British Columbia Hansard — 1 November 2018, a.m., Issue 175 (41st Parliament, 3rd Session)

20181101am-Hansard-n175

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session, 41st Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday, November 1, 2018 Morning Sitting Issue No. 175 THE HONOURABLE DARRYL PLECAS, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raj Chouhan Assistant Deputy Speaker................................................................................................................................................................... Linda Reid Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ....................................................................................................................................................Craig James Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees.................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Clerk Assistant — Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..........................................................................................Susan Sourial Sessional Law Clerk...............................................................................................................................................Loredana Catalli-Sonier, QC Sergeant-at-Arms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary Lenz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTENTS Thursday, November 1, 2018 Morning Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 6125 Introduction and First Reading of Bills................................................................................................................................ 6125 Bill 50 — Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2018 Hon. D.

Eby Statements (Standing Order 25B) ......................................................................................................................................... 6126 Response to wildfires in Columbia River–Revelstoke area D. Clovechok Re-establishment of human rights commission R. Chouhan Sustainable agriculture and food systems programs at Kwantlen University L. Reid Indigenous Disability Awareness Month M. Dean Role of journalists and free press S. Furstenau Blood donation campaign by Sikh Nation R.

Singh Oral Questions......................................................................................................................................................................... 6128 Bus service in rural B.C. D. Clovechok Hon. C. Trevena Ride-sharing services J. Thornthwaite Hon. C. Trevena Forest management practices and sustainability A. Olsen Hon. D. Donaldson Funding for rapid transit project in Surrey T. Redies Hon. J. Horgan T. Stone Massey Tunnel replacement project I. Paton Hon. J. Horgan J.

Johal Orders of the Day Second Reading of Bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 6133 Bill 53 — Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2018 Hon. D. Eby M. Lee A. Weaver

THURSDAY , NOVEMBER 1, 2018 The House met at 10:05 a.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. Introductions by Members Hon. D. Eby: There are a number of guests in the gallery here for an historic day in our B.C. Legislature, related to the re-establishment of the human rights commission. There are a number of them, so I’ll run through and just ask members to hold their applause right till the very end.

I’m very pleased to welcome Kasari Govender, executive director of West Coast LEAF; Gurpreet Singh; Kamaljit Thind; Morgane Oger; Catherine Jenkins; Joanna Gis- lason; Sarah Robinson, who is a member of the Minister’s Advisory Council on Indigenous Women. Nico Slobinsky and Jason Murray are here. They’re the director and the chair of the B.C. Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. Aleem Bharmal is the executive director of the Com- munity Legal Assistance Society.

There are several staff from the Ministry of Attorney Gen- eral who have been working on this human rights legislation: Renee Mulligan, Carmen Zabarauckas, Catherine Hunt, Kelly Farish, Kathleen Reilly, Tarynn McKenzie, Jen Helmy, Courtenay Jacklin, Mackenzie Curran, Nima Dorji and Leanna Gruendel. Also, I’ d like to acknowledge the assistance of a couple of experts that assisted as well: human rights experts Gwen Brodsky and Shelagh Day, and Katherine Hardie, who’s seni- or legal counsel at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. Would the House please make them all feel very welcome. R.

Chouhan: It gives me great pleasure to introduce Harinder Mahil. He has been an anti-racist and human rights activist since the 1970s. He served the people of Brit- ish Columbia as chair of the British Columbia Council of Human Rights from 1992 to 1997, and as the deputy chief commissioner of the British Columbia Human Rights Com- mission from 1997 to 2002. He was acting chief commissioner of the British Columbia Human Rights Commission when the previous commission was dismantled in 2002, and he was also a member of the Canadian delegation to the 1993 United Nations World Con- ference on Human Rights in Vienna.

Along with him also is my friend Chris Finding, who was a manager of investigations for the Human Rights Com- mission when the commission was dismantled. He recently retired after occupying a senior management position for the last 16 years with the HEU. Thérèse Boullard was a human rights officer at the B.C. Human Rights Commission for some ten years and then served as the executive director of the Northwest Territories for five years. Please join me to give them a very warm welcome. D.

Davies:It gives me great pleasure to introduce a good friend of mine, Dallas Isert, who’s travelled all the way down from the snowy white north — as we now have snow up there — from Fort St. John. Please make Dallas feel welcome. Hon. S. Simpson: As members will know, November is Indigenous Disability Awareness Month. It’s my pleasure today to welcome members of the B.C. Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, better known to some as BCANDS, who are joining us today to kick the month off: Melissa Aird, Evelyn Huntjens, Debi LaHaise, Cindy Rebain, Alex- andra Pierik, Marina King and Margo Bok.

They’re joined by BCANDS executive director Neil Belanger, who’s also a member of the Poverty Reduction Advisory Forum.

BCANDS is an award-winning Indigenous charitable society who serve the unique and diverse disability, health resource and support service needs of Indigenous people across our province, and 2018 marks the 27th year of suc- cessfully delivering Indigenous disability and health pro- grams to people who need them. [10:10 a.m.] I’m proud to be wearing their pin today, along with many of my colleagues, recognizing the invaluable contributions that BCANDS makes to removing barriers and promoting inclusivity across our province. Will the House please make them welcome.

Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL 50 — HUMAN RIGHTS CODE AMENDMENT ACT, 2018 Hon. D. Eby presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2018. Hon. D. Eby:I move the bill be introduced and read a first time now. It’s a personal honour, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to present this bill on behalf of the government. This bill amends the human rights code to re-establish a human rights commission for British Columbia. For years, British Columbia has been the only province in Canada without a human right commission.

This bill is part of the government’s agenda to build a better B.C. for all. Creating a human rights commission is part of a new era for human rights in B.C., one which will foster a society in which every person is treated with respect and dignity and ensure that rights and opportunities are provided without discrimination. This bill creates a human rights commissioner who will 6125

be an independent officer of the Legislature. This model is meant to ensure the longevity of the commissioner so that the turbulent history of human rights commissions in Brit- ish Columbia is not repeated. The commissioner will have the key function of educating British Columbians on human rights and examining and addressing discrimination, particularly issues of systemic discrimination. A lack of understanding and knowledge can often be the cause of discrimination, especially in the work- place.

Healthy, respectful relationships based on an under- standing of circumstance and history, together with inclus- ive, solution-based approaches to issues, will create a stronger and more cohesive community. It is envisioned that by giving the commissioner the powers to promote as well as protect human rights, the discriminatory practices, policies and programs will be reduced and eventually eliminated. The commissioner will have the power to initiate inquiries into human rights issues and issues of systemic discrim- ination in order to hold governments, institutions and the private sector to account.

At the conclusion of an inquiry, the commissioner may make recommendations and speak pub- licly in order to reduce, prevent and eliminate issues of dis- crimination. The commissioner’s inquiry powers will come into force at a future date, once the commissioner’s mandate is under- way. The amendments will also extend the time limit for fil- ing complaints to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal from six months to one year, while maintaining the tribunal’s discre- tion to accept late-filed complaints in certain circumstances.

I’m sure all of the members of the House understand the importance of this bill at these times that we face, and I’m incredibly honoured to put it forward for first reading. Mr. Speaker:The question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Hon. D. Eby: I move the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Bill 50, Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2018, 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) RESPONSE TO WILDFIRES IN COLUMBIA RIVER–REVELSTOKE AREA D. Clovechok:As we all know, 2018 was the worst fire season on record in British Columbia, with close to 13,000 square kilometres being burnt, a fire season that precipit- ated a provincewide state of emergency. British Columbi- ans suffered not only from the smoke that was province- wide, but many families were uprooted from their lives and their homes due to evacuation orders, with others being put on alerts. My riding was not immune to this provincial firestorm.

Two fires of note were the Meachen Creek fire and the Cross River fire that resulted in evacuation orders and evacuation alerts. Y et out of that darkness and smoke emerged great light, and that light was the people. I want to recognize and commend the St. Mary Lake and Ta Ta Creek residents for the courage they showed in the face of disaster during their evacuations. I am so proud of the residents of Kimberley, who took the alert in stride. They prepared their emergency kits and took care of each other.

I want to thank and commend Lyle Wilson and his staff from Nipika Resort, who evacuated an entire wedding that was underway during the evacuation order, which is no easy task. [10:15 a.m.] I want to thank and commend the mayor of Kimberley, Don McCormick, who demonstrated incredible leadership and compassion during a very difficult and very stressful time. I worked closely with him, and in spite of the pressure, he did not flinch. I want to thank and commend Kimberley Fire Chief Rick Prasad and his members, who did not sleep until they were certain their community was safe.

I want to thank and commend the Kimberley RCMP detachment commander, Sgt. Chris Newel, and all of his and visiting deployed members, who protected and served bey- ond duty and expectations during the evacuation alert. The force is proud of you, and your community thanks you. I want to thank and recognize Brent Martin, with FLNRORD and the B.C. Wildfire Service. He is a credit to this province. He’s a consummate professional and a credit to his profession. I want to thank Teck Coal for the donation of the Kimber- ley minesite buildings for the fire command centre.

Last but not least, I want to thank and recognize the staff of the regional district of East Kootenay, RDEK director Jane Walter, who is one of the St. Mary Lake evacuees, and the southeast fire centre and all of the firefighters, women and men from across Canada, who daily put themselves in harm’s way protecting my communities. We survived the firestorm, and I’m grateful that winter is on its way. RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION R. Chouhan:Today is an exciting day for British Colum- bians. It is a day I have been waiting for since 2002.

I am proud to be part of a government that has introduced legisla- tion to bring back the British Columbia human rights com- mission, which was dismantled in 2002. I represent the Burnaby-Edmonds constituency, which is 6126 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

the most diverse in the province. It has First Nations people, those who came from China, Korea, India and from many African countries. They represent different cultures, reli- gions and races, and they speak over 70 different languages. Those who live in Burnaby, like many other regions of the province, are of different genders and ages and have different abilities. One thing that unites us all is our belief in equality, tol- erance and concepts of treating each other with respect and dignity. Our history shows us that we cannot take these val- ues for granted.

We know that there has been discrimination and intoler- ance in our province. During World War II, thousands of British Columbians of Japanese origin were sent to intern- ment camps. First Nations people and other minorities were denied the right to vote. Equality is something we have to constantly strive for. For that, we need institutions such as the human rights com- mission. Since 2005, I have introduced a private member’s bill three times to re-establish the human rights commission. Human rights laws protect all of us. I believe it was wrong to dismantle the commission in 2002.

British Columbians have been denied the services of a commission for the last 16 years. This legislation will correct that wrong. It will give a vehicle for British Columbians to build a society which is free of all types of discrimination. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS PROGRAMS AT KW ANTLEN UNIVERSITY L. Reid: I recently had the enormous privilege of taking a fall harvest tour with Dr. Rebecca Harbut, chair of the department of sustainable agriculture and food systems at Kwantlen University. It was a perfect autumn day. Dr. Harbut is a gift to Kwantlen University and to our community.

Her wisdom, enthusiasm and commitment to sustainable agri- culture are unparalleled. I come from a long line of Saskatchewan farmers. There is nothing better than a flax field in bloom. I was delighted to see a greenhouse dome on the Richmond site, which will now allow for earlier plantings. This 20-acre site is located on the Garden City lands, with other programs found on the Richmond campus terraces and indoors at the university. I speak of the seed research underway. It was impressive to learn of the many partners in this important work, includ- ing Dr.

Kent Mullinix, director of the institute for sustainable food systems. Please consider a degree — a bachelor of applied science in sustainable agriculture. It uniquely integrates the science and art of agro-ecosystem management. The students engage in learning through classes, practical training on certified organic teachings and on research farms, community engagement and student research projects. Whether it’s a new seed or a winter groundcover, Kwantlen University is each day inspiring leaders in sustainable food systems.

Please respect the students’ projects, and don’t eat their homework until the marks are recorded. [10:20 a.m.] INDIGENOUS DISABILITY AW ARENESS MONTH M. Dean: November is Indigenous Disability Awareness Month in British Columbia, a month which recognizes and acknowledges the important contributions Indigenous people with disabilities make to our province. This month has its roots right here in B.C. The British Columbia Abori- ginal Network on Disability Society, BCANDS, serving B.C. from Esquimalt-Metchosin, created the first Indigenous Dis- ability Awareness Month in 2015.

It is part of a growing movement to recognize Indigenous people with disabilities in Canada and around the world. The month is recognized nationally by the Assembly of First Nations and by Métis Nation B.C., the First Nations Summit and several other disability-related organizations. During the month, we acknowledge the unique challenges that Indigenous people with disabilities face, like accessib- ility barriers and limited employment opportunities, that magnify the social and economic inclusion they experience.

Since 1991, BCANDS has been an important resource for Indigenous people with disabilities in providing disabil- ity health and resource support. They’ve helped break down barriers and increase inclusion for some of the province’s most vulnerable people. In March 2019, BCANDS will hold their Indigenous Disability and Wellness Gathering, “From the outside looking in…. ” I hope that you will join me in promoting awareness for Indigenous people with disabilities this November. One way to show your support is by wearing this pin.

It’s a symbol of our recognition of the invaluable contributions and unique challenges Indigenous people with disabilities often face in B.C. Together we can help break down barriers and ensure everyone can participate in inclusive and striving com- munities. ROLE OF JOURNALISTS AND FREE PRESS S. Furstenau: On Monday, the annual Jack Webster Awards were given to B.C. journalists for their outstanding work over the course of the last year. I extend my sincere congratulations to this year’s winners as well as all members of the journalistic community for their vital work as part of our province’s free press.

The press plays a vital role in society. Journalists speak truth to power, tell the stories that need to be told and bring hidden issues to light, enabling us to make changes needed for a more just world. It was journalists that exposed such massive injustices as the child abuse in the Boston Catholic Church and egregious Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6127

abuses of political power like Watergate. It was journalists who revealed the horrific human cost of the Vietnam War and who more recently helped tell the stories of survivors in the pivotal Me Too movement. Tragically, journalists often face violence. In 2017, 71 journalists worldwide were murdered or killed while report- ing, covering an incident or simply because they were a journalist. We must stand united in condemning these attacks in the strongest possible terms. The free press is also facing unprecedented challenges.

Studies estimate that one-third of Canadian journalism jobs have been lost in the last six years. The rise of digital media has disrupted the industry and has led to a proliferation of alternative facts, disinformation and Internet conspiracy theories that have had a corrosive and divisive effect on our public discourse. In today’s climate, the role of the free press is more vital than ever. It’s important that we recognize and support the crucial work journalists do in pursuing fact-based reporting and upholding the truth.

To quote theWashington Post, a paper that is doing an outstanding job in the face of even big- ger challenges south of the border: “Democracy dies in dark- ness. ” Journalists shed light on the issues that matter so that we might build a stronger democracy. BLOOD DONATION CAMPAIGN BY SIKH NATION R. Singh: There isn’t a more noble act than saving a human life. Today I wish to draw the attention of the House to a wonderful initiative that many of my constituents help organize and donate at. The event is the annual blood dona- tion drive by Sikh Nation.

Since its inception almost 20 years ago, approximately 130,000 lives have been saved. These drives are organized in commemoration of the vic- tims of the anti-Sikh massacre that rocked the Indian nation in the first week of November 1984, following the assas- sination of then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Innocent Sikhs were killed across the country by the mobs to punish the entire community for the murder of the Prime Minister. [10:25 a.m.] I was in India back then, and I still remember the atmo- sphere of hatred and dread created by the violence directed at a single community.

When the bloodshed started, we lived in constant fear for the lives and security of my aunts and uncles living in New Delhi, the national capital, which was hit worst by the pogrom. Though I was fortunate enough to be far from the epi- centre of the mayhem, that wasn’t the case with many oth- ers, who got killed and molested only because of their identity. Even a quarter of a century having passed, the families and those affected are still dealing with trauma and waiting for justice.

Despite all that, the Sikh Nation volunteers come together each year to organize a campaign to save lives through blood donation and continue to set an example of fighting hatred and injustice with love and giving. As this campaign con- tinues to grow across North America every year, I want to applaud the blood donation volunteers for restoring our confidence in humanity in the face of bigotry and barbarity. Oral Questions BUS SERVICE IN RURAL B.C. D. Clovechok:The Minister of Transportation has known about the elimination of Greyhound services in British Columbia for well over a year now.

Talk about being asleep at the wheel. Under her watch, there are dozens of communit- ies that are suffering from the loss of these services — com- munities like mine in Kimberley, Invermere, Radium, not to mention about the rest of the province, like Armstrong, Dawson Creek and Penticton. The question for the minister: why has this minister failed so many rural communities throughout British Columbia? Hon. C. Trevena:I’m very pleased to see the member for Columbia River–Revelstoke back in full health here, and I’m very happy to take his question.

Greyhound’s announcement, I think, caught the whole of Canada by surprise. It was pulling out, not just in B.C. but pulling out from the whole of western Canada. Since Grey- hound made its announcement, we’ve been working dili- gently with communities, with the private sector, to make sure that we are doing as much coverage as we can. I’m very pleased to say that 83 percent of routes that Grey- hound was covering in the southern half of the province are going to be covered by private operators.

And in the northern half of the province, as the member well knows, we moved very quickly to have an interim service with B.C. Transit, with B.C. Bus North, which is covering the northern half of the province. I continue to work with my federal counterparts, with communities, with Indigenous organizations to ensure that those remaining gaps are filled. Mr. Speaker:Columbia River–Revelstoke on a supple- mental. D. Clovechok:I thank you for that answer — although the minister seems to want to pat herself on the back, with all of the work that she’s done. Just a reminder, of course, that self- praise is no praise.

Not to say…. At the very least, it’s not about counting kilo- metres. It’s about communities that are no longer connected in rural British Columbia. It’s about seniors, about students, about families who rely on bus services between these com- munities — services that have been abandoned under this minister’s watch. My question to the minister: will she tell the communities 6128 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

that have been abandoned when they’ll be getting a return to the real service and regular service? Hon. C. Trevena:I understand that people are absolutely concerned about the access to ground transportation. It’s something that we have known about — and the opposition, when they were government, knew about — for a long while — the precarious nature of Greyhound and the likelihood that they were going to be pulling out from the province. This was not new. The suddenness was new.

We have been working diligently, through the Passenger Transportation Board, the independent board, to make sure that as many communities are covered. The Passenger Trans- portation Board looks at each application, looks at each route it’s doing, assesses the communities and makes the decision. They’ve been expediting it, and I’m very pleased they have. For those remaining segments — the eight remaining seg- ments that Greyhound used to cover — the Passenger Trans- portation Board will be working with them to have expres- sions of interest so we can see whether commercial operators can come and fill the gap.

I’m fully aware that people need safe, affordable ground transportation, and we are working diligently to make sure that we can have those gaps covered. [10:30 a.m.] Mr. Speaker:Columbia River–Revelstoke on a second supplemental. D. Clovechok:It’s interesting that one minute she’s really surprised, and now she’s known about it forever. So it’s kind of contradictory. Y esterday she said to my constituents, and I’m going to quote: “Use the different sorts of ride-share, and I cite Popar- ide as one of the ones that is sort of a true ride-share. ” Ser- iously, Poparide?

I went to the Premier’s favourite informa- tion source, Google, to find out what this Poparide thing was all about. I’ll tell you what. In my riding, there was only one reference to a Poparide — one reference — and it was a guy that wanted to go to Golden for nine bucks. I thought: “Does someone want to put their children on that bus, their wife on that bus or in that vehicle?” Does this minister actually believe that Poparide is a viable transporta- tion solution for seniors, folks with disabilities, students and families, my grandchildren in my remote rural riding?

Seri- ously, do you think that this is a viable solution? Hon. C. Trevena:We have been working with the Pas- senger Transportation Board to make sure that we can cover as much of the province as possible. I’ve got to say that I’m very proud of the work that has been done by the Passenger Transportation Board as well as by B.C. Trans- it, who came in to move, in the north, when Greyhound pulled out from the north. We now have coverage for the north and interim service. I’ve been working with MLAs from the north on that and with communities in the north.

I continue to work with communities around the province to ensure that we can fill those gaps. It is a priority. We know that there are people who feel that they’re not being served and are not being served, and we’re making sure that we are trying to fill those gaps. RIDE-SHARING SERVICES J. Thornthwaite:Well, if the Transportation Minister had kept her promise, we’ d actually have real ride-sharing in this province of British Columbia right now. Just listen to the frustration…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members, we shall hear the question. The member for North Vancouver–Seymour has the floor. J.

Thornthwaite:Just listen to the frustration of Nikki, from North Van, who tweets: “I tried for an hour to get through to North Shore Taxi tonight. My phone redialed nearly 100 times and never completed a call. Please explain to me why we don’t have ride-sharing in Vancouver. ” My question is like Nikki’s. When are we getting ride- sharing in British Columbia? Hon. C. Trevena:I thank the member for her question. It’s something that she could have asked her own government when they were in government, because they had five years to work on it. We have been working on it.

We have made sure that we worked on a two-phased approach, as we announced in July, getting more cabs on the road, 500 more vehicles — we’re expecting to see them roll out shortly — as well as collecting more data so that we know where the needs are. We said there will be legislation this fall. There will be legislation this fall. Mr. Speaker:North Vancouver–Seymour on a supple- mental. J. Thornthwaite:All three parties in this House promised ride-sharing in their campaigns in 2017. We were going to bring it forward. We already had the work done.

The fact is that you promised it in 2017, promised it in 2018, and nobody believes you’re going to bring it in this year. We’ve got one more… Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. Members, we shall hear the ques- tion. J. Thornthwaite:…Christmas season. People on the North Shore are begging to bring in ride-sharing. Everybody Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6129

on the North Shore either knows somebody or has experi- ence, personal experiences, from shoddy cab service. Either they’re trying to get a cab from downtown to go home, or they can’t get a cab from North Shore to downtown. The issue is for you, Minister. Can you explain to my con- stituents when we’re going to get ride-sharing? [10:35 a.m.] Hon. C. Trevena:The member asks why we haven’t done in one year what they didn’t get done in five years. Maybe she should listen to her own leader.

He said, back in July when we were announcing the fact that we are going to be bringing in legislation this fall, the fact that we are working with the Passenger Transportation Board, an independent tribunal, to get more cabs on the road….

At that time, the Leader of the Opposition said: “The issue is about the quality of vehicles involved, the safety of pas- sengers, the safe drivers involved and the insurance product. ” He continues: “So let’s get on this and fix this serious situ- ation so we can get on with more widespread driver recruit- ment systems. ” That is what we’re going to be doing through our legisla- tion. It will be introduced this fall, and then the member will know that this side of the House actually keeps its promises, unlike the other side of the House, which had five years to do something and ignored the problem.

FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND SUSTAINABILITY A. Olsen:British Columbia is a leader in low-value raw log exports and mill closures. We’re not producing enough value-added wood products. This summer I posted photos of massive piles of slash on the way to Sooke. This morning I posted photos of that valuable fibre burning. B.C. mills are a huge opportunity for innovation. Bio- plastics, for instance, can be made from wood and pulp waste. We can retrofit mills to turn wood debris into every- thing from bioplastic food waste packaging to 3D printer stock.

If our forestry industry is going to continue to offer long-term, good-paying jobs and if we are going to sustain- ably manage our forests, it will not be with the status quo. Our mindset needs to change, and mills need to evolve. To the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources, can the minister provide tangible examples of how his min- istry is supporting the innovation in mills to embrace these changing times? Hon. D. Donaldson:I want to say thanks for the ques- tion.

Forest management is an important topic in this province, as many of the MLAs in this chamber know, and moving ahead in a new way is important in light of a chan- ging landscape, in light of climate change and in light of decreasing timber supply. We have been working with the industry on Vancouver Island and on the coast, with First Nations, with commun- ities on a coast forest revitalization strategy. We began that in June. We had meetings throughout the three months over the summer. We met again in September.

What it is all about is encouraging new forestry practices to maximize utilization and get more value out of the fibre currently being logged. The example that the member brought up around wood waste and wood left in the woods is something that’s been addressed through our new coast forest revitalization strategy. It’s an important topic. We must get more jobs out of every piece of wood that’s being logged and that’s in the forest. It’s something that we’re keeping our eye on, and we’re going to make changes in 2019. Mr. Speaker:Saanich North and the Islands on a supple- mental. A.

Olsen:We’ve heard from mayors and councillors, Indi- genous leaders, environmental groups, academics and domestic and international sciences. They are united in the criticism of our province’s forest management. A Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report this year highlighted the massive job losses and mill closures under the former B.C. Liberal government, despite being the self- appointed masters of job creation and defenders of rural British Columbia. It called our forest management “a pro- gram of liquidation, not sustainable forestry. ” Decades-old forestry policy is not the way of the future.

If it was, should I expect my Myspace account to blow up? To the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development, what substantive steps is the minister taking to move away from wholesale liquidation to sustain- able forest management? [10:40 a.m.] Hon. D. Donaldson:While I appreciate the interest in the question, the premise of wholesale liquidation is not hap- pening in B.C. ’s forests under this government.

There are nearly 500,000 hectares of parks and protected areas on Van- couver Island, and as recently as this year, we added an extra 70,000 hectares of old-growth forest along the coast for the marbled murrelet. There is work to be done, and we recognize that. We want to work together with people who are interested in mov- ing biodiversity forward as well as a continued vibrant forest sector that people depend on in rural communities up and down the Island, up and down the coast and across B.C. in the Interior and north and rural areas. We are working with industry.

We’re working with envir- onmental organizations on an old-growth strategy and mod- ernizing our land use planning process. That’s an important part of how we’re going to change into the future with new forest management practices. I also want to point out that we’ve had an incredible amount of investment in the forest sector in the last 15 months under this government. There have been recent 6130 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

investments by the San Group and Mercer. The San Group’s investment of almost $70 million in a lumber facility in Port Alberni is going to be focusing on a specialized mill in small- dimension wood — wood that’s available now and into the future, the kind of wood that will be available in the future. We’ve also had an incredible investment by Mercer in the Catalyst mills on the coast. It shows a confidence in this government. It shows a con- fidence in our management of the forest resource industry. FUNDING FOR RAPID TRANSIT PROJECT IN SURREY T.

Redies:Surrey is growing fast, and local transit infra- structure needs to keep up. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Can the minister tell us the amount of provincial funding that has been committed to the Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT project? Hon. J. Horgan: I’m sure the member will know that the Prime Minister was here earlier in the fall, and he and I joined with municipal leaders around the region to announce an extraordinary investment in public transporta- tion right across the Lower Mainland. It was called the may- ors’ plan.

The province invested, the communities invested and the federal government invested to build a comprehens- ive plan for the entire region. Now, I appreciate that the member on the other side would rather divide people than unite them, but what we’re trying to do is follow the lead of the Mayors Council. We put in the dollars to build the Broadway line because that will be owned by the province. The LRT line will be owned by TransLink. So it was an accounting issue. The money is there. The province is committed to Surrey — the first investment in Surrey in over two decades, as the res- ult of this government. Mr.

Speaker:The member for Surrey–White Rock on a supplemental. T. Redies:Actually, I’m concerned about connecting the people of Surrey to the downtown corridor via transit, not political posturing like you’re doing right now. Despite what the Premier is saying, based on the province’s press release, not one red cent has been commit- ted by the province to this project. It’s zero. It’s the province’s press release. My question to the Minister of Transportation or the Premier: how can they explain this complete lack of provin- cial funding for Surrey’s needs? Hon. J.

Horgan:The mayors’ plan is comprehensive for the entire region, and we brought partners together — the communities, TransLink, the federal government and the province of British Columbia. The member on the other side wants to be obstreperous. That’s what she wants to do. We want to build transit in Brit- ish Columbia — billions of dollars invested by all levels of government to deliver right across the region. Y ou know what?

Not only did we eliminate the usurious tolls on the Port Mann Bridge to make life easier for Sur- rey, and not only are we building schools in Surrey at a rate unprecedented, but we’re building transit throughout the region. I’m proud of that. My Surrey members are proud of that. The entire government is proud of that. Why won’t the oppo- sition get on the train? Interjections. [10:45 a.m.] Mr. Speaker:Members. T. Stone:If there’s one theme that sums up the perform- ance of the Transportation Minister, it’s that she has left Brit- ish Columbians…. Interjections. T. Stone:It’s this.

The Minister of Transportation has left the people of British Columbia stranded. In Delta, they’re stuck in a tunnel. In communities like Osoyoos, they don’t have passenger transportation services — no bus services. Despite much fanfare and despite the Premier’s hyperbole, not one single cent has been allocated by this government to rapid transit projects in the city of Surrey. Our question to the minister is this. When will the res- idents of Surrey actually get the rapid transit investments that they deserve and that they were promised by this gov- ernment? Hon. J. Horgan:Again, the Prime Minister was here.

I was here, the then mayor of Surrey, the mayor of Vancouver. We all gathered together with regional representatives and MLAs on this side. I think there might have even been some members on the other side. A $4 billion investment by all of the partners. Now, my buddy from Kamloops keeps holding up a zero, but that’s the zero that they invested in Surrey over the 16 years that they had investing in transit. We have embraced the mayors’ plan, which included investments in Surrey. It included investments in Vancouver, bus transportation throughout the region, reducing the time of travelling across the region.

We embraced it. We were enthusiastic. Y ou delayed it. Y ou put in place a referendum saying: “Well, maybe we’ll invest; maybe we won’t. ” No tolls on the bridge, LRT coming, SkyTrain coming. We’re going to build out the region so that everybody bene- fits, even Liberals. Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6131

Mr. Speaker:The member for Kamloops–South Thomp- son on a supplemental. T. Stone:Wow, where to begin. The Premier stands in this House and suggests that the Port Mann Bridge was not a significant investment that’s made a huge difference for the people of Surrey. He stands in this House, and he doesn’t acknowledge investments like the South Fraser Perimeter Road, invest- ments like Nordel, Tilbury, Sunbury. He stands in this House, and he doesn’t acknowledge the billions of dollars that were represented in the George Mas- sey Tunnel, which is now missing in action under this gov- ernment.

These were all investments that were announced and that were funded by the former B.C. Liberal government, and we’re very proud of that. Let’s get back to the matter at hand. Let’s talk about rapid transit in Surrey, shall we? In the government news release of September 4, 2018 — it’s extensive, and we’ve read it word for word — the Broadway subway project, it says here, will be funded $888.4 million by the government of Canada, $1.82 billion from the government of British Columbia, and the city of Vancouver will even kick in $99.8 million through in- kind land contributions.

Then we turn to the matter of rapid transit in Surrey. Y ou can imagine our surprise when we read the Surrey-Newton- Guildford LRT project will be funded as follows: government of Canada, $483.8 million; TransLink, $1.12 billion. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Members. T. Stone:How much is allocated by the province of British Columbia? Zero, absolutely nothing.

When will this Premier come clean with the people south of the Fraser, and in Surrey in particular, and tell them when they’re going to actually get the investment that was announced, that has been promised and that people south of the Fraser deserve? [10:50 a.m.] Hon. J. Horgan:I’ll just remind the former Transpor- tation Minister, who oversaw the implementation of unfair tolls on the people of Surrey, which were eliminated not by them but by this government. I’ll remind the former Trans- portation Minister, who clearly was missing in action.

Some- one else had to take TransLink away because he couldn’t understand it. It’s a greatest hits list. I haven’t even mentioned the billion- plus-dollar deficit at ICBC on his watch. I want to go to one key point in the question from the member. He said that the Massey Tunnel was fully funded. What happened with the Massey Tunnel? It was kind of like all of the hospitals that they promised and didn’t deliver. After the 2013 election, the Premier got out an envelope and said: “Let’s build a bridge there. ” There was no planning. There was no coordination. The Mayors Council rejected it.

Now he has the audacity to stand up and say we’re not fund- ing transit in Surrey. Forty percent of the cost of the imple- mentation of the plan is coming from B.C. taxpayers — 40 percent, my friend. Y ou know better. That’s why you weren’t responsible for TransLink. MASSEY TUNNEL REPLACEMENT PROJECT I. Paton: Well, on the topic of trying to get transit improvements for the people of Surrey, how about the George Massey Tunnel? Let’s talk a bit about that this morn- ing — all the thousands of people that live in South Surrey that make use of the George Massey Tunnel every morning, the worst gridlock in B.C.

There was a robust election in Delta, as well as the rest of the province, just a few weeks ago. There’s a great deal of change.

We have a new mayor-elect, George Harvie, and his number one commitment to the people of Delta in his cam- paign platform was: “I will get something done about this terrible, seismically unsafe George Massey Tunnel. ” Delta mayor-elect George Harvie won the election on the issue of the Massey Tunnel replacement, something the member for Delta North said was a non-issue in the muni- cipal election in Delta and a project that the Transportation Minister abruptly cancelled about a year and a bit ago.

Last Friday the mayor-elect said: “I door-knocked on thousands of homes in south Delta and North Delta, and in both areas of the city, the top comment was that we need to get it fixed. ” After ten years of being on city council and then running for MLA, I have knocked on thousands of doors in North Delta and south Delta, and for ten years, I’ve heard the same thing from the people of Delta: we need to fix the George Massey Tunnel. My question to the minister: when will the minister restart a project that was well on its way one year ago? When will the minister get on with the building of this bridge? Hon. J.

Horgan:I thank the member for his passion and the length of his question. But it comes back to the same key point. The Mayors Council did not include the Massey Tun- nel in their ten-year plan. We’re funding the ten-year plan. I’m glad to see that now the members on that side of the House are supporting LRT in Surrey. A little late, but at least you’re there now. With respect to the Massey Tunnel — which was on the back of a napkin by the former Premier and not funded until the last gasp from that government — we have a report that the minister is working with diligently.

We will have solutions for the people in your community as early as we can get there. Mr. Speaker:The member for Delta South on a supple- mental. 6132 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

I. Paton:Well, here’s the kicker. I find it utterly ridiculous that this minister continues to sit on a report that was handed to her nearly five months ago, a report about what’s going to happen with the George Massey Tunnel. To quote Mayor-elect Harvie: “There are already over 14,000 pages of engineering reports available on the Internet. We want a solution, and we want a solution very quickly. ” My question to the Transportation Minister: when will the minister release the Cowdell report and give 80,000 daily drivers a glimmer of hope that this bridge will get built? Hon. J.

Horgan:Well, the member will know that the pre- vious plan was a tolled bridge. That seems to be operating practice for people on that side of the House — pile more costs onto individuals, pile more costs onto people. We reject that. And you know what? So does the federal government. That’s why there was not one penny of federal money in the George Massey replacement project. [10:55 a.m.] What we are doing on this side of the House is listening to everyone in the region, including the mayor, who I have met with as recently as at UBCM. I look forward to working with him into the future, as well as with the member.

But they can’t have it both ways. They can’t delay, delay, delay and then say, “Look, we put a pile of sand over here so the guy from Richmond-Queensborough can go golfing, ” and then say somehow we’re the problem. The problem is they didn’t have a proper exit plan, because at the centre of their plan was not people but tolls and political advantage. We want to build out transit for the people of the region fairly and equitably, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. J. Johal:I want to remind you that’s a $100 million NDP sand trap.

Last Friday the mayor-elect of Delta said: “ All the engin- eering reports, thousands and thousands of pages, say the bridge is the best option and that congestion is intolerable. ” This is the worst traffic bottleneck in the province, but the minister has spent the last five months trying to absorb yet another report. I also want to remind the minister there are 24 ambulance trips through that tunnel every single day. Six of them are code 3, which is lights and sirens.

On behalf of parents, on behalf of commuters and on behalf of Richmond businesses, 14,000 businesses, I ask once again: where is the Cowdell report, and when will construc- tion begin? Hon. J. Horgan:I will just refer the member from Rich- mond to the views of the Richmond council, which I assume he hears from periodically. They have serious concerns about the plan that was done on the back of an envelope by the members on the other side of the House. What we want to do is have a genuine cooper- ative approach, not just with the Delta council but with Rich- mond and the other members of the Mayors Council.

Who are we to say, from the Kootenays, from the Peace country, from Nicola Valley, what’s in the best interest of the Lower Mainland region? I would suggest it would be the MLAs and the mayors and councillors from that region. We are going to listen to them, and I welcome any reason- able input from the golfer on the other side. I call this one a bogey, Member. [End of question period.] Orders of the Day Hon. M. Farnworth:I call second reading of Bill 53, Recall and Initiative Amendment Act. Second Reading of Bills BILL 53 — RECALL AND INITIATIVE AMENDMENT ACT, 2018 Hon. D.

Eby:I move that Bill 53, the Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2018, now be read a second time. This bill updates the Recall and Initiative Act to estab- lish a framework for recall petition financing in advert- ising that is similar to the rules for provincial elections under the Election Act. Last fall this government followed through on a commit- ment to get big money out of politics. Major amendments to the Election Act banned corporate, union and foreign polit- ical contributions and limited individuals to a maximum of $1,200 donations per year.

Additional changes were made for loans and debts, fundraising functions and the regulation of third-party advertisers. All of these changes responded to public concerns about how elections in this province were being funded. Last fall’s Election Act changes brought greater fairness and transparency to how members get elected to this House. [L. Reid in the chair.] The recall process, which allows British Columbians to petition for the removal of an elected member of this House, should be subject to the same standards. The recall provi- sions in the act set out the process for a recall petition.

This bill focuses on the financing and advertising elements of the recall process. The bill does not change fundamental pro- cedural aspects of recall. The process remains the same in terms of time frames for canvassing for signatures and the threshold for a successful petition and continues to reflect the recommendations of the all-party committee in 1993 that set the basic parameters for how recall would work in British Columbia. The financing and advertising rules in the Recall and Ini- tiative Act have not kept pace with changes to the Election Act or with public expectations for fairness and transpar- ency.

For example, there are no expense limits for third- Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6133

party advertisers in recall campaigns, and contributions from corporations and unions are still permitted in unlim- ited amounts. [11:00 a.m.] This bill would ensure that the way recall petition cam- paigns are funded is consistent with how election campaigns are funded and bring similar transparency to advertising. Under the Recall and Initiative Act, the petition pro- ponent and the member subject to a petition are regulated as authorized participants.

The proponent and member must both stay within the same expenses limit during a recall peti- tion period and file a recall financing report within 28 days of the end of the recall petition period, disclosing contribu- tions received and expenses incurred. This bill would ban corporate and union contributions to authorized participants and limit eligible British Columbi- ans to contributing a maximum of $1,200 per year to an authorized participant.

An additional restriction that applies only to MLAs is that the $1,200 limit is inclusive of recall contributions and political contributions under the Election Act to the MLA ’s political party, candidates and constituency associations. In other words, an individual could not contribute more than $1,200 per year in political contributions and in recall contributions combined. An MLA waging a campaign against a recall petition, therefore, could not receive any more donations from an individual than they could already get right now.

The same rules as in the Election Act will be applied to fundraising functions held for the benefit of authorized par- ticipants and attended by major political party leaders, members of the executive council and parliamentary sec- retaries. The organizer must provide advance notice of the event to the Chief Electoral Officer and report afterwards on whether the specified individuals attended and the value of contributions accepted. Public concerns over cash for access and fundraising were addressed in the Election Act, and this bill now does the same for recall.

Recall advertising rules would be updated to parallel the Election Act, with modifications to suit the unique nature of the recall process. The amendments restrict contributions to recall advertising sponsors in a manner similar to the restrictions on recall contributions to an authorized participant. Corporate and union contributions for the purposes of sponsoring recall advertising would be prohibited. No more than $1,200 in contributions per eligible individual per year may be given to any one recall advertising sponsor.

This ensures that corporate, union and foreign money cannot be used to influence the outcome of a recall campaign, wheth- er directly, through the authorized participants, or indirectly, through recall advertising sponsors. With respect to recall advertising during a recall petition period, the bill establishes an expenses limit of $5,000 for a recall advertising sponsor. This limit applies only during the recall petition period, which is a maximum of 60 days long.

Given that both the petition proponent and the mem- ber subject to the petition must adhere to an expenses limit, it is fair for individuals and organizations who sponsor paid recall advertising to do the same. That is the case for provin- cial elections, and similar principles should apply to recall. Election Act amendments last fall also responded to advertising campaigns by groups that engaged in pre-cam- paign-period advertising but not during the campaign peri- od and who did not voluntarily disclose their identities or those of their contributors.

The amendments created a 60-day pre-campaign period prior to a scheduled general election and required registration and disclosure of contri- butions and expenses. During that time, advertising expenses are not limited, and the definition of pre-cam- paign-period election advertising is intentionally narrow. Indirect or issue-based advertising is not regulated.

Applying that approach to recall, this bill would require individuals or organizations who sponsor paid advertising at any time outside a petition period that directly promotes or opposes the recall of a member to register with Elections B.C., to include sponsorship information on their advert- ising and, if they sponsor advertising worth $5,000 or more, disclose their significant contributors at that time and every 14 days afterwards. They would also be required to report each year on their contributions and expenses if they incur expenses of more than $500 in a calendar year.

If a petition is issued, recall advertising sponsors who are active in the non-petition peri- od would be required to disclose their expenses and contrib- utors within 28 days of the petition’s issuance. The bill’s requirement to register sponsoring non-petition period recall advertising is broad in the timing of its applic- ation. The rules would apply at any time outside of a recall petition period.

Unlike a pre-campaign period before a fixed-date election, there is no practical way to establish a bounded time period during which advertisers directly pro- moting or opposing the recall of a member could be required to register. This is because the timing of a recall petition application is in the hands of the prospective proponent. If non-petition- period advertising were to remain completely unregulated, as it is now, individuals and organizations could engage in unrestricted and anonymous advertising advocating the recall of a member immediately before applying for a recall petition.

Then, after the petition is issued, everyone, includ- ing other advertising sponsors, would be subject to spending limits. This is one important difference between elections and recalls. The timing of a recall petition cannot be publicly known in advance. I want to stress that the definition of non-petition-period recall advertising is intentionally narrow and focused. There is no intention to regulate advertising on issues such as the performance of a member in this House or public policy issues that play in the electoral district.

The objective is simply transparency with respect to paid advertising that is directly for or against the recall of a member. 6134 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

[11:05 a.m.] The regulatory requirements for the recall advertising sponsor are similarly narrow in their focus. There are no spending limits for non-petition-period advertising. Instead, the intent is to provide public transparency on who is spon- soring and funding direct recall advertising undertaken pri- or to a petition being issued. To support the enhanced campaign financing and advertising framework, this bill includes an amendment that a chief electoral officer may not issue a recall petition in an electoral district if there is already a petition under- way in that district.

This was recommended in the Chief Electoral Officer’s 2003 special report on recall as a meas- ure to support integrity of the expense limits on author- ized participants. Additionally, to help prevent potential confusion and overlap around rules applying to recall advertising and elec- tion advertising, the bill provides that the Chief Electoral Officer may not issue a recall petition in the six months prior to general voting day for a fixed-date election.

Although the Chief Electoral Officer’s 2003 report recommended that recall petitions not be issued in the year prior to a fixed- date election, this amendment reflects that report’s view that there is little practical value in a recall petition immediately before a general election and that it is important for Elec- tions B.C. to be able to focus on election preparations in the lead-up to an election. The bill also requires that loans to authorized participants and to recall advertising sponsors must be made by savings institutions at no less than the prime rate of interest.

Cur- rently, there are no restrictions on who may make a loan and what rate of interest could be charged. The bill will also establish monetary penalties for indi- viduals and organizations that contravene many of the recall financing and recall advertising provisions in the act. These additional penalties will strengthen the ability of the Chief Electoral Officer to enforce the act, particularly where the contraventions may not meet the public-interest threshold for a public prosecution. In conclusion, our government has been given a mandate to get big money out of politics in B.C.

We have forced big money out of general elections. We’ve forced big money out of municipal elections. We also forced big money out of the current referendum campaign. Forcing big money out of recall campaigns is an important next step. I look forward to further debate on the bill. M. Lee:I rise today to speak to this bill, Bill 53, the Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, and I speak in strong oppo- sition to this bill. British Columbians have a lot to be proud of when they come to how we’ve built a democratic process in this province.

Our electoral system has delivered a peace- ful transition of power since our province entered Confeder- ation as the sixth province, in 1871. We’ve elected stable governments, we have reflected the will of most people, and we’ve built a prosperous and peace- ful place that is the envy of the world. Y et in the midst of this government’s mandate, we are seeing what is perhaps the greatest bait-and-switch program to our political system ever put in front of our province. We keep hearing about promises — promises for the people, promises to fix our democratic process.

Every single step of the way that this government has brought forward its agenda has eroded our democratic pro- cess in this province. For instance, as the Attorney General just commented at the end of his remarks, this government has said that it’s getting big money out of politics. Let’s take the example of municipal politics. As we’ve seen just in the most recent municipal election, big money remained with union-endorsed candidates enjoying the support of union- paid staff. Actions fail to line up with the words of this gov- ernment, and as we will see in this bill, it continues.

Right now British Columbians are being asked to vote on a referendum on proportional representation that pro- claims it’s going to be more fair. Somehow, votes will count more for people. [11:10 a.m.] Instead, what this government is delivering continues to be government for the political parties themselves, with friends in the Third Party being able to deliver more power to political parties. The reality is, as much as talk about mak- ing every vote count more, somehow, it’s all about who’s in charge — who is in charge within party headquarters of these particular political parties.

At least, that’s what we’ve seen from the experiences around the world with the forms of proportional representation that are being presented to this province. Y et, of course, we continue to see this government being reluctant to share the details of so many important factors to be determined after the vote. This is a pattern of how this government is undermining our democratic system. It’s a pattern that myself and our colleagues on this side of the House will not stand for. This bill is just another example of that pattern. What is this government hiding?

What is it afraid to tell British Columbians about the details of this proportion- al representation? We know that as much as that side of the House wants to improve democracy, it’s the erosion of democracy that we’re seeing here. This is the pattern, though. What’s important to know is that under Bill 40, what this government has done, at the last minute, in the course of this referendum, is they’ve introduced a second referendum promise. What are they doing now? They are introducing, on the eve of the 18-month process, after the May 2017 election, another rule change.

They continue to change the rules of our democratic process in this province, and that is not something that any British Columbian should stand for from this government. This government continues to undermine the democratic process in our province, and we are not going to stand for that. They may say it is something that people want to just pre- Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6135

tend away, but it is not. This is not something that you can just game, continue to manipulate — our democratic pro- cess. This is what is occurring. We are seeing, for example, it continues to be the case where MLAs are selected off party lists under proportional representation. It’s the insider aspect of what is occurring here. This government continues to change what is in favour of people — people taking their democratic process to heart, being engaged in a democratic process, having the ability to recall members of this House, under very strenuous rules — and they’re making it even more strenuous.

British Columbians need to ask the question: why is it, when it’s a matter of days from which British Columbians can launch recall campaigns all over this province for any member of this House, that this legislation is coming for- ward at this time? Why is that? It’s the same reason why, at the last minute, even though those voter guides say there’s going to be a promise of a second referendum, Bill 40 is introduced. We are still debating that bill in this House, Bill 40. We are now debating this bill in this House because this government continues to undermine our democratic pro- cess.

These are just examples of what this government is doing to our democratic process in this province. When we ask the question to the Attorney General, in the context of democratic reform…. It’s my view that all of these things are linked, because we are talking about changing our voting system… Interjections. Deputy Speaker:Members, Vancouver-Langara has the floor. M. Lee: …in this referendum. We’re talking about chan- ging our voting system. We’ve been at this for 14 months. [11:15 a.m.] With respect, Madame Speaker, it is linked.

Because when we asked the Attorney General in the spring, “How will the Recall and Initiative Act need to be redefined in the con- text of proportional representation?” he said to us he didn’t know. They had not figured that out yet. Well, you might ask yourself: why doesn’t the government just wait until the result of the referendum before determ- ining to have a second referendum or before determining whether to change this act? Why is it changing it now? If proportional representation passes, that change will need to occur.

For example, under proportional representa- tion, we know that is it entirely possible, in mixed-member proportional, that members of this House will be selected off party lists. How does that work under the Recall and Initiat- ive Act? How does that work? We know, of course, that MLAs need to be acting in accordance with their party’s instructions, in accordance with what their party bosses say. That is what is going to be occurring under proportional representation, because when you’re selected off a party list, your loyalty is to that narrow party ideology and to your party leader.

How does recall work in that context? Y our loyalty and your accountability are to your party leader, not to the con- stituents, because they didn’t select you in the first place. So how would recall work in that context? This is why I think it’s a very serious question to be asking in this House — why we’re spending this time and effort to be amending a Recall and Initiative Act when we’re on the eve, also, of the referen- dum. We’re in the voting process now. Why isn’t it that, if this government wanted to make these adjustments, they didn’t figure that out before the campaign period started on July 1?

It’s just like promising a second referendum when they didn’t have the bill in front of this House. These are the examples of what this government is doing to undermine our democratic process. When we look at what this government is doing…. They say they’re cleaning things up. They say they’re bringing rules in line with the other changes that they’ve made. But it’s like when they say they’ve gotten rid of big money, while letting union-paid activists work on municipal campaigns.

Y et again, they passed legislation in this House — the Loc- al Elections Campaign Financing Amendment Act — and they left a fairly large loophole where union-paid activists could continue to volunteer, supposedly to work on muni- cipal campaigns, to support candidates and municipal cam- paigns, like in Vancouver, which were backed by the unions. Union-endorsed candidates — how is that fair?

This government talks a lot about fairness in its demo- cratic process, yet left that large loophole in that act which has undermined our democratic elections in this province across all our municipalities, including Vancouver. This is what occurred. Let’s look at this bill. Lo and behold, we see that in-kind volunteer donations, or donations of volunteer time, aren’t included. “The value of the following is not a sponsorship contribution: (

a) services provided by a volunteer. ” They have now made this an explicit loophole in this 50-plus page bill. They have now made what was the issue in the municipal campaign elections explicit in this recall cam- paign legislation. Y es, they’ve limited third-party expenditures to a lower amount than what’s permissible in by-elections with a 28-day campaign. This is a 60-day referendum petition peri- od, yet the amount, at $5,000, is even less than what you can do in a 28-day by-election period.

How is that fair? [11:20 a.m.] On top of that, third parties are now limited in what they can do, yet volunteer efforts can come forward. This is a very large loophole in this bill. Y ou can understand why that might be something that the government didn’t focus on, perhaps, but you would have thought — given the furor and the concern that was there in the municipal elections, both during and after — that this would be addressed. British Columbians have the ability, as I mentioned earlier, to hold, ultimately, all of us to account. They can do it at elec- 6136 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

tion time. They can do that in the by-election in Nanaimo coming forward. They can do it through this Recall Act. This has been part of an important democratic right for British Columbians in this province. Y et in this bill, we have an initiative now to amend this Recall Act by a government which is hanging on by one seat, a government that knows that — with the numbers in this House, with the determination of what happens in that Nanaimo by-election — a recall effort would tip the balance again, to undermine and destabilize this government.

The government would no longer have the confidence of British Columbians, such as it is now with the members of the NDP and the members of the Greens. In many votes that we have in this House, it’s 43 to 42. It’s a one-seat differ- ence. They’re hanging on by one vote from one member. The Recall Act being amended at this point in time continues to undermine the playing field on which British Columbians can hold MLAs accountable in this House.

I say to you this: how is it that British Columbians can have any confidence in this government, in the way it has proceeded with the referendum — in a flawed way — and the way that it has brought about the second-referendum promise under Bill 40, in the way that it enabled union- backed members to undermine our municipal campaigns and in the way that they’re now bringing a change in the rules, when they know full well that there are British Colum- bians, in some ridings in this province, that have been very concerned by the members that represent them to this House, as reported in the media?

They know full well that there are citizens in our province that have been organizing and preparing for recall cam- paigns in ridings in this province. Again, this government is hanging on by one member. This is the reason why British Columbians cannot have any confidence in this government. Y ou may have the seats in the House for now, but I think British Columbians need to take a very close look at what this government is doing right now to manipulate our demo- cratic process.

Of course, the member who sponsored this bill and raises this bill, the Attorney General of our province, is the chief legal officer for this government. As a member of our exec- utive council, he has a higher level of responsibility and duty to our province. As the media reports, he may be subject to one of these recall campaigns. The optics and the perception are important in terms of the confidence that British Columbians have in this govern- ment. This government shares all of that with the Attorney General.

To stand with the Attorney General to present this bill in this House at this time is shameful. [11:25 a.m.] It is offensive to British Columbians to use the opportun- ity to change the rules of recall just when British Columbians are about to launch whatever efforts they want to do under the rules of recall that have been in place for many years. I think that British Columbians need to hold to account this government and the Attorney General for doing that, because when British Columbians want to have confidence in who they elect, they expect that we act with integrity. They expect that we act with due process.

They expect that we act without a conflict of interest. British Columbians are smarter than this. They can see this. If the members on the other side of the House can’t see that, well, the members on this side of the House and the rest of our constituents around this province can see this. It doesn’t take a lot to see that this is really a manipulation of our process. It’s a completely inappropriate use of our time in this House. It’s something that is illegitimate in terms of the effort that they’re bringing forward.

Of course, one of the points that the Attorney General mentioned in the course of his comments is the fact that, well, it’s going to be whichever group files their application first — and it’s accepted or approved in principle by the Chief Electoral Officer — will be the one recall petition effort. That means whichever group organizes first to do that will be able to get first in line. This is something that, of course, can be exploited in terms of whatever groups purport to be doing recall in whatever riding in this province that we’re speaking of. It only takes one group.

There is no review behind the nature of that recall application. There’s some basic information, you know: name, particulars, address, a 200-word description. That’s all there really is. On the face of an application, the Chief Electoral Officer can choose to accept and approve that in principle. If he does, he publishes a notice to this province on the Internet and in theGazette. Once that occurs, no other group can go forward. Of course, this petition period lasts for 60 days.

At the end of the 60 days, the group that was approved in principle needs to come back and demonstrate that they’ve received the necessary 40 percent of registered voters signed up in that particular electoral district and also demonstrate that they’ve been able to comply with the additional 50 pages of requirements around financial disclosure in this bill — at a $5,000 limit, at least for third-party advertising sponsors. The complexity of what this government is putting on, to make it even more onerous and more difficult to bring a recall campaign….

We know that of the 27 recall campaigns in the history of this province, only one was successful, and the member who was the subject of that recall voluntarily resigned. So it is difficult to bring on a recall campaign. What we are seeing now, in this particular bill, is another potential loophole of exploitation, where one group can come forward, which may prove to be bogus. It may be a group, because there is no review process in this bill, that can just be someone, quite frankly, who is a member of the NDP party.

We have seen what has come across in terms of what members on the other side of the House will stoop to. This is another loophole that, I think, will basically gut the effect of this Recall Act. We see that there are a number of ways in which the rules for this recall petition will work. Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6137

[11:30 a.m.] We’ve talked about the fact that already, as the Attorney General mentioned, they are now cutting the time period in which recall can be brought forward. Y ou are prevented for the first 18 months, and now they’re cutting another six months. This will be effectively a situation now where mem- bers are only subject to recall for half of their term. This government is making it even more difficult for Brit- ish Columbians to bring about recall. How is that fair? We know that with the cap on advertising at the $5,000 level, that is going to be a challenge.

It’s a challenge in terms of the efforts that third parties can bring on. We are again limiting — just as this government has been, under the refer- endum rules — the freedom of expression, the ability of cit- izen groups to organize amongst themselves, to bring on an effort, to participate in a democratic process. If we think, as we do, that the Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, or the recall act itself, is fundamental to our democratic process because it’s been part of how British Columbians have exercised their rights in this province…. This is the bait-and-switch aspect.

We continue to hear from this government about how it stands for British Columbians and for the people, putting people at the centre of politics. I think that, as I’ve said before many times in this House, this government is putting parties at the centre of our polit- ics. This government is making it harder for people to par- ticipate, to know who we’re voting for under our voting sys- tems, under proportional representation.

To be given false promises that will never be kept by virtue of a second refer- endum, to give the ability of union-paid workers to support union-endorsed candidates in municipal campaigns and, now, to take away and limit the ability of citizens to mount recall campaigns in this province, as has been done 27 other times in the history of this province…. Recall has become, for many British Columbians, an important way to exercise their democratic rights. It’s something that both sides of this House have experienced, let’s say, over the course of our democratic political process.

We know that true democratic power rests with the people. As I’ve said, it’s my belief that this bill erodes that and our democracy. This will be a sad legacy for this House and this government if this bill passes at this time. Timing and confidence for British Columbians is everything. This government should not underestimate what man- oeuvre it is pulling at this time. That adds to the long list of what I’ve been saying and what other members of this House have been saying for weeks and months. This just continues that erosion.

I will submit, as we’ve seen — and there’s been a concern — that many British Columbians, young and old, new Canadians and long-time Canadians, in all parts of our province, are disillusioned by our political process. The other side of the House says: “Well, we’ve got to change our system. ” I say we’ve got to change that side of the House. It’s the people who matter. The people we elect, when they are given the confidence of our constituents to stand in this House….

We are to be accountable to them. [11:35 a.m.] When we start gaming and changing and manipulating our voting process, our election financing rules, in the way that this government has done and in the way that this recall initiative act is being amended, this is a concern. I think that, really, what British Columbians need to reflect on, as we do, is what the true objectives are of this government. Of course, we know what that is. It’s power. It’s power to continue to implement the agenda that they’ve been doing. That’s all this is about.

It’s the ability to continue in power with the Green Party, the three Green Party mem- bers that hold and have held a disproportionate balance of power in this House. They are trying to keep together this fragile coalition, which is hanging on one seat. They do not have the confidence of this province to start undermining and continue to undermine our democratic process. Above all of the issues and priorities that are facing this government in this province, the referendum and what this government is doing with this recall petition act and the promise of the second referendum….

These are the funda- mental concerns that all British Columbians should have about the behaviour and conduct of this government — from the Premier to the Attorney General to all members of this government and the three Green Party members. They’re in this together, and they are continuing to undermine our process of democracy in this province. They’re continuing to do that under the guise of fairness, when, as I’ve been speaking to you, Madame Speaker, it’s very clear that with the ability to bring on a false petition and a limit on spending, as well as the timing of this…. This is of great concern. A.

Weaver:It gives me great pleasure to rise and speak in support of Bill 53, Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2018. True to form, frankly, the official opposition once more stood up today and rallied against taking big money out of politics. It’s remarkable. I wonder if, after almost a year and a half, they’ve learned anything from the last election.

I’m wondering whether the official opposition have not learnt the lesson that put them in the time-out where they’re sitting now, a lesson which is to have them realize that what matters to British Columbians is not the games and the cynicism but actually ensuring that their interests are front and centre in our democracy. Now, listening to the member for Vancouver-Langara, moments ago, discuss another bill, frankly, and not actually address the substance of this bill, which is taking big money out of yet another aspect of B.C. politics, I had a lightbulb go on. The lightbulb was this. I realize now why the B.C.

Lib- erals are so cynical, are throwing allegations of gaming the system, are actually claiming that this is undermining this and that. It’s because that’s the mindset by which they oper- ated government for the last 16 years, and they recognize and realize…. Interjection. 6138 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

A. Weaver:The member for Vancouver-Langara said he wasn’t here for 16 years, and I understand that. Interjections. Deputy Speaker:Members. Members, Oak Bay–Gordon Head has the floor. A. Weaver:The member for Vancouver-Langara wasn’t here for 16 years, but I suspect the person who wrote his speech was. The cynicism embodied in what we hear today is classic. It is exactly what I’ve come to now realize.

It is the way that they operate. [11:40 a.m.] They accuse others of being them, because the only frame that they understand is one of a few select people doing what’s in the best interest of the people that they want to rep- resent. I understand that. It was a lightbulb, and I expect to hear more about that as we discuss this bill further. I’m not sure what, if anything, as I said, the official oppo- sition have learned. We, in British Columbia, were called the Wild West of political financing by theNew Y ork Times. That’s not exactly a brand that we would want to actually take some pride in.

It’s an embarrassing brand. One of the first things that was done with the new govern- ment was reflecting the will of election campaign promises of both the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Greens to ban big money. What was truly remarkable is that the B.C. Liberals voted against that as well. They voted against banning big money in provincial politics. Talk about self-serving, the gall. To be in this Legislature, today again…. We listen to B.C. Liberal after B.C.

Liberal go on about how somehow this proportional representation campaign is self-serving, after they voted against the bill to ban big money, at first reading of this bill. Without even having the opportunity to see what was in the bill, they voted at first reading against taking big money out. Bill 53 complements Bill 3, the Election Amendment Act, 2017, which was passed and which again, as I pointed out, was voted against by the B.C. Liberals.

It also complements Bill 15, the Local Elections Campaign Financing Amend- ment Act, which was passed in the fall of last year as well, which took big money out of local government elections. So big money is now gone from provincial elections, from local government elections and from school board elections. What’s happening right now is that the final aspect of that is being closed — in recall and initiative campaigns. When this bill was introduced, my office put out a press release applauding this bill.

What was stated in our press release — and attributed to quotes which I gave — was: “Recall campaigns should be about making politicians accountable to their constituents, not to making them sub- ject to big money–funded hit jobs. ” That was one of the quotes I gave for that. Another quote I suggested was: “These rules will apply to both proponents of recall campaigns and politicians who are attempting to stay in power. ” It’s conveni- ently forgotten by members opposite that big money can be used not only by a proponent of a recall campaign but by a defendant in a recall campaign.

That is being cleared up in this particular legislation. This legislation will assure that a sufficiently motivated electorate is able to recall their elected officials without risk- ing the process being corroded by the influence of big money. Politicians should be accountable to voters, plain and simple. Unions, corporations and extraordinarily wealthy individuals should not have a disproportionate say in our democracy, whether they support an elected official or the recall campaign against that elected official.

Right now any person, any union, any corporation — any entity anywhere in the world — can give any amount of money, any time they want, to any recall campaign. I think we don’t want that. I truly think we don’t want that here. As I said in our press release, I am disappointed, although not surprised, that the B.C. Liberals voted against this legis- lation. This is the same party that refused to act while our province was internationally derided as the Wild West of political fundraising, only to make a 180 reversal in their summer of 2017 throne speech, in a desperate attempt to cling to power.

It’s remarkable that the official opposition continues to fail to understand that democracy should reflect the views of cit- izens as equal members of society, not the ability of special interests who happen to have slightly deeper pockets. [11:45 a.m.] Coming back to this legislation. Under the Recall and Ini- tiative Act, when a recall petition is issued by the Chief Elec- toral Officer, the voter becomes the proponent of the recall petition and has up to 60 days to garner signatures and sub- mit the petition for verification. There have been 26 recall campaigns that went through.

The 27th was actually not followed through on, because the actual MLA at the time resigned before votes were counted. No recall campaign has been successful. One, where the pro- ponents thought that they had enough signatures, turned out not to be successful. As we know with petitions, you’re in a mall somewhere and anybody can sign, and of course, you have to be in the riding that you were…. In fact, after they counted, a substantial number of the votes were deemed to be ineligible, and it was not successful. So there has not been a successful recall campaign.

It’s remarkable, again, that the member for Vancouver- Langara suggested that there was one. He suggested that in fact there was a successful one. There was not. Again, alt- facts. This is very similar to what we’re seeing in the self- serving discussion by the opposite side about proportional representation. As mentioned, a voter can only petition to recall the mem- ber for the electoral district in which they are registered to vote. That doesn’t stop people anywhere in the province, any corporation, donating any amount of money to that initiat- ive, right now. But that will change.

We also know that there’s Thursday, November 1, 2018 British Columbia Debates 6139

a very high bar in recall campaigns. Forty percent of voters eligible to sign the petition in that electoral district must actually sign. If the petition meets the criteria, a by-election must be called within 90 days. Now, I know that the B.C. Liberals are all salivating about the opportunity to have a recall campaign — a recall cam- paign here and a recall campaign there.

The reality, I suggest, is that they should actually be worrying about recall cam- paigns in their own ridings, based on their performance in this Legislature over the last session — where we have spent almost 36 hours debating a bill that is actually being debated solely in the self-interest of a party that is made up of mul- tiple factions that are clearly warring within themselves. Interjections. A. Weaver:They’re warring within themselves. Y ou can hear it in the banter in this room.

It’s a party that’s afraid of the future, a party that is afraid of British Columbians actu- ally having a say in their own democracy because they might not like what the outcome is. No other Canadian jurisdiction provides a legislative framework for voters to remove an elected member from office. We are unique here. Successful petitions, as we note, do result in the immediate removal of an MLA. A recall petition cannot be initiated until at least 18 months after an MLA is elected. In the present case, that date would be November 10. It’s incredibly easy for a citizen to initiate a recall campaign.

Y ou basically need a 50-buck processing fee and a statement not exceeding 200 words setting out why, in the opinion of the applicant, the recall campaign is warranted. We have an initiative…. It’s very similar for initiatives. I’ll come to that in a second. We still have an initiative that just stopped — an initiative to basically stop Site C. I don’t know what happened to that, because we still haven’t seen the sig- natures. It didn’t get a lot of attention. Interjection. A. Weaver:Well, we have no idea. I never saw that. Anybody can do these. That’s the point I’m raising.

Whether they’re successful or not, anyone can do it. The point of the matter is that what’s being done here is that cer- tain rules are applied to ensure that vested interests — that have been so embraced by the former government, now offi- cial opposition — cannot use their deep pockets to actually influence. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] I do note the time, though, and I reserve my right to con- tinue my position in debate. A. Weaver moved adjournment of debate. Motion approved. Mr. Speaker:The Minister of Health, for the Government House Leader. Hon. A. Dix:I’m going to give this another try.

We did so well last night. I feel that it’s very difficult to replace a Gov- ernment House Leader in this place, and it’s going to require all of my repertoire. I look forward to seeing all of you this afternoon. Hon. A. Dix moved adjournment of the House. Motion approved. Mr. Speaker:This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon. The House adjourned at 11:50 a.m. 6140 British Columbia Debates Thursday, November 1, 2018

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Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20181101am-Hansard-n175
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20181101am Hansard n175
Language	en
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