Third Session, 41st Parliament

(2018) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, February 19, 2018

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 80

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Tributes

Justin Kripps and Alex Kopacz

D. Ashton

Introductions by Members

Tributes

Jude Schooner

Hon. C. Trevena

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Seaspan and Sir John Franklin fisheries science

vessel

B. Ma

Access to family physicians

L. Throness

Love Haida Gwaii initiative and local spending

J. Rice

Special Olympics B.C. activities in Richmond

J. Yap

Vision loss awareness and White Cane Week

R. Leonard

Squamish estuary salmon habitat recovery project

J. Sturdy

Oral Questions

Environment Minister attendance at environmental group event

P. Milobar

Hon. G. Heyman

T. Redies

Interior Fraser steelhead population and chum gillnet fishery

A. Olsen

Hon. D. Donaldson

Dispute with Alberta on Trans Mountain pipeline and wine industry

D. Ashton

Hon. B. Ralston

Hon. L. Popham

Dispute with Alberta on Trans Mountain pipeline and tourism industry

D. Clovechok

Hon. L. Beare

Hon. J. Horgan

Pattullo Bridge replacement project

I. Paton

Hon. C. Trevena

L. Throness

Regulations on spill response

J. Tegart

Hon. G. Heyman

Reports from Committees

Finance and Government Services Committee, annual review,

budgets of statutory offices, December 2017

B. D’Eith

D. Ashton

Selection Committee, report, February 15, 2018

Hon. M. Farnworth

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

J. Rustad

Hon. R. Fleming

R. Sultan

Hon. H. Bains

S. Furstenau

N. Simons

J. Yap

Hon. B. Ralston

S. Gibson

M. Elmore

13:39:15, Hon. M. Farnworth, name corrected in introduction; 17:03:35, J. Yap, name

correction17;33;46, Hon. B. Ralston, "met" removed ahead of Netmarble; 17:36:40, Hon. B. Ralston,

Okanogan changed to Okanagan; 18:06:54, S. Gibson, "drive" changed to "driven"; 18:08:16,

S. Gibson, "but installing it" changed to "but in stalling it"

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2018

The House met at 1:34 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

[1:35 p.m.]

Hon. A. Dix: I think members on all sides of the House today — my colleagues in

official opposition, my colleagues in the Third Party and members of our

caucus — met with representatives of the B.C. Care Providers. This evening

we’re going to be giving awards to some extraordinary care providers in

British Columbia. The good news for them is that it’s not just going to be

me. For the first time, the Lieutenant-Governor is going to be there. So

it’s a real occasion this time, not just an occasion.

We want to introduce, in the gallery, really some extra­ordinary

people.

Sarah Reiter is winning tonight Care Provider of the Year. It’s like

giving advance notice of the Oscars, but nonetheless, we know this: Care

Provider of the Year for home care. She’s an LPN at Beacon Community

Services home support team, and she works on Saltspring Island. She does an

amazing job.

My colleague the Government House Leader was reminiscing about a time

when he was a young politician, in 1973. He was reminiscing about visiting

Hawthorne Seniors Care in Port Coquitlam, of course. That’s when, really….

Someone who’s given extraordinary service, Lynda McDermott, is winning Care

Provider of the Year, residential, today. She’s here with her very proud

family — her daughter Heather Penner, her sister Gloria Quensel and her

niece Shauna Quensel.

Shauna Appleyard is here. She’s won the Safety Champion Award. She’s

the lead health care assistant at Sidney All Care Residence. She has family

present here as well — Michelle Cowperthwaite, who is her mother, which is

really exciting.

Finally, Hank Van Ryk, who is winning the Ed Helfrich Long Service

Excellence Award tonight from H and H Total Care Services. He’s here with

his wife, Renie, and son Hendrick.

These are extraordinary people, and I think everyone in the House

would like to wish them congratulations.

Hon. Speaker, you know I don’t do many introductions, so I’m taking my

time here. I’m trying to get it all right. I’ve got names on a list here,

and I’m going to do my best.

I’d also like to introduce some people here from the B.C. Care

Providers: the CEO, Daniel Fontaine; his effervescent director of

communications, Mike Klassen — and, of course, members of the B.C. Care

Providers Association board of directors, especially Karen Baille from

Abbotsford, who does extraordinary work, as everyone knows; and someone I

also met with this morning, Aly Devji, who’s vice-president of the B.C. Care

Providers and is from Delta View.

I hope everyone in the House — we have many visitors here today — will

wish everyone welcome.

J. Yap: It’s my pleasure to make five introductions. In the gallery with us

are Anand Dhatt and Saroop Dhatt. In the precincts — and, hopefully, joining

us the gallery shortly — we have Aaron Yiren Xia and Simon Qing Xia and

Peggy Peizhang He, who are visiting from my riding, Richmond-Steveston. I’ll

be talking a little bit about Aaron and Anand in my member’s

statement.

Please, Members, give a warm welcome to our guests.

Hon. M. Farnworth: As those members of this House know, whether government or opposition,

we are ably assisted during each session by interns, who have a tremendous

time here, get some considerable experience in how government and the House

work.

It’s my pleasure today to introduce the five interns who’ll be working

with the government caucus over the next several months. They are Tabitha

Black-Lock, who has studied political science and environmental studies at

the University of Victoria; Max Gardiner, who’s completed a master’s degree

at UBC on accountability in the Canadian public transit sector; Brett

Koenig, who’s majored in sociology with a minor in gender studies at the

University of Victoria; Barbara Szmczyk, bachelor of business administration

operations management at Simon Fraser University; and Brady Yano, who’s

majored in political science with a minor in development and sustainability

at Simon Fraser University.

Would the House make these very valued interns most

welcome.

[1:40 p.m.]

Tributes

JUSTIN KRIPPS AND ALEX KOPACZ

D. Ashton: An introduction today of the gold-medal winners from Summerland. I

would like all of us to recognize Justin Kripps and Alex Kopacz, the

bobsled team that has brought gold home to Canada. On behalf of all

Canadians, we’re incredibly proud of the wonderful showing that they and

their other teammates have done at the Winter Olympics.

Introductions by Members

Hon. R. Fleming: I can’t remember the last day when I got to introduce my dear dad and

my beloved sister, and today is not that day. But I do have the pleasure of

introducing the dear father and beloved sister of my administrative

coordinator, Andra Hahn, who is sitting in the gallery with these

individuals. I’d like to take a moment to introduce Mr. Gordon Hay, who is

from Cultus Lake, Andra’s father; and her dear sister, Karen McCartney, who

is from Port Moody.

I would ask the House to make these visitors most welcome here

today.

J. Isaacs: I would also like to welcome the B.C. Care Providers Association to

the House. Specifically, I would like to recognize B.C. Care’s board

president, Karen Baillie, and CEO Daniel Fontaine.

B.C. Care represents home cares, assisted living and home care

providers across the province. Today the B.C. Care Providers Association is

celebrating the province of British Columbia’s proclamation of the second

annual B.C. Seniors Care Providers Day and the fifth annual B.C. Care

Awards, which celebrate the work of dedicated senior care providers. This

will be taking place this evening.

I would also like to welcome the four winners of the awards, who are

also in the Legislature today: Sarah Reiter, Lynda McDermott, Shauna

Appleyard and Hank Van Ryk.

Each day senior care providers work to ensure the quality of care and

quality of life of B.C. seniors. They work tirelessly, quietly, and are

often underacknowledged, yet any one of us who has had an older friend or

relative who has needed the support of a seniors care provider will

recognize the value of this work, which these thousands of women and men do

across the province each and every day. I would like to ask the members of

the Legislature to join me in extending a warm welcome to our

guests.

Hon. K. Chen: I’m so happy to have the opportunity to welcome a group of grade 11

and 12 French immersion students and their teachers from Cariboo Hill

Secondary School from Burnaby-Lougheed, who will be visiting our Legislature

today. Hopefully, we’ll see them in question period soon.

While I will be meeting with the students after question period, I

would like to make a special mention that Cariboo Hill Secondary is part of

the Family of Schools network that is organized by parents, teachers, staff

and community members from three schools in the same neighbourhood where my

constituency office is located, including Cariboo Hill, Armstrong and Second

Street School. These three schools work together on projects and activities

to create a vibrant and connected community. The Family of Schools is a

great model for many other school districts and communities.

I’m so thrilled to welcome the students here, and I hope that they

will enjoy their visit. I ask the House to make them feel very

welcome.

I. Paton: I’m proud to introduce a young man today that’s here with the B.C.

Care Providers. His name is Aly Devji. The Devji family are very close to my

family, as their farm is right next to our farm in Delta. They also own an

absolute five-star facility called Delta View Habilitation Centre in Delta,

specializing in Alzheimer’s care. Aly owns this along with his family — his

mom and dad, Amin and Jane Devji, his brother Salim Devji and his wife

Shayda. I would like you to make Aly Devji feel welcome here

today.

Hon. K. Conroy: It gives me a great deal of pleasure today to introduce a different

kind of partner in my life today. It’s our cattle partner, who’s joining us

in the gallery today. His name is Murray Gore. He’s from Surrey. He’s been

involved with our family now for, I think, 30 years. Yes, 30 years. Please

join me in welcoming Murray to the gallery.

[1:45 p.m.]

A. Weaver: It’s a historic day today in the B.C. Legislature. It gives me great

pleasure to introduce the very first two interns working with the B.C. Green

Party, here today in the gallery and the Legislature. They are Kayla

Phillips, from Simon Fraser University, and Alex McGowan, from Kwantlen

College. We look to give them a very rewarding experience, as I can

guarantee that they’ll have a lot of fun downstairs. Would the House please

make them feel very welcome here.

Tributes

JUDE SCHOONER

Hon. C. Trevena: I’d like to share with the House some sad news. The mayor of

Tahsis, who I think most people on both sides of the House would have

had some knowledge of or worked with, died suddenly at her home over the

weekend. Jude Schooner was passionate about her community, her adopted

community. She and her husband, Scott, had lived there for 18

years.

I think everybody who had met her — I know members of the former

government did know her, and I know members from this government also

knew her — knew of that passion and that commitment.

She was first elected to council in 2008, became mayor in 2014 and

stood up very proudly for that community, a small community on the west

coast, fighting, whether it was for an improved road service, whether it

was for water, whether it was for forestry, but always standing up and

fighting for the community that she really loved.

She also left truly a legacy of improved relations with the

Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations in the community. She was working

extraordinarily hard on reconciliation. She was leading the way. I think

the work that Tahsis has done is an inspiration to all of us. I think

that’s very much thanks to the hard work of Jude.

She is going to be sorely missed by the community, by everybody

who has worked with her and has known her. I would hope that the House

would send their sympathies to her husband, Scott.

Introductions by Members

A. Weaver: Not a great start. I do wish to apologize to Alex McGowan. It flowed

off my tongue from many decades in academia. It is now Kwantlen

University.

Would the House please make Alex welcome from Kwantlen University, not

Kwantlen College.

Hon. S. Simpson: I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my partner, my wife, Cate

Jones, a happy birthday today. As you’ll all know — we all know well…. She’s

in Vancouver, I’m here, and we’re not going to get to celebrate that for a

few days. But happy birthday. I love you, and we’ll have a glass of wine on

the weekend.

Hon. J. Horgan: Although I’m a day late, it’s been a tradition since I was elected

here to remind everyone that now 34 years ago Ellie and I were married in a

quiet…. Actually, it wasn’t a quiet ceremony at all. It was very raucous,

and I’ve had the time of my life every day since then.

Ellie, I know you’re watching because you love question period. Happy

anniversary.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

SEASPAN AND Sir John Franklin

FISHERIES SCIENCE VESSEL

B. Ma: What’s red and white, weighs over 3,000 tonnes, is over 60 metres

long, was built in North Vancouver and could be a key tool in helping us

better understand our marine life? Why, it’s the Sir John

Franklin , of course. It’s the first offshore fisheries science

vessel built for the Canadian Coast Guard by Seaspan, and it all

happened right in my constituency.

national shipbuilding strategy, Seaspan Marine Corp. has been granted

the daunting task of building science vessels, support ships and patrol

vessels as part of an $8 billion non-combat work package.

They are definitely up for the challenge. After an investment of

$170 million, Seaspan is the proud owner of a state-of-the-art

shipbuilding facility capable of building state-of-the-art ships. They

also get to lay claim to having Canada’s largest permanent gantry crane,

which gets the engineer in me all excited.

[1:50 p.m.]

The positive impact that Seaspan’s shipyard has on the local

community and the province is nothing to be sneezed at either. Their

North Vancouver facility employs around 700 people, including 70

apprentices. These are good, well-paid jobs that support families —

exactly the kinds of jobs that we need.

At peak construction, Seaspan expects to employ nearly 1,000

people. Estimates suggest that the national shipbuilding strategy

creates 5,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs over the next 20 years,

adding almost $500 million per year to B.C.’s GDP.

I know everyone in this House appreciates the value that Seaspan’s

work on the national shipbuilding strategy brings to this province. Our

provincial industrial marine sector is critical to our economy, and this

work is building a sustainable shipbuilding industry on the west

coast.

for the national shipbuilding strategy.

ACCESS TO FAMILY PHYSICIANS

L. Throness: Last October I learned that almost 25 percent of people in the

city of Chilliwack do not have a family doctor. In fact, one million

British Columbians do not have access to a family physician, and the

crunch is only going to get worse as baby boom physicians

retire.

We need and appreciate the hard work of our doctors. Government

can and should train more of them, but there is another solution that

wouldn’t cost a penny. We have a command and control health system where

managers give direction to everyone — to nurses, to lab techs, to 27,000

workers, for example, in the Fraser Health Authority. This is not a sign

of disrespect to those workers. This respects the needs of

patients.

However, we don’t take the same approach with doctors. We train

them, and then we set them free to make their own decisions. Doctors can

work the hours they want. They can set up a practice wherever they want,

move to or from a community whenever they like, or they can specialize

at will.

The government, or perhaps the College of Physicians and Surgeons,

could say to a doctor, “Do you want to move out of Chilliwack to another

town in B.C.? We need to you stay put for a few more years” or “We need

you to become a specialist now” or “We need you to wait before you

specialize.” Or say to a medical student: “For the first three years

after med school, we’re asking you to practise in a rural area of our

choosing.” Or say to them: “B.C. needs full-time doctors, not part-time

ones.”

Such reasonable requests need only affect future doctors.

Candidates for med school would learn after graduation that there will

be parameters around their practice if they want to practice in B.C. We

have to answer this basic question. What comes first: the health needs

of the people of B.C. or the free agency of doctors?

The needs of the people of B.C. must come first, so I call upon

the government to bring before this House policy or legislation that

will ensure a sufficient, rational and equitable distribution of family

doctors across every area of this province and into the

future.

LOVE HAIDA GWAII INITIATIVE

AND LOCAL

SPENDING

J. Rice: For every $100 that we spend locally, up to $48 stays in our

communities. Compare that to just $14 when you shop at a big-box or

chain store. Keeping our dollars circulating locally is key to the

economic health of our rural and remote communities. True economic

diversification comes from 50 businesses who are able to create one

stable job each, rather than one large employer creating 50 more

vulnerable jobs.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love Haida Gwaii, but I love

Love Haida Gwaii. Love Haida Gwaii is part of Love Northern B.C., which

has now evolved into one of the largest Shop Local programs in Canada.

Over 34 central and northern B.C. communities are participating,

showcasing well over 1,500 unique locally owned and independent northern

B.C. businesses.

Covering a region of about two-thirds of the province, the project

just continues to grow. Love Northern B.C. had its beginnings in Quesnel

with the launch of small town love in 2011. Quesnel entrepreneur Amy

Quarry developed a vision through her company, Small Town Love Media, to

help small businesses hold their own against chain stores and on-line

competition and to inspire communities to support and shop with their

local business owners and neighbours.

Michael H. Shuman, author of the book Going Local says:

“Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It means

nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources

sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily

local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less

dependent on imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant

corporations and back into the community where it belongs.”

Love Haida Gwaii businesses are independently owned,

non-franchised businesses, as well as certain kinds of home-based

businesses such as artists, artisans, crafters, food producers and

farmers. Love Haida Gwaii is a great marketing tool and promotes

businesses that are focused on retail goods and services, rather than

industrial companies.

[1:55 p.m.]

The Love Haida Gwaii initiative is championed on the islands by

Misty Isles Economic Development Society in partnership with Northern

Development Initiative Trust. To love all that Haida Gwaii has to offer,

you can learn more about the unique businesses and the characters that

run them by visiting lovehaidagwaii.com.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS B.C.

ACTIVITIES IN

RICHMOND

J. Yap: I rise in the House today to speak about a very important program

delivered by a very important organization: Special Olympics B.C. In my

riding of Richmond-Steveston, along with the other Richmond ridings,

more than 200 volunteers work tirelessly to deliver programs for Special

Olympic athletes in our community, including tenpin bowling, curling,

figure skating, soccer, boccia and Club Fit. I was unaware of the latter

program, Club Fit, but thanks to my constituents Aaron Xia and Anand

Dhatt, I am now fully informed.

Aaron participates in Club Fit, and Anand is his coach and friend.

Club Fit is a fitness program aimed to improve fitness and overall

health for Special Olympic athletes at all skill levels. Aaron, as well,

is incredibly interested in politics and has a goal of running for Prime

Minister of Canada. I have no doubt he can achieve this. Aaron and Anand

are two great young leaders in Richmond-Steveston, and I’m pleased to

welcome them to the Legislature and to Victoria for a visit

today.

Special Olympics B.C. has helped so many participants develop not

only their athletic skills but life skills and personal confidence as

well. Recently Special Olympics B.C. has been reaching out to our ethnic

communities in Richmond and Surrey to identify barriers to program

participation and to work with community organizers to address them. I

hope all members will think of ways we can work with Special Olympics

B.C. to enhance the well-being and happiness of British Columbians with

intellectual challenges in our province’s diverse

communities.

VISION LOSS AWARENESS

AND WHITE CANE

WEEK

R. Leonard: Courtenay resident Mike McLellan is a self-assured man. He sits on

five boards, including as president of B.C. People First. He ably goes

where he wants with the use of his white cane.

One day in early February, as a man without sight, he waits for

the sound of the walk signal before stepping off the curb to cross an

intersection, but a reckless driver without regard for the white cane

narrowly misses striking Mike. He told me about this incident to

demonstrate that there’s still more to be done to cultivate due regard

for those navigating with a white cane. After all, it is a growing

demographic, especially those with age-related vision loss, and 135

people a day in Canada are declared blind.

Enter White Cane Week, the first week of February, dedicated to

raising awareness about vision loss. Yesterday I met the blind Comox

resident who instigated this special dedication in B.C. for the first

time this year. Pat Chicquen is a Comox resident and second

vice-president of the Canadian Council of the Blind, B.C.-Yukon

division. She encourages sighted and blind people to get involved with

one of the 29 white cane clubs in B.C. As she reminded me, you need to

get connected if you want to learn about all the services that are

available.

A lot can be done to minimize many forms of vision loss, and there

are so many services available to support the blind and partially

sighted to achieve their full potential. As the Canadian Council of the

Blind says, the white cane is a symbol of blindness, courage and

independent spirit. It is a sign of ability, not disability.

SQUAMISH ESTUARY SALMON

HABITAT RECOVERY

PROJECT

J. Sturdy: I am pleased to share with the House a potentially game-changing

restoration project at the mouth of the Squamish River. The Squamish

estuary is located at the head of Howe Sound where the Squamish River

meets the ocean. The estuary is an important ecosystem which provides a

transition area between fresh and salt water.

[2:00 p.m.]

In the 1970s, a dike was built along the Squamish River to control

sediment and river flow and to potentially infill the estuary behind the

dike. That plan was eventually abandoned, but the isolating impacts to

estuary health are indisputable and continue to this day.

The installation of culverts has made some difference, but the

swiftness of the river flushes many salmonid fry out into deep water

without giving them a chance to acclimatize. In the meantime, because

the wind and water are just so at the end of the dike, the Squamish Spit

has become one of the best places in the world to kiteboard — yes, in

the world.

The Squamish River Watershed Society is leading a project with

funding from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, the coastal restoration

fund, the habitat conservation fund and B.C. Hydro. In true

collaboration, the watershed society, the Squamish Nation, the district

of Squamish, Squamish Terminals, the federal and provincial governments,

the Squamish Windsports Society, the Nature Trust and many interested

citizens are moving forward with the Squamish estuary salmon habitat

recovery project.

This project will support salmonid access to the Squamish estuary,

as well as improving estuary water quality and storage and increasing

and improving habitat for a range of other fish and wildlife, all the

while retaining recreation access for a world-class sport venue and, at

the same time, managing sediments for an adjacent and busy deep-water

port of Squamish Terminals. It’s quite a mission, but I know that this

group is up to the task.

Oral Questions

ENVIRONMENT MINISTER ATTENDANCE

AT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP

EVENT

P. Milobar: Last week the Minister of Environment confirmed he was at a

private, two-day retreat of activists called the Kinder Morgan strategy

group. In fact, he attended a dinner with that group on the same day as

he triggered the trade war with Alberta.

To the Minister of Environment: who attended this

meeting?

Hon. G. Heyman: I attended a dinner. I attended a question-and-answer period. I

did not attend a strategy session. There were somewhere in the

neighbourhood of 40 attendees, many of whom I did not know. I know some

of them. I think the name of Tzeporah Berman has been identified, and I

have spoken to that. There were many others, but I cannot give you a

full list.

Mr. Speaker: Kamloops–North Thompson on a supplemental.

P. Milobar: That’s fairly troubling because unlike the other groups the

minister referenced last week, groups whose boards and CEOs are all

publicly known, there is no publicly available information about the

Kinder Morgan strategy group or the two-day retreat that the minister

participated in, by way of that dinner.

To the minister: why will he not tell us who attended? Is it

because they have neglected to register as lobbyists?

Hon. G. Heyman: As I’ve already said, I was not present for the entire two-day

retreat. I was present for a dinner. I can name some of the people that

I spoke to during that period of time: Tzeporah Berman, Karen Mahon,

Sven Biggs and Khelsilem Rivers, who is a newly

elected councillor.

I don’t want to give a list from memory because I may miss

somebody, but I can also say that I do not know all of the people who

were at the meeting. But we can certainly look at our records about who

was there.

I attended an invitation to answer questions. I do not believe it

is — in fact, I know it is not — the responsibility of government to

ensure that people we meet with are registered as lobbyists. It is the

responsibility of lobbyists to ensure they’re registered as

lobbyists.

Mr. Speaker: Kamloops–North Thompson on a second supplemental.

P. Milobar: I know that the members opposite, some, are finding this to be

quite humorous, but this is quite serious. This was a dinner on the same

night that the trade war with Alberta was triggered by statements made

by the Minister of Environment.

Now, I can appreciate that, perhaps, you don’t personally know

every single person that was at that dinner and that, perhaps, you may

not even know the names and if they’re registered as lobbyists or

not.

I’m assuming by your last answer, then, that you won’t be making

us go through an FOI so the public can have a very transparent view of

who was there, but you will be tabling your calendar and any materials,

as well, that were prepared for your presentation at that

dinner.

[2:05 p.m.]

Hon. G. Heyman: I attended a dinner to answer the questions of legitimate people

with interests in British Columbia, as I’ve attended dinners that many

members of this House have attended with groups who come to

Victoria.

I’ve attended a luncheon hosted by the Business Council of British

Columbia. I could not tell you the name of every person who was in the

room, just the ones whom I happen to know personally and remember being

there.

Our calendars are published proactively. The reason that the

member knows about this meeting was because it was in my calendar, which

was published proactively.

T. Redies: On the day of the minister’s announcement, Kinder Morgan shares

dropped by over $800 million. Interestingly, one group that wasn’t

surprised was the group the minister met with on Bowen

Island.

Here’s an email from a meeting participant: “Kinder Morgan’s

stocks dropped — good news for us. I’m at a retreat on Bowen Island for

Kinder Morgan strategy group. After a day of interviews, the Minister of

Environment kept his promise to share dinner with us.”

To the Minister of Finance. She must be aware of the serious

implications of this. Will she investigate the actions of the

Environment Minister?

Hon. G. Heyman: I don’t want to make light of any of the serious issues that face

people in this province. These are issues of the economy and the threat

to our economy — to tens of thousands of jobs that depend on a healthy

coastline, a healthy environment.

Let me give the member opposite some examples. I take these

examples from an announcement that was made in 2016, referring to 2014

figures, by a former Agriculture Minister, now the Member for

Kelowna–Lake Country. We had 3,400 jobs in the primary seafood sector in

coastal communities and $981 million in seafood exports in

If the question is, “Should I be faulted for keeping a promise to

have dinner and answer questions with British Columbians?” I don’t think

I should be faulted for that. I do my best to keep the commitments I’ve

made to meet with all British Columbians, as I do my best to keep the

commitments of our government to represent British Columbians’

interests, our jurisdiction, and to protect our economy and jobs for

British Columbians.

Mr. Speaker: The Member for Surrey–White Rock on a supplemental.

T. Redies: On the eve of the budget, I’m very surprised that we have to spell

this out for the other side of the House. For a government minister to

work with a third party whose goal is to negatively impact the share

price of a publicly traded company is completely inappropriate. These

groups had press releases already drafted and ready to send out

immediately after the Environment Minister’s announcement.

Back to the Finance Minister. Will she get to the bottom of

exactly what information the Environment Minister shared with his Bowen

Island buddies?

Hon. G. Heyman: If my buddies are to be judged by those people with whom I meet,

then I’m proud to count B.C. Business Council president, Greg D’Avignon;

the vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers,

Brad Herald; the president of the Mining Association of B.C., Bryan Cox;

as well as members of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, with

whom I’ll meet next week; and members of the B.C. Chamber of

Commerce.

[2:10 p.m.]

I am answerable for what I do as minister, and I’m happy to stand

in this House and answer for the measures that we’re taking to assert

every bit of legitimate jurisdiction that our province has to protect

our environment and our economy and the thousands of jobs that depend on

a clean, healthy coastline.

That’s what British Columbians expect of me and our government.

That’s not what they got from the previous government. We’re taking

action to correct that.

INTERIOR FRASER STEELHEAD POPULATION

AND CHUM GILLNET

FISHERY

A. Olsen: The Interior Fraser steelhead are in crisis. Last October I sent

letters to FLNRO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Indigenous

Relations and Ministry of Environment asking for information about what

was being done and how we could be of help.

Despite knowledge that the letter was circulating amongst external

government contacts, I never got a response. Since then, the Committee

on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada initiated a seldom-used

fast-track process and concluded that two populations of steelhead trout

breeding in the Thompson and Chilcotin river systems in B.C. are at

imminent risk of extinction.

I’m going to ask again. The Thompson should have a run of

steelhead of 10,000. This year it had 177. The Chilcotin should have had

a run of 5,000. Instead, there were 58. I am gravely concerned about the

future of the Interior Fraser steelhead stocks. To whichever minister is

going to take the lead in this emergency, can you please clarify what is

being done on this urgent issue?

Hon. D. Donaldson: I appreciate and welcome the question from the member. Any time we

can talk about steelhead or wild salmon in this chamber, it’s an

important day to be remembered.

Yes, the precipitous decline of the Interior Fraser steelhead

populations is on record. It was as many as 2,500 spawners returned in

2007. This year, 235. There was a lack of focus by the previous

government on wild salmon and steelhead and a lack of action by the

previous federal government on steelhead and wild salmon in B.C. We need

to maintain the distinct genetic stock and be aware of environmental

impacts, concerns from First Nations and nearly 10,000 good jobs that

depend on the salmon fishery.

We’re pleased to hear about the federal changes to the federal

Fisheries Act and the support for habitat restoration that’s needed in

B.C. We are taking the lead through my ministry in making sure that the

federal government’s feet are held to the fire. The commercial bycatch

in the Fraser is of utmost concern to us. I know I’ve talked to the

member about this, that we’re making every representation we can to the

federal government to correct that.

Again, we welcome the changes in the federal Fisheries Act that

will help us address the habitat concerns as well.

Mr. Speaker: Saanich North and the Islands on a supplemental.

A. Olsen: Thank you to the minister for the response, but two ancient

steelhead runs are facing imminent extinction under the watch of this

government.

As you well know, steelhead returned to the Fraser at the same

time as DFO was opening gillnet fisheries for chum salmon. B.C.

steelhead experts estimate that 50 percent of the Thompson and Chilcotin

steelhead are accidentally caught by these nets as they try to swim

upstream to spawn. We are down to dozens of steelhead, with no capacity

to lose more, but our government continues to support the gillnet

fishery, with the Ministry of Agriculture awarding the chum fishery a

marine stewardship certification, promoting it as sustainable to the

world.

My question again: will the minister initiate an immediate

provincial protection and recovery action plan to save this endangered

species, starting by pulling the chum gillnet fishery’s MSE sustainable

listing?

Hon. D. Donaldson: On the overall issue, I certainly don’t want to be part of a

situation where we fight over the last Interior Fraser steelhead in the

system. I don’t think any member in this Legislature would want to be

part of that.

[2:15 p.m.]

We’re consulting on the last remaining recreational fisheries,

where Interior Fraser steelhead are incidentally caught as a bycatch. As

you know, there is no more recreational fishing of the steelhead and no

more catch and release for that particular species.

We’re working with DFO to identify higher-risk commercial and

First Nations net fisheries impacting the Interior Fraser steelhead,

exactly as the member pointed out. We’re working with DFO. It’s a DFO

jurisdiction on the gillnet fishery, and we’re working on that. And

we’re consulting with Interior First Nations on the potential closing of

Interior Fraser food and commercial fisheries in light of the

conservation issue.

I met just recently with the five chiefs of the Nicola Valley

bands on this issue, on Friday, as well as with the B.C. Wildlife

Federation. The long-term goal is to ensure that those steelhead return

in the years to come.

DISPUTE WITH ALBERTA ON

TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE

AND WINE INDUSTRY

D. Ashton: As the wine war continues, it seems the only people coming out

ahead are the lawyers. Today the government launched more court action;

$70 million in wine sales is being lost. As winemaker Jennifer Molgat

points out, “replacing that revenue could take years.”

Will the Minister of Agriculture stand up for our winemakers and

tell the Premier to please end this trade war?

Hon. B. Ralston: I thank the questioner. Clearly, under the Canadian Free Trade

Agreement, there are certain obligations. All provinces and territories

signed the agreement. It was signed and came into effect in July 2017,

under the watch of the previous government.

They have previously supported the principles in the Canadian Free

Trade Agreement, but what is clear is that although the Premier last

week invited the Leader of the Opposition to condemn the actions of

Alberta under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, the Leader of the

Opposition refused to stand up for British Columbia wineries, for

British Columbia jobs and for the British Columbia industry, choosing

instead to side with Alberta.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Penticton on a supplemental.

D. Ashton: My question is to the Minster of Agriculture. Winemakers like

Hermann of Dirty Laundry Vineyard in Summerland are at great risk, not

only from the boycott, but 45 percent of their visitors come from

Alberta. To add insult to injury, B.C. Liquor Stores are currently

promoting an American wine on sale.

My question, again, to the minister. The minister’s wine month

will not help Dirty Laundry Vineyard or the other 300 plus wineries.

Will she please assist the Premier in ending this incredibly damaging

trade war?

Hon. L. Popham: Thank you for the question. We take this situation very seriously.

We know how important our wine industry is. We have been consulting with

the wine industry, the Wine Institute, vineyard owners and winemakers,

and they have put forward measures that they believe would help them in

the short term. We have followed through with that.

The things we’re doing are…. We’re increasing marketing support so

that we can market our incredible product, not just domestically but

internationally. We’re increasing shelf space in our B.C. Liquor Stores

to include wines that normally wouldn’t be found there from small-scale

and medium-scale wineries. This is opening up an opportunity that

they’ve been asking for in the past, and we’re following through on that

right now to help them through this difficult time.

DISPUTE WITH ALBERTA ON

TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE

AND TOURISM INDUSTRY

D. Clovechok: It’s just not the wine industry and the wine tourism that are

suffering as a result of this trade war with Alberta. Businesses in my

riding are receiving, daily, angry communications from Albertans stating

their intent to boycott B.C. tourism.

[2:20 p.m.]

Sadly, none of this bothers the Minister of Tourism. She actually

told the media last week that she’s not concerned. To the Tourism

Minister: what specific actions is she taking to support this industry,

which now finds itself caught in the crosshairs and the crossfire of a

trade war her leader started?

Hon. L. Beare: I thank the member for the question. B.C. wine producers are

facing an unfair attack from Alberta, and that is wrong. We are standing

up for B.C. wine producers and the B.C. tourism industry. This attack

violates trade agreements signed by the previous government.

Instead of supporting our government’s effort to support the wine

industry, to support B.C. tourism, the members opposite are suggesting

that we aren’t working and that it’s a waste of money in doing the work

that the Minister of Agriculture has done. It is too bad that the

members opposite are interested in scoring more political points instead

of supporting the tourism industry.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Columbia River–Revelstoke on a

supplemental.

D. Clovechok: Wayne Gretzky tweeted today: “Canadians play for ‘we,’ not me.

It’s what makes me proud to be part of this country.” Given the canned

answer that I just heard from this minister, I would suggest strongly

that she and her leader take to heart Mr. Gretzky’s words.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, we shall hear the question. Thank you.

D. Clovechok: To the minister: here’s the reality. In the words of a now former

tourist from Alberta: “In light of your government’s decision to delay

Kinder Morgan, we will not be celebrating our anniversary in Fairmont” —

part of my riding — “which was our first choice. We’ll now be

celebrating in Canmore, Alberta.”

To the minister, how long is she prepared to sit on the bench with

her eyes closed, pretending that this is not happening?

Hon. J. Horgan: I’m grateful that the member made reference to reality. It’s a

shame that the opposition doesn’t live in reality.

Now, on January 30, the government of British Columbia issued a

press bulletin outlining our intention to consult with British

Columbians to protect our economy, our environment and our

coast.

Interjections.

Hon. J. Horgan: The response…. The members have lost themselves in their partisan

playground, rather than focusing on the interests of British

Columbia.

The response from the government of Alberta was to impose a trade

sanction on British Columbia. Press release over here; trade sanction

over here. The response from this side of the House has been

measured.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, we shall hear the response.

Hon. J. Horgan: The response on that side is as hysterical as the histrionics

coming from Alberta. I would like the members on the opposite side to

stand up for their constituents and stand up for British

Columbia.

PATTULLO BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT

I. Paton: This government announced its plans to build a bridge last week,

but it wasn’t the Massey Tunnel they chose to fix. When the government

announced its plans to replace the Pattullo Bridge, it committed $1.4

billion out of the capital budget, leaving the rest of the province

wondering what other projects will be cancelled in order to pay for

this.

Can the minister tell this House if the Massey bridge replacement

will be included in tomorrow’s budget?

[2:25 p.m.]

Hon. C. Trevena: We announced a $1.377 billion bridge on Friday, and we’re very,

very proud of that. It is a bridge that is needed. The mayors of the

region wanted it. The community wanted it. It is to replace a bridge

that had well outlived its lifespan. The Pattullo Bridge was designed in

1929, built in the ’30s. It had a 50-year lifespan, and it’s well beyond

that. Anybody who travels that bridge knows it needs

replacing.

We, unlike the previous government, listened to the mayors. We

listened to the communities who had it on their priority list to replace

the Pattullo. Since 2008, they had been waiting for a government to take

action and help them. We stepped in. We’re replacing the Pattullo, and

we’re proud of that.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Delta South on a supplemental.

I. Paton: By going it alone on the Pattullo Bridge, the capital budget will

shrink for other projects around the province. So my question to the

minister is: can she tell the House if the federal government was

approached to cover some of the costs of the Pattullo Bridge?

Hon. C. Trevena: I find it quite amazing that the member opposite can talk about

how the bridges are going to be funded. The Massey replacement, at more

than $3 billion, was going to be paid for by the taxpayers of B.C. every

time they crossed it because of tolls. We have removed tolls, as one of

our first actions, because it is not fair. We want to make sure that

people can travel freely and easily right around our province, and

that’s why we dealt with affordability by removing the tolls — unlike

that government, whose whole infrastructure strategy was predicated on

that.

As far as the federal government is concerned, we are talking to

the federal government about funding, but we know that we have to move

in to deal with this bridge that needs replacing.

L. Throness: It’s clear that our relationship with Ottawa is a casualty of the

trade war with Alberta. The feds wouldn’t even appear in the same room

with this government on a child care announcement. On Friday, the

government announced $1.4 billion for the Pattullo Bridge, with no

federal contribution at all.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Did she ask the

feds for help, and did they say: “No way”?

Hon. C. Trevena: We are in negotiations with the federal government on many

projects.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Chilliwack-Kent on a supplemental.

L. Throness: More discussions. Last Friday the Premier said he would continue

discussions to secure federal dollars for the Pattullo Bridge, and the

minister continues in saying that. They really demonstrate their great

negotiating skills.

Why would the government announce that the province is willing to

pay for the whole bridge before securing a federal

contribution?

Hon. C. Trevena: As I said, we are in discussions with the federal government on a

number of issues and a number of projects. We are very hopeful that we

will get agreement on a number of projects, but it would be wrong for us

to prejudge what they’re going to be funding.

We have applications in that will affect the Pattullo, that will

affect many of our other infrastructure projects — unlike that

government, who weren’t looking for federal funding for the Massey

replacement.

REGULATIONS ON SPILL RESPONSE

J. Tegart: January’s announcement by this government to obstruct the federal

permit process gave no firm details or timelines on the government’s

intent. To the Minister of Environment, will he confirm a specific

timeline for the development of his proposed regulations?

[2:30 p.m.]

Hon. G. Heyman: First of all, thank you to the member for the question.

We’ve made it clear to British Columbians that it’s important to

us to protect our environment and to protect the tens of thousands of

jobs that depend on a clean coastline, that depend on protecting our

rivers and streams. To that end, we announced that we would put out an

intentions paper for discussion amongst all stakeholders of a series of

regulations for spills prevention and recovery. We will put out the

intentions paper when it is ready for public consultation, and we will

make an announcement to that effect.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Fraser-Nicola on a supplemental.

J. Tegart: The continuing uncertainty created by the government has a direct

impact on jobs in my riding and in the province. The confusion the

minister has created must be addressed.

This is a very simple question. Again to the minister, on what

date will the regulations he has proposed be put in force?

Hon. G. Heyman: It would appear that the member would like us to dispense with

consultation and promulgation of the intentions paper and simply go

right to regulations. But seeing as the member mentioned impacts on

jobs, and other members have talked about impacts on tourism, let me

talk for a moment about the importance of the tourism industry to

British Columbia. People….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Minister, proceed.

Hon. G. Heyman: Hon. Speaker, the member has referenced problems that she believes

might be created for the economy in her region. Tourism is important to

all of British Columbia. Our coastal attractions in the Lower Mainland

and on Vancouver Island are a gateway that leads tourists to every part

of this province, to every tourist attraction, creating jobs in every

part of this province.

We are standing up for jobs, for the economy, whether it’s

tourism, whether it’s film and television, whether it’s the marine

harvest or sport fisheries. It is important that British Columbians know

that unlike the previous government, we won’t wash our hands of our

constitutional jurisdiction to protect our rights here in British

Columbia. We’ll stand up for B.C. and B.C. jobs.

[End of question period.]

Reports from Committees

FINANCE AND GOVERNMENT

SERVICES

COMMITTEE

B. D’Eith: I have the honour to present the second report of the Select

Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for the second

session of the 41st parliament, entitled Annual Review of the

Budgets of Statutory Offices .

I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved.

B. D’Eith: I also ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the

report.

Leave granted.

Mr. Speaker: Please proceed.

B. D’Eith: I move that the report be adopted, and in so doing, I would like

to make a few brief comments. This report provides the committee’s

unanimous recommendations regarding the budgets of British Columbia’s

eight independent statutory offices.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to express my sincere

appreciation to the statutory officers and their staff for their

cooperation in last year’s fall budget process. I’d also like to thank

Clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd and her amazing staff in the Clerk’s office for

all the work they do. This wouldn’t have been possible without all that

work. So thank you very much.

The committee looks forward to a continued dialogue with the

statutory officers in the year ahead with respect to their budget plans

and priorities, as well as opportunities for savings and

efficiencies.

I would also like to thank all members of the committee —

especially the Deputy Chair, the member for Penticton — for their

collaborative approach and thoughtful contributions to the committee’s

important work on the statutory office budgets.

[2:35 p.m.]

D. Ashton: I would like to echo the comments of the member for Maple

Ridge–Mission, who is the Chair of the committee. I really would like to

thank all the members of the committee, the incredible staff at the

committees office and the staff and officers of the statutory offices.

But especially, I would like to thank the Chair. Unanimity can be

difficult around here, but his leadership made the difference in being

able to deliver a unanimous report.

Mr. Speaker: The question is the adoption of the report.

Motion approved.

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Hon. M. Farnworth: I have the honour to present the first report of the Special

Committee of Selection for the third session of the 41st parliament. I

move that the report be taken and read as received.

Motion approved.

Hon. M. Farnworth: I ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the

report.

Leave granted.

Hon. M. Farnworth: I move that the report be adopted.

Motion approved.

Orders of the Day

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

[L. Reid in the chair.]

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

J. Rustad: It’s an honour to be able to continue my response to the throne

speech, from last Thursday.

I want to start, taking a moment…. Last Thursday I didn’t have the

opportunity to recognize Paul and Raven Lacerte and to thank them for the

work that they’re doing on the Moose Hide Campaign. I was participating in

that fast last Thursday. Ending violence is an important piece, an important

work that they’re doing. They’ve taken it, now, from a B.C. initiative to

something that’s gone across the country, and I just want to thank them for

that work and for the continued efforts to bring about an end to violence

against women and girls.

Along those lines, last Thursday I was talking about this continuous

assault by this government on business activities, whether it be small

business delays, whether it be on the forest industry or mining or the oil

and gas sector. But I want to talk a little bit, as well, about First

Nations in some of the time that I have remaining.

First Nations are an important component of our society, an important

component of this province. But for too long, First Nations have missed out

on economic opportunities. Under the previous number of years, under our

government, we had signed a tremendous number of agreements to try to help

bridge that, to try to move forward. It was Joseph Gosnell from the Nisga’a

First Nation that said it’s long past time that First Nations not only catch

up economically but, if possible, surpass the rest of Canada. To that end,

that is something that we work towards, that we try to find the ways to

bridge.

What I find interesting in the throne speech…. The throne speech

talked about wanting to close the gap, close the economic gap for First

Nations. Those are nice terms, a nice thing to talk about doing. But the

reality is they have opposed every opportunity to do that.

You can’t close the economic gap unless there are actual investments

in this province, and those are investments that have to come in the

resource sector for the most part. Tourism plays an important piece, and

that will be, certainly, a makeup of the composition for where First Nations

can close the gap.

[2:40 p.m.]

The reality is, whether it’s liquefied natural gas and the NDP’s

opposition to projects like Pacific NorthWest LNG, whether it is gas

projects up in the northeast, whether it is other projects, forestry

activities, mining, etc., we need to find ways to be able to have First

Nations be able to come to the forefront of these projects, capitalize on

their rights and title, work with government and work with industry to be

able to see the success of these projects and the lifting of First Nations

people out of abject poverty and social challenges.

When you look at any statistic, whether it is the suicide rate or

poverty numbers or children in care or the number of people on unemployment,

there’s no question in my mind that those problems cannot be solved by

government. Government needs to play a role. They need to be able to support

First Nations. But the only way those numbers are truly going to be

meaningfully changed is to engage in economic activity.

I’ll give you some examples. My colleague from Skeena has talked about

his nation, where they were around 60 percent unemployment, and through

engaging in the economy, they got down to around 15 percent

unemployment.

I’ll give you an example from my own riding, though, Lake Babine

Nation. When the mill blew up in Burns Lake a number of years ago and the

tragedy that happened to Babine Forest Products…. The aftermath of that, of

course, was people unemployed. There was the tragedy of the loss of life,

but there was also the tragedy of people having an uncertain future. The

number of social issues and family issues that happened increased

significantly. A number of counsellors were brought in to and tried to

support families through that challenging time.

The reality is that with the loss of economic activity, we saw

deterioration in the social conditions for the nation. As soon as the mill

started its reconstruction, made the decision, those numbers came down. As

soon as the mill actually started opening again, those numbers came down

again. It’s a real-life example of what happens when you have economic

activity engaging and how it can change the outcomes for people on the

ground.

I find it interesting that we were signing agreements at a rate over….

I think it was over 200 agreements that were signed just in the last year

alone that we were in government, yet I haven’t seen any signed by this

current government. Maybe there has been some, but it’s certainly not

something that they talk about. They pooh-pahed, if I can use that

language….

Interjection.

J. Rustad: Sorry. From my learned colleague, that is unparliamentary language. I

cannot pooh-pah. Okay. If that is the case, I will find other words to

choose.

They spoke elegantly against….

Interjection.

J. Rustad: Pooh-poohed, not pooh-pahed?

Sorry. I digress. The reality is they opposed all of these types of

agreements that we signed, calling them “meaningless.” But when you look at

what happened on the ground, a very different story can be told about what

the agreements did.

One of the other chiefs in my riding, who is no longer chief — he’s

had some serious health issues — said he had, tragically, five attempted

suicides in his riding. One, tragically, lost their life. He said it was

enough. Enough of saying no. He said they have to find ways to be able to

create success, to create economic opportunity in the riding.

The pipeline that went out to the Pacific NorthWest LNG would have

made a huge difference for that riding and for the people in that riding —

to give jobs, to give hope to the young people that there was an opportunity

to be able to build a future, to get people working instead of sitting

idle.

There are projects right across this province that need to be

promoted, projects right across this province that need to have capital

investment pulled into this beautiful province that we have — to make that

difference for First Nations and for many communities, like the communities

in my riding of Nechako Lakes that I have the honour to

represent.

How do people sitting in a boardroom make a decision to spend $100

million or $700 million or $3 billion or $4 billion or $34 billion when the

messages that are sent from this government are continually no? “You can’t

invest in this province. There’s uncertainty. You’ll have more regulations.”

It says that right in your throne speech. “We’re going to create trade wars

if we don’t like something that goes on. We’re going to work against various

things.”

[2:45 p.m.]

That’s not how you create investment. What you have to do is you have

to set rules, and you have to make sure those rules are followed. But at the

same time, you have to be able to show that investors can make a decision in

this province in a reasonable period of time and create an opportunity

that’s going to have jobs, support the economy and be paying

taxes.

These guys don’t seem to get that. I think the throne speech was a

huge miss in terms of its ability to be able to highlight the need for

driving the economy. It’s not by chance that it was more than two-thirds of

the throne speech gone before they even got on to talking about the economy.

It’s a sad part when you sit down, go through and look at that.

In addition, it’s very troubling to think that there are outside

groups — outside of this province, outside of this country — that have come

in and have campaigns to oppose economic development in this province, and

that spend money. Furthermore, they also support, through a third party and

directly, political parties, to fight economic development and resource

development.

I know the members opposite are proud of seeing that. They’re proud of

that. They go to dinners to be celebrated for opposing economic development.

But the cost is to the people of this province, and particularly, the First

Nations, where lies and misinformation are spread.

I saw a tweet just the other day from one of these organizations that

I’m sure was part of that group that celebrated the Minister of Environment

at the dinner on Bowen Island back on January 30, a tweet that said that if

more tankers start moving through this coast, it will kill the orcas.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

This is the thing that we forget. We even forget our Canadian history,

our own Canadian history. Whales were being hunted to extinction. Victoria,

back in the 1800s, used to promote itself as the place to come, to the

whaling industry, as an opportunity for development. Yet it was a Canadian

invention through oil and gas that, overnight, saved the whales. The oil and

gas industry — get that — saved the whales because kerosene, overnight, was

substituted for the oil that was extracted from whales. Overnight the

whaling industry was obsolete.

Oil and gas. Celebrate that if you celebrate wanting to save the

whales. Yet these groups spread this kind of misinformation out there to the

public. It’s a real shame.

You think about it when you think about Kinder Morgan and whether

Kinder Morgan goes ahead or not. That’ll be determined, obviously, through

many decisions other than what’s going on currently with the debate on the

throne speech. But let’s be realistic about what it represents.

The current risk in this province of an oil spill from oil moving

through from the Kinder Morgan pipeline is about one in 3,036 years — one

chance for a significant oil spill in 3,036 years.

Interjection.

J. Rustad: The member opposite just said: “Hey, we’re going to make it seven

times greater.” That just shows what the lack of understanding of NDP math

is.

There are 23,000 movements of ships in this province annually. The

expansion on the Deltaport alone will bring in another 5,000 additional

movements on the ship. The movement of oil will bring in another 700. That’s

how much more. What does that do in terms of the risk factor? First of all,

all those other ships, whether it be B.C. Ferries carrying lots of fuel and

vehicles or whether it be tugs, barges or all these other things bringing

things around…. Those ships will actually have to be tethered with two tugs.

The chances of a spill are virtually zero.

Let’s say that, okay, now you’re going to have this expanded number.

Read the National Energy Board report before you start heckling members from

opposite. When you actually stand to look at it, the odds will now be, if it

goes ahead, one spill in every 2,398 years. Figure out what that minuscule

number is.

I see my time is running out.

[2:50 p.m.]

The reason why I talk about this is that I talk about it from a

perspective of Nechako Lakes. We don’t have that pipeline going through, but

I do have many other projects going through. Whether it is First Nations or

non–First Nations alike, we need to see economic activity to be able to

prosper for families, to be able to see communities prosper, to be able to

bring forward what we would like to see for a healthy environment, for

healthy communities, for healthy families.

That is completely missing in this throne speech. That is why it is

very unfortunate to see the kinds of attacks and the kind of misinformation

that is being spread out there. For my family and for families in my riding,

we want to be able to see a new mine in our riding because we know what it

means.

We want to be able to see investment in forestry because we know it

supports our family. We want to see investment in agriculture because we

know what that will mean for our communities.

It’s a tremendous honour to represent the people of Nechako Lakes, to

have the chance to be able to stand in here and share a few words. I look

forward to the continued debate on not only the throne speech but on budget

and other things so that for the people of Nechako Lakes, their voices can

be heard, their priorities can be clear and so that we can move forward and

push for a better future for all of our people.

Hon. R. Fleming: It’s a pleasure to be able to rise both as the Minister of Education

and as the MLA for Victoria–Swan Lake to speak to what was an historic

throne speech for this chamber, one that signifies — in very, very stark,

contrasting terms — the priorities of a new government that is centred

around making ordinary middle-class family life in British Columbia

affordable again — with what we endured for many, many years under the

previous government.

This afternoon I would like to draw the stark contrast between a

throne speech and a government that has emphasized the power and the wisdom

of investing in education of our young people, both at the earliest learning

years in the child care sector as well as the K-to-12 system, so that we can

successfully have confident, young adults with the competencies needed to be

successful in the 21st century economy, transition into post-secondary

education and be the job creators, innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled

people that our economy needs in the future.

That’s what we laid out as our blueprint in the throne speech that was

introduced to this House last week. And I’m proud of this throne speech for

many, many reasons. I’ll confine most of my remarks this afternoon to the

portfolio of Education and why I think this throne speech is visionary and

supportive of a government direction that will pay tremendous dividends to

this province for decades to come.

That is because the emphasis of the throne speech and of this

government over the last six months — a mere six months, if I can put it in

those terms — has been all about people. It’s been investing in young

people. It’s been investing in people who are struggling to get ahead in

this economy. It’s been investing in having a home to live in. It’s been

about investing in communities to support business and private sector

investment that will create jobs and reduce unemployment and create more

GDP, more taxes and more prosperity to share around British Columbia in

every region.

Let me return to some of the things that the throne speech committed

to solving. Some of these problems, it must be said, are not easy ones to

solve. It is very difficult, for example, to try and steer a real estate

market in one particular direction. There is no, obviously, magic wand for

any Minister of Finance or government to be able to do that.

There are some instruments available for governments to use,

instruments that the previous government chose not to use, on the tax side,

instruments around creating housing stock that is affordable in

communities.

I can tell you, as a previous director in the non-profit housing

sector, some years ago here in the capital regional district we saw the

programs for affordable family housing eliminated by the previous

government, in its very earliest years of the long 16 years which we’ve

endured.

[2:55 p.m.]

You have to go back and imagine what the province would look like.

Communities like Victoria, which I’m privileged to represent, and Saanich

and other parts of the province where the rental scarcity, rental crisis and

home ownership challenges are the greatest…. What would it be like if we had

built thousands of units of affordable rental family housing over the years,

or rent-to-own housing? We indeed had a program like that that was scrapped

by the previous government. We would have tens and tens of thousands of

additional units, instead of having thousands and thousands of people on

wait-lists to get into affordable homes.

The reality is that we’re at a place where we have to account for

what’s gone on over the recent decade and a half, where there was an

underinvestment, and underbuilding, in affordable family housing in my

community and many communities around British Columbia, and we have a

scarcity of housing today.

That’s why the emphasis of this throne speech was so ambitious: to

turn the page on the neglect of the last 15 years and to declare an

intention that British Columbia is going to tackle this problem head-on. We

are going to have an investment that is the most ambitious and largest,

historically, in B.C.’s history. That was the first paragraph of the throne

speech, to which I am so glad to respond here today.

The other major theme around making life more affordable that was

committed to in the throne speech — this will come as no surprise to members

in this chamber and, I hope, citizens around British Columbia — is that we

have a government now that is interested in investing in early childhood

education in a way that the previous government never, ever committed to do.

We have a partnership with the federal government to do that. But let’s be

clear: the majority of the investment will come from our new provincial

government.

It sets about to do a couple of things. One, it’s based on the

observations in other prosperous jurisdictions that have made substantial

investments in universal-like child care systems and the benefits that those

countries have been able to achieve. Many of those countries are in the

North Atlantic regions of Europe and the northern countries of the European

continent. But there are many places around the world that have had

significant investments in early childhood education — even in Canada, a

number of provinces —

whereas B.C. has found itself lagging so far behind

under the previous government.

That’s something that we need to correct in British Columbia, for a

number of reasons. The first reason is that child care is disproportionately

and exorbitantly expensive for young families. We know that it actually

changes people’s life choices. They’re afraid to have children in many parts

of British Columbia because it is so expensive to do so. Because it makes

their employment vulnerable and it makes their ability to contemplate how

they will raise a family in a decent standard of living, it influences a

choice away from having kids.

That’s wrong. That’s a problem for British Columbia domestically that

will accumulate if we don’t address it. It’s also an issue that employers

have been asking government to address for years and years and years, both

small business employers and large employers in this region and throughout

the province.

Chambers of commerce, the business council — all of the major business

voices — have been telling government for a number of years that you must

make an investment that is significant in helping us to recover and retain

valuable employees, to allow business to plan appropriately and also to

attract employees from outside of the province to get the skill sets that

are in demand in B.C.’s economy. Failure to do so is actually slowing GDP

growth in British Columbia.

Tomorrow’s budget will outline an array of strategies to increase the

number of daycare spaces; drive quality improvements in the child care

sector; have many, many more families involved in child care; and make it

more affordable for the pocketbooks of average British Columbians. But we

have to remember that this is an investment for everybody in British

Columbia, and it’s one that will pay significant economic dividends for all

parts of the economy in British Columbia.

That’s what the throne speech spoke to. That’s a new direction that

our government seeks to take, and it’s one that I’m incredibly proud

of.

[3:00 p.m.]

We have been hard at work since last summer, tackling a number of

problems that have been left for us. We know we have a lot more to do.

There’s no question about that. Things cannot be fixed overnight or in six

months.

We have heard the Premier on a number of occasions talk about the

importance of developing an economy that works for everyone. I was so

pleased, recently, to hear that the commission looking at achieving a

$15-an-hour minimum wage, with the consensus of both labour and business and

other interest groups, was able to deliver a substantial pathway and a

program to give everybody in the economy a raise. Those 250,000 families

that actually earn the minimum wage will have incomes that grow by $10,000 a

year by the time our new minimum wage is introduced. That’s one part of the

economy, but it shows that, over the last six months, an incredible body of

work has been achieved and accomplished by this government.

I want to say that, from my perspective as the Minister of Education,

I was very pleased that the throne speech said that education is the great

equalizer. It recognized the tremendous power that educating young people

has over both an individual’s life chances as well as transforming an

economy that is prosperous. It is the single greatest investment that we can

make. I think we have enough examples all over the world. We have seen

countries that have even arisen from the ashes of World War II become some

of the most prosperous, dynamic, diversified economies in the world because

they made significant investments in education.

Canada is no stranger to that either, by the way. We have achieved

many great things as a country because we have made a number of investments

in education. But the reality — and I think the throne speech and,

certainly, the budget tomorrow is going to address this even further — is

that British Columbia chose a different path as we entered the 21st century

than other jurisdictions in the country.

We didn’t choose to substantially ramp up investment into our K-to-12

education system, for example. In fact, we went from the second-best funded

provincial jurisdiction in the country, when it came to our school system,

to the second worst. That’s a trajectory that we took as a province under

the former government, and that’s what we have to deal with now in our

school system as we try and drive improvements.

I have to tell you that the agenda that’s been outlined by this

government…. Myself, as the Minister of Education, the deputy minister,

every part of the Ministry of Education is working on a vision with our

partners in the education sector that says: “Look, we have a very good, very

strong education system. Various parts of the world have recognized that in

British Columbia, but it’s time to strive for more.” We cannot be

complacent. We cannot continue to defund education, as the previous

government did.

It’s time to do right by more kids. It’s time to pursue excellence in

the education system like we have not seen in British Columbia for decades

now. That’s what we intend to do, and that’s what the throne speech

signalled, in terms of its intentions around this government’s direction of

the K-to-12 system.

It’s why, for example, we hit the ground running as a new government

to hire thousands of new teachers in the school system. The largest hiring

of teaching staff in B.C.’s school system in generations was achieved by

this government in this current school year that we are in. It’s why the

speed of badly needed new seismic upgrades in our schools has been a major

focus of my work, of the government, the Premier, and everybody working in

the Ministry of Education.

We’ve said we want to accelerate the safety of kids in schools so

parents can sleep at night, knowing that in the event of a traumatic seismic

event, we do not have a tragedy, which we have seen in other countries that,

unfortunately, has seen the loss of life. We have told every partner in the

school system: “Let’s get to seismic investments quicker. Let’s do them

better, smarter, more efficiently.”

The sector has responded brilliantly. That’s what we have been able to

do, just by turning the page on the previous 15 years of photo ops with no

follow-through and to say, instead, to school districts that have a

significant backlog of these types of projects: “Let’s work together. Let’s

do it as efficiently as we can.” That’s what’s happening right now in

British Columbia.

[3:05 p.m.]

I’m so happy, too, in building this new relationship that we have with

educators and parents and school boards and communities across B.C., to have

a positive, proactive conversation about the power of public education, that

there is a distinct enthusiasm in every community across British Columbia to

turn the page and have that new positive conversation.

I’m also very pleased, too, that just four or five months after our

government announced, as one of its very first actions, the abolition of

tuition fees for adult basic education, which the previous government

foolishly introduced, I might add….

When we announced the abolition of those fees, we could not have

anticipated such a dramatic uptake in interest from people in the economy —

young workers, moms and dads working long hours for low pay because they

didn’t have a high school transcript that was able to get them into

post-secondary education and into a vocation that would allow them to have a

better life and earn a better salary and take a better place in the

economy.

We abolished those tuition fees, and we saw, immediately, a 30 percent

increase in enrolment. That speaks to the people that were left behind by

that previous government and the interest in what our government is doing.

They grasped that opportunity after that government kicked out the ladders

and rungs of opportunity on those very people.

I’m so pleased to have met a number of students who have enrolled in

adult basic education courses. Some of them, having the courses they need

and having the grades that are required to get into programs, are already

transitioning into college and university. It is a fantastic and very early

success story for our government.

I’ve spent the last few months travelling across the province. I’ve

met with students and parents, school trustees and staff, throughout this

great, diversified province of ours. I’ve visited schools across Metro

Vancouver and here on southern Vancouver Island. I’ve travelled to Prince

George, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Campbell River, just to name a few

locations. I even visited I think what may be…. It may not be the smallest

school, but at nine students, Surge Narrows….

I was very privileged to take a water taxi out for 45 minutes into the

middle of the channel to attend a school on Read Island and to install a

satellite system that will allow that community to have Internet and all of

the on-line learning tools that are available in the 21st century to that

place.

I have seen and learned a lot of things from families and from

students and from those who teach or support teachers in our school system.

That is that they love their work, take pride in it, and they have great

hopes that the work that they do is literally helping to build better

lives.

They love their work, and they also like the fact that they have a

government that values and recognizes their work, after so many years and

years of the previous government deliberately picking fights with teachers,

for example, dragging them through the court for 12 years. We could go

through the testimony of those divisive trials, but that’s not my

intention.

I’m trying to make a point about how our throne speech from last week

marks a radical and welcome departure from where we were just a short year

ago in British Columbia on something as important as K-to-12 education.

We’ve done away with that. Nobody is talking about the kinds of nastiness

and divisiveness that the previous Premier and her government deliberately

provoked within the school system — that the courts found the government to

have acted illegally and unconstitutionally about.

It does certainly leave bitter, painful memories, especially for those

who lost income or had significant career displacement caused by the

government’s reckless action. There’s no question about that.

There’s a generation of students too, by the way, who literally had

hundreds of millions of dollars of annual classroom resources ripped away

from them and in their entire learning careers knew nothing else than

Christy Clark and her ways of disrupting the school system.

People want to move on to a different conversation. I certainly do as

well, as the Minister of Education. So does our government. I think that we

are very lucky to have, in Pre­mier John Horgan, somebody whose own

life story….

Deputy Speaker: Member, no first names.

[3:10 p.m.]

Hon. R. Fleming: Sorry. The member for Langford–Juan de Fuca and Premier of British

Columbia. We’re very fortunate to have somebody whose own life story has

such a predominant and compelling story around how the school system helped

him out of difficult times — as somebody whose father had died at a young

age, who grew up in tough times and who maybe made some choices, as a

youngster, that were not the kinds of positive ones that would have led to a

good result.

He has credited, on many occasions — and I know you’ve heard him speak

to this, Madame Speaker — teachers and those in the school system, those

adult professionals who care and are dedicated, for steering him in a

positive direction. He has been able to, obviously, lead a very productive

life and is now — who would’ve thunk it? least of all him — the head of

government in the province of British Columbia, giving back to what the

school system gave him as a young person.

What he is giving back is a record investment in our public school

system because he believes in it, because he’s seen it firsthand. He also

knows that it’s going to be B.C.’s single-greatest bet that we can make as a

recipe for economic success.

We have invested $200 million just since September 1 on the seismic

safety file. Thirteen replacement schools and seismic projects have been

announced, and in every part of the province: Saanich, North Vancouver, Port

Coquitlam, Surrey, Richmond. Madame Speaker, I’m very pleased to have been

out in your area to make a much-needed, long-delayed announcement in

Richmond. Maple Ridge has also been the recipient of welcomed seismic

projects, and Delta.

We have found a way to get everybody working and pulling in the same

direction, to be able to get capital announcements quicker. I have to say,

those of us on the government side now have scratched our heads and wondered

how the previous government failed so miserably on so many seismic promises

they made. We have to wonder whether it was incompetence or just

disingenuous at the time.

I’ll give you an example. In April 2013, on the eve of the last

election before the one we’ve just been through — it was literally 12 hours

before the writ period, if you must know — the former Premier announced

seismic upgrades to 45 high-risk schools. Now, you can imagine I was very

curious to get behind the curtain of government and actually track how many

of those investments were now supported by real business plans and real

dollars. No doubt it sounded great in 2013, but I am very disappointed to

say that five years later, half of those schools are still incomplete and

many of them are no closer to construction than they were in

That’s an indication of the situation we have inherited as a

government. We are working as fast as we can with school districts to get

those projects moving again, but we’re also dealing with a cupboard that was

left almost bare for us as a government. There were no decisions that had

been made. There were no projects that were proceeding to design and tender

in the way that we had hoped we would find so we could get to the next

tranche of projects.

No, we have had to clear up a backlog that had no supportive work

behind it, in many cases, and go back and make good on commitments the

previous government had made in photo ops but then done nothing with for

five years. That’s what we’re dealing with as a government. The budget

tomorrow, in terms of its capital plan, is going to address some of the

symptoms of how the previous government behaved, in terms of putting in some

dollar amounts to get at the backlog of projects that I’ve

discussed.

We have set an internal target to approve 50 new seismic projects over

the next 18 months. That won’t be all of the ones that need to be done. But

let me tell you, if the previous government had announced, on a regular

basis, 50 projects over 18-month time periods, we wouldn’t even be talking

about seismic investments in the year 2018. We would’ve been done with it,

as other jurisdictions up and down this same shared fault line on the coast

of North America have already completed their projects.

Instead, British Columbia is still talking about it and still trying

to come together with timelines that will give parents the security to know

that their kids study, and that teachers and support staff go to work, in

schools that are safe each and every day.

[3:15 p.m.]

We’re fixing serious problems that were left behind by the previous

government. We’re also addressing some that maybe didn’t get the due

attention in the media. This isn’t a criticism of the media, but one of the

issues that I’ve certainly picked up on over the years as a parent and,

previously, as the Education critic is that for bizarre reasons, our school

system — cash-starved as it was over a whole number of areas and indicators

— did not fund replacement playground equipment.

You had these old 1970s…. I don’t know how many teeth these things

have chipped off, but you know the equipment I’m talking about. I’m looking

at the member from West Vancouver. I was so pleased to be in his

constituency the other day and announce a brand-new Handsworth Secondary in

the district of North Vancouver. I know that he was a supporter of that

project.

Playground equipment is a major burden for parent groups to have to

fundraise tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of dollars to

pay for because the previous government didn’t have a funding allocation for

that. We’re creating a playground fund. There will be details in tomorrow’s

budget; it was referenced in the throne speech.

It seems like a simple thing, but I can tell you that parents around

the province are relieved that government has finally listened to them and

that they can get on with funding other kinds of things, doing other kinds

of activities, spending more time on the learning environment and the

education cultures of their schools instead of having a zillion bake sales

every year and trying to reach impossible targets.

One parent group told me that they had a 12-year fundraising campaign

to have a playground. Some of the parents that were involved had kids that

were now in university, but they were still supporting — out of their own

wallets, their own pockets — a fundraising campaign that they had initiated

12 years earlier. That is wrong. We’re going to fix that in the budget

tomorrow, and the throne speech spoke to that.

We have done a lot to revitalize B.C.’s education system. I have

mentioned some of it. Fully funding enrolment growth, I think, is a key

commitment that you would think the school district partners of ours would

expect at a minimum. But they didn’t always get that treatment under the

previous government. That means tens of millions of new dollars into the

education system, by making good on the commitment to fully fund enrolment

growth. With 3,700 new positions funded as a result of the MOA with the

BCTF, that’s a total of $409 million just this year.

There will be more in the budget tomorrow. I know the opposition will

be looking for that, because it’s something that they bitterly fought for 12

years. They wanted to keep class sizes overly large. They wanted to make

sure that composition wasn’t addressed for special needs learners in our

school system. If they protest that that wasn’t their intention at all, they

have to account for the fact that they took every legal step that they

possibly could, until they lost — in a 15-minute decision, I might add — at

the Supreme Court of Canada.

We could go over the transcripts from those court hearings at the B.C.

Supreme Court, where government actually found, through sworn testimony of

witnesses, that government deliberately sought to provoke a strike for

political gain. In other words, government set fire to disputes to make sure

they happened, in order to create political chaos that they hoped to benefit

from.

I don’t know what more I can add to that tale of what a sad place

British Columbia was made to be or of what a ridiculous position for a

government to take. I can tell you that in a very, very short period of time

— with the infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars of new funding, with

the lowest ratios of teacher to student in classrooms in British Columbia in

perhaps 30 years — we’ve achieved a tremendous amount.

I’m also happy to say that it’s not just 3,700 new teachers that have

been hired in British Columbia, but we have 600 more education assistants,

working in the school system just this year, over last year. It’s

tremendous. When you think of 5,000 new students coming into the school

system this year, that they have 3,700 new teachers, 600 new EAs…. It’s

almost one adult in the school per new kid coming into our school system.

That is a fantastic sea change of how the education system is being

resourced and is being prioritized by this government, compared to where it

was just a few short years ago, or just over a year ago, under the previous

government.

[3:20 p.m.]

We do know, however, that the work isn’t done. You can imagine how

difficult it is, logistically, to hire the most teachers that we ever have

in generations. We know, and we have struck a recruitment and retention task

force to deal with that. I’m very happy to say that that task force took

just six weeks to make some immediate, quick-action items that were

recommended. We’re acting on them already.

We’ve just announced $1 million to train more than 100 new teachers —

specialist teachers, French immersion teachers, science, math, Indigenous

teachers throughout the school system. We will be recruiting and working

with our school district partners to hire the balance of teachers

required.

We are undertaking a K-to-12 funding review, the first one in 30 years

in this province. We have signed off on a set of principles with our

partners the B.C. School Trustees Association to guide that exercise. That

is an exciting exercise, because it will look at what sustainable K-to-12

education funding looks like going forward. It will look at the new emphasis

in the curriculum around core competencies, different styles of teaching and

learning and how we align that with a sustainable funding regime going

forward.

These are vastly different conversations than the previous government

was ever willing to undertake. In fact, they shut them down and would not

allow them. Today, just a short period of time since the election, six

months, we’ve already launched this exercise. We’re already through phase 1

of the education funding review, and I look forward to being able to

complete that exercise within six months and share the results with

executive council of government later this year.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the throne speech this

afternoon. I’ll take my place.

R. Sultan: Before I get into the main body of my remarks, let me respond to the

comments on the throne speech by the previous speaker, the Minister of

Education, and express my personal thanks to him and his ministry for the

vitally important replacement of Handsworth School, which had always

questionable seismic qualities. Thank you for that.

Let me also say I admire the agility with which he wove together two

principle points — namely, our school system. Our public school system in

British Columbia is truly one of excellence. In fact, this is demonstrated

by international comparisons over and over again when countries like Japan,

Singapore, Finland and other high-performing, smaller — elite, you might say

— education systems are compared with the performance results of British

Columbia students across the board.

We’re not talking just the privileged areas of the province, by any

means, but a large dosage, for example, of First Nations students. We rank

right up there at the front, and that is an incredibly impressive

accomplishment by our school ministry. I would suggest to the Minister of

Education that if he merely maintains the present level of excellence and

replace the odd Handsworth School, he will go down in history as a great

Minister of Education.

Anyhow, turning to the Speech from the Throne laying out the current

government’s plans and intentions, I had looked forward to this speech with

a certain nervous apprehension, expecting some clever and highly disruptive

blend of environmental activism and social justice. Instead, we were given a

combination of platitudes and motherhood. For the government, I must say, a

huge missed opportunity.

Its emptiness reminds me of literary references to the void. T.S.

Eliot once wrote: “What are the roots that clutch? What branches grow out of

this stony rubbish? Son of man, you cannot say, or guess, for you know only

a heap of broken images.” Oh, Mr. Eliot, not very complimentary.

British Columbia, the canvas on which we impose our laws and

regulation, is woven from one of the most marvellous combinations of

nature’s bounty, strategic location and creative humanity that I think you

will find almost anywhere in the world. I’m indebted to the constituents who

allow me to represent one corner of this fantastic place.

[3:25 p.m.]

I’m indebted to this province, which allowed my Swedish parents, off

the farm and educated to grade 3, to come here in a previous century, help

build a new society, raise eight kids in a three-bedroom house in East

Vancouver and allow me to pursue my studies to the highest level at

Harvard.

The magic ingredient in this story is opportunity. Since those earlier

days, my family’s immigrant experience has been replicated thousand-fold in

British Columbia. We look to the Speech from the Throne to assure immigrants

of today and their children that opportunity will be as undimmed for them as

it was for me. But this government’s road map as defined in this Speech from

the Throne disappoints me. I search in vain for the foundation stones and

accelerators of opportunity.

It’s not as if underperformance and lack of vision is bred in this

government’s NDP bones. To the contrary, as I have spoken previously in this

House about my admiration for the recently deceased David Barrett, an NDP

Premier who was a true public servant and who left behind a lasting

legacy.

For all the Barrett government accomplished, and it was a lot, it was

accomplished between 1972 and 1975. This is almost hard to believe. They

passed 367 bills, something like one new law every three days. You might

call this the Barrett benchmark. One informed observer wrote: “Every British

Columbian who has ever bought auto insurance, attended community college,

ridden an ambulance, taken the SeaBus, tangled with a boss about wages or

benefits or vacationed in one of scores of wilderness parks has benefited

from the Barrett legacy.”

For those of you unaware of whom I’m quoting, it’s a person nearby —

less than about 200 metres distant, by my approximate reckoning. He inhabits

the west annex of this Parliament Building, and he serves as our Premier’s

chief of staff. Geoff Meggs wrote a history entitled The Art of the

Impossible: Dave Barrett and the NDP in Power,

1972-1975 .

Now, some may ask why I am quoting a former Communist Party president,

even one who renounced his earlier political enthusiasms. Well, firstly, it

is to acknowledge a recently departed Premier of this province, one with an

enduring legacy. Secondly, it is to remind this chamber that the Barrett

government accomplished a great deal in a short period of time. Meggs’s book

lists 97 accomplishments. I won’t bore you with all of the

details.

How did the 1972 NDP government actually carry out its mandate in

comparison with the current government? While I can’t say I’m on the same

page, politically speaking, as former Premier Barrett, one does have to

admire his fortitude. On day one, it is written, he asked his cabinet, “Are

you here for a good time or a long time?” and then doubled down on an

ambitious agenda regardless of the political fallout. “We agreed unanimously

to strike while the iron was hot,” he said, and they did. And here we are,

46 years later.

Since social commentators today point to the faster and faster pace of

modern life, one might expect to see increased velocity in government as

well. Certainly for this NDP government, I believe the political clock is

ticking faster and faster. But in terms of accomplishment, our current

government left the starting blocks at a crawl — nothing like what we saw in

the 1970s. Clarity and courage then; confusion, committees and

procrastination now.

[3:30 p.m.]

Barrett had an agenda; the government of today has slogans. To Dave

Barrett, an election promise of $10-a-day child care would have been

delivered within weeks. To this government, once elected, their clear and

present platform promises were soon transformed into fuzzy and future good

intentions.

Barrett introduced B.C.’s first consumer protection laws, and now his

NDP successors are punishing consumers and producers alike in their

unnecessary wine war with a sister province in our Confederation. Barrett

introduced the first guaranteed income program for seniors, established the

Air Ambulance Service, passed the B.C. human rights code, banned corporal

punishment in schools and lowered the drinking age to 19. He talked the talk

and walked the walk.

He invented the ALR, raised the minimum wage, changed labour law,

created Hansard, instituted the daily question period, hired full-time human

rights officers and organized the B.C. Cancer Agency. This is an astonishing

list, even if it went no further than that.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

By comparison, what has this government accomplished? Well, it has

announced review after review, consultation after consultation and committee

after committee. All talk and no action.

Let’s go through a partial list: (1) review the provincial Animal

Health Centre; (2) review the agricultural land reserve; (3) lobbyist reform

review;

(4) UNDRIP, out for consultation;

(5) FOI review; (6) hydraulic

fracking review; (7) professional reliance review; (8) bitumen spill

response study; (9) finfish aquaculture and fish processing consultation;

(10) Medical Services Plan premiums review; (11) wildfire review;

(12) housing review; (13) foreign buyers tax consultation;

(14) B.C. HOME

partnership program assessment; (15) labour relations code review;

(16) rural development strategy; (17) poverty reduction consultation;

(18) Massey

Tunnel replacement engineering review; (19) ride-sharing report by a

parliamentary committee; (20) taxi company consultation;

(21) B.C. Ferries

review.

Twenty-one reviews, studies and public consultations in seven months

does not begin to compare with 367 actual bills passed into law under the

Barrett regime in 36 months. Davey Barrett would probably give our

government’s current agenda a scornful laugh. There are many comparison

ironies. Barrett helped assure our food supply within the ALR. In contrast,

today we have an Agriculture Minister threatening lawful agriculture

businesses and allowing our wine industry to be pummelled due to a trade war

with Alberta.

Barrett gave the North Shore the SeaBus. This government has formed

two committees, which will report by June. Barrett created new

infrastructure. Our current government has decided to spend $3.5 billion of

scarce capital to buy an existing bridge, the Port Mann, which doesn’t add

anything at all to provincial infrastructure.

However, the Speech from the Throne does declare: “Safe, secure and

reliable transportation options are critical to get British Columbia moving

in rural and remote regions.” Who could disagree with that? Not even my

friend from the Sunshine Coast.

Stripped to the essentials, the public looks to government for

leadership in the economy, their social condition and our environment. What

does the Speech from the Throne offer us in each of these three core

areas?

The economy. Let’s start here. Government’s housing program will help

increase much-needed housing supply and certainly boost the economy,

although that particular sector of the economy is already operating close to

capacity. There is no mention, however, of their intention to resolve the

zoning and permitting bottlenecks. Perhaps we’ll hear more about that

tomorrow in the budget.

It is said that there are almost as many housing units in the pipeline

in Vancouver as have been built in all of history. Plans will not

necessarily lead to shovels in the ground, of course. Government emphasis is

on low-income housing for the homeless, the impoverished, the unwell and the

disabled. While laudable and important, this is not the mainstream of

middle-class housing market desperate for new supply.

[3:35 p.m.]

Aside from its emphasis on housing, the economy as a whole gets a

clear miss in the throne speech. Nothing to facilitate growth of industry

that I could identify. No words concerning growth of our rural economy — a

clear miss. In the high-value international banking sector, the welcome mat

was actually rudely and suddenly yanked out from under existing

institutions.

Instead of economic development, we have cancelled bridges, wine wars,

pipeline follies, a trade war with Alberta and a thoroughly angry federal

government. Extraordinarily, we have a Prime Minister denouncing the Premier

of British Columbia by name, saying he’s “trying to scuttle the national

plan on fighting climate change.”

Interjection.

R. Sultan: That’s what he said.

None of the above is calculated to increase business confidence or

grow the economy.

Well, let’s turn to the social condition. What does the Speech from

the Throne offer by way of improving it? Well, what it offers is page after

page of promises being walked back, as they say in Washington, by the

government. It skips lightly over many of the key promises which helped get

them elected.

Interjection.

Deputy Speaker: Member.

R. Sultan: Ten-dollar-a-day daycare, the $400-a-month rent supplement, the

114,000 affordable housing units. Although to give the government its due,

it has laid out concrete plans for 2,000 modular units, and I am told 1,700

new affordable units were actually built last year. So let’s call it 4,000

or 5,000 as a start, roughly. Only another 110,000 to go.

There are also many words on child care, where we’re assured that we

are firmly headed down the path of affordable, quality child care for all,

but that journey will take time. Ten years, maybe? That could mean three

NDP-Green governments into the future. That would be a huge leap of

political faith. Nowhere can we find any mention of the $10 price tag. My

guess is that somebody at last got out their calculator and did some

arithmetic.

I do agree with the government that universal child care is an

important priority. I will watch with care and more than a little concern

the government’s plan on how to pay for it. No small undertaking.

On child care, one promise is quite clear. Unlicensed daycare

facilities are now going to be licensed. While no specifics are offered, one

can speculate that many existing daycare centres will not fulfil the new

licensing criteria.

While we can’t argue over the necessity and value of ensuring quality

and safety, and the desirability of standards and inspection, this upgrading

of a typical facility, as I would see it, will no doubt be associated with

higher costs, unionized employees, perhaps, and possibly fewer facilities

available. So the unintended result could be less access, not

more.

There was no mention of the much-anticipated poverty reduction plan,

which my friend from Hastings is in charge of. I wish him well. Like many

other social innovations, consultation is still underway.

While poverty reduction did not make the cut for the throne speech,

the government is promising to raise the minimum wage to $15 eventually.

Caution here is, in fact, warranted. Abrupt, bold increases in the minimum

wage could have negative consequences.

A sharp reduction in part-time employment Ontario actually experienced

last month coincided with the announcement of a sharp increase in intended

future minimum wage — a huge increase in part-time unemployment. It may have

simply been a coincidence, but maybe it wasn’t.

Environment, thirdly. What does the Speech from the Throne tell us

about the government’s plans for the environment? One would reasonably

expect something special, given the NDP’s alliance with the Green Party, but

there’s no mention of the carbon tax that I could find.

[3:40 p.m.]

No mention of climate change at all. No mention of rising temperatures

or the apparently melting ice caps. No mention of protecting endangered

species, such as the steelhead, where we heard an impassioned plea today

from a representative of the Green Party, and the mountain caribou. No

protection of the critters in the forest or of biodiversity.

Nada.

One might have hoped for something on terrestrial stewardship. After

all, the B.C. Liberal government took the first step of setting aside vast

tracts of land, some the size of smaller European countries, for

environmental protection or, at least, special sensitivity. But the previous

government’s plans for management and stewardship were not yet

completed.

What does the Speech from the Throne promise? There are a few

paragraphs tucked in at the end with the most meaningful sentences devoted

to the need for competent protection of our coastline from oil

spills.

It doesn’t venture at all into the maelstrom of fighting words

unleashed upon B.C. and this government by the Premier of Alberta and the

Prime Minister of Canada. In many decades of federal government watching, I

have never heard the likes of the harsh public spanking which Justin Trudeau

administered to British Columbia’s Premier the other day — not a good omen

for future cooperation.

On top of that, Alberta has announced its intention to intervene in

B.C.’s application for a $1 billion gas pipeline. Uh-oh. And the feds

cancelled the planned joint announcement with B.C. in Ottawa concerning

child care. Another uh-oh.

As our own Leader of the Opposition has implored, it’s time for the

Premier to hop on an airplane, fly to Edmonton and kiss and make up. While

he missed the opportunity of Valentine’s Day, there’s still time.

To sum up, we had a 50-minute Speech from the Throne which left the

people of this province scratching their heads. God save British

Columbia.

Hon. H. Bains: It always is a pleasure and honour to stand in this House and speak on

issues that are important to British Columbians and, today, for an

opportunity to speak in support of the throne speech.

Before I start, I would like to comment also on my good friend Dave

Barrett. I followed him when I first came to Canada. This was a guy who was

leading this province and making tremendous changes. Every day there was

something that was being announced, a new law passed, as the previous

speaker has spoken about. I will not get into all of those 367-some pieces

of legislation, all to make life better for British Columbians.

He has left us such a legacy. I think we have a challenge, all of us

in this House, to match or come close to what that government and that

leader has done. I say: “Thank you, Dave Barrett. We are going to miss you.

But thank you for leaving the legacy behind that we can all look up to and

enjoy that you have left for us.”

The previous member for West Vancouver–Capilano started on a very good

note in recognizing some 42 years of a good government and recognizing the

work that that government did. Then he slowly slipped into the same rhetoric

that you hear from that side of the House, ignoring the true facts. He

talked about, you know, comparing that government to this government — that

that government was doing things and we are, somehow, a government of

slogans.

I just want to comment on that. In only six months, if you look at the

work that this government has done, making life more affordable for British

Columbians, like removing tolls…. MSP premiums will be cut in half this

January and will be eliminated going forward.

[3:45 p.m.]

Tuition fees removed for those who are in adult basic education and

K-to-12 education and 3,500 new teachers hired.

You know what? An announcement of starting to build schools where, in

the last 16 years, people were only hoping to have a portable. They have

portables, especially in Surrey; 7,000 students are studying in portables

right now. We are going to remove them. That is, so far, what we have

already done and achieved.

Health care — $600 million already to improve the wait times and ER

wait times, especially in hospitals like Surrey, Delta and south of the

Fraser and everywhere else.

Just the other day — infrastructure and public transportation. We,

rather than playing politics, as the previous government did — you know,

going through a referendum because they did not want to take that

responsibility seriously — said: “It’s time to show leadership.”

Instead of 33 percent of our share, we said we will move it up to 40

percent. Because federal governments are also showing leadership, they moved

their portion to 40 percent so that the local mayors and the local taxpayers

only have to look after 20 percent. That’s leadership. That’s doing things.

That’s not sloganeering. Sloganeering was the previous government. I think

the member was well-adapted to that and knew exactly what that

meant.

As soon as we came in, we announced the establishment of the Human

Rights Commission. That was missing for the last 16 years. Dave Barrett was

the person who brought it in for the first time in North America. That’s the

legacy left behind. The previous government took that away. They never

thought that it was necessary to bring it back. We will do that.

Mr. Speaker, you were deeply involved in that. I’m so appreciative

that those efforts that you put in and many others on this side are coming

to fruition.

We also took the big money out of politics, which the previous

government wouldn’t dare to even touch. All we are talking about — six

months’ work.

Can you imagine what we would do in three years, Member? Three years.

You would be, or somebody there would be, talking about this government, I’m

quite sure, and the accomplishments of this government and the progressive

agenda that we have making life better for British Columbia. I think we’re

on that route, and we are going to deliver on that.

It’s not slogans. We have already shown leadership in delivering on

what we promised and delivering on what the people of the province actually

deserve and need.

That was just a beginning to answer some of the questions that were

left by the previous member. Always, when that member stands up, I listen to

him with very great interest because he has so much to give and contribute

to this House. But, again, politics gets in the way sometimes. That was the

last part of his speech, and I forgive him for that.

I just want to say…. Since this is the first time I’m standing up and

speaking on our throne speech, I want to thank the people of Surrey-Newton

who, for the fourth time, put their trust and confidence in me, once again,

to represent them and their interests. I will do everything that I can, as

I’ve done in the previous 12 years, not to disappoint them and to continue

to stand on their side, continue to work and raise those issues in here.

Now, as government, we will work on those issues.

I want to say: “Thank you, Surrey-Newton. Thank you for giving me that

support. Thank you for standing with me all the time and bringing those

issues to me.”

At the same time, I want to thank my family. I want to thank my

constituency assistants. We have just hired a new person on the team, Jas

Sangha, a young, vibrant and smart woman. I know she will complement an

already strong team that we have with Amber Armstrong and Emily Zimmerman

and Koni Marrington, who comes in still as a volunteer and helps us out, and

the entire Surrey-Newton executive, starting with the leadership of Darrell

Causey. He’s been stellar in being the president of my constituency

association.

[3:50 p.m.]

Everyone who comes to Surrey-Newton to help and volunteer…. They don’t

just come single. Their partners are always there. I just want to say thank

you to them and their families, their children as well, who come and support

me.

Her Honour spoke very eloquently about the vision of our government

and, as we look to the future, that focus on the priorities of everyday

British Columbians who have, for too long, as I’ve said before, been left

behind. The people of B.C. are frustrated after years of rising costs, on

one hand, and reduced services, on the other, and the neglect of working

people in favour of the most powerful and rich in this province for the last

16 years.

As my hon. colleague from Vancouver–West End, just the other day, said

in his speech in response to the throne speech…. He said this speech is

about hope. This is about hope for families who are struggling to make ends

meet. This speech is about hope for quality education and health care, hope

for newcomers who are trying to establish themselves and are struggling to

establish here in British Columbia and hope for all British Columbians who

work hard, pay their taxes, go to work every day and dare to dream for a

better and brighter future for them and their children.

That’s what this speech is all about. I’m so proud to be part of the

government that has delivered this speech, delivered that vision and given

that hope to many British Columbians who were hoping to have a government

that will work on their side and help make their lives better.

As you know, the government ran on three key commitments. One

commitment was to make life better for British Columbians. The second one

was to improve services that they depend on and that they rely on. And the

third commitment was to build a strong, sustainable, innovative economy that

works for everyone, not just for the top 2 percent or those who are well

connected. That’s not leadership in government. Leadership is that we build

an economy that everyone can benefit from. It hasn’t happened in the last 16

years. We have created haves and have-nots in our society. That’s not where

the government should be.

I just want to talk about some of the labour priorities in my

ministry, the priorities that we have. I can tell you it was so gratifying

that for the first time in the 13 years I’ve been in this House, the throne

speech spent so much time and space talking about workers and protection of

their health and safety — bringing in laws that are fair and work for

everyone, where businesses and workers have confidence to resolve their

disputes, and working together to create wealth and growing our economy.

This is the first time the workers of this province have received attention

in the throne speech, and I’m so gratified for that.

I can talk about and break it down to what our priorities are on this

side of the House. First and foremost is workers’ safety. My goal is to make

workplaces in British Columbia the safest in the country, and you can do

that by having strong preventative and enforcement programs. We have already

started work on that, and that’s where you start.

Workers are going to get injured from time to time and get ill from

workplaces. But then they are treated with respect and dignity. That hasn’t

happened in the last 16 years. It seems to me, the bottom line was the

driving force. How do we save more money? How do we make decisions so that

there is a better bottom line?

They forgot about a famous compromise, a great compromise that was

made in 1913 elsewhere and, in 1917, here in British Columbia, where workers

gave up their right to sue their employer. The employer benefited from

getting sued or maybe getting bankrupted, if they were successful in those

situations. On the other hand, they promised to look after the workers when

they were injured at workplaces. That was the compromise.

[3:55 p.m.]

Seems to me that when I’m talking to workers and their

representatives, their side of that contract somehow is missing, or not

fulfilled fully. That’s something that is wrong with that whole picture, so

we are going to fix that.

I have been working very closely with the WorkSafe board of directors.

I’ve asked them to look at and review the Workers Compensation Act, the

policies, the manual, to make sure we put workers in the centre of our

policy development, where the worker’s health and safety is looked after and

the employers have healthy and safe workplaces. Every employer knows this.

If you have a healthy and safe workplace, it’s a more productive and

efficient workplace. They know that.

I think it’s the government’s role to show leadership — have both

sides working towards that goal. And that’s what we are going to

do.

I am tired. As a labour activist and then as an MLA and now as a

minister, I have attended too many memorials for workers who have died on

the job — workers like the four carpenters who died at the Bentall Tower

construction site in 1981; the three women who died when their overcrowded

work vehicle crashed on its way to their farm job in 2007; the workers who

died from two tragic explosions in B.C.’s two sawmills, in Babine Forest

Products and Lakeland, in 2012; the three workers who died in the Fernie

arena from exposure to ammonia gas last October; and countless of those who

continue to die from asbestos exposure many, many years ago.

Many workers, especially our first responders, continue to suffer with

mental health injuries, with hardly any support for them, and develop PTSD.

We’re going to fix that, because they deserve our support. They deserve to

be looked after and receive the care and support and professional care that

they need, because they are the ones who are helping us when they develop

these conditions through those incidents that are traumatic in nature. We

are going to fix that, because they deserve our support.

I could go on for too long — too many injuries, too many fatalities.

The important part here is that they’re all preventable. So that’s what

we’re going to work on. That’s why I’m so firmly committed that workplaces

in B.C. are the safest in the country.

I think this is so important. Every worker who goes to work deserves

to come home in the same shape that they went in. Their family deserves

that. They deserve it. We, as state and through workers compensation, owe it

to them. That’s what we’re going to do.

The throne speech also talked about important rights and protectiosn

in workplaces, thanks to hard-fought victories by labour movements. I want

to thank all those labour activists and all those people who have worked so

hard in promoting worker’s rights, not only just on health and safety, which

I talked about, but working conditions, generally speaking, in

workplaces.

That is another focus for me as minister — to make certain that

legislation aligns with and supports our goals. We must ensure that the

Employment Standards Act fully reflects and keeps pace with the changing

nature of today’s workplaces. It needs to be updated.

The B.C. Law Institute is going through a review, and their report

will be coming back within one month, I think. B.C. Employment Standards

Coalition have also conducted their investigation, and they have already

come back with their review.

[4:00 p.m.]

I will be looking at both of those r