British Columbia Hansard — 10 May 2021, p.m., Issue 65 (42nd Parliament, 2nd Session)

20210510pm-Hansard-n65

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Second Session, 42nd Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday, May 10, 2021 Afternoon Sitting Issue No. 65 THE HONOURABLE RAJ CHOUHAN, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Janet Austin, OBC Second Session, 42nd Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Raj Chouhan EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................... Hon. John Horgan Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training...........................................................................................................Hon.

Anne Kang Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries......................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing .............................................................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ....................................................................................................................Hon.

Mitzi Dean Minister of State for Child Care...................................................................................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Minister of Citizens’ Services.....................................................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Minister of Education .................................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation ........................................................................................Hon. Bruce Ralston, QC Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy............................................................................................. Hon. George Heyman Minister of Finance .......................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Selina Robinson Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development ................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations................................................................................. Hon. Nathan Cullen Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.............................................................................Hon.

Adrian Dix Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation .......................................................................................... Hon. Murray Rankin, QC Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation....................................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Kahlon Minister of State for Trade...............................................................................................................................................Hon.

George Chow Minister of Labour ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Harry Bains Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.............................................................................................................. Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Minister of Municipal Affairs ............................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Josie Osborne Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................... Hon. Mike Farnworth Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction........................................................................................... Hon. Nicholas Simons Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport .................................................................................................................. Hon.

Melanie Mark Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure................................................................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming Minister of State for Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bowinn Ma LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition...................................................................................................................................................Shirley Bond Leader of the Third Party .......................................................................................................................................................... Sonia Furstenau Deputy Speaker..........................................................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Assistant Deputy Speaker..............................................................................................................................................................Norm Letnick Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ...........................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.............................................................................................................................. Seunghee Suzie Seo Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services........................................................................................................................... Artour Sogomonian Clerk of Committees.......................................................................................................................................................................

Jennifer Arril Clerk Assistant, Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..............................................................................................Susan Sourial Senior Research Analyst ................................................................................................................................................................... Karan Riarh Acting Sergeant-at-Arms..................................................................................................................................................................Greg Nelson

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Alexis, Pam (BC NDP) ............................................................Abbotsford-Mission Anderson, Brittny (BC NDP) .........................................................Nelson-Creston Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Penticton Babchuk, Michele (BC NDP)...............................................................North Island Bailey, Brenda (BC NDP).................................................. Vancouver–False Creek Bains, Hon. Harry (BC NDP).........................................................

Surrey-Newton Banman, Bruce (BC Liberal Party) ............................................ Abbotsford South Beare, Hon. Lisa (BC NDP) .......................................

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Begg, Garry (BC NDP).................................................................Surrey-Guildford Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ...............................................Peace River South Bond, Shirley (BC Liberal Party).................................Prince George–Valemount Brar, Jagrup (BC NDP) ................................................................Surrey-Fleetwood Cadieux, Stephanie (BC Liberal Party) .............................................

Surrey South Chandra Herbert, Spencer (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–West End Chant, Susie (BC NDP) ..............................................North Vancouver–Seymour Chen, Hon. Katrina (BC NDP) ............................................... Burnaby-Lougheed Chouhan, Hon. Raj (BC NDP).................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Chow, Hon. George (BC NDP) ..........................................Vancouver-Fraserview Clovechok, Doug (BC Liberal Party)........................Columbia River–Revelstoke Conroy, Hon.

Katrine (BC NDP) ....................................................Kootenay West Coulter, Dan (BC NDP) .......................................................................... Chilliwack Cullen, Hon. Nathan (BC NDP) ................................................................... Stikine Davies, Dan (BC Liberal Party)................................................. Peace River North de Jong, Michael, QC (BC Liberal Party)....................................Abbotsford West Dean, Hon. Mitzi (BC NDP) ...............................................

Esquimalt-Metchosin D’Eith, Bob (BC NDP) .........................................................Maple Ridge–Mission Dix, Hon. Adrian (BC NDP) ................................................ Vancouver-Kingsway Doerkson, Lorne (BC Liberal Party) ........................................Cariboo-Chilcotin Donnelly, Fin (BC NDP) .......................................... Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Dykeman, Megan (BC NDP)............................................................... Langley East Eby, Hon. David, QC (BC NDP).......................................

Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (BC NDP) ..................................................Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Hon. Mike (BC NDP) .................................................Port Coquitlam Fleming, Hon. Rob (BC NDP) ...............................................

Victoria–Swan Lake Furstenau, Sonia (BC Green Party) .............................................Cowichan Valley Glumac, Rick (BC NDP) ..................................................Port Moody–Coquitlam Greene, Kelly (BC NDP) ........................................................Richmond-Steveston Halford, Trevor (BC Liberal Party) .........................................Surrey–White Rock Heyman, Hon. George (BC NDP) .........................................Vancouver-Fairview Horgan, Hon. John (BC NDP) ......................................... Langford–Juan de Fuca Kahlon, Hon.

Ravi (BC NDP) .............................................................. Delta North Kang, Hon. Anne (BC NDP) .................................................. Burnaby–Deer Lake Kirkpatrick, Karin (BC Liberal Party) ........................West Vancouver–Capilano Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal Party)....................................................................Shuswap Lee, Michael (BC Liberal Party) ..............................................Vancouver-Langara Leonard, Ronna-Rae (BC NDP)...............................................

Courtenay-Comox Letnick, Norm (BC Liberal Party) .................................. Kelowna–Lake Country Lore, Grace (BC NDP)........................................................... Victoria–Beacon Hill Ma, Hon. Bowinn (BC NDP).....................................North Vancouver–Lonsdale Malcolmson, Hon. Sheila (BC NDP)........................................................Nanaimo Mark, Hon. Melanie (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Mercier, Andrew (BC NDP) ........................................................................

Langley Merrifield, Renee (BC Liberal Party)......................................... Kelowna-Mission Milobar, Peter (BC Liberal Party) .......................... Kamloops–North Thompson Morris, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ................................. Prince George–Mackenzie Oakes, Coralee (BC Liberal Party).................................................. Cariboo North Olsen, Adam (BC Green Party)............................ Saanich North and the Islands Osborne, Hon.

Josie (BC NDP)........................................Mid Island–Pacific Rim Paddon, Kelli (BC NDP) ................................................................Chilliwack-Kent Paton, Ian (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Delta South Popham, Hon. Lana (BC NDP)........................................................ Saanich South Ralston, Hon. Bruce, QC (BC NDP) .............................................Surrey-Whalley Rankin, Hon.

Murray, QC (BC NDP) .............................Oak Bay–Gordon Head Rice, Jennifer (BC NDP) ...................................................................... North Coast Robinson, Hon. Selina (BC NDP)...................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Ross, Ellis (BC Liberal Party)......................................................................... Skeena Routledge, Janet (BC NDP) .............................................................Burnaby North Routley, Doug (BC NDP)...........................................

Nanaimo–North Cowichan Russell, Roly (BC NDP).................................................... Boundary-Similkameen Rustad, John (BC Liberal Party)......................................................Nechako Lakes Sandhu, Harwinder (BC NDP) .................................................Vernon-Monashee Sharma, Niki (BC NDP)..........................................................Vancouver-Hastings Shypitka, Tom (BC Liberal Party) .................................................... Kootenay East Simons, Hon. Nicholas (BC NDP).........................

Powell River–Sunshine Coast Sims, Jinny (BC NDP) ................................................................. Surrey-Panorama Singh, Aman (BC NDP) .............................................Richmond-Queensborough Singh, Rachna (BC NDP)...................................................Surrey–Green Timbers Starchuk, Mike (BC NDP) ......................................................... Surrey-Cloverdale Stewart, Ben (BC Liberal Party) .......................................................

Kelowna West Stone, Todd (BC Liberal Party) ...............................Kamloops–South Thompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal Party) ............................. West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal Party)....................................................... Fraser-Nicola Walker, Adam (BC NDP) ....................................................... Parksville-Qualicum Wat, Teresa (BC Liberal Party) ....................................... Richmond North Centre Whiteside, Hon. Jennifer (BC NDP) .........................................

New Westminster Wilkinson, Andrew, QC (BC Liberal Party)......................Vancouver-Quilchena Y ao, Henry (BC NDP) ..................................................... Richmond South Centre LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission................................................................................. Pam Alexis Abbotsford South...............................................................................Bruce Banman Abbotsford West......................................................................

Michael de Jong, QC Boundary-Similkameen........................................................................ Roly Russell Burnaby–Deer Lake....................................................................... Hon. Anne Kang Burnaby-Edmonds......................................................................Hon. Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed .................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Burnaby North .................................................................................

Janet Routledge Cariboo-Chilcotin ..........................................................................Lorne Doerkson Cariboo North.................................................................................... Coralee Oakes Chilliwack ...............................................................................................Dan Coulter Chilliwack-Kent .................................................................................... Kelli Paddon Columbia River–Revelstoke .........................................................

Doug Clovechok Coquitlam–Burke Mountain...............................................................Fin Donnelly Coquitlam-Maillardville ...................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson Courtenay-Comox................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Cowichan Valley ............................................................................. Sonia Furstenau Delta North................................................................................... Hon.

Ravi Kahlon Delta South ..................................................................................................Ian Paton Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Hon. Mitzi Dean Fraser-Nicola .........................................................................................

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

Renee Merrifield Kelowna West ..........................................................................................Ben Stewart Kootenay East.......................................................................................Tom Shypitka Kootenay West........................................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Langford–Juan de Fuca .............................................................. Hon.

John Horgan Langley .............................................................................................Andrew Mercier Langley East....................................................................................Megan Dykeman Maple Ridge–Mission.............................................................................. Bob D’Eith Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Mid Island–Pacific Rim............................................................ Hon.

Josie Osborne Nanaimo.............................................................................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Nanaimo–North Cowichan............................................................... Doug Routley Nechako Lakes........................................................................................ John Rustad Nelson-Creston ............................................................................. Brittny Anderson New Westminster.............................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside North Coast ........................................................................................... Jennifer Rice North Island................................................................................... Michele Babchuk North Vancouver–Lonsdale......................................................... Hon. Bowinn Ma North Vancouver–Seymour...................................................................Susie Chant Oak Bay–Gordon Head..................................................Hon.

Murray Rankin, QC Parksville-Qualicum........................................................................... Adam Walker Peace River North ................................................................................... Dan Davies Peace River South ................................................................................ Mike Bernier Penticton ................................................................................................. Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam...................................................................... Hon.

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

Shirley Bond Richmond North Centre..........................................................................Teresa Wat Richmond-Queensborough..................................................................Aman Singh Richmond South Centre .......................................................................... Henry Y ao Richmond-Steveston ............................................................................

Kelly Greene Saanich North and the Islands .............................................................Adam Olsen Saanich South .............................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Shuswap...................................................................................................... Greg Kyllo Skeena........................................................................................................... Ellis Ross Stikine........................................................................................ Hon.

Nathan Cullen Surrey-Cloverdale .............................................................................. Mike Starchuk Surrey-Fleetwood.....................................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey–Green Timbers........................................................................Rachna Singh Surrey-Guildford......................................................................................Garry Begg Surrey-Newton ..............................................................................Hon.

Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ...................................................................................... Jinny Sims Surrey South ................................................................................ Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Whalley ................................................................. Hon. Bruce Ralston, QC Surrey–White Rock .......................................................................... Trevor Halford Vancouver-Fairview.............................................................. Hon.

George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek...................................................................... Brenda Bailey Vancouver-Fraserview...............................................................Hon. George Chow Vancouver-Hastings ..............................................................................Niki Sharma Vancouver-Kensington....................................................................... Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..................................................................... Hon.

Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara................................................................................ Michael Lee Vancouver–Mount Pleasant..................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark Vancouver–Point Grey ............................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Vancouver-Quilchena........................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC Vancouver–West End .....................................................Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee .....................................................................

Harwinder Sandhu Victoria–Beacon Hill............................................................................... Grace Lore Victoria–Swan Lake.................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano...........................................................Karin Kirkpatrick West Vancouver–Sea to Sky................................................................Jordan Sturdy Party Standings: BC NDP 57; BC Liberal Party 28; BC Green Party 2

CONTENTS Monday, May 10, 2021 Afternoon Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 1625 Introduction and First Reading of Bills................................................................................................................................ 1625 Bill 7 — Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act, 2021 Hon. D.

Eby Statements (Standing Order 25B) ......................................................................................................................................... 1625 Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism R. Singh COVID-19 response and mental health services T. Halford Role of mothers and nurses P . Alexis Role of police officers M. Morris COVID-19 response and role of nurses H. Sandhu Asian Heritage Month and anti-Asian racism T.

Wat Oral Questions......................................................................................................................................................................... 1627 Access to COVID-19 data and report information S. Bond Hon. J. Horgan Access to COVID-19 data and report information on Surrey S. Cadieux Hon. A. Dix Access to COVID-19 data S. Furstenau Hon. A. Dix Government action on gang violence and police officer positions T. Halford Hon. M. Farnworth M. de Jong COVID-19 vaccination plan and second dose for cancer patients R. Merrifield Hon. A.

Dix Tabling Documents................................................................................................................................................................. 1633 Report pursuant to the COVID-19 Related Measures Act regarding Ministerial Order M182/2021, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Motions Without Notice......................................................................................................................................................... 1633 Committee of Supply to sit in three sections Amendment to Standing Orders for Thursday sitting hours Hon. M.

Farnworth

Orders of the Day Second Reading of Bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 1634 Bill 6 — Accessible British Columbia Act Hon. N. Simons S. Cadieux D. Coulter D. Davies Hon. K. Chen S. Bond M. Dykeman A. Olsen K. Paddon B. Anderson S. Chant Hon. N. Simons Bill 2 — Public Interest Disclosure Amendment Act, 2021 Hon. D. Eby M. de Jong S. Furstenau Hon. D. Eby Bill 5 — InBC Investment Corp. Act(continued) M.

Dykeman Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room Committee of Supply .............................................................................................................................................................. 1666 Estimates: Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Hon. M. Mark T. Wat

MONDAY , MAY 10, 2021 The House met at 1:34 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Introductions by Members M. Dykeman: It’s a true honour today to rise in the House. Last night was my son’s 18th birthday. I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate him and wish him a happy birthday. He’s watching at home today. If the House could join me in congratulating him. [1:35 p.m.] Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL 7 — ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES COMMISSION AMENDMENT ACT, 2021 Hon. D.

Eby presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act, 2021. Hon. D. Eby: I move the bill be introduced and read a first time now. I’m pleased to introduce the Electoral Boundaries Com- mission Amendment Act, 2021.

This bill amends the act to ensure that electoral boundaries commissions have the independence and flexibility to recommend electoral dis- trict boundaries that support the effective representation of all British Columbians, whether they live in our fast- growing urban regions or our less-populated northern and interior regions of the province. B.C. ’s population is projected to have grown by around half a million people since the last commission made its recommendations.

Reflecting B.C. ’s strong population growth since the most recent Electoral Boundaries Com- mission, the bill would allow the commission to recom- mend an increase in the number of electoral districts, up to a maximum of 93 electoral districts. To enhance the commission’s ability to exercise independent judgment and to more closely align B.C. ’s legislation with other Canadian jurisdictions, the bill would eliminate the three regions in the act that are collectively guaranteed a min- imum of 17 electoral districts, irrespective of their popula- tions or other circumstances.

Consistent with the Canadian case law on electoral boundaries, the bill would provide minor updates to the guidance to commissions in recommending electoral boundaries. The updated guidance includes ensuring that it is clear that the commission has authority to re- commend electoral districts with populations outside of the plus or minus 25 percent deviation range when the commission considers it necessary to provide for effect- ive representation. The next commission must be appointed by October 24, 2021.

Taken together, these amendments are intended to equip the commission with the discretion and flexibility it needs to make recommendations for electoral district boundaries that balance the principle of representation by population with other effective representation concerns. Mr. Speaker:Members, the question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Hon. D. Eby: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 7, Electoral Boundaries Commission Amendment Act, 2021, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Statements (Standing Order 25B) DAY OF ACTION AGAINST ANTI-ASIAN RACISM R. Singh: Today on the Day of Action Against Anti- Asian Racism, I would like all British Columbians to take action to combat discrimination. During this pandemic, we have seen people of Asian descent targeted and scape- goated, leading to increased attacks against them. Today is not just about speaking out against racist incid- ents.

Today is about taking concrete action to disrupt sys- temic racism. It’s about asking ourselves what we are going to do about it. Everyone has a role to play in building a more inclusive province. It starts with us. It is not enough to be not racist. We must be anti-racist. Living in a society steeped in colonialism and systemic racism impacts us all. We each carry prejudices, and we must confront them. An anti-racism information cam- paign was recently launched to encourage British Colum- bians to do their part. Anti-racism requires something from all of us. It can be a lot of things, but it can’t be noth- ing.

We must also speak up when friends, family or co- workers make an inappropriate comment, even in private. Don’t let it slide. Listen, probe, and let them know their words matter. [1:40 p.m.] To continue to push to combat racism, we will also be proclaiming May 23 to 29 as Anti-Racism Awareness Week. We know that proclamations alone are not enough. We must back it up with meaningful action. 1625

That’s why the funding for community groups to respond to racism at the local level was recently increased. We will be launching a racist incident hotline, and we will be bringing in legislation to pave the way for race-based data collection and B.C. ’s first anti-racism act, but we know there is much, much more to do. I would like to thank the Stand with Asians Coalition, which started as a group of grassroots activists in Burnaby, for its incredible organization to turn the Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism into a national movement endorsed by municipalities and unions across the country.

Y our strength is inspiring. COVID-19 RESPONSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES T. Halford:Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pan- demic last March, our communities, our province and our world have drastically changed. We have all experienced intense levels of stress and anxiety and the continuous isol- ation from friends, family and loved ones, and it’s seri- ously affecting the mental health of all families across Brit- ish Columbia. Last week was Canadian Mental Health Week. I want to take this opportunity to say that no one is alone in feeling stress, anxiety or depression right now.

We all realize that it’s okay to not be okay. This year’s theme is “Let’s get real about how you feel. ” It is important for us all to know that it’s okay to talk about how you’re feeling, and more import- antly, it’s okay to seek help. Though it’s also important to recognize a barrier for many people, particularly working mothers who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic…. It’s also the cost of counselling. Many of our communities have risen to the challenge as well.

I’m proud that in my community of Sur- rey–White Rock, a group of local experts came together to develop a one-stop shop for online resources. The website, together-sswr.com, was built by a group of eight private psychologists and a clinical counsellor who got together to discuss what we could contribute to help support the community. They now provide free services to many people that are in need. I want to thank these community leaders for the dedica- tion to Surrey–White Rock and for sharing their expertise.

On Canadian Mental Health Week, I thank all service pro- viders across British Columbia who are supporting indi- viduals in their mental well-being. And I encourage us all to get real about our mental health and be open to address- ing our emotions, the good and the bad. ROLE OF MOTHERS AND NURSES P . Alexis:I want to acknowledge that I’m speaking to you from the traditional territories of theLək̓ ʷəŋin̓ əŋ people, the Songhees and the Esquimalt First Nations. Y esterday we celebrated Mother’s Day, a day where we celebrate the person so many of us owe so very much to.

I’ve been very open about the role my mother played in my life and how her grace, passion and determination inspired me in my own life’s work, and I want to thank all the mothers in Abbotsford and Mission and all across British Columbia for what they do in preparing their children for the future. In our household, my mother Efrosini, was the core, the emotional centre, that taught us all about the import- ance of practicality and perseverance but also adventure and fun.

When she passed, I made cookies for the funeral: peanut butter, because it’s a staple, and she was a mom six times over; a spicy ginger snap, because she was a beauti- ful, strong woman; and a heart-shaped sugar cookie that was a little tricky to make because she was a determined woman, always strong enough to see things through. Coincidently, the next seven days mark National Nurses Week. Much like our mothers, nurses are counted on to always go above and beyond in serving the greater good. But also, much like motherhood, you can’t do a job like that well unless you truly love it.

All of us have had our own path to be in this Legislature, but I sincerely hope that what we share is a passion for serving our constituents, a real love for the job. We owe it to those who came here before us, to people like our nurses, who serve with determination and quiet dignity, and to the mothers who helped show us what love truly is. [1:45 p.m.] ROLE OF POLICE OFFICERS M. Morris:The police in Canada are amongst the best trained in the world.

They spend their days focused on the very small percentage of our populations who are the worst-behaved citizens in our communities — people who commit such unspeakable acts against others that the aver- age person cannot begin to comprehend, and people who lie, cheat, steal and take advantage of the vulnerable. Police do this under the rigours of a strong constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms and complex, tech- nical investigative requirements. They do this with com- passion, with empathy and professionalism.

They do this under extreme scrutiny from the public, from the courts and from the myriad of oversight agencies, tribunals and police boards. The burden our police agencies carry today is immense. It often places them as first responders to societal disorder perpetuated by untreated mental illness and addictions and by domestic frustrations triggered by unemployment, by housing needs, by health needs or a myriad of other needs. Y et they do it. They do their jobs every second of every minute of every day, with undiminished profession- alism. They do it by placing themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.

This is National Police Week 2021. Our police agencies 1626 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

in B.C. are advocating for a more collaborative approach — a more integrated effort amongst all police services, social agencies and the public in providing a modernized approach to address not only the criminal aspects of poli- cing that comprise about 30 percent of police agencies’ file load, but the social disorder that comprises 70 percent of a police agency’s workload. On behalf of this House, I would like to thank all ded- icated men and women across this great province who put their uniform on every day to keep our citizens safe and to help those less fortunate navigate through tragedies and misfortune.

COVID-19 RESPONSE AND ROLE OF NURSES H. Sandhu: Today I rise in this House to celebrate Nurses Week. I am proud to recognize amazing superheroes in scrubs: our incredible nurses who are constantly fighting this pan- demic — for over a year — by saving many lives. Nurses are continuing to take care of the sick by putting them- selves in harm’s way. Sadly, many have lost their lives by doing so. In 2019, WHO declared 2020 the Y ear of the Nurse and the Midwife. But who knew how difficult 2020 was going to be for our nurses?

Nurses are the lifeline of the health care system, and it would have been impossible to deal with COVID-19 without them. Sacrifices made by our most compassionate, caring and hard-working nurses are no secret to anyone. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the depth of their sacrifices, strengths, heartaches from what they witness every day, and their resiliency. Nurses are great at hiding their pain, tiredness and men- tal and physical fatigue behind their beautiful smiles. It takes a very special person to be a nurse, and a strong per- son to face what nurses face and deal with every single day.

Nurses get physically and verbally abused and even get severely injured at times, yet they keep on going with their care and compassion, without judging people. Nurses provide a wide variety of excellent care in multiple health care settings and in many other areas. We cannot even imagine the health care system without them. May I please ask all the members of this House to join me to wish all our wonderful nurses a very happy Nurses Week. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all you do. ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH AND ANTI-ASIAN RACISM T.

Wat:Here in British Columbia and Canada, we cel- ebrate the month of May as Asian Heritage Month, a time when we honour and celebrate our strong and vibrant Asi- an communities and the contributions Asian-Canadians have made to our history. [1:50 p.m.] B.C. has always been celebrated as a vibrant and multi- cultural province where our Asian communities have been foundational to our province’s economy, culture and iden- tity. Certainly, COVID-19 has shed a dark light on many of the challenges that our Asian and South Asian communit- ies face, including the horrific rising incidents of racism and hate crimes.

In a recent Bloomberg article, Vancouver was called the anti-Asian hate crime capital of North America. I’m sure all members of this House share my feeling when I say that I’m absolutely heartbroken to see my home, and the home of many of us here, labeled in such a way. It is now more crucial than ever that we increase our efforts in our mission to eliminate anti-Asian racism and all forms of hate and discrimination in our province. This year’s theme is “Recognition, resilience and resolve, ” which is strongly embodied by our Asian and South Asian com- munities.

In the face of fear, misinformation and hate, they have responded with action, unity and strength. We must all follow their example. I would like to take this moment to thank all the over 11,000 British Columbians who signed a petition in sup- port of my request for this government to declare May 29 the anti-racism education day. This month let us all take a moment to recognize and celebrate our Asian history and heritage in this province and reaffirm our commitment to making B.C. a place where people can celebrate their culture and heritage and feel proud to call our great province home.

Oral Questions ACCESS TO COVID-19 DATA AND REPORT INFORMATION S. Bond: The opposition, the media and, most import- antly, the public have been calling for COVID-19 data transparency for months now. The Premier not only ignored those requests, he in fact ridiculed the sugges- tions. And he pretended, on a regular basis, that we were the most transparent jurisdiction in Canada. We now know, thanks to a very embarrassing leak to the media, that those concerns about the lack of trans- parency are true.

The Premier had information that Brit- ish Columbians deserved to have, including neighbour- hood-level cases, positivity and vaccination data. That information was withheld. So much for the promise of transparency. Can the Premier today explain why he chose to with- hold information that British Columbians wanted and keep them in the dark, despite his continual promises to be transparent? Hon. J. Horgan:I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. She will know that, for almost 15 months Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1627

now, the chief public health officer, in coordination with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, has been releasing daily information about infections in health authorities — hospitalization rates, impacts on pregnant individuals and a whole host of other data. I believe that was trendsetting at the time. As the member knows full well, we have more informa- tion today on immunizations, because we are doing more immunizations than ever before. In fact, last week 389,000 British Columbians registered to get immunized. That’s fantastic news.

I know the member will have several more questions, so I think I’ll pause there. Hate to waste a good answer with just one question. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Official Opposition on a supplemental. S. Bond:Let’s be clear. No one is denying that there were reports. There were people out in the media on a regular basis. What is absolutely clear is that not all the inform- ation was being shared. What is also obvious is that this Premier stood up on a regular basis and said: “Oh, we’re the most transparent jurisdiction in the country. ” We now know that is absolutely not correct. We should be clear.

The information was available. The Premier promised British Columbians that he would be transparent, and he broke yet another promise. On January 14, to add insult to injury, he actually tried to justify that by using the word “hysteria. ” He actually said: “We don’t actually want to cause hysteria by giving British Columbians information. ” His words, not mine.

The Premier can laugh and think it’s funny, but I can assure you British Columbians didn’t think it was funny then, and they don’t think it’s funny now. [1:55 p.m.] It is unbelievably disrespectful and harmful to com- munities like Whalley and Newton, who have had positiv- ity rates over 20 percent. The Premier continues to refuse to provide more detailed data on school cases, workplace exposures, rapid-test use and race-based data. It’s unac- ceptable 14 months into the pandemic. Maybe let’s try this.

Will the Premier today stand up and apologize for his comments about creating hysteria in British Columbia and instead commit to providing all the information that’s available to British Columbians? Hon. J. Horgan:From the beginning of the pandemic, we made a decision on this side of the House to allow pub- lic health officials to speak directly to British Columbians with the information they needed to keep themselves safe. That approach has served us very, very well. Two million British Columbians have already received a first vaccination — two million British Columbians.

We’re this close to 50 percent of British Columbians eligible to have a vaccine taking in a vaccine. There is nobody in British Columbia, save and except perhaps the members on the other side, that wants any- thing but to put COVID-19 behind us. I would suggest… Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members, let’s listen to the answer, please. Hon. J. Horgan:…that the people of British Columbia want their government to focus on the things that matter to them: “When am I going to get vaccinated?

Am I going to be able to go and visit my parents in a long-term-care home that was neglected by ripping up contracts by the former government, making sure that you had to work in one, two, three different long-term-care facilities?” Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Hon. J. Horgan:I will take guidance from the mouth- pieces on the other side when they apologize for what they did to health care workers and the people of British Col- umbia for 16 years. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Okay. Next question. ACCESS TO COVID-19 DATA AND REPORT INFORMATION ON SURREY S.

Cadieux:Let’s remember that the Premier ridiculed anyone who said that B.C. wasn’t being transparent. Mean- while, he continued to fail to provide basic data that other provinces have been providing all along, and now, not sur- prisingly, he’s blaming that on the bureaucrats and looking back 20 years for anything to change the channel. Now, look. The leaked internal reports are more than 45 pages, and they include detailed breakdowns of case counts and vaccinations by neighbourhood. The NDP MLAs in Surrey have been silent. The Premier has a responsibility to be honest with people.

Will the Premier release the complete versions of these reports and explain why he hid this data from the hard-hit community that I live in, Surrey? Hon. A. Dix: Thanks to the member for her question. Surrey has been, I think, a top priority for months and months and months in this pandemic in B.C. The member knows this and knows the work the public health officials have been doing in Surrey throughout that period. From virtually the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been offering daily reports on cases. It’s been a focus on Fraser Health for many months.

There’s a weekly surveil- lance report with detailed information from the BCCDC 1628 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

that’s in the hands of the BCCDC. And the BCCDC con- sults widely in terms of the direction it gives to public health policy. In Surrey, the first place that education workers were immunized in full — in Surrey — outside of small com- munities. Front-line workers, those involved in public safety — first in Surrey. Now we’re focusing on neighbour- hoods in Surrey. Surrey has been a priority from the begin- ning. I think all Surrey MLAs, including the hon. member, are strong advocates for that, and we have to continue to do that.

Surrey has faced the brunt of the pandemic because of circumstances in Surrey — the number of essential work- ers and others — something we have been speaking to virtually since the beginning of the pandemic and work that we have to continue to do together. I’m proud of the efforts of everyone in Surrey, including members of the opposition, in raising registrations over this past week by 390,000. It’s a real achievement. We need people to get registered.

We need them to get vaccinated, and we need people to continue to follow public health guidance and public health orders at this critical moment in the pan- demic. Mr. Speaker:The member for Surrey South on a sup- plemental. S. Cadieux:I agree we need to get people vaccinated, but that answer is not good enough. The Premier and the minister withheld information.

There is absolutely no justification for what has been a deliberate suppression of information that should have been made public. [2:00 p.m.] The leaked documents show that the Premier knew the positivity rate in parts of Surrey was more than 20 percent last week. For the minister to suggest that they’ve now rec- ognized that these are because there are essential workers living in these hard-hit parts of Surrey is ridiculous. Those people have been waiting for their vaccinations and cer- tainly have not been prioritized.

All he offered was a chaot- ic system of pop-up clinics that disappeared as quickly as they arrived. In the middle of a pandemic, in a community where people were being disproportionately affected from the beginning, the Premier decided to deliberately keep the public in the dark. Why? Why did the Premier keep Surrey in the dark about this critical information in the third wave of the pandemic? Hon. A. Dix: The information about Fraser Health has been available every day since last summer. In the early months of the pandemic, in March and April of 2020, Vancouver Coastal Health had more cases than Fraser Health.

But since the summer of 2020, Fraser Health has had the most cases, more than its share of the population. Surrey and other communities, such as Abbotsford, have borne the brunt of that. That’s why so much focus has been given to contact tracing, to commu- nication and to support.

The people of the BCCDC who have prepared the dash- board, prepare the weekly surveillance reports, who provide information — and indeed, the document to which the member refers is shared with more than 100 people who are involved in developing the public health response to the situation in Surrey and all communities around B.C. — I think, are to be commended. We in B.C. are taking the decision — and yes, it is a political decision — to support public health officials, to support Dr. Bonnie Henry, to support Dr. Réka Gustafson, to support our medical health officers in health authorit- ies around B.C.

That is a choice we’ve made, and they have, I think, led us through this pandemic with honour and distinction. They will continue — and I think Dr. Henry will have more to say about this today — to ensure that British Columbians are informed across the province and [audio interrupted] about the pandemic and the situation with the pandemic in B.C. ACCESS TO COVID-19 DATA S. Furstenau:Further to this line of questioning about these reports that were released that provided substantially more information than what has consistently been released to the public.

The reports contain information that scientists, the press, members in this chamber and the public have asked for, for months. These requests have been ignored. Trust is a two-way street. The public must trust the decisions being made by the government and the advice being given to them, and the government must trust the public by providing them with the information on what is informing those decisions and why. By failing to keep the public fully informed, the government also fails to keep the public fully engaged.

Information is a signal of trust by government, and sub- stantial data can help promote safe behaviour. It can create community cohesion, and it can ensure that British Col- umbians adhere to the restrictions placed upon them by understanding why those restrictions are needed. My question is to the Minister of Health. Why has his ministry, and this government, chosen to keep the public underinformed when it comes to COVID-19? Hon. A.

Dix:The member will know that the provincial health officer, myself, the deputy provincial health officer and the ministry have prepared hundreds of briefings — I believe about 200 public briefings; regular monthly mod- elling efforts, which we were the first in Canada to institute and which have kept people informed about the trajectory of the pandemic; weekly surveillance reports with detailed information by local health areas for months; and in the Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1629

process the member talks about, informing a broad group of people who advise the BCCDC and advise the Provin- cial Health Authority on the direction government should take in the surveillance of the pandemic and the surveil- lance of the health of British Columbia. What this has meant is that we’ve made decisions, with respect to immunization, in respect to control of trans- mission of the virus, that have focused on where people are most vulnerable. Y ou see this reflected in all of our immunization strategy from the beginning. I think our provincial health officials have done a very good job.

They will continue to provide, as they have through the pan- demic, more and more information to the public as it becomes available to present. That is what they are doing. [2:05 p.m.] I think that the provincial health officer is very com- mitted to the idea of informing the public and, in fact, has done so from the beginning of the pandemic through extraordinary efforts. I support her in that and will con- tinue to be available myself and accountable myself for the efforts we’re making. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Third Party on a supple- mental. S.

Furstenau:Often the minister prefaces his answers to these questions with “the member will know, ” but in fact, we are asking the questions because we don’t know. The press has been asking questions because they don’t know. Scientists and experts have been asking questions because they don’t know the answers because the data hasn’t been provided. Vaccination rates, case numbers by community health service authorities have not been made public. This is data requested by academics and scientists in B.C. to help pro- mote safety and targeted measures.

There have been long- standing calls for more transparency of data related to schools, workplaces and related to long COVID. Without this data, it signals that government does not trust the public to make informed decisions. It is an example of the government’s desire to control the narrative and the mes- saging on COVID-19, rather than completely empower the public in a health emergency. This government has a growing issue with transparency and a refusal to give up control of that narrative.

The criti- cism that they are facing is a direct result of their refusal to admit uncertainty and change course when needed. My question again is to the Minister of Health. Will this government accept their fault in withholding inform- ation and commit to full transparency in the COVID-19 response, moving forward? Hon. A. Dix: Thank you to the member for her ques- tion. I think what’s essential in the COVID-19 pandemic is we do everything we can to limit transmission. That we support people when they become ill with COVID-19, which is a terrible, vicious virus.

That we provide informa- tion to the public as we have, as the B.C. Centre for Disease Control does every single day, updating its dashboard, and every single week with more detailed surveillance reports. We have to continue to do all of those things while ensuring that people are vaccinated at a high rate, as vac- cines come to B.C., and that we focus on the most vulner- able. These those are the things we need to do together. We need to do it together as an entire province. Dr. Henry, again, will speak today to issues of data.

We hope to provide and continue to provide as much data as possible to people, and we’ll continue to do that. But I think what’s important to focus on now is that everyone in British Columbia get registered. When your time comes, book your vaccination. When your time comes, go and get vaccinated. In the meantime, as well, ensure that we follow provincial health measures and provincial health guidance. Those are the things we need to do right now at this critical moment in the pan- demic. That’s the message that’s been delivered from the beginning by Dr. Henry, supported by a mountain of data.

We’ll continue to provide more if the public is interested in that and needs that, and we will continue to provide it. GOVERNMENT ACTION ON GANG VIOLENCE AND POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS T. Halford:From outside of Vancouver restaurants, to Delta parking lots, to outside a Toys “R” Us in Langley and now at the Vancouver Airport, gang violence is exploding in the Lower Mainland. British Columbians are scared. They want to know what this Premier is going to do to keep them safe. It’s not enough for the Solicitor General to get up and talk tough and say it’s unacceptable and it will not be tolerated.

The words are not working. My question is to the Premier. Will his government immediately move to fill the 200 open positions in the pro- vincial policing contract? Hon. M. Farnworth:I thank the member for his ques- tion. The upsurge in gang violence that we have seen which periodically happens in this province is absolutely just despicable.

The events we saw on the weekend are a hein- ous criminal act committed by people who just have no regard for public safety or for lives or for themselves. [2:10 p.m.] I can tell you what we are doing is working closely with police agencies right across the province to ensure that they’ve got the resources they need to get the job done. That’s why since we took office, not only have we increased the number of police in communities — the first since 2012, by the way — but we put in place British Columbia’s first witness security program so that we have a program 1630 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

designed to meet the needs here in British Columbia. That was one of the top priorities of police when I first met with them. That program is working extremely well. Since that pro- gram has been put in place, there have been 42 convictions of murderers who might otherwise have gotten away. In this year’s budget, there is funding for an additional four prosecutors dedicated solely to gang prosecution. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members, let’s listen to the answer. Hon. M. Farnworth:As I was telling the member, there is a significant amount of work this government has undertaken.

There’s a lot more to come, and we are deter- mined, by working with the police and the public, to get this violence under control. Mr. Speaker:The member for Surrey–White Rock on a supplemental. T. Halford:Well, I appreciate the tone and the lecture from the Solicitor General, but his words are not work- ing. I asked him a direct question. I asked if those 200 poli- cing officers were going to be undertaken. This minister refused to answer, so I’ll ask it again, because what we’ve seen so far is we’ve actually seen cuts. We’ve cut the Surrey Safer Schools Together program.

We’ve set up road blocks in the Interior. But you know what? We do not have the officers on the street to do the job we need them to do. I will ask again, and I will ask this to the Premier. Will he take immediate action and implement the steps to keep British Columbians safe? Hon. M. Farnworth:I appreciate the question from the member. I just outlined to him the important investments which are police priorities, which they want to see in place, which we have done since taking office. That’s what we are working on.

I’ll add another investment that has taken place since we formed government, again, which they had 12 years to do but failed to do. We put in place a firearms analysis laboratory, the first one here in British Columbia, based in Surrey. On top of that, we increased the IHIT, the Integ- rated Homicide Investigation Team, budget by 15 percent since 2019 — ten percent since last year’s budget alone. That’s what solves crimes, that and intelligence. Those are the tools that police are asking for. To his question, on the 200…. Interjection. Hon. M.

Farnworth:Oh, as a former Solicitor General, you should know that that issue has been around, and it is related…. Mr. Speaker:Through the Chair. Hon. M. Farnworth:Oh, oh. She wants to heckle. The member wants to heckle, but when addressing the heckle, it’s all through the Speaker. Well, Hon. Speaker, through the Speaker, guess what. Those members that she talks about are things like mat leave. They’re in small community policing programs, which we know have had a challenge for a long time. In fact, the last time that they did anything when they sat in this House was in 2012.

Since that time, we have added 30 members to deal with those issues. We have added a 12-member team in three communities, based in Terrace, based in Kamloops, based in Prince George to deal with some of the pressures. The member for Nechako Lakes came crying to me because he wanted additional police officers in Vander- hoof. Guess what? He sat on this side of the House for how many years and wasn’t able to get it done, but we did. We take it seriously, and we will continue to do that. M. de Jong:Well, quite frankly, I’m a little bit surprised by the Solicitor General’s tone. He can pontificate all he wants to.

I could stand here and talk about the work previ- ous governments took to create CFSEU, the largest integ- rated anti-gang police program in Canada, or talk about the 100 additional officers that were created and funded for a place like Surrey. But you know what? In the face of dramatically increased gun violence, I don’t think that’s what British Columbians want to hear. I think they want to hear about some solutions to the gang violence that’s happen- ing right now. [2:15 p.m.] Nine days, seven shootings, five deaths — those are the facts.

There are, by the Solicitor General’s own admission, 200 vacancies, vacant policing positions, that British Col- umbians understandably are puzzled by in the face of this violence. The question my colleague asked and that I will repeat is: in the face of this increased indiscriminate violence that is putting innocent people at risk, what is the government, what is the Premier going to do now? What action are they going to take today to keep people safe? Hon. M.

Farnworth:Well, as I just said a moment ago, we have been working with police on what their priorities are, which is making sure that IHIT is funded properly, because as the member knows, IHIT is what investigates homicides. They want to see additional funding for gang exiting programs. This budget contains $7.6 million, addi- tional, to do just that. They wanted to ensure that we have a witness security Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1631

program, a witness security program that will allow them to testify to make stronger cases, to have better prosecu- tions, which results in longer sentences. Those are police priorities. That’s what we’re working on, and that’s what’s going to keep people safe in this province. Mr. Speaker:The member for Abbotsford West on a supplemental. M. de Jong:Well, people don’t feel safe. They don’t feel safe at the mall in Langley, in front of the Toys “R” Us. They don’t feel safe on the highway, on our bridges, in our tun- nels, on the way to or from work. They don’t feel safe in their own neighbourhoods.

Ten months ago the Solicitor General quite fairly, quite appropriately, acknowledged that there are 200 policing vacancies in British Columbia — 200 vacant policing pos- itions in B.C. It is entirely understandable, as we stand in the midst of this dramatically increased firearm violence, gun violence, to ask why those positions have not been filled or why at least a portion of those positions, a signi- ficant portion of those positions, haven’t been filled. Words actually aren’t enough in this situation.

What steps are the government, the Premier, the minister pre- pared to take today so that those people at the mall in Langley, those people driving their cars on their streets, those people in their neighbourhoods can begin to feel safe again? Hon. M. Farnworth: I’ll repeat again to the hon. member. We work with police on their priorities. They’re the individuals who do the day-to-day work on the ground. They know what’s required. They know what resources are in place.

I’ll remind the member that when he was Finance Min- ister, he provided a budget that cut $4.2 million for gang funding to fight organized and gang crime in this province. That was part of the record of that government. Since taking…. Interjection. Hon. M. Farnworth:Oh, our record? Let’s start. First off, an additional cadre of 30 officers around the province, many going to communities, rural communit- ies, right across British Columbia. Three- or four-mem- ber teams in cities across the province — Terrace, Kam- loops, Prince George — to back up the work of rural police departments.

Increasing the funding for IHIT by 15 percent since we took office, something that you never did when you sat on this side of the House, hon. member. We put in place… Interjection. Mr. Speaker:Members. Hon. M. Farnworth:…nearly every recommendation from the guns and gangs strategy that we received when we took office in 2017. We’ve worked with the federal gov- ernment to ensure what, again, you couldn’t do when you sat on this side of the House, which was improve the First Nations policing program to make sure that we get the full complement of First Nations policing that we should have in this province.

We’ve accomplished that. We’ve worked cooperatively with the federal govern- ment on a guns and gangs strategy nationwide, which saw the feds come to the table with $50 million — $30 million and $20 million. All of that has gone to policing in the province. All of that has gone to support the men and women doing a very dangerous and difficult job, and I know they’re going to get to the bottom of all of this. [2:20 p.m.] Mr. Speaker: Members, all questions and answers through the Chair. COVID-19 V ACCINATION PLAN AND SECOND DOSE FOR CANCER PATIENTS R.

Merrifield:Phil Harbridge has fought cancer and, hopefully, is winning. He is still receiving chemo treat- ments for his myeloma. That has meant a delay in getting vaccinated. Then he tested positive for COVID-19, and so did his wife. Cancer hasn’t stopped during this pandemic. We need to give cancer patients the best chance at fighting COVID while their bodies fight cancer as well. Dr. Deepa Wadhwa is an oncologist and is pretty blunt. His patient, Elya Martinson, has “advanced lung cancer on targeted therapy.

She would benefit from receiving her second dose of COVID vaccine within the recommended three-week time frame. ” Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have said yes to prioritizing cancer patients. Today I ask on behalf of Phil and Elya, to the Premier: will British Columbia also prioritize cancer patients and ensure they get their second vaccinations faster, now, and dose on time? Hon. A. Dix: Thank you to the member for her ques- tion.

Of course, having people in my family living with can- cer as well, I know the situation of which she speaks and the challenge to all families who are dealing with a serious illness such as cancer or other chronic diseases and chron- ic illnesses, people living with disabilities in a pandemic. It’s why, with respect to our immunization plan, we prioritize people who are clinically vulnerable. As you’ll remember, in March we set out 150,000 people. That has expanded since.

More than 200,000 clinically vulner- able people have been immunized in every community around B.C. 1632 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

These measures, these efforts, were led by the Provincial Health Services Authority at the direction of their vice- president, Dr. Maureen O’Donnell, and the provincial health officer, who focuses on medical issues and provides guidance and medical advice on these issues. These are not issues that we’ll decide in the House between us, but rather will be guided by the direction of medical specialists and medical experts. I know that Dr.

Henry is seized of this issue and, as she said on Thursday at our briefing then, we will continue to focus on supporting people who are clinically vulnerable in B.C., including those living with cancer, to make sure they get the maximum protection that they can against COVID-19. [End of question period.] Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker:Hon. Members, I have the honour to pres- ent a report by the Minister of Public Safety, Emergency Program Act, Ministerial Order M182. Motions Without Notice COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY TO SIT IN THREE SECTIONS Hon. M. Farnworth:By leave, I move: [GENERAL 1.

That the Committee of Supply for this Session be authorized to sit in three sections, designated

Section A,

Section B, and Sec- tion C, to be subject to the rules that follow. 2. That

Section A and

Section C sit in such committee room as may be designated from time to time, and that

Section B sit in the Legislative Chamber. 3. That Standing Orders applicable to Committees of the Whole House be applicable in

Section A,

Section B, and

Section C, save and except that, during Committee of Supply proceedings in Sec- tion A and

Section C, a Minister may defer to a Deputy Minister to permit such Deputy to reply to a question put to the Minister. 4. That

Section A be authorized to consider bills at committee stage after second reading thereof, and for all purposes be deemed to be a Committee of the Whole House, and that the Standing Or- ders relating to the consideration of bills in a Committee of the Whole House be applicable to such proceedings. 5. That

Section A and

Section B be authorized to examine all Es- timates and any public bill appearing on the Orders of the Day at committee stage, which may be considered in the order determ- ined by the Government House Leader in accordance with Stand- ing Order 27 (2). 6. That

Section C be authorized to examine all Estimates, which may be considered in the order determined by the Government House Leader in accordance with Standing Order 27 (2). 7. That Estimates or bills previously referred to a designated Sec- tion may at any time be subsequently referred to another desig- nated Section, as determined by the Government House Leader in accordance with Standing Order 27 (2). COMPOSITION 8. That the Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole or their designate preside in

Section A and

Section C. 9. That

Section A consist of 11 Members, not including the Chair, being seven Members of the Government Caucus, three Members of the Official Opposition Caucus, and one Member of the Third Party Caucus. 10. That

Section C consist of 11 Members, not including the Chair, being seven Members of the Government Caucus, three Members of the Official Opposition Caucus, and one Member of the Third Party Caucus. 11. That the Members of

Section A be: the Minister whose Es- timates are under examination or who is in charge of the bill under consideration and Hon.Lisa Beare, Garry Begg, Bob D’Eith, Hon. Mike Farnworth, Hon. Selena Robinson, Niki Sharma, Lorne Doerkson, Trevor Halford, Karin Kirkpatrick,andSonia Furstenau. 12. That the Members of

Section C be: the Minister whose Es- timates are under examination andMichele Babchuk, Hon.Adrian Dix, Hon. David Eby, Hon. Rob Fleming, Hon. Ravi Kahlon, Hon. Bruce Ralston, Renee Merrifield, Jackie Tegart, Andrew Wilkinson, andAdam Olsen. 13. That substitutions for Members of

Section A and

Section C be permitted with the consent of the Member’s Caucus Whip, where applicable, or otherwise with the consent of the Member. 14. That

Section B be composed of all Members of the House. VOTING AND DIVISIONS 15. That, when a division is requested in

Section A, the Chair shall announce that a division has been called and ring the division bells four times. No longer than 10 minutes thereafter, unless the Com- mittee unanimously agrees otherwise, the Chair shall again state the question. No Member shall enter or leave the designated com- mittee room, or connect to or disconnect from the approved video- conferencing technology, after the final statement of the question until the division has been fully taken, and every Member of Sec- tion A present shall vote. 16. That, when a division is requested in

Section C, the Chair shall announce that a division has been called and ring the division bells five times. No longer than 10 minutes thereafter, unless the Com- mittee unanimously agrees otherwise, the Chair shall again state the question. No Member shall enter or leave the designated com- mittee room, or connect to or disconnect from the approved video- conferencing technology, after the final statement of the question until the division has been fully taken, and every Member of Sec- tion C present shall vote. 17. That if a division is called in

Section A or

Section C at a time that, in the Chair’s opinion, is likely to overlap with the start of a deferred division in the House, notwithstanding the provisions of the Sessional Order adopted on April 12, 2021, the Speaker or the Chair, as the case may be, shall be so advised, and the stating of the question and start of the division in the House shall be deferred no more than five minutes after the adjournment of proceedings in

Section A or

Section C, as the case may be, to allow for Members voting in

Section A or

Section C, as the case may be, to participate in the deferred division in the House. 18. That divisions in

Section B be taken in accordance with the provisions of the Sessional Order adopted on April 12, 2021. REPORTING AND COMPLETION 19. That, at 15 minutes prior to the ordinary time fixed for ad- journment of the House, the Chairs of

Section A and

Section C shall report to the House. If the House is engaged in a deferred di- vision,

Section A and

Section C shall conclude their proceedings at the time that the division bells are rung in the Legislative Chamber, and the Chairs of

Section A and

Section C shall report to the House at the conclusion of the division in the House, which the Chairs of

Section A and

Section C may do remotely. 20. That, if a report from

Section A or

Section C includes the last Vote in a particular Ministry Estimate, after such report has been made to the House, Members of the Government Caucus shall have a maximum of seven minutes cumulatively, Members of the Official Opposition Caucus shall have a maximum of four minutes cumulatively, Members of the Third Party Caucus shall have a maximum of two minutes cumulatively, and Independent Mem- bers shall have a maximum of one minute cumulatively to sum- Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1633

marize the Committee debate on that Ministry’s Estimates. Such summaries shall be in the following order: a. Independent Members; b. Third Party Caucus; c. Official Opposition Caucus; and, d. Government Caucus. OTHER 21. That this order expire on June 30, 2021.] I know that Opposition House Leaders have received that, so that will save us having to read through the entire three pages of rules. If that’s fine, I seek leave to move that. Leave granted. Motion approved. AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDERS FOR THURSDAY SITTING HOURS Hon. M.

Farnworth:By leave, I move — again, the Opposition House Leaders have received a copy of the motion: [That effective immediately, the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia be amended as follows for the re- mainder of the Second Session of the Forty-second Parliament which commenced on April 12, 2021: 1. That Standing Order 2 (1) is deleted and the following substi- tuted: Sittings Daily sittings. 2.

(1) The time for the ordinary meeting of the House shall, un- less otherwise ordered, be as follows: Monday: Two distinct sittings: 10 a.m. to 12 noon 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday: Two distinct sittings: 10 a.m. to 12 noon 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday: 1:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday: Two distinct sittings: 10 a.m. to 12 noon 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 2. That Standing Order 3 be deleted and the following substituted: Hours of interruption. 3.

If at the hour of 6:30 p.m. on any Monday and Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday or 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, the business of the day is not concluded and no other hour has been agreed on for the next sitting, the Speaker shall the leave the Chair: On Monday until 10 a.m. on Tuesday On Tuesday until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday On Wednesday until 10 a.m. on Thursday On Thursday until 10 a.m. on Monday subject to the provision of Standing Order 2 (2) (b). 3. That this order expire on June 30, 2021.] Leave granted. Motion approved. [2:25 p.m.] Orders of the Day Hon. M.

Farnworth:In this House, I call second read- ing of Bill 6. In Committee A, the Douglas Fir Room, I call the estimates for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Second Reading of Bills BILL 6 — ACCESSIBLE BRITISH COLUMBIA ACT E. Ross: I’m talking to the accessibility bill. I’m just double-checking my signal here. Can you hear me okay, Mr. Speaker? [S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.] Deputy Speaker:Thank you, Member. I’ve just taken the chair. I can hear you. I have had a request for a five-minute recess, if that’s all right.

I would like this House to be in recess for five minutes so we can appropriately hear all the remarks. Thank you, Members. We’re just in recess for five minutes. The House recessed from 2:26 p.m. to 2:29 p.m. [S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.] Deputy Speaker:Apologies for the slight confusion at the end there — my recognition of the member for Skeena for being ready to go when we called on him. [2:30 p.m.] As we are introducing a new bill, Bill 6, I want to rec- ognize the appropriate minister first, and then we’ll go onwards from there. Hon. N. Simons: It’s my pleasure to stand today.

With thanks to everyone who took

part in the development of this legislation, I move Bill 6, Accessible B.C. Act, be read a second time. This bill signifies the beginning of a new

chapter in the history of the rights of people who, because of barriers, haven’t always been given the chance to fully participate in our communities. As a province, we expect British Col- umbia to be as inclusive and as accessible as possible. As a government, our laws and our regulations should reflect the expectations of its citizens. This legislation that has been developed reflects British Columbia’s way — the path we’re going to take to ensure that they do.

This law, the Accessible British Columbia Act, finally allows us, as a society, to define with care and precision what we should expect of our government and other organizations when it comes to being accessible. Specific- ally, it gives us a way of identifying barriers, removing bar- 1634 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

riers and preferably preventing them from being estab- lished in the first place. Now, this legislation has been in development for many, many months. We are the largest province without such legislation. So I’m absolutely honoured to be part of the process to bring this legislation to life. I’ d like to acknow- ledge the work of all of those who are on the accessibility committee; the previous minister; the secretariat in my ministry, which worked very hard to ensure that this legis- lation laid the foundation for the important work that will take place in this province over the next months and years, in fact.

The legislation that we wrote, that we developed, is enabling legislation. To describe that, I would say that it gives government the ability to establish regulations, which we call standards, to exist not just in government space but in other organizations that are prescribed by government as well. These could be institutes of higher learning. They could be government agencies. They could be businesses and corporations. But fundamentally, this act allows government to set in place the process for the establishment of these standards.

Now, key to our approach in this process is to ensure that the voice of people with disabilities and those who advocate for them are accurately reflected and, in fact, form the fundamental nature of this relationship, based on the premise that we do “nothing about us without us. ” In other words, the work that we’re doing to reduce barri- ers in our society needs to be informed by those who face them most often. In most cases, we’re talking about the disability community, as broad and diverse as that com- munity is.

The province engaged in extensive consultation pro- cesses with the disability community, Indigenous com- munities, the general public, various organizations. For many months, these groups got together to discuss what was essential, what was needed to be in this legislation so that we could take the next important step. This is not the most important step of all, as we continue to address bar- riers in our society.

I’ d like to acknowledge the hard work of everyone in the advocacy circles of the disability community, as well as their allies throughout British Columbia and, indeed, in other parts of Canada, who have ensured that our interest in making our province accessible and inclusive came to this stage. [2:35 p.m.] Now, we might be behind other jurisdictions, but here we are ready to take the important steps of establishing the rules, the structures around which we will ensure the proper regulations are put in place.

The legislation calls for the creation of a provincial accessibility committee, a committee where at least of half of the people on the committee would be people with disabilities or advocates who work with them. They will include Indigenous representation. In fact, it’s part of our expectation as government that we engage in a consultat- ive progress that is rigorous. Now, let me just say that it doesn’t mean that all the con- sultation we undertake results in consensus at every con- clusion, but the process of coming together and of dis- cussing the elements of legislation that are needed creates communication.

It creates the relationships that will be an essential part of the building of standards and plans for our province.

One of the first expectations of the accessibility com- mittee, which will be run through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, is to establish a plan for the province, a plan on how we will go from this important step to the time where we will be able to say that this will actually have a day-to-day impact on people’s lives — from the now, where we are creating the conditions and the legislative framework to make the rules, and when the rules become part of our community, when the rules are put in place. This isn’t a simple process. It’s actually very complex.

Because of that, we need to rely on the ongoing expertise of those who are familiar with the subject and interested in the same goals that we have as a government. I remember asking about accessibility legislation when I was serving in the opposition. At the time, the reason for not creating legislation here in British Columbia was to wait for the Accessible Canada Act. We have it now. I’m so pleased that the work that we’ve done here in B.C. serves to complement the federal legislation. It’s not the reinvention of the wheel that British Colum- bia has undertaken here.

It is definitely British Columbia’s perspective and British Columbia’s path, but in fact, we have relied on the experience of other jurisdictions such as Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. We hope to be able to use the learning that we get from those jur- isdictions to help influence, promote and encourage us as British Columbians to enthusiastically embrace the desire to make our province accessible and inclusive.

In fact, I would like to see this legislation — in fact, I see this legislation — as ultimately going to be resulting in rules, regulations, standards and expectations that we have as a province, that we have of each other. This legis- lation will reflect the expectation we have of our province in being accessible, inclusive and, as one member of the committee mentioned just after the first reading, a kinder province.

I’m very pleased that this foundational enabling legislation is going to allow us to take the next steps towards making British Columbia a more inclusive place. [2:40 p.m.] Now, I would also suggest that by tabling this legislation and by debating it, with my expectation that it passes, we don’t have to wait for this to have an impact on people. I think the fact that we have tabled this legislation and that we have highlighted it as a symbol of how we hope our province to be shows people, who may not have had the same optimism, to maybe have a little more optimism.

Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1635

To those who may have a cynical view of government, I hope it’s slightly less cynical. For parents worried about their children with disabilities, I hope it gives them some comfort that, in fact, we are establishing rules that will make the quality of life of their child better. My hope is that with the passage of standards, we’ll allow those who may have been precluded from oppor- tunity because of a different ability, a diverse ability, a developmental disability…. Perhaps they will now have more opportunity to overcome the attitudinal barriers that exist in our society.

This is about physical barriers, this is about attitudinal barriers, and this is about the way that we break those barriers down and create a more inclusive and accessible province. Now, there have been questions around the province: “Who will this legislation apply to? How will it show up in our communities?

How do we know what our roles will be?” Well, the first step is that with a consultative effort, with a cooperative effort among those who are on the accessibility committee, we establish what organiza- tions we expect to have plans in place to reduce barriers so that they are accessible to as many British Columbi- ans as possible. What organizations are going to have to take steps? What will those steps be? All of this gets established early in the process in order to demonstrate the goal of govern- ment to ensure that regulations are appropriate, that they are embraced and that they’re followed.

Organizations will be expected to create their own accessibility plans in a manner that reflects the interests of their business and of the broader community. These organizations, which are yet to be identified specifically, will be asked to make sure that their plans to make their organization more accessible are clear, informed by the public and informed by people in the disability com- munity, their advocates and their allies in order to ensure that those standards are, in fact, the reflection of our com- munity’s values.

Once these organizations establish their plans, and once they participate in the process of establishing standards, there’s a mechanism for ensuring that standards are met. I say that’s way down the line. The compliance and enforce- ment aspect of this legislation is robust and lengthy. In my view, this legislation, as a reflection of British Columbians, is not going to meet with great controversy. That’s my hope. It’s my expectation that we share a belief that our society should be inclusive.

We share a belief that people should be able to participate in their society to the best of their abilities without unnecessary barriers being put in their way. [2:45 p.m.] The legislation takes the social model approach towards disability in that it defines the barriers as the problem and the issue. The barriers that exist, whether they’re physic- al barriers or attitudinal barriers — we take the approach that what need to be addressed are the barriers that have precluded full participation in society. I would point out that the

definitions that we use are broadly aligned with the

definitions of other accessibility legislation and the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. When I refer to the social model, I’m meaning to define it as a structural issue in which society is responsible for removing the barriers. As one takes a look through the legislation, people will see that the role of the minister in this is to ensure that he or she or they promote accessibility in British Colum- bia. That is the role. The minister has a role to deliberately promote accessibility in this province.

We define Access- Ability Week and enshrine it in law to ensure that there’s a time, if not on everyone’s agenda, for everyone to recog- nize that as much as we have a province that is welcoming, it is sometimes more welcoming to those who do not face the barriers that we see. I call this a new chapter, in recognition of the genera- tions of people who have fought for the rights of people with disabilities. We can all think of the large advocacy groups who have been instrumental in ensuring that this be on the agenda of governments.

But we probably could all think of people in our communities who have stead- fastly made the arguments to us as MLAs, to their com- munities, that we need to do better. We need to do better. So many businesses and organizations have taken steps to become more accessible, to be more inclusive. But we need to do better. This legislation, while it is strong on the compliance and enforcement…. My hope is that this legislation will be an encouragement and a guide, a guide for us as British Columbians to achieve the goal.

Annual reports from the minister will ensure that there’s accountability in the sys- tem, description of the events and objectives and mech- anisms that they have undertaken, that government has undertaken, to pursue the goals of this legislation, and it ensures public accountability. The public wants to know that government is actively interested in ensuring that standards are developed in various sectors. In addition to the annual reports, which the minister will issue and publish, there will be independent reports on the success of accessibility legislation.

Every five years, an independent review will be undertaken. My hope is that after the first five years, we’ll have a lot to be proud of. That will depend, of course, on the energy and the enthusiasm that I’ve witnessed already to continue and be continuing in this endeavour. I look forward to the public consultation that will take place. I look forward to the Parliamentary Secretary on Accessibility, the member for Chilliwack, to be busy with this important work.

I know that he’s looking forward to meeting people in the disability sector — communities, individuals, agencies around the province — to ensure that our accessibility plan is good. [2:50 p.m.] 1636 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

Thank you for your patience as I find my notes or, as the case may be, as I don’t find my notes. However, we’ll man- age. In addition to the public accountability that is required, I’ d like to just talk a bit about the standards that we’re going to be developing or that accessibility committee will be developing in conjunction with technical experts as part of that process. We’ll be looking at establishing standards in…. There’s a list in the legislation that defines employ- ment, the delivery of service, the built environment, trans- portation, health and education.

This is just an unexhaust- ive list of potential areas where standards will be de- veloped. Each of those standards will have their own expert com- mittees or advisers to ensure that they meet the needs of our province. I know we’re going to hear a lot about the standard development as we proceed through the next months and years. I’m looking forward to that process a lot. We’ll obviously be following the principles identified in the act, which include: inclusion, adaptability, diversity, collaboration, self-determination and universal design. Again, it’s not an exhaustive list.

The approach of this legis- lation is that it is not heavily prescriptive, but it does define what is to be expected in our province. No legislation and no regulations can be developed without the active participation of people from Indigenous communities, and I was pleased and will continue to be pleased to ensure that voices of Indigenous People are reflected in the legislation.

At this time, I would say that it’s also important to recognize the intersectionality of the issue, the intersectionality of disability and the complex nature of the relationship between LGBTQ, racialized communities and the intersectionality with the disability issues. My intention is not to go into the details of the specific elements of the legislation, as we reserve that for commit- tee stage, as the Speaker knows. Despite the fact that I haven’t been able to find my notes, I would just like to say that I got on to this train as it was moving.

I’ d like to acknowledge former minister Shane Simpson for beginning this process and making sure that we were all on the way to ensuring that we had legislation by this time. It is an absolute honour that my first piece of legislation as a minister is one that serves to raise up all British Columbians together.

As a society, we often talk about how we treat those without a voice or those who are more marginalized and that being a reflection of our society. [2:55 p.m.] I think this is an example of legislation that is seeking to make our society more equal, that is seeking to ensure that we’re conscious of the barriers that exist and that we’re conscious of the importance of removing those barriers so that people of all abilities can reach their full potential. It’s a pleasure that…. I’m sure that there are going to be comments from my colleagues. I’m looking forward to hearing those. With that, I take my place. S.

Cadieux:As I take my place in this debate today, I will admit: it is a good day. It is a day that, as a member of this House, I am proud. Let me attempt to illustrate why. Imagine for a moment: what if you were the keynote speaker at an event, but you arrived, and you couldn’t get on the stage? What if you couldn’t speak and were not allowed to have a trusted person speak for you while receiving medical services? What if you booked a vaca- tion of a lifetime and arrived at the destination to be told that they didn’t have the room you carefully booked?

What if you applied for a job, but when they called to book the interview and they learned you had a disability, they hung up? What if you wanted to attend a sporting event or a concert with friends but couldn’t sit with them because you were limited to sitting with only one other person, and when you tried to sit with your friends elsewhere, you were asked to leave because you were considered a fire hazard? What if you took your three-year-old to the park to play but were barred from getting to the play- ground equipment with them?

Worse yet, what if you were six years old, and you were the only kid that didn’t get to go to your friend’s birthday party because your friend’s house was inaccessible? Have you ever had to decline an invitation to go to an event or an activity with friends because there was no accessible washroom? What if you’re blind or have lim- ited vision, and you go to a restaurant for lunch, and they haven’t got large print and braille menus?

What if you had a cognitive impairment and couldn’t understand the form you needed to fill out to receive a service because the form used technical language, long sentences and multisyllable words? Would you be frustrated? Would you be sad, disil- lusioned, feel left out, angry? The reality is that the barriers are very real. They still exist today, in 2021. They still exist in British Columbia. But today we start a process to try to change that. Now, I’ll state for the record: my quality of life is not diminished by my disability. I am not unhealthy or unwell because of my disability.

My disability is not a personal tragedy. It is not something that needs to be cured nor something I have to overcome. It is simply part of what makes me, me. We must, as leaders, help to shift the definition of disab- ility from a personal deficit to what occurs because a per- son’s needs are not addressed. Today this Legislature is a big part of that change, seeing the ability and removing the barriers.

I am repeatedly told by businesses when I suggest some improvements to their accessibility that “I’ve done what I’m required to do by law. ” I certainly would have hoped that people’s thinking would have evolved by now, nearly Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1637

30 years after my injury brought me into this community. But it hasn’t — at least, not enough. Being truly inclusive means that people of all abilities have the opportunity to fully participate in their com- munities. It means we continually challenge the attitudes and beliefs about disabilities and then recognize the value of contribution. In 2017, 22 percent of Canadians aged 15 and over — about 6.2 million people in Canada — had one or more disabilities. Women were more likely than men to be a part of that group.

Among those with disabilities aged 25 to 64 who were not employed and not attending school, 39 percent of them wanted to work. That represents nearly 650,000 people with disabilities.

These facts are taken from a Statistics Canada report titledA Demographic, Employ- ment and Income Profile of Canadians with Disabilities Aged 15 and Over, published in November 2018 as part of the Canadian survey on disability. [3:00 p.m.] I’ d like add for the record here today, as well, that a report published by the Conference Board of Canada in January of 2018, titledThe Business Case to Build Physically Accessible Environments, shows that the number of Cana- dians living with a physical disability that impairs their vis- ion, hearing or mobility will rise by 1.8 percent per year — remember that number, 1.8 percent per year — between now and 2030 while total population growth in Canada, over that same period, will average less than 1 percent.

The same report also suggests that implementing meas- ures to improve workplace accessibility would enable 550,000 Canadians with disabilities to work more hours, increasing GDP by $16.8 billion by 2030. This larger pool of available workers would boost the total income of people with disabilities by over $15.5 billion. That would be a true and real poverty reduction strategy. This is the kind of impact we want to see for individuals as a result of this legislation. These are the types of out- comes that we hope will follow.

Now, my own experience with disability does lend me a perspective — my work within the disability com- munity broadly, both as a board member of Disability Alliance B.C. and my work with Spinal Cord Injury B.C. and other disability groups many years ago, and as a former minister responsible for social programs in Brit- ish Columbia. All have broadened my views and exposed me to the vast and varied experiences of people with disabilities. It’s taught me the importance of the challenges associated with bringing those diverse exper- iences to a common goal.

Today’s legislation, I feel, is one common goal we should all agree on. Over my last decade serving in this B.C. Legislature, I’ve been able to move the accessibility agenda forward. At the cabinet table, I made significant changes to our persons with disabilities income supports, specifically around earnings exemptions and asset and trust exemp- tions. I was able to champion a provincewide consulta- tion that led to the commitment to Accessibility 2024, which essentially listed 12 building blocks of items gov- ernment did to advance access and inclusion, and a commitment to legislation.

I’m very pleased that this government and this minister have brought this forward now. I hope the community has been well served by this government in their consultations prior to the bill’s introduction, and I hope those consulted will share any concerns they have with the bill, anything they believe has been missed or doesn’t reach far enough. Indeed, some of those groups have already done so.

I’ll pause for a moment, as well, as the minister did, to thank the team in the Ministry of Social Development, specifically the team led by Sam Turcott, who I know put great energy, enthusiasm and effort into bringing this bill to life and who took most seriously their endeavours to include the community in consultations and to best reflect those learnings in the bill we have before us. Be it the built environment, employment, communic- ations, service delivery, transportation or procurement, the reality is that barriers continue to exist and even to be erected.

We now have the express intent to proact- ively confront those barriers and break them down. So let’s get it right. At first blush, I think the legislation has the bases covered, and we can delve into all of the detail in committee. We do need to learn from those who’ve gone before, and we do need to attempt to move to a national standard and away from creating yet another standard. There are examples of good work already done. I know government has considered these, and we see elements of other pro- vinces’ and the country’s legislative efforts in this bill. We need to recognize that

an act, apart from other standards like the building code, will be ineffective unless there is a requirement within existing processes, such as building permits, that have to adhere to the act. For example, in Ontario, despite great efforts to provide a built environment standard that would ensure access and inclusion, it was deemed unworkable and not included in the bill. That enabled the lesser minimum standard to still be how buildings are permitted, leaving businesses in a dif- ficult position and a building code that doesn’t conform to the requirements to meet the human rights code or the AODA.

Confusion still rules, and people with disabilities still pay the price. We can, again, discuss this further at committee stage as to how we will ensure that doesn’t hap- pen in British Columbia. I know from the consultations we did prior to Access- ibility 2024 and that this government did in preparation for this legislation…. We have heard about the struggles that Canadians with disabilities face on a regular basis.

We have heard, I believe, that British Columbians with disab- ilities hope it will lead to more consistent experiences of accessibility and that it should apply to all areas of pro- vincial jurisdiction and be aligned with the federal and 1638 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

municipal rules. We know it needs to be enforceable, and it needs to include penalties for non-compliance. It must have a mechanism for complaints and oversight. [3:05 p.m.] Again, today I’m sharing my thoughts here from a num- ber of perspectives — as a person with a disability and as someone who has been an advocate and a service provider and a legislator. Equality rights are at the core of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and certainly are entrenched in our constitution. Guarantees of equality to all persons before and under the law go far beyond formal words in

section 15 of the Charter.

Article 9 of the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, which Canada ratified in 2010, outlines society’s obligation to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities. This provision requires that we “take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others. ” Upholding these rights to equality is why we need stand-alone accessibility legislation. I recognize there are challenges in legislating the depth and breadth of things we want to see changed. There are limitations on what legislation can and can’t do effectively.

For the deaf community, the recognition of sign lan- guages as primary languages is a very positive step. Indeed, this was an amendment to the federal legislation, before that legislation passed. However, the deaf and Deafblind community has expressed concern that Quebec sign lan- guage has not been included and that full recognition of the community as a distinct cultural linguistic community is necessary to ensure their unique needs are covered by this legislation.

I will have questions on many things as we move through committee stage, but I expect to have a few more significant reservations or, perhaps, suggestions for im- provements before we pass the bill. And they follow. Unlike the Accessible Canada Act, the sole responsib- ility for the act implementation and oversight sits within government rather than an independent office. Like Bill 6, Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act depends on government- appointed inspectors, but in addition, it provides a process for complaints by members of the public when organiza- tions do not comply with accessibility standards.

C-81 fed- erally, the Accessible Canada Act, goes even further, cre- ating an accessibility commission to independently invest- igate complaints about non-compliance with accessibility standards. I, like many advocates, am concerned that the lack of an individual complaints process could create additional barriers for people with disabilities seeking remedy on the infringements of any rights that they may be trying to access, which may be provided by regulations and stand- ards that may be developed under this act.

Now, it is clear that government has chosen to focus on government and, likely, government entities with this legislation, at least for the immediate term, and not on the private sector. While I understand the approach — and it may be the right one — it does also mean that true positive change and the removal of barriers for people with disab- ilities in their everyday lives, in their economic lives, may still be delayed for many more years. All of those examples I gave earlier and so many more will still be left to individuals to advocate for change.

I acknowledge that it is possible the regulations that may be written following this act can prescribe other organiza- tions so that the Accessible B.C. Act will apply to parts or all of the non-profit and private sector. But it is not guar- anteed by this act. Furthermore, even if other organizations are prescribed, there’s nothing in Bill 6 that prevents government from unprescribing. This leaves the act vulnerable to influence from both the private sector or, in fact, other entities even inside government.

We feel strongly that people with dis- abilities, British Columbians, deserve to feel certain that this act is, indeed, going to ensure and enshrine their full and meaningful access and participation in society writ large, not just government.

The Accessible Canada Act’s definition of disability means “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sens- ory impairment — or a functional or limitation — wheth- er permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society, ” while this bill fails to include learning and communication in the definition at all. For clarity and consistency, I feel strongly that the definition should be in alignment with the Accessible Canada Act.

This act provides for accountability through annual reports and independent reviews. However, there are no prescriptive timelines for the removal of barriers. And since when has a government report been enough to guar- antee the meeting of goals in a timely manner? [3:10 p.m.] Finally, unlike other accessibility laws across Canada, nowhere in Bill 6 does it explicitly state that nothing with- in the law diminishes the existing rights of people with dis- abilities.

Other Canadian accessibility laws explicitly state that they’re supposed to work in alignment with other human rights law — in our case, the B.C. human rights code — to prevent discrimination of any kind. In Ontario, for example, there is a reference in the AODA that specific- ally references that in any dispute or conflict between laws or standards, the higher standard of access wins. The final authority is the law that gives people with disabilities the most access.

There is no doubt we have much to do, and the most positive thing, in my mind, is that the stars have been aligning in terms of understanding the need and value of diversity in the workplace and accessible environments. I really believe we’ve largely reached a place of consensus Monday, May 10, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1639

that more does need to be done. And as we move forward and as this act takes life, we will undoubtedly be con- fronted with many more challenges in coming to common understandings and agreeable compromises in order to bring out this legislation and regulations to move forward. There will be, I understand, attempts to engage fur- ther with the private sector, and that’s good.

In doing so, I urge government to help reframe the face of access- ibility — yes, as a legislated responsibility but also as a necessity for the fact that this 25 percent of the popula- tion that has an accommodation need is not a discrete group. It is not a group that needs something special. But in fact, it’s 25 percent of every group, of every market segment, every target, every cultural group, every work- place and every community. It’s clear that people with disabilities continue to feel dis- enfranchised by policies that are ineffective because they were not developed with a lens on accessibility.

Govern- ments and private sector organizations have, in fact, for years espoused the values of inclusion and accessibility. But accessibility too often isn’t required and gets missed. Even worse, frankly, unconscious bias allows folks to decide a lens on accessibility isn’t needed, and we go for- ward [audio interrupted] problems. Then when people with disabilities are confronted by a barrier to access, the message that sends is: “Y ou’re different, and you aren’t wel- come here. ” This act can and hopefully will be a radical agent of change for British Columbians with disabilities.

It does send a message that government and, indeed, every mem- ber of this Legislature, I hope, is taking action to advance accessibility and inclusion. The advocates and, perhaps even more, the disabled will be looking for this act to bring about both systemic and societal attitudinal change. It is a big expectation to fill, but it is the right thing to do. It makes economic and social sense. I look forward to examining it in detail during com- mittee stage and hope other members will join me in ensuring the legislation is as robust as we can make it, as we start out. As my friend, the Hon.

Carla Qualtrough said, as she spoke to the third reading of the Accessible Canada Act, Bill C-81: “For too long, Canadians with disabilities have had to fight on their own when it came to advancing their rights. By bringing in new measures to improve accessibility, with a focus on accountab- ility and transparency, we are moving forward toward a new cul- ture of accessibility. “The Accessible Canada Act would work to put an end to the practice of exclusion. With Bill C-81, we can have a system where our institutions, not individuals, are responsible for enabling change.

We can move forward from the principle of ‘nothing about us without us’ to simply ‘nothing without us, ’ because everything is about us. ” Let’s hope this House approaches this Accessible B.C. Act with that same spirit and intent top of mind. With that, Mr. Speaker, I’ll say thank you. [3:15 p.m.] D. Coulter:It gives me great pleasure to speak in sup- port of Bill 6, the Accessible British Columbia Act. The introduction of this accessibility legislation is a significant step forward in building a barrier-free B.C.

I just wanted to start my remarks by acknowledging some of the incredible staff team I’ve had the privilege of working with for the past couple of months. Sam Turcott has been leading our efforts as the execut- ive lead in the accessibility secretariat. His leadership and support in getting the minister and I up to speed on this critical work has been greatly appreciated. Krissi Spinoza, our director of stakeholder relations and Guillaume Dufresne, our director of policy, have been cornerstones in establishing the positive work culture and incredible performance of the secretariat.

Finally, Tess Hawkins, policy analyst; Shaylin Williams, policy analyst; Brynne Langford, policy analyst; Amanda Arnet, administrative assistant; and Denise Clair Smith, assistant to the executive lead. This small but mighty team of eight staff have made this legislation possible, and I’m looking forward to working with them all in the years ahead as we work to get these standards right. I wanted to begin by acknowledging the evolution of disability in B.C. All barriers start as ideas, and it’s important to recognize where the barriers we face today originated from.

Historically, policies and practices have been designed to exclude and, in some cases, eradicate disabled people. B.C. opened its first asylum in 1872, rebranded as the Provincial Asylum for the Insane in 1878, which would later be renamed Woodlands School in 1950 and again to just Woodlands in 1974. This institution was open for over a century, having closed in 1996. Woodlands was supposed to provide care for children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental ill- ness. But we know the legacy of the institution, one that was riddled with systemic abuse.

In 2002, former pro- vincial Ombudsperson Dulcie McCallum determined that there had been widespread sexual, physical and psycholo- gical abuse of Woodlands residents. However, the provin- cial government at the time did not accept the findings in the McCallum report. In August 2002, a class action lawsuit was put forward by former Woodlands residents. After it was certified, the province sought and won a ruling at the B.C. Court of Appeal to exclude former students who lived at Woodlands prior to August 1, 1974.

This decision was applied to the settlement agreement eventually reached in 2009 and approved in 2010, establishing a compensa- tion claims process. In 2018, the Premier and Minister of Health announced that former residents of Woodlands who attended the school before August 1, 1974, would finally receive com- pensation for systemic abuse suffered at the provincial 1640 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 10, 2021

institution. At the time, the Health Minister had this to say: “I want to recognize the Woodlands survivors, many who I met on this issue more than a decade ago. They have persisted against prejudice and mistreatment from the province for decades, even after the school shut its doors and a settlement agreement was reached with some former residents.

Today’s announcement brings some small measure of justice for them, and I am very proud of the Premier and many advocates for making it happen. ” Now, we’ve come a long way since eugenics, forced ster- ilization and institutionalization, but we must recognize the history that has shaped the conversation about people with disabilities. There are over 926,000 British Columbians over the age of 15 that have a disability. This makes up nearly 25 per- cent of the population.

In B.C., a higher proportion of women, 26.5 percent, report living with a disability, while only 22.9 percent of men report living with a disability. Disability prevalence is also much higher among Indi- genous People across Canada. So 36 percent of Indigen- ous women and 26 percent of Indigenous men report having a disability. These figures are based on Stats Canada’s 2017 numbers and exclude Indigenous People living on reserve. We know that the percentage of people reporting a dis- ability increases with age and that people with disabilities are diverse in terms of their experiences, backgrounds and needs.

Disability types vary. [3:20 p.m.] The highest proportion of disability type is related to pain, but we know people also face disabilities impacting their flexibility, mobility, mental health, seeing, hearing, dexterity, learning, memory, development and more. The way in which people experience their disability also varies greatly. Some disabilities are continuous, while oth- ers are progressive. Some are recurrent, and others are fluctuating.

According to a survey conducted by Stats Canada in 2017, three in five Canadians with disabilities do not fit the conventional view of disability as continuous and unchanging. We also know the severity of disabilities also varies greatly. These statistics show the sheer diversity in how disab- ility is experienced. It’s therefore important to remember, as we move ahead with the development of accessibility standards, equity and the equal access to opportunities will be critically important for consideration. I’m sure all members in this House have noticed that I use a wheelchair.

What some members may not know, however, is that I’ve been using a wheelchair for over two decades, as a result of a serious workplace accident. Des- pite using a wheelchair for many years, my knowledge of disability, up until quite recently, was relatively limited.

I was aware of barriers I encounter on a regular basis, whether that’s the need to circle the exterior of a venue more than once to assess if there’s an accessible entrance and corresponding parking spaces or, once inside, trying to identify where the closest accessible washroom is or fig- ure out if the venue itself has appropriate elevators or lifts to navigate between floors.

Because of the inaccessible environments that surround us, there have been many times where I’ve had to rely on the help of those around me, whether it’s my aging father doing the herculean task of lifting his son up a set of stairs — and I haven’t been getting lighter, I’ll just say that — or my friends trying to come up with innovative ways for us to get around downtown Vancouver as a result of access- ible taxis not being available, or my staff and caucus col- leagues doing everything they can to ensure that I’m able to effectively navigate this Legislature that I have the priv- ilege of speaking from today.

Barriers to being a wheelchair user exist all around us, but these types of physical barriers represent only a sub-

section of the barriers people with disabilities face in their everyday life. In many ways, as a white cisgender male in a wheelchair, I am what many think of when they hear the words “disability” or “disabled. ” Up until recently, I wasn’t actively considering all of the barriers people with disabil- ities experience. Since becoming the Parliamentary Secretary for Access- ibility, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many indi- viduals and groups who have shared information about the barriers they face and the opportunities we have with this legislation before us today

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20210510pm-Hansard-n65
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20210510pm Hansard n65
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	650d32726b2e766cf2f489198ec8a250b034bd08

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