First Session, 42nd Parliament

(2021) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 31

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Routine Business

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Sailing catamaran

M. Morris

Senior-friendly technology and website during COVID-19

S. Cadieux

COVID-19 response and arrival of spring

R. Singh

SUCCESS Foundation virtual fundraising gala

T. Wat

Sara Graham and Gordie Howe international bridge artwork

R. Glumac

Jack Chow and Howe Lee

Hon. G. Chow

Oral Questions

COVID-19 response for disability and income assistance recipients

D. Davies

Hon. N. Simons

COVID-19 vaccination plan and role of pharmacies

R. Merrifield

Hon. A. Dix

Panel report recommendations on protection of old-growth forests

S. Furstenau

Hon. K. Conroy

COVID-19 response for hockey teams

B. Stewart

Hon. R. Kahlon

COVID-19 response for tourism attractions and arts and event organizations

T. Wat

Hon. M. Mark

L. Doerkson

Hon. R. Kahlon

M. Lee

C. Oakes

P. Milobar

Petitions

S. Chant

Orders of the Day

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 10 — Supply Act (No. 1), 2021 (continued)

T. Halford

R. Leonard

B. Stewart

P. Alexis

L. Doerkson

D. Coulter

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

The House met at 10:03 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: M. Dykeman.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

SAILING CATAMARAN

M. Morris: Simon Angus is an engineer who lives and works in Prince George.

For years, he has sailed in many locations worldwide. Like many of us,

finding the time to sail the globe in your own personal sailboat while

still earning a living was difficult, if not impossible.

[10:05 a.m.]

His solution: to build a 40-foot sail catamaran that can be

disassembled, loaded into a single 40-foot standard shipping container,

shipped anywhere in the world and reassembled. Disassembly and

reassembly take only two days each.

The catamaran is 40 feet in length and has a beam of 23 feet. It

boasts a queen-size stateroom and a single berth in each hull, along

with a full galley; a large head with shower, sink and vanity; and other

modern amenities. The catamaran boasts two-kilowatt electric drives and

carries no fossil fuels on board. Power for the electric drives comes

from 10,000-watt-hour battery banks located in each hull and charged

from efficient solar panels located on the roof panel of the main cabin.

Its 100 percent carbon fibre construction comes with a structural core

foam, and all components are made using a unique vacuum infusion system

of epoxy resin.

What’s more unique is that Simon has built this 40-foot prototype

catamaran in his garage at his home in Prince George. His construction

phase is nearly complete, and he’ll soon dismantle his catamaran and

ship it to Vancouver for reassembly and launching. Simon’s company, Open

Waters yachts, expects to begin production of this 40-foot cruising

catamaran later this year, expanding to five vessels per year when he

relocates to a larger facility in Prince George.

For those sailing enthusiasts looking to explore the world’s

oceans in your own boat that you’ll become intimately familiar with,

your opportunity awaits.

Mr. Speaker: Members, we have a little bit of change in the speaking order of

making statements, so we are going to go to the member for Surrey

South.

SENIOR-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY

AND WEBSITE DURING

COVID-19

S. Cadieux: At the end of February, I had a meeting with a constituent. Well,

actually, she’s a former constituent, but I guess that doesn’t really

matter.

Carolyn Glazier and a friend, Barry, had requested to meet with me

to tell me more about a project that they’d been working on. They

started with a statement: “If there’s one thing older adults can teach

us during a pandemic, it’s that this, too, shall pass.” They’ve survived

wars, recessions, losses of loved ones and so much more. Worse, though,

the pandemic has been unduly cruel on older adults, because they’re at

greatest risk from its effects, and the isolation necessary to keep them

safe is debilitating.

While many of us have adapted quickly to using technology to stay

connected, for many seniors, it’s intimidating. So Carolyn and Barry

developed a user-friendly, senior-friendly webpage that creates and

features age-specific content, including entertainment, news, activities

and services. Stayhome-Living puts older adults’ view of the world at

their fingertips, literally. The navigation is simple and intuitive. It

eliminates the frustration of getting lost down a rabbit hole of

unwanted and unwelcome content.

Home is set up with six easy-access windows and a front door, each

clearly labelled as to what you’ll find there. By touching on the

windows, the user finds a subdirectory. For example, under activities,

the options are fitness and exercise, clubs and hobbies, and games and

culture. Elsewhere, there’s easy-to-access email, video calling, social

media, streaming services, news, weather, groceries, meal deliveries,

yoga classes and more.

Businesses like Save-On Foods and Telus Babylon, and content

creators like Jamie Oliver and BBC have forged relationships, and more

are being developed. It launched at the beginning of February. The

feedback has been fantastic. It’s free, and it provides anyone with a

computer or a smart device with safe, convenient access to the content

they need.

Watch a preview video or access the free web app by visiting

www.stayhome-living.com.

COVID-19 RESPONSE

AND ARRIVAL OF

SPRING

R. Singh: What a year it has been. At the turn of 2020, none of us imagined

that the promise of the new year would wilt in less than two months from

its start and that what would follow would be a year of reckoning, a

year of tests and examinations and a year the likes of which most of us

had never experienced. Life, and the way we conducted life itself,

changed. There has been so much to grieve about, and plenty of

sacrifice. There has been much anxiety.

[10:10 a.m.]

But as there have been sacrifices and loss, we have also been

inspired by the immense courage and generosity of so many here in B.C.

and abroad. Equipped with this inspiration and a new perspective after

12 tiring months, we stand at the threshold of a spring that brings with

it more hope than any other in our recent memory.

With mass vaccinations rolling out, we approach this season with

optimism and belief. Spring, as we all know, has traditionally meant

rebirth and renewal. But this spring also feels like a time of shedding

a heavy burden that we have carried for long.

With this, I implore my colleagues and friends here in the House

and other parts of our beautiful province to join me in welcoming a

renewed hope. May we all take the lessons that we have acquired over the

last year and strive to build a better province and a better world.

Let’s make this a new spring.

Finally, in the words of Emily

Dickinson:

“Hope” is a thing with feathers

that perches in the

soul

and sings the tune without the words

and never stops at

all.

SUCCESS FOUNDATION

VIRTUAL FUNDRAISING

GALA

T. Wat: I rise in the House today to speak of the annual Bridge to SUCCESS

Gala, which took place this past Saturday. SUCCESS is a

community-focused organization in Canada and in Asia, which offers

programs and services for individuals and families preparing to arrive

in Canada, as well as recent citizens. The gala raises funds to support

SUCCESS and its mandates, and it is one of the most prominent

fundraising events in Metro Vancouver’s Chinese community.

Over 800 philanthropists, community leaders and government

officials usually gather for an evening of fine dining and

entertainment. Though, as a result of the pandemic, adjustments had to

be made. Thankfully, this heartfelt tradition continued, and the gala

was a unique and exciting virtual experience.

I was honoured to attend this special virtual reception and

pre-show performances for SUCCESS’s longtime donors and supporters, as

well as the virtual gala itself. This year’s gala featured amazing gift

boxes, prizes, raffles, a silent auction, a special performance by

Loretta Chow and other entertainment.

The gala raised much-needed funds for essential programs that

benefit families, women, youth, seniors and refugees. Thanks to generous

contributions made by community members, SUCCESS will be able to

continue delivering important services that are only partially or

unfunded by government, with a focus on family and mental

wellness.

I want to thank SUCCESS for their vital work in ensuring

communities continue to receive essential programs during the pandemic

and offer them my heartfelt congratulations for a successful and

entertaining virtual gala.

SARA GRAHAM AND GORDIE HOWE

INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

ARTWORK

R. Glumac: I would like to congratulate one of my constituents, Sara Graham,

who is Port Moody’s current artist in residence in the city of the arts.

The work that she’s undertaken and completed in that role is an

accomplishment in itself, but I’d also like to congratulate Sara on

being chosen from a field of esteemed Canadian artists to create an

iconic work of art for the soon-to-be constructed Gordie Howe

international bridge. This bridge will be a critically important link

between Canada and the United States and will be one of the top-five

longest bridges in North America.

I spoke to Sara last week, and she’s extremely excited about this

project and this opportunity. It’s by far the largest public art project

that she’s worked on to date, the final size being seven metres high by

63 metres long. It’s going to be located at the Canadian port of entry

for all visitors to see.

Bridges have been a motif that she’s used in her previous work.

She says that a bridge connects two areas and is a physical structure

suspended in space but can be considered a non-place. She sees this

non-place as a portal into another place for discovery.

[10:15 a.m.]

Her works have often engaged in the mapping of systems and

networks and how their interconnectivity affects everyday lives,

incorporating philosophical, cultural, sociological and architectural

criticism of the nature and condition of the city and city

life.

Congratulations, Sara, on this amazing accomplishment. Your work

will be visible by countless travellers between the U.S. and Canada for

generations to come. I look forward to the time when we can all travel

to see this bridge in person.

Hon. G. Chow: May I ask leave of the House to deliver a eulogy?

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

JACK CHOW AND HOWE LEE

Hon. G. Chow: Thank you for the opportunity to speak from the traditional

territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh

peoples.

I speak to pay tribute to two individuals in the Chinese-Canadian

community who passed away recently. Both had deep connections to the

Vancouver Chinatown community: Mr. Jack Chow and retired colonel Howe

Lee.

Jack was born in Cumberland on Vancouver Island 90 years ago. He

moved to Vancouver for high school after his father died. He became

famous when he bought the world’s narrowest commercial building at the

corner of Pender and Carrall Streets in Chinatown. He renovated it and

moved his insurance business there.

Jack loved Chinatown. He was always asking the city for things for

Chinatown — things like more parking, cheaper parking, brighter lights,

better signage. He visited city hall frequently to ask for meetings. On

one occasion, he showed up at the mayor’s office and refused to leave

until he got a meeting. The police chief, who happened to be nearby, had

to convince Jack to leave. According to former city councillor Raymond

Louie, Jack was one of the reasons why he had to work very hard to keep

parking rates low in Chinatown.

Jack was passionate about preserving Chinatown’s character. During

the mid-’90s, businesses started leaving Chinatown, and buildings were

being bought up for condos. He advocated action and put money where his

heart was by buying up the Chinese town building that is kitty-corner to

his famous narrow building. He renovated the Chinese town building. It

is now used by his children, who carry on with his

businesses.

Thank you, Jack, for preserving this important historical

intersection at Pender and Carrall Streets at the confluence of

Chinatown and Gastown.

The other individual is retired colonel Howe Lee, who passed away

last week. Howe was born in Armstrong in North Okanagan 89 years ago.

Howe is well known for his very distinguished military career of 35

years, which included being commanding officer of the 156 Company of the

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, the 21/C of the Royal Westminster

Regiment, the 12 Service Battalion and many other positions. He

concluded his military service with an appointment as honorary colonel

of the 39 Service Battalion.

At a community level, Howe has excelled in his leadership with

numerous national, provincial and municipal organizations, both military

and civilian. Chinese-Canadian participation in both World Wars is not

taught in most history classes, and despite their courage and

patriotism, there are few official displays dedicated to

Chinese-Canadian participation in either war.

With passion and vision, Howe founded the Chinese Canadian

Military Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown to tell the story of

Chinese-Canadian veterans in both the First and Second World Wars. Our

Premier visited the military museum in Chinatown on its 20th anniversary

in 2018. In 2016, Howe was awarded the Meritorious Service Decoration,

Civil Division, in recognition of his “outstanding accomplishment that

set an example for others to follow and bring benefit to our

country.”

Rest in peace, Jack and Howe. Chinatown will miss both of you

dearly.

Mr. Speaker: Members, I would like to remind members participating remotely to

please seek the Chair’s attention if you want to make a statement like

that. Contact the head Table; contact the Clerk through our chat feature

on Zoom so we know that you want to make a statement.

[10:20 a.m.]

Oral Questions

COVID-19 RESPONSE FOR DISABILITY

AND INCOME ASSISTANCE

RECIPIENTS

D. Davies: It is hard to believe that this government has decided to make it

harder for those with disabilities to make it through this pandemic. The

coalition 300 to live is hosting a rally, in fact, this week to protest

this government’s cuts.

This is what they have to say: “The recent slashing of the

supplement…has not gone unnoticed. The possibility of the supplement

being cut altogether is devastating.”

Will the Premier stand up today and end this clawback?

Hon. N. Simons: It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to answer a question about

this in this chamber. I’m not used to the opposition taking an interest

in issues of poverty or social concerns, so it’s a true pleasure to have

this. If this is a signal of a new-found interest in the lives of people

who live in poverty, I welcome it, and I would like to encourage more

interest in this as we go forward.

The member well knows that in March of 2020, as we entered into

this difficult phase, into the COVID-19 pandemic, the government

responded quickly and nimbly by providing assistance to people on income

and disability assistance, as well as seniors on low income. I’m really

pleased to say that we were able to provide that support for nine

months, in fact.

In fact, when we introduced the COVID recovery benefit, we made

that applicable to everybody in British Columbia making under $125,000 a

year. I would say to the member opposite that we continue to work to

ensure that our TogetherBC poverty reduction strategy is on target.

Unlike the previous government, which rejected repeated efforts on the

part of the opposition at that time to institute a poverty reduction

strategy, we did institute a poverty reduction strategy, something they

failed to do.

I would just say to the member opposite that…

Mr. Speaker: Thank you, Minister.

Hon. N. Simons: …we will continue to speak for people who live in poverty. We will

continue to work to ensure that everyone comes through this pandemic

more resilient and more able to meet the challenges of the

future.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Peace River North on a supplemental.

D. Davies: What I’d like to do is encourage this government to take

accountability for the cuts that they’ve made to disability

recently.

You know, this minister should be actually paying attention to the

voices of the people on disability assistance, and low-income seniors,

instead of trying to dodge the accountability that we’re seeing right

now. He is the one who is cutting the supplement to families. He is the

one…. Sorry, the minister is the one who’s cutting for low-income

seniors.

You can’t spin this any other way. Mr. Speaker, 11,284 British

Columbians have signed a petition…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, let’s hear the question, please.

D. Davies: …for the Premier to end this clawback. People on disability

assistance and low-income seniors are worried, and they’re angry. In two

weeks, the supplement is going to be eliminated.

Will the Premier…? Will the minister stand up today and reinstate

the cut?

Hon. N. Simons: I appreciate the question, and I would like to think that the

member is actually very concerned. You know, I think that he raises an

interesting question. I would suggest that he, like everybody else,

respect the fact that we have a budget coming out soon, and people will

realize that….

Interjection.

Hon. N. Simons: I would just say that in 2005…. The social assistance rates under

the previous government went up about $100 in about 12 years. Our

immediate response when succeeding the previous government….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, we heard the question. Let’s hear the answer, please. We

are wasting our time.

Minister, continue.

Hon. N. Simons: I must say, as much as I enjoy the Zoom hybrid model, being in

this House and being able to actually see members across the way is

heartening. I’m glad to have this opportunity to answer the

member.

[10:25 a.m.]

I would tell him that the first thing we did when we were elected

in 2017 was increase the rates by $100. Then we further increased them

by $50. I would suggest to the member opposite that our government is

well on track with a number of initiatives that we’ve taken to reduce

poverty, from child care subsidies to building homes, doing all sorts of

things that have actually helped us achieve the poverty reduction

strategy goals. I think we’re going to continue to do that.

I’m proud to be able to say that our government takes these issues

seriously, unlike the previous government.

COVID-19 VACCINATION PLAN

AND ROLE OF

PHARMACIES

R. Merrifield: Pharmacists are an integral part of the vaccine rollout in

provinces across Canada. Oh wait — except here in B.C., where 1,400

community pharmacies have been left out of the plan for vaccination

distribution.

Can the Premier explain why B.C. is not using

pharmacies?

Hon. A. Dix: The member will know that in our most recent influenza vaccination

campaign, more so than ever before, more than one million immunizations

for flu, during a pandemic, were done by pharmacists across B.C. We are

proud every day to work with pharmacists.

In our vaccine rollout plan over the coming months, pharmacists

will play a critical role here as well, significantly in those too. But

now that we have access to fridge-stable vaccines such as AstraZeneca —

and we hope, at some point in the future, Johnson and Johnson — they’ll

continue to play a role. As the member would expect, we’re in

discussions with pharmacists now as to how we can use the extraordinary

resource and talent of community pharmacists to support our efforts. The

member is incorrect. We’ll be working with pharmacists strongly here in

our campaign to ensure that we deliver vaccines to everyone.

I also want to note that as of today, a majority of people over 90

have received the COVID-19 vaccine in B.C. A significant share of people

between 85 and 89 have already received the vaccine. This is because of

the extraordinary and dedicated work of health care professionals and

health care workers across B.C. and the desire of people across B.C. to

be immunized. I am enthusiastic about this effort, enthusiastic to see

the faces of people individually and the impact of vaccines on them and

extremely proud of the work all of our public health officials are

doing.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Kelowna-Mission on a supplemental.

R. Merrifield: It’s 682,000. That’s how many different vaccine doses are coming

to B.C. within weeks.

Six to eight weeks — that’s how long it will take the pharmacists

to prepare. Using pharmacies to distribute the vaccine has been

efficient and responsive in other provinces. Pharmacies could vaccinate

460,000 British Columbians per week, but this government hasn’t started

getting ready. Government should have engaged them months ago and needs

to do so now.

To the Premier, why are pharmacies still not engaged?

Hon. A. Dix: The member knows, and I think everybody in B.C. knows, that the

principle thing standing in the way of immunizing B.C…. There will be

and is, of course, an extraordinary effort to do that by people across

the health care system, people in community, people everywhere. All of

that is happening. The main limitation is the vaccine we receive in B.C.

We are receiving vaccine, and we are delivering it in people’s arms with

remarkable efficiency and based on the values of British Columbians,

which is to give protection to those who are most vulnerable first and

to stop the spread of COVID-19. That is what we’ve been

doing.

Pharmacists will be playing an important role as we go through our

immunization plan in B.C. We have to, after all, immunize up to 4.3

million eligible British Columbians with dose 1 and then again 4.3

million with dose 2. I can assure the member that pharmacists will play

a critical role in this rollout, and we will continue to do the work

that British Columbians expect to deliver this necessary vaccine in this

extraordinary pandemic with compassion, with values and with

efficiency.

[10:30 a.m.]

PANEL REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

ON PROTECTION OF

OLD-GROWTH FORESTS

S. Furstenau: In the last few days, my colleague and I have repeatedly asked the

Minister of Forests about when she will fulfil her promise to implement

the recommendations of the old growth panel and provide immediate

protections to the most endangered old growth left in our province. The

responses have been recycled talking points and lumping in stubby

subalpine trees in her numbers when she knows that what we’re asking

about, what the old-growth panel is referring to, what British

Columbians think of as old growth, are the ancient, temperate forests

with big trees.

It’s not a game. It’s not theatre. It’s about whether this

government takes seriously its responsibility to protect these

astonishingly rare and disappearing forests.

Today my question is to the Premier. During the election campaign,

he committed to implementing all of the recommendations of the

old-growth review panel, beginning with immediate deferrals to stop the

bleed as they work on a broader shift. Will the Premier today

acknowledge that his government has not yet implemented the panel’s

recommendation to provide immediate interim protections for our

highest-risk ancient forests, and will he direct his minister to

urgently fulfil this commitment?

Hon. K. Conroy: I thank the member for the question. We know that B.C.’s forests

are a big part of what makes our province so unique and special. Our

government knows that old-growth trees are an integral part of healthy

ecosystems, and we take that very seriously. For many years, the old

government took an unbalanced and unsustainable approach to managing our

old-growth forests. We are making different choices.

Our government is bringing in a fundamental shift in forestry to

protect and preserve old-growth trees for today and for years to come.

We will do this while supporting forest workers and forest-dependent

communities. We received advice and clear recommendations from the

independent panel on how we can do this, and we are dedicated to

implementing all 14 of the recommendations.

This work has already started. As a first step, we worked with

First Nations to protect old-growth forests in nine areas considered

high-risk ecosystems across B.C., just as the report asked us to do.

There is much more work to do, and we will do it.

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

S. Furstenau: It is disappointing to hear the minister refer to the old

government when this is, indeed, their second term of government and

many choices have been made in the last four years. It’s clear you can’t

change a paradigm overnight, but right now the opposite is

happening.

Deferrals don’t mean permanent protection. They’re a tool to

maintain options in a time of crisis. Talk and maintain options rather

than talk and log. The big-tree old growth that was logged last week

won’t be available for consultation and informed decision-making, nor

will the big-tree old growth that is logged this week or next

week.

The old-growth panel recommendations are embedded in a three-year

framework with six-month steps, starting with immediate action for

at-risk forests. We have missed the first deadline, and to date, the

B.C. government has not tied its implementation promise to a workplan

with milestone dates. Without such a step, the B.C. government remains

unaccountable for meeting future deadlines.

My question, again, is to the Premier. Will he direct his minister

to release a public workplan with milestone dates for implementation so

that the public can have faith and take him at his word?

Hon. K. Conroy: It’s really disappointing to hear the member mischaracterize the

independent panel’s report. There are no deadlines. The independent

panel was clear. Making a paradigm shift in how we manage old forests

will take time and collaboration with all partners. I’ll note for

members that Garry Merkel, one of the report’s authors, recently said he

doesn’t question our government’s commitment to implementing his

recommendations, and he knows the process will take years.

[10:35 a.m.]

We have protected old-growth trees across B.C. Over 900 hectares

in Crystalline Creek. This area has an intact watershed with wetland and

old and mature forests. Over 1,800 hectares in McKelvie Creek, an

old-growth temperate rainforest and watersheds, home to wildlife and

salmon habitat. Over 2,700 hectares in Seven Sisters. This ecosystem has

many different types of trees and wildlife. We have deferred logging as

part of our Cariboo conservation work, protection for spotted owls and

then protecting the marbled murrelet and northern goshawk recovery

plans.

We have done work. We have done much. We will keep working hard to

protect B.C.’s iconic old-growth forests.

COVID-19 RESPONSE FOR HOCKEY TEAMS

B. Stewart: It’s a pleasure to rise today. In my riding, we’re lucky to have a

team in the Western Hockey League and the B.C. Hockey League. Tyson and

Damon Jugnauth and Riley Sharun are excited about getting back to play

for the westside warriors. Dr. Henry has done her job working with the

leagues so that they can return to play in a safe way.

But the Premier has not done his job. He’s sitting on hundreds of

millions of approved relief dollars. The fiscal year end is just two

weeks away, and the five WHL teams and the 17 BCHL teams continue to

wait. Two weeks ago we asked the Premier if the $9.5 million asked for

in support was coming. He said: “We need to make sure that we put our

shoulder to the wheel, provide the resources to keep these organizations

going until they can get back on their feet.”

A simple question to the Premier. Where is the money?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you to the member for the question. Not many members in this

House will appreciate the value of a sport as much as I do. I credit the

opportunity to participate in sport as one of the reasons why I’m here

in the Legislature today. It’s great news to hear that there’s progress

being made and that these young athletes are going to be able to

participate and pursue their careers as they’ve always dreamt

of.

I’ll let the member know that there are grants available for

sports teams to apply. In fact, some teams have applied and been

approved already for money. I would work happily with the member to get

in touch with the team that he refers to and help them navigate the

system so that they can also apply for those dollars.

COVID-19 RESPONSE FOR

TOURISM ATTRACTIONS AND

ARTS

AND EVENT ORGANIZATIONS

T. Wat: It is really heartbreaking to learn that tourism-related

businesses are paying the price for the Premier’s bungling of economic

recovery. When asked about funding for the Richmond Night Market, the

Premier was simply dismissive of the question. When asked about the need

for sites like Butchart Gardens to have support, the Premier said his

wife likes to visit.

Well, it’s been two weeks, and the clock is ticking. The fiscal

year end is coming up fast.

My question is to the Premier. The Premier had a year to come up

with a plan to help groups like the Richmond Night Market and Butchart

Gardens. Where’s the promised money?

Hon. M. Mark: I thank the member opposite for the question. Of course, we miss

all of those activities to be going to in our backyard. We miss going to

Science World, Butchart Gardens, the festivals and the night markets

that the member speaks of.

Every week we’re making progress with the rollout of the vaccine.

Every week we’re making progress seeing that our communities are getting

safer and that the advocacy that the sector has impressed upon our

government about having access to tourism-specific grants is on the

table.

I encourage the member to be encouraging the businesses in her

backyard, and all of the members in these chambers, to be accessing the

$45,000 grant that was a call to action from the Tourism Task Force that

our government appointed, asking them for direct advice on what our

government should do. What they called on us to do was to deliver on

$45,000 non-refundable loans, bare grants. They’re available to

communities.

Thank you very much to the member opposite for the

question.

[10:40 a.m.]

L. Doerkson: Sadly, many of the groups that we speak of today are simply

falling between the cracks. Perhaps you’ve heard this saying: “All hat

and no cows.” Well today we’re saying, “All hat and no money,” which

sums up the Premier’s handling of support for groups like the Williams

Lake Stampede, the Interior Provincial Exhibition and festivals on

Vancouver Island and throughout the province.

Two weeks ago the Premier stood in this House and talked while the

Cloverdale Rodeo announced their postponement. Two weeks later these

groups are still waiting for answers. This government is sitting on

hundreds of millions of dollars that were approved 12 months

ago.

Will the Premier actually deliver this money to these groups so

that they can continue to support their communities?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thanks to the member for the question. I believe he raised this

question last week. I did at that time offer the member to reach out to

us so that we can work together to find a solution, and that offer is

still there to the member. So maybe I’ll get my staff to proactively

reach out to his office to work together to find a solution.

M. Lee: It’s been, actually, two weeks that we’ve been having this

conversation across the aisle and pressing the government for this kind

of support. Two weeks ago the Premier was full of good humour. “Support

is coming,” he promised, and since then, silence.

The PNE needs support, especially the small vendors who are

hurting. The Vancouver Art Gallery has seen revenue fall by 75 percent.

Science World’s revenue has dropped by 85 percent. The Vancouver

Aquarium has closed its doors and is struggling to find the money to

feed its animals. There are so many more organizations like these all

around our province, including Exploration Place in Prince George, that

need this government to step up and provide support.

The Premier has had a year to come up with a plan to help

organizations like these that provide important educational and cultural

spaces and programs for B.C. So where is the money?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Certainly, we know there are a lot of businesses struggling, and

certainly, we know that a lot of non-profits are struggling as well. I

think the public understands without international tourism, without the

ability for people to travel and visit these sites, that it’s going to

be a difficult time.

As the Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport mentioned,

we’re starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. We’re starting to

see vaccination. With that comes hope that we’ll be able to again visit

those iconic places. I am a member….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, let’s hear the answer.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I’m a member of Science World. I appreciate the good work that

Science World does. That’s why I continue to support them.

The member mentioned many organizations that are struggling with

ensuring animals are being fed. I want to ensure the member that we

also, in StrongerBC, had $4.2 million to help organizations to ensure

that they had the money to continue to feed their animals. I can happily

share that list with the member after question period if he

likes.

C. Oakes: Arts groups and artists are feeling this Premier’s hollow words

and incompetence firsthand. And to be clear, these groups have reached

out to the government. While the member may say that there is light at

the end of the tunnel, for us raising these questions, the question is:

will the lights be permanently out?

Assistance is required immediately. Donna Spencer, of the

Professional Performing Arts Venues and Independent Cinemas group, has

been waiting for a plan from the Premier. She says: “These businesses

that live in communities are not being mentioned, sitting dark when they

could be providing economic stimulus as well as emotional

health.”

Well, the Premier has waited a year to come up with assistance for

venues like the Rio Theatre. He should really read their marquee, which

says: “I can’t believe we’re a sports bar.”

Can the Premier tell us when the money is coming?

[10:45 a.m.]

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you to the member for the question. There are theatres

across B.C. that have applied for the grants and received money. Just

recently I got a message from a theatre in Trail, B.C., which was a

thank-you note, because they had received it. They were sharing what

that meant for them as a theatre and the important work that they do to

keep their community united and how they build community.

I would say to the members, if you have businesses that are

struggling, that perhaps could use access to the $45,000 non-repayable

grant, certainly reach out to us. The information is available. There’s

actually a webinar online as well, very short. It shows a very simple

process for applications.

Also, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport has

recently announced infrastructure dollars for theatres, for other

tourism and arts-related facilities that want to upgrade their

facilities so that they can welcome more tourists and have more

opportunities when they do reopen, which we all hope is going to be very

soon. That money is available for these organizations to access as

well.

P. Milobar: Well, the answers today simply have not cut it. Two weeks ago,

when we raised these questions in the House, the Premier was very clear:

good news was on its way. In December, when we were raising these types

of issues, they were working on it. The Tourism Minister said they were

working on it. They’re having good discussions. That was in

December.

We’re getting the exact same answer today, at the end of March, as

we approach the fiscal year-end. It does make one wonder if the Premier

is just trying to find an avenue to have photo ops of good news of

giving out money at year-end, instead of actually providing the funds in

a timely fashion to the organizations that he knows full well he’s

intending on supplying dollars to.

His own answer two weeks ago was that the money was on the way.

Good news was coming. Two weeks ago. That’s two more weeks that all the

employees in these groups and businesses have been waiting, wondering if

they’re going to have a job on April 1. Two more weeks they’ve had to

wait, not knowing what the future holds for their organization. And

today, asking questions on behalf of those same organizations that don’t

qualify for the $30,000 or the $45,000, we’re getting the same answers

back from this minister.

Again, when will the Premier announce the year-end spending that

we all know is going to be coming and let these groups have a little bit

of certainty and, more importantly, that the employees that work for

them know that they actually have a job that will continue

on?

Hon. R. Kahlon: I think we should be proud here in British Columbia. We have the

highest per-capita supports for businesses and people in all of Canada,

by a long shot. We should be extremely proud here in Canada that we’ve

had a very steady hand on the health side from both Dr. Henry and

Minister Dix, because we’ve collectively, with the work of people across

B.C., avoided that second lockdown, which I know has been crippling for

our provinces across Canada. We see that reflected.

We know over 70 percent of businesses here in B.C. are relying

right now on government supports that continue to operate. So we’re

proud of the supports we’re putting in place. That’s why we’re at 99.4

percent of jobs returned to B.C. We should be proud of that. It’s a

collective effort. Everybody is involved. We should all be proud of

that.

We’re not out of the pandemic yet. We’re still in it. It’s just

going to be a challenging few months. We know. But we have hope. We have

light at the end of the tunnel, which is getting brighter and brighter.

Vaccines are continuing to be rolled out. I would say to the member

across the way that he should be hopeful. We’ve done a good job

collectively in this House. We’re going to continue to support

businesses and people for as long as they need to get out of this

pandemic.

P. Milobar: Well, on March 23, this House met last year and unanimously

approved $5 billion to help support businesses and people in British

Columbia, and $1.5 billion of that was held back and announced only a

week or so before an election was called by the Premier, as part of the

election platform.

Then, in December, this House meets, approves another $2 billion,

to which the Finance Minister last week could only account for $1

billion of that in one of her answers. So forgive this side of the House

if we’re a little bit unsure of where the government is spending all the

money, let alone accounting for it, and how much is actually available

for year-end.

[10:50 a.m.]

When we heard the Premier say two weeks ago that good news is

coming and that the year-end money that’s left over from unspent

programs will go to help these agencies and organizations that don’t

qualify for any of the bungled programs this minister has brought

forward to date, I guess it’s silly of the citizens of British Columbia

to take the Premier at his word, because he breaks it time and time and

time again when it comes to things like this.

Again, when will we hear the announcements of whether or not all

these organizations, which desperately need the funds to survive, are

going to see the money? Give an honest answer as to whether they will

actually see funds or not.

Hon. R. Kahlon: As I mentioned earlier to the question, to the member, we have

provided the highest per-capita supports for people and businesses in

Canada — the highest. The member mentions the amount of dollars that we

collectively approved. So $25 million for job creation projects

throughout B.C., that’s gone out. Forest employment program, money has

gone out. Invasive species work, money has gone out. Dollars for digital

marketing for small businesses, the money has gone out. Agritech

dollars, money has gone out.

The list is huge, of the amount of supports. This is not even

mentioning all the other pieces that we’ve put in place: tax credits for

businesses for hiring and re-hiring employees, commercial property tax.

That’s not even mentioning…. There was a recent report that came

out…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: …from the CFIB that highlights that the majority of businesses in

B.C. are relying on government right now. We’re proud of that support.

We’re going to continue to provide that support until we get out of this

pandemic.

[End of question period.]

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

Petitions

S. Chant: I offer today, on behalf of two high school students in my

constituency, a petition asking for the provision of safe and secure remote

long-term addiction recovery programs for youth and the opportunity to give

parents the possibility of getting their kids into this program. They have

raised 2,222 petitions….

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call continued second reading debate, Bill 10.

Second Reading of Bills

BILL 10 — SUPPLY ACT

(N o . 1), 2021

(continued)

T. Halford: I zoom in on this as a privilege today to speak on Bill 10. I must

also remind myself and remind others that when we talk about something

in terms of a supply act, how do you explain to your constituents what

exactly a supply act is and what goes along with it?

[N. Letnick in the chair.]

We’re talking about $13 billion, over $13 billion. We’re talking

about a supply act, an ask of this government of $13 billion, with very

limited accountability.

There has been a massive level of uncertainty that has hung over

this province since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. We understand

that. We’ve supported a lot of the measures that this government took in

the interim to try and get us to a better spot. But here we stand today,

in this House and across B.C., with many questions that have gone

unanswered. This Bill 10 continues to lead to that

uncertainty.

We came through a campaign in October, an election in the middle

of a pandemic. A lot of us here and all members have participated in

elections before. I have a closet full of T-shirts that I keep from

previous elections, and they all have different slogans on them. One of

the slogans that might be considered for this election is “Never let a

crisis go by without taking advantage of it.” That’s what we saw with

the snap election.

[10:55 a.m.]

I think it’s important to remind all members, and especially

members on the government side — and this is important — you are the

previous government. That’s something that you guys continue to say:

“The previous government, the previous government.” You are the previous

government. Maybe there are some things in that record that you’re not

proud of. I get that. I understand that. Fair enough. But you are the

previous government.

What we’re talking about today is a $13 billion ask. My colleague

gave the example yesterday of one of his kids asking for $300, $400,

without knowing what it’s going towards. I sympathize with that. I get

that question often in my house, and I ask the same thing.

But when we’re looking at things in this House, and we’re asking

questions that we just saw…. Where is the support for the PNE? Where is

the support for the Rio Theatre? Where is the support for the BCHL?

Where is the support for the WHL?

I think we can all agree that since we’ve come back from the

election, it’s been bumpy. We are in the middle of a pandemic, but it’s

been bumpy. It’s been bumpy in terms of getting support out to those who

need it.

Every week in my constituency office, I hear from people who

cannot get their economic recovery grant, a grant that they were

promised in the middle of a campaign by the Premier of this province.

They were promised it before Christmas, and they still haven’t got it. I

had one gentleman come into my office, very upset, on Thursday of last

week, who still doesn’t have it.

When we look at the business economic recovery rollout for the

grants there, that was an admitted struggle of this government. They

have extended those grants. They have changed the thresholds. But we are

continuing to do all this work at the eleventh hour. That is a

disservice to British Columbians. At a time when they need help the

most, this government is ill-prepared to deliver it.

I get that the intentions may be well, but at the end of the day,

they’re ill-prepared to roll out the programs that they’re putting

forward. So forgive me, on this side of the House, if there’s hesitation

— if there’s an over $13 billion ask in the supply agreement, that there

are questions. And there are many questions.

I understand that elections happen. I understand why they happen.

But at the end of the day, there has to be accountability. That’s what

governments are: they have to be accountable. I stress, with this

government, that we continue to try and find ways to have that

accountability and transparency. It’s important.

I think that we can all applaud the great work over the last year

that Dr. Bonnie Henry has done for British Columbians and the work of

our health minister. I am one of the first to applaud that. But at the

end of the day, British Columbians expected us all to work together. I

think many of us delivered on that promise, but I think we still

continue to have a long ways to go.

I end my comments today by saying that it’s this government’s

responsibility to take responsibility, to realize the fact that this is

not a new government. It’s not. This is the previous

government.

[11:00 a.m.]

This is the government that created a stand-alone Ministry of

Mental Health and Addictions. That is fantastic. But you know, what

would be better is if this government decided that they would actually

fund the ministry properly. We have a Ministry of Mental Health and

Addictions that has a budget smaller than the Office of the

Premier.

Again, I would ask the previous government to make sure that going

forward, they provide accountability and transparency for all British

Columbians. I think we have a long way to go in terms of where this bill

is today.

R. Leonard: I’m pleased to be part of the debate in this hybrid session which

was created in response to our COVID-19 pandemic. I want to say thank

you to the Clerk’s office and to everyone who’s been involved in making

sure that we can continue the work of government through a very unique

and innovative way.

I want to speak today in support of Bill 10, the interim supply

bill, from the traditional and unceded territory of the K’ómoks First

Nation.

This bill provides bridge funding between March 31, the end of

this fiscal year, and the last day of the spring session in June, when

this next year’s budget is formally passed. This is a supply bill, an

interim supply bill, not a budget. It is important to state this

distinction because comments by opposition members who were in

government previously have intentionally obfuscated the purpose of this

bill. That is, they have taken efforts to make the matter unclear and,

quite frankly, unintelligible. An interim supply bill is an important

practice to allow time for the breadth and the depth of exploration of

the next year’s budget as each minister lays out their year ahead. It is

a common practice.

I’d like to recall the recent experience south of the border with

the former leader of that nation. His refusal to support paying of the

bills with similar interim supply legislation paralyzed a nation.

Because it’s a recent historical event, people can picture this. Workers

were furloughed. Government services were shut. Thousands of people were

not able to pay their bills because they had no paycheque coming in. It

went down the chain. Suppliers, landlords and other businesses were

affected. So yes, paying the government’s bills on time is

important.

Here in B.C., getting your driver’s licence…. Having that

conservation officer arrive when a cougar has visited your neighbourhood

was one of the examples that the Minister of Finance referred to. How

about those cheques in the mail? Health services at the ready? All these

services, and more, are important and necessary for the people of

British Columbia. Today an interim supply bill is a common practice in

an uncommon time.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to listen to Chris

Hadfield, the astronaut, speak at the Alzheimer Society’s Breakfast to

Remember. He referred to his time in space, half a year, where he had to

communicate with all of his loved ones and the people on Earth through

virtual ways. As I mentioned at the beginning of my speech, we had to

adjust, ourselves, and find different ways of operating and different

ways of communicating. The point he made was that after six months and

coming back, being pulled out of a capsule was like being reborn. He

said he knew he was entering a different world, but he also knew that he

was different.

Our world is different, and we are different. We have been changed

by our experiences over this past year. They have been significant. I’d

like to acknowledge the hard work of the minister and her ministry staff

to manoeuvre through a changing landscape that comes from a global

pandemic that has not been experienced in our lifetime or even the

lifetime of those who raised us. We have met those challenges. I feel

confident that the supports and services that our government has

provided through the pandemic have been appreciated by the peo­ple

of British Columbia.

[11:05 a.m.]

We included all members of this House to make sure we were all

working together to weather this pandemic storm. We listened to the

needs of the people, operators of British Columbian businesses and

communities, and we have achieved extraordinary things

together.

Much has been made about transparency. I shake my head at those

speakers from the opposition who were part of a government that managed

to purposefully delete seven pages of recommendations that define and

could solve the financial problems of ICBC. Those same B.C. Liberals hid

hundreds of millions of dollars of ICBC losses with accounting tricks.

And I’m not talking about decades ago.

The year ahead is not certain. As the Minister of Finance said:

“There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we are still in the

tunnel.” I’m proud of the engagement that our government has undertaken

with businesses and with people and that we’re making the effort at this

moment in this everlastingly heart-weary, constraining and changing time

to build a meaningful and effective long-term plan in the 2021-22 budget

that builds on all of our current supports.

We are living in the middle of a global pandemic as we continue to

build our recovery. The focus is on people and businesses being in our

best position for success in a post-pandemic world. The interim supply

bill will provide for the portion of the current budget’s total approved

support — not extra — to allow us to pay for continuing programs and

services that British Columbians expect and have shown that they should

be able to count on.

It is important for people, businesses and communities to know

that support will be there for them regardless of the timing of a

budget. That certainty will carry forward to the 2021 budget as we

continue to keep people safe through the pandemic. This is why I support

the interim supply bill.

B. Stewart: I rise today to speak on Bill 10, interim supply. I do want to

kind of raise some important considerations that I think need to be

considered about this particular bill.

I think one of the things that is worrisome about this is the fact

that we’ve been through a very difficult time. I know that members on

both sides of this House have been challenged by the complexity and the

difficulty with the public health orders. However, there are

requirements under the Financial Administration Act, which was clearly

put in after very difficult period of time in British Columbia’s

history, where accountability in terms of finances was something that

was not respected, not upheld.

It really goes back to the core, I think, of some of the

principles that I think are important that we do adhere to. The

Financial Administration Act talks about the fact that the government

will give quarterly updates. It will make certain that it presents…. In

terms of after the budget, it will bring out and bring forward an

interim supply, which we all understand. But this year alone, since

March a year ago, we have already been here for supplemental increases

in last year’s budget — which, let’s not forget, was over $60 billion,

almost a 30 percent increase in overall spending across the board in

terms of government services from the former government, which is often

criticized as not necessarily investing properly.

How did we get the lowest debt of any of the provinces? The best

rating by the bond agencies in terms of our provincial budget? It was

because of the fact that we were respectful of taxpayers’ dollars.

That’s not the way it started out back in 2001 when Gary Collins was the

Finance Minister. He inherited an operating deficit of $2 billion per

year on a budget that was just under $20 billion. So you can imagine

that they were spending way more.

[11:10 a.m.]

It’s easy to spend more at home. Isn’t that the issue that people

find sometimes, and we found? We have stepped in and supported this

government, making certain that people have a way to cover some of the

increased costs. But if we live off our credit cards or borrowings,

etc., then we end up getting further and further behind, where we get

into a crisis.

I want to go back to some crises that occurred back in…. Well,

let’s just start with how things were managed by a former Finance

Minister who was involved with the Nanaimo Commonwealth Society, in

terms of taking money from individuals that he wasn’t entitled to. The

bottom line is that he made a very clear, objective point that the fact

is that the money that was being raised through gaming was something

that he and his family were entitled to. He was the Finance Minister,

and essentially it went on to the fact that when the government was

replaced…. The fact is that was let go for a long, long time, but I

think that it goes to the core of the principles about being transparent

and honest.

It’s not just one member. Let’s go back to the 1990s when there

was an election by the province of British Columbia to bring in a new

Premier, Mike Harcourt, and the situation was that at the time, the

government had surpluses. The bottom line is that the new Finance

Minister worked within that, sprinkling all sorts of money across the

province. New projects were undertaken.

Fast ferries were announced. It was announced as the fact that:

“We’re going to create jobs here in British Columbia.” At that

particular point when they took over, British Columbia was in the

enviable spot of being the number one economy in Canada. We were a have

province, where we contributed back to the federation, where we provided

surpluses or contributions to help balance other provinces that were not

in that situation. We moved through that to the point where, after the

project was actually undertaken…. I mean, it’s reasonable to try to

develop and en­courage things here, but not when it comes to

interference by the government.

The project was originally announced at about $200 million. The

situation ended up that when it actually did complete — and this is once

the two of them were actually out there operating — it was found that it

was completely not the right product to be traversing between Horseshoe

Bay and Nanaimo, because the fact is that it was swamping small craft.

It was washing people’s docks out.

After the first two had been in operation for a very short time —

the third wasn’t yet even complete — they scrapped the project and shut

it down and essentially went back to conventional ferries. We all know

that the story in this was that that’s one of those projects that didn’t

only double, but it was almost triple, in terms of the cost. The losses

that British Columbia ended up with are staggering — over $500 million

that could’ve gone into health care, could’ve gone to the member that’s

responsible for social development, in terms of the clawback that we

were talking about in question period today.

The bottom line is that we have to be respectful of taxpayers’

dollars. That’s what I want to kind of lay on that. If we go back to the

series of incompetent decisions made by the government in the 1990s, we

saw successive disregard for projected deficits by the Treasury Board,

in which the current Premier served as an adviser in cabinet. He well

knows what Treasury Board is there to do.

The situation is that with the respect that should be given to

Treasury Board to be that sober second thought, make certain that the

economic forecasts are respected, the cost of projects are considered….

I know, myself, having been in front of Treasury Board many times, that

it is not…. You don’t just walk in and kind of ask for what you need or

you think you need and then (

a) you get it, and (b), if you do happen to

get it, that you don’t stay within the budget. That is a history or a

recipe of disaster that we don’t want to see repeated.

I ask, in regards to Bill 10: where is the financial update that

we were entitled to see in terms of since the pandemic? What’s been

happening? Did people stop working?

[11:15 a.m.]

Reality is that we have a responsibility as the opposition to make

certain that we ask for that. Where are the numbers? We’ve heard the

former Finance Minister, Carole James, suggest that the budget deficit

could be north of $13 billion. We have supplemental estimates, which

we’ve added to the already increased budget of over $60 billion, of $8

billion on top of that, which….

Actually, we don’t really know. We’ve just gone through this

today. We know that we actually don’t know where the money, the

accountability…. We know the public accounts eventually, whether it’s

the Auditor General, whether it’s public accounts. But we expect

transparency. There should not be dollars being spent in British

Columbia without proper debate in this House.

We’ve already had three supplemental estimates that have spent

that $8 billion. We’re being asked to vote interim supply of $13 billion

plus another $365 million in terms of capital. That’s reasonable if we

know what the budget is. But at this point, we have no economic update

from last fall, the second quarter. We also are in a situation where

we’re now being asked to delay the budget, which we don’t agree with.

But the fact is that the government has pushed the budget back — not

just the first period where we delayed it 30 days or a month back in

December. We now have added another 30 days to that so that we’re going

to see the budget come out in April.

This is just essentially willy-nilly. This is kind of what it is.

Frankly, there’s no relationship to the money that’s being requested.

The process, normally, would be on this basis, but we know that we spent

more money last year than what the budget was. We have no idea where

that’s going to land. I can only imagine, with all of the promises that

were made about the fact that there were going to be resources to help

businesses, help tourism, restart the economy…. Where is all that money?

Where’s the accounting on it?

We haven’t actually done anything to account for the money that we

effectively approved on August 14 last year, and we expect — British

Columbians expect — and demand answers. That’s why we’re standing up

today — that we don’t agree with this process. We think it’s flawed.

Bring on the budget. Tell us the bad news. As bad as it’s going to be,

what’s your plan to get us back to balanced budgets? The former Finance

Minister spent a lot of time telling us about how good she and her

colleagues were about balancing budgets — albeit the pandemic has

changed that. Let’s get a plan back to rebuilding our

economy.

We hear about the jobs numbers and stuff like that. Those aren’t

all the same jobs that we lost over the pandemic period. We have many

people that have gone to lower-paying jobs just to get out of the house,

just to work, etc., at lower pay. Let’s call a spade a spade. Let’s make

certain that what we’re talking about here is the truth, transparency,

etc., as tough as it is.

We’ve been there. We have supported this government in all of the

pandemic relief from March of last year into the emergency recovery

programs, the additional moneys that we needed to approve in the

summertime and then in December. I think that those are…. They become

reckless when you start to depend on them. I think that that says…. I

haven’t heard anything from the minister that makes me feel comfortable,

as somebody that’s a former banker and run a very successful business.

The bottom line is that as much as I love the business side of it, I

still have to make certain that the math adds up at the end of the day.

Otherwise, the bank will be calling my loans.

Something that most people on that side of the House…. I doubt any

one of them ever had to borrow money in the early 1980s. I paid 22

percent. I was thrilled when I got a mortgage for 13 percent when I

started Quails’ Gate. Those are numbers that today we forget about. The

fact that the Bank of Canada rate is under 2 percent for provinces like

British Columbia…. That doesn’t last forever. We saw the 2008 financial

crisis. There are other things that are coming up, and we need to make

certain that we have adequate protection for British

Columbians.

[11:20 a.m.]

Look at how many taxes that have gone on since this government

came in. We know this. We talked about it a lot during the election, the

snap election, and the fact that money was doled out during that

election that was really approved for economic recovery. It was used as

a tool to bring people to think, “You know what? I don’t want to change

horses in the middle of a flood,” or whatever it is.

I don’t disagree, but the bottom line is that at the end of the

day, they were intended for certain uses, and they’ve been misused. And

of course, even the latest tranche, the $2 billion from December, hasn’t

all gone out the door yet. There are still many people…. My office is

flooded with people.

Now, we don’t know the answers to that, but they’re trying to.

They’ve made the application. Frankly, I’m not certain what made it so

difficult for some of these people. The government has moved on

collecting all sorts of information about taxpayers, their social

insurance numbers, whether they own a house or two.

There are 23 new or increased taxes that were brought in just

since 2017. That’s partially how they balance the budget. Of course,

that increased spending has gone into projects. It’s gone into community

benefits agreements, which is part of the way that we’re going to build

things in the province.

We’re going to use the B.C. Building Trades union to be our sole

supplier of employees. I have unionized contractors that are big

road-building contractors in my riding. They had to basically terminate

their arrangement with another union to do road projects. Of course,

they’ve had to build those extra costs in, in terms of what the

agreements call for. But it’s frankly gerrymandered in the way

that….

The bottom line is: where is the competitive, transparent edge?

How many of these members opposite don’t try to get the best possible

price when they go to buy a TV or a fridge or an appliance? Let’s say

they’re buying a house. I think that that’s unrealistic, in fact, to

think that British Columbian taxpayers don’t have the right to enjoy

that.

Where is the promised $400 renter’s grant? It hasn’t shown up yet.

Anyways, we’ll talk about housing another day.

I think that the thing about it is that what we do want to talk

about is: what’s next? We don’t have the information to anticipate, with

the deficit that was mentioned, really no information around it — the

extra supplemental spending of the $8 billion plus whatever the budget

commitments are for the coming increases that were projected last

February when the budget came out.

But we have the off-loading, if you want to call it that, of the

employer health tax. We have the Victoria gas tax up 2 cents a litre, a

Vancouver gas tax up 2 cents a litre, let alone the carbon tax. I

understand that everybody wants to kind of be cleaner, better for the

environment.

Yesterday was Mining Day. Our mining companies are having a tough

time in trying to have people that understand and appreciate that in

order to have the opportunities, whether it’s electric vehicles or wind

turbines or whatever, we need to make certain that we have adequate

support to make certain that these people are getting the opportunity to

do that.

I don’t think people mind paying the tax, provided that they

understand the full spectrum of what it is that is required to make

certain that we do have a better environment. The fact is that those

people are just part of it.

We have an Airbnb tax, the luxury vehicle tax. I remember the

Finance Minister going through that in great detail and telling us what

vehicles were under $55,000 that didn’t attract the increased taxes, but

frankly, I’m not certain that that’s very realistic concerning what

vehicles cost today.

Tobacco tax has gone up three times. The property transfer tax. I

know that the fact that it’s gone up…. The foreign buyers tax, which I

think….

Interjection.

B. Stewart: You know what? I think that, clearly, the member for

Vancouver–Point Grey and the minister appreciate….

Interjections.

B. Stewart: Yes, I’m sure he does. But when we look at the speculation tax and

the foreign buyers tax, the bottom line is: how much extra housing has

that really created? Did it create more affordability?

Interjections.

B. Stewart: You’d know what the price in Vancouver is for average real estate

prices, how much rents have increased. It’s $200 a month just in

Vancouver alone. How have we helped that? The part about it is that the

fact that the speculation tax has essentially made it so that people

that maybe want to invest here….

[11:25 a.m.]

Maybe we want them to come and spend money going skiing and doing

things like that, but they’re subject…. Where is the end of the

speculation tax? What are we getting to? Are we going to have a

speculation tax across the province?

It’s too bad the Solicitor General isn’t here. Because photo

radar, the carbon tax, parking sales tax, DCC charges with TransLink.

This is a very sensitive issue in terms of some of the taxes that we’ve

seen increased. The property tax in Vancouver. The cannabis tax, income

tax on incomes over $150,000. Corporate tax increased to 12 percent. The

ICBC unlisted driver premium. ICBC learner premium. The B.C. Hydro

crisis fund. The per-trip ride-share fees. The vaping PST. The sugary

drinks tax, which has just come in. The Netflix tax, which has just

happened. It doesn’t matter. They’re all taxes. The new income tax

bracket for those over $220,000 in income.

This list…

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Excuse me, Member.

If the members can monitor their heckling so I can at least hear

the member speak, that would be appreciated.

Also, Member, please don’t discuss if a member is present or not

present. Thank you.

Proceed.

B. Stewart: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

On Bill 10, what this does is it’s one more opportunity for the

government to think: “Well, you know, we did it this way before, and

it’s regularly done this way.” It isn’t. There hasn’t been a situation

where this has been used in this particular fashion, previously. What my

concern is, and what I think that we’re trying to alert the government,

is that there is a history in terms of the 1990s of not being

accountable.

The Financial Administration Act was brought in with a specific

purpose: to have to make government do that. We’ve already amended that

twice to essentially allow the budget to be delayed into March and into

April. I think that the situation is that when it comes time to talk

about this, what we’re really wanting is we do want the government to be

transparent and accountable.

What I worry about is the delivery of all of the things that are

in the background. Having worked as a member of cabinet, seeing how the

budgets come together, how each ministry has that responsibility…. We

need to make certain that the new, re-elected government and the new

members that are in there understand the importance. This is not

business as usual. They have a budget that they have to make certain

they bring forward that they can live within.

It wasn’t that long ago that we went through and we had

supplemental estimates — not of the magnitude we’re talking about this

year. But we had a lot of supplemental estimates, meaning that that was

the money that was needed after they’d already had the budget and the

estimates, and we had to go back and do that. This is just opening the

door to being very loosey-goosey in terms of that, and the fact is

that…. You know what? We need the money. We’ve got this project. It

needs to be funded. You know what? That’s all well and good, and that’s

where priorities come.

As I mentioned earlier in the start of the discussion, I think we

need…. Everybody that has their own household budget has to make

decisions. The government isn’t any different. The cabinet ministers

aren’t any different. The pandemic — that was different in the sense

that we did need to do something, and we supported you. We came to bat.

We passed a budget of $5 billion extra spending in March to make certain

that you had the resources to help get those people, the health care

workers, the contact tracers, all of those types of people….

But we also gave money to help give businesses the confidence to

being able to do that. We haven’t seen any visible signs that that has

been delivered. There’s no information that should be out there that

makes certain that people are clear in terms of what the investment is

that we spent — well, now it’s $8 billion — and where it’s all gone

to.

I think that one of the reasons that we have this particular act,

the Financial Administration Act, is because of the fact that there was

a long period where rules got manipulated and changed and they didn’t

follow practices that were standard practice for the Finance Ministry

and the government through successive Finance Ministers.

[11:30 a.m.]

I mean Elizabeth Cull, Andrew Petter, Glen Clark. The list goes on

and on. There is Paul Ramsey. At the end of the day, there was an

Auditor General, George Morfitt. In 1996, when he did his report on the

budget, he said that it did not break the law but that forecasters were

overly optimistic.

We can’t go back to those days when we just used a wing and prayer

to kind of make these things. He essentially chastised the government of

the day because of the fact that they had not followed what were

respectful and good financial practices. I think the ministers have used

special warrants in the past where, really, there wasn’t that

accountability. Even the former Finance Minister, Paul Ramsey, in a

report from the National Post , said yesterday that the special

warrant money was not reflected in last spring’s budget but is needed to

keep government programs going.

Well, we understand that sometimes things don’t add up, but that’s

what contingencies and allowances are for. The bottom line is you have

to build that in. Nobody can account for all of the things that have

gone on from last February’s budget to this point, but at the end of the

day, we’re now in the glue $21 billion — $8 billion plus this next $13

billion — that is unaccounted for in terms of real transparency. We

didn’t go through that in the detail that we would normally go through.

The taxpayers of British Columbia are owed that responsibility by the

government.

Back in the ’90s, the member for Abbotsford South, who is still

here today and was earlier, predicted that the special warrant spending

will push the deficit to about $2 billion greater than the $1.2 billion

that was predicted. “It’s very evident that the NDP has refined fiscal

incompetence to an art form.” That was his comment back in

I rest my case, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to committee stage on

this — where, hopefully, there will be some more information shared,

transparency that I think we’re entitled to as British Columbians and as

opposition.

P. Alexis: I speak in favour of Bill 10. Before I begin, I’d like to

acknowledge that I’m speaking from the traditional territories of the

Stó:lō, which include Leq’á:mel, Sema:th, Sq’èwlets, Kwantlen and

Matsqui First Nations.

As I speak here today — it’s today that we should be focused on —

I am once again reminded of how much we have asked our fellow British

Columbians to sacrifice during these unprecedented times and how they

have answered our call at each and every opportunity.

In turn, we, in this government, which I’m so proud to be part of,

have tried to support them by providing the very best in support and

service through COVID-19. The numbers do not lie. The public believes in

this Premier, this government and this vision for the province — a

vision that will see us rebuild an even better British Columbia in our

coming post-pandemic world. However, none of that work happens

independently of this assembly. To support B.C., we need to support its

people and the economy. That is what this legislation

addresses.

I was stopped recently by a constituent who wanted to thank me for

the assistance that we were able to provide at Christmas, assistance

that translated to her being able to buy much-needed eyeglasses. I had

the pleasure of sharing that message with my colleague representing

Coquitlam-Maillardville, who was touched by this show of gratitude for

such a small yet meaningful act of support. That pair of eyeglasses

stemmed from this government investing over $10 billion on COVID-19

relief and recovery measures, contributing more to businesses and people

than any other province.

[11:35 a.m.]

What this interim supply legislation means is more protection for

people’s health, their families and their livelihoods ahead of the next

budget. COVID-19 has been the challenge of this generation, and we will

feel its repercussions through our economy, our families and our health

for years to come. This time last year, if there was light at the end of

the tunnel, it felt like an oncoming train. But the end is in sight now,

and the light is finally real.

We have asked the people of British Columbia for so much. We owe

them more than we can repay, so now is not the time to nickel-and-dime

them. We’re almost there. Let’s get back to work supporting them, their

businesses and families. Let’s get to work building a post-COVID B.C.,

one that is a more prosperous and sustainable British Columbia for

all.

L. Doerkson: It’s indeed an honour to rise in the House today and speak against

another bill. Bill 10, the Supply Act, is what I’ll be debating and

making comments on today.

I want to start by saying that it’s been suggested that the

government isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, or certainly,

nothing that they haven’t done before. While that’s basically true, I do

find it a little bit misleading. This government has systematically

undone many of the safeguards that the previous government put in place

with respect to transparency and, certainly, with respect to reporting

around our budgets in general. They’ve delayed the budgets and the

quarterly reports.

It’s no wonder we’ve ended up where we are today, given the fact

that the current Premier, his chief of staff and the Health Minister

were all around for the notorious fudge-it budget — a time when the NDP

Health was forced to resign from his job in the Premier’s

office.

Now we have a Premier who has called a snap election. We haven’t

had proper quarterly reporting. The recovery programs have been what

could be explained as a disaster, yet the Premier and this government

come before this House to ask for $13.4 billion.

Our government brought in balanced-budget legislation. We fixed

budget dates. Those steps made B.C. a leader in Canada for sound and

transparent fiscal management. Over the past week, I’ve been surprised,

as a new member, to hear some of the comments that have been hurled this

way. That NDP members repeatedly and purposely misled this House and all

British Columbians about our budgetary practices while in government,

including the revenue transfer policies of ICBC — practices that the

members opposite fully know were lawful….

Deputy Speaker: Member, you cannot imply that current members of this House

purposely misled the House. Could you withdraw the statement,

please?

L. Doerkson: I’m sorry. I withdraw the statement.

These practices — the members did know they were fully lawful and

fully disclosed in our annual budgets.

I understand that this is an ask of this House that is normal for

this time of the year. However, what is not normal is that usually we

would have a budget and an opportunity to debate this after we’ve seen

those numbers. I understand that this amount is based on a percentage

from last year’s budget, which of course is pre-COVID. It does not make

a lot of sense to base anything, in my opinion, on those numbers.

Typically, these funds are debated after seeing that budget — which, as

you know, has been moved to the end of April.

[11:40 a.m.]

The concerns I have are many. I don’t think I need to say it, but

I’m going to say it anyhow. This, of course, has not been an ordinary

year, and I can appreciate that, but it would be nice to know what the

expenses of this province actually are, what they’re expected to be in

the coming year and what they have been.

Secondly, it would be nice to know what the revenue of this

province is. Now, I know we haven’t talked a lot about that, but I can

assure you that in Williams Lake, the Stampede, of course, did not

happen last year, and it would appear that it’s not going to happen this

year as well. Hot Summer Nights car show in 100 Mile House did not

happen last year, and it appears as though it’s not going to happen this

year.

Now, I know those events, on a provincial scale, are not massive,

but they represent millions of dollars of revenue to the

Cariboo-Chilcotin in general. I suggest that you could times that by

hundreds throughout the province, and I would suggest that our

provincial revenue is going to be significantly reduced, which is

alarming, to say the least. It’s concerning to me to think that we’ll be

making a decision of this size, of $13.4 billion, without having any of

that information.

I have other fears. This House and all of its members have

approved large amounts of money over the past year. I’ve been here for

some of that. There have been many concerns about how these funds have

funnelled through to the taxpayers of this province.

The B.C. taxpayers and small businesses that have really needed

this money — some of them are still waiting after months. Trust me. I’ve

had many opportunities to speak to constituents that are extremely

concerned about the way this money has transferred to them. So many of

them have needed the money desperately. I spoke to a business owner

yesterday who has lost $1.4 million in gross revenue for his business.

He applied for the business recovery benefit in December and is still

waiting, after providing three years of financial information for the

business. They’ve lost their general manager, and they have lost half of

their staff through this process.

At the end of the day, I feel like I have to make a decision on

this bill, like everybody else in this House, and I simply don’t feel

that I have the information before me to decide one way or the other.

Not knowing what the budget will look like next year, not knowing what

our revenues are this year and not knowing, of course, what our expenses

are or what they’re projected to be, as I said, is

concerning.

At the end of the day, when these last funds were ap­proved,

I guess I’m concerned that I have no explanation for how they’ve moved

and how they will move on to the taxpayers. I would have an easier time

— a much easier time — approving or voting for this bill if I had the

answers to those questions, of course. We all voted to get these funds

to the people that needed it most. As I said, that hasn’t happened

perfectly, and I am for sure concerned about it. In fact, only about 16

percent of those funds have actually happened and occurred.

It’s my right, I think, as a member of this House to expect that

information. I think, though, more importantly, the people of the

province have a right to this information, because at the end of the

day, it’s their money. I think we forget that in this House. We should,

as members, be able to answer all of these questions for our

constituents, and we should be able to explain why these past funds

haven’t moved. Honestly, we’ve asked repeatedly and haven’t been able to

get clear answers with respect to that.

[11:45 a.m.]

A member referred to an upgrade to a road — Westcoast Road, which

is in Cariboo North riding — yesterday and called it a $100 million

improvement. Our roads in rural B.C. are drastically under-cared-for. In

fact, in some cases, they’ve actually become dangerous to travel on. The

road and the upgrade that we talked about is a road that’s actually

gone. It’s no longer there, because of landslides and water

damage.

Perhaps some of these funds might make their way to rural British

Columbia, with respect to our roads. Perhaps some of these funds will be

slated to help Bette McLennan, in Williams Lake, who hasn’t heard from

the government after asking many times and after a number of meetings,

even since I’ve been in the Cariboo-Chilcotin seat as MLA.

Bette McLennan’s house has flooded three times this year because

of a culvert that comes off of Gibbons Road. She has been unable to

repair her home, unable to insure her home, and certainly is not in a

position to sell her home. Perhaps some of these funds could help fix

the root of the problem, which begins from a culvert.

Perhaps Bill 10 will help to fund some of the other damage the

water from this culvert is creating as it flows down through Bette

McLennan’s home; continues to damage homes on Roberts Drive; continues

to rip apart, literally, the home of Lacey and Randy Kuttnick, which is

on Dog Creek Road; and then continues down, where it destroys Highway

20. Perhaps Bill 10 funds could be used for some of that.

Perhaps Bill 10 funds will help some of the people in my riding —

and, I’m certain, throughout some of the other parts of the province —

with damages that were created in 2017 from wildfires. The problems

still have not been dealt with fully. As a rural critic, I could suggest

all kinds of ideas for Bill 10 funds. We could use help with our mental

health and opioid crisis in rural British Columbia. Connectivity.

Wildlife. Rural roads. Rural highways. And, of course, rural fire halls

that have had a difficult time accessing funding through the gaming

funds this year.

It’s been a bumpy week here with transparency. The word

“transparency” has been thrown around a lot. I would suggest that this

plan and Bill 10 are anything but transparent. At the end of the day, I

do have concerns with respect to the programs that have been rolling

out. Not just the vaccine rollout, but certainly the rollout of the B.C.

recovery. Funds have generally been very slow. I have many people in our

riding that applied in December and still have not received these funds.

The business recovery…. We help, every day, in our riding, people that

are caught in that system that have provided unbelievable amounts of

information and still have not received those funds.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

We’ve seen numerous examples in the past year alone of this

government requesting money and the members of this House agreeing to

it. One year ago, in March, members of this House unanimously approved

$5 billion for COVID recovery. My question is: how can we trust that

this government, which has not been able to manage that $300 million

appropriately, will manage $13.4 billion?

This bill is just another reminder of the government failing to

get relief to the people. It speaks to them by delaying the budget by

months. We need the government to step up, and we need them to step up

very quickly, as people in our communities, for certain, need the

help.

Mr. Speaker: Official opposition House Leader.

P. Milobar: Thank you. I wasn’t sure if there was anyone on the line that I

might have jumped ahead of. I’m not sure if the member….

Mr. Speaker: The member for Chilliwack.

[11:50 a.m.]

D. Coulter: Yeah, I’m here. Is it okay for me to speak, Mr.

Speaker?

Mr. Speaker: You can start, Member. Then we will ad­journ in five

minutes.

D. Coulter: Okay. Thank you very much.

I’d just like to first acknowledge that I’m speaking to you today

from the traditional and unceded territory of the Stó:lō people — in

particular, that of the Pilalt and Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribes.

I’m very happy today to speak in support of Bill 10. I’m hopeful,

although not convinced, that folks who are speaking against it will vote

in favour of it soon, because it is just a bill that will continue

providing support for people, business and communities up until we pass

our next budget. These supports include nurses, doctors, teachers,

social workers and other social programs that help out people in

poverty. That would include some of the people that the opposition was

talking about today in the House, in question period. I would hope that

they support this bill if they truly care about those folks in

poverty.

I’ve heard some arguments complaining about the de­mocracy

of this all. Well, democracy doesn’t mean al­ways getting the

outcome that you want. The people of British Columbia chose their

representatives in the election in the fall. Then those representatives

came to this House, and they voted on a bill to delay this budget. Now

that the budget is delayed, the representatives of the communities that

were voted in by the voters of each community will get a chance to vote

on this bill, which will take us up until a budget. I don’t know of

anything more democratic than that.

I’ve also heard some folks getting a little tender about ICBC. I

can understand folks being tender about ICBC. I’d be somewhat tender if

I had such a horrendous record. Some folks are thinking that they’re

being accused of a crime. Certainly, we’re not projecting the fact that

they’re committing a crime on them, if they feel that way. It’s not our

fault that they feel like they’ve committed a crime. But I will say that

their record is pretty horrendous, and I’d be tender about it as well. I

know that the voters were quite tender about their record.

This bill is really important. Until we get this budget, we are

continuing to announce new and updated programs, and many previously

announced supports are continuing. So we really need this interim

measure until we do vote on a budget in about 20 days’ time or in a

month’s time.

We’re helping people now. The province’s $10 billion COVID-19

response is protecting people’s health and livelihoods and investing in

stronger communities and a bright future. I think I’ve heard from

members on both sides of this House about different programs and

different things in their communities that folks are affected by — about

COVID. If you are truly concerned about these things getting the funding

for them continuing, you would vote for this bill.

I’d like to reserve my place to continue next time and call

adjournment of the debate now, though, given the hour.

D. Coulter moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. S. Robinson moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:55 a.m.

Copyright © 2021 Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Official Report of Debates (Hansard) and webcasts of

chamber proceedings are available at www.leg.bc.ca .

For inquiries contact:

Hansard Services

612 Government Street

Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Telephone: 250-387-3681

Email: hansardservices@leg.bc.ca

Published by Hansard Services under the authority

of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.