, executive director

of Foundry and co-department head of the department of psychiatry at St.

Paul’s Hospital, when the idea of a one-stop shop dedicated to youth and

families was just a dream.

Foundry sites provincewide were one of the recommendations of our

select standing committee, but our government promised an additional

expansion of 11 new sites. Foundry North Shore is a new hub for integrated

health and social supports for young people between the ages of 12 and 24, a

critical time of transition for many young people. Foundry focuses on

providing early intervention for mental health or substance use challenges

and preventing those challenges from worsening and developing into a

crisis.

Foundry centres are home to interdisciplinary teams of medical and

social service providers offering a holistic approach to service delivery in

one central location. As the local MLA, I was very proud to be able to work

on securing government funding for the North Shore centre.

Lastly, I’d just like to give a shout-out to the member for Richmond

North Centre for organizing a wonderful little field trip that we did

yesterday to Victoria’s Chinese community at the Dart Coon Club, of which,

apparently, the headquarters are here in Canada, in Victoria. The member for

Richmond North Centre was instrumental in delivering the apology in 2014 for

historical wrongs against B.C.’s Chinese-Canadian community, and we thank

her for her efforts.

[3:10 p.m.]

Just a reminder that this weekend is the North Shore Disability

Resource Centre’s annual fundraiser, and this Saturday is the benefit

concert. I would encourage anybody to come to the benefit concert, because

that group in the disability community does great work.

I’d like to just move on a little bit to talk about transit and

transportation. Without a doubt, the number one issue in my riding is

transportation and traffic congestion.

Since 2015, our former government, along with our federal and local

counterparts, committed over $1.5 billion on transportation upgrades in the

Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley. We need the finances to do that, and

we need to continue to support the jobs and projects that allow us to make

these kinds of investments.

From the beginning, this government has been vague on the details of

what it actually intends to do differently, apart from saying no to projects

that British Columbians are counting on.

Building infrastructure is crucial to achieving these goals. As I’ve

mentioned before, I will be holding this government to account to make sure

that the Mountain Highway interchange project, currently under construction

in North Vancouver, is not cancelled, like what happened to the Massey

bridge. The Mountain Highway interchange is part of a four-phase project

approved and endorsed by the previous government, the federal government and

the district of North Vancouver and has overwhelming support from everybody

on the North Shore.

Dealing with traffic congestion is a fact of life for anyone that

lives on the North Shore. Right now there are three to four collisions a

week on the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, which cause enormous traffic jams

on the highway and clog the feeder routes.

In fact, just before I came into the House to speak on these remarks,

I noticed on the Twitter feed of the traffic reports that there were

actually two accidents near the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge and one at the

Lions Gate Bridge, all at the same time. I’m really glad that I’m not on the

North Shore right now, but I really feel sorry for all of the people that

are stuck getting to the North Shore and also leaving the North

Shore.

Even in today’s Vancouver Sun , the mayor of the district of

North Vancouver, Richard Walton, is publicly calling on the province to

relieve congestion on the bridge and traffic delays on the Iron Workers

bridge by changing the Motor Vehicle Act so that minor fender-bender

collisions can be cleared from highways and bridges and tunnels

faster.

This proposal will be considered in a resolution at next week’s Union

of B.C. Municipalities conference in Vancouver. It’s something that I will

be following when I attend the conference and, if passed, with the

provincial government.

Roads are not the long-term answer to getting rid of congestion. It’s

my belief that we need to begin initiating dialogue with municipal leaders,

North Shore stakeholders and this government to start a conversation about

what the future of transit on the North Shore will look like.

In our government’s last throne speech, there was support for a

feasibility study on major new expansion projects, including LRT to the

North Shore as well as up to Squamish. We need a vision for transit on the

North Shore, and I don’t think it’s too early or too ambitious to start

talking about connecting the North Shore to SkyTrain.

We need to do a better job of getting people on and off the North

Shore, and not on the roads. I wonder if some of those people that were

stuck on Highway 1 going to the North Shore and Iron Workers today were

actually travelling to work or from work.

More importantly, I think it is time we start to connect the issue of

transit to the issue of affordability. That means we need to continue

investing in our communities in a sustainable manner. I, along with my

colleagues from the North Shore, have a strong track record of working with

our North Vancouver mayors and our federal government

counterparts.

When in government, I instigated an inaugural meeting with these

groups, along with our minister for TransLink and our Minister of Housing.

Together we explored the intricate relationship between affordable housing,

housing affordability of our citizens, as well as the ability for people to

get around on transit.

If people can’t afford to live on the North Shore, then they need to

get back and forth by transit to work. Parts of North Vancouver are already

struggling to find baristas, municipal workers, teachers, professors and

nurses. This is becoming an issue for small businesses, big businesses,

Seaspan, Capilano University, Lions Gate Hospital and the school district,

just to name a few.

Just a few days ago there was a story on Global News that

referred to the North Shore worker shortage as a staffing crisis. The high

cost of living and commuter concerns are forcing some businesses to close

their doors early each night.

[3:15 p.m.]

This was reinforced by our mayor of the city of North Vancouver,

Darrell Mussatto, who said: “When you travel down lower Lonsdale, nearly

every business and every restaurant has a help-wanted sign on it.” One new

business had to delay their opening by seven months, as they couldn’t find

enough staff to hire.

Tied into this theme of affordability is housing, which is another big

part of ensuring we continue to build livable, workable communities. In my

opinion, the single most important action governments can take to make

housing more affordable is to work with local governments and the private

sector to increase supply.

All of us on the North Shore need to have the difficult conversations

about the connection between housing affordability, transit and the

diversification of housing. Let it be known that I will be no less vocal

about working towards solutions to our housing and transit problems, even

now that we are in opposition.

Another issue that I continue to hear about from my constituents is

child care. In addition to owning a home, young families find that both

partners need to work and need access to affordable, quality child care. Now

that this government has abandoned its $10-a-day child care, how is the

NDP’s plan going to help financially strapped parents?

I was disappointed, also, to see in the budget that the NDP is cutting

the children’s fitness and arts tax credits for good. This could bar unknown

numbers of children across B.C. from participating in organized sports and

arts classes, something that I heard during my discussions as critic for

mental health and addictions is important.

In fact, the Iceland model that many in my consultations have spoken

about is to help prevent youth getting into drugs and alcohol early, and

it’s to promote more opportunities for structured sports, music, art and

dance programs for youth. I’m hoping that the fitness and arts tax credits

would be reconsidered. But perhaps that idea to cut them came from the

Greens, who probably consider this a boutique tax credit.

In conclusion, there are many serious holes in the throne speech, just

as well as there were many things missing in the budget from promises in the

campaign. I look forward to standing up for British Columbians, and I look

forward to holding this government to account on all of those

things.

Hon. D. Eby: Hon. Speaker, it’s a great pleasure to see you there in the

chair.

It’s a great pleasure to be here in the House today and to be British

Columbia’s Attorney General. I welcome everybody to the Legislature who’s

visiting here today, and I hope to be at least mildly entertaining to you

and to my colleagues in the House here. It’s an ambitious goal with this

speech, but I will do my best.

Before I begin, I would like to thank the people who are the reason

why I’m standing here. We all came through an election, and I had a lot of

volunteers in the community that helped me out.

Before the election, though, I had a team in my constituency office

that answered community queries and assisted me in being responsive to

community concerns. I want to thank Anna Lindsay-Baugh, Gala Milne, Lucinda

Yeung and a couple of new folks who have joined the office to help out,

Nadja Komnenic and Dulcy Anderson. Without their assistance, I wouldn’t be

standing here, certainly. They were instrumental in making sure that the

community knew their voices were heard in Vancouver–Point Grey. I greatly

appreciate that, and I want to thank them.

I also want to thank my family. All the members here in this House

know the challenge and the burden that elected life places on families at

home. A lot of people who are at home have to carry an extra burden with

children or with loved ones or with obligations outside of elected life. We

wouldn’t be here, and it would be very difficult to be here, without

supportive families.

I know that’s certainly true in my case. I want to thank my beautiful

wife, Cailey, and our lovely and engaged three-year-old, Ezra. He is a lot

of fun and also a lot of work. A disproportionate amount of that is falling

to my wife and to my mother-in-law, who actually moved in next door to us.

Thank goodness, because if she hadn’t, we’d be in real trouble getting him

back and forth to daycare, which we are very fortunate to have.

I want to thank Kay Armstrong, as well, for her assistance to the

family, as well as my father-in-law, Al Lynch, and my mom, Laura Eby, who

came out to help on the election and comes to pitch in.

[3:20 p.m.]

We couldn’t do it without family. I could run down the list of all of

the family members — my siblings and my wife’s siblings and all of the

people not actually related but who act like family and who have pitched in

— but I only have a limited amount of time here today, and at some point, I

should talk about the throne speech.

This is really a big moment for British Columbia. We had 16 years of

the same government, and there has been a significant and — I would argue,

and I will argue — a transformative change in how politics is approached in

British Columbia now, as a result of the election of the NDP government and

our partners in confidence in this House, the Green Party. When I was

elected into opposition four years ago, I was glad for my time in

opposition. I was glad for the chance to…. I certainly had hoped that we

would have won in 2013, but as a newly elected member, to learn in

opposition was very helpful for me.

What I saw when I was sitting in the opposition benches, and what I

heard from my community, was a few things. The overwhelming concern, and one

of the concerns that actually got me elected, was that the government had

become disconnected from the concerns of community members. I’ll just talk

about a few of the issues that came up in my community of Vancouver–Point

Grey.

Constituents came to me and said: “I don’t understand why these issues

can’t get addressed.” They just never seemed to move ahead on education, the

understaffing of our schools, the fact that kids with profound learning

challenges — whether it’s a language challenge, a learning disability or

some other disability — weren’t getting the support that they needed. The

government was spending money to go to court instead of just fixing the

issue, ultimately losing at the Supreme Court. It was very frustrating to

community members.

They were frustrated that Bayview Elementary couldn’t get the seismic

upgrading that is so desperately needed there. They were frustrated about

class sizes that weren’t being addressed. And there were small

things.

You know, at the UBC Neighbourhood Association, there was a fire tax

that was introduced without any discussion with that group, and they said:

“Well, we’d like to know more about why the tax is being imposed. We’d like

to know how much tax we pay and what services we get back from the province

in exchange.” They weren’t even able to get that information from the

government.

When the University Endowment Lands came forward, they said: “You’re

currently flying bureaucrats into our community to make decisions about

variances. It makes no sense. We want to have a local government that

addresses our concerns. Can we move in that direction?” Consultants were

hired, and amazingly, the consultants consulted with everybody except for

the residents of the University Endowment Lands. A questionnaire was sent

out to the University Endowment Lands residents — an area for which the

province is responsible — that asked them about everything except for local

government concerns. So they were frustrated.

UBC students said: “We have record student loans, and we’re paying

interest rates on those loans. The government borrows money at prime, and

then they charge us a surcharge on top of what they borrow at. So they’re

actually making money on our student loans, and we have to borrow this money

to pay for school. Why is the government making money on student

loans?”

Interjections.

Hon. D. Eby: I hear some muttering from the members. The reality is that they made

a lot of money off students borrowing at one rate and then charging the

students a higher rate than the government borrowed at. I am very proud to

say to those students that in the throne speech and in the budget, the B.C.

NDP government is addressing that issue and we are eliminating the interest

on student loans.

The one that really was the barnburner, certainly in my community, was

housing — the issue of housing in relation to the fact and the reality of

international money in our housing market. Day after day, my colleagues and

I would stand in the Legislature, and we would say: “Our constituents are

telling us that there are vacant homes in the community, that there is a

major disconnect happening between the price of housing in our community and

the salaries that you can earn in British Columbia. The money is coming from

somewhere. Families are getting priced out of the community, and we just

don’t understand what’s happening. Will the government just collect the

information? Will they just collect the data?”

It got to the point that there was a rally at the art gallery, a big

rally. The rallying cry of the assembled people there was: “Please collect

the data.” It was a real, radical demand to the government.

[3:25 p.m.]

We filled up a community centre. We started in a small, local

community centre, the Kits Neighbourhood House — about 150 people can fit

comfortably in it — to have a forum about housing and what was happening in

the housing market. That filled up, and then we moved it to St. James. You

can hold about 300 people in that facility. That filled up, and then we

moved it again, to the Greek community hall, where they hold great, big

Greek weddings and celebrations. You can put about 1,000 people in that

hall. We had RSVPs beyond the capacity of the building. I was on the CBC,

and I was saying: “Please do not come to our housing forum. There’s no

space. Watch the stream on line.” That is the level of concern that was

going on in my community.

Every day we stood in this Legislature and put pressure on the

government: “Why aren’t you even collecting the information about what’s

going on?” The former Housing Minister would stand in here and say: “Oh, you

know, we talked to industry, and there’s no more than 3 percent

international money in the housing market. No more than 3

percent.”

Well, when they finally started collecting the data, when they finally

blinked, they were amazed. People were absolutely right about what was going

on: 20 percent of the real estate purchases in the community were

international money coming into the housing market. The government wouldn’t

have known that. They didn’t know it, because they didn’t collect the

information.

When they finally collected it…. They were so embarrassed by the fact

that they were so wrong about what was going on that they rushed through the

foreign buyer tax, which caught a whole bunch of people that it shouldn’t

have caught, people who were living and working in the community, paying

taxes in the community. They failed to exempt them. It was a rush

job.

That whole story is a reflection of the way that things used to happen

in this place. The government was so out of touch with people in the

community saying that something serious was going on. Why were they so out

of touch? It’s because they received, in that same time period, $8 million

in corporate donations from developers who were profiting from that

situation during the same time period.

So $8 million on one hand, and a whole bunch of people demanding the

government take action on the other hand. What was more important, for

years? What was more important was the donations. That is why I am so proud,

in the throne speech, that our government committed to get the big money out

of politics. We introduced legislation to do that, because what is more

important, what should speak louder, is not money. It’s the voters. There

are many examples of this, too many examples of this.

The group of climate leaders who got together — residents, citizens

who got together and provided the government with their best good-faith

recommendations about how the government could achieve our climate goals in

British Columbia — sat down and made a whole bunch of recommendations about

how the government could move forward. After they were done, the government

piled bureaucrats onto a plane. They flew to Calgary, into the boardroom of

the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers — not for one meeting, not

for two meetings, not for three meetings, not for four meetings. They went

there for five meetings, and over the course of those meetings, they drafted

British Columbia’s climate action plan.

Were those public meetings? They were not. They were private meetings,

and not only that. Until a recent FOI release, they were secret meetings.

Nobody knew about these meetings. But what we did know was that the Canadian

Association of Petroleum Producers’ members had given the government $3.6

million in corporate donations. Again, this is an example of the problem

that this new government is fixing with the legislation. It is in the throne

speech: get big money out of politics.

Interjections.

Hon. D. Eby: You know, I hear the fuss on the other side. They had 16 years to

change that law. Even before the election, they couldn’t bring themselves to

say that they would change those rules. The best they could do was say:

“We’re going to study it.”

Interjections.

Hon. D. Eby: Well, we didn’t say we were going to study it. We said we’re going to

change the rules. We changed the rules, and it will be transformative for

British Columbia.

Interjections.

[3:30 p.m.]

Deputy Speaker: Members, please. One speech at a time, Members.

Hon. D. Eby: Thank you, hon. Speaker.

The people in the gallery here today — if they’re British Columbia

residents and they have cars, they’ve got insurance. If they’ve got

insurance, they bought it from our Crown corporation, because they’ve got a

monopoly on basic insurance. It’s called ICBC.

It’s a great honour to be assigned responsibility for this Crown

corporation. Also, it is a great responsibility. It is a troubling

responsibility because ICBC, in its last fiscal year, had its biggest loss

ever in the entire history of the organization. It lost half a billion

dollars in just 12 months — half a billion dollars.

What was really interesting about opening the ICBC file was to read

the government’s projection for next year’s losses for ICBC. They had

projected that ICBC was going to lose $25 million. Well, that sounds totally

manageable. That was the information that was provided to the electorate in

British Columbia before the election.

After the election, when we opened the books, what was the projection?

A $360 million projected loss at ICBC. Now, that is more than ten times the

loss that the government had projected — that the government had told the

people of British Columbia that ICBC was going to lose. How does that

happen?

I watched a video of the former minister responsible for ICBC. I

watched a video of him giving a speech to an industry group in which he

pledged to give away a $3 million public building, owned by ICBC, to the

industry group, for free. In that speech, he bragged about reducing the

effectiveness of speeding enforcement in British Columbia by 60 percent, and

then he pledged to the industry group that he was going to review the rates

that ICBC paid them, and the terms of reference would be written by the

industry group.

Interjection.

Hon. D. Eby: The member asked if they received donations from the group. It’s a

reasonable question, because the speech was so bizarre — for an organization

that was in financial crisis. Difficult conversations have to be had with

the stakeholders in ICBC — with the legal community; with the industry group

that the member was talking to, which does automotive repairs; with the

medical experts; with the rehabilitation experts — because the costs at ICBC

have to be gotten under control.

This isn’t an approach to give away buildings. This is an approach to

have difficult conversations about how we protect the public interest in

fairer and affordable insurance rates in British Columbia. This side of the

House is prepared to have those conversations to protect British Columbians’

interests to fair and affordable car insurance rates so that they can get to

work, they can get to school and they can do the things that they need to

do.

I had the opportunity to do a really significant announcement for a

human rights lawyer. I described myself that way in my practice. I think it

was a significant portion of my practice, and I had the opportunity…. Hon.

Speaker, I know that you’re familiar with this issue as well. You’ve done a

lot of great work on human rights, as have many members in this

House.

In 2002, the previous B.C. Liberal government eliminated the B.C.

Human Rights Commission. The B.C. Human Rights Commission, as it stood then,

wasn’t perfect. There were issues that needed to be addressed, but it did

some very important work. As we look at what’s happening in the United

States, the growth in intolerance and racism and hate…. In fact, as we look

at incidents that happened in British Columbia, as well, around fliers in

Richmond, around slurs and other kinds of racially motivated incidents,

we’ve got to recognize that we have a lot of work to do around racism and

discrimination in this province.

The Human Rights Commission. Their job across Canada — except in B.C.,

because ours was dismantled — is to educate the public about the importance

and the equality of all people in our province and the need to provide

opportunity for everybody to succeed in our province. That’s why I was so

proud to be able to stand with the member for Delta North, as the

parliamentary secretary, and to make the announcement that we are initiating

consultations with the community to re-establish the B.C. Human Rights

Commission.

[3:35 p.m.]

This organization is going to be going out and assisting employers,

assisting the public, assisting public agencies in understanding how we can

make a difference for all British Columbians, how we can get rid of barriers

to success, how we can minimize and, ideally, eliminate racism and hate in

our communities. This is going to be very important work, very important

educational and outreach work. It is truly a celebration. I think it should

be a celebration, by all members of this House, that we are re-establishing

this important organization. It is far, far overdue.

In all of our mandate letters — I know in my mandate letter and my

colleagues’ mandate letters — we were all directed to review and renew our

engagement with First Nations communities and with First Nations people,

B.C.’s first peoples, in our province. Being responsible for the portfolio

of Attorney General, there is a huge piece of work to be done

here.

The justice system comes into contact with First Nations people in so

many different ways, whether it’s in relation to rights and title claims

being advanced by First Nations people; whether it’s the overrepresentation

of Indigenous people in our prisons, Indigenous women especially; or whether

it’s the response of the law to violence against Indigenous women and

children and how the law can respond and protect them. There is a huge, huge

amount of work to be done.

It is a small piece of this, but it is a critical piece — the

commitment that our government, our new government, has made to the First

Nations justice council. The First Nations justice council is a group of

leaders in the Indigenous community that have come together to assist the

government in implementing this ambitious agenda around the rights of

Indigenous people and our partnership and our work together in making sure

British Columbia’s justice system is fair and responsive to

concerns.

Our government committed operational funding for this organization

because, although they existed under the previous administration, they

weren’t funded. This meant that they didn’t have a place to meet. They

didn’t have staff to coordinate meetings. To say to a group of people who

were committed and coming together and willing to engage to assist in doing

this important work, “We’re willing to hear from you,” but then to fail to

provide the conditions that are essential for them to actually be able to

participate in those conversations in addressing the injustices in the

justice system is to functionally not have a group at all.

We addressed that right off the gate. It was a great honour to

announce that, with the Solicitor General, at the First Nations leadership

conference.

It is a small piece, but I think it really reflects where we are going

to go in the justice system and our relationship with First Nations people.

We will make sure that they have the resources to participate, to assist us

in this important work — and not assist us but partner with us — in

transforming B.C.’s justice system into a system that is truly just for all

people in British Columbia.

Finally, an important piece of the responsibility that I’ve been asked

to take on by the Premier is the proportional representation referendum. We

committed to British Columbians that we would initiate a provincewide

referendum on changing our democratic system here, to make it more

reflective of the way that people actually vote. People will have the

opportunity to have their say about whether they think we should change our

system from first-past-the-post to a proportional system. It is a huge

responsibility to ensure that this process is administered fairly, that all

British Columbians get their say, that the issues are fully debated, that

there is a fair question asked and that British Columbians understand the

issues before them.

I would like to say that I think that this referendum provides the

opportunity for British Columbians to really review how our current system

works. The interesting thing about it is that our current parliament, in a

minority system, gives every member a great deal of weight that, in an

election where one party doesn’t have to consult with any other parties or

they don’t have to have any other partnerships with any other parties so

there doesn’t have to be conversation….

[3:40 p.m.]

It’s a very different situation that we’re in right now. When I was in

opposition, the Liberals had a majority of seats. They didn’t have to listen

to a single word that we said in opposition, and frankly, that was the

status quo in the vast, vast majority of cases, with far too few exceptions

to that rule.

Now we are in a different situation, and I think that all members of

this House are slowly coming to the realization of the influence that they

can have in advocating for their constituents in a minority parliament. I

encourage all members of this House to take advantage of that. I think that

this parliament can act as a model. This parliament can act as an example to

all British Columbians of what is possible under a proportional system as

well.

Our government is definitely making different choices than the

previous government did. We’ve made a number of choices around making life

more affordable for British Columbians — everything from reducing the MSP to

reducing the small business tax to assisting people who previously had to

cross a bridge that had a toll on it, saving them $1,500 a month. Many of

them drove kilometres out of their way in order to use a bridge that didn’t

have a toll, causing traffic jams and congestion. It was totally

unnecessary. We’re making life better for British Columbians.

The opportunity that is in front of us here in this minority

parliament is for all of us to work together. I heard the throne speech,

from the members on the other side, before the confidence vote that they

weren’t successful in. It was a good throne speech. If that is the approach

that the members on the other side wish to take to governance in this

province, then I can assure them that on those initiatives, they can find

partners in this place. We can do some great things together, and I hope

that that happens.

M. Morris: I’m here to make a few comments in relation to the throne speech.

There’s been, obviously, a diverse bunch of opinions and ideas presented in

this House in the last few days. I like the idea….

We’re talking about opioids with government, and we’ve got a lot of

work to do. I know they’ve committed some money to deal with that. It’s a

crisis that’s affected British Columbia but all of Canada. So I’m waiting

with bated breath to see what government is going to do on that

front.

The one thing that I kind of focused in on…. Being from rural B.C —

and throughout my career in the RCMP I lived in many communities and was

responsible for policing many communities throughout the northern

three-quarters of the province. I know it intimately well. I know the

resource sector and the industry that supports not only those small

communities but everybody in British Columbia.

Under the heading in the throne speech “Government That Works for

People,” there’s a statement in there that says: “The people in B.C.’s rural

and remote regions, who deserve the same opportunities as all other British

Columbians, face higher unemployment and have fewer services in their

communities.”

I want to kind of focus in on that for a bit. Maybe it should have

said “face high unemployment and fewer services in the future,” as a result

of some of the things I’ve heard in the throne speech. Kinder Morgan is a

good example — the fight that government has mounted against the federal

government to try and shut down Kinder Morgan at all costs.

Kinder Morgan is a $7.4 billion project, with 15,000 jobs during

construction, many after. There are a lot of economic benefit agreements

that have already been established and presented to our First Nations

communities along the way. There was an unprecedented revenue-sharing

agreement that we had with Kinder Morgan over the next 20 years that would

have equated to over $1 billion. That’s a lot of money for the people in

British Columbia. They’re fighting to cancel that — which are rural jobs,

urban jobs as well.

We have to look at what Kinder Morgan does and what that pipeline

provides already. There is a refinery down in Burnaby that produces about

55,000 barrels of petroleum products every day. That’s just a fraction of

what we use in the greater Vancouver area. Most of the refined fuel products

that we have already come through that pipeline to the tune…. About 60

percent of the fuel that’s used in the greater Vancouver area comes through

that pipeline to keep the vehicles running in the Lower Mainland.

[3:45 p.m.]

There is another refinery in Washington State that provides a

significant amount of fuel for Vancouver Island. There are barges that come

up and down the coast on a regular basis that transport fuel to Vancouver

Island.

To shut down Kinder Morgan, to reduce the effectiveness of that

particular pipeline, is going affect the entire transportation of petroleum

products on the coast of British Columbia. They don’t want more tankers

coming and going into the refinery in Burnaby, but we already have those

tankers going up and down the coast.

The refineries in Washington State produce something like 650,000

barrels of refined products every day. Out of that, British Columbia —

mostly Vancouver Island — takes 15 percent. That comes up on barges on a

regular basis into our harbours, into Saltspring Island, into some of the

other smaller Gulf Island communities. Its fuel that’s being delivered by

barge. So the thought of reducing the pipeline expansion to what it is right

now is only going to increase the amount of tanker traffic on the coast

anyways, which is going to prove problematic for a lot of people.

Not only Kinder Morgan. The Pacific NorthWest LNG project was another

one that kind of disappeared. I go back to a Times Colonist

headline back in July 14, 2015, when the member for Sooke at the time and

now our Premier said that the LNG deal is bad for B.C. He’s now Premier, and

Petronas and all the other folks that were involved in that particular

project had a look at that and said: “That’s a non-starter for us. It’s

nonsense — us trying to go head to head with this particular government that

has no interest in LNG in British Columbia and is doing their best to kill

those projects.”

The LNG project in northwest B.C. was a $36 billion project. They’d

already spent lots of money in B.C. — thousands of construction workers.

There were thousands of opportunities there for British Columbians but not

only for British Columbians; for some of our First Nations communities. Our

colleague from Skeena has talked about it in this House before. The

opportunities that were available for his band and for surrounding bands —

for the Nisga’a, for many of the First Nations communities there — were

astronomical, to bring them out of poverty and put them in a position where

they can have a living like a lot of other British Columbians have. That

opportunity is gone.

Now, hopefully, this government is waking up to the fact that LNG is a

viable solution to greenhouse gas emissions around the world — it’s a viable

solution to the economic situation that this government has put us into with

some of the actions that they’ve taken here — and that for any of the other

projects that are currently being considered by the proponents, this

government will take the time to sit down and seriously have a discussion

with them and make those projects come to fruition.

When they turn down projects like the Petronas project and the other

proponents that have backed out of this race at this particular time, I

think they also haven’t taken a look down the road to see exactly what

downstream kinds of industry result from our natural gas — not just the LNG

side of things but the petrochemical side of things.

When you look at the fact that…. Everybody in British Columbia enjoys,

or most people enjoy, freshwater sources. They enjoy asphalt roads,

particularly in urban B.C. here. Asphalt contains 5 percent bitumen. Our

water is delivered in polypropylene pipes, which is a derivative of the

liquids obtained from natural gas and other petroleum products. We have

thousands of kilometres of poly pipe in the ground to deliver our water to

us. We have thousands of kilometres of poly-pipe in the ground to take our

sewage out to the treatment plants. We have thousands of products that

everybody uses in this House every day that are made out of polypropylene —

our laptop computers, our cell phones, a lot of the appliances that we have

in our homes, in our vehicles.

[3:50 p.m.]

There’s a downstream industry. If this government was serious about

increasing the economic opportunities in B.C., they would be pursuing this.

They would be chasing this down with rigour to try and establish a

petrochemical industry here in B.C. with the liquids that we have in our

natural gas and with the oil that we have in northeast B.C. There are many

things that we can do with that.

Going back to the Premier’s quotes back on July 14. The NDP actually

voted against the agreement that we brought before this House here, the

project development agreement that we had. The NDP voted against that at a

particular time, saying they weren’t interested. He said that the agreement

didn’t secure job guarantees — hmm, didn’t secure job guarantees; well,

there’s no employment if we don’t have any plant at all — and didn’t get a

fair return for the people of B.C. Now, I don’t know what a fair return

means, but I think $1 billion over 20 years is not a bad dollar for British

Columbians.

He also said that a 25-year deal, who does that in the 21st century? A

25-year deal of guaranteed employment, guaranteed returns coming into

British Columbia, I think is a great deal for British Columbia. For 25

years, we’d be guaranteeing employment for people working at the plants.

We’d be guaranteeing employment for people from the Haisla Nation. We’d be

guaranteeing employment for people maintaining the pipeline — and all the

spinoff jobs that result from that.

When they talk about a government that works for people, and that the

people in rural B.C. don’t have the same opportunities, they’re right. If

they keep on going in the direction they’re going right now, the people in

rural B.C. and the people in all of British Columbia are going to be at the

short end of the stick. There won’t be those opportunities for

them.

The other one on that — Site C. The uncertainty over the threat to

cancel a project…. There are 2,600 men and women that are working there

right now. Their future is at stake. There are families impacted on that,

but not only that. There’s an opportunity for 10,000 more construction jobs

dealing with Site C. All that is sitting on a thread right now because of

the uncertainty around the review that this government has initiated against

Site C and the uncertainty that they put into that.

Is that what this government means — that they’re going to provide

rural B.C. with some of the opportunities? The opportunity to be unemployed.

The opportunity to get stressed out over whether or not they’re going to

have money to put toys under the Christmas tree for the children or have a

Christmas dinner or go travelling and visit the family over the Christmas

season.

The other part of that is the fact that the uncertainty has also

created a downstream effect amongst some of the other service industries. I

was speaking with a mortgage broker in Prince George, and he was saying that

he was having difficulty finding mortgage money for people that were working

on Site C because of the uncertainty of this review.

Now, Site C is a multi-year project. Somebody going into a bank right

now working at Site C with the certainty of having the job in Site C can go

in and get a mortgage, because those are high-paying jobs that are going to

sustain a family for probably a generation as a result of that. We’re not

going to have that with the uncertainty that’s hovering over everybody here

right now.

The other uncertainty and the other project that has killed jobs in

British Columbia is the Massey bridge project — 9,000 construction jobs

associated with that. But not only that, the NDP misled the public. They

talk about postponing this particular project. But of course, as we brought

up in House the other day, there was documentation to show that the NDP had

looked at this, that they had cancelled it because they were going to divert

the money that was already budgeted for this project and put it into

something else.

Basically, not only have we put another 9,000 folks out of work, and

we don’t give them that opportunity, but we’re also impacting the

80-some-thousand people that commute back and forth through that tunnel

every single day — get tied up in the traffic there. We’re jeopardizing the

safety of the emergency services people that have to respond to those

horrific accidents that could occur and have occurred in the

tunnel.

[3:55 p.m.]

I shudder to think of the consequences of an earthquake and the

damages and the death that would result from that. Due diligence. There’s

been a lot of work done on that project. The government is aware of the

dangers that the tunnel presents in an earthquake situation and must act as

quickly as possible to deal with that. By cancelling that project, what

they’ve done is they’ve postponed it and they’re putting at risk the lives

of many people down there.

Now, the throne speech was also speaking to…. There is a