Fourth Session, 42nd Parliament

(2023) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 326

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Blessings and Acknowledgments

S. Alphonse

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill M223 — Control of Foreign Funding and Electoral Influence Act

T. Stone

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

R. Merrifield

Resilient rural economies and role of place in government policy-making

R. Russell

Economic Development Week and support for small business

L. Doerkson

Union Cooperative Initiative and community economic development

J. Routledge

Graduates of 2023 in Kootenay East area

T. Shypitka

Arts and culture in Vancouver–West End

S. Chandra Herbert

Oral Questions

Management of B.C. Housing and government funding for Atira property services

K. Falcon

Hon. R. Kahlon

B.C. Housing communications with Atira property services on status of Atira senior executives

M. de Jong

Hon. R. Kahlon

Independent oversight of conservation officer service

A. Olsen

Hon. M. Farnworth

Management of B.C. Housing and government funding for Atira property services

K. Kirkpatrick

Hon. R. Kahlon

S. Bond

T. Stone

Reports from Committees

Children and Youth Committee, annual report,

2022-23

J. Sims

M. Bernier

Petitions

C. Oakes

Motions Without Notice

Permission for Indigenous leaders to address the House

Hon. R. Kahlon

Orders of the Day

Blessings and Acknowledgments

E. Reid

Address by Indigenous Leaders

J. Alsop

Third Reading of Bills

Bill 18 — Haida Nation Recognition Act

Hon. M. Rankin

M. Lee

A. Olsen

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2023

The House met at 10:07 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Blessings and Acknowledgments

Mr. Speaker: I invite Elder Shirley Alphonse of the T’Sou-ke Nation to lead the

House in prayer or reflection.

S. Alphonse: Creator, Great Spirit, thank you for today as we gather here in the

Legislature together with the Chiefs and council and community members of

our Haida Gwaii nation to celebrate and stand with them as they move forward

in self-governance.

May your community know success in all endeavours.

May your community be of one mind, one spirit, in all that you do for

the sake of your people, for the sake of your children to the seventh

generation, so that they inherit a Haida Gwaii that thrives in peace and

harmony with one another and with Mother Earth. Mother Earth holds all the

goodness and blessings of the waters, the lands, the mountains, the forests,

the creatures of land, sea and sky in Haida Gwaii.

May the ancestors smile down on you today and every day as a governing

body of Haida Gwaii, as you look after your people, your land and your place

on earth and the good and gentle footprints you leave for the children to

follow.

HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM.

[10:10 a.m.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Hon. N. Sharma: It’s with great pleasure that I invite our government caucus team at

the Attorney General’s office, who are up here somewhere. They really are a

dream team. It’s Preet Grewal, Michael Cox, Tara Saracuse, John O’Dowd,

Nicole Hall and Catherine Pate.

I want to thank you for all the work that you do.

Hon. D. Coulter: I have two introductions to do today. My senior administrative

assistant, Ebony Rindahl, is joined by her sister in the gallery. Ebony

started her career in government in 2021 as the administrative assistant in

Social Development and Poverty Reduction, where she was the direct

administrative support for myself, as Parliamentary Secretary for

Non-profits. Ebony has a passion for inclusion and is always trying to find

ways to make those around her feel welcome.

With her is her sister Misty Olsen, who is joining us in the gallery

for the very first time. Last year Misty was elected as a councillor for the

city of Colwood. Not only is she serving her community supporting their

mayor, but she has been busy supporting the community in Victoria for over a

decade, from program coordinator for the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices

Association to past festival productions around the city. You may also find

her curating dream weddings at Langtry Walk in Saanichton.

If the House would please make Misty and her sister Ebony welcome to

the House.

Hon. M. Rankin: I’m pleased to rise today and welcome guests from the Haida Nation and

the Haida recognition of title team, some of whom are with us in the gallery

and others who are in the precinct and will join us later on the

floor.

I’d like to welcome Gaagwiis, Jason Alsop, who is, of course,

president of the Haida Nation; Ginn wadluu un uula isdaa ayaagang, who is

Trevor Russ, vice-president of the Haida Nation; Stihlda, Frank Collison;

Gaahlaay, Lonnie Young; Git’kun, Reg Young; 7idansuu, Jim Hart; Kil tlaats

’gaa, Peter Lantin, who is past president of the Haida Nation.

The elected representatives who are with us are Laanas, Tamara

Davidson; Gidin Jaad, Erica Reid; Kuuyas 7waahlal gidaak, Lisa Hageman; Gam

kaayangsdla.ang, Don Edgars, of Old Massett Village Council; and

NangKiihlgaa, Gordon Mills, of the Skidegate Band Council.

Finally, I’d like to welcome Jisgang, who is Nika Collinson; and

Taaydal, Cohen Isberg.

To all members of the Haida Nation who have joined us, we thank you.

háw’aa .

Hon. H. Bains: In the gallery, I notice a good friend of mine and a friend of labour,

a friend of working people in this province. A delegation from Unifor is

here, led by, as I said, a good friend of mine, Gavin McGarrigle. They are

here to talk to us.

We met with the Premier yesterday, myself and the Minister of Forests,

and they brought issues that are important not only to their members but all

British Columbians.

I want to say thank you for raising those issues and helping make for

not just the working people, the members of yours, but for every working

person here and that lives there their health and safety and working

conditions better.

Please join with me in giving them a very warm welcome.

J. Routledge: I’d like to introduce Jonny Sopotiuk. He is an accomplished union

organizer, community organizer and campaign organizer. He’s a creative

artist and a creative thinker, and I’m proud to call him my friend.

Please

join me in giving him a warm welcome.

Hon. M. Dean: Today in the gallery we have joining us Bryant Doradea. He’s an

artist, grassroots activist, youth worker, former youth from care and was

also a member of the ministry’s Youth Advisory Council.

[10:15 a.m.]

Bryant is also known by his hip-hop alias, HK, which stands for higher

knowledge, and he’s going to be doing a performance today in the library

gathering place in honour of the upcoming B.C. Child and Youth

in Care Week. His performance of The Foster

Kids Survival Guide is for all interested members, and I’d invite

you all to come. It’s going to start at noon, and it’s really, really

fantastic.

Joining Bryant in the gallery are members of our ministry staff and

the Youth Advisory Council team, Renaa Bacy and Connie Epp.

Would everybody please help me in welcoming them here

today.

Hon. G. Lore: Joining us today in the gallery is the GCPE team for Child Care. As I

mentioned, it’s Child Care Month, and as we celebrate educators and

providers, I also want to celebrate and thank everyone at the ministry for

all that they do to make child care more accessible and affordable to

families in B.C.

Thank you to this team for helping us connect with

families and providers and educators and communities.

Will the House please

join me in making them welcome.

S. Furstenau: I have two introductions to make today. Joining us in the House and up

in the gallery are members of the Vancouver Foundation Level youth policy

program. Arsh Grewal and Amora Takawira are here again with two more of the

youth policy team, WeiChun Kua and Yara Younis. Would the House please make

them most welcome.

I have a very special introduction to make as well. In the gallery

today is G ud Takin Jaad, Rose Williams, who is my constituency

assistant and is here as a Haida woman and a Haida artist to witness the

Haida Recognition Act.

Rose is extraordinary in so many ways. One of them is just last week,

when we knew that I’d be speaking publicly on Red Dress Day, staff reached

out to Rose, and in the space of two days, she made this beautiful red

dress. She beaded it herself and gifted it to me on Wednesday. Rose is an

incredible artist, an incredible writer and an incredible human being. I’m

so grateful to know her.

B. Anderson: Today in the gallery I have two guests. I have Lauren Mirva and Adam

Sutherland from the Nelson police department. Not everyone knows that Nelson

has its own municipal police force. It’s 126 years old.

This morning I got to meet with Lauren and Adam, and we talked about

some of the challenges that the police force is facing, but also some of the

opportunities. I’m really grateful for the work that they do to keep our

community safe, and I really appreciated the conversation this

morning.

Thank you for joining us, and will everyone make them feel welcome,

please.

Hon. B. Ma: A little bird told me that we may have some guests in the gallery here

today from GCPE, government communications and public engagement team:

Krystal Thomson, Aimee Harper, Dave Paulson, Aaron Hinks, Octavian Lacatusu

and Patrick Newman. I don’t know if they are here, but if they are here, I

hope that the House will please join me in making them feel very

welcome.

M. Dykeman: Today is a very special day in my home. Twenty years ago today I gave

birth to the most wonderful, kindest and most compassionate son you could

have. My son A.J.’s birthday is today, and I’m so incredibly proud of him.

I’m wondering if the House could please join me in wishing him a very happy

birthday.

J. Rice: I just want to echo the Minister of Indigenous Relations and

Reconciliation’s welcome and introduction to the House of all the Haida

members, who are all across British Columbia.

[10:20 a.m.]

As the MLA for North Coast, who has the pleasure of representing the

people of Haida Gwaii, it’s a really special day for me, not just because we

are recognizing in colonial law which is inherent and has been forever in

Haida law, but also because in ten years of being the MLA — ten years today,

in fact — I have never had this many constituents in Victoria at the same

time, ever. I am ecstatic.

Welcome. háw’aa .

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL M223 — CONTROL OF

FOREIGN FUNDING AND

ELECTORAL INFLUENCE ACT

T. Stone presented a bill intituled Control of Foreign Funding and

Electoral Influence Act.

T. Stone: I move that the bill intituled Control of Foreign Funding and

Electoral Influence Act, of which notice has been given in my name on

the order paper, be introduced and read for the first time

now.

Recent events have put a spotlight on the significant threat to

foreign influence on the integrity of elections, democratic institutions

and processes. We have witnessed numerous instances of foreign influence

in politics, both locally in British Columbia and around the

world.

When these types of concerns go unaddressed, public trust and

confidence in our democratic systems can be eroded, leading to divided

communities and increased social tension. Therefore, to protect the

democratic process, we must modernize to strengthen our Election Act

laws, ensuring they’re up to date and effective in combatting foreign

influence in B.C. politics.

Disappointingly, there were gaps in this government’s recent

amendments to the Election Act. Two recommendations in particular from

Elections B.C., both of which related to the issue of foreign

interference, were not included in these most recent

amendments.

The bill I am introducing today will prohibit foreign-funded

individuals and organizations from making false or misleading

communications for any purpose related to an election. It will also ban

contributions from any foreign person, government or political

organization for any purpose related to an election and prohibit any

individual organization from collaborating with or accepting funds from

foreign entities in order to influence an election.

Transparency is a fundamental element of a strong democracy. When

people are unsure of the truth, it breeds fear and mistrust. A fair and

proper review of this matter in a transparent way is essential to

maintain the public’s trust and protect the values we all hold

dear.

It’s time for us to work together to ensure that political power

remains firmly in the hands of British Columbians and that we can

effectively safeguard our democracy from the influence of foreign

entities.

Mr. Speaker: Members, the question is the first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

T. Stone: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second

reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill M223, Control of Foreign Funding and Electoral Influence Act,

introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day

for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST

HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND

BIPHOBIA

R. Merrifield: Today I rise in the House to recognize the International Day

Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which is celebrated every

year on May 17. This day is an important opportunity to raise awareness

about the ongoing discrimination, violence and marginalization faced by

lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning and two-spirit

individuals and all of those with diverse sexual orientations, gender

identities, expressions and sex characteristics.

It is significant to note that May 17, 1990, was the day that

homosexuality was declassified as a mental disorder by the World Health

Organization. Since then, after a global campaign, the first

International Day Against Homophobia was celebrated in 2004, and it is

now celebrated in more than 130 countries.

This year’s theme is “Together always, united in

di­versity,” which highlights the importance of solidarity,

community and allyship across different identities, movements and

borders. It is a message that resonates with the ongoing struggles and

achievements of the LGBTQ+ community.

As a society, we have made progress towards equality and

acceptance for LGBTQ2S+ individuals, but we still have a long way to go.

We must continue to advocate for equal rights and ensure that nobody

feels discriminated against simply because of who they are.

On this day and every day, it is important to create a platform

for LGBTQ2S+ people to share their stories and experiences. We must

listen to them and amplify their voices so that we can work together

towards a better future for everyone.

[10:25 a.m.]

On behalf of the B.C. United caucus, I reaffirm our commitment to

work hard to make homophobia, transphobia and biphobia a thing of the

past and strive for a province where everyone can feel safe and

comfortable being themselves.

RESILIENT RURAL ECONOMIES AND ROLE

OF PLACE IN

GOVERNMENT POLICY-MAKING

R. Russell: I start with a quote from Danielle Rhubart and her colleagues:

“Federal policies and programs are typically written with place-neutral

intent or without considering how they might affect places differently

depending on population compositions or geographic contexts. On average,

rural areas are older, sicker and poorer and have weaker health care

infrastructures than urban areas. We should anticipate that

place-neutral policies would impact health and aging differently in

rural versus urban areas.”

Our rural and remote communities are not little Vancouvers, and

most don’t want to be. Nor are we beholden to only forests, farms, fish

or oil and gas or minerals to be the definition of our identities. Our

rural communities will always be leading the charge with innovation in

the natural resource sectors and in securing more value from those raw

products that fuel our province, but they are rapidly becoming more

diverse, socially and economically, and have grand visions for what they

want to become.

The unintentional status quo of this place in creating

place-neutral policies is the creation of policy that is inordinately

informed by metro realities, which is why it’s so important to see

shifts like that announced by Shannon Salter, Deputy Minister to the

Premier, earlier this year — that effective April 1, all job postings

will be open to people in any B.C. community where the hiring ministry

has an office, and any restrictions will require deputy minister

approval.

This isn’t just a win for our public service, for personal

employment flexibility. It’s a win for our ability to ground-truth our

policy development process in a more representative cross-section of

B.C., and it’s a win for rural resiliency.

For wine policy, for example, understanding the realities of place

is enormously important, as Leslie at Noble Ridge knows all too

well.

This internal change is one of the eight key opportunities

identified by the B.C. Rural Centre as a way to help support rural

communities. It matters for people, for policy and for resilient rural

economies, and we’re getting it done.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEEK

AND SUPPORT FOR SMALL

BUSINESS

L. Doerkson: Economic Development Week is an annual event that runs from May 8

to 12 and celebrates the importance of economic development in

communities right across British Columbia. This event aims to raise

awareness of the important role that economic development plays in

creating jobs, attracting investment and promoting sustainable growth in

our province.

During Economic Development Week, businesses, community

organizations and government agencies come together to showcase their

successes and collaborate on strategies to foster economic growth in the

regions.

Unfortunately, small businesses in British Columbia are facing

significant challenges these days in keeping their doors open as they

face a mixture of barriers that are slowing them down. Small businesses

are particularly vulnerable to property crime, which can include theft,

vandalism and break-ins. These crimes not only cause financial losses

for businesses, but they can also lead to the loss of confidence in the

local business community. This is why it’s so important that we support

small businesses in British Columbia by taking steps to prevent property

crime and supporting them in their recovery from these

incidents.

Economic Development Week is a great opportunity to learn more

about our local businesses and help them explore options to increase

their revenue. There are many workshops and webinars that are available

for the public to learn more ways to retain employees, attract

businesses and utilize their community.

By supporting small businesses in British Columbia, we can help

ensure they continue to play a vital role in driving economic growth and

creating jobs in the province.

As we celebrate Economic Development Week, let us also remember

the importance of supporting these small businesses that make our

communities extremely strong and vibrant.

UNION COOPERATIVE INITIATIVE

AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT

J. Routledge: The Union Cooperative Initiative was launched last year to bring

together the labour and co­operative movements to promote economic

development through shared community-focused values. The UCI is

supported by Vancity Credit Union and the Alliance for Cooperative

Development.

B.C. has a long history of collaboration between unions and

co-ops. Helena Gutteridge, Vancouver’s first woman city councillor and a

union organizer, helped create a toy-making co-op in 1914. Japanese and

Indigenous fishing co-ops were early sustainable B.C.

enterprises.

[10:30 a.m.]

Today the UCI serves as an incubator and developer. VALU Co-op was

UCI’s first initiative. It was launched in 2020 at the outset of the

COVID-19 pandemic to provide living wage work for freelance arts and

cultural workers.

Scoop, the Stitchers Co-op, was launched by costume workers in the

theatre sector to make flexible fabric masks and other soft

goods.

Seize the Means of Production Film Co-op provides high-quality

film and creative services to value-aligned organizations. One of its

newest ventures is the community fitness co-op that provides at-home

training to clients around Burnaby.

In the words of managing director, Jonny Sopotiuk: “The union

cooperative model provides tools for communities to combat pressing

issues of our time: income inequality and workplace alienation, racism

and discrimination, climate change.”

So far, UCI has launched seven union cooperatives in partnership

with the B.C. Federation of Labour, IATSE Local 891, Arts and Cultural

Workers’ Union and MoveUP. Another ten are in development. Their union

co-op development centre recently opened in Chinatown and will become a

hub for worker-focused community economic development, labour organizing

and co-op incubation.

GRADUATES OF 2023

IN KOOTENAY EAST

AREA

T. Shypitka: Today I want to take the time to speak to our greatest natural

resource that we have here in the province, and that is our young K to

12 students and, more specifically, our graduating classes across the

province.

In Kootenay East, I would like to mention the six graduating

classes of 2023. The smallest but perhaps mightiest class will be from

Kootenay Discovery School in Fernie, with nine wonderful

graduates.

Kootenay Educational Services, or KES, will have 13 bright and

promising students walk out their doors this year.

Elkford Secondary has a graduating class of 28 in a city that is

wild at heart.

Sparwood Secondary inches out Elkford this year with 29 eager

students ready to take on the world.

Fernie Secondary is proud to produce 81 grads that are as

beautiful as the city itself.

Cranbrook’s Mount Baker, my alma mater, boasts 248 hard-working

and fun-loving graduates this year.

To make things extra special this year, my daughter, Allie Jade

Nora Shypitka, will be one of those 408 names that will be finishing

their secondary education in the coming weeks, and I couldn’t be more

proud. Time flies like an arrow, and it seems bittersweet for me to see

my daughter finish this part of her life that my wife and I seem to be

in so much control of. I know she’s about to embark into a phase of her

life that is independent of her parents as she takes on the world as a

strong, intelligent, beautiful woman that she has become.

Life will be scary sometimes, but at other times, it will be full

of accomplishments, love and newfound joy.

Words of advice, if I may: live your own life. Don’t compare your

beginnings to somebody else’s middle. Be positive. Do things that you

are uncomfortable with. Appreciate moments with those you love. Less

stuff equals more freedom. Help others. Build a budget. Love yourself

before loving anyone else. Believe in yourself. Most of all, have fun,

and don’t let life pass you by.

To my favourite daughter, my most beautiful daughter, my most

intelligent daughter, my only daughter: congratulations to you and the

407 grads of 2023 in Kootenay East. You made it.

ARTS AND CULTURE

IN VANCOUVER–WEST

END

S. Chandra Herbert: This last weekend in the West End, we celebrated Art in the City.

It’s a long-standing festival put on by the West End Community Centre

Association, a celebration of visual arts and pottery. Indeed, you can

find me drinking my morning coffee every day from a mug that I purchased

right there.

Now, that’s not the only centre for arts in the West End. Of

course, just outside the doors, you’ll find John Ferrie murals on just

about every wall at that centre, including a small piece put up by my

own son — a very good artist, I must say.

Up the street you’ll find Mole Hill, where we have the Mole Hill

gallery, Mole Gallery, featuring artwork from local artists most every

weekend.

Down the road you’ve got Gordon House where, I’m really proud to

say, they’ve taken on work with Keith Spence. Now, Keith is a Squamish

Nation artist, and this last summer he engaged the community to carve

the very first house post in the West End in over 100 years.

[10:35 a.m.]

This summer there’s more work to come, and I can’t wait to help

announce it.

Going beyond there, of course, over in Coal Harbour, we have the

Performing Arts Lodge with its resident theatre company, Western Gold.

Every night — most summers, most winters, most every night — you’ll find

incredible artwork there from the theatre artists in the

community.

We’ve got Roedde House, with its history museum. Davie Village

where, of course, you’ll find drag performed just about every single

night.

Then, if that’s too much for you, you can pick up a book from

Ronsdale Press. One of the ones I’m reading currently is about the late,

great MLA and Nisg̱a’a leader Frank

Calder.

There are playwrights. There are performers. You turn on the TV.

You look it up on Netflix. You’ll see West End artists on our screens as

well.

I just want to say, please join me in celebrating the arts. They

are what make us who we are, celebrating the artists and all those who

help artists thrive.

R. Leonard: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

R. Leonard: I’m really excited to see more students coming into the gallery today

from home. They’ll be in here momentarily, so I wanted to get it out

now.

They’re grade 4 and 5 students. There are 23 of them coming from, once

again, Queneesh. I think there’s a bug going around in that school. It’s a

good one that I’d like to see spread further. Ms. Munro, better known as Ms.

Catherine, is here and Ms. Thygesen. They have the Montessori kids from

grade 4 and 5, and later we’ll be having some more students from their class

coming in.

May the House please welcome them and give them a reason to come

back.

Oral Questions

MANAGEMENT OF B.C. HOUSING

AND GOVERNMENT FUNDING

FOR ATIRA PROPERTY SERVICES

K. Falcon: Yesterday we received confirmation of the Premier’s horrific

mismanagement of B.C. Housing, the Crown corporation tasked with

providing housing to those most in need. This total mismanagement

occurred while the Premier was directly responsible for B.C. Housing but

clearly was asleep at the switch. Yet to believe the Premier, no one at

the political level is responsible: not the member for

Coquitlam-Maillardville, when she was the minister responsible; not the

Premier when he was the minister responsible. He takes no

responsibility.

I remind you that the Premier was the one that made the Treasury

Board submissions for the $90 million that he secured for Atira without

financial reviews being in place and despite multiple damning reports

outlining the misuse of taxpayer dollars.

My question for the Premier: why did the Premier more than triple

the funding to Atira at the same time that he buried reports that were

suggesting exactly the kind of gross financial mismanagement we’re only

finding out about today?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Well, we’re responsible for the report that was just released to

the public, the first time in B.C.’s history, released without

redactions so the public can see the challenges. We take this

responsibility very seriously.

Now, I think it’s important for those watching at home to have the

context of the steps that were taken. The Premier became the Minister

Responsible for Housing. He saw some issues that concerned him. He went

to the Office of the Comptroller General. He actually brought in EY.

They made recommendations last year on things B.C. Housing can do to

ensure that there’s greater oversight of projects. Those things, many of

them have been done, and many more are under progress.

They also identified some specific new challenges or new issues

that they felt needed further investigation, and that’s what the Premier

took the next steps on — to bring EY in, as was highlighted yesterday. A

team flew in from Toronto to look at this new information.

Now, the information is clear that the former CEO, Mr. Ramsay, and

the CEO of Atira, who are married, saw some additional benefits because

the former CEO was pushing staff to send more contracts and more dollars

to Atira at the expense of others.

Now, we all agree in this House that rules must be followed. It’s

unacceptable behaviour. That’s why I felt strongly that this report, the

information that was made available to us, needed to be made

public.

[10:40 a.m.]

Now, it’s important for everyone in this House to know that around

2020, we were in a pandemic. There were additional dollars required for

not-for-profits to support the most vulnerable people in this

province.

What is unacceptable, and what the report highlights, is that the

decisions made by the then CEO of B.C. Housing to direct-award contracts

to Atira and not make them available for other not-for-profits. It’s

unacceptable; it’s wrong. We all agree on that in this House. But what

was vital during the pandemic, what’s vitally important, was that we

supported the most vulnerable people. That’s what we did.

Mr. Speaker: Leader of the Official Opposition, supplemental.

K. Falcon: That is possibly the most ridiculous amount of spin I have ever

seen on a subject that this government is entirely responsible for. So

let’s do have some context.

It actually goes back to 2018, when BDO, an accounting firm, came

out with a scathing report on the mismanagement and carelessness with

taxpayer dollars that was taking place at B.C. Housing corporation and

at Atira. What did the NDP do with that report? They buried it for four

years. It was only when this opposition brought it forward that finally,

we started to find out that there were huge problems there.

What was the Premier’s response? He initially said that he hadn’t

seen the report, that he wasn’t aware of it. The next day, apparently,

his memory was refreshed. Now he had some familiarity with the report,

but that was only after he had B.C. Housing draft a press release

saying: “Oh, that has all been taken care of. That was all old news that

we’ve all taken care of.”

That was not the case. The BDO report found incorrect, incomplete,

misleading information, yet during this entire time, we saw more reports

come out. Now we have the Ernst and Young report come out, which the

Premier, then the Housing Minister responsible, quietly posted on the

Friday evening of a long weekend. Imagine that. That’s the NDP’s idea of

transparency.

Then the following Friday, what does he do? He fires the entire

NDP-appointed board. That’s the transparency from this NDP government.

After firing the board, the Premier’s response is that it had nothing to

do with any suggestion of impropriety whatsoever. “Nothing to see here,

folks.” That’s the message that the Premier and the NDP have been giving

the public. We know now that that was not true.

It is a damning pattern of evasion and misleading and not being

straight-up with the public. You owe a duty to the public to stand up

right now and come clean about the fact that $90 million, by this

current Premier, went before Treasury Board, that he brought

forward.

Why was he increasing the funding by over 300 percent at the same

time that he was sitting on reports that showed the damning amount of

misuse of public funds?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Transparency is, when you have a report like this, to make it

public without redaction. That’s transparency. It’s not ripping pages

out of a report. It’s not ripping pages out of a report, which we’ve

seen.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Members. Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: It’s not triple-deleting emails. That’s not what it is. This is

not documenting things on Post-it Notes. This is seeing a report that’s

clearly in the public interest and releasing it, for the first time in

B.C.’s history, under the Freedom of Information Act. That’s

transparency.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: That level of transparency is shameful? Maybe the member will have

a question, and I’m happy to answer that.

The member talks about a BDO report. That report was made by the

board at the time. It was not made available to the minister at the

time. The board made a decision. They felt at that time that it didn’t

need further action. Now….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Members. Members, let the minister answer, please.

Members will come to order.

Please continue.

[10:45 a.m.]

Hon. R. Kahlon: Hon. Speaker, I think it’s a fair comment for the public to ask

that. Since 2012 there have been news stories about this. In fact, in

2012, there was a report asking the minister at the time around conflict

of interest…. Because, by the way, this relationship had started in

2010. At the time, Minister Coleman said: “I can assure you that

everything was done that had to be done, and then some.” They were very

cautious about it.

Hon. Speaker, now we reflect back to those news stories and think:

“Why weren’t steps taken earlier?” I can assure the members….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, Members.

Members, please.

The minister will continue.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I can assure the members of this House and the public that when

the Premier saw something inappropriate, he took action…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: …just like he did with money laundering, just like he did with

ICBC, just like he did with B.C. Lottery Corp. That’s the type of public

transparency that we provide on this side.

K. Falcon: We now have a better idea, for all the British Columbians watching

today, of why the Canadian Association of Journalists calls this the

most secretive government in Canada.

Oh, they’re so transparent. They only sat on this latest report

for two months, and the only reason they released it…. It was because of

pressure from this opposition in question period that they finally,

finally said that they were going to release this report.

The truly shocking….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, please. Shhh. Shhh.

K. Falcon: The truly shocking element here is the fact that this Premier,

while sitting on two extremely damaging reports — the earlier BDO report

from 2018 and the Ernst and Young report, which disclosed and exposed

all the financial management that was taking place at B.C. Housing under

the Premier’s watch while he was minister responsible and particularly

the mismanagement that was taking place at their largest housing

provider, Atira…. He still felt it was appropriate to increase the

funding by 335 percent to that housing organization. That is fascinating

to me.

Yesterday I heard the Premier say that he…. As he tried to shift

blame entirely from his own failures, the Premier astonishingly had the

audacity to claim, in this House, that he was concerned “about the spike

in funding at Atira.” Well, that is really interesting, given that he

was the minister that brought it forward to Treasury Board and asked for

that extra $90 million for Atira.

This shocking misrepresentation, evasion, blame-shifting by this

Premier exemplifies what is going on and why we have not got housing for

the society’s most vulnerable. No wonder they haven’t come close to

meeting their housing targets.

If not this Premier, then who is responsible for the massive

run-up in funding to Atira and the gross mismanagement that was outlined

in that report? Who is responsible?

Hon. R. Kahlon: There’s so much misinformation in there that I don’t know where to

start. I’ll start with….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, both sides.

Members.

Members, the question was asked; now let’s hear the answer.

Please, let’s be respectful to each other.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you so much, hon. Speaker.

First, I’ll start with releasing the report. When the report was

made available to me, immediately upon reading it, I believe that it

was….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. It’s not very cute when you keep interrupting, please.

Please, both sides.

Continue.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Upon receiving the report, I was very disturbed by the findings. I

made sure, immediately, that staff stopped any additional funding that

may be going to Atira.

I then expressed to my team, to the legal team that was advising

me, that I believed that this should be released to the public because

it’s in the public interest. I was advised that, in order to do so, I

must inform the entities named in the report and give them sufficient

time to make representations.

[10:50 a.m.]

The deadline was April 25 for representations. Then we, upon a

request, extended that to April 28. After that, I reviewed the

representations and made the decision last week that I still believe

that the report should be made available to the public without any

redaction. Those are the steps we took. That’s the level of transparency

we want to ensure.

Now, the member talks about the $90 million. I think it’s

important to note that we were in the middle of a pandemic. We had

people who had extreme needs. I know that people want to forget about

that time. Certainly, I think it’s easier to forget about that time. But

we had people who needed supports, so we increased the amount of

investments to ensure that people had housing and people had all the

types of supports they need.

Now, what is fundamentally wrong is that with that support that

was provided, B.C. Housing, under the direction of the former CEO, was

directing funds more to his partner’s not-for-profit and not to other

not-for-profits. That is fundamentally wrong. But we’re not going to

apologize for making additional investments to support the most

vulnerable people in the middle of a pandemic.

B.C. HOUSING COMMUNICATIONS

WITH ATIRA PROPERTY

SERVICES ON

STATUS OF ATIRA SENIOR EXECUTIVES

M. de Jong: I have a copy of a letter dated May 4 of this year, signed by the

present chair of B.C. Housing and sent to Atira. It includes a series of

demands. Included in those demands is a demand for what they term

“leadership renewal.”

My question to the Premier…. Clearly, the letter was sent on

orders from the government. Is the Premier demanding that Atira fire

executives, and if so, which ones, and if so, why?

Hon. R. Kahlon: The letter was sent from the chair of B.C. Housing, who is a man

of integrity, who served here as Deputy Attorney General under the

opposition when they were in government. He followed up on a

conversation that he had with the chair of Atira regarding the concerns

that were raised in the report.

My view is, certainly, that in order for them to continue to serve

the public in a good way, and serve the most vulnerable people, they

take the actions that are required to ensure that the public has

confidence and that they can continue to do so. Certainly, I suspect

that’s what the chair conveyed to the chair of Atira.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Abbotsford West, supplemental.

M. de Jong: Quite frankly, in the aftermath of the report that has been

tabled, I would have thought that the minister, the Premier and the

government would be in a position to provide more certain information

than “I’m guessing.” It’s pretty clear that orders were given to send

this letter to Atira.

The response, however, is interesting. I presume that the Premier

and the minister are aware of the response, dated May, 5 from Atira to

B.C. Housing: “You call for ‘leadership renewal,’ which we understand to

be a euphemism for terminating one or more senior executives. We decline

to do so at this time, and we continue to have confidence in our

executive team.”

The Premier, who wants to maintain this facade that he was a

hapless victim, unaware of all of these shenanigans that were taking

place, has now sent a letter, via B.C. Housing, saying: “I want you to

fire someone.” The agencies he sent it to said no.

What’s the Premier going to do about it?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Surely the member knows they’re an independent organization, an

arm’s length away from government. Decisions made about their leadership

made by them, ultimately, in the end, will be made by their board.

Certainly, I’ve already made it clear that I’m of the opinion that

changes need to happen there. It can’t be business as usual. It cannot

be business as usual.

Now, the letter the member refers to also mentioned that the CEO

hadn’t read the report, that only their board chair had read the report.

That’s unacceptable. Given the severity of the findings, that the CEO

and the other board members hadn’t read the report, yet that was the

position they’ve taken, I think is very troubling.

[10:55 a.m.]

That being said, the decisions made by the board around their

leadership have got to be made by them. What we are going to be doing is

taking the actions that we need to do. We’re starting immediately

inspections on all of Atira’s sites. We’re freezing all new additional

funding that is going to Atira.

We’re asking for an independent government representative to keep

an eye on some of the actions that they will be taking. These are the

steps that we can take within the realms of what we have, and we’re

going to continue to urge them to do the right thing.

INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OF

CONSERVATION OFFICER

SERVICE

A. Olsen: I asked the Minister of Public Safety about independent oversight

of the B.C. conservation service. The B.C. COS website says:

“Conservation officers are highly trained, dedicated individuals

responsible for en­forcing 33 federal and provincial statutes.

They hold special provincial constable status under the Police Act and

have unrestricted appointment to enforce acts and statutes and protect

the public and preserve the peace.”

They dress like police, drive police-like vehicles, use

police-like tactics, carry police-like assault rifles, have all the

powers under the Police Act but are not subject to police-like

independent oversight and have no constabulary independence. They are

directly responsible to the Minister of Environment.

The Minister of Public Safety responded that incidents with

weapons should go to the independent investigations office, and issues

around toxicity of culture should go to the Public Service Agency. But

section 6 of the Police Act states: “The Public Service Act does not

apply to…a special provincial constable” while in the course of

exercising a constabulary duty.

Is the Public Service Agency acting like the police complaints

commissioner for special constables? When I tried to ask them that

question, I got rerouted back to the B.C. COS chief and the Ministry of

Environment.

My question is to the Minister of Public Safety. He says that his

ministry is working on trying to fix the shocking lack of oversight. The

Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act raised this issue a year

ago, and still nothing. When will he act?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I appreciate the question from the member.

As I have stated previously in this House and in the estimates

process, there are changes coming to the Police Act this fall. There

will be the first phase, which will be dealing with governance and

accountability, and I’m expecting to table that legislation this

fall.

Mr. Speaker: Member, supplemental.

A. Olsen: It’s been a year of lack of oversight for the B.C. conservation

service. The antiquated legislation unleashes the authority of the

Minister of Environment to direct a provincial policing agency, the B.C.

conservation service, in environmental investigations, investigations of

serious and potential serious environmental crime like Mount Polley and

large-scale forestry non-compliances.

To admit the B.C. COS is a fully functional and unrestricted

environmental policing agency, it limits the powers of the Public

Service Agency and the B.C. General Em­ployees Union, restricting

the B.C. NDP’s ability to access information or influence investigations

over environmental crimes. The provincial government would be subject to

internal policing reviews of environmental decisions under both the

provincial offence provision and, perhaps, the Criminal Code of Canada.

We’re starting to see why it’s taken a year for this to

happen.

Constabulary independence should be enforced as a cardinal

principle of our democracy and rule of law, just as the Minister of

Public Safety reminds me often, in this House, about the rule of law.

Conservation officers who put their lives on the line every day must

know that they have a safe place to do their police work on

environmental matters, and currently they do not.

My question is, again, to the Minister of Public Safety. The

Police Act is his responsibility. He’s currently allowing this heavily

armed service with all the powers of police but no independent oversight

to be under the direct control of his colleague the Minister of

Environment. Serious crimes need investigation, and his loitering is

threatening the safety of the public and the people who do this

work.

Does he support the status quo?

Hon. M. Farnworth: There’s a lot in that question. I will answer it this way. First

off, we have a very professional conservation service in the province of

British Columbia.

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: We have a very professional conservation service in the province

of British Columbia, composed of men and women who do their job

effectively, and they take that job seriously. As I outlined to the

member during estimates, if there was an issue, for example, with a

firearm, the independent investigations office has every ability to

investigate, which they would.

[11:00 a.m.]

At the same time, I have also outlined that there are changes

coming, in terms of the Police Act, in part on the work of the all-party

committee.

I can tell the member, as I said in estimates, that there has been

a significant amount of work underway on those changes in terms of

consultation not only with stakeholders and Indigenous nations but

communities right across the province. A key part of those changes,

which I said are coming in the fall, deals with issues of governance and

accountability, which includes oversight.

The work has been underway. It has been thorough. There are

changes coming in the fall.

I can tell the member that we have very professional conservation

officers in this province. They do an amazing job.

MANAGEMENT OF B.C. HOUSING

AND GOVERNMENT FUNDING

FOR ATIRA PROPERTY SERVICES

K. Kirkpatrick: The draft BDO report which first identified mismanagement at Atira

was completed in November of 2018. That was five years ago.

Page 6 of the BDO report states very clearly that this was based

on a review of Atira’s 2018 financial statements. This draft report was

then systematically concealed both by the Premier, in his capacity as

Minister of Housing, and his predecessor until a whistleblower leaked

that report just this last year.

Why did the Premier not only neglect to take corrective action but

also increase Atira funding and deliberately bury the BDO

report?

Hon. R. Kahlon: The statement the member made is false. The decision around the

BDO report was made by the board. When the Premier became the Premier,

he changed the board. It wasn’t a decision made by the minister. It

wasn’t brought to the minister, at the time, that was

responsible.

As far as the $90 million, I have already answered that question.

The $90 million of additional funding was about supporting the most

vulnerable people through the pandemic.

We did make historic investments through the pandemic to support

people, to support businesses. That’s why we’ve come out of the pandemic

in a better way than many other jurisdictions around the

world.

The decision wasn’t made to give $90 million to Atira. The

decision was made to give additional dollars in the portfolio to support

the most vulnerable people.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Now, do I agree with the member that it was inappropriate for the

former CEO of B.C. Housing to direct-award dollars to Atira, where his

partner is a CEO? Yes, I disagree with that. That’s not the way things

should be done.

Clearly, they went to….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Please, Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: It’s clear, in the report, that they went, to a great extent, to

not only direct-award dollars to Atira but also to hide it from others

on the board and from some of their colleagues. That kind of behaviour

is unacceptable.

S. Bond: This minister can stand up, and he can try to duck and dodge all

he wants. By any measure, this is a damning report. All of the evidence,

all of it, points to a Premier who knew about significant mismanagement,

and he failed to act. That’s what the public understands.

Let’s look at page 7 of the report. What it reveals is that under

this Premier’s watch…. “B.C. Housing’s financial reviews of Atira have

been substantially delayed. The most recently completed financial review

was for fiscal year 2020, and it was finalized in August of

2022.”

Instead of ensuring that financial reviews were completed, what

did the Premier do in his role as the Housing Minister? He made Treasury

Board submissions, knowing all about the mismanagement. And what did he

do? He secured an additional $90 million for Atira.

Maybe the Premier can answer this question. Why on earth did he

triple Atira’s funding without any completed financial reviews since

2020?

Hon. R. Kahlon: When the Premier saw something in­appropriate, he took

action. When he saw something inappropriate, he took action.

The first report, when EY did a review of B.C.

Housing….

Interjections.

[11:05 a.m.]

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, please. Members.

Minister.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you, hon. Speaker.

When he first saw that there was something inappropriate there….

When he was shown text messages of the former CEO encouraging staff to

award direct contracts to Atira, he brought in the changes. He replaced

the board because he knew that there was going to be more capacity

needed there to make the transformational changes that needed to

happen.

The members are appalled that the former CEO took steps to urge

staff to direct-award money to Atira. We’re all with them. We think

that’s inappropriate. That’s wrong. That’s why we released the report

the way we have done.

I also share with the member the concern…. There was a culture

that was established at B.C. Housing where, if Atira came for dollars,

they were given dollars to help them with cash flow and other issues.

That’s wrong.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Again, we made the findings in this report public.

For the members to suggest that all of a sudden this all

happened…. In 2012, there were reports, when they were in government,

where people were suggesting that.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Members, come to order, please.

Hon. R. Kahlon: The member says no one believes it. The member across the way was

a cabinet minister at the time. Her colleague is reported in the

newspaper saying: “Hey, we’ve taken all the actions.”

The relationship started….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, please.

Hon. R. Kahlon: The relationship started in 2010. So yes, I think it’s fair for

people to say…. From 2010 to 2012, when the reviews started, how come

action wasn’t taken?

What I can share with the members is…. When the Premier saw

something inappropriate, he took steps to ensure not only that action

was taken but that the report was made public.

T. Stone: For the minister opposite to frame this as a Premier taking action

is actually pathetic. It’s laughable. It is not borne out by the facts.

The fact of the matter is this. The Premier has his fingerprints all

over this scandal at Atira and B.C. Housing.

Let’s just refresh everyone’s memories here. It starts with a BDO

report being buried by this Premier back in 2020 after he became the

Minister Responsible for Housing. The public only found out about it

because it was leaked by a whistleblower.

Then the E&Y review of B.C. Housing is posted on the

government’s website over the Canada Day long weekend.

Then the Premier fires the entire board in June of 2022 and looks

in the camera and tells British Columbians: “Don’t worry about anything.

There was no wrongdoing whatsoever here.” In fact, the Premier goes so

far as to, when he was the Minister Responsible for Housing, actually

have B.C. Housing issue a news release telling British Columbians that

all is fine at B.C. Housing.

Then the Premier leaves cabinet for his leadership campaign in

July of 2022, still with the BDO report being sat on. When he comes back

to the executive council as Premier, he tells British Columbians,

through CKNW, that he knows nothing about this report, only to change

his tune the very next day, where he says: “I didn’t recognize the

report that the reporter was describing to me, but I am familiar with

that report now.” How convenient is that?

Then he announces that he had secretly launched a second E&Y

investigation, this time a forensic audit, but sits on that for two

months.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

T. Stone: Throughout this entire period, this Premier increases funding at

Atira to $90 million, over 300 percent. That’s under this

Premier.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

T. Stone: Then the Premier says…. We find out that all funding has been

suspended at Atira, only to then learn….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

T. Stone: This is back in March of this year. We’re told all funding is

suspended to Atira.

Mr. Speaker: The member will ask a question.

T. Stone: Now we’re told that, actually, there are still projects that are

being funded for Atira. This is an absolute and complete mess, and it’s

characteristic of how this Premier does business — evasion, blame,

finger-pointing and deception.

The question is this. How is it that nobody, not least of which

the Premier…? How is it that nobody has stood up and been accountable

for the consequences of this scandal, which has happened under the

Premier’s watch?

Interjections.

[11:10 a.m.]

Mr. Speaker: Let’s hear the answer, please. No interruptions.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you so much, Hon. Speaker.

The Premier saw something inappropriate and he took action. He

didn’t rip pages out of an ICBC report. No. When he saw something

inappropriate, he saw changes needed, he did it. He didn’t triple delete

emails.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: He didn’t triple delete text messages. He didn’t do

that.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Everything the Premier has touched, he has made sure there’s full

transparency — ICBC, B.C. Lottery Corp., the changes around money

laundering.

What we saw was something inappropriate. We took

action.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: We made the report public for the first time using the

freedom-of-information act, unredacted to the public. That’s the level

of transparency that we do on this side of the House.

[End of question period.]

Reports from Committees

CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMITTEE

J. Sims: I am pleased to present the second report of the Select Standing

Committee on Children and Youth for the fourth session of the 42nd

parliament titled Annual Report 2022-23 .

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

Motion approved.

J. Sims: I ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the

report.

Leave granted.

J. Sims: I move that the report be adopted. In doing so, I would like to

make some brief comments.

As members are aware, the Select Standing Committee on Children

and Youth works to foster greater awareness and understanding of the

child and youth serving system. The committee also provides a public

forum for discussion of the reports issued by the Representative for

Children and Youth. Our annual report summarizes the committee’s work in

2022-23, during which the committee reviewed the representative’s annual

report and service plan plus three reports related to funding for

Indigenous child welfare, quality care planning and the mental health of

children in care.

On behalf of the committee and all members of the Legislative

Assembly, I would like to recognize and thank the representative Dr.

Jennifer Charlesworth and her staff at the office for their ongoing

advocacy and work on behalf of children, youth, young adults and their

families across B.C.

I’d also like to acknowledge the dedicated public servants in

various ministries, as well as the community organizations in this

sector for the important work that they do in support of children,

youth, young adults and their families in our province. I also want to

recognize the staff in the parliamentary committee offices and Hansard

Services who support our work behind the scenes.

I want to express my appreciation to all committee members for the

insightful and collaborative contributions and their commitment to

supporting the well-being of children, youth and young adults in B.C.

There have been a few membership changes in the committee this year, and

I want to ensure that I acknowledge the excellent work done by previous

members, including the member for Chilliwack-Kent, who served as Chair

of the committee.

I would also like to especially recognize the Deputy Chair, the

member for Peace River South, for his thoughtful contributions,

experience and leadership on this committee.

M. Bernier: I just want to add a few comments. I’ll echo, basically,

everything that the member for Surrey-Panorama just said, the same thank

yous.

The committee operates, obviously, in a non-partisan way, working

together to try to make things better for our children and youth in the

province of British Columbia. But that wouldn’t happen without the

expertise of Dr. Charlesworth and her staff, as the representative’s

office, the ministry staff, everybody who has contributed over the last

year to help the committee and to guide the committee to make sure we’re

making the best decisions possible, and having the accountability going

forward to, again, make sure we’re making good decisions for the people

of British Columbia.

[11:15 a.m.]

I want to thank Karan and everybody, as well, in the Clerk of

Committees office, and all past and present members of this committee.

We’ve been working very well, very collaboratively, trying to make good

decisions, working together for our children and youth.

Again, thank you to the Chair, who has been guiding us through

that, and everybody who’s been involved for the last year. I’m pleased

to see this report. I’m looking forward to the next year of trying to do

good work for our children and youth in the province of British

Columbia.

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

Motion approved.

Petitions

C. Oakes: I rise to present a petition, today, signed by 325 residents of

Kersley and the surrounding area, re­questing the Ministry of

Transportation and Infrastructure to not allow the proposed reactivation of

the Roberta Pit gravel pit, which is in the heart of the community and is by

Kersley School, for the health and safety of our children, residents,

livestock, animals and the users of the Sisters Creek recreational

site.

Motions Without Notice

PERMISSION FOR INDIGENOUS LEADERS

TO ADDRESS THE

HOUSE

Hon. R. Kahlon: By leave, I move:

[That, notwithstanding any provision of the Standing Orders or usual

practices of the House, Erica Reid (Gidin Jaad) and Jason Alsop

(Gaagwiis) of the Haida Nation be permitted to address the House from

the floor of the House later today.]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

Orders of the Day

Hon. R. Kahlon: I call third reading of Bill 18, Haida Nation Recognition Act.

[X̱aad Kíl was

sung.]

Mr. Speaker: I invite Erica Reid, Gidin Jaad, of the Haida Nation to deliver a

prayer.

[11:20 a.m.]

Blessings and Acknowledgments

E. Reid: You can all bring yourselves together in heart, mind and

spirit.

[X̱aad Kíl was

spoken.]

háw’aa.

Mr. Speaker: Thank you very much for that beautiful prayer.

I invite Jason Alsop, Gaagwiis, president of the Council of the Haida

Nation, to address the House.

Address by Indigenous Leaders

J. Alsop: háw’aa , hon. Speaker.

First, I’d like to acknowledge and extend a háw’aa , thank

you, to Elder Shirley Alphonse for the prayer.

I’d also like to acknowledge that we’re in the traditional territory

of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking people and on

behalf of the Haida Nation say háw’aa for allowing us to conduct

business today here on your traditional lands.

Hon. Members of the House, it’s humbling and a privilege to be here on

the floor to speak to you all as president of the Haida Nation. I come

before you with a delegation of the Haida Nation made up of our Hereditary

Chiefs, members of our Hereditary Chiefs council, elected representatives of

the Council of the Haida Nation and elected representatives from our village

councils of Old Massett G̲aw Tlagee and

Skidegate HlG̲aagilda. Together we stand

before you and represent the Haida Nation, all of our citizens, our good

people and the lands and waters of Haida Gwaii who we speak for.

We’re here to come together to celebrate and bear witness to the third

reading of the Haida Nation Recognition Act. It’s with mixed emotions. We

must acknowledge that it is difficult, at times, to confront the history

that has led us all here today. So we do come to you here to celebrate but

here to also acknowledge the past and the work and the healing that we’re

doing together.

Our people succumbed to the smallpox epidemics and other diseases that

had spread with the coming of Europeans and others into these lands, and

that was spread and left unchecked and had a devastating impact on our

people and our culture and, in many ways, helped lay the path for colonial

government to come and impose the jurisdiction on our lands, on our

territories.

Our thousands were reduced to hundreds, and that power that our nation

and our people were so well known for was reduced to handfuls of clans and

survivors of people who were forced to move into a survival mode to carry on

what was left and pick up the pieces.

[11:25 a.m.]

Despite that, our Chiefs, our people showed resilience and

perseverance and found ways to navigate the colonial imposition, found ways

to resist, found ways to carry on the teachings and the history of the land

and of our ancestors, our [X̱aad Kíl was

spoken] for opening us in the Haida language and bringing our ancestors into

the room here with us today.

You know, after the spread of smallpox, our Chiefs had an audience

with Governor Douglas in 1863, almost 160 years ago. And there are some

descendants of those Chiefs. They’re with us here today. We found a way,

again, to navigate all the barriers and all of the challenges and remain

intact our inherent title and rights and really regroup as a people, as

communities, as a nation and survive the violence and the gunboat diplomacy

of the day.

When B.C. became a part of Canada, you know, when more policies and

different acts came into play that were designed to try to eliminate us, to

assimilate us and to disconnect us from our lands, from our territories,

from the teachings, from our culture, our people, once again, found a way to

pass on the history and the knowledge that we bring forth with us

today.

Despite being prevented from gathering and to bring forward our land

claims, despite not being able to practise our potlatch system, our

traditional legal system, despite the reserves that we were placed on and

unable to exercise our rights and others who had come to exploit our lands,

we carried on. We continued to stay strong, stay together and stay as one

nation.

In 1913, when the royal commission came to Haida Gwaii, once again our

people had an audience in both of our communities, in Old Massett and

Skidegate. They once again expressed eloquently that our position that we

had never surrendered, ceded; that we never signed a treaty, had never been

defeated in war; that we’d never given up our lands; and that we are still

the rightful heirs and titleholders to all of Haida territory.

They communicated the beautiful way that, in that time, we spoke as

one, throwing all of the territory into one lot or into the common bowl. And

that’s how I speak to you today to represent all of the Haida

Nation.

They not only expressed their concerns about the land and the reserves

and the system that was imposed; they also were concerned about the forests

and the fish and the environment. But at the same time, they also expressed,

very beautifully, their desire to live in peace and harmony with those who

have come to settle in our territory who had become friends and neighbours

and to continue to seek peace and contentment in our own lands. And that

position has remained throughout the years and is the same spirit we come to

you today.

In 1974, you know, unable again to resolve the land question, our

people formed the Council of the Haida Nation. Our national government that

this act formally recognizes here today brings together all Haida citizens.

All people who have had Haida ancestry are recognized as Haida citizens. All

of our clans, our villages, all under one united nation, our elected and

hereditary leadership at the national level, the village level in our

traditional system.

[11:30 a.m.]

Again, we’ve been, for many years, working at trying to settle the

land question, and our people have continued to stand up through our own

system to protect Duu Guusd, later Gwaii Haanas, which, again, took a lot of

good people working together, a lot of allies, a lot of support in

government.

They also, at that time, said: “We’re doing it for both sides. We’re

doing it for the future and current generations of Haida, of British

Columbians and Canadians.” We found innovative and creative ways to see

common ground, find ways to work together, to look after things, to look

after Haida Gwaii.

Of course, we’ve also had to resort to the courts. The Haida case

helped develop the duty to consult and accommodate and uphold the honour of

the Crown. We’ve done amazing work together in land use planning with our

neighbours, provincial government, and forged managing together through the

Kunst’aa Guu-Kunst’aaya protocol, which in the Haida language means “the

beginning” or “the beginning of the beginning.”

Now we’re over ten years, 12, 13 years into that arrangement. We’re

taking the next step from that humble beginning. Together we’ve been able to

give back the name Queen Charlotte Islands and restore the rightful name of

Haida Gwaii, protect over 51 percent of Haida Gwaii and find ways to work

together to manage for the balance of a sustainable islands economy and to

look after the lands and the waters.

In 2021, we reached another historic milestone together, B.C. and

Canada and the Haida Nation, in signing the Gay G ahlda

[X̱aad Kíl was spoken] reconciliation

framework agreement, where today is an expression of following up on

implementing the recognition of the Council of the Haida Nation as the

government of the Haida Nation.

We’re excited to be here with you to celebrate and witness. It’s

really taken a lot of people working together, good people working together

to make things right. In the Haida language, we say [X̱aad

Kíl was spoken], “good people working together to make

things right.” That’s how we see this process of reconciliation.

We’re here today to celebrate, to show a way forward that is not to be

feared but to bring hope. We can bring hope to each other, to others, to

show an example of Indigenous title and rights to self-governance and

self-determination. British Columbia and Canadian systems can find a way to

interact and interface in a respectful way and to move forth based on that

principle of respect, [X̱aad Kíl was

spoken], with integrity, with dignity, and move forward and heal a

system.

There are good people, and we’re all working to heal a system that

needs all of us bringing our collective experiences and wisdoms to the table

to do so. That’s what we’re here for: again, to celebrate and witness this

good work of good people working together to show that together, we can come

together and heal a system for this post-colonial era and find a path to

peaceful coexistence.

háw’aa.

Mr. Speaker: Thank you. On behalf of all Members of the Legislative Assembly,

please accept our sincere appreciation for addressing the House today. We

are very honoured that you were able to attend today’s proceedings. Thank

you so much.

Third Reading of Bills

BILL 18 — HAIDA NATION

RECOGNITION

ACT

Hon. M. Rankin: Thank you so much, Gaagwiis, for your words of wisdom.

[11:35 a.m.]

I know that it’s unusual for a minister, at this point in our

legislative process, to have the opportunity to speak, even briefly, so

I beg your indulgence in doing so.

Today is truly an historic day for the province of British

Columbia. Today is a first step in our commitment to recognize Haida

governance as determined and recognized by the Haida Nation.

We didn’t get here overnight. It’s the result of a strong

relationship that our province has developed with the Council of the

Haida Nation. This legislation was drafted jointly every step of the

way. It’s tangible evidence of a progressive approach to reconciliation.

The legislation, if approved by this House today, will be the first time

in our history that the province would provide formal legal recognition

of an Indigenous governing body outside the implementation of a modern

treaty.

It is with immense joy that we come together and take this

incremental step in partnership today. I want to thank the House for

allowing me these brief comments. I’ll have much more to say after our

business in this House is complete.

Mr. Speaker: Minister to move third reading of the bill.

Hon. M. Rankin: I do, of course, move third reading of the bill.

M. Lee: On behalf of the Leader of the Official Opposition and all members

of the official opposition, I certainly would like to thank Gaagwiis for

his very powerful words of reflection. They’re very meaningful to all

members of this House. As we spoke about in the hallway with the

delegation, with your Elders, with your hereditary Chiefs and elected

representatives of the Haida Nation here today, you’ve travelled a long

way to witness this remarkable occasion.

I appreciate you sharing the burdens of the nation that your

Elders, your ancestors have carried for so long. It’s been a long

journey to get to this point. But as you know, over successive

governments, the journey to reconciliation, the recognition that you

spoke of, the beginnings of beginnings over ten to 13 years ago, in

2010, was an important measure.

There have been further measures with the reconciliation

agreement, and we certainly support the next steps with the formal

recognition of the Haida Nation under this bill and the hope that the

journey will continue in a very good way, in a shorter way, to get to a

better place with your nation, to heal all that has happened and to

recognize that you are an example to other nations in this land, not

just in terms of the journey through the courts but the journey through

leadership to support of your peoples, to doing what’s right for your

peoples, to standing up for what’s right.

Recognizing that through successive governments, we can progress

this to a better place, that hope is certainly what we share with you.

So thank you again for making the journey to be with us today to witness

this. I hope that we’ll continue down a good path to reconciliation with

your nation.

A. Olsen: HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM .

Gaagwiis, hereditary and elected Chiefs, Elders, Matriarchs,

SȾHENEP TŦE NE SNÁ

[SENĆOŦEN was spoken]. My name is

SȾHENEP from the

W̱SÁNEĆ territory.

I just want to say a brief few words here and thank you for your

powerful statements in the legislative chamber here today.

I want to say that I’m very grateful for the Haida Nation. I raise

my hands to you. I raise my hands to your past leaders, your current

leaders, and I raise my hands to your future leaders, who have already

got on the record here.

[11:40 a.m.]

The political and legal work that has been done on behalf of all

Indigenous people across this country by the Haida is inexplicable. It’s

hard to explain the impact that your work has done for all of us, for

all our relatives.

With that, I raise my hands in immense gratitude to you. You are,

indeed, here today as a result of that incredible and powerful display

of patience, long-suffering and leadership.

I often talk about how some of the most remarkable leaders in this

country are leaders of Indigenous communities, often doing more with the

least.

Gaagwiis, your statements here today demonstrated a real grounding

and sense of purpose. I think that that’s what we see in our Indigenous

leaders. I really thank you for your words. I raise my hands in

gratitude to all the Haida, and I look forward to, as my colleagues have

said, working alongside you, nation to nation, in order to build a

better province.

This is, indeed, a day of celebration for the Haida people and the

Haida Nation, but it is also a day of celebration for the province of

British Columbia, as we demonstrate the work that we’ve done here in

reconciliation, through the Declaration Act, and the many steps that

have been taken in maturation of this institution. I am so grateful to

be here during this process, and I am so grateful that you’re here with

us. With that, I just take my seat.

HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM .

Mr. Speaker: Seeing no further speakers, Members, the question is third reading

of Bill 18, Haida Nation Recognition Act.

Bill 18, Haida Nation Recognition Act, read a third time and passed.

[Applause.]

Mr. Speaker: Congratulations. I again want to say thank you, on behalf of all

members, for being here today and being part of these ceremonies. I

really, sincerely say thank you. We are very grateful.

Thank you very much for coming.

[11:45 a.m.]

[X̱aad Kíl was

sung.]

Hon. R. Kahlon moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. today.

The House adjourned at 11:46 a.m.

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