First Session, 42nd Parliament

(2020) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 4

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

S. Furstenau

J. Sims

M. Morris

J. Rice

R. Merrifield

N. Sharma

B. Banman

S. Chant

K. Kirkpatrick

D. Routley

L. Doerkson

T. Halford

M. Starchuk

T. Wat

M. Dykeman

R. Russell

Hon. J. Whiteside

B. Stewart

K. Paddon

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2020

The House met at 1:32 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call continued address and de­bate on the Speech from the

Throne.

[N. Letnick in the chair.]

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Deputy Speaker: I recognize the Leader of the Third Party.

S. Furstenau: Thank you, hon. Speaker, and congratulations on your new role. I’m

delighted to see you there.

Congratulations to all the newly elected members of the House. I wish

everybody good health and good luck in the work that lies ahead of

us.

Clearly, a lot has changed both in the chamber and in the province

since this House was last in session. Here we are with our second throne

speech of 2020. Both throne speeches have been remarkable in very different

ways.

The first throne speech of this year marked a time when it was

difficult for all of us to actually get into the building because there were

so many people on the outside standing up for the important work that needs

to be done in this province around reconciliation with Indigenous peoples

and action on climate change. Here we are in our second throne speech of

2020, and there are hardly any of us in the building at all.

We’ve just come through a snap election. Government has earned its

coveted majority. The pandemic has raged into an unrelenting second wave,

infecting 38,000 British Columbians, and 527 have lost their lives. The vast

majority of those have been in the last few months. Between September 21,

when the election was called, and yesterday, when the Legislature

reconvened, 30,000 British Columbians tested positive for COVID-19 and 300

people passed away.

[1:35 p.m.]

The question is not whether the election caused infections. It did

not. We know that Elections B.C. did an incredible job of ensuring that

everybody could vote safely in this province. But the question is whether

British Columbians deserved more than a caretaker mode from their government

during a state of emergency.

Prior to the election, every member of the Legislative Assembly was

entirely focused on effectively and urgently responding to the evolving

emergency at hand, putting partisanship aside to unite behind the

recommendations from experts, voting unanimously to get funding approved and

out the door. It was the right thing to do, and it was recognized as such by

many, including the Lieutenant-Governor.

In fact, most of the Speech from the Throne that we heard yesterday,

the first of the NDP’s new government, was spent recycling actions taken

with the support of all three parties. By working together with and for our

communities, 87 MLAs were able to support the provincial health officer’s

guidance to flatten the curve and prevent transmission in areas where,

sadly, other provinces did not have the same outcomes.

As highlighted in yesterday’s speech, during the last administration,

B.C. worked urgently to address outbreaks in long-term care by limiting

workers to one facility; providing appropriate care in Indigenous, rural and

re­mote communities; postponing non-urgent surgeries to prepare for

the initial surge of hospitalizations; securing large amounts of personal

protective equipment for front-line workers; hiring thousands of new

front-line health care workers, including health care aides; and hiring an

additional 1,000 contact tracers to help stop further spread to the

community.

I’m heartened that this good work will continue with this new

administration, but it’s not enough. I was expecting more information about

what British Columbians can expect as an economic recovery plan from this

new government. We went through an election during the worst phase of a

pandemic. For what? To fall behind and then continue the work that was

already underway with all-party support?

In September, it was only days after introducing the recovery strategy

that the NDP triggered the snap election, delaying the much-needed social

and financial support that it was supposed to be implementing this

fall.

I’ve reflected a lot about this election, obviously. I think that what

we have to wrestle with is the impacts on the loss of trust of the public at

a time when we need trust in government more than probably any time that any

of us can think of in our lives. We need the public to believe what

government is saying, what they’re asking, to continue with the sacrifices

that people are making right now, which are enormous. Yet when partisanship

becomes too dominant, cynicism in the public also rises, and that trust is

lost.

The work now in front of this new majority government is to earn back

the trust. We all have to actually do this together. It’s important for us

on the opposition sides of the benches here to have empathy for the role and

the position that government is in right now. The burden on the Premier and

the burden on the ministers is enormous. I think if we stop and reflect for

a few minutes, we can really feel that burden.

It is also incumbent on us to rise above, to work for a common

purpose, to set aside our own anger and disappointment and to recognize that

at a time like this, what the people of B.C. need from all of us — all 87 of

us — in this moment is that we put service to them first and

foremost.

[1:40 p.m.]

To the government, I say this is a time to recognize that the ways

that we typically do things in here, the way that government typically

responds, might not be the right thing to do right now. We had a question

period in this House earlier today where the questions were thoughtful,

insightful, respectful. The responses were the same. It was a discussion

about issues that are very urgent and very serious to the people of British

Columbia. We need that in a moment like this. We need to see

that.

We also need to see from government a recognition that we’ve never

been in a time like this before; that there’s no playbook for governing in a

pandemic; that mistakes will be made, have been made; and that the effort

and the willingness and the desire to always do better…. I heard that this

morning from the Minister of Health and from the Premier, a desire to want

to do better. That means recognizing, accepting fallibility, accepting that

you’ve made mistakes and being open to trying different things, being open

to hearing what people are asking of their government right now and

recognizing that people are feeling a level of anxiety and fear and worry

and uncertainty that is hard for us to even imagine.

In this moment, we can set aside some of the partisan and old ways of

doing things in here, and we can, on our side, open that door to allowing a

level of humanness and fallibility from government, acknowledging that this

is a time unlike any other, and on that side of the House, recognizing not

perfect. There’s always room to improve, and listening, right now, is the

most important action that government can take.

Government needs to deliver programs quickly to those who are

struggling from the impacts of this pandemic. The small business supports in

place are lacking and have let far too many businesses fall through the

cracks. The government needs to provide more support for teachers in their

classrooms and take more decisive action to protect British Columbians’

mental health.

I’m gravely concerned about British Columbians who won’t be here to

see 2021 and brighter days ahead. It’s not just the tens of thousands who

have become sick with COVID, though that alone is heartbreaking. It’s the

thousands and thousands of people at risk of opioid poisoning and overdose

deaths. It’s the seniors nearing end of life, isolated and unable to gather

with family during their final days. It’s the countless others who are

struggling with mental health conditions, made infinitely worse by the

cruelty of this pandemic and the isolation that it has brought. It’s the

women and children trapped in unsafe homes, facing the threat of infection

if they leave, the threat of violence if they stay.

Politicians like to talk about how we’re all in this together, and

I’ve been saying this quite a bit: we are not all in this together. Yes, it

is affecting all of us, but it is not affecting all of us the same ways.

Some are making minimum wage on the front lines, and others, like many of

us, have spent the pandemic working from home with our salaries unaffected.

Health care providers, teachers, principals, education assistants, custodial

and cleaning staff, people working in retail, food service, transportation,

the grocery sector — none of them are able to stay home and continue to earn

a salary.

The Premier said a couple of weeks ago that the response to this

pandemic is “a question of leadership.” He’s right. If his government can

lead with humility and honesty, accountability and transparency, we may

begin to see solutions that tackle the structural problems that increase the

risk of contracting this virus. To do that, we need better data. It wasn’t

mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, and when I asked the Premier and

the Minister of Health about it this morning, they indicated it’s not a

priority. But I still hope that this government will change course. We

should have started collecting data, disaggregated data, in the spring, but

better late than never. We can start now.

[1:45 p.m.]

As has been proven critical in many other jurisdictions around the

world, collection of disaggregated data can help identify the communities

and regions hid hardest by COVID-19. We can analyze the trends within the

disaggregated data to identify what demographics are disproportionately

impacted so that government can make deliberate investments to ensure that

those who are struggling the most receive the support that they need. In

order for targeted relief to be effective, we need this data to bring to

light the full impacts of this pandemic. As B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner

has stated, we cannot act on what we do not know.

This terrible year can be the catalyst to addressing problems that

have long plagued our province. Pandemics throughout human history have

preceded profound societal change. The year 2020 can be the same. It has to

be. There are so many things we need to change: inequality, climate change,

systemic racism. But to achieve the kinds of changes we need, we have to be

deliberate and informed by evidence and data. We know that COVID-19 has

increased the inequality gap, and we need to hear from government how they

intend to turn that around.

Governments like to deal with one problem at a time, but in reality,

we know that everything is connected. The COVID-19 pandemic is connected to

humans’ encroachment on nature. It is unfolding while the climate crisis

continues to advance at a fatal rate and the web of life collapses around

us.

But these outcomes are not inevitable. Far from it. We can centre

reconciliation and convert our energy systems to run on renewable energy,

such as solar, wind, geothermal and tidal. We can leave fossil fuels in the

ground. We can follow regenerative farming and land use practices back to a

healthier planet. We can create countless jobs in the process. The appetite

for building back better exists in abundance. What we need is political

will.

I know COVID-19 can feel all-consuming, but government also needs to

prepare for the future. That’s the job. We expect the NDP to outline a far

more ambitious plan for an equitable COVID recovery that is built upon

climate action and reconciliation. We need an action plan and timeline so

that British Columbians can know when to expect concrete steps. We need to

see that we’re actually moving and gaining successes in the right

direction.

For my part, I commit to moving forward with an unwavering dedication

to working in good faith to serve the people of British Columbia. I’ll

continue to cooperate across party lines, because it remains the right thing

to do.

Before I close today, I’d like to acknowledge and thank the staff who

work here in the Legislative Assembly, those who are required to be here in

person during session, over Hanukkah and within two weeks of Christmas. It’s

wonderful that so many elected members are able to call in virtually this

week and next, but it’s not lost on me that we rely on many others to put

themselves at risk in order for us to be here and do the work that we’re

doing. For all the good that comes out of this abridged December sitting,

British Columbians will have you to thank as well.

J. Sims: Mr. Speaker, congratulations on being back in the Speaker’s chair. I’m

looking forward to this new session.

I would like to start off by saying that I am speaking today via Zoom

from the unceded territory of the Kwantlen, the Katzie and the Semiahmoo,

and I’m thankful every single day for these First Nations for sharing this

beautiful land with us.

[1:50 p.m.]

Like every other member, this is a historic sitting during very, very

challenging times. I know my colleague Raj Chouhan isn’t in the Speaker’s

chair, but I do want to congratulate him because he made history being the

first Punjabi Sikh to be elected as the Speaker outside of the Indian

subcontinent.

This means a lot to people right across Canada and right around the

world but specifically, I would say, to the children who go to school here,

who see themselves. I’ve always said our governments, our institutions, need

to reflect the diversity of our population, not just at entry-level jobs but

at every level of government and in all our institutions. This was a huge

step forward, and I want to thank the Premier and everybody in the House for

making this happen, because we all voted for him unanimously.

So here we are. When we left the session last — the actual session,

not our virtual sessions — I think we thought COVID-19 might disrupt our

lives for a month or two. We even thought that was a long time, but we’ve

been here now, in this context, since last March. People right across

British Columbia, in every corner of British Columbia, have had their lives

fundamentally changed.

During this very, very difficult time, we went through an election,

and I’m so proud of the work done by Elections B.C. and everyone who made

sure that this was a safe and COVID-19 protocol election, so to

speak.

I want to do a special shout-out to my family. Those of you with young

kids, a special shout-out to you. None of us sitting in the chamber would be

able to do our jobs without the support of our families, our partners and

our friends.

I want to do a special shout-out to my husband, Steve. It’s been a

long time. I realized that we have been married almost half a century. A

shout-out to him for his unconditional support with whatever venture I take

on. A shout-out to my daughter, Keeran Sims, and Michael Sims, my son, and

my beautiful grandchildren. And I couldn’t possibly forget Alliya, my

great-granddaughter.

There were days, and there are days, in our lives when we think:

“Okay, why are we doing this?” For me, it always goes back to my

constituents and to my children and the kids I taught. They are a constant

reminder of why all of us work so hard in the Legislature and in our

communities to build a more just and inclusive world.

I also want to do a shout-out to my incredible election team. Every

one of us is going to say we had the best election team in the world. We all

did, for our own ridings. I want to do a special shout-out to mine, both my

local team and my campaign manager, who flew in and then flew out — thank

you for all the work that you did — and the amazing volunteers.

I know this time there were very few volunteers in the campaign. We

have a limit of five at any time. But really for me it was all the people

who worked from home virtually and who did door-drops and everything else. A

big, big thank-you. Because of you, we are all able to participate and make

our democracy as strong as it is. And it’s because of you that our

democratic institutions are able to continue and we’re able to do the work

we do.

So here we are in the current context of months and months later, and

COVID-19 is still with us. One thing we have learned over the year is that

COVID-19 knows no gender. It knows no race. It knows no ethnicity. It knows

no social class. Any one of us can get COVID.

But we do know that those who are socially disadvantaged, economically

disadvantaged, often don’t have the privilege to take many of the

precautions that many other people do. So it has been a horrendous, I would

say, challenge around the world, not just in British Columbia, for each and

every one of us to come to terms with this virus.

Yes, we all celebrated. I can remember April-May, May-June especially,

when we were feeling so good because our numbers were down to the digit

level and it looked as if we were the world leaders, almost, in handling or

flattening the curve — thanks, in large due, I would say, to our amazing

health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and also to our Health

Minister.

[1:55 p.m.]

The fact that we decided to listen to science and take our guidance

from the data that we collect — that led us the right way. But it also made

us a little bit complacent, maybe. That complacency made us believe, and

I’ve talked to many people…. It made us think that maybe COVID-19 had gone

away. Well, little did we know that COVID-19 had not gone away. It’s just

that we have learned how to live with COVID-19.

Here we are in the second wave now with our curve going up. I know

it’s kind of stabilized right now, but the numbers are still very high, and

every one of us is being pushed to the limit to dig as deep as we can, to

bring out everything that’s in us to make sure we carry on doing the work

that we need to do to flatten the curve.

Once again, a huge thank-you to our health officer, all the health

regions and our front-line workers for the absolutely amazing job they’ve

done. Is it perfect in every sector? No. I think it would be very foolish of

us to expect perfection when we are facing a health pandemic. I think, under

the circumstances, we are facing challenges, and I think everyone is doing

their best.

I would say, colleagues, this is not the time to point fingers — “You

should be doing this; you should be doing this; you should be doing this” —

in our own communities. This is the time for each and every one of us to do

what we can do and urge others to do what they can do, understanding that

different people have different challenges. There are those who already had

mental health issues, and the pandemic has made it far worse for

them.

What kind of supports can we provide for them, and what kind of

support do they need? What kind of support do our young people need? I think

that’s what this session is all about. How do we, during this COVID-19, sit

down and work together in the Legislature and back in our communities to

make sure that people are getting the supports they need and that we are

managing to flatten the curve?

Now, I know there is good news, and the good news is there is a

vaccine. I was watching on TV this morning while the first person in

England, a 90-plus-year-old, took the vaccine. I must admit it gave me kind

of the shivers — good shivers, I’ll have you know — because we have been

waiting for this vaccine for a long time. But even though we have a vaccine,

as Dr. Bonnie Henry says, we still have a way to go. So during this time, it

is really, really important that we follow the protocols.

We’ve faced many challenges this year. We’ve celebrated Vaisakhi,

Holi, Diwali, Eid, Easter — all the different celebrations — weddings,

births. We’ve celebrated them so, so differently. And now, as we go into the

Christmas period and into the period of Hanukkah and celebrating Guru Gobind

Singh ji’s birthday, we are once again being asked to do this differently,

to do it at home.

I know this is going to be a huge challenge mentally for us, and

emotionally. I found myself struggling. As you know, my grandchildren live

in Nanaimo. Beautiful Alliya, who I was so looking forward to spending

Christmas with, is in Nanaimo, but this year I’ll be doing Christmas via

Zoom with them. I will not be travelling to Nanaimo. Now, there are many

other people who may not even be able to do Zoom, so we need to think about

them, because they may not have the connectivity that is needed in order to

use some of the media, so they may just have to do by phone. So many things

we’ve had to learn to do differently.

[2:00 p.m.]

I want to focus on one thing specifically today, as we look into the

future and we think about our current situation. I want each and every one

of us to reflect on all those who have lost loved ones to COVID right here

in B.C. and around the world and what a difficult time this has been for

them, and then I want us to reflect on everyone who has lost a loved one, a

parent, a child, a sibling, a grandchild, an aunt, an uncle, a grandfather,

a friend.

Everyone who has lost a loved one, over the last eight, nine months,

has had to learn how to grieve differently. Every culture, every society,

every family has a different way of grieving. But we’re going through a

period now where families cannot even get together for funerals.

We are going through a time when people have had to say goodbye to

their loved ones with maybe only nine people there, when children who lived

in another province or another country could not come and see their loved

one for the last time, their parent, and say their goodbyes. They had to do

it through the technology that we have. I want us to think about the people

who have had people pass away, either in a nursing home or in a hospital,

and they could not be by their side.

I want us to reflect on how challenging that has been for those

families right across this province. I always remind myself of that. We, as

MLAs, are not immune to those losses. I lost my mother on April 6. Only nine

of us could go to the service. We had to tell our sisters-in-law…. Some of

the siblings couldn’t get here, only one grandchild from the four families

that live here. And family members couldn’t come to visit, as they do in my

first culture, in the South Asian culture. They couldn’t come home and sit

with us to grieve. We all had to do it in isolation, through phone and

through Zoom.

That always is what I go back to when people say to me: “This is so

challenging. There is Christmas on the way. How will we manage?” Well, over

the last year, we’ve learned to manage so many different challenges, whether

it’s been celebrations or deaths or other kinds of challenges. I think I’m

going to urge each and every person who is watching. Let us draw on our

strength to make sure that we can carry on following the protocols and make

sure that the curve remains flat.

I want to do a shout-out at this time to all the front-line workers.

Back in the spring and the summer, we were all gathering at seven o’clock

with our pots and pans. We were ringing and ringing the bells. We were

saying: “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” All of it was from the bottom of

our heart.

But remember, those first front-line workers are still out there

working. A number of them that I’ve talked to haven’t really had any time

off. They are just stretched to the limit. They tell me. Some of them go 15

days without a day off. Some of them are telling me that they cancelled

their holidays — not even to stay home and recuperate — because they knew

they were needed in the jobs that they were doing.

I want to thank all of the health front-line workers, who are facing

these challenges every day, but also health care workers who are working in

our long-term care facilities, plus everybody else who works in them. A

special shout-out to all the people who serve us in the grocery stores and

in the restaurants and all of the other areas, the truck drivers, the taxi

drivers, who make sure that we have a semblance of the new normal as we face

the challenges that COVID presents before us.

I want to take a moment now to do a special shout-out to schools and

the child care centres that are open under incredibly difficult and

challenging times. Very emotional. Lots of concerns, both from parents, but

from teachers, from support staff, from principals and vice-principals. But

all of them working collaboratively, working together, to keep our daycares

open and to keep our schools open so kids can get some education and can go

to school.

I know that in Surrey our superintendent, Jordan Tinney, has set up a

really great collaborative model, where he is working with all the partners,

with CUPE, with the Surrey Teachers Association, with the parents, with the

principals and vice-principals.

[2:05 p.m.]

He is working with them to make sure that there is a model that works,

that is based on the provincial framework, but that is specialized and

tailored for Surrey, where we have some students studying at home because

they chose the online model for now. Others are going to school, and they

are cohorts.

Now, is this perfect? No. Is there anybody out there who is going to

say that the models we have right now for getting our economy going and

everything else is perfection itself? No. It’s a work in progress. It’s a

work in progress because we learn so much as we go along. We learn more

about the virus. We learn more about the spread. We learn more about how

best to protect ourselves.

I can remember when masks were pushed to the side, and now we’re

urging everybody to wear a mask in common areas, when you go shopping, when

you’re inside and even when you go into a restaurant, except when you’re

sitting at your table. And when you’re in condominiums, if you’re in a

common area, wear a mask. We are learning more as we are going along. But

all of this requires incredible teamwork, not just teamwork at the health

services and at the ministry level. I would say this is going to take each

and every one of us, living in every corner of this province.

So this Christmas, my appeal to everybody, including my children and

grandchildren, is to ask for their patience and say: “Yes, we can do this

for a little longer. We can do this for a little longer, if not for

ourselves, for those we love.”

I know that, for example, my niece…. She goes to teach in a school.

But when she comes home, she’s living in a household where her father-in-law

has had open-heart surgery. So very, very challenging, complex situations

that she has to navigate. But you know what? She doesn’t complain. She

doesn’t complain because, for her, it is about how to make things better for

her kids in her classroom. She always tells me: “You know what? Yes, it’s

challenging. Yes, there are many issues. But you know what? I’m glad to be

at school.”

There are others who have concerns, who have health care concerns, and

we need to accommodate those. You know what? As we’re doing a shout-out to

all of the front-line workers, I think I want to do a special shout-out to

all the seniors who are shut in, who are in nursing homes, who are not

enjoying the visits they used to get. I remember, when my mom was alive, she

had visitors every single day. The whole day, somebody was with her. But

once COVID hit, nobody could visit. We could do FaceTime once a

week.

There are so many people in nursing homes now who have to do with

FaceTime, with Zoom. I know how challenging it must be for them, and I want

you to know that the minister is working night and day to make sure that we

improve the situation. So are our health authorities, so that we can get

back to the new normal. But we have a way to go yet. So let’s not give

up.

But let’s take a look at some of the things we’ve got to look forward

to. Yes, Christmas is coming. Hanukkah is coming. Other celebrations are

coming. A new year is coming. I’m certainly hoping 2021 has many more highs

than 2020 had and not as many lows.

As we’re looking into the new year, we know that around the holiday

season, many people are going to be facing challenges. I’m so proud that the

new minister, the new Finance Minister, is working very, very hard to make

sure that the $1,000 that will help many middle-class and all families,

working-class families — will help them. Will help them to get through some

of the difficult times, some of the financial challenges they are having.

We’re working very, very hard — and the minister is — to make sure that gets

out to people. An announcement was made today where you can go in and apply

and all of that.

So many amazing steps, changes have happened in the health care

system. I’m always in awe when the minister…. I was going to say his name.

Our Health Minister puts out the numbers for how many surgeries have taken

place. And you know what? Kudos to every single British Columbian. It’s

because you flattened the curve, you brought the numbers down, that those

surgeries could restart, and we’ve had thousands upon thousands of surgeries

done. We’re almost back to the pre-COVID days.

[2:10 p.m.]

If we now follow the protocols, and we manage to keep flattening the

curve and bring that down, we will be able to continue those elective but so

necessary surgeries that so many people have been waiting for.

My appeal to everybody…. I’m really happy this year that the throne

speech was short, the reason being because it is on COVID. That’s where all

our focus needs to be. That’s where every single MLA…. Whether in the

Legislature or whether in the riding, we are going to have to put out that

extra energy and extra time to connect with people to make sure that, as

they go into the holiday season, they know the support systems that they

have and we find a different way of making connections.

Connections become more important during this time. I’m finding myself

writing far more cards by hand rather than sending them by Zoom or

electronically, because this year I thought actually receiving a card or a

letter and opening it is another form of connection.

I’m also going to urge every single one of us to think of those who

are more needy in our communities. For those of you who are listening, if

you can donate, this is a good time to be donating to the food banks or to

your local churches or gurdwaras or masjids where they are doing food drives

as well.

You know what? I’m always impressed with the generosity of folks. And

I am so impressed by our faith community. Whether it’s been the synagogue,

whether it’s been the church, whether it’s been our gurdwara, whether it’s

been a masjid, whatever kind of a religious place it has been, the religious

community, the faith community has stepped forward to help and to support.

So thank you to each and every one of you.

As I finish off this speech, and as I look into the next few weeks, I

know that, like many of you, I’m going to be going through some emotional

challenges as well. It is very, very difficult to think I’m not going to be

holding and hugging my little Alliya. I’m not going to be there when she

opens up her Christmas present. I’m not going to be there to see the joy in

her face, in person, that she will have when she comes down and sees her

Christmas stocking.

But you know something? This is the new normal. This is for this year.

So what I’m going to be doing is, I’m going to be up extra early. I’m going

to be connected to my Zoom. And guess what. I’m going to make sure that I

get to enjoy every single moment of time with Alliya, even though it is

distant.

So once again, thank you to my constituents in Surrey-Panorama, for

those who voted for me. And for those who did not, they need to know that I

am everybody’s MLA. My office is at 144 Street and 64 Avenue. We are here,

and we are here to support you. So please have a safe and happy

holiday.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member. Just a reminder that we don’t use proper names in

the House, just the person’s title or their riding.

Member for Prince George–Mackenzie, please.

M. Morris: Thank you, Speaker. Congratulations on your appointment as Deputy

Speaker.

Just before I start with my reply to the throne speech, I’d just like

to thank the Clerk and all your staff for the hard work that you’ve done

this year. The Third Party Leader summed it up quite well when she spoke

about the earlier throne speech and the building under siege at the time,

and then a multitude of issues, including COVID this past while. So my hat’s

off to you and your staff and everybody else that works in the building

here. You’ve done an outstanding job.

You know, the throne speech lays the track work for the future of

British Columbia. This one is only the future as far as you can throw a

stone down the road, in hopes that we will get through the COVID era that

we’re in right now.

I go back to a comment that I saw. There were several comments,

actually, in the opening segment of the throne speech, but one comment in

particular that caught my attention is that they say: “We did not choose the

challenge of COVID-19, but we are meeting it.”

[2:15 p.m.]

I have to ask. How? How is it being met? Is it being met by abandoning

British Columbians at a time of their greatest need? We haven’t had any

other crisis like this descend upon the world since the great wars of the

past.

It was at a time when government, prior to this unwarranted snap

election, enjoyed the support and cooperation of all parties in this House,

as was referenced by the Leader of the Third Party when she was making her

address here a short while ago.

I think it was an opportunity, perhaps, to take advantage of every

single British Columbian who was focused on the tragedies around COVID and

the issues from the worldwide pandemic. They didn’t want an election. They

weren’t focused on an election. They were focused on the welfare of their

family. They were focused on trying to work. They were focused on trying to

avoid getting COVID. They were focused on their loved ones that were

sequestered in seniors homes and long-term-care homes throughout the

province here, throughout the country.

I think they also took advantage of the outstanding leadership

provided by our provincial health officer, who, with the great suggestions,

the work of her staff, was able to bend that curve at the outset of COVID

and have some of the best COVID-related statistics, if you want to put it

that way, in the country. All eyes were on British Columbia at that

particular time, due to the outstanding leadership exhibited by the

provincial health officer. I want to thank her and her staff for the

outstanding work that they’ve done throughout this very trying

period.

Had government not abandoned their post, had government stayed and

done the work that British Columbians expected them to provide during this

turbid time, British Columbians would already have received their $1,000

COVID relief cheque and the other supports that this government spoke about

after the first throne speech. There wouldn’t have been this two-month

period of no government — nobody at the helm, nobody steering the ship for

two months during one of the worst crises this province has seen, this

country has seen, this world has seen in decades.

During this period of time, since the election, COVID cases have

multiplied exponentially and stress levels multiplied exponentially amongst

all the citizens of British Columbia. COVID-related death rates climbed at

an alarming rate. Women and men lost their jobs. More women and men will be

losing their jobs. Stress on how they’re going to make that next mortgage

payment, how they’re going to feed their families, how they’re going to look

after their families. Parents are stressed as their children attend schools,

overtaken with this rapid rise in COVID cases throughout our communities.

And as I mentioned, families have been torn apart by loved ones sequestered

in our seniors care facilities.

Now, I have to say that government sets the example. When government

says it’s okay to take this drug, then the people know that it’s safe. When

government says it’s okay to drive on our highways at a certain speed, then

people know that it’s safe to drive at that certain speed.

So how can government, on one hand, ask everyone to stay isolated over

Christmas time — not to see their grandchildren, not to see their children,

not to see their loved ones who are sequestered in the seniors care homes —

when they themselves went ahead during this crisis, forced everybody to

participate in an unnecessary election, forced Elections B.C. employees and

volunteers to put themselves out there in the public to risk contracting

COVID during this escalating time?

[2:20 p.m.]

It is a poor example of modelling leadership in this pro­vince.

It’s something that the public is very much aware of. I think our colleague

from the Green Party was right when she said this government has a

tremendous job ahead of it to re-instill the trust of the people of this

province, to re-instill the fact that people can count on this government to

be there when they’re most needed at a specific crisis.

COVID, because it spreads so exponentially throughout the province,

has had a devastating effect on our public institutions. Our health care

institutions are at capacity and have been at capacity for a long time now.

Our front-end nurses are stressed. Many of them have contacted COVID over

the past nine months. Our social services, our people that deal with

children and families, the folks that deal with the down-and-outers, the

people that deal with the people that live on the street…. They have no idea

that they may have COVID or they won’t have COVID, and these people are

coming and going into their offices on a regular basis.

An example I have in my area in Prince George. There was a number — I

believe it was 12 or 16 — of individuals that lived on the street that were

tested positive for COVID. They were placed into a B.C. Housing complex.

There’s another agency that has gone above and beyond to help house British

Columbians, and they’re put right in the front line of this pandemic by

doing that.

Nobody was looking after these individuals, and they came and went at

will. They travelled to outlying communities. Some of them went to a local

pharmacy to pick up their opiate prescription that had been provided them

free of charge by the province. Who knows the contact that they may have

encountered during these little side trips they had?

Police. I’ve got two sons in the RCMP who deal with the downtown

element, who deal with these individuals that couldn’t care less about

COVID, that don’t wear a mask, that don’t quarantine, that don’t pay

attention to social distancing. Yet the police are the ones that have to

respond to them, along with social services, along with B.C. Housing and

along with our paramedics.

Our paramedics are already stressed and overworked when we look at the

opiate crisis that we’ve been en­coun­tering this last number of

years. Now we add this on top of that, and government chose to abandon ship

for two months while they went through this unnecessary election.

There is confusion over roles and responsibilities when it comes to

some of our public institutions as to who’s responsible for what. That needs

to be clarified.

The other issue that just had scant mention in the opening comments of

the throne speech is the opiate crisis that we’ve been in now for quite some

time. It was our government that declared a health emergency back in 2016 to

deal with that, and it’s exploded since that particular time. Recent

statistics indicate that the death rate has climbed. The death rate far

surpasses the death rate from COVID.

Eighty percent of non-prescribed opiate overdose deaths in B.C. are

due to fentanyl or fentanyl analogue. Fentanyl, contrary to what many people

in British Columbia think, has become the drug of choice. It is so highly

addictive, it’s what the drug addicts — those who are addicted to it — look

for on a regular basis.

[2:25 p.m.]

I bring up a story of a longtime family friend, a couple that stood up

with my wife and I when we got married 42 years ago. They had sons, and I

had sons, and our children associated with each other over the years. Their

youngest son passed away from a fentanyl overdose a couple of years ago. But

he had overdosed before that as well.

I met with him. He’d spent several weeks in hospital recuperating from

that first fentanyl overdose. I asked him: “Why do you chance taking

fentanyl-laced drugs? Don’t you know that it may kill you?” Then he said…. A

very polite young man. Well, he was in his early thirties. He worked in a

mining camp. He reflected the statistical data that the coroner has

collected on the young men and that age group who have passed away from

fentanyl overdoses.

“Mr. Morris,” he said, “there’s no high like it.” He said: “It is the

best feeling that I’ve ever had and can ever have.” He was thoroughly

addicted to that. We tried to talk with him. His parents talked to him. He

had professional help. At the end of the day, he passed away from a fentanyl

overdose.

Many are going through that same situation, yet this government

abandoned ship on that issue as well. We have fentanyl deaths. We have

opiate overdoses taking place right across this country but more so in

British Columbia. We have the highest rate of death, in British Columbia, in

all of Canada, yet the government abandoned their post and decided to have

an election.

As we enter this era, this very short two-week session of parliament,

as thousands upon thousands of people are losing their jobs, losing their

incomes, losing their homes and can’t pay their mortgages, as thousands of

businesses are on the verge of insolvency, all we can do is spend two weeks

talking about a short bill? The bill is innocuous. I’ve got to study it some

more to really understand what it says, but I didn’t really see too much in

there. When people are deprived of their Christmas this year because

government abandoned their post in October and November, this is the best we

can do? I think we can do a heck of a lot better.

I will conclude my remarks with my frustration and displeasure over

the shortness of the session and the limited types of things that we’re

discussing during this session.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

I look forward to another throne speech in 2021 where I’ll get a

chance to talk about the things that are important for British Columbia. I

look forward to the vision that the Premier and this government might be

able to show British Columbians on what we’re going to do about biodiversity

management, what we’re going to do about the opiate crisis and what we’re

going to do about the overstressed institutions that we have in British

Columbia and that our citizens rely on so much. With that, I’ll conclude my

remarks.

J. Rice: I’m speaking today from the territory of the Tsimshian First

Nations.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the throne speech. The

throne speech is an opportunity to outline the direction a government

intends to take, and the focus of this B.C. NDP government is about making

life better for people by supporting them through this global

pandemic.

Right now, more than ever, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary

times we’re in, the hardship that the pandemic has placed on people and,

sadly, those that we have lost to COVID-19. I also want to acknowledge the

commitment and courage of health care and other front-line workers that have

helped to keep us safe. To the pharmacists, pharmacy clerks and grocery

store clerks, and to the truck drivers, warehouse and delivery workers, and

to the farmers, retailers, teachers and teachers assistants, a heartfelt and

an immense thank-you.

[2:30 p.m.]

I also want to acknowledge another pandemic that has played out

alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, often with less media attention. This is

the overdose crisis. The overdose crisis in British Columbia and throughout

other jurisdictions has taken way too many lives. A toxic drug supply is

further exacerbated by this pandemic. We have made significant investments

to help those using drugs to access a safer drug supply, and I encourage

people to reach out and seek help if they need it.

I want to take a moment to also thank the people of North Coast for

once again choosing me as their representative in the B.C. Legislature. It

is my pleasure and my challenge to bring the issues of those in Prince

Rupert, Haida Gwaii and all of the communities in between to the Central

Coast to Victoria. Each and every day I endeavour to be a voice for rural,

remote and Indigenous communities.

Thank you to my election campaign team of volunteers, led by my

campaign manager, Ella Champion. Thank you to my constituency assistants

Joshua McLeod, who is currently on parental leave with his third child, and

Ben Tassell, who is carrying the load right now.

Of course, thank to my wife, Andrea Wilmot, who supports me in the

work I do and who is home raising our child, who turned one year old

yesterday. Also, thank you to Andrea for taking

Lu̓á to get his

immunizations a few moments ago so I don’t have to see him cry.

I recognize the unique challenges currently faced by many of my

constituents. The challenge of being a ferry-dependent community — such as

those on Haida Gwaii, in Klemtu, Bella Bella, Bella Coola and others —

further compounds the effects of COVID-19. The challenge of being a First

Nations community that is culturally based on being together in groups in

birth and in death and in many other celebrations — I acknowledge how hard

it is to be together by being apart right now.

To the small and tourism businesses in Prince Rupert, Haida Gwaii and

the Bella Coola Valley who are struggling to stay afloat, I commend you for

your creativity and innovation to get through this global

pandemic.

When COVID first arrived in B.C., our government took swift action to

protect people, including addressing risks in long-term-care facilities by

limiting workers to one facility. We accomplished that by levelling up the

pay rate of care workers so that they weren’t forced to work multiple jobs

to make ends meet. We secured large amounts of personal protective equipment

for our front-line workers. We worked with public health officials to

implement a strategy for strategic testing and contact tracing. Since then,

we’ve hired thousands of new health care workers and contact

tracers.

Right now we are preparing for how to distribute a vaccine quickly and

safely, beginning with those most at risk.

We’ve also supported people financially during the pandemic with a

$1,000 emergency benefit, temporary rent relief, protection from the threat

of eviction and crisis supplements to people on disability and income

assistance, to name a few.

To protect jobs, we helped businesses through property tax cuts,

deferred tax payments and the B.C. Hydro rate relief.

The best economic recovery strategy is a healthy people strategy. We

are focusing on keeping people safe now so that we can work on a recovery as

a province. This fall we released our economic recovery plan, which is

already supporting eligible businesses. Our recovery will be guided by this

government’s core principles, including climate action and reconciliation

with Indigenous peoples.

We will move ahead with a new health care plan based on three main

goals: faster care, care closer to home and more personalized care. This

will include adding more MRI machines in high-demand areas; training,

recruiting [audio interrupted] more skilled health care professionals;

delivering ten more community-based urgent primary care centres in more

communities; and building and modernizing hospitals.

We will expand primary care networks, refocus on rural health care and

work to hire a workforce that better represents the communities it serves.

We will continue to make investments to deliver better care for seniors and

work towards improved stability and safety for long-term-care

workers.

We will continue to expand child care and early learning to create

jobs, stimulate the economy and make sure children can have the best

possible start in life. We have and we will be providing millions to child

care providers, school boards and health authorities to help them deliver

COVID-safe care and renovations to create more spaces.

[2:35 p.m.]

Our government will be there to support British Columbians for the

long haul. We will continue to listen to the public health officials, help

our front-line workers, and support families and businesses. We’re looking

out for people through this pandemic. We’re investing in health care and

seniors care to protect people and fight COVID-19. We’re building a recovery

that includes everyone and not just those at the top.

We’ve come a long, long ways together, but there’s so much more to do.

Together, we will get through this.

R. Merrifield: It’s a great honour to be recognized in this chamber for the first

time as the member for Kelowna-Mission. I didn’t know exactly what I would

feel being in this House, but it’s definitely humbling, and I definitely

feel very, very honoured to represent my incredible community.

When I first came to the Okanagan, I fell in love with its beauty, the

incredible spirit of the people, the richness of its heritage and culture

and the work ethic of the community to become more, to get ahead, but also

to contribute back. Today I commit to every member of my community to be

worthy of the incredible spirit that they are and the incredible trust that

they have placed in me. I also wish to extend congratulations to all of

those elected, especially to the newbies just like me. May we work together

to do great things for the people of B.C.

I also want to acknowledge one of the hardest-working predecessors one

could ask for: the Hon. Steve Thomson. His dedication, years of service and

exceptional character have given me an extraordinary example to live up to.

In fact, he was one of the first ones to text me after QP this

morning.

I would also like to thank the many volunteers, my riding association

and especially my campaign manager, Rob Murphy, who supported me during my

campaign.

But I wouldn’t be here without my family. My partner in life, Carlos —

your support means the world to me.

To my kids — Mikhail, Zovya and Damek — you have taught me so much

about life and made my heart burst with love.

And to my stepkids: thank you, Austin and Connor, for letting me into

your hearts.

I love you all more than life itself.

And to my almost in-laws, who are watching today, Jack and Olinda, in

your 80s, I wish we could see you this Christmas.

To my siblings and parents, you have been my greatest allies, my

constructive critics and my teachers every step of the way. I am forever

grateful. You are each incredible powerhouses, and I thank you for showing

me entrepreneurial spirit coupled with extreme generosity. Mom and Dad, you

were the ones who taught us to do that. A pastor and a teacher, you had

passion for learning, becoming and giving away. If only each MLA in this

House were lucky enough to have you as parents. I count myself nothing less

than blessed to have been chosen to be your daughter.

I also want to thank the strong women who have been my examples, who

have championed me, encouraged me and given me shoes to fill and shoulders

to stand on. You have blazed a path that I am honoured to follow. Thank you

for all of those firsts and for making it easier to follow behind. An

exceptional and extraordinary thank-you to the interim Leader of the

Opposition for being an incredible inspiration, leader and champion for us

all. I hope to make you proud and honour your path.

I ran for election to make a difference, as I’m sure that we all did.

I believe in people, in our ability to change, grow and evolve. I believe

that we are able to create and innovate. This great chamber is the

cumulative effect of who we are together, and the changes we make are

relative to how well we work together with that possibility. I believe in

this assembly, and I hear the echoes of every vote. I believe that our core

responsibility as government is to positively affect the people of B.C., and

we have work to do.

[2:40 p.m.]

Take farming. The farmers in my constituency are frustrated.

Confounded by a layering effect, they are subject to rules and regulations

from three different layers of government. One of the farmers I met with

recently told me of 12 different, separate inspections that occurred

relative to their workers. When I asked other farmers about this, he was not

exceptional.

One of the inspections, actually, from one provincial office started

as the previous one had not yet finished. When I asked why they could not be

done together, he said: “Oh, I asked them that, and they responded, ‘That

would be a good idea, but we don’t do that.’” When we add complexity, time

and cost to an already burdened industry, without affecting the outcome,

that is nothing more than bureaucracy. Where were the farmers in the throne

speech?

Also at issue is the lack of housing affordability. Prices have

continued to escalate and are the highest in history. Despite the

construction of new, purpose-built rentals in my riding, the vacancy rate

remains at just under 1.5 percent, with the highest rental rates ever.

Housing has never cost more than it does today.

Recently I got together with a group of university students. I asked

questions about what they experienced and about how we as government could

make it better. Their response to me? “I don’t care what party you are from.

Nobody understands what we’re going through and how expensive it is for us

to just live today. Own homes? We’ll never own our own homes.”

But when you discuss this price escalation with developers and

builders, their own margins are being squeezed by the increasing costs of

supplies and labour, in addition to increased taxation, municipal fees. Then

there are time frames that are absolutely elongated, just to name a

few.

In the throne speech, a reference was made to protection from the

threat of eviction. Well, how is this being followed up or not abused? Have

we considered what effect this might have on rentals in the long term or

what effect this might have on landlords who have everything they own in

mortgages trying to make ends meet?

As I was door-knocking, one of the constituents added that he had sold

all of his purpose-built rental buildings as he no longer felt he had rights

as a landlord and was going to go bankrupt as he wasn’t able to pay his

mortgages under COVID-19. Government needs to take these concerns seriously.

We need to find a solution for the next generation. Housing isn’t just for

the next generation. Housing is for all. Housing is for seniors, for

families, for singles, for young adults. It should be available for every

British Columbian.

How can we make housing more affordable? How can we get more creative?

How can we make sure that we have housing options for all? What we’re doing

isn’t working. We need to do more, and we need to do it

differently.

Another issue relates to our seniors. I have a higher number of

seniors in my riding than some others. They’re lonely. They’re scared.

Seniors want to live in their homes. They want to be close to those they

love. Studies have shown that the best health outcomes in life are found in

the context of relationships rather than simply care. We need to increase

the amount of seniors community care to make sure that seniors can live in

their homes for longer. Great community care allows seniors to be closer to

their loved ones. They want to be healthy and active, living long and

meaningful lives. Holistic treatment coupled with quarterbacked community

care allows them this dignity.

Then there’s Ellie. I first met Ellie with her mom at a vegetable

market. She came up and asked if she could ask me a few questions about what

I thought on certain issues. She went on to ask me what I planned to do

about the people downtown that don’t have anywhere to go but that make her

feel afraid sometimes. She told me about how she knows that they need love,

but how hard it is.

Ellie is ten years old, but Ellie’s not alone. Many in our community

are wondering how to deal with homelessness that is no longer in isolated

areas in the city but much more prolific. What we are doing isn’t working.

We need greater wraparound services to truly treat those with systemic and

perpetual issues.

[2:45 p.m.]

Then there’s COVID. Frustration, confusion, fear, depression, anger —

those are but a few of the emotions that are swirling. There seems to be a

lack of information and a lack of transparency. Parents want to be able to

make good decisions for the safety of their children, but without data, we

are not able to make good decisions.

We need to be thinking about the ways that this pandemic is affecting

everyone in our province — the family that hasn’t seen their loved one in

hospice since May, the parent who is taking time off work because their

child has to isolate after exposure at school, the exhausted first

responders and front-line workers who are having to use absolutely

extraneous PPE to do their jobs, the people lonely, isolated and alone

through the holiday season when suicide rates and depression are at an

all-time high, the business owner who doesn’t know if they can keep going,

the businesses that are working to react and adapt to changing guidelines

weekly, if not daily.

Our already burdened communities are desperate for answers. They are

adjusting and readjusting to make sure that they’re following the current

public health orders. Where is the help for all of them?

The throne speech falls short in how it supports those that have lives

and livelihoods depending on them. We don’t have an economic plan forward.

Where is the help for the business owners? I have businesses in my riding

that will go bankrupt. They won’t be here next month or next quarter, and

hundreds of employees will lose their jobs. What do we do then? What is our

relief plan for those that supply important and valuable jobs in our

communities and ridings?

When I first started my business, things went really well, probably

too well. But then the great recession hit. Immediately, I was thrown into a

tailspin. When my daughter, who was only seven at the time, asked me what my

job was, I answered her: “Every day I go to work, and I feed a hundred

families.” That was the burden I felt. That was the responsibility I wore. I

knew that if I went bankrupt, it would set into motion others that would not

be able to pay their staff, ones that wouldn’t be able to survive

themselves, causing a rippling effect of disaster. Where are they being

heard today?

In the Okanagan, 65 percent of those employed are employed by small

business. How are we going to support 65 percent of the employees in the

Kelowna-Mission riding? It’s not about a one-time handout. It’s about an

economic plan forward. How do we prevent an avalanche of bankruptcies and

businesses simply closing their doors?

When I read the throne speech, I read it again. What are we going to

do? We’re going to ask businesses to invest more dollars just to get the PST

off? That’s akin to buying something you don’t have money for. How is that

going to help? Have businesses hire more people when they don’t know how to

make the next payroll cheques?

We need an economic plan now, not in four months, not in a year, and

it needs to be real and make sense. Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. In the

absence of effective communication, anxiety grows.

We know that we have rapid tests, but we have not been told how or

when they’re going to be used, yet the seniors care facilities are begging

for them. The tourism industry is asking for them. The schools are asking

for them. If this is how we’re communicating with respect to COVID, what is

it going to look like once we actually have the vaccine?

I want to talk about all of the amazing aspects of my Kelowna-Mission

riding, but right now COVID dominates my conversations with people. It

dominates their thoughts. It dominates their fears right now. When looking

at our response to COVID-19, I’m prompted to ask the question: why aren’t we

more focused on supporting those that are the hardest hit by this

pandemic?

[2:50 p.m.]

The economists have shown us that this pandemic, more than the great

recession, has created a far greater positive effect on some industries —

think Amazon, Shopify, Netflix, Google, Walmart, Costco, Loblaws, high-wage

earners, salaried personnel — and a vastly negative effect on others. Think

boutiques, small shops, small enterprises, services, lower-earners, women,

Indigenous, mi­nor­ities. Why are the dollars in the throne

speech not more targeted to those that need it most?

What COVID has shown us is true about health care universally. It

affects everything, and it is all interconnected. The mental health of our

teens, the way we care for our seniors, how our children are taught and

cared for, the disease that we are able to prevent with great family care —

the outcomes of all of these aspects are simply better when we put patients

— but, moreover, people — first in our health care system.

People before costs. People before bureaucracy. People before unions.

People before profits. People before…. Well, before they have to become

patients. Preventative medicine for the whole person. Spending precious

dollars where they can be of most use and before acute care is

necessary.

What we are learning is that health is not just about doctors and

nurses and hospitals, but the preventative work that can be done by

psychologists, physiotherapists, exercise, etc., in schools, clinics, gyms,

workshops, wellness centres and campuses of care. Add nurses — great. But

where is the whole patient in the plan? How are we, as government,

supporting people? Where is preventative medicine?

I don’t want an MRI. I don’t want to need a new MRI machine. I want a

health care plan that prevents me from ever requiring an MRI. We need a

completely new approach to how health is delivered and to what outcomes we

measure.

We need technological advances to give us better data and information

so we can treat patients to a higher level. We need fully integrated care

with care quarterbacks to make sure that things are not missed — that we

have advocates.

We need campuses of care, where the whole person is seen, the whole

person is treated, where cultural differences can be recognized. Not just

for some, but for all. Where preventative is valued as highly as treatment,

and the work done on mental and emotional care is as important as the

physical. We need more health care professionals that can advocate for

patients and deliver the absolute best care possible, not just more

nurses.

If we want to be the best in health care and deliver the best

outcomes, we need to make sure that every dollar is spent wisely and going

where it should be. We also need to be figuring out the business of health

care. How can we make our dollars go farther or capture dollars for the

residents of B.C.? Our outcomes are slipping, and we are not creating a

system where the absolute best care is possible. We need to breathe

sustainability into our health care system and make sure that it is properly

utilizing the public resources in meeting every patient’s needs.

McKinsey and Co. just released a report on how governments can build

more resilient societies coming out of COVID-19. The top of the list was

health care. It did not say: “Do more of the same.” Rather, it stated that

in order to build a more resilient society, health must be delivered

differently. We must deliver it through technology and reimagine our health

care system. “The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all stakeholders in the

health care system. Examples of effective responses to this crisis abound,

such as using digital technology…to meet the surge in demand and navigate

the road to recovery. Governments can unlock the potential in the digital

and telehealth sector to make sure these services are the first choice for

patients and globally accessible.”

We need to reimagine what health care can look like and how to deliver

more efficient services in a timelier fashion. We can do better. We can do

better together. Together, we can achieve great things.

[2:55 p.m.]

Some would say that I’m a dreamer, Pollyanna, idealistic. I would say

a resounding yes to all of those things. I am a woman who believes

wholeheartedly in the Okanagan Valley, in the entrepreneurial spirit that

exists there and in the collaborative nature of who we are. I believe that

we are innovative together and capable of altering the trajectory of future

generations positively.

I believe the Okanagan is a somewhat living laboratory for innovation

and progress, for collaboration and for the pursuit of solutions to

problems. I don’t believe for one minute that there isn’t enough for

everyone, or that if someone wins, then someone else has to lose. I don’t

believe that in order for one industry to thrive, another must

suffer.

In fact, I believe — and it’s been proven — that a rising tide lifts

all boats. It’s time to do away with either-or conversations, and it’s time

to let the tide come in. It’s time to start finding the interrelatedness,

the interconnectedness and the absolute interdependence of this House and

our worlds.

I believe in who each of you are and why you have been elected. I

believe that we can do great things in positive ways for this session

together. For the sake of the next generation, for my constituents and for

the future of B.C., I will work in this constructive manner on all issues

with everyone in this chamber.

I see my role as Health critic as imperative to achieving the best

outcomes for all British Columbians. You see, the opposition has a vital

role to play in formulating policy. All British Columbians deserve a voice.

The late Rt. Hon. John Diefenbaker once described the role of opposition as

the detergent of democracy. The people of B.C. deserve openness and

transparency, as only when you have that can you truly have accountability.

I plan on being the best detergent for government possible.

In concluding my remarks today, hon. Speaker, I thank you for allowing

me this time and consideration.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Vancouver-Hastings.

N. Sharma: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I just want to congratulate you on your

election. It’s nice to see you up there.

As this is my first time addressing the House, I wanted to start by

first of all acknowledging that I’m on the unceded lands of the Skwxwú7mesh,

Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam people, and I pay my respects.

I’d also like to thank the people of Vancouver-Hastings for putting

their trust in me. I’m so grateful, and I promise to work hard on your

behalf.

I want to thank, in particular, Ali Hassam, Yogi Omar and Ann Vavrick

from my campaign team; the members of my EPC; and the sign crew. All of you

put so much of your effort into my campaign, and I wouldn’t be here without

you.

I’d like to thank my family for their support throughout — my partner,

Franck, and my two children, Shyam and Mira. I’m so grateful for your love

and support. To my parents, Dharm pal and Saroj Sharma, who raised four

girls in Sparwood, B.C. and taught us countless lessons on how to be good

people and give back to your community: I’m so grateful for you.

In reply in support of the throne speech, I offer the following

comments. I’d like to start by saying that the throne speech was focused on

what is top of mind to every British Columbian today, and that’s COVID-19 —

where we are in the world, where we are in the country and where we are in

the province. This year has been unprecedented. It’s a word that we have

used far too often to express the actions that we’ve had to take as British

Columbians, and our government has had to take, to protect each other and to

save lives.

I want to acknowledge the hard work of Minister Dix, Dr. Henry and all

of the front-line workers and the sacrifices that so many have made to fight

COVID-19, to keep us fed, to keep us safe and to keep us healthy.

[3:00 p.m.]

We also mourn the loss of over 500 people who’ve been lost due to this

terrible virus and who have lost their lives due to the poisoned drug supply

in the opioid crisis.

Over the last few months, our government has taken swift and decisive

action to respond to the health crisis that we find ourselves in. It hasn’t

been easy, and I know that it’s taken a toll on a lot of people out there in

our province. As we are in the midst of the second wave, we will remain

focused on meeting the challenges faced by this pandemic. This includes

investing in health care systems and the workers that make up the front line

of our efforts, making investments in hiring people that are needed, like

contact tracers and front-line workers and all those people out there that

keep us safe.

I hear from many people who are in a situation like I’m in who worry

about the health care needs of their parents, especially parents like my

own, who live in a small community in the province. I’m proud of the

commitment of our investment in achieving three things in the health care

system — faster care, care that is closer to home and focusing on rural

health. I couldn’t be more grateful for my parents and all the people that I

know that come from the small town that I do.

Our elders are beloved members of our families, and we all hold them

dear, and addressing the urgent needs of seniors has been so welcome for

many. I know that there’s still so much to do and work to keep them safe as

we hit our second wave of the pandemic and we move towards delivering the

vaccine.

I’ve heard from so many people about how challenging these times are,

especially during the holiday season. I know that many are disappointed that

the public health restrictions will mean that we cannot meet in person with

the loved ones that we have and want to hug and spend the holidays with and

that many businesses, especially small businesses, are worried about what

the next month will bring.

I want to say that I’m proud of my community of Vancouver-Hastings,

who stood together over this year and helped each other, just like we always

do. We do our best to support our local small businesses that are so vital

to our community. We help support our neighbours in need, like the student

council at Templeton School that started a virtual food drive and has raised

close to $8,000 already for the greater Vancouver food bank. And I know that

even though we’ll be socially distanced this holiday season, the lights on

Trinity Street will be shining brighter this year.

Our government has taken action to support people and businesses

throughout this pandemic, and it was clear from the throne speech that our

focus will remain on the side of people throughout this pandemic with the

recovery benefit, which will provide direct financial support to so many

British Columbians. I know that will help families with that extra support

that they need during this challenging time. We will work to deliver further

supports to help businesses, like support for new hires and helping

thousands to upscale or rescale to find in-demand jobs in a post-COVID

economy.

In my riding, there’s a high number of renters, and I hear from them

about the need for support, especially during these times. The ban on

evictions during the pandemic made a real difference, and I know the rent

freeze will continue to make a real difference for them in the monthly

challenges that they face, not only during this pandemic but just to be a

renter in a very expensive city.

We can all have hope that as we move towards the distribution of the

vaccine and see the end of this pandemic, that a brighter future is on the

way, one that will include being able to hug our loved ones. As we work hard

to lift ourselves out of the pandemic, this government, I know, will be

focused on helping all of us get there and being on the side of all the

people in British Columbia.

I have the privilege of being appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for

Community Development and Non-Profits. By my appointment, Premier Horgan has

acknowledged the importance of the non-profit sector to B.C., and I have

been hearing directly from non-profits across the province, since the news

of the appointment, about how glad they are to see this role in

government.

In my mandate letter, the Premier has asked that I work to ensure that

charitable organizations and the non-profit sector are engaged and supported

through the pandemic and its recovery and to support the sector by acting as

an advocate and a key point of contact within government. The non-profit

sector has played such a large role in my life. I’ve managed programs,

worked and volunteered with non-profits since I was a teenager.

[3:05 p.m.]

In this province, there are over 86,000 people who are employed in the

non-profit sector. This sector has risen to the challenge to meet the needs

of the community during the pandemic. They are made up of community leaders

who contribute greatly to our economy and our communities. Their work helps

us meet the challenges our society faces today and build resilient

communities.

Over the next little while, as we work to develop the work plan of

this new role, I look forward to connecting with community leaders and

organizations across this province. I will work hard to build, to

strengthen, the relationship between the non-profit sector and this

government and advocate for the needs of government.

As we enter the holiday season, I just wanted to encourage all the

people that can to give what you can to your local non-profit. Whether it’s

time through social distance volunteering, of course, or financial

donations. I know, and I’ve heard from so many, that they need it now more

than ever.

The throne speech also talked about child care. The

Lieutenant-Governor said the following about child care: “Expanding child

care and early learning is another strong economic development policy. By

creating jobs and allowing more parents to go to work, it counts as

strategic economic infrastructure, every bit as important as roads and

highways.” I just want to reiterate that phrase about strategic economic

infrastructure in child care. I think this is so key to understanding the

impact that a universal child care system will have on families across

B.C.

Over the past few years, our government has invested in building a

universal child care system, and this is under the leadership of Minister

Katrina Chen. I was so happy to see in the throne speech our further

commitment to investing in child care as a vital thing for all British

Columbian families. We will commit to investing in school boards and health

authorities to provide the type of child care that exists in public

buildings that will help to grow our system.

I know firsthand having two kids, one of whom is in child care, the

toll that child care has on families when you can’t find it, when you can’t

afford it and when it’s not in your community. I know there’s more work to

do. I’m very proud of that commitment in government to build a new social

program for B.C. families.

Our government has also highlighted, not only in its core principles

but also in the throne speech, that everything that we do and every action

that we take has to include climate action and reconciliation with

Indigenous people. This government has recognized that we are in a climate

crisis, and the actions that we take today will ensure that our children

will have a stable future. Just as we listened to the science to respond to

COVID, we know that we need to respond to the science on climate

change.

I am grateful for the strong leadership of Minister Heyman, and I look

forward to the government’s commitment to climate action in all that we do.

I am proud that it was in every mandate letter that the Premier wrote to all

of cabinet.

Also reconciliation with Indigenous people. All the work we do and

everything that we do to show up in this House has to recognize the terrible

history of colonization to Indigenous people of our communities. Lasting and

meaningful reconciliation is a core value of this government and a core

commitment. But it’s also an ongoing process and a shared responsibility for

all of us.

Although there has been some work that we’ve done in the past

government, I know that we have a lot more work to do. I know that our

government has a commitment — not only individually but across every

ministry — to remain focused on creating opportunities for Indigenous people

to be full partners in our economy and providing a clear and sustainable

path for everybody towards lasting reconciliation. This is a commitment that

I am proud to do my best to uphold in all the work that I do and all the

work that we do as members of this House.

With the appointment of Parliamentary Secretary Rachna Singh, with the

portfolio of….

Deputy Speaker: Sorry, Member.

If I might just remind members, please, to not use members’ names. The

member can use the title or the riding name in its place. Thank

you.

N. Sharma: Okay. Sorry about that. With the appointment of Parliamentary

Secretary Singh — is that okay?

Deputy Speaker: The Member for Surrey–Green Timbers would be more appropriate, I

believe.

[3:10 p.m.]

N. Sharma: Okay. With the appointment of the Member for Surrey–Green Timbers,

with a portfolio of anti-racism initiatives, and the inclusion of the goal

of equity and anti-racism across government, we have shown our commitment to

do real work to be anti-racist by clearly showing that our government has a

moral and ethical responsibility to tackle systemic discrimination in all of

its forms and that every ministry has a role in this work.

This is something that I am very proud to contribute to in any way

that I can in my role representing Vancouver-Hastings. I know that

delivering on this commitment will mean that we all need to do the work in

the decisions that we make as government. I’m looking forward to working

with everybody to do that.

In closing, I would like to say that I am so fortunate to have a great

team in my constituency office, with Amelia Hill and Yogi Omar hard at work.

I’m grateful for their energy and commitment to the community that we serve.

We’ll be working hard to represent Vancouver-Hastings and help an already

strong and resilient community to make it through these challenging

times.

I appreciate the ability to make these comments, and I thank you for

your time.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you very much, Member. Sorry for interrupting.

Just to clarify for all members that the practice in this House is

that we use the title of the constituency, as opposed to first names, or the

title of the ministry or parliamentary secretary in this case. Thank you

very much.

B. Banman: It is indeed an honour to have the opportunity to respond to the

Speech from the Throne. Like many of my colleagues, this is a first for me.

As a new MLA, it is endlessly exciting to take

part in the goings on of the

legislative precinct — albeit not, of course, in person, but via Zoom. We do

live in interesting times.

I would like to formally introduce myself to you all. I am Bruce

Banman, MLA for Abbotsford South, and I would be remiss if I did not mention

that it includes Aldergrove.

Today I would like to take this time to not only respond to the plan

that government has laid out in this mini-session but to share with you all

some of what makes my riding and the city of Abbotsford the gem of the

Fraser Valley.

I would like to thank the people in my riding for their votes and

their confidence in my taking on this role. I would also like to thank my

family, extended family, friends and supporters who have all helped me get

to where I am now. I will not forget where I came from.

I have lived in the Fraser Valley my entire life. I grew up just up

the street in Chilliwack. I moved to Abbotsford in 1982, and I have served

this city in many capacities. I’m proud to say that I served as a waiter

while I worked my way through university. I worked my way through university

and came back to this city to become and serve as a chiropractor for many

years.

Politically, I served as the mayor of Abbotsford, as well as on city

council, and I am incredibly honoured to complete that trinity of community

representation by now being an MLA. This is a city that is near and dear to

me, and it deserves to be celebrated and have its splendour

acknowledged.

Before I touch on what makes my riding so great, I want to respond to

what was laid out yesterday in the throne speech. Though I am new to this,

one thing was abundantly clear: there was not much to report from the throne

speech yesterday. It read like a pat on the back for the NDP, a

self-congratulatory note on what they did over the last nine months and,

with that, an acknowledgment of an election promise that the NDP made,

doling out millions and millions in taxpayer dollars this holiday

season.

[3:15 p.m.]

What I failed to hear was any talk of stimulating the economy or

business in any form. Where is the plan for hundreds and hundreds of

businesses that have been pleading for some more support for months? They’ve

been pleading for it for months on end, with no clear timeline for support.

I heard a lot of “this is what the government has done,” but no outline of

what the government will be doing.

As for my role as critic of Citizens’ Services, there was not a single

mention of some of the crucial issues that this ministry touches on. There

was no mention of increasing connectivity or broadband throughout the

province. This issue is incredibly relevant, and it’s important now more

than ever. Employees and students are doing their best work to learn and

work from home throughout this pandemic, and ensuring that every single

British Columbian has access to high-speed Internet is paramount.

This is not an issue that should be or can be delayed. Frankly, it

should have been part of the focus of supports, over the last nine months,

to think that there are in fact people in this province that are being left

out in the cold in the dark of winter, unconnected, as people are forced to

work from home. They need to be able to connect to vital health care

meetings, order and gather supplies, continue their education and work from

home. This needs to be a focus. It needs to be a priority.

I was surprised and disheartened to see that there was no mention of

FOI or freedom-of-information reform in the minister’s mandate letter. This

shows a lack of follow-through and is another example of this government

saying one thing and acting in another way.

The Premier himself has recently said that political-party

freedom-of-information requests are not important. Let me read that again.

The Premier himself has recently said that political-party FOI requests are

not important. This is, of course, inherently hypocritical, given his time

in opposition, but worrisome to the operations of our very parliamentary

system.

Our role in opposition is to ask the tough questions on behalf of the

public, and also asking for and disseminating that said information. The

public has a right. If we are stopped from digging into the critical issues

and working to support the needs of the public, then, quite frankly, this

government is out of line.

I hope that in the coming months and as we near the spring session —

which by all accounts shall be far later in the year than is normally

customary — the government will have time to reflect, realize they are out

of step and out of line, and create some movement on this. I know that in my

job as critic I will continue to canvass these issues.

I also, of course, want to send my heartfelt sympathy to all British

Columbians that have lost loved ones and face severe challenges due to

COVID-19.

[3:20 p.m.]

I know that the news of yesterday, the restrictions running through

the holidays, was hard to stomach for many of us. I think back, as I

explained to my wife yesterday, to how our grandchildren and family could

not share Christmas with us, even though they live minutes away. It did not

go over well. There was no joy in Mudville in my house, but as hard as it

is, I know that we will all get through this.

I refuse to believe and accept that this is our new normal. I choose

to think — to the words of Dr. Henry — that this is not forever. It’s just

for now. We will get through this. As hard and as painful as this may be

right now, it’s what we need to do. I would encourage everyone in British

Columbia to take heed to those words. We will get through this. We are all

facing this pandemic in our own way, and what is most important is keeping

the holiday spirit and cheer in place, even though this year it may be

difficult to do and it will be very, very different than in years gone

by.

As this is my first time taking

part in this process and virtually

standing here in the Legislature, I would like to take some time to speak

about Abbotsford and what makes it so incredibly special. First and

foremost, as many of you may know or have personally experienced via

gridlock, Abbotsford is home to one of the most badly needed highway

upgrades in the province. Highway No. 1 is a vital part of the

food-and-supply chain of not only the region but our country.

From the Port of Vancouver and Point Roberts, goods from across the

Pacific are brought in and then shipped east to the rest of the country. As

it stands, the most widely used transportation line for many of these goods

is Highway No. 1. I would challenge you to get through the valley without

using it. And one of the most congested portions of this particular Highway

No. 1 is the very stretch that runs through Abbotsford. We have badly needed

a sizeable upgrade to this highway for years, and I hope that this will be

part of this government’s transportation infrastructure plan. We have

reached the tipping point. Something needs to be done.

I know that this shortened winter session will not touch on much,

aside from this one piece of legislation, which is, frankly, disheartening,

given all of the work that is needed through this province. The expansion of

the No. 1 freeway needs to be looked at and expanded. Transportation through

this corridor is vital.

On the topic of transportation, it is a dire need for a rail or rapid

transit system to connect Metro Vancouver to the Fraser Valley. The Fraser

Valley is not that large. It is only 160 kilometres long and approximately

50 kilometres wide, and it extends from Hope to Vancouver. Yet transit

options only cover a measly portion of that.

Rapid transit options in the valley should be readily examined as a

feasible option. This will help the issues I just mentioned along Highway

No. 1, by reducing congestion and, of course, vehicle traffic and pollution

levels. It doesn’t make any sense. If you want people to get out of their

cars, we need to provide them with a viable option. Currently that does not

exist.

[3:25 p.m.]

Having options for residents to live in more affordable areas, thus

supporting those communities, and having options for their commutes would

not only be welcomed, it would be celebrated. Imagine transit from Hope to

Agassiz, through Chilliwack and Abbotsford onward connecting to other public

transportation lines. To me, this is how we support a growing population

that fulfils the need for transportation options and access to housing

options in more affordable communities.

I would now be remiss if I did not spend some of my time allotted to

me in my first throne speech response to share what makes Abbotsford — and,

more specifically, what is captured in Abbotsford South — the special place

that it is.

Firstly, it may come as a surprise that we’re the largest mining town

in British Columbia and the backbone of the Metro Vancouver construction

market. No, we’re not digging for gold or diamonds, but we do produce more

aggregate than anywhere else, and it is used throughout the region. It’s not

exciting, but try and build a road, a bridge, a highrise without

it.

We have three international border crossings. These include the

Huntingdon-Sumas crossing, by land; the Aldergrove-Lynden crossing, by land;

and the Abbotsford International Airport. So you can imagine how COVID has

affected us in such a huge way. It is a stark reduction in cross-border

travel and economic stimulus, as well as arrivals to our airport.

We have a great hospital, with a state-of-the-art cancer centre. We

also have the University of the Fraser Valley, of which I am an alum. I am

almost embarrassed to say it was a college when I first attended it. The

University of the Fraser Valley helps us provide some of the airline pilots

that we need. We also have huge aerospace technology and resources here, and

it helps supply some of the technicians required for that. We also have and

are home to a helicopter and fixed-wing training school, one of the best in

the country. And of course, we are the home of the famous Abbotsford

International Air Show.

We are the hub of the Fraser Valley. We are connected to many sectors

not only in British Columbia but throughout North America, but by far, the

backbone of our economy is agriculture. We are home to the largest farm-gate

receipts in Canada, doing nearly two-thirds more than the nearest and

closest, which happens to be the Niagara region.

We produce a massive portion of the dairy that’s consumed, 90 percent

of the province’s eggs and 65 percent of the poultry. This, of course, is

alongside berry farming, which has been an integral part of our agriculture

for decades. We are now the world leaders in production of blueberries, and

we’re very concerned about the sanctions that may be placed against them

with regard to the United States.

We also have raspberries, cranberries, apples and cold crops such as

Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, corn

and, for those of you that enjoy a cold beverage, hops that go into beer.

Those are just a few. The point is that Abbotsford’s farming community is an

integral part of this province’s food supply chain and food security. When

it comes to agriculture, we know what we’re doing out here. But sadly, as

you’ve heard from one of my colleagues, farmers here feel left out. They

don’t feel as if they’re being consulted.

I would point out that land in this region is approximately $100,000

to $150,000 an acre. Very similar land can be brought across the United

States border for approximately 20. We have to be better at what we do, and

we are.

[N. Letnick in the chair.]

Now, if you were to come to visit Abbotsford on a clear day, you would

see Mount Baker. You would see the glorious mountains to the north and the

horizon and the splendour in the valley in front of you. In my humble

opinion, there is nowhere more beautiful in the province, but I might have a

bias.

The richness of this soil produces products second to none. Our

farming community is incredibly diverse, but almost not quite as diverse as

our people. We are the fifth most diverse metro area in Canada. A third of

our people are first-generation Canadians, and we’re home to an incredibly

assorted mix of backgrounds. Over 50 languages are spoken.

[3:30 p.m.]

There are people from all over the world that choose Abbotsford to be

a very large portion that is from South Asia — predominantly Sikh, but also

Hindu and Muslim.

Currently my heart goes out to the protesters in India. We have family

ties from this region that go back to India, and my heart goes out to those

protesters fighting for their rights. I admire their strength, their courage

and those exercising their right to a peaceful protest. I hope that a

peaceful solution comes soon.

I would also like to acknowledge that Abbotsford is on the traditional

territory of the Stó:lō Nation, and we are home to the Matsqui and Sema:th

First Nations.

Abbotsford is a city in the country. It is rural and an urban city,

and it has the big-city problems that go along with it. As with other

cities, we struggle. We struggle with the challenges around mental health

and addiction. As with the concerns of this government, this is something

that we are eager to work towards solutions on. Every municipality needs

solutions and needs actions. As mayor, I introduced harm reduction and a

needle exchange here in Abbotsford at a time when it was highly

controversial, and it saved lives. Affordability around housing is also, of

course, another major factor that affects Abbotsford like other

cities.

Abbotsford is a growing and expanding city that faces all the

challenges that other municipalities face. I look forward to doing my part

to ensure that the needs and issues of my beloved city are respected and

honoured.

I will close by saying thank-you — thank-you to those of you in

Abbotsford, thank you to my colleagues and thank you to all British

Columbians — and by saying I know that the coming weeks and holiday season

will be challenging for many of you, as they will be for my family. So as I

have said before, take a moment to reach out and let those you know, that

you love and care about deeply…. Phone them. Call them. Let them know on

safely, we will get through this together.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for allowing me the pleasure to

address the House on this, my first response to the throne. Thank you, and

happy holidays to everyone.

S. Chant: I appreciate this opportunity. I, too, am a newbie MLA and am so

looking forward to working with everybody in this House on the things that

we share as a common goal towards supporting the people of British Columbia

during this time and throughout the time that we are in office.

I would like to start out in my response to the throne speech by

acknowledging the words of the Lieutenant-Governor as wise and well put as a

broad-strokes outline of what the government has done up till now and what

the government will be doing going forward. It is always difficult to

encapsulate the many things that everybody wants to get done, wants to

achieve, wants to do as their best for the people they represent.

[3:35 p.m.]

I would like to also acknowledge that I speak to you from the

territorial lands of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. I am

thankful to be able to live and work and play in those lands as a part of my

life.

I have been a part of the North Shore. I was born in Lions Gate

Hospital. I grew up on the North Shore, and I’ve been part of North

Vancouver–Seymour for most of my adult life. I have raised my two adult

daughters here. My husband works as a small business man out of our house —

my husband who, I will acknowledge, is my anchor and has been so

supportive.

The folks in this riding have been incredibly supportive of my journey

to come to this point, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. As one

of my other members indicated, I so appreciate the trust and the confidence

that they have in me to be an able representative for the constituency and

for their needs.

I also want to say a very big thank-you to my campaign team, in

who got me from barely being on Facebook to being on all the other social

media platforms, which I find challenging, has also been working with me

subsequent to the campaign and is now one of my constituency assistants.

That is Eli, and I say thank you very much to him.

A shout-out, also, to my brother Bill Robinson, who dropped everything

when he heard that I was campaigning. Now, I will remind you, he’s 17 years

my senior. Dropped everything and came and was working diligently 24 hours a

day, it seemed, on my campaign, for which I was very, very

grateful.

Additionally, I want to do a shout-out to my brother Ken Robinson,

who, this day, was supposed to be celebrating his retirement from the B.C.

Coast Pilots, where he’s been working for many, many years as a senior

pilot. Sadly, his retirement drive-by honk was supposed to happen this

afternoon, but he’s on a job on one of the big boats up our coastline,

making sure that the boats are travelling safely and our coastline is well

preserved. So another acknowledgment of pilots in general and my brother in

particular.

As always, everything we do is overlaid with COVID. As a nurse, I’ve

been working in the health care environment for many, many years in the

community. When COVID hit, we scrambled. We scrambled very, very hard. My

teams worked very hard to get to a point where they could understand what

was needed to support our clients, understand what was needed to keep

themselves safe so that they could keep working, understand all the changes

that we needed to go through in order to make sure that the COVID situation

was managed to the best of our abilities for everybody that it

impacted.

I say a great thank-you to our health care workers for all the work

that they have been doing and they continue to do. I know people are tired.

I was one of those tired people answering calls seven days a week, dealing

with a variety of concerns. How do we do this? What do we do here? Who do we

call? Who has the answers?

These things have all been part of the health care scenario for so

long, it seems, yet I also recognize that we will continue to work on it,

and we will get through it. In time, we’ll be able to look back and say,

“Gee, do you remember when?” and know that we have successfully, to some

degree, as successful as you can call it, managed our way through a global

exercise that has been profoundly impactful on everybody.

The government has got a lot of forward motion and traction in dealing

with COVID, in looking at all aspects of it, in preparing us as best as can

be with ever-changing information. I think we all have a role to play. We

have a role as leaders in our community to show people that we believe and

that we trust and that we’re prepared to work to have people who are

frightened and concerned and angry and let them speak to us and show them

the compassion and the respect and the understanding that is due to every

person that we work with. I think we have that capacity, but we have to dig

deep for it sometimes.

[3:40 p.m.]

We have to make sure that we protect each other in whatever ways are

appropriate. Certainly, personal protection equipment is critical. Everybody

is getting so that they are completely familiar with seeing people in masks,

seeing people with gloves on, seeing… If you are a worker that goes into

somebody’s house to provide personal care, you’re wearing a gown. You’re

wearing a face mask. Your eyes are protected. Your hands are protected.

Everything is protected. You the worker are protected. The person you’re

working with is protected.

But boy, is it hard work. It’s twice as hard to work in that gear as

it is just when you go in and help somebody. Sometimes you have to strip off

and start again because the gear got wet. It is so much, yet our folks right

at the front line, right in people’s homes, are working that hard and harder

to keep people going, to keep them as safe as humanly possible.

The recovery benefit. So many people have said to me: “Geez, that’s

going to make such a difference to me. That piece of cash may be able to

tide me over, may be able to help me to do something that I’ve been thinking

about doing but I can’t do right now. Looking forward to that. Thank you for

making that available.”

The vaccine rollout. Oh, my goodness. Will there be jubilation when

that starts, yet we’re going to have to be so careful in how we do it. Who

do we prioritize? Who do we make it available to if it comes forward in

limited amounts? How do we make these decisions? These things are all very,

very important to every person we speak to. They’re very, very important to

us. We need to be able to help and support people in working our way through

the vaccination and working and believing and getting that vaccination so

that we can achieve herd immunity, which is what we need to seek.

There are so many things to do with COVID. Yet here we are. We’re the

government. We have to focus on all those other things as well. I’ve heard

all the other members talking about how many things are important to their

constituents. Those things are important to all of us, to all of our

constituents.

I have young people in my community who are saying, “Gee, I grew up

here. I can’t afford to live here and, certainly, I can’t afford to bring up

a family here,” or: “Here I am. I’ve got my family here, but guess what. I’m

living with mom and dad, and my family is in the downstairs of the house.

This wasn’t actually what we wanted to do, neither mom and dad nor us, but

we’re doing it because we can’t afford to live in the community we grew up

in. But we want to live here.”

I have nurses who work in the community who live in Squamish. They

live on Bowen Island. They live on the Sunshine Coast. They live in Maple

Ridge. They live in Surrey. They live many places, and they travel a long

way to get to our community. Why is that? It’s because on a nursing salary

or a two-person salary, they can’t afford to live in our community. They’re

having a hard time staying in the communities they’re in, too, because

affordable housing is tough.

I had a person who was speaking to me the other day. He’s been waiting

seven years for housing from B.C. Housing. He went onto disability when he

was in his early 30s. When his seven-year-old son was just being born, he

was disabled in a workplace incident and has been on disability ever since.

His wife was recently laid off because of COVID. Seven years he’s been

waiting. Four houses he has been what he calls demovicted out of. They were

houses that he and his wife could afford. However, they were also subject to

demolishing.

These all are things that impact every one of us somehow. We need to

work together. We will work together. I look forward so much to

collaborating with the inspiring and wondrous people that I work with here.

This has really been an honour to me to just meet everybody and hear about

everybody.

A little bit about myself. I have been a naval reservist for 40 years

who is involved in serving Canada. I wore and wear the uniform of the

Canadian Armed Forces as a representative of the navy, and I am honoured to

have been part of that service.

[3:45 p.m.]

I have been in nursing for 35 years. The navy got me through

university quite nicely, thank you very much, at UBC. I have been a foster

parent, so I understand the Ministry of Children and Families to a degree.

I’ve been a parent of adult children. My kids have come through school,

sports, all those things. As a parent, I have gone and been thrilled by some

of the things that they’re involved with and not too impressed by some of

the other things that have happened, sometimes from their engagement,

sometimes through external forces.

I worry so much about the opioid crisis. I worry so much about the

things that have impact on all the people we live with and work for. I say

as a joke that as a nurse and as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and

now as a member of the Legislature, I’m paid to worry, and I do my job

really, really well.

I hope that we can all work together to look at the things that are

tough for our constituents, to look at the things that are tough for the

people of British Columbia and to make things a little bit better, or maybe

a lot better, by working together and by looking at things and hearing from

people how to make a difference and how to impact their lives.

I so appreciate the opportunity to be able to speak to the House, and

I am so honoured to be a member of this House.

Thank you very much.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

I now recognize the member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky.

K. Kirkpatrick: Is it West Vancouver–Capilano, Mr. Speaker?

Deputy Speaker: I have West Vancouver–Sea to Sky on the list, but I can go to

Capilano, if you like.

Go ahead.

K. Kirkpatrick: Yes, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for your flexibility.

It is my pleasure to Zoom into the House today to respond to the

Speech from the Throne. This is my first response to a Speech from the

Throne and, in fact, the first I have spoken in the House. It is done at an

unprecedented time in B.C.’s history and the history of this Legislature. It

is my pleasure to have the opportunity to do so and a privilege to represent

the people of West Vancouver–Capilano.

Hon. Speaker, if I may give a few remarks about my community of West

Vancouver–Capilano before I add my commentary to the Speech from the Throne.

I am proud to be addressing you here today on behalf of the people of West

Vancouver–Capilano.

I acknowledge that we are on the traditional and un­ceded

territories of the Coast Salish peoples represented by the Musqueam,

Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

I would like to thank the people of my riding for supporting me and

thank my family members for their en­couragement. My husband, Murray;

my mother, Audrey; sister, Nancy; brother, Ian; and of course, my amazing

and talented 17-year-old daughter, Kaelan, who is navigating her way through

her final year of high school; and my two wonderful stepsons, Will and

Ollie.

I would like to also thank those volunteers that jumped in and helped

very quickly in the campaign and my campaign manager, Jack Welsh, who took a

leave from his day job with a moment’s notice, which is all the time we

had.

I want to send, also, a special thank-you to the former member for

West Vancouver–Capilano, Ralph Sultan, who as a gifted orator has set a very

high bar for me. Ralph believed in my ability to represent this community

that he cared so much about, but he hesitated to give me any advice because

he believed it was my journey and I had to figure out how to do this my own

way. Now, he did actually provide one piece of advice to me, and that was to

not fall asleep during question period when the cameras are on.

I ran for office because I value public service, and I have always

been so grateful to live in this wonderful democracy of ours. I want to help

effect good and positive change in our province. I believe that a healthy

community and a healthy economy are one and the same thing. I believe we

need to innovate in the way that we’re providing housing. We need to work

cooperatively with the private sector and with community groups.

[3:50 p.m.]

I believe we can do better with our young people in care and support

them as they move through their lives. And I believe that we can build

sustainable communities through sound planning, green technologies and

proper transit planning. For me, in West Vancouver–Capilano, that means a

fixed-link rapid transit system to the North Shore.

To change the tone for a moment and to follow up on what the Minister

of Finance said during her introductions, I too would like to acknowledge

the passing of Katherine McParland and acknowledge her as an example that

young people in care, with support and kindness, can accomplish great

things. I know her loss is devastating to those who work with her in

fighting youth homelessness.

Now, it may be surprising to many that in my riding of West

Vancouver–Capilano, almost 20 percent of residents are deemed low income.

Sixty percent of the residents in my riding rent their housing and are still

waiting for their promised $400 rent rebate from government. Of those, 14

percent rely on social housing. A disproportionate number of these residents

are seniors living at or below the poverty line.

The Christmas Bureau, run by Family Services of the North Shore, this

year received 7,771 calls for support. I know that’s quite specific, but I

just checked with them this morning, and I know that’s the number from

yesterday. Through its 150 volunteers, it has already delivered food

hampers, gifts and grocery cards to over 2,500 people, and there are more

waiting. They’ve delivered 1,000 bags of groceries and 1,704 meals as of

yesterday. They are just one of the committed and hard-working non-profits

supporting this community.

My riding, though enjoying a reputation for high incomes, has social

issues that match many of those in other communities in British Columbia.

This government says it has addressed outbreaks in long-term care homes,

yet, in the past few weeks, at least five seniors have died and more than 45

have become sick in an outbreak at West Vancouver’s Capilano Care Centre

across the street from my office.

Yet West Vancouver–Capilano is a vibrant community. It has beautiful

beaches and parks and the shopping districts of Ambleside, Dundarave,

Pemberton and Edgemont village, and any of these things are destinations on

their own. Small business is the backbone of this community. We need to

support it, and we need to put programs in place that will incentivize

growth. Small-dollar benefits are not enough.

The riding is host to some of British Columbia’s finest tourism

destinations. Down the street from my home is the Capilano Suspension

Bridge. I live at the foot of Grouse Mountain, and outside my door are some

of the best hiking and bike trails in the world. I am so lucky to be living

here, and I know that every day.

When I first drove across the Lions Gate Bridge…. I moved here from

Edmonton when I was 19, and I just had this amazing sense of awe when I saw

the mountains and the snow, and it was just breathtaking. I have to say that

even today, many years later, I still have that same sense of awe when I

come into my own community. That is such a special thing to be able to

say.

Locals and tourists have trekked to the North Shore since the late

1800s to see and walk the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Until this pandemic

hit us, it was one of British Columbia’s most visited tourist attractions

and an employer of over 600 people.

Let me share a real example of some of the frustration that businesses

here are feeling. We all believe in the necessity of the public health

orders and are so appreciative of the work done by Dr. Bonnie Henry and her

team, but while shopping malls are filled with shoppers, the Capilano

Suspension Bridge is unable to run its Canyon Lights display in its 20

outdoor acres with easy ability to socially distance. Now, we can’t afford

to lose iconic tourist attractions in our riding and in British

Columbia.

The Speech from the Throne should set out a vision for British

Columbians and a plan for getting there. Make no mistake, government’s

commitments in this speech should be around the pandemic and the impact that

it’s had on the lives of British Columbians.

[3:55 p.m.]

It should recognize the devastating effect of this disease to seniors

in long-term care and to the front-line workers who care for us all, putting

themselves at risk. Government says: “We can see the signs of better days

ahead, as science and research lead the way with new treatments and

vaccines.” But we can’t wait until those better days ahead. We need an

economic recovery plan for all British Columbians, and we need it now.

Platitudes are not a plan. This government says: “…putting our shoulders to

the wheel and working together to make those better days a

reality.”

The Speech from the Throne left a lot of uncertainty, to say the

least. British Columbians have been waiting for a bold agenda, and never in

the history of this province have they needed a bolder agenda and a

government that is willing to be innovative in the work that it’s doing. But

this NDP government has failed to provide an economic recovery plan or

introduce anything other than a one-time benefit payment.

They called the Legislature back for only one piece of legislation.

This shows you a lack of ideas. This is a government that is now starting

its second term in office. They will not have kept their election promises

from 2017, and I’m not confident that this time is going to be much

different. The government needs to take responsibility and real action to

help our province come out of the pandemic stronger than before.

The NDP could have developed an economic plan months ago. In fact,

business groups were begging and pleading for this. But they did not, and

they left families and businesses struggling. Unfortunately, this throne

speech did not provide support for small business, seniors, youth in care.

It did not mention its commitment to $10-per-day daycare. In fact, the

speech was light on any commitment to the care of B.C.’s most vulnerable

youth and families.

When this pandemic began, I was the CEO of a large social services

organization that was providing essential services on behalf of government

across the Lower Mainland. I saw 500 employees pivot to do whatever they

could to continue to support their clients and their communities. They did

it with no complaints, just a concern for those around them.

I note now that many non-profits running critical services during this

pandemic have not yet received their promised pandemic pay for their

employees. This was promised months ago. The most recent communication from

MCFD last week, I believe, was that it’s coming soon. It’s been crickets

from MPSSG for those workers supporting victims of violence and trauma

during this pandemic.

Also, while this government decided to provide differential pay to

union and non-union social services providers two years ago, it came to an

agreement recently to provide some additional funds to help close that gap

for the non-unionized employers. This recruitment and retention funding,

which was promised months ago, has still not come to these agencies. So once

again, front-line workers risking their own health during this pandemic are

not receiving the pay that this government promised them.

What have we heard from the throne speech? Not much. We did not hear

any plans to address families’ concerns about seniors in care homes. We did

not hear how they will enhance safety for children. There were no details to

help small businesses get back on their feet. What’s worse is that after

missing the deadline of the second quarterly update, the new Finance

Minister recently said she was considering delaying her first provincial

budget by weeks. British Columbians can’t afford to wait any

longer.

As the critic for Children and Family Development and Child Care, I

have responsibility to hold the government accountable for putting forward

policies with increased supports for children in care and delivering more

affordable daycare.

Just earlier this week the Representative for Children and Youth

released a report on children and youth with special needs and the impact on

them and their families from this pandemic. Services and supports were

stopped for these families overnight. Communication between MCFD and

families was close to nonexistent, leaving these already stressed families

and young people panicking for supports.

[4:00 p.m.]

To make matters worse, the call of an election during a pandemic meant

that for those families, there was no recourse for months and no services

when supports ex­pired in September.

This is why government needs to act quickly now to provide the support

that evaporated for these families earlier this year. Delaying Budget 2021

is definitely not the way to achieve this. The Premier promised $10-a-day

daycare, but it’s just an empty slogan. They promised to have 24,000 spaces,

at this point in their mandate, for daycare. As of May 2020, there were only

3,490 new spaces out of the 16,500 they said were funded. In comparison,

from 2005 to 2017, the B.C. Liberals created 39,959 daycare spaces, or 3,033

per year.

So much more work needs to be done. First of all, the QT fiscal update

should have been delivered last week. The number of daily COVID cases

remains high. Long-term-care and assisted-living facilities need more tools

now. As my colleagues implored you earlier, we have to deploy rapid tests as

soon as possible, if we can just save one life in seniors care. Struggling

restaurants need the help of the Legislature to cap food-delivery fees. We

will also hold the NDP accountable for their promise to introduce

This NDP government is not new. For the past three years, we saw more

consultation and consultation and no real action. The Premier called a snap

election during a pandemic, to grab more power. Now that the election is

over, he must deliver on his promises, after delaying giving families and

businesses the support they need for months.

British Columbians want to see an integrated response that deals with

the health crisis, the mental health crisis and the economic crisis

together. As the official opposition, we will hold the government to full

account on the pandemic. We will also ensure that government keeps its word

and delivers on the promises that it made, particularly around supporting

families and child care services — issues dear to my heart.

As I end my response, I would ask all the members of this House to

consider supporting their local non-profits and charities during these very

difficult times.

Thank you, hon. Speaker. Xièxie.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you to the member for West Vancouver–Capilano.

I now recognize the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan.

D. Routley: Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election to the post. It’s nice

to see you in the chair. All best wishes to your family as well.

I thank the House for this opportunity to speak.

I am coming to the House from the traditional territories of

Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking peoples. I mention it in that frame, because I

represent a constituency that in fact has the territories of six First

Nations — the Lyackson, the Penelakut, the Halalt, the Snaw-Naw-As, the

Snuneymuxw and the Cowichan. It’s with a huge amount of honour that I am

able to speak from these territories and to have their support