First Session, 43rd Parliament

Official Report

of Debates

( Hansard )

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 47

The Honourable Raj Chouhan , Speaker

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

Contents

Routine Business

Tributes

Chris Morrissey

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert

Orders of the Day

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 5, Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2025 (continued)

On the amendment (continued)

Macklin McCall

Bryan Tepper

Misty Van Popta

Lawrence Mok

Lynne Block

Reann Gasper

Hon Chan

Pete Davis

Korky Neufeld

Larry Neufeld

Donegal Wilson

David Williams

Mandeep Dhaliwal

Jody Toor

Tony Luck

Claire Rattée

Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room

Committee of the Whole

Bill 7 — Economic Stabilization (Tariff Response) Act (continued)

Kiel Giddens

Hon. Niki Sharma

Rob Botterell

Steve Kooner

Hon. Adrian Dix

Trevor Halford

Amelia Boultbee

Gavin Dew

Ward Stamer

Thursday, April 17, 2025

The House met at 1:01 p.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Tributes

Chris Morrissey

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert : I rise with some sadness to report the passing of Chris Morrissey, who in Vancouver

and, indeed, across Canada is well known for leading the fight for LGBTQ human rights,

and in particular for people who are immigrants, refugees.

Chris became well known in 1992 when she worked to bring her partner over from Ireland

and was denied by the Canadian system because they did not recognize that she was

married to her partner and just treated her like somebody not related at all. She

took the Canadian government to court and indeed, under sexual orientation and human

rights protections, won so that LGBTQ couples could immigrate and could come together

and reunite in this great country of Canada.

She continued her work with Rainbow Refugee and LEGIT and worked with seniors as well

to ensure that their rights were heard, that their voices and identities, orientations,

who they loved were all embraced and celebrated.

Chris was a hero. Chris was a trailblazer. She has changed the world immeasurably

for the better, and I’m just so honoured to have known her and to know so many people

who have come to our great land because of her advocacy for equality against hatred

and discrimination.

I will pass on our House’s collective condolences to those who love her, those who

knew her and those who are forever changed because of her incredible humanity.

She was a caring person, and she made us better.

Orders of the Day

Hon. Mike Farnworth : In this chamber, I call continued second reading of Bill 5.

In the Douglas Fir Room,

Section A, I call continued committee stage debate on Bill

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 5, Budget Measures

Implementation Act, 2025

(continued)

The Speaker : We’ll have the member for West Kelowna–Peachland continue the debate here, and committee

in the other room.

On the amendment (continued) .

Macklin McCall : I’ll continue from where I left off not just in support of Bill 5, the Income Tax

(Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment Act, but to build on the discussion already started

in this House, because this bill deserves more than a moment of debate. It deserves

our full attention, our full effort and our commitment to deliver real, lasting relief

to British Columbians.

[Mable Elmore in the chair.]

What I want to talk about today is urgency, the urgency of now, because what we’re

dealing with isn’t a budgetary theory or an abstract economic shift. It’s real people,

real pressure and a real crisis in affordability that’s only getting worse with each

passing month.

[1:05 p.m.]

What happens in this chamber must connect to what’s happening at the kitchen tables

across British Columbia, where parents are budgeting down to the penny, seniors are

reading grocery flyers like survival manuals and too many young people are wondering

whether they’ll ever be able to afford life in their own province. This amendment,

while modest in its design, meets the moment in ways the current government has failed

to.

Let’s remind ourselves what Bill 5 actually does. It increases the basic personal

amount, allowing every British Columbian to keep an extra $500 of their own money

every year. That’s $1,000 for two working adults in a household, year after year.

It’s automatic. It’s universal. It’s fair.

This isn’t another rebate people have to apply for. It doesn’t come with small print

or bureaucratic delay. It’s there in every paycheque. It’s permanent structural relief,

not temporary political theatre.

I was speaking with a café owner who told me their food costs have risen 30 percent

over the last two years. That same café, which used to donate leftover pastries to

a local food program, now can’t even afford to keep their shelves full. That’s the

story of affordability in B.C. today: businesses cutting back, families cutting meals

and governments cutting promises.

This Premier campaigned on a $1,000 annual grocery rebate. It was bold, it was welcome,

and it gave people hope. But then, like far too many promises made before an election,

it vanished: no rebates, no follow-through, just more excuses.

This amendment is not just a policy amendment; it is a restoration of trust. If we

expect British Columbians to believe in our democratic system, to keep participating

in good faith, then we must show them that their votes and the promises they vote

on actually matter.

I heard from a young couple in Kelowna, both working full-time, both contributing

to their community. They told me that they’re now financing groceries on their credit

card because after rent, after daycare, after insurance, there’s nothing left. They

didn’t ask for a handout. They just ask: “Where’s the help we were promised?” That’s

a question this House must answer.

The Premier has said: “Under our plan, families will get more support, and you’ll

get it right away.” If that statement was made in good faith, then this bill should

have unanimous support, because this amendment does exactly that: support delivered

right away, without delay and without discrimination.

What I also want to highlight today is that this amendment is not partisan by nature.

It’s practical. It’s a tax measure, yes, but more importantly, it’s a cost-of-living

measure. It says to every British Columbian, whether you’re in Kitimat or Kelowna,

whether you’re a nurse, a truck driver, a student or a senior: “We see you, we hear

you, and we’re giving you some of your own money back, because you need it more than

the government does right now.”

I want to acknowledge the multiplier effect of this policy. A family that saves $1,000

in taxes this year doesn’t just survive the month; they spend more locally. They might

support their neighbourhood grocer instead of a big-box chain. They might keep their

kid in sports. They might be able to fill up their gas tank and attend a family gathering

they otherwise would have skipped. This isn’t just relief; it’s economic stimulus.

At a time when local economies across B.C. are under strain, this amendment helps

them breathe.

[1:10 p.m.]

We often hear that good policy is about values and action. So let me ask: what values

does it show when a government makes a promise to working families and fails to deliver

it? What message does that send to a single mom in Burnaby, working overtime to make

ends meet while the help she was promised never comes? What does it say to our young

people, our next generation, who are watching this government say one thing and do

another? This amendment answers these questions with action, not slogans.

Now, I know there will be those who try to spin this as unaffordable or as irresponsible

tax relief. But let’s be honest: British Columbians are already paying for the cost

of inaction. They’re paying in rising food prices. They’re paying in unaffordable

housing. They’re paying in lost time, lost health and lost hope.

Let’s not forget this money belongs to the people. This isn’t a gift from government.

This is about reducing what the government takes from those who earn it. It’s about

respecting taxpayers and delivering a fairer system, especially for the middle class

and working poor.

So today I urge every member in this House to look beyond the political lines. Look

at the grocery stores in your ridings. Look at the food bank usage. Look at the moms

and dads checking their bank balance in the checkout line. Those are the people we

work for. They’re not asking for miracles; they’re asking for relief that was promised,

relief that is needed right now.

Before I close, I want to share something personal. Before entering political life,

I spent years serving British Columbians as an officer with the RCMP. That experience

shaped my values: service, accountability and justice. I’ve seen up close how poverty,

stress and instability can harm not just families but entire communities. When people

are financially secure, crime drops, substance use declines, domestic tensions ease,

people thrive.

That is why I support this amendment. It’s more than a tax change; it’s a social safety

net for our most vulnerable. It will make our incredible province of British Columbia

safer, stronger and fairer for everyone. I ask my colleagues in this chamber to consider

not just the budget line but the human impact. I hope everyone in this House will

support this important amendment, because public safety begins with economic stability.

Provincial history will remember this moment. People will remember what we did when

British Columbians cried out for relief. Let us make sure that people remember that

we answered the call for assistance, not with government’s usual staged press conferences

and broken promises but with immediate action, with strong policy and with the Income

Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment Act.

I stand proudly in support of the Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment

Act, and I urge every member of this House, regardless of party, to do the same. British

Columbians deserve relief. Now let’s deliver it.

Bryan Tepper : Hon. Speaker, esteemed colleagues, fellow British Columbians listening today, I rise

today not just to speak about an amendment but to speak for those whose voices too

often go unheard in this chamber — families feeling the squeeze of inflation, seniors

living on fixed incomes and working people stretched thinner and thinner by rising

costs. This speech is for the people of British Columbia who ask for no special treatment,

only fairness and a fighting chance to build a life of dignity and opportunity.

[1:15 p.m.]

We’ve all seen the statistics, but more importantly, we’ve heard the stories. The

grocery bills that used to be $150 are now closer to $250. Gas, rent, utilities —

all up. And wages? Far too often stagnant. Every member in this House has heard it.

The question is: will we do something about it?

I stand before you today to champion the Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment

Act, an amendment that will deliver real, immediate and lasting relief to every British

Columbian grappling with the high cost of living. This is more than legislation. It’s

a commitment to families, workers and seniors who are working hard to get by. It’s

a bold step to ensure no one in our province is left behind.

At its core, this amendment saves every British Columbian who files taxes $500 a year

by increasing the basic personal amount on their provincial income taxes. For a two-income

household, that’s $1,000 a year, every year. That’s $1,000 more to cover groceries,

pay rent or keep the lights on. That’s $1,000 to help families end the day just a

little further ahead.

Let’s talk about what this means in real life. Just yesterday one of my colleagues

was talking about what you could do with $1,000. One of those things was to buy a

new pair of running shoes. I’ve been holding off buying a new pair of trainers myself,

something many might take for granted. I need those shoes not for fashion but for

function. As I’ve been milking for sympathy, I am recovering from some health issues,

and a solid pair of shoes would make that easier.

That’s what this amendment does. It gives others with health issues, and countless

others, the financial breathing room to live healthier, better lives.

Speaking of health, if we’re truly serious about helping British Columbians get ahead,

then we also must consider what’s not in the budget — why we aren’t adding a fitness

tax credit to promote healthier living. I know that’s not on the amendment, but I

will put that forward now. It is another amendment we could be debating, one that

puts up prevention before cure and recognizes that affordability and wellness go hand

in hand.

Instead, what do we get from the government? More delays, more bureaucracy. Our plan,

the one the Premier mocked as the long wait, was called a thoughtful approach by those

who actually read it. But the Premier’s $1,000 grocery rebate turned into the Premier’s

no-show rebate, promised with a smile but never delivered.

Why does this government insist on overcollecting from British Columbians only to

turn around and spend money mailing out ICBC rebates and designing elaborate programs

with strings attached? It would not be for me to say this is being done for optics,

but the people see it for what it is. Instead of choosing simplicity, like raising

the basic personal amount and cutting out the overhead, this government clings to

flashy announcements and complex giveaways.

This isn’t a handout for billionaires like the Premier’s massive EV rebates, which

until recently still included high-end luxury brands like Tesla. Now the Premier vilifies

the very vehicles his own policy promoted. And why? So much for deeply held environmental

beliefs. This amendment offers something better: real, practical help for everyone,

not just the affluent who can afford electric vehicles but for the families trying

to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

[1:20 p.m.]

It gives people a choice not just about what car to drive but whether they can buy

groceries, afford shoes or pay rent. That’s the choice this amendment empowers. That’s

the dignity it restores.

If I may, this approach also follows the wisdom of John Maynard Keynes, who taught

us that during times of economic strain, it’s not only the government’s right but

its responsibility to step in and stimulate the economy. Keynes understood that empowering

individuals to spend, to participate fully in economic life, was the fastest path

to recovery. This amendment channels that same spirit — not just relief but recovery,

not just tax reform but stimulus with a purpose.

I will note that the party opposite has always liked to follow the Keynes model. While

sometimes I have not in the past, I am pointing out that this is something that we

should be looking at.

Those are not just numbers on a page though. That’s the difference between despair

and breathing room. That’s a family being able to afford fresh produce instead of

packaged food. That’s a senior no longer needing to ration medication. That’s a single

parent no longer having to choose between a child’s field trip and next month’s phone

bill. We all know the pressures British Columbians face. The cost of living is climbing,

and for far too many, stability is out of reach.

I’ve heard from constituents who are just $200 away from paying their bills, $200

away from peace of mind. This amendment is for them: the single parent choosing between

groceries and utilities, the senior stretching a fixed income, the young couple saving

for a future that feels uncertain. This amendment says: we see you, we hear you, and

we’re acting now.

Let’s be clear. This is not about partisan political games. It’s about principle.

We were elected to serve, not to shrug. We were elected to respond to the realities

British Columbians face, not just to speak to them but to act.

Let’s talk about why this amendment is urgent. Last year the NDP promised a $1,000

annual grocery rebate to help families afford food. It was a promise that gave hope.

It was an election promise. But after the election, it was abandoned, leaving people

waiting for support they were counting on. That’s not acceptable. British Columbians

deserve leaders who keep their word, who deliver relief when it’s needed most.

We cannot let this become the new normal, where promises are made during campaigns

and conveniently forgotten after ballots are cast. When the government promises $1,000

to struggling families, then fails to deliver it, that’s not just political disappointment.

That’s personal betrayal for those counting on that money, for those that voted for

that money.

The Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment Act fixes that broken promise.

It revives the promised grocery rebate not as a one-time cheque but as a permanent

tax cut that puts $500 back into the pockets of every tax-filing British Columbian,

and $1,000 for two-income households, year after year.

This isn’t temporary relief. It’s a lasting guarantee you can count on with every

tax return. This is real help in real time for real people. And because it’s structured

as a change to the basic personal amount, it’s built into the very foundation of how

we calculate taxes in British Columbia.

[1:25 p.m.]

That means no more waiting, no more wondering if you’ll qualify, no more red tape.

Just simple, immediate relief. That relief without the show of collecting the money,

paying somebody to distribute it back and mailing those cheques out. Why a tax cut?

It’s because tax cuts empower people, and we believe in the empowerment of the people

of British Columbia.

May I seek leave to do an introduction?

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

Bryan Tepper : I would like to welcome two of the staff members at the Legislature here — Bella

Scrase, whose maiden name is Avagyan, arrived in Canada in 2007; and Marina Burunsuzyan,

who arrived in Canada in 2009. Both are Armenian. They’re having a bit of a difficult

day with the remembrance of the Armenian genocide.

We’d like to just have them here and remember that we all in this House — no matter

what political party, whether working as an MLA or anybody else — support you fully

in what you’re doing today. You’re in our hearts, because Armenians face an existential

threat today in Armenia and throughout the world.

Thank you for being here. We appreciate you.

Debate Continued

Bryan Tepper : All right, I’m going to start right here again on my speech.

It revives the promised grocery rebate, not as a one-time cheque but as a permanent

cut that puts $500 back in the pockets of every tax-filing British Columbian, and

$1,000 for two-income households, year after year. It isn’t temporary relief. It’s

a lasting guarantee you can count on with every tax return.

This is real help in real time for real people. And because it’s structured as a change

to the personal amount, it’s built into the very foundation of how we collect taxes

in British Columbia. That means no more waiting, no more wondering if you’ll qualify,

no more red tape. Just simple, immediate relief.

Why a tax cut? It’s because tax cuts empower people. They let you decide how to use

your money, whether for groceries, child care or paying down debt. Unlike the complex

rebate programs, a tax cut is simple, immediate and fair. By increasing the basic

personal amount, we ensure every British Columbian benefits, especially low- and middle-income

earners, without bureaucratic delays or eligibility hurdles.

Let’s call it what it is: a fair and effective way to get help into the hands of people

who need it most. No fancy programs, no convoluted eligibility rules, just common

sense. Every dollar British Columbians save on taxes is a dollar they can reinvest

in their lives, their family and their communities.

This amendment is about supporting the heart of the province — everyday people who

just want a fair shot at getting ahead. It’s for the nurse working overtime, the teacher

raising a family, the retiree pinching pennies. It’s relief for those struggling with

high grocery costs. It’s delivered right away, not 18 months from now. It’s help you

can feel in your bank account today. Make no mistake. The need is urgent.

You don’t need to read an economist’s report to understand the pain in our province.

You just need to talk to your neighbour or the cashier at your local grocery store

or the parents lining up outside of food banks. This amendment speaks to their neglected

realities.

Now, let’s address some potential concerns. Some may incorrectly claim this tax cut

favours the wealthy. Let me be clear. This is a tax cut for everyone who files taxes

in B.C. The basic personal amount benefits low- and middle-income earners most proportionately.

This isn’t about a handout to billionaires; it’s a lifeline for ordinary people, the

backbone of our community.

[1:30 p.m.]

This isn’t theory. It’s math. Because of how our tax system is structured, the increase

to the basic personal amount provides the greatest relative benefit to those earning

the least. It gives everyone a break, but it gives those who need it the most the

biggest leg up.

Others might argue we can’t afford this tax cut. To that, I say that we can’t afford

inaction. When families can’t buy groceries, when small businesses struggle because

customers can’t spend, doing nothing is not an option. This tax cut is an investment

in British Columbians. By putting $500 back into every taxpayer’s pocket, we’re boosting

our economy, supporting local shops and helping families stay afloat. That’s smart

policy, and that’s the right thing to do.

This is not a cost; this is a necessary correction to the status quo that has seen

governments overcollect while underdelivering. If there is a surplus in the treasury,

it belongs not to politicians but to the people who earned it. If there is no surplus,

then the government should look inward — at its waste, its mismanagement, its priorities

— before it asks British Columbians to sacrifice more.

This relief is permanent, not tied to political cycles. It’s a commitment that says:

“We’re here to help you today, tomorrow and every year after.” It’s $500 for individuals,

$1,000 for two-income households, every year, starting now. That’s a promise of support

you can rely on. It’s about building confidence, stability, a signal that says you

can plan your budget because we’re planning with you in mind. That’s how we rebuild

trust in this institution, in public service.

I point out that, as well, we had a vote and supported the $1,000 rebate just yesterday.

I urge my colleagues to think of the people we serve. I think of the families in your

ridings making tough choices: fresh produce or the hydro bill, school supplies or

car repairs. Think of the seniors who worked their whole lives now facing rising costs.

Think of the young people wondering if they’ll ever get ahead.

This amendment is for them. It’s our chance to show we’re on their side, fighting

for their futures. Because at the end of the day, our job is not to pass the time;

it’s to pass the legislation that makes life better for everyone.

Let this amendment be a symbol that we still remember that responsibility, that this

Legislature still knows how to deliver. I believe yesterday we showed we know how

to deliver. We had a near-unanimous vote, both sides of the House, that we should

deliver this relief. The Premier has said people need relief now to get ahead. I agree.

This amendment delivers that relief fairly, sustainably and immediately.

I hope every member of this House will support the Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee)

Amendment Act and send a message to British Columbians. We hear you. We value you.

We’re acting to make your lives better. The time for study is over. The time for excuses

has passed. The time for action — real action — is now.

Let’s not make people wait. Let’s pass this important amendment and deliver the tax

relief British Columbians deserve: $500 for every taxpayer, $1,000 for every two-income

household, every year. Let’s keep our promise and build a stronger, fairer British

Columbia together.

I look forward to this House’s support.

[1:35 p.m.]

Misty Van Popta : It’s an important day in this Legislature. In fact, every day here is important.

What we do here, although sometimes done with theatrics, affects the very lives of

those we have been chosen to serve. We must never take this job for granted. Every

decision we make is important. Sometimes we must choose the right decision, the tough

decision, not the easy one.

I believe in accountability. That’s why, yesterday afternoon, I stood up and withdrew

a comment I made in these chambers. But I believe all of us should be made accountable

for the words we say, including the Premier.

On September 29, 2024, the Premier said: “People need help now so they can get ahead.

John Rustad would make ordinary people wait 18 months to receive any support.”

Deputy Speaker : Member, just a reminder, no names, even if it’s in a quote.

Misty Van Popta : Oh, even in a quote?

Deputy Speaker : No.

Misty Van Popta : Oh, apologies. Okay.

Deputy Speaker : For sitting members in the House.

Misty Van Popta : All right.

“That’s if you believe him at all. Our tax cut for the middle-income class supports

people now who are struggling with high costs of groceries.”

The next day he said: “A $1,000 tax cut the year after that, the year after that and

the year after that.”

But the big winner statement was on October 9, 2024. “I’m on the side of everyday

people and families who just want to end the day a little further ahead than when

they started.”

Late last night I spoke to Bill 5. A big part of my speech was highlighting how Bill

5 didn’t affect the everyday people that the Premier said he’s on the side of. There’s

no relief for the farmer, no relief for the small business owner, no relief for the

educator, no relief for the truck driver, no relief for the construction trades worker.

There are no small business tax credits. There’s no fuel tax relief for farmers and

truckers. There’s no tax relief for independent tradespeople. There are no tax credits

for out-of-pocket education expenses for teachers. Most importantly, there are no

home retrofit or mobility equipment credits for seniors.

This amendment is the missing piece to Bill 5, relief to everyday British Columbians

that the Premier promised. We must be accountable for the promises we make, and I

am happy to support this amendment. The grocery rebate achieved through reduced income

taxes makes it permanent. This reduction to income taxes will save British Columbians

$500. That’s $1,000 per two-income household that people were promised in the fall.

That’s so important to people who are $200 away from not paying their bills.

Let’s talk about what an extra $1,000 a year can provide British Columbian families.

To the low-income family, that is soccer registration and gear for two kids — soccer

cleats, jerseys, extra practices. For a single mom, that’s school supplies, a new

jacket and the coveted character backpack and lunchbox their kid has been begging

them for, just to feel like they fit in. For the seniors, it’s a new adaptable shower

handle or an elevated toilet seat installed in their home so that they can age in

place.

[1:40 p.m.]

I have been a single mom for ten years, and it has only been in the last two years

that I have felt like I was finally catching up. I know what it’s like to accept handouts

and help. I have received anonymous gift cards in the past, dropped off at my door,

to put gas in my car.

So $500, to a single mom, is life-changing. It’s about not saying no to your kids

for basic things that they deal with every day. It’s saying yes to field trips. It’s

saying yes to going to Playland. It’s an away weekend for a volleyball tournament

in another province.

And $500 or $1,000 in this House may not be life-changing for those of us in this

chamber, but for the struggling young adult just launching into life, it’s a lump

sum payment on their student loans. It’s a lump sum towards their first month’s rent

for those still living with their parents, like my kids are.

For the family’s car, it’s new brakes or new tires, the repair items that get pushed

as long as they can go because money set aside for regular maintenance is just not

an option for some. It’s an overnight trip to Vancouver Island for a family of four

from the Lower Mainland, using the ferry, dining out in a local restaurant and staying

in a hotel, because we should be tourists in our own province.

So $500 to $1,000 is tangible. It offers relief to some British Columbians, offers

hope to some British Columbians, and it offers opportunity to some British Columbians.

Like a single parent who digs deep into their pockets to provide for their families,

this government needs to somehow dig deeper into our spending and offer relief to

British Columbians that they so desperately need and were promised.

We need British Columbians to trust government, and this is accomplished by following

through on the things we say. When people place an X on their ballot, based on the

things they were promised, it’s with an expectation that their lives will be changed

by how they voted. We owe it to British Columbians that everyone benefits with tax

credits, not just select sectors.

I am supporting this amendment. Why? It’s because I support British Columbians. I

support the farmer. I support the small business owner. I support the tradesperson.

I support the senior. I support the educator. I support my fellow single mothers,

single fathers, grandparents who are raising their grandkids. I support my low-income

constituents. I support everyone who voted for the NDP with the expectation that they

would get what they were told.

This side of the House supports British Columbians, and this amendment is proof of

that. I hope that we can all come together in recognizing, in honouring and being

held accountable to the things that we say.

Lawrence Mok : I rise today in this House, representing the constituency of Maple Ridge East not

just to speak but also to take real, tangible actions on behalf of British Columbians

who are struggling to keep up.

Across this entire province of B.C., I hear the same message repeatedly from families,

seniors, single parents and hard-working workers, and that is that the weight of the

high cost of living is crushing them. Grocery bills are skyrocketing. Wages aren’t

keeping up. Savings are shrinking. And where is the government all this time? Almost

nowhere to be seen.

[1:45 p.m.]

That’s why I’m proud to rise in this chamber today in support of an important and

practical amendment, the Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment Act. If passed,

and I hope it will be, this amendment would allow every British Columbian to claim

$500 per year through refundable provincial income tax relief. That’s $1,000 back

for a two-income household every year. It’s direct; it’s simple. It’s targeted relief

at exactly the time when people need it most.

Let’s make one thing very clear. This is not a handout. This is a response to a broken

promise, a promise made by the Premier last year to the people of B.C., and then walked

back without any explanation, without any apology and without justification. Last

fall this government pledged to provide all British Columbians with a $1,000 grocery

rebate. That commitment was made publicly. It was accounted for in the provincial

budget. It was celebrated by the Premier and his caucus.

Then just like that, it vanished into thin air — not because the province ran out

of money, not because of any legitimate fiscal restraint but because of some vague

reference to U.S. trade pressure. The rebate was announced long before any tariff

threats came into play. Blaming external factors for a broken internal promise is

not just misleading; it’s insulting to those very people counting on that tax relief.

We’re not going to let that slide away easily. That’s why we have urgently brought

forward this amendment, because if this government won’t stand behind its word, then

this Conservative Party of B.C. will. This amendment isn’t complicated at all. It

is not built on bureaucracy. It’s designed to give hard-working British Columbians

a fair break, and it’s built on one principle: that British Columbians deserve better

than empty promises.

They deserve real support today, not tomorrow or next year, while grocery prices are

set at historic highs, while many families are stretching every dollar they have,

and while seniors are choosing between prescriptions and produce. They deserve a government

that puts them first — not special interest groups, not politically connected industries

but real people trying to get ahead in their daily living.

Let’s talk about who this amendment is meant for. Well, it’s for the mom in Maple

Ridge who spends hours daily calculating what she can and cannot afford in the produce

aisles. It’s for the grandparents in Mission who saved for their whole lives, only

to see their pensions swallowed by all kinds of inflation. It is for the welder in

Fort St. John, the teacher in Prince George, the waitress in Victoria and the retiree

in Campbell River.

These are not statistics. They are real people, and they are asking for one simple

thing: tax relief. This amendment gives them that. Let’s not pretend the government

can’t afford it. They have shown no hesitation in handing out tens of millions in

targeted tax breaks to the digital media sector, many of whom reside in downtown Vancouver’s

flashy office towers, while families in 100 Mile House, in Williams Lake, in Kitimat

and in Terrace are cutting meals to keep the lights on.

[1:50 p.m.]

Meanwhile, the government’s broader financial direction is something to worry about.

Deficits are ballooning year after year. Debt is accelerating, and by 2028, this province

will be paying more than $2 million per hour just in interest payments alone. This

is not sustainable at all, yet in the face of this financial storm, this government

chooses to do almost nothing for the ordinary British Columbian, not even delivering

on the one bit of relief they committed to last year.

We, the Conservative Party of B.C., are offering them a second chance, an opportunity

to make it right, to do what they should have done months or even years ago. This

amendment is more than fiscal policy; it’s a statement of values. It tells British

Columbians: “We have got your back covered.” When government overpromises and underdelivers,

we won’t look the other way. We will step up, we will hold them accountable, and we

will propose commonsense solutions that actually make a difference.

British Columbians have lost trust, not because they are cynical but because this

government keeps proving that trust is misplaced. Whether it’s health care, public

safety, education, housing or affordability, this government has let down the people

again and again. Well, this is where it should stop.

This is where the Conservative Party of B.C. comes in and draws a line in the sand.

We are not here for symbolic gestures. We are here to get things done right for the

people who sent us here. We will fight every day for policies that make sense and

make their lives easier, more affordable and more hopeful.

If this government won’t fix their broken promises, we, the Conservative Party of

B.C., will. If they won’t deliver on their commitment, we will. And if they can’t

hear the cries for help from families in this province, we will be their voice, loud

and clear.

This amendment is the first of many commonsense policies we will bring forward, because

British Columbians deserve a government that doesn’t just say the right things but

does the right things. I therefore encourage all members of this House — whether Conservative,

NDP, Green or independent — to support this amendment today, to stand with working

families, to honour the work that was given to them and to send a clear message that

hope isn’t gone in this chamber; it is just changing hands.

Lynne Block : Members of this House and fellow British Columbians, if they are tuning in, I am

here today to speak in favour of this Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment

Act.

I stand before you today not just as a legislator but as a mother and a grandmother

and as someone who has walked the long road of a working-class struggle.

I was raised in a council house in England. For those who are not familiar with what

that is, please read some of the non-fiction works about them. No car. Nobody I knew

ever had a car. No fridge. Just a pantry. No washer or dryer. We dried our clothes

on the clothesline outside or hung them on rails in the kitchen. Definitely no phone.

Definitely no central heating. Just a fireplace that burned coal from our coal shed

out the back.

[1:55 p.m.]

I thought everyone lived like this. I didn’t know any different until we immigrated

to Canada. I remember very clearly how extremely difficult it was for my parents —

my parents who struggled so.

My father, a World War II veteran in North Africa and Italy, fought for democracy.

My mom, in her early 20s, became what they call difficult, because she had to have

a permanently stiff leg. She had physical difficulties, and my father suffered from

PTSD the rest of his life, which was undiagnosed because we didn’t know anything about

it. The pressure that they endured, their anxiety, that stress — it doesn’t leave

you. It’s imprinted for life, and it forms a quiet part of your character. That’s

why I am so grateful for my quality of life that I enjoy today.

But now I see that same struggle today on the faces of people across this province.

From Kamloops to Kitimat, Nanaimo to Nelson, people are falling behind not because

they are lazy or don’t work hard but because this system that they rely on is no longer

working for them.

That’s why this bill matters. The Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment

Act is about….

Deputy Speaker : Member, just a clarification. The discussion on the floor is the amendment to Bill

Lynne Block : Yes.

Deputy Speaker : You mentioned the Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee) Amendment. It’s not that one.

Lynne Block : I beg your pardon. I just thought the whole thing…. My apologies.

This amendment act is about keeping a promise, providing real relief and choosing

to govern with courage and compassion. This legislation will save every single British

Columbian $500 a year through a permanent increase to the basic personal amount, the

tax-free threshold before you begin paying provincial income tax. In a two-income

household, that’s $1,000 in savings every year for good. That’s not a temporary rebate,

not an election season gimmick. This is structured, responsible, ongoing tax relief.

What does $1,000 mean? Let’s see. What does it actually look like in the lives of

British Columbians? That’s three to four grocery trips for a family of four. That’s

a month’s rent supplement for a student or a senior. That’s a full winter coat, new

boots and supplies for your growing child. That’s being able to fill your tank and

still pay the hydro bill. That’s breathing room. That’s dignity.

And yes, this bill also does something else. It corrects a broken promise. You’ll

remember that just last year British Columbians were promised a $1,000 annual grocery

rebate. That promise was made in the heat of an election campaign, and like too many

promises, it was quietly set aside after the votes were counted. We are better than

that.

I know some of the members in this House appreciate the writings of Kahlil Gibran,

so I’d like to quote his words here. As Kahlil Gibran once wrote: “You are the bows

from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark

upon the path of the infinite and bends you with his might that his arrows may go

swift and far.”

When we make a promise to our people, especially our children, we’re bending that

bow. We aim for trust. We aim for stability. We aim for hope. We must not miss the

mark.

[2:00 p.m.]

The media took notice, too, about the NDP election promise, and all of them, amazingly

enough, thought it was a good idea.

Global B.C.: “A policy shift with broad appeal, the grocery rebate guarantee uses

the tax system to avoid bureaucracy and deliver results immediately.”

Vancouver Sun : “A rare moment of clarity in tax policy. Universality makes this proposal both fair

and efficient.”

Then the Tyee : “Opposition says it’s a gimmick” — that wasn’t us then — “but for struggling families,

it’s the difference between groceries or going without.”

This bill is not about ideology; it’s about impact. Now, some critics will say this

tax reduction undermines our ability to fund social programs. They’ll wave the flag

of big government as if that’s the only path to fairness. To them I say: we cannot

tax our way to prosperity. I’ll repeat that: we cannot tax our way to prosperity.

We must empower people to build prosperity themselves.

I do love Margaret Thatcher. What a strong woman, the Iron Lady. She stated that the

problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money, and

she’s so right. This is not austerity; this is balance. This is giving back a portion

of what people already earned.

We’re not cutting services. We’re cutting unfair burdens. We’re giving people tools,

not handouts. Another Thatcher quote I love, because it bears repeating: “Pennies

do not come from heaven. They have to be earned here on earth.” So let’s reward that

effort. Let’s honour the work. Let’s give people back some of what they’ve already

earned.

This is a more collaborative vision that I have. To quote Kahlil Gibran again, who

reminds us of our shared purpose in public service: “You give but little when you

give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” This

is not about numbers on a ledger. This is about giving of ourselves, giving our courage,

giving our conviction, giving our compassion to create policy that lifts people up

without trapping them in dependency.

We must not let ideology blind us to common sense. Who are we fighting for? This is

about the grocery store cashier putting back items at the till. This is about the

senior who cannot afford both her meds and fresh fruit, and we have a lot of them

in my riding. We are talking about the student working nights just to afford a microwave

meal.

Let me be very clear. Tax relief is not a luxury. I’ll repeat: tax relief is not a

luxury. It is a moral responsibility in a time of economic strain. When someone is

working hard, playing by the rules and still falling behind, that is a policy failure,

and we have a duty to correct it. That is important to recognize. Even when someone

is working hard, playing by the rules, paying their taxes and still falling behind,

working two jobs, that is a policy failure, and we have a moral duty to correct it.

Let’s govern with our hearts. This is not the time for delay. This is not the time

for game playing or politics. This is the time for courage and to do the right thing.

As Kahlil Gibran also reminds us: “Progress lies not in enhancing what is but in advancing

toward what will be.” That’s what I’m absolutely encouraging everyone to do today:

advance toward what will be, should be, could be.

[2:05 p.m.]

Let’s stop chasing the past and reminding everybody of past failures. We all have

that. So let’s stop chasing the past. Let’s stop defending broken systems out of habit

— knee-jerk reactions. Let’s embrace the opportunity to do better for everyone.

Growing up in England, I learned that dignity does not come from what you have. It

comes from knowing you’ve done right by others. My parents did not have much, but

they had pride. They had honour. They had integrity. They had compassion. They taught

me to keep my promises, to tell the truth and to never look away when someone is struggling.

That’s why I am here today, and that’s why I support this bill. It does what we said

we’d do. It brings real relief, it respects working people, and it restores faith

in this Legislature. For my colleagues across all parties, across the aisle, in other

rooms…. To my colleagues across all parties, I say: “Let’s stand for integrity. Let’s

stand for relief. Let’s stand for real leadership. Let’s pass this amendment together

and show British Columbians that we not only hear them but that we are truly here

for them.”

Reann Gasper : There’s a difference between being in government and being in leadership. Leadership

is heavier; it requires more than words. Today we have a choice to make that what

we say more about who we are than any political platform or press release could ever….

We are here today because a promise was made and that promise hasn’t been kept. A

$1,000 grocery rebate was pledged to the people of British Columbia — not floated,

not proposed, promised. When a government makes a promise like that, people make plans

around it. They budget for it. They believe in it. They take us at our word, because

if a government’s word doesn’t mean anything, then nothing else does.

When I was campaigning, we knocked on hundreds of doors. There was one particular

door that I knocked on, and a single mother showed up, opened her door. I said to

her, as I did, who I was, what I was doing, and she said to me: “I didn’t even know

there was an election. I’m just trying to raise my daughters, pay rent, buy food.”

We stood there, and we talked, because human to human, you’re a human first, politics

aside. We talked about the struggles, and I said to her: “You’re not alone.” I said:

“I may be going door to door, but I have to worry about how we’re getting food on

the table, how we’re paying the rent. You’re not alone.” So we talked as mothers.

[2:10 p.m.]

When this motion came forward, in my newness to being a member, I actually thought

the other side would be happy. I actually started penning notes to speak to this amendment.

The first lines were: “We have an opportunity to be unified. We have an opportunity

to spread hope. We have an opportunity to actually be true to our word and come together

and see something that benefits not just one person. Everybody in British Columbia

will benefit.”

In my zeal for this motion, I thought everybody would be excited. As I was listening

to the dialogue, I thought: “Okay, well, that’s not our reality, unfortunately.” So

here we are.

People didn’t ask for luxury; they asked for relief. They didn’t demand miracles;

they just asked for what was promised to be delivered. But instead of delivering it,

this government has delayed it, stretched it out, split it up over the next few years

and called it reform. Now families that need help in 2025 are being told it will come

by 2028. That’s not support; it’s a spin. And that’s not how we build trust; that’s

how we burn it.

The bill we’re debating today, the grocery rebate guarantee amendment act, offers

something….

Deputy Speaker : Member, we’re debating the amendment for Bill 5, the amendment under the Budget Measures

Implementation Act. It’s not entitled the Income Tax (Grocery Rebate Guarantee).

Reann Gasper : Okay, sorry. Thank you for that correction.

The amendment offers something real. It provides $500 in direct income tax relief

to every tax-filing British Columbian. That’s $1,000 for a working household — simple,

consistent and immediate. Not abstract relief. Not delayed relief. Actual relief now.

The people of British Columbia know how to spot a pattern. The one they’re seeing

now is familiar: a promise made with urgency, met with delay and delivered without

hesitation. Let’s talk facts. The $1,000 — not sure if I can say this — grocery rebate

was a campaign promise. It made headlines, it showed up in debates, and it helped

win votes. Once the election was over, it disappeared, replaced with a phased-in tax

credit spread over three years, not even close to what was originally promised or

pledged.

Meanwhile, what did happen? Cabinet expanded, new ministerial titles were created,

parliamentary secretaries were appointed, and government payroll increased. That wasn’t

in the platform, and it wasn’t promised to the public, but it happened quickly, quietly,

with zero delay. That is the contradiction that becomes clear. What was promised to

the people was postponed. What was never promised at all was prioritized.

Let’s be honest. The government didn’t need more time to deliver the rebate. It just

gave that time to something else. If you can act swiftly on what benefits your paycheques,

you can act swiftly on what benefits your people. That’s what this bill amendment

is about. It’s not just dollars but dignity. It’s not just relief, but it’s restoring

integrity.

Here’s the hardest truth. If the things you didn’t promise get done faster than the

things you did, that’s not policy; that’s a breach of trust. The people of this province

deserve more than timelines; they deserve follow-through. If we’re not willing to

pass the amendment to this bill, then we should stop pretending we meant it in the

first place, because you don’t get to govern with delays when you’ve campaigned with

urgency. It is not right. It’s never been right.

You cannot campaign and get people riled up to trust you and then not actually deliver

on the very thing that you said you would do. And you certainly don’t get to ask for

trust again if you delivered it when you served it on your side of the table.

[2:15 p.m.]

I’m sorry. I’m super passionate about this. When I stand in this place and I advocate

for families and for children, and I hear an opportunity that we have to actually

make a difference…. It wasn’t our great idea, as my colleague pointed out. It actually

came from the other side. It’s a great idea.

Here we are. We have a choice before us, presented with the amendment this bill that

does what this government said it would do. It delivers $1,000 that British Columbians

were told was coming. Presented with this bill, it keeps the promise, and now we find

out if that promise meant anything. This isn’t about whether we can afford it. It’s

about whether we’re still willing to stand by what we said, even when the spotlight

moves on.

If this House votes no, then let’s be honest with the public that the rebate was useful

as a headline but not important enough to honour. Let’s not insult their intelligence

with more planning language and phase predictions. They’ve heard enough of that. They

don’t want more lines; they want line items delivered.

I say to this House: “You promised. They waited. It’s time to deliver.” You can’t

tell people you’re on their side and then make them stand at the back of the line

when it’s time to deliver. If we fail to pass this bill, let the record show it wasn’t

because the math didn’t work; it was because the will didn’t work.

I believe we still have time to get it right. I believe we still have time to show

the people of this province that our word is still worth something. It is not a sound

bite, it is not a slogan, but it is a commitment.

Let’s pass this bill, let’s deliver the promise, and let’s make sure British Columbians

know we’re not just here to win trust. We’re here to earn it back.

Hon Chan : I rise today to speak in strong support of the amendment to Bill 5, Budget Measures

Implementation Act, 2025 — an amendment that, if passed, would deliver immediate,

meaningful and lasting relief to every single British Columbian.

The amendment reads as follows: “that Bill 5 not be read a second time until the House

amends the basic personal income tax credit, provided in

section 4.3 of the Income

Tax Act, to $22,462.” Let’s be clear. This is not just a technical amendment; it is

a lifeline for many British Columbians.

I rise today to speak not just in favour of this amendment to Bill 5, but on behalf

of millions of British Columbians who are tired of being misled, squeezed and forgotten

by this government. This amendment calls for one simple, powerful change: increase

the basic personal amount under the Income Tax Act to $22,462. What does that mean?

It means putting $500 back into the pockets of every British Columbian who files income

tax. For a two-income household, that’s $1,000 every single year.

Let me be clear. It’s not a handout of money. It’s letting hard-working people keep

more of the money they have already earned. It’s for those who have worked long hours,

picked up extra shifts or held down multiple jobs just to stay afloat. This is their

money, and when they keep more of it, they don’t stack it. They spend it in their

communities, at local restaurants, mom-and-pop stores, child care centres and grocery

stores. This is how you stimulate a local economy.

[2:20 p.m.]

British Columbians are hurting. Inflation is biting. Food prices are out of control.

Interest rates, even though paused just this week, are still much higher than before.

Every time they walk into grocery stores, they feel like they’re being punished for

just trying to live a normal life.

Who is paying the price? Not the billionaires, not the wealthy speculators, not the

NDP ministers, not the NDP spin doctors, not the big corporations they keep rewarding.

It’s the low- and middle-income families, single parents, seniors on fixed incomes,

the backbone of this province, who are paying the price. They’re working harder than

ever and falling further and further behind. They don’t want handouts, but they want

fairness. This amendment delivers that fairness.

Let’s talk about a broken promise and — you know what? — a chance to fix it. During

the last election, this Premier promised British Columbians a $1,000 grocery rebate.

He promised it loudly through glossy ads and big speeches and even press conferences.

People voted for them because of that promise. Arguably, it is the reason why they

can be sitting on that side of the House today.

I recall, just last week, one of the ministers even said: “The Conservatives are going

down.” Well, we have all seen the numbers, and clearly, that minister needs a refresher

on basic facts and math. This NDP lost more than ten seats in the last election, yet

they have a minister claiming that someone else is losing.

This government continues to make claims that are not only misleading but remind me

of an old Chinese saying: mag dai ngan gong dai wa. It means “people spread lies without

even blinking an eye.”

Hon. Speaker….

Deputy Speaker : Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.

Point of Order

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert : The member just alleged in his remarks that lies were spread. It’s completely unparliamentary

language, and I would ask him to withdraw.

Hon Chan : I’m just referring to an old Chinese saying and explaining it means people spreading

lies without even blinking an eye.

Deputy Speaker : Have a seat for a minute.

Member, just a caution to steer away from unparliamentary language — generally we

try to avoid terms such as “lying” in these chambers — and ensure that it’s not directed

to anyone. I’ll just caution you.

Hon Chan : I will be more cautious, even though this is not directly speaking of the other members.

But I will be more cautious.

Debate Continued

Hon Chan : If anyone is going down, like the minister said, it’s not the Conservatives, but

it’s the NDP. This government is not in touch. They’re not grounded in reality.

Most importantly, they’re not keeping their promises. What happened to the $1,000

grocery rebate? After the B.C. election, and before Donald Trump was even elected

in the U.S., that promise was quietly swept under the rug — no apology, no explanation

and no help.

When we were young, our teachers taught us that if you make a promise, you keep it.

And if you can’t keep a promise, just don’t make it in the first place. It’s simple.

This Premier is the head of this province. He’s the leader of the governing party.

He made their promise, he broke it, and now he refuses to even acknowledge it.

To top it off, we’ve got a Finance Minister who, for the first time ever, suddenly

decided to talk about balancing the budget when she was responding to this amendment

yesterday — interesting timing.

[2:25 p.m.]

This government has run a record-breaking $10.9 billion deficit, the highest in British

Columbia’s history. Yes, the NDP made history by piling billions of dollars in debt

onto the back of our future generations.

Let’s be honest here; it’s not $10.9 billion. The real number is closer to $14 billion.

Now they want to lecture us about responsible fiscal management, just yesterday. I’m

sorry, but if this Minister of Finance can’t even do basic math, she should think

twice before giving us a lecture on budgets.

I always find it ironic and, honestly, something I can never quite understand. This

government constantly brags about how well they’re doing, how much extra funding they

have provided, how many projects they have launched, how much work they have supposedly

done, but here’s the simple truth: I have yet to meet a single person who tells me

that life is better today than it was ten or 15 or 20 years ago.

Everyone I speak to tells me the situation of finance has gone downhill. They can’t

afford a car, let alone a house. Our university rankings have dropped. Our business

closure rate is higher than ever before. Emergency room closures are so frequent….

If they are open, the wait time is significantly longer than it used to be.

So I have one simple question. Despite all this hard work and so-called historic funding,

why is everything getting worse? It’s exactly because of these worsening conditions,

because of the real, daily struggles of British Columbians, that we must introduce

this amendment.

This amendment is the antidote to the broken promises and fuzzy math. It’s real, it’s

honest, and it’s effective. By increasing the basic personal amount, we give British

Columbians the breathing room they so desperately need. We give families $1,000 a

year, we put money back into their pockets, permanently, and we do what this government

failed to do: keep their word. I urge every member of this House, especially those

on the other side, to remember why they were first elected.

Anyway, this amendment helps them to fix that broken promise. This is not a one-time

cheque. This is not a flashy campaign gimmick. This is reliable, structural and fair

tax relief that people can count on every single year. During the last election, this

Premier promised every single one of us this $1,000 grocery rebate — a very specific

promise. It was made loudly, and families needed that relief. You know what? They

still do.

The Premier once said, and I quote: “Under our plan, families will get more support,

and you will get it right away. The leader of the Conservatives of B.C. would hand

tax breaks to billionaires and speculators while leaving you waiting for the help

you need now.” Guess what. Let’s take a look around. Who is waiting for help now?

That’s exactly what this Premier is doing — handing out tax breaks to corporations,

giving incentive to lobbyists and wealthy developers, while ordinary families, working

people and small businesses are left struggling.

The facts speak for themselves. Let’s look at the latest MNP consumer debt index conducted

by Ipsos, a respected and credible research firm. Their findings are deeply alarming

and, frankly, they should be a wake-up call for every single member of this Legislature.

Here’s what the report tells us. Some 49 percent of British Columbians do not believe

they can cover their expenses over the next 12 months without going further into debt.

Almost one in two British Columbians are saying: “I can’t afford to live here without

borrowing more money.” Let that sink in. And 46 percent of people surveyed are saying

that they are just $200 away from not being able to pay their bills and debt obligations.

That means if there is an unexpected car repair, a rent increase, a dental bill, it

could push nearly half of the province over the financial edge.

[2:30 p.m.]

Here’s the most chilling statistic. Nearly one-third of British Columbians told Ipsos

that they are already unable to meet their existing financial obligations. Let me

repeat that. A full third of the people in this province are already falling behind.

Let me be very clear about what this amendment delivers. It raises the basic personal

amount, the amount of income you can earn before paying provincial income tax, to

$22,462. It provides $500 in annual tax savings to every British Columbian who files

taxes. For a family of two incomes, it means a $1,000 real relief every single year.

It makes this relief permanent, predictable and fair, so families can actually plan

for their budgets and have peace of mind. Most importantly, it restores the $1,000

groceries rebate that this Premier promised and then broke.

These are real policies for real people. These are for the single mom working two

jobs to make rent, the seniors deciding between groceries and medications, the young

couple trying to start a family but drowning in student loans and housing costs.

These are the people we were elected to help, and this amendment is for them. It’s

good policy, good economics and the right thing to do. Because when families have

a bit more room to breathe, they’re not forced to choose between bills and groceries.

When they can keep more of the money they have earned, they not only feel a little

bit more secure, but they help build a stronger economy, and that’s Team B.C. This

is how we build a province that works for everyone, not just insiders. That’s a Team

B.C. approach.

I say to all members of this House: this is your chance to stand with working families,

seniors, students, small business owners. This is your chance to vote not for a party

line but for a Team B.C. approach, unless you don’t want to stand with British Columbians.

To the members across the aisle, are you really going to look your constituents in

the eye and say: “No, you don’t deserve to keep more of your hard-earned money. No,

you should keep paying more so that the billionaires can get tax breaks. No, you don’t

get relief, but lobbyists do”?

The people of British Columbia are not asking for much. They’re asking for balance.

They’re asking for a little breathing room. They’re asking for you to keep your promise.

Let’s give them the relief they deserve. Let’s pass this amendment. Let’s put British

Columbians first. Let’s be part of Team B.C.

Pete Davis : I rise today with a real sense of urgency, because what we’re debating here in this

House this afternoon is not just a line in a budget. It’s not just an amendment to

a bill. It’s not just another political issue that comes and goes. What we’re debating

is something far more important. It’s about whether this House, this place that belongs

to the people of British Columbia, is finally ready to stand up and deliver real help

to the families who need it most. I’m talking about the families who do everything

right, the ones who work hard, play by the rules, raise their kids with strong values

and try their very best every single day.

They don’t ask for much. They just want a fair shot, a chance to build a good life.

But somehow, despite all their efforts, they’re falling behind. Groceries cost more,

housing is out of reach, and it feels like no one is listening to them.

That’s why I’m here today, not just as an elected official but as a father, a neighbour

and someone who grew up with those same values. I know what it feels like to worry

about making ends meet. I know the pride that comes with providing for your own family

and the pain that comes when you feel like the deck is stacked against you.

[2:35 p.m.]

Today we’re debating whether Bill 5, as it stands, will be allowed to move forward

without addressing the immediate financial strain British Columbians are living under

right now, or whether this House will do the right thing and amend it. The groceries

rebate guarantee amendment we are proposing is simple. I would argue it’s arguably

just that Bill 5 not be read a second time until the House amends the basic personal

income tax credit under

section 4.3 of the Income Tax Act to $22,462.

who files taxes will keep an additional $500 of their own money each and every year.

It means that two-income households will keep $1,000 more in their pockets, not through

a rebate that may or may not come, not through an online application process or a

limited pilot program but automatically, directly and permanently.

That matters. It matters more than many people in this chamber might understand. Because

$500 can mean a lot to many different people in our province. It’s a tank of fuel

to drive to see a parent, a child or a close friend in another town. It’s a difference

between getting into a job site or staying home and being unpaid. It’s the cost of

winter boots for two kids growing faster than their parents’ paycheques. I know how

that is because I’ve got four.

It could be the difference between a Christmas present or having to tell your kids:

“Well, sorry, maybe next year.” It’s a birthday that feels like a celebration instead

of a reminder of the struggle. It’s groceries for the week when the fridge is empty

and the paycheques are still a few days away. It’s heating your home in the middle

of a brutal Kootenay winter, and $500 could mean the difference between holding on

to hope or falling deeper into despair.

I know what it means, because I lived it. I grew up on welfare. I grew up in community

housing. That wasn’t just a political statement; it was my reality. I remember watching

my mother sit at the table in the kitchen late at night, pencil in her hand, bills

spread out, doing the math to see how far she could stretch what little we had. I

can tell you that $500 would have meant everything to her and to me and my brother.

It wouldn’t have meant less worry. It would have meant fewer skipped meals, maybe

one less night of my mom lying awake, wondering how she was going to make things work.

It was hard back then, and if it was hard back then with the prices when they were

lower, when the costs of housing hadn’t spiralled out of reach, when groceries hadn’t

doubled, then today’s families are facing an almost impossible climb. I don’t know

how single parents do it. I really don’t.

In the face of all this, the Premier promised to help. Let’s not forget what was said

during the election. The Premier stood before cameras and said: “People need help

now so they can get ahead. Our tax cut for the middle class supports people now who

are struggling with the high cost of groceries.” The very next day he promised this:

“We’re delivering a $1,000 grocery rebate this year and the year after that and the

year after that.”

Then also a few days later, he doubled down. He said: “Under this plan, families will

get more support, and you’ll get it right away.” The Premier also said that the leader

of the Conservative Party would hand tax breaks to billionaires and spectators while

leaving you wanting for the help you need now.

[2:40 p.m.]

Well, what happened? Where’s the grocery rebate? Where’s the $1,000? Where’s the support

that was supposed to come right away? The answer is very simple. It vanished — gone,

abandoned the moment the ballots were counted.

I think people are tired of this. They’re tired of governments that show up every

four years to make promises they never intend to keep. British Columbians are tired

of hearing, “Help is on the way,” while their fridges are empty and their bills pile

up. They’re tired of polished campaign slogans that fade into dust the second real

leadership is required.

That’s why this amendment to Bill 5 matters so much. This amendment gives us a chance

to make at least one of those broken promises right. It gives us a way to bring back

the grocery rebate not as a gimmick, not as a one-time, pre-election cheque but as

a permanent, principled tax reduction. It lets people keep more of what they earn.

In a time like this, it’s just not good economics. It’s basic decency. Times are tough.

I know this amendment is not going to fix everything. It won’t solve the housing crisis

or lower interest rates. It’s not going to undo years of fiscal mismanagement, but

it’s a start. It’s a start in the right direction. If we can’t even take this step,

what are we all doing here?

Now I want to talk directly to the members across the aisle. I know the pressure from

the party brass might be heavy, but I ask you to think about your constituents. Think

of the parents that you meet in your communities, the young workers, the seniors,

the single-income households, the small business owners that are just trying to make

their businesses stay alive. They’re just trying to keep their doors open.

Ask yourself: “Can I look them in the eye and say I voted against $500 in their pockets?

Can I tell them that I chose political loyalty over their families’ grocery bills?”

I hope not, because that’s what’s at stake here.

My colleagues in this House, like me, represent rural and working-class ridings, the

ridings where paycheques don’t stretch like they used to — it’s everywhere; where

heating costs hit harder; and where people drive long distances to go to work. In

my riding, people drive two hours from their home to go work in the mines. They spend

days away from their families to bring those paycheques home to look after their families,

the people that they love.

I ask you to stand up for your people, the people in your ridings. You know what?

They deserve a break. They were told that they were going to get one, and then it

was taken away. We need to deliver this to our people, to the people of British Columbia,

the people that voted us in here, the people that put us in these seats, the people

that are asking us for help. That’s why we’re here.

Let’s vote for this amendment. Let’s amend Bill 5. Let’s raise the basic personal

income tax to $22,462 and finally give British Columbians what they were promised.

They were promised a tax cut that actually would help. They were promised help. You

know what? We don’t need any more empty promises. They need some reasons to believe

that the people that are sitting in this House care about the people of British Columbia,

that we care about the single moms and that we care about the single fathers.

[2:45 p.m.]

We care about the young people that are just trying to start out, and we care about

the double-income families that are still struggling as well. I can tell you having

four kids is very expensive. The people of B.C. need action. They need relief, and

they need it now.

To all the members in this House today: I urge you to vote with your conscience. Vote

for the people you represent. Please vote to amend Bill 5 and deliver the $500 that

could make all the difference in the lives of the people that elected you and that

you serve.

Korky Neufeld : As the MLA for Abbotsford West, I speak for those who have no voice. Some of them

are marginalized, and many are on the brink of losing their homes. Many are working

day and night at more than one job.

I am speaking to the Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2025, to amend it to say

Bill 5 not be read a second time until the House amends the basic personal income

tax credit provided in

section 4.3 of the Income Tax Act to $22,462. I want to thank

the leader of the B.C. Conservative Party, my leader, the MLA for Nechako Lakes, for

bringing this forward.

This matter is vitally important for families across the province. We all know the

high cost of living, but it’s because of, I think, specifically the crushing burden

that the price of groceries has placed on working people. Now think about that. These

people have jobs, they work, and they can’t buy enough groceries in British Columbia,

Canada.

You know, the one thing that is booming in Abbotsford is the food bank — record number

of people in need, record amount of food being distributed, record number of families,

record number of seniors lining up at the doors. It’s not just in my riding but in

every corner of the province of British Columbia. Families are making impossible choices.

I want to ask everybody who’s listening: have you ever had to make that choice?

I grew up in South Vancouver, 44th and Fraser. That’s where I was raised, in a family

of ten children and my mom and dad. So there were 12 of us living in this three-storey

house. I don’t think I ever had…. Actually, I’ve never had my own bedroom. I was sharing

it with my brothers, and then I got married, and I’m sharing it with my wife, and

she’s got about three-quarters of it, but never mind.

You know what? In our growing-up years, we may not have had new shoes. We may not

have had those jeans that we were hoping for. We may not have had that banana bike.

Remember that bike with the banana seat on it? We never had that. But one thing my

dad made sure of. He worked six days a week, brought home the dollars, and my mom

stretched them. You could hear that dollar screaming down the block for miles because

she stretched every penny out of that, making home-cooked meals, making bread, making

buns.

My mom and dad took their blue Suburban from 44th and Fraser and they drove it down

the highway to Abbotsford to pick up a half a beef. They brought that half a beef

back, and they hung it in our basement. They carved it out and made steaks and beef

and meat for us. Then the next week they’d travel with that same truck all the way

to Abbotsford. They’d pick up flats of eggs, and they’d distribute those flats of

eggs so it could pay for their gas and pay for our eggs. That’s how they made it work.

Imagine having to choose between paying rent and putting nutritious food on the table.

These people are in our communities. These people are our neighbours, choosing between

filling their gas tanks and filling their kids’ lunchboxes, if they’re able to even

have that choice.

[2:50 p.m.]

We have a program that was birthed in Abbotsford. It’s called the starfish pack program.

What it is, is backpacks filled with food, by volunteers and donations, that children

can take home for the weekend. How did this thing start? Well, it started off as a

pilot project with six backpacks, as a response to an Abbotsford teacher’s cry for

help.

The beautiful thing about Abbotsford is that it’s the most generous community in all

of Canada. Well, they stepped up. Word started to spread. Needs became apparent, and

it wasn’t just, all of a sudden, one teacher. Now it became several teachers, and

it moved all across our district. Today it totals 4,419 packs that have been served.

That’s right: 285 schools and over 24 locations around the province. Now it has moved

across the border. Washington state schools have picked it up.

All from one teacher’s cry for help. She saw Johnny walk into the classroom on Monday

morning. Johnny’s stomach was growling. Johnny couldn’t read, couldn’t sit still,

couldn’t write. So she said: “I’ve got to do something about it.” She took money out

of her own pocket. She went and bought groceries. She bought nutritious food, and

she fed Johnny.

You know what? That spread, and that became a much-needed program. But it’s actually

a wake-up call for us. We’re not talking Haiti. We’re not talking Africa. We’re not

talking other countries. We’re talking British Columbia, Canada. The need to feed

is real. The need to feed is real for many British Columbians. The need for tax relief

is now, and the need for tax relief is today.

In this moment of economic pressures, British Columbians deserve more than words.

Words don’t fill the stomach. Words don’t pay the bills. Words don’t fill a gas tank.

They’re just words until they become action. They deserve action; they deserve swift

action. They deserve certain action. In other words, they need to count on this action,

and it has got to be meaningful. It has got to be meaningful to them today, for their

families, for their children.

That’s exactly what this amendment to the bill provides, money in their pockets today

— not out of their pockets daily but into their pockets. The income tax amendment

act is common sense. It’s very compassionate. It’s a powerful response to an urgent,

urgent problem.

Let’s break down the details of this immediate tax relief. As others have said, it

proposes a $500 annual tax break for every British Columbian who files taxes, through

an increase in the basic personal amount, the amount of income exempt from provincial

taxes.

For those of us who may not be tax experts, like myself, let me put it plainly. If

you file income taxes in British Columbia, you can save 500 bucks every single year

under this legislation. It’s not a one-time gift, but you can count on it year after

year, money so desperately needed by so many British Columbians. For a two-income

household, that means $1,000 in tax savings, money that stays in your pocket, where

it belongs.

It doesn’t actually go to some bureaucratic entity in the institution and then eventually

come back to you. This is money that comes right out, up front. What a difference

that could make. It would take the pressure off many people in British Columbia, unlike

the promises that were made and forgotten.

This bill guarantees permanent relief, year after year. This is not a one-time cheque

or a political gimmick or a temporary measure to score points for an election. It’s

a structured tax cut that’ll help people now and today and, more importantly, every

year to come. They can count on it, year after year after year.

How did we get here? Well, let’s remember that this last year, the current NDP government

promised British Columbians a $1,000 grocery rebate. That was actually at the centre,

one of their centrepieces of the campaign. I believe many British Columbians bought

that hook, line and sinker.

[2:55 p.m.]

We have a summer home that my whole family uses up at Mahood Lake, up in the Cariboo,

and I was teaching my grandson how to fish. We were sitting on the dock, and we put

the line out, and then we waited. He looked up at me, and he was wondering what was

taking so long. Then I reminded him: “Well, it’s fishing. It’s not catching.”

Well, this promise caught a lot of people. It gave them hope, thousands of them, so

much so that they voted accordingly. What happened after the election? That promise

vanished into thin air. It was abandoned, discarded like yesterday’s news. This bill

rectifies that broken promise. In fact, it fulfils it. But more than that, it strengthens

it, because it’s not one time. It’s each year for taxpaying British Columbians — each

year. It’s not a temporary rebate.

It delivers permanent savings through the tax system. That means you don’t have to

wait for a cheque to arrive in the mail sometime. You don’t have to wonder if the

government will change their minds. How often has that happened, especially in the

last eight years? This relief is built into your income tax, where it’s reliable,

automatic and immediate.

This Premier himself has said: “People need relief now.” We would agree. That’s why

our leader brought this forward, because we’ve heard it time and time again. If you

knocked on doors, I’m sure you heard it.

This amendment does exactly that. It gives relief to the single mom earning minimum

wage. Many of them, working two or more jobs, still can’t make a go. I mean, you used

to get a part-time job above your normal job so you could buy extra toys and extra

holidays and do extra things with it. It was a choice you made. This is not a choice

anymore. People are working two jobs because they have to, because they can’t make

ends meet. They’re doing it to survive.

To the small business owners scraping by…. I don’t know if you’ve talked to a small

business owner lately. The costs are increasing.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Welcome to the chair. I appreciate you being here. I’ll try to say “Mr. Speaker” instead

of “Madam Speaker,” but forgive me if I do.

There are increased costs for a small business, costs that they’re not getting any

benefits from. I think most businesses would say: “I don’t mind paying costs for something

if I get something in return.” But they see it going into thin air year after year

after year.

They have safety issues. I know of a person in Abbotsford who has had a business in

Abbotsford for over 30 years. He’s closing his doors. He’s moving. Why? Because every

day he has got to clean up in front of his shop because it’s dangerous with needles.

It’s full of feces; it’s full of vomit. And he’s the one cleaning it up. He never

asked for that. Workers don’t want to stay there late because it’s not safe. He’s

closing his doors. And I’m sure there’s more than just one business owner with those

issues.

Then the retired people are watching every dollar. This is probably the most painful

part of all. It’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to see seniors, who have built this

province, who have built this country, begging for food.

Our Abbotsford homeless camp…. I walked through there. Yes, there are families with

kids. They’ve actually carved out a little area for a playground. They’re trying to

make a community out of it, some living in their cars, some living in a camper. Then

there are seniors. They can’t afford to live anywhere else. That’s where they’re living.

They have paid taxes their whole life.

[3:00 p.m.]

It gives relief to tens of thousands of British Columbians who are just $200 away

from not being able to pay their bills. We’re not saying it’s a handout like the promise

in the election was. We’re proposing fairness for all. We’re proposing dignity for

working people who do their part and deserve a break. They are working harder today,

longer hours today but still fall behind. They run out of money before they run out

of month.

Now, I’ve heard the Premier say that their plan supports people right away while accusing

us, or our leader, of making people wait. I’d like to ask the members across the aisle:

what is the definition of “right away?” More importantly, British Columbians would

like an answer to that. What does the word “right away” mean? Well, who’s making British

Columbians wait now, wait today, wait tomorrow?

Let’s be honest with British Columbians. The NDP did not deliver on their $1,000 rebate.

It was nothing but just talk. They said: “A $1,000 tax cut the year after that, and

the year after that.” But where is it? Well, there’s nothing this year, there’ll be

nothing next year, and there’ll be nothing the year after that. That’s what they got.

Families need help this year, not a maybe promise for some time in the future, if

it ever comes.

This Premier says he stands on the side of everyday people. Well, Mr. Premier, everyday

people in British Columbia are still waiting. No more empty promises. No more excuses.

With this amendment, relief is here. It is real, it is lasting, and it is fair. This

will mean the difference for many, many British Columbians — to many feeding their

families, not having to make those unthinkable choices for themselves or their families.

I ask all members of this House, regardless of party affiliation, to look beyond partisanship

and think about the people we serve. Think about the parents packing their school

lunches — for those who can. Many cannot. For the seniors counting their pennies,

the families trying to build a future, this amendment is not about scoring political

points; it’s about doing the right thing. It’s about trust. It’s about keeping promises.

Above all, it’s about delivering relief to those who need it most.

Let us do what we are elected to do: serve the people of this province. Maybe this

term is outdated, but we are public servants, not party servants, not our riding’s

servants. We are public servants. We can never, ever forget that. All British Columbians

— urban, rural, large, small communities — will benefit from this. I urge all members

to support this bill. Let’s give British Columbians the tax relief they deserve, the

support they were promised and the dignity that they’ve earned.

I want to spend some time on that word “dignity.” Dignity is a real issue. If you’ve

been around your community and you’ve seen the hardships, seeing adults at homeless

camps, lined up at food banks…. Good people. Many of them are working, but they’re

walking around with broken spirits, unable to make ends meet. They are ashamed because

they can’t meet their own needs, never mind the needs of their family.

[3:05 p.m.]

I’ve witnessed this firsthand, talking to these people, looking them in the eyes,

and it’s gut-wrenching. This would relieve some of that. We can restore the dignity

by supporting this income tax amendment act.

I would encourage every person in this House to think soberly about this before you

stand or don’t stand. I would encourage you, however you vote, in this week of Easter

season, to go to some of those hard places. Go to the Salvation Army. Go to the local

camps, maybe some homeless people, and ask yourself the question: what would $500

mean to them today? It would make a huge difference.

I thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Larry Neufeld : I rise today, proud to represent the people of Peace River South. I’m even more proud

to speak in strong support of this amendment to Bill 5, an amendment that embodies

what good governance ought to be — practical, principled and people-focused. What

we have before us is not just a line item in a budget or a policy change. It is a

statement. It says to British Columbians: “We hear you, we see you, we understand

the pressures you’re under, and we believe that you should keep more of what you earn.”

This amendment proposes raising the basic personal amount, the amount of income you

can earn before paying income tax, to $22,462. What does that mean for working British

Columbians? What that means for working British Columbians is $500 back in their pockets

each and every single year. For couples, that’s $1,000.

I don’t know about the other members in this chamber, but I can tell you an extra

$1,000 in my pocket is something special, and it’s something that I would certainly

appreciate to have.

Unlike some flashy campaign promise, this amendment discusses a change that is not

a one-time cheque. It is permanent. It is dependable. It is something you can count

on year after year, when you’re looking at saving for your child’s education, when

you’re looking at saving for your future, when you’re looking at paying the basic

bills of everyday life. It is dependable, and it can be counted on. That predictability

is powerful.

Let me tell you something. In Peace River South, $500 is not just spare change. It

is a winter heating bill. It’s hockey equipment for a growing child. It’s groceries

for a month. Well, I don’t know if it necessarily is nowadays, depending on the size

of your family. I will admit that my wife does the grocery shopping, and I suspect

$500 probably doesn’t do it for two of us. But it would go a long way. Even more so,

if you shop smart and make every dollar stretch, like so many of our families do,

that $500 or $1,000 per couple would go so much further.

Let me walk you through what the $500 really means in communities like Dawson Creek,

Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge and all the small communities in between. It means that a

working mom can afford healthy food options without choosing between milk or meat.

It means a family does not need to delay buying boots for their kids or repairing

the old truck that dad gets to work with during icy winter mornings. Having lived

in the North my entire life and worked the last 30 of those on icy winter mornings,

I can tell you that’s a real thing, without question.

[3:10 p.m.]

It further means that seniors can turn the heat up when the temperature dips below.

Grandma doesn’t need to sit there until her fingers bleed, knitting, crocheting and

sewing blankets in order to stay warm. To those of you that have not been to my wonderful

region, I can tell you for a fact that we do get minus 40, and that’s minus 40 Celsius

— which is the same difference, Fahrenheit or Celsius. That’s where the scale meets,

and minus 40 is cold.

That does happen where I live, and denying someone the basic human ability to heat

themselves is something that I don’t want to do and that I don’t want to be a part

of. What this amendment to Bill 5 does is to allow that senior to turn the heat up

without worrying about how they’ll afford the next hydro bill, the next Fortis bill,

the next Pacific Northern Gas bill or any other main cost of living, on a monthly

basis.

Furthermore, this amendment to Bill 5 means dignity, it means peace of mind, and it

means restoring a bit of the breathing room that so many in our region have lost over

the past few years.

Yes, my region has, in the past, been wealthy through the extraction and production

of oil and gas. That is not what it once was, and I can tell you I’ve met with an

awful lot of people that are not in the situation, financially, that they were a decade

ago. This amendment to the bill, I believe, would go a long way to again allowing

those folks to sleep better at night and to have more peace of mind.

Let us think even bigger about what this means for a community. In Peace River South,

when families have more to spend, that spending does not go to faceless corporations.

Yes, absolutely, we do have Amazon deliveries, we do have everything that has been

talked about in this House, but I can tell you that the wonderful, hard-working people

of my region do go out of their way to shop locally. It goes to the local butcher

— his name is Fred, a great guy; and the baker on Main Street. Her name is Julie,

an equally great individual; I quite enjoy her time.

It also goes to the family-run hardware store, not to mention the amazing.... I don’t

know if I’m allowed to say it in this speech, but we do have an amazing hunting and

gunsmithing shop in town. I guess if they see this, maybe they’ll get a little bit

of a shout-out from it. It’s actually so fantastic that it does attract people from

across the border and from across the northern part of this province.

In addition, the $500 that is provided from this amendment to Bill 5 supports a more

self-reliant, more resilient British Columbia. It’s not just for my region; it is

for everyone in this province. It empowers people to make their own choices. How can

you argue with giving someone dignity and the ability to make their own choices?

It empowers them to invest in their own families. It’s just an incredible thought:

to be able to invest in your own children, in your extended family, in your ability….

I’ve had the fantastic ability in my life to be able to support my relatives. I can

tell you that that feels incredible. I believe that the amendment to Bill 5 will go

a long way in helping others within British Columbia to do the same. It really does

warm the heart. I can tell you that for a fact.

The amendment to Bill 5 allows individuals to support their own communities. As I

spoke to earlier, in my wonderful region, people do go out of their way to shop local.

I encourage them to do so, and they’ve been fantastic at doing it. When you go down

and you talk to the butcher…. Again, we have a fantastic meat-packing plant; we have

an incredible set of people that work there.

When you buy local, the money stays in town. It goes to the wages of those individuals.

Those individuals send their kids to hockey, to dance, to judo, to many, many, many

different events, and it’s really heartwarming to see the benefit of that local money

staying in town. In my estimation and in my very firm belief, that’s exactly what

the amendment to this bill does: to allow that money to stay local. I think that’s

an incredibly powerful thing. It’s the kind of bottom-up growth that we should be

promoting.

[3:15 p.m.]

I think everyone in this house would agree that this province needs some economic

stimulus and needs the people at home to be making more of their own decisions. They

need to be able to make….

I’ve said that incredibly many times on the campaign trail. I feel very firmly that

the individual knows how to spend their money better than I do. They do. They know

their needs; they know their wants. They know what their children need; they know

what their children want. Who am I to stand here in this place of honour and pretend

that I know better than they do on how to spend their money?

Why do we need this amendment now? It’s because people are hurting, there’s no question

— not just in cities, not just in the Lower Mainland, but in particular in our northern

communities, our rural communities, on our farms and in our small businesses. It’s

not just the very poor that are suffering. It’s the middle-class families who have

been pushed to the brink — to the brink. It’s small business owners who cannot make

payroll.

I can attest. I have been a small business owner, a medium-sized business owner for

20-odd years. The stress of trying to go to sleep at night, when payroll is the next

day and you’re 90 to 120 days behind on receivables, is palpably real.

That is incredibly real because you are responsible for the livelihoods, the ability

of your staff to make their mortgage payments, to make their car payments, to be able

to pay their gas bill. The weight of that will keep a person of conscience awake all

night long. And you need to be back in that desk the next day earning and bringing

more work in so that those individuals can work.

The weight of that is incredible. Until a person has experienced it…. I don’t believe

that I could fully explain it. Again, a person of conscience would have an exceptionally

difficult time sleeping at night with that weight of: does that bank account actually

have enough money to make payroll the next day? It’s an incredibly powerful feeling,

and it’s not a positive feeling.

In addition to the small business owners, it’s young couples who can’t save for a

down payment because groceries eat up every last cent. I have three adult children,

and I’m very proud. I think I should have announced it in this place of honour that

my wife and I have been blessed with our first grandchild. So I have three adult children

and a grandchild. I can tell you one of the first things that comes out of my adult

children’s mouths is: “I don’t think I will ever own a home.” To me, that saddens

my heart. It truly does.

I believe that the amendment to Bill 5 will in fact assist in that direction. Again,

it will free up more equity or more ability for these young individuals to save for

that down payment.

A recent study said that nearly half of Canadians are just $200 away from being able

to make their monthly bills. Again, I believe that I have…. I don’t say that with

shame in any way whatsoever, but I believe that I have said in this House that I grew

up below the poverty line. I did. I grew up in a family where…. I’m not exaggerating,

but we, not literally, were able to push two nickels into a quarter because we simply

had to, to survive.

I can tell you that $200, $500 is…. The thought of having the heat turned off, the

thought of having the electricity removed…. It’s incredibly weighing on the mental

health of an individual. We’ve talked about the $200 away from not being able to meet

their monthly bills. Again, I’ve experienced that. They’re moments away from crisis.

They’re moments away from losing their ability to survive with dignity. It’s a sad,

sad situation.

That $200 is not just a number. It absolutely is not a number. That $200 is a neighbour

in Pouce Coupe. It’s a single mom in Tumbler Ridge. It’s a welder in Dawson Creek

who just got laid off and is stretching every last dollar to pay his gas bill so that

he doesn’t freeze.

[3:20 p.m.]

I had a lady come into my MLA office shortly before I came down this week. As other

members of this House would know, it’s heartbreaking to hear the stories of how devastating

the suffering is for people in this province. It’s devastating. It hurts to hear the

pain that these people are going through.

Our inability, as elected officials, to help to the level that they deserve, the level

that we want to help, is painful. As a human being, that’s painful not to be able

to help. Again, the amendment to Bill 5, I do believe, will go a long way to assist

in that help. I believe that that’s something that’s very important.

Again, we talked about the neighbour in Pouce Coupe. We’ve talked about the single

mom in Tumbler Ridge, the welder in Dawson Creek. These are real people; they are

not statistics. They are real people that are doing their best, and because of circumstances

beyond their control, they are not making it, or they are within $200 of being on

the street.

These are the families who wake up before dawn to get their kids ready. Any of us

that have had small children that have ever been in any kind of sporting event absolutely

would know what I’m talking about. These are the families that drive long distances

to go to work.

Having worked in the northeast for the last, well, again, more years than I should

probably admit, I would suggest that driving four hours plus to a jobsite, one way,

is a real thing. It absolutely is. That’s very real. Try doing that at minus 40 when

you’re packing extra fuel in the back of the truck to make certain that you’re not

going to freeze to death on the side of the road. That’s very real where I live. That

is incredibly real where I live.

These people of incredibly strong constitutions still have the energy to volunteer

in their communities. I volunteer in a number of very prominent groups in my community,

and I’m incredibly impressed and incredibly proud of what those individuals accomplish.

I do believe, again, that the amendment to Bill 5 will be a very powerful thing to

help those community groups, because that’s the $20 a month that the single mom was

giving to the Lions or giving to…. I don’t know if I’m allowed to give…. Am I allowed

to give names of different groups, to various charitable not-for-profits? I believe

that that is going to make a significant difference.

Again, that’s the difference between hockey school…. That’s the difference between

so many different things. When we think back, those of you that may or may not have

grey hair like I, to the times when your children were young…. I had three children

in diapers at the same time. That’s a second job. You need a second job to do that.

That’s just incredible. Imagine what this extra $1,000 per couple would do.

Again, the people of my area are…. I couldn’t be more proud. I couldn’t. I could try,

and I will try, but I could not be more proud. They are the hardest-working, most

resilient…. Very many of them are entrepreneurial. We were the economic…. I don’t

know if I could say economic capital of the province, but certainly, we had an economic

boom a number of years ago. We attracted talent, economic talent, raw talent from

across this country.

I am proud to call many of those people my friends. I can tell you that they are talented

because they work incredibly hard. They do not want handouts. They want the ability

to work, and they want the ability to survive.

I have said this many times during the campaign, and I have also said it during various

events that I’ve attended in Vancouver. I started my first business 20 years ago,

and given the circumstances in this province today, I truly, truly do not believe

that I would be able to do that again today. That business has employed many dozens

of people. It has paid incredible taxes. It has paid commercial taxes. It’s provided

money for personal income taxes.

[3:25 p.m.]

It’s incredible to me at why, 20 years later…. Well, again, my grey hair, and I don’t

know that I should be saying those big, big numbers…. It’s incredible to me, and it’s

disappointing. It is disappointing to me that my daughter, who followed me through

engineering to take the same program that I did, would not have the same opportunity

in this province that I did.

I moved to this province from Alberta. I was scoffed at; I was teased. It was suggested

to me that there was something wrong with me because I was moving the wrong direction.

Well, I chose British Columbia. I wasn’t forced here; I chose it.

I moved from a very vibrant city, a very wealthy city in Alberta. I started my first

business, and it was successful, because again, the entrepreneurial spirit of the

people in my region is exceptional. It’s really something that…. Well, again, I’ve

said it more than once, and if I can get the indulgence of the members of this House,

I’ll repeat it once again.

I am exceedingly proud, exceedingly proud of the people of my region, and there are

a great many reasons why. The people of my region, again, do not want handouts. They

don’t want government programs layered in bureaucracy. They want the ability to work

hard and create an equitable living for their families. They want fairness. Who doesn’t?

Who doesn’t want fairness? They want to be respected for their hard work.

I’ve lived in the North my entire life. I’ve lived in northern Saskatchewan, I’ve

lived in northern Alberta, and I’ve lived in northern British Columbia. And I can

tell you, well, first and foremost, as a westerner…. I’m sure we all have experienced

the sense of alienation when it comes to federal politics, but triple that or quadruple

that when you’re a northerner. We’re not heard. We don’t seem to count, and our needs

don’t seem to be taken into account.

Back to the Bill 5 amendment. It’s going to go a long way to help with the grocery

bill, as we’ve already talked about. It’s going to go a long way to help putting fuel

in the tank of your vehicle. It’s going to go an incredibly long way to helping with

the utilities, your insurance, everything.

I don’t know if anyone here has actually had a reduction in the rates of any of the

things that I’ve just listed, but I certainly haven’t. And this $1,000 per couple,

$500 per person would go a very long way to help with those day on day on day constant

increases in the cost of living.

And while people are juggling these rising costs, this government has the audacity

to break a major promise. Do you remember it? I do. Last year, just before the election,

the NDP promised a $1,000 annual grocery rebate. They said help was on the way. They

stood in front of the cameras, made the pledge and asked for trust. And then? Nothing.

That promise disappeared faster than a litre of milk in a family of five. That is

disappointing.

I would suggest that British Columbians have noticed. The people that I represent….

If I brag too much more, I might get run out of this wonderful place of honour on

a rail by my colleagues. I don’t know, but I don’t think I ever will stop bragging

about the wonderful people of the South Peace. The people that I represent are straight

shooters. They are hard-working, salt-of-the-earth, straight-shooting people.

In Peace River South, your word still means something. When you shake someone’s hand,

it means something. We don’t sit down and write contracts. I own some farmland there.

When I lease out my land to the neighbour for him to graze his cattle and to take

the bales off it, we don’t sit down and write a contract. I don’t have to have it

notarized. I don’t have to have it witnessed. When you shake a hand in my region,

it means something, and that’s part of why I’m so incredibly proud to be from there.

The people of that area…. Again, I’ve described their character. If you say you’re

going to do something, you do it. If you don’t, you’re going to be held to account

by your neighbours and by the people that you’re working with. And if something goes

wrong, as with myself, you own it, you apologize, you fix it, and you illustrate how

this isn’t going to happen again.

[3:30 p.m.]

This amendment is about doing what the government would not. It’s about keeping a

promise that they broke. But we’re doing it in a conservative way, one that trusts

people, not bureaucracy. We’re not introducing a new program with overhead, red tape

and criteria that leave people behind. We’re just raising the basic personal amount

so that everyone who files a tax return gets the same fair shot — no gimmicks, no

forms, just more of your own money staying in your own hands. What an incredible thought.

Now, critics will ask: can we afford this? I would ask in return: can we afford not

to? When people are drowning in rising costs, doing nothing is not an option. Tax

relief is not a loss; it’s a gain. It’s an economic stimulus that actually works.

Why? It’s because people don’t hoard it. They spend it in local stores, at small businesses

in their communities.

Would you rather have government sitting…? Oh, I’m not going to read that.

Let’s talk about that mother that I spoke about previously. I met someone like her

not long ago. She works two part-time jobs. Her husband was in construction, but the

work has slowed. Their daughter is in grade 5. It was a heart-wrenching experience.

It was a sad story.

They do everything right. They budget carefully, they volunteer at the school, and

they volunteer with the Rotary club. But they are one unexpected repair, one dental

bill, one flat tire…. Name any of 50,000 different things that could happen to any

of us on any given day that would create an increased expense in our lives. They’re

one of those incidents away from real trouble.

I don’t know how many members in this House have ever had to fear for their ability

to put a roof over the head of their family or their children. I can tell you that

that is a gut-wrenching, incredibly soul-sucking experience.

What would that extra $1,000 for that family mean? It would mean food security. It

would mean peace of mind. It would mean a weekend away that they haven’t had in….

Well, it says three years, but where I grew up, that was ten. The weekends didn’t

exist. That’s when you worked.

I can say for a fact that this amendment matters. It really does. That $1,000 is real.

For families that are $200 away from crisis, $1,000 is real. It matters. I want to

emphasize that this is not just a rural issue. It’s a British Columbia issue. Out

in Peace River South, where the distances are long and the winters are cold, it hits

especially hard. I talked about the minus 40. I talked about the incredible challenges

that we have in that region. This $1,000 is real. To many or most of the people in

my area, it’s incredible.

Driving from Tumbler Ridge to Fort St. John for a medical appointment is not optional.

What do you do if you don’t have $150 to fill up the tank in your vehicle nowadays?

What do you do when you have to get your child to that medical appointment from Tumbler

Ridge to Fort St. John and you don’t have that $150?

The other thing that I would suggest…. I’ve already talked about the cold. Can you

imagine trying to choose whether to heat your home in January? I’ve done it in my

youth, when I was close to this situation. You turned the heat down, and you wore

long underwear in the house. You make choices. You have nothing to…. You have to make

those choices.

[3:35 p.m.]

In the region of Peace River South, we pay more because of geography. This amendment

to Bill 5 is one small way to level the playing field.

Let’s be honest. People are losing faith. They’re losing faith in politicians, in

institutions, in promises made from podiums. It is our job to restore that trust.

That starts by keeping our own promises and calling out broken ones. It also means

proposing solutions that make sense — conservative solutions. We believe in self-reliance,

in rewarding work and in small government that respects the taxpayer. This amendment

to Bill 5 checks all of those boxes.

You know, I often hear from constituents who say government just doesn’t get it. I

actually do hear that quite often. They think every problem needs a program, but the

truth is most people just want to be left alone. They want to be left alone to work

hard, to raise their kids and to have a fair shot at getting ahead. This amendment

does that. It respects the taxpayer. It trusts the individual.

Donegal Wilson : I rise today in firm support of the amendment, referred to as: “Bill 5 not be read

a second time until the House amends the basic personal income tax credit provided

section 4.3 (1.1) of the Income Tax Act to $22,462.” This is not as a partisan

talking point, but as a matter of principle and a matter of people for B.C.

British Columbians were promised a $1,000 grocery rebate in last year’s election —

not hinted at, not vaguely discussed. promised. It was announced with fanfare, with

urgency. The Premier himself said people couldn’t wait for the tax break and that

relief was needed now. They used words like “immediate support” and “affordability

crisis.” They told seniors, single parents, working families and low-income British

Columbians that help was on the way in the form of a $1,000 grocery rebate.

Then the election was over. They walked away. An announcement came that it had been

cancelled. They just quietly let the promise disappear and hoped no one would notice.

Well, I can tell you that the people in Boundary-Similkameen noticed.

Now, I want to be clear. The Conservative Party of B.C. saw the need for relief for

British Columbians, which is why we included the tax break in our election platform.

At the time, this government said that British Columbians could not wait that long,

that our plan was not good enough, that people needed it immediately, and that is

why they were going to provide a $1,000 rebate immediately.

They also promised to follow our lead and remove the carbon tax, which we did on March

31. We need to remember that both of those promises were made at a point in time where

this government said they were $7 billion in debt. To have the minister stand in the

House yesterday and say that we simply cannot afford to honour that promise…. We knew

we couldn’t afford that promise when it was made in October.

While they are deflecting and saying that Trump is the reason we cannot afford this

rebate, they also tabled a budget that shows an increase in government revenue. Which

one is it, that the government expects lost revenue due to Trump tariffs or that this

budget really is a fudge-it budget, made-up numbers that don’t make sense?

When you make a promise of that magnitude during an affordability crisis, when you’re

billions of dollars in debt, you owe the people an explanation of why you made that

promise that you had no intention of keeping. To have this government now speak out

against this amendment, when they could support and honour their commitment to the

people of British Columbia by supporting it….

For the people in my riding of Boundary-Similkameen, I’m speaking up in support of

this amendment to provide them with a $500-per-person rebate and $1,000 per family.

This rebate will come as a tax relief, not something they need to apply for — no government

bureaucracy. It is what is needed.

[3:40 p.m.]

For some, $1,000 may not seem like a lot, but in rural B.C., that’s the difference

between eating fresh or eating boxed. It’s the ability to fill your gas tank, to say

yes to that school field trip, to replace shoes that have holes in them.

Here’s the thing: this wasn’t our promise. The Conservative Party of British Columbia

didn’t float a headline and then pull it back. We promised this relief through tax

cuts — predictable, stable and honourable policy. It was this government that said

that wasn’t good enough. They said British Columbians needed help faster, that families

were desperate, so they offered direct cash. They made the promise because they knew

the need. They broke the promise because they hoped we would forget. But we have not

forgotten.

We are here today with this amendment to make good on that broken word, to honour

the commitment they made, even if they won’t, and to stand for families, seniors and

small business owners who built this province and now find themselves slipping behind.

This amendment is about bringing that $1,000 back to the table. More than that, it’s

about restoring faith in leadership. It’s about demonstrating that when a promise

is made, it must be kept. If we want British Columbians to trust their institutions,

to vote and to believe in public service, we must show them that their voices matter,

that their hardships are seen and that this government doesn’t say one thing before

the election and do another the minute the cameras are off.

Let’s be honest. Rural British Columbians already feel they’re at the back of the

line. They see billions being spent while rural B.C. falls further behind. They hear

about affordable housing while their neighbours live in campers in the winter. They’re

told about equity and inclusion, but not when it comes to infrastructure dollars,

hospital closures or cell service providers.

When a $1,000 promise that could have actually made it to the front pages…. For once,

they felt seen. They saw that headline and they thought: “They see me.” And then they

weren’t. It just disappeared, and they were left behind. Let’s talk about the real-world

value of $1,000, because for many in this House, it’s easy to lose perspective. In

rural B.C., $1,000 isn’t abstract. It isn’t spare change in the couch. It is survival.

In towns like Rock Creek, Tulameen or Midway, $1,000 is ten tanks of fuel, and those

aren’t for pleasure trips. That’s the drive to town to work, as there are not enough

jobs locally. It’s taking their child to a medical appointment in Kelowna, because

there are no specialists that service our area. It’s to get groceries from the only

store, which might be 50 kilometres away, or to help a neighbour bring feed to livestock

because they had crop failure last year.

When the tank is empty, the economy stops. Kids don’t get to school. Farmers can’t

move equipment. Parents miss shifts. Seniors cancel appointments. Gas isn’t a line

item for rural B.C.; it’s the foundation of everything else.

Now walk with me through a small-town grocery store. Imagine a mother with two kids

standing in front of the produce section. The apples are $4.99 a bag, the imported

applesauce is $1.29 a tin, the milk is nearly $7 a jug, and the boxed cereal is twice

what it was last year. She does the math, she calculates the shelf life, and she chooses

the cheapest but not the healthiest.

That $1,000 would change her choices. It would mean carrots instead of frozen fries,

fresh ground beef instead of another night of noodles, and yogurt and bananas for

the lunch kits — maybe even juice boxes for the first time in months.

Let’s not forget the local producers, orchardists, ranchers and small farms. When

families can afford to buy B.C. grown, they do. That money supports jobs and keeps

B.C. food on B.C. tables. So yes, that rebate will help the family, but it would also

help the grower down the road who’s been barely hanging on. That’s why I support this

amendment.

Come August, families in Boundary-Similkameen aren’t vacationing; they’re budgeting.

Back-to-school costs aren’t just pencils and paper anymore. They need scientific calculators,

headphones, indoor and outdoor shoes, specific brand-name binders and clothing that’s

going to fit growing kids. I met a family in Cawston last summer who had three kids

in school. They expected to spend over $600 on supplies, and that didn’t include clothing

or food for their lunches.

That $1,000 means that each child has the tools they need to learn. They show up proud,

not embarrassed, and they get the same start as everyone else. That’s not just economic;

that’s social inclusion.

Beyond school, that rebate helps with a proper winter jacket in Greenwood, where temperatures

drop well below freezing, or new running shoes in Keremeos, where the gravel roads

tear through shoes, or laundry money for a family living in a rental that doesn’t

have a washer and dryer.

[3:45 p.m.]

These things add up, and without support, families just start cutting corners. That

is where this amendment can provide real support to the people of Boundary-Similkameen.

What happens when there is just a little bit left over? A child in Osoyoos might finally

get to join a soccer team. A family in Christina Lake might buy a paddleboat to enjoy

some family time. A teenager in Oliver might be able to get a cell phone that provides

communication for his family in rural B.C. — small moments but big for mental health,

big for confidence and big for community connection. That $1,000 doesn’t just patch

holes; it provides hope. That’s what this amendment does.

When we talk about affordability, we often focus on bills, groceries, rent and utilities.

Those are important, but true affordability also means the ability to care for your

health, maintain your mental well-being and live a life that feels worth living. The

cost of doing nothing, of allowing people to slip through the cracks, is far greater.

In Keremeos, a retired woman in her early 60s was advised by her doctor to exercise

more. Her blood pressure was up, her arthritis was flaring, and she was feeling socially

isolated. What options did she have? The local rec centre charges a monthly fee, walking

is hard without proper shoes, and a basic gym pass in Keremeos is out of reach when

you’re choosing between groceries and prescriptions.

Now imagine that same woman with $1,000 in her family’s pocket. She buys decent runners,

a punch pass to the pool this summer and the gym next winter and a reflective jacket

so that she feels safe walking in the early morning hours. She doesn’t just improve

her fitness; she reconnects. She makes friends. She gets stronger. She sleeps better.

She doesn’t end up in the ER with a fall that could have been prevented. That’s what

$1,000 can do and why I support this amendment.

is stressful. They feel disconnected, and there’s nowhere to go, nothing to do, no

outlet. I know; I grew up there. The parents use the rebate to buy a mountain bike.

Suddenly this young person is out exploring the trails, riding with a friend, getting

fresh air and feeling strong. They’re not cured, but they’re coping. They’re outside.

They’re moving. They’re healing quietly, steadily and naturally.

In Osoyoos, a single parent who works two jobs get