British Columbia Hansard — Wednesday, April 13, 2016

20160413pm-Hansard-v37n3

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Fifth Session, 40th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) THE HONOURABLE LINDA REID, SPEAKER ISSN 0709-1281 (P rint) ISSN 1499-2175 (Online) Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Afternoon Sitting Volume 37, Number 3

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC Fifth Session, 40th Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Linda Reid EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council .............................................................................................................. Hon. Christy Clark Deputy Premier and Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing ......................Hon.

Rich Coleman Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation ......................................................................................................... Hon. John Rustad Minister of Advanced Education ............................................................................................................................... Hon. Andrew Wilkinson Minister of Agriculture ........................................................................................................................................................ Hon.

Norm Letnick Minister of Children and Family Development .......................................................................................................Hon. Stephanie Cadieux Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and Minister Responsible for TransLink ................ Hon. Peter Fassbender Minister of Education ............................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Mike Bernier Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Core Review .....................................................................Hon. Bill Bennett Minister of Environment ..........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Mary Polak Minister of Finance .................................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Michael de Jong, QC Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations......................................................................................Hon. Steve Thomson Minister of Health ............................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Dr. Terry Lake Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism ...........................................................................................Hon.

T eresa W at Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour ...................................................Hon. Shirley Bond Minister of Justice ...............................................................................................................................................................Hon. Suzanne Anton Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ................................................................................................................. Hon.

Mike Morris Minister of Small Business and Red T ape Reduction and Minister Responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch ........................................................................................................Hon. Coralee Oakes Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation..............................................................................................Hon. Michelle Stilwell Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services ................................................................................................ Hon.

Amrik Virk Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................Hon. Todd Stone Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness ....................................................................................................................Hon.

Naomi Y amamoto LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition ...................................................................................................................................................John Horgan Deputy Speaker .............................................................................................................................................................................. Richard T. Lee Assistant Deputy Speaker ...............................................................................................................................................................

Raj Chouhan Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ............................................................................................................................................ Pat Pimm Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ................................................................................................................................................... Craig James Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees .................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Clerk Assistant — Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..........................................................................................Susan Sourial Sessional Law Clerk ............................................................................................................................................. Loredana Catalli-Sonier, QC Sergeant-at-Arms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary Lenz

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Anton, Hon. Suzanne (BC Liberal) .............................. Vancouver-Fraserview Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal).....................................................................Penticton Austin, Robin (NDP) ................................................................................ Skeena Bains, Harry (NDP) ....................................................................Surrey-Newton Barnett, Donna (BC Liberal) ............................................... Cariboo-Chilcotin Bennett, Hon.

Bill (BC Liberal) ...................................................Kootenay East Bernier, Hon. Mike (BC Liberal) ......................................... Peace River South Bing, Dr. Doug (BC Liberal) ................................ Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Bond, Hon. Shirley (BC Liberal) ...........................Prince George–Valemount Cadieux, Hon. Stephanie (BC Liberal) ................................Surrey-Cloverdale Chandra Herbert, Spencer (NDP) .................................Vancouver–West End Chouhan, Raj (NDP) ........................................................... Burnaby-Edmonds Clark, Hon.

Christy (BC Liberal) ........................................ Westside-Kelowna Coleman, Hon. Rich (BC Liberal) ...........................Fort Langley–Aldergrove Conroy, Katrine (NDP) .............................................................. Kootenay West Corrigan, Kathy (NDP) ..................................................... Burnaby–Deer Lake Dalton, Marc (BC Liberal) ............................................. Maple Ridge–Mission Darcy, Judy (NDP) ..................................................................New Westminster de Jong, Hon. Michael, QC (BC Liberal) ..............................

Abbotsford West Dix, Adrian (NDP)............................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Donaldson, Doug (NDP) ......................................................................... Stikine Eby, David (NDP) ..........................................................Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (NDP) ................................................... Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Mike (NDP) ............................................................ Port Coquitlam Fassbender, Hon. Peter (BC Liberal) ...................................

Surrey-Fleetwood Fleming, Rob (NDP) .......................................................... Victoria–Swan Lake Foster, Eric (BC Liberal) .......................................................Vernon-Monashee Fraser, Scott (NDP) ............................................................Alberni–Pacific Rim Gibson, Simon (BC Liberal) ............................................. Abbotsford-Mission Hamilton, Wm. Scott (BC Liberal) .................................................Delta North Hammell, Sue (NDP) ....................................................

Surrey–Green Timbers Heyman, George (NDP) .................................................... Vancouver-Fairview Hogg, Gordon (BC Liberal) ............................................... Surrey–White Rock Holman, Gary (NDP) .......................................Saanich North and the Islands Horgan, John (NDP) .......................................................................

Juan de Fuca Hunt, Marvin (BC Liberal) ....................................................Surrey-Panorama Huntington, Vicki (Ind.) ..................................................................Delta South James, Carole (NDP) .........................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Karagianis, Maurine (NDP) ........................................Esquimalt–Royal Roads Krog, Leonard Eugene (NDP) ............................................................. Nanaimo Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal) ........................................................................ Shuswap Lake, Hon. Dr.

Terry (BC Liberal) ....................Kamloops–North Thompson Larson, Linda (BC Liberal) .........................................Boundary-Similkameen Lee, Richard T. (BC Liberal) ......................................................Burnaby North Letnick, Hon. Norm (BC Liberal) ..............................Kelowna–Lake Country Macdonald, Norm (NDP) ....................................Columbia River–Revelstoke McRae, Don (BC Liberal) ............................................................ Comox Valley Mark, Melanie (NDP) ...........................................

Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Martin, John (BC Liberal) ..................................................................Chilliwack Morris, Hon. Mike (BC Liberal) ........................... Prince George–Mackenzie Mungall, Michelle (NDP) ..........................................................Nelson-Creston Oakes, Hon. Coralee (BC Liberal) .............................................Cariboo North Pimm, Pat (BC Liberal) .........................................................Peace River North Plecas, Dr. Darryl (BC Liberal) .............................................Abbotsford South Polak, Hon.

Mary (BC Liberal) ..............................................................Langley Popham, Lana (NDP) ...................................................................Saanich South Ralston, Bruce (NDP) ................................................................ Surrey-Whalley Reid, Hon. Linda (BC Liberal) ..................................................Richmond East Reimer, Linda (BC Liberal) ........................................

Port Moody–Coquitlam Rice, Jennifer (NDP) ........................................................................North Coast Robinson, Selina (NDP) .............................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Routley, Bill (NDP) .................................................................. Cowichan Valley Routley, Doug (NDP) ............................................Nanaimo–North Cowichan Rustad, Hon. John (BC Liberal) ................................................

Nechako Lakes Shin, Jane Jae Kyung (NDP) ...............................................Burnaby-Lougheed Simons, Nicholas (NDP) ................................... Powell River–Sunshine Coast Simpson, Shane (NDP) .....................................................Vancouver-Hastings Stilwell, Hon. Michelle (BC Liberal)............................... Parksville-Qualicum Stilwell, Dr. Moira (BC Liberal) ........................................ Vancouver-Langara Stone, Hon. Todd (BC Liberal) .........................

Kamloops–South Thompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal) ..................................West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Sullivan, Sam (BC Liberal) ...........................................Vancouver–False Creek Sultan, Ralph (BC Liberal) ..................................... West Vancouver–Capilano Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal) ............................................................Fraser-Nicola Thomson, Hon. Steve (BC Liberal) .......................................Kelowna-Mission Thornthwaite, Jane (BC Liberal) ..........................

North Vancouver–Seymour Throness, Laurie (BC Liberal).................................................Chilliwack-Hope Trevena, Claire (NDP) .................................................................... North Island Virk, Hon. Amrik (BC Liberal) ............................................. Surrey-Tynehead Wat, Hon. Teresa (BC Liberal) .............................................. Richmond Centre Weaver, Dr. Andrew (Ind.) .......................................... Oak Bay–Gordon Head Wickens, Jodie (NDP) ..........................................Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Wilkinson, Hon.

Andrew (BC Liberal) ........................ Vancouver-Quilchena Y amamoto, Hon. Naomi (BC Liberal) ................ North Vancouver–Lonsdale Y ap, John (BC Liberal) ......................................................Richmond-Steveston LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission ......................................................................Simon Gibson Abbotsford South ..................................................................... Dr. Darryl Plecas Abbotsford West ...................................................... Hon.

Michael de Jong, QC Alberni–Pacific Rim .......................................................................... Scott Fraser Boundary-Similkameen ................................................................ Linda Larson Burnaby–Deer Lake ................................................................... Kathy Corrigan Burnaby-Edmonds ..........................................................................Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed .............................................................Jane Jae Kyung Shin Burnaby North ..............................................................................

Richard T. Lee Cariboo-Chilcotin ........................................................................Donna Barnett Cariboo North .................................................................... Hon. Coralee Oakes Chilliwack ......................................................................................... John Martin Chilliwack-Hope ....................................................................... Laurie Throness Columbia River–Revelstoke ..................................................

Norm Macdonald Comox Valley.....................................................................................Don McRae Coquitlam–Burke Mountain .......................................................Jodie Wickens Coquitlam-Maillardville........................................................... Selina Robinson Cowichan Valley ................................................................................ Bill Routley Delta North .........................................................................Wm.

Scott Hamilton Delta South...............................................................................Vicki Huntington Esquimalt–Royal Roads .....................................................Maurine Karagianis Fort Langley–Aldergrove ...................................................Hon. Rich Coleman Fraser-Nicola.................................................................................... Jackie Tegart Juan de Fuca .....................................................................................John Horgan Kamloops–North Thompson ............................................ Hon. Dr.

Terry Lake Kamloops–South Thompson ..................................................Hon. Todd Stone Kelowna–Lake Country ..................................................... Hon. Norm Letnick Kelowna-Mission .............................................................. Hon. Steve Thomson Kootenay East .......................................................................... Hon. Bill Bennett Kootenay West ............................................................................ Katrine Conroy Langley.......................................................................................Hon.

Mary Polak Maple Ridge–Mission ..................................................................... Marc Dalton Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows ........................................................ Dr. Doug Bing Nanaimo ........................................................................... Leonard Eugene Krog Nanaimo–North Cowichan ......................................................... Doug Routley Nechako Lakes ........................................................................ Hon.

John Rustad Nelson-Creston ........................................................................Michelle Mungall New Westminster ............................................................................... Judy Darcy North Coast......................................................................................Jennifer Rice North Island .................................................................................. Claire Trevena North Vancouver–Lonsdale ........................................Hon.

Naomi Y amamoto North Vancouver–Seymour ..................................................Jane Thornthwaite Oak Bay–Gordon Head ...................................................... Dr. Andrew Weaver Parksville-Qualicum .......................................................Hon. Michelle Stilwell Peace River North ................................................................................ Pat Pimm Peace River South ..................................................................Hon. Mike Bernier Penticton............................................................................................

Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam ..........................................................................Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Coquitlam ................................................................Linda Reimer Powell River–Sunshine Coast ................................................. Nicholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie ....................................................Hon. Mike Morris Prince George–Valemount ...................................................Hon. Shirley Bond Richmond Centre ......................................................................Hon.

Teresa Wat Richmond East ..........................................................................Hon. Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston ..............................................................................John Y ap Saanich North and the Islands .................................................... Gary Holman Saanich South ................................................................................

Lana Popham Shuswap ................................................................................................Greg Kyllo Skeena .............................................................................................. Robin Austin Stikine ....................................................................................... Doug Donaldson Surrey-Cloverdale ....................................................... Hon. Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Fleetwood ........................................................... Hon.

Peter Fassbender Surrey–Green Timbers ..................................................................Sue Hammell Surrey-Newton ................................................................................. Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ........................................................................... Marvin Hunt Surrey-Tynehead ......................................................................Hon. Amrik Virk Surrey-Whalley..............................................................................

Bruce Ralston Surrey–White Rock ....................................................................... Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Fairview ..................................................................George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek ...................................................................Sam Sullivan Vancouver-Fraserview ......................................................Hon.

Suzanne Anton Vancouver-Hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-Kensington .................................................................Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..........................................................................Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara .................................................................Dr. Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant .........................................................

Melanie Mark Vancouver–Point Grey .........................................................................David Eby Vancouver-Quilchena ................................................ Hon. Andrew Wilkinson Vancouver–West End ...............................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................Eric Foster Victoria–Beacon Hill .......................................................................Carole James Victoria–Swan Lake.........................................................................Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano ............................................................. Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ..........................................................Jordan Sturdy Westside-Kelowna ................................................................

Hon. Christy Clark Party Standings: BC Liberal 48; New Democratic 35; Independent 2

CONTENTS Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Afternoon Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members ................................................................................................................................................... 12141 Statements .............................................................................................................................................................................. 12143 Vaisakhi Hon. C. Clark J.

Horgan Introduction and First Reading of Bills .............................................................................................................................. 12144 Bill M217 — Sustainable Wildlife Management Act, 2016 K. Conroy Bill M218 — Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act, 2016 M. Mungall Statements (Standing Order 25B) ....................................................................................................................................... 12145 Invasive plants R. Sultan Reconciliation journey by Anglican bishop Logan McMenamie C.

James Bullying prevention and Out in Schools J. Thornthwaite Canadian Interuniversity Sports accomplishments by women A. Weaver Emergency services dispatchers J. Sturdy Alice Maitland D. Donaldson Oral Questions ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12147 New Coast Realty transactions and regulation of real estate industry J. Horgan Hon. C. Clark D. Eby Regulation of real estate industry and access to Vancouver listings M. Farnworth Hon. C. Clark B.C.

Hydro management and dividends to government A. Dix Hon. B. Bennett Port Mann Bridge tolling exemption policy J. Wickens Hon. T. Stone Disability benefits and bus pass program changes M. Mungall Hon. Michelle Stilwell Personal Statements .............................................................................................................................................................. 12152 Withdrawal of comments made in the House Hon. B.

Bennett Point of Privilege (Reservation of Right) ........................................................................................................................... 12152 A. Dix Hon. Michelle Stilwell

Orders of the Day Tabling Documents ............................................................................................................................................................... 12152 Correspondence with regard to New Coast Realty Government Motions on Notice ......................................................................................................................................... 12152 Motion 11 — Trans-Pacific Partnership Hon. C. Clark J. Horgan On the amendment J. Horgan Hon. T. Stone B. Ralston A. Weaver V . Huntington C. James On the main motion Hon. T. Wat Hon. N. Letnick D.

Plecas D. McRae Hon. S. Bond B. Ralston C. James A. Dix Hon. J. Rustad S. Simpson Hon. T. Stone M.

Farnworth Tabling Documents ............................................................................................................................................................... 12188 Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for B.C., Investigation Report 16-01, lobbyist: Hal Danchilla, March 3, 2016 Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for B.C., Investigation Report 16-02, lobbyist: Courtney Mosentine, March 3, 2016 Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room Committee of Supply ............................................................................................................................................................ 12188 Estimates: Ministry of Education (continued) J.

Darcy Hon. M. Bernier K. Conroy R. Fleming J. Wickens C. Trevena M. Mark K. Corrigan V . Huntington G. Holman S. Chandra Herbert D. Eby D. Routley D. Donaldson

WEDNESDAY , APRIL 13, 2016 The House met at 1:34 p.m. [Madame Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. [1335] Introductions by Members J. Thornthwaite: I have a few introductions to make today. First of all, I would like to welcome Stephanie Goodwin, executive director of Out On Screen; Michelle Wilson, parent of B.C. student Tru Wilson — i.e., mom and student; Gavin Somers, Out in Schools program assistant; and Brandon Yan, Out in Schools program coordinator. They came and gave us a lovely lunch to explain what Out in Schools is all about. I’m going to be doing a statement about that in a minute.

We also have several guests from the Association of Book Publishers of B.C., too many to mention, but we would like the House to welcome them. Last, but certainly not least, a longtime friend of mine, Gary Harbottle is here. Welcome, Gary. Could the House please make them all welcome to the House. S. Chandra Herbert: Well, I would like to join with my colleague across the way in welcoming Tru and Michelle Wilson, Stephanie Goodwin, Brandon Yan and Gavin Somers from Out in Schools. Just a special shout-out to Tru Wilson. She’s an inspiration to so many of us.

I just want to say thank you to the organization for continuing to push for LGBT-inclusive education. It’s a message that we hear loud and clear, and now, hopefully, we can get to some action. Thank you to them. Finally, hon. Speaker, I want to thank yourself for mak- ing B.C. Book Day welcome. We have the Association of Book Publishers of B.C. here. I want to acknowledge a special shout-out to Margaret Reynolds, their executive director. This is Margaret’s last year as executive director — really large shoes to fill. She’s done so well for our book publishers in this province — for authors, for readers.

So on behalf of everybody who loves a good B.C. book, let’s say thank you to the B.C. book publishers and Margaret Reynolds. Hon. T. Wat: Today I have two groups of guests that I want to introduce to this House. The first group is here today to show their strong support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. They are Christina Burridge of the B.C. Seafood Alliance, Kevin Boon and Brian McKersie of the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, Mike Mueller of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and Dan Baxter of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. Would the House please make them feel a very warm welcome.

The second group of guests is from the Vancouver branch of the Bank of China (Canada), Ms. Jennifer Guo and Mr. Michael Wu. Jennifer is the senior manager of the Vancouver branch of the Bank of China, and Michael is the head of corporate financial services for the bank’s Vancouver operations. The Bank of China (Canada) first established its Canadian subsidiary 20 years ago in Ontario and has since extended its operations to ten retail branches across the country.

In late 2013, the Bank of China moved their international business centre to Vancouver, where it offers trade, finance and foreign exchange services to Canadian clients all across the country. Please join me in giving a very warm welcome to Jennifer and Michael. S. Simpson: I know that all members on both sides hold their constituency assistants in high esteem and value their constituency assistants. We in the official op- position do, and we’re very excited that we have our con- stituency assistants all in town this week for their annual conference.

I know that all of my colleagues wanted to introduce all of their assistants individually and read their resumes into the record, but we are going to try to get to question period before three o’ clock. [1340] What I wanted to say is a sincere thank-you on behalf of the official opposition, the MLAs, to all of our constitu- ency assistants for the work that they do; for the grace and the decorum that they present in our office, some - times in difficult situations; and, certainly, for the deter- mination and the commitment that they show every day in the work they do for our constituents in our respect - ive constituencies.

We value that work immensely, we’re really proud that they’re here, and we’re looking forward to getting togeth- er later and celebrating that. Thank you very much to all of you. Hon. S. Anton: I’ d like to make an introduction to Mr. Vivek Savkur and his friend Kyron De Silva. Mr. Savkur has been engaged in Canada-India bilat - eral business for 27 years. He’s a founding director of the B.C.-India Business Network, which is a new, first of its kind, not-for-profit, non-political organization for bi - lateral trade between B.C. and India. He’s the president, western Canada, for the Canada India Education Council.

He’s a director of the Indo Canadian Socio Economic Association. He’s a director of Hope for Orphans Society, an institution for girls of persecuted Christians in India. He’s a former national president of the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber from New Delhi and Mumbai. And 12141

British Columbia Debates12142 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 he is a member of the India Advisory Council at Simon Fraser University. In March 2013, he was awarded the very prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada in recognition of his out - standing contribution to our country. He also has some other interests that certainly would catch one’s attention. He was engaged in the first and second Himalayan international car rally and in a car rally in East Africa and in the World Snooker Championship in Mumbai, for those of you who have more indoor sports that you like.

Then, of course, he was part of the team responsible for bringing the TOIFA awards to Vancouver in 2013. An all-around engaged businessman and citizen, someone who loves to promote Canada-India business relationships, would the House please make Mr. Vivek Savkur very welcome. D. Eby: Today in the Legislature we’re joined by Joe Wiebe. Joe is an author who’s here with B.C. Book Day. He writes at thirstywriter.com. In fact, he’s a wonder - ful guy, so don’t hate him for having the best job in the world. He writes about craft beer. His book is Craft Beer Revolution. He’s an expert on the craft beer scene in B.C.

Welcome, Joe, to the Legislature, and thank you for all of your wonderful work. J. Sturdy: We have in the House this afternoon a local government elected official who I’ve known for years and who is a go-to resource for everything Bowen Island. I’m pretty sure that she’s served on Bowen council since the municipality was incorporated in 1999. It seems amazing, but knowing how well Alison understands Bowen Island and its history, it’s not at all surprising to me. Would the House please join me in welcoming to the Legislature Councillor Alison Morse. C. James: I have three guests in the gallery today.

The first is someone who’s been hanging around the build - ing for the last while. Kimberly Copeland is currently studying political science at the University of Victoria. She’s working with our caucus on a co-op term until the end of the session. I know the person to my right would want me to men- tion that she is also a constituent of Juan de Fuca and that she also commutes every day from the wonderful community of Sooke. She does work in the community of Victoria–Beacon Hill, so I’ d ask the House, please, to make her very welcome. Two other guests, who I’ll be speaking a little bit more about later.

First is the Bishop Logan McMenamie, who is here from the Anglican Diocese of B.C. With him is Victor Flett, an elder and adviser to the bishop. I look for- ward to more words about that later. [1345] S. Hammell: I am pleased to introduce a former mem- ber of this House for the Comox Valley, Evelyn Gillespie. She was a member here between 1996 and 2001 and was, for part of that time, the Minister of Women’s Equality. But like Glen Clark and Elizabeth Cull, after politics she went into business and owns the Laughing Oyster Bookshop in Courtenay, and she was here for B.C. Book Day.

So would the House please make Evelyn Gillespie welcome. G. Holman: It’s my pleasure to introduce a constituent of mine, Briony Penn, who is attending B.C. Book Day celebrations in the Legislature today. Briony is an author, naturalist, artist, broadcaster, columnist and adjunct pro- fessor at the University of Victoria. Briony is one of the most influential leaders of the land trust movement in British Columbia.

She was a founding director of the Land Conservancy of B.C. and has been instrumental in guiding TLC through a very difficult per- iod in its history so that it can resume its role as one of the most effective land trusts in the province. To top it off, Briony’s new biography, entitled The Real Thing: The Natural History of Ian McTaggart Cowan, has been nominated for two B.C. literary awards. Would the House please make Briony feel very welcome. A. Weaver: It gives me great pleasure to introduce to the House today Stefan Jonsson, the director of com - munications for the B.C. Green Party, who is visiting to- day.

He’s accompanied by his mother, Linda Jonsson, who is retired and volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul and is involved extensively in choirs within our community. Would the House please make them welcome. Very briefly, I wanted to join my colleague from Vancouver–Point Grey in welcoming Joe Wiebe. Now, the House should know that last year, the member for Vancouver–Point Grey got the only copy of the Craft Beer Revolution. It was okay, because I already owned such a copy. But this year I beat him to it. I got Joe Wiebe’s second edition of his book before the member for Vancouver–Point Grey.

Last night on Twitter I told him I was going to do that, so it was wonderful example of bipartisan efforts here in celebrating craft beer in B.C. J. Shin: They say Korean mothers are a force to be reckoned with, and I’m blessed to have not just one but three. Joining us in the gallery today are my mother and her two sisters from Korea. Mumbo Li, my mom’s younger sister, is a dedicated Christian missionary, and her army of prayers from the other side of the Pacific helped me get elected and take my seat here in this chamber. I would like to thank her again today.

Sabu Li, my mom’s youngest sister, owns and oversees Duwan Corp. with her husband and family. If you have a car, chances are that it has parts and technologies that

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12143 were made and developed by Duwan. Her family’s corpor- ation and subsidiaries have grown by leaps and bounds as a global group of manufacturing plants and sales of - fices now operating in Korea, China, North America, Germany, India, Russia and Brazil, employing 4,000 em- ployees. Their sales exceeded $2.5 billion, with no strike or job action in the last 22 years.

As one of its many contributions to the society, Duwan established a non-profit high school as well as a state- of-the-art university, educating 5,000 students across its two beautiful campuses that I had the pleasure of visit - ing last year with members from Surrey-Whalley and Surrey–Green Timbers. Madame Speaker, my aunt. One of her missions, and she often proposes it, is that I go back to Korea to work with her.

But I’m sure you would agree that there is no fancy suite in a skyscraper in Seoul more breathtaking than the nature that we have in our backyards in British Columbia and, dare I say, no paycheque bigger than the privilege of being a Canadian. [Korean was spoken.] Would all the members please make them feel very, very welcome. J. Darcy: It gives me a pleasure to welcome Lee Trent- adue to the House today. She ran a bookstore on Galiano Island for many years and is the driving force behind the Galiano Literary Festival. She’s not a constituent of New Westminster, but she’s the next best thing.

She is the mother of our city councillor, Mary Trentadue, of whom she is very, very proud. Welcome please Lee Trentadue to the House today. Hon. T. Lake: As members of the executive, we don’t get to make two-minute statements, but I did want to recognize someone today who is celebrating their birth- day. He’s someone that’s made all of us proud here in British Columbia — Dr. Julio Montaner, who has led the fight against HIV/AIDS around the world. I just wanted to say, on behalf of all of us: happy birthday, Julio. M. Mungall: We are joined today by several people.

One of them, her name will be familiar to members. Sheenagh Morrison is back in the gallery. She’s been here many times over the last few months. [1350] She’s an amazing Special Olympic swimmer and a self-advocate for people with disabilities. Joining her are Angela Clancy and Karen. Angela is the executive direc- tor for the B.C. Family Support Institute. We also have a mom and her two kids. Xander and Shelby are joined by their mom, Delphine Charmley, and they are here because they are strong advocates for people with disabilities.

But also, Xander and Shelby are in the front row today, taking in everything that we’re doing here in the Legislature as part of their provincial

section of their home studies class. May the House please make them all very welcome. V . Huntington: I would like to join the member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky in welcoming Alison Morse to the House today. Alison and I shared a class all the way through high school in West Van, and it’s indeed a pleas- ure to welcome her to the House today. M. Mark: I’ d like to introduce Romeo Tello, who wears a number of hats, one of which is as a constituent for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant. He’s an administrator, a coordinator and receptionist for the Vancouver cau - cus office.

Will the House please join me in welcoming Romeo to this House. Statements V AISAKHI Hon. C. Clark: Over the next few days, hundreds of thousands of British Columbians will join millions of Sikhs around the world in celebrating Vaisakhi, and British Columbia, as all members know, is the home of the largest Vaisakhi celebration in North America. That’s the day that we celebrate the birth of the Khalsa. It’s the day that we celebrate the proud and enduring principles of the Sikh faith.

We are lucky in British Columbia that, over 100 years, we have succeeded in attracting so many people to our shores of South Asian descent — an entrepreneurial, community-minded group of people who have made such a difference. I look forward, with other members of this House, in joining the thousands of people who will be participat - ing in Vaisakhi events over the next few weeks. I’ d like to say, on behalf of this House, to all British Columbians: Happy Vaisakhi. Lakh Lakh Vadhai. J.

Horgan: On behalf of the New Democrat caucus, I, too, want to wish the very best, and best wishes and a happy Vaisakhi to the Sikh community across B.C. as we celebrate the birth of the Khalsa. It’s been 100 years since Sikhs have been coming to Canada and British Columbia and enriching our com - munities with their generosity, with their pursuit of social justice, with their pursuit of human rights and prosperity here on our shores. In fact, it’s the hard work and gen - erosity of Sikhs right across B.C. that have strengthened our communities, wherever they may be.

At the same time, gurdwaras have been instrumental in reaching out to other faiths and creating bonds across different religions to make, again, our faith communities even stronger. I hope everyone will join, as the Premier suggested, in Vaisakhi ceremonies right across British Columbia.

British Columbia Debates12144 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 This Saturday, the Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade is go - ing to take place, starting at the Ross Street Temple. On Sunday, here in Victoria, they’ll have another parade, starting at the temple on Topaz — and, of course, the massive celebration in Surrey on the 23rd. I encourage all British Columbians, wherever they may be, to find a celebration in your community. Enjoy Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi Di Lakh Lakh Vadiayi. Vaheguru Ji Kaa Khalsa. Vaheguru Ji Kee Fateh. Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL M217 — SUSTAINABLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT ACT, 2016 K.

Conroy presented a bill intituled Sustainable Wildlife Management Act, 2016. K. Conroy: I move that a bill intituled Sustainable Wildlife Management Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and now read a first time. Motion approved. K. Conroy: The conservation of fish and wildlife habi- tat and biodiversity in this province has been steadily decreasing. The land base has been neglected, and the sustainable management of animal populations across the province has been compromised. This needs to change.

Fish and wildlife are a valuable public resource that needs to be protected, and the British Columbians whose livelihood and recreation rely on these natural resources have been disregarded by this government for too long. This bill would ensure that we will protect these resources today and in the future. Management of fish, wildlife and habitat shall be done in collaboration with First Nations on a government-to- government basis. [1355] This bill will require science-based objectives and peer review for habitat and wildlife management.

It will estab- lish a round table to carry out collaborative planning with First Nations and stakeholder groups. Conservation of fish and wildlife and habitat will be a priority when planning for land- and water-use activities in British Columbia. It will ensure that adequate funding goes toward the management of wildlife and habitat by establishing a special account.

By implementing science- based habitat and population management, by seeking out the expertise and experience of First Nations, resident hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, and by priori- tizing the conservation and biodiversity of habitats and populations, this bill will help to create jobs and a thriving environment in British Columbia now and for the future. To quote B.C.

Wildlife Federation president George Wilson: “ A failure to adequately fund biodiversity con - servation is the single biggest challenge B.C. faces.” Without funding, caribou, steelhead, sheep, moose populations and their habitat will continue to dwindle. Biodiversity needs to be funded, and it needs measurable objectives in B.C.

As Hereditary Chief John Henderson, president of the Wildlife Stewardship Council, says: “Let’s use the seven-generations principle for future generations and the impact of our activities on those still unborn. ” I feel that this bill will ensure just that — a thriving wildlife for today, as well as for our children, grand - children and their children. I move this bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sit - ting after today.

Bill M217, Sustainable Wildlife Management Act, 2016, 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. BILL M218 — POVERTY REDUCTION AND ECONOMIC INCLUSION ACT, 2016 M. Mungall presented a bill intituled Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act, 2016. M. Mungall: I move that the bill intituled the Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be intro- duced and read a first time now. Motion approved. M.

Mungall: Today marks the fifth time the New Democrat opposition has introduced this legislation. Since 2011, when we first introduced a bill for a pov - erty reduction plan, we have seen food bank use in B.C. increase. Housing costs, food costs, hydro rates and post- secondary education costs increased as well. We have also seen every other province adopt plans that tackle poverty and seek economic inclusion for every one of their citizens. B.C. now remains the only province with- out a legislated plan that is transparent and accountable to its citizens.

If we had a plan, government would have the structure in place to know when they are about to make poverty-creating policies and avoid such detri - mental actions. For example, had B.C. passed this bill already, it is highly unlikely that government would have suggested a bus pass clawback that increases bus pass fees for people with disabilities living in poverty. Additionally, a pov - erty reduction and economic inclusion act, as enabled by this act, would task government with identifying pov- erty-creating policies that are already in place and seek to end them.

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12145 An example here is the maternity and parental leave clawbacks that deny working people with disabilities their right to collect EI benefits from maternity and par- ental leaves from work. While other Canadians have this right, our current government is denying them this, and it plunges families further into poverty simply because they are having children. There are so many factors that contribute to poverty, and ignoring poverty costs our communities and our economy more than taking action with a real plan.

Because of this and because it is the right thing to do, we need a comprehensive plan with targets and timelines to do the meaningful work of reducing poverty and in - cluding everyone in our economy. Today this Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act can do just that, only if we’re given the opportunity to debate and pass it. I move that this bill be placed on the orders of the day for the second reading at the next sitting of this House after today.

Bill M218, Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act, 2016, 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) INV ASIVE PLANTS R. Sultan: Facebook says I’m a gardener. Well, maybe. A huge plant, ten feet tall, sprang up out of nowhere. It was giant hogweed — a dangerous pest, as it turned out, parsnips on steroids. To kill it, I had to suit up and inject it with herbicide and learn more about invasive species. [1400] Surprises: my periwinkle is invasive. Scotch broom too.

Ditto, those blackberries, which make such delicious pie. As for the Brits, I recently joined a Telus neighbour- hood team pulling out their — I won’t say the word — English ivy. Paul Berlinguette of North Shore Wetland Partners told me Cypress Provincial Park has been invaded. Bales of hay trucked in to save the Olympic Games also trucked in reed canary grass. Humans created this menace. A cultivar bred for fast growth and vigour, it takes over wetlands, and it destroys our streams.

To control it, Wetland Partners, assisted by Fiona Wright’s Friends of Cypress and Cypress Mountain’s Bobby Swain, selectively pull it out. B.C. Parks is working on a management plan, educating volunteers and staff. Hopefully, herbicides will not have to be used. Over in North Vancouver, a similar war is underway on the Seymour River. Here the invasive is knotweed.

The ministry concluded only a full herbicide assault could do the job, but multiple stakeholders got together and said: “We want to try another way. ” The ministry said: “Okay, you’ve got three years. ” In 2019, we will see who won — the people or the herbicides. I am rooting on the side of the people. RECONCILIATION JOURNEY BY ANGLICAN BISHOP LOGAN MCMENAMIE C. James: One step at a time, Anglican bishop Logan McMenamie is building a new relationship between First Nations and aboriginal people and the church.

In March, those steps added up to 480 kilometres as he completed a three-week journey from Alert Bay to Victoria. Shortly after his consecration in 2013, the bishop felt strongly that the Anglican Church on Vancouver Island needed to commit to a new relationship with its in - digenous members and neighbours, and that commit - ment needed to take the form of concrete action. With the guidance of elders, the concept emerged of a sacred journey, a vision quest by the bishop, on behalf of the diocese, with the First Nations people on the land as

an act of repentance. Before starting the pilgrimage, the bishop met with chiefs and elders and asked for permission to pass through their lands. In each of the communities he vis - ited, his message was simple and direct. “We failed you, ” he told them. “We failed to recognize the Creator in you and your land, your culture and your tradition…. We were part of a system in the residential schools that took your children away from you, and they suffered sexual, physical and cultural abuse.

And I’m very, very sorry. ” The bishop completed his journey on Easter Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral, a remarkable accomplishment and a profoundly meaningful way to establish mutual re- spect and further the goal of reconciliation. What an ex- ample of leadership for all of us. I hope that all members will join me in congratulating Bishop McMenamie on the completion of what he sees as only one step on a very long journey to justice. BULLYING PREVENTION AND OUT IN SCHOOLS J. Thornthwaite: Safe, welcoming and inclusive schools — that’s what we want for students in British Columbia.

We want learning environments free from harassment, bullying and discrimination where youth, regardless of race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation are able to concentrate on their education, without fear. Earlier today MLAs from both sides of the House cele- brated the international Day of Pink with the team from Out in Schools, a program that brings fresh, relevant films into B.C. ’s classrooms to facilitate dialogue, stop bullying and promote inclusion. These presentations are hosted by young artists and advocates who use film as a medium for social change.

The short films presented are dynamic and engaging and help students experience,

British Columbia Debates12146 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 understand and empathize with the challenges LGBTQ youth face each day. Out in Schools began in 2004 and has since reached out to more than 60,000 students. The program works closely with school districts, educators and counsellors to tailor each presentation to the specific needs of an individual school.

Though the program started out de - livering presentations across the Lower Mainland, in re- cent years, it has expanded to reach communities outside Metro Vancouver, including Prince Rupert, Haida Gwaii, Williams Lake and Kamloops. [1405] In addition to providing opportunities to discuss these issues in the classroom, the program is also encouraging youth to create change by making films of their own. The Out in Schools youth short film contest invites anyone aged 12 to 19 to create a short film that challenges homo- phobia, transphobia and bullying. Films have to be entered before May 20, 2016.

I encour- age any student who is interested to participate. This is a great way for youth to be a voice for change in their com- munity and to support our efforts and those of the Out in Schools team to combat bullying and discrimination. I ask the House to join me in thanking the Out in Schools team for engaging students on this important issue and for helping us to create safe, inclusive class - rooms across the province. CANADIAN INTERUNIVERSITY SPORTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY WOMEN A. Weaver: Last week in the House, we were intro - duced to the UBC Thunderbirds, the winner of the 2015 Vanier Cup.

The next day we celebrated the 99th anni - versary of the adoption of legislation by this Legislature providing women the right to vote in B.C. On that day, we celebrated how far we have come. These were in - deed great events to celebrate. Today I’ d like to expand the celebration of B.C. ’s success — in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports, or CIS, sports championships. In 2015, UBC’s women’s field hockey team won their fifth straight CIS championship. This year’s final game was a nail-biter.

UBC was down 2-1 to the UVic Vikes with literally seconds left in the game when UVic was forced to defend not one but two penalty corners. UBC scored on the second penalty corner as time ran out and subsequently won the penalty shootout. Both players of the game, UBC’s Sarah Keglowitsch and UVic’s Lizzy Y ates, were from Shawnigan Lake. There must have been something in the water there. In women’s soccer, ten of the past 14 CIS champion - ships have been won by B.C. universities, led by Trinity Western’s five titles, UBC’s four titles and UVic’s single title.

UBC won this year’s final game 3-0 over the team from Trinity Western University. The UBC women’s volleyball team won six consecutive titles from 2008 to 2013. This past year three of the top four teams in the country were from B.C.: Trinity Western, UBC Okanagan and UBC. In women’s basketball, from 2002 to 2010, B.C. universities won nine consecutive na- tional titles: SFU, five; UBC, three; and UVic, one. In the last 20 years, precisely four teams have been presented at the Bar: the B.C. Lions in 2006 and 2012, the Victoria Shamrocks in 2015 and UBC’s football team in 2016.

As far as I can tell, a women’s sports team has never, ever before been presented at the Bar. We still have a long way to go. EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCHERS J. Sturdy: When you dial 911, the first thing you hear is “911 — police, fire or ambulance?” This is a voice of calm in a storm, offering relief and rescue and poised to deliver direction and support. The province of British Columbia has proclaimed April 10 to 16 as Emergency Service Dispatchers and 911 Awareness Week, in recog- nition of the vital role that call-takers and dispatchers play in providing emergency assistance.

The job of dispatchers is both hectic and heroic. Their calm, decisive voices can often have a dramatic impact. I’ d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of the emergency dispatchers and call-takers that help save lives of British Columbians each and every day. British Columbia emergency health services emergency medical dispatchers and call-takers are the first point of contact for a medical emergency. Through the medical priority dispatch system, dispatchers calmly guide call - ers through life-saving interventions, from performing CPR to relieving airway obstructions or delivering babies. B.C.

Emergency health services operates three dis - patch operation centres around the province, which, dur- ing 2015, received over half a million calls. In addition to working with the caller to identify the location and nature of the emergency and providing necessary life- saving instructions, the dispatcher alerts the most ap - propriate air or ground ambulance and paramedic crews. Medical dispatchers also coordinate multi-resource transports where a ferry, water taxi, search and rescue teams, or helicopters are needed.

They also liaise with receiving facilities, emergency service partner agencies, and police and fire resources in cases that require mul - tiple or layered responses. [1410] Today I ask the House to join me in recognizing these often behind-the-scenes heroes and our lifeline in an emergency, the dispatchers and the call-takers of British Columbia. ALICE MAITLAND D. Donaldson: At a retirement party, when your boss says he always appreciated your sincere honesty, you

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12147 know that could mean a whole lot of things — some of them not so positive. But with Alice Maitland, her hon - esty in dealing with people is what has earned her respect from all and admiration from many, including myself. Alice retired as regional director with Northwest Community College March 31, with her primary focus during the last 15 years as manager of the Hazelton cam- pus. Alice always put the community first when it came to Northwest Community College and the pressures that it’s been under for the last 15 years.

That is what a community college is for, to serve the vision of the community through educational offerings, rather than an institution serving the wishes of the gov - ernment of the day through a top-down approach. Alice epitomized responding to the grass roots, rather than what someone from afar deemed was good for us. That is another reason she is applauded for her sincere honesty.

She is comfortable at that strategic level but is also able to connect with young adult learners in an amazing way — again, likely through that honesty that people respond to because it is genuine in wanting people to achieve their goals. Recently I witnessed a young woman speaking with Alice about her dream of becoming a lawyer after a couple of years of criminology studies and how that dream wasn’t possible because of a lack of financial sup- port.

Alice told her of how she returned to school in her 60s to acquire a master’s degree in education and to keep her lawyer dream alive, because there was lots of time in life. Y ou could see the young woman’s eyes flicker with hope as this amazing role model, four decades her senior, told her to not lose her ambition. Thank you, Alice, for being such a mentor to so many, for being a fighter in a good way all your life for rural north- ern communities and our shared way of life.

It will be the college’s loss, but thankfully, Hazelton and the north will still have you as mayor — the longest serving in B.C. his - tory — to help ensure our grassroots vision is not ignored. Oral Questions NEW COAST REALTY TRANSACTIONS AND REGULATION OF REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY J. Horgan: Since January, we’ve been raising concerns about realtors who are taking advantage of families by trying to pad their profits in real estate transactions. In January and February, we wrote to the Real Estate Council with serious allegations of fraud, unethical con- duct and illegal behaviour by New Coast Realty.

We brought those concerns directly to the minister respon - sible and to the Premier. We asked that serious action be taken to protect homeowners and buyers. Well, yesterday the real estate advisory group acknowledged what we’ve been saying for months and what we’ve been calling for, and that is serious penalties for realtors who defraud and take un - scrupulous activities to the nth degree at the cost of in - dividuals and homeowners. Serious criminal allegations have been made against this real estate firm, but no audits of previous trans - actions will be undertaken. No licences will be suspended.

The response from the Real Estate Council is that New Coast is just too big to fail. My question is to the Premier: will she crack down today on the unethical behaviour of some realtors who are bringing the entire industry in disrepute at the cost of people who want to have a home? Hon. C. Clark: A home is probably the biggest invest- ment that many of us, most of us, will make in our entire lives, and therefore, it is a very, very important thing to all of us who make that transaction.

We need to make sure that it is done fairly, that the people who are assisting us in those sales and purchases are doing it honestly and acting in our best interests. The issue that the member has raised is one that gov - ernment has already started to stop — that is, with re - spect to shadow flipping, putting an end to it. And the member brought forward legislation which would have done the same thing, except that under his plan, in stop- ping shadow flipping, what the member would have done is made sure that the government got the extra money that the real estate agent would otherwise have received.

Our plan, which we will see in the next few weeks made real in regulation, would mean that the seller of the property, not the government, would get any additional profit that might otherwise have come and that currently people are seeing through what I would argue is a shady and unfair practice. [1415] Shadow flipping is done by people who are driven by pure, naked greed, and we are moving to put a stop to it. Madame Speaker: The Leader of the Official Oppo - sition on a supplemental. J. Horgan: After we took action in this House, the Premier responded the next day, saying she’ d had enough. She had had enough.

She characterized it as pure greed, naked greed, and she was going to put a stop to it. Just ten days ago people in the Liberal Party received a letter from the president saying the following: “Our government has taken immediate action to end the practice of shadow flipping by implementing new provincial regulations. ” But with most of the things the Premier says, you really have to check that against delivery. I’ve just heard the Premier say now that we are working for something down the road. A month ago it was going to be immedi- ate action. A week ago it had already happened.

What is it, Madam Premier, through you, hon. Speaker — are you going to take action, have you taken action, or

British Columbia Debates12148 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 is it just another way to move this ball down the field and hope the story goes away? Hon. C. Clark: As I said, the purchase of a home is the single most important, most expensive transaction that most of us will make in our lifetimes. We do need to make sure that the changes that we make, while they are urgent and are being dealt with very quickly, need to be done well. This is not an NDP budget. We are not doing it on the back of a napkin. Madame Speaker: The Leader of the Official Oppo - sition on a supplemental. J.

Horgan: Y eah, the debt-free was on the side of a bus, not on the back of an envelope. The then communi- cations director for the Premier said: “What would I do with $1 trillion?” That wasn’t on the back of an envelope; that was 140 characters on a tweet. A month ago the Premier said she was going to take im- mediate action because she had had enough. We’ve been raising the issue for months in this Legislature. The people of the Lower Mainland have been talking about hous - ing affordability for years, and now the Premier is say - ing: “This is tough.

We’re going to have to take some time. ” When we asked the government to collect data on these instances, they said: “Well, we’re going to put a new box on the form so that we can trust the speculators to fill it in appropriately. ” When we said that we should do audits and that we should suspend licences, the Premier said: “I’m going to put some people in charge of that. ” They’ve just come back and said that actions should be taken, but not enough action. My question to the Premier is this.

In light of the serious allegations against New Coast Realty, will the Premier write to the Vancouver police and ask them to institute an investigation into the practices there so that we can protect other realtors in this province and we can protect homeowners and homebuyers from shady prac- tices by this firm? Hon. C. Clark: The government is already taking action. We will also…. We’re waiting now for the final report from the Real Estate Council, and we will take more, as I’ve said a number of times.

If they don’t fix this through clear enforcement, through tough penal - ties, this government will do it for them. We won’t do it on the back of a napkin. We will do it properly, we will do it well, and we will respect the fact that people make a huge investment. Huge investments are what people are making in British Columbia every day. The member talks about debt-free. Well, British Columbia will be wiping out our operating debt for the first time in 40 years. Meanwhile, the member opposite…. You don’t get there by doing what the member opposite says. Y ou don’t get there by saying no to Site C.

Y ou don’t get there by say- ing no to LNG. Y ou don’t get there by saying no to trade deals, and you certainly don’t get there by saying no to workers and saying no to jobs. The only way to make sure you get rid of your debt in this province, the only way to make sure that we build a future for our kids, is to find a way to get to yes. D. Eby: I understand why the Premier wants to change the topic. The allegations against New Coast Realty are shocking.

They include that New Coast realtors were trained to deceive clients about property value so the company could sell the properties not once but twice, for two commissions. [1420] They include that the realtors were allegedly trained to deceive clients about the need for a fake buyers bonus that was actually going back to the client’s own realtor without the client’s knowledge. That’s fraud.

Former New Coast realtor John Zhou told the media: “Sometimes the owner wanted us to do something illegal to make more money. ” A firm of 445 realtors, they advertise themselves as the largest realty firm in the city of Vancouver. Allegations they were schooled in fraud, former realtors alleging they were told to break the law, and the regulator says they won’t suspend the firm’s licence and won’t audit all of the past transactions. We’ve written to the police. We’ll table those letters. Will the Premier write to the police as well? Hon. C.

Clark: We have taken action when it comes to shadow flipping, and the members will see the results of that in the next week or so. We are, though, also waiting and watching very carefully as we wait to receive the re - port, the final report, because this needs to be done well. It needs to be done thoughtfully and it needs to be done properly if we’re going to protect people in making sure that when they make that most important purchase of their lives, they are doing it with someone who is behav- ing ethically and in their best interests in all cases. Here’s what the Real Estate Council has said so far.

They wrote to say that they share council’s view that “maximum fines and penalties need to be increased to allow a greater and more meaningful range of monetary consequences. ” The author of the letter says: “I expect the IAG will make a number of recommendations per - taining to penalties in its final report…ensure a robust system that not only punishes those who are caught but functions as a deterrence to those who are considering actions or activities that contravene the act and the rules. ” We are looking forward to seeing the final results of that report, as I said.

If we don’t feel like it’s strong enough, we will certainly do more, because we want to ensure that people are protected in this province, that homebuyers are protected in this province. And we want to make sure

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12149 that people who aren’t doing the right thing, people who are driven by greed, suffer severe penalties for doing so. Madame Speaker: Vancouver–Point Grey on a sup - plemental. D. Eby: While the Premier has been waiting, while she’s been watching, not a single rule has changed. Not only that, let me give the Premier an update on what’s been happen- ing while she’s been waiting and while she’s been watch- ing. New Coast has been in the news since February with allegations of reprehensible conduct.

But the Real Estate Council didn’t feel they were worth investigating until they got an audiotape of an alleged how-to session in fraud. Now, is the Premier content to let things play out, as they have, with consumers losing confidence in realtors in B.C., hard-working realtors who follow the rules, or will she join us in asking the police to investigate these serious fraud allegations involving this firm? Hon. C.

Clark: By the way, the investigation that’s hap- pened, and this is in the letter that I’ve quoted from ear- lier, is the result of a request from the superintendent of real estate, who works for the Minister of Finance. This investigation and this work that’s being done was initi - ated, in part, by the government itself, because we want to get to the bottom of this, and we want to make sure that we are protecting homebuyers in the most import - ant investment that they will ever make.

We are also working with the city of Vancouver and other governments across the region to deal with issues, where we can, on occupancy — nobody wants to live in a hollowed-out neighbourhood; on issues of speculation, to see what we can do around that; and on density. And I would note that the member opposite who just raised the question, who often talks about housing prices, does not support increased density in his own riding. He is fighting rental housing. He is fighting that housing that would be available to a much broader range of people.

And while he stands up and he says that he wants afford- able housing in the city of Vancouver, he wants it every- where else but the neighbourhood that he represents. [1425] REGULATION OF REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY AND ACCESS TO V ANCOUVER LISTINGS M. Farnworth: It’s not just shadow flipping that’s a problem. For British Columbians right across this prov- ince, the dream of owning a home is the most import - ant thing they have. They work hard, they pay their taxes, and they save for a down payment. They save for a down payment.

The least that they can expect is that when they see a home for sale, they have first crack at that home. Recent reports of what is taking place, in which off - shore speculators are getting first crack at British Columbia homes, offshore speculators are getting to the head of the line, are frustrating the dreams of many British Columbians. My question to the Premier is this. Does she believe it’s fair that offshore speculators get first crack at homes that hard-working British Columbians are trying to save for and buy? Hon. C.

Clark: Well, as the member knows, people from around the world in British Columbia, which is still a free market…. Until we make that great leap forward, we are still a capitalist society where people can invest from around the world. That’s been the case in British Columbia for a long time. However, our government has reinstated… Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members. Hon. C. Clark: …the requirement that people submit, on their purchase, whether or not they are a citizen of Canada. That was something that the NDP took out and that our government is putting back in.

Clearly, when we have more information and more data, we will be better off and better able to have these discussions. The other thing I would add is this. Housing supply is clearly a very, very big issue in the Lower Mainland. When supply and demand — I’m pretty sure none of the NDP went through economics 101, but this is what they teach you — are out of balance, it means that prices rise. We do need to do some work in making sure that there’s an adequate supply of housing. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members. Members, this House will come to order. Vancouver-Hastings, come to order. Hon. C.

Clark: I feel like it’s too easy to get those guys upset, Madame Speaker. We do need to work on issues of supply, and that’s something that we need to do in concert with local gov - ernments. That’s something that our Minister of Housing and our Minister of Finance are currently working on with the mayor of Vancouver. Ultimately, all of the chan- ges that we can make to ensure transparency and ethic - al behaviour in the system will be important, but we do need to make sure that we address the basic issue of sup- ply and demand, which clearly is out of balance.

Madame Speaker: The member for Port Coquitlam on a supplemental. M. Farnworth: What the public of British Columbia wants is some action from this government. What they

British Columbia Debates12150 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 want is a fair market, not a rigged market where they’re second in line. They want to know that when they go to a realtor, they’re not getting told, “Oh, this price is the best price, ” and then find out later that — guess what — it was sold for additional revenue that they are not see - ing. That’s what they want. They work hard, they pay their taxes, and when they see a house on MLS, they want to know they’re getting first crack. That’s not taking place. My question again to the Premier is this.

Does she think it’s fair that offshore speculators are getting first crack at family homes that British Columbians want to buy? Hon. C. Clark: Well, you know, 13,000 people moved from other provinces in Canada to British Columbia over the last three quarters. Almost half of them were from Alberta.

I suppose the member opposite would also like, then, to make sure British Columbians get first crack at those homes that Alberta refugees who are fleeing the eco - nomic devastation next door and crossing the Rockies looking for one of those 72,000 new jobs that have been created in British Columbia last year — by the way, the number one economy in Canada…. I suppose the mem - ber would like to bar all those Albertans from being able to get a first crack at a home in British Columbia as well. I hope I’ve illustrated that the issue is more compli - cated than the member suggests in a free economy.

But we do want to make sure that when we welcome people to British Columbia and we make homes available for British Columbians…. When he says it should be only British Columbians that get first crack, I don’t think it’s as simple as that. [1430] B.C. HYDRO MANAGEMENT AND DIVIDENDS TO GOVERNMENT A. Dix: In the budget debate on B.C. Hydro, the Minister of Energy made a series of embarrassing ad - missions. First of all, he said that under this Premier, the Liberal cabinet had ordered B.C. Hydro to borrow money it doesn’t have; $2 billion left because the B.C. Liberals needed the cash.

That’s what we call Premier profit. Perhaps if the Premier took economics 101 again, she’ d understand that everyone else calls it debt. Secondly, the Liberal cabinet ordered B.C. Hydro, even though it knew it would not be permitted to do so by the B.C. Utilities Commission, to create a revenue accelera - tion account to create accelerated revenue that did not exist in fact. Both of these things were ordered by the cabinet, not B.C. Hydro and, according to a Moody’s report this week, have transformed the financial position of once-proud B.C. Hydro into one of the weakest in Canada.

How can the minister justify this unprecedented and misleading raid that has undermined B.C. Hydro’s financial position? Hon. B. Bennett: Well, first of all, the Moody’s annual report was not actually a change from previous reports. The province still has a triple-A credit rating, something that the other side would definitely not be familiar with. Moody’s has also stated that B.C. Hydro’s debt service ability is still strong. What we know, and we’ve dealt with this now in esti- mates…. We’ve also dealt with it during question period, so we’ll deal with it again during question period. The practice of B.C.

Hydro paying dividends to government started in 1992. The media in the 1990s made it very clear that the NDP should stop using B.C. Hydro as a “cash cow. ” That’s a quote from an

article of the day. The NDP at the time kept rates artificially high. They bring this upon themselves. They truly do. Interjection. Hon. B. Bennett: Let me just read a quote, if I can, hon. Speaker, if I can have some ability to actually say some - thing without being interrupted. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members. Hon. B. Bennett: Thank you, hon. Speaker. This is a quotation from January 29, 2000. It’s from the Vancouver Sun. “The New Democrats resorted to an extraordinary set of cabinet orders that forced Hydro to keep its electricity rates artificially high, ensuring the flow of dividends would continue.

In 1993 and again in 1998, Hydro had to borrow money to satisfy the provin- cial government’s cash demands. ” That’s an

article in the Vancouver Sun from the year 2000. We have committed to changing this practice by re - ducing the dividends payable to government by $100 million a year, starting in 2018. Madame Speaker: Vancouver-Kingsway on a supple- mental. A. Dix: Boy, I’m glad we stayed quiet for that quote. Oh boy. Interjections. A. Dix: A 5 percent increase in rates over nine years. The minister said we kept the rates artificially high. But he wrestled them to the ceiling at 28 percent, and he’s defending ratepayers. None of this changes the fact that the Minister of Energy and the Liberal government….

Under their leadership, the people of B.C., on these questions, were misled. They were misled when the government created $2 billion in debt and claimed it was profit. That was misleading.

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12151 Who misled the people? I can’t say in this House, but the decision was made by the Liberal government. The people were misled when they created a revenue accel - eration account that created revenue out of thin air to help the Liberal government try and balance the budget. [1435] They did it. It was unprecedented. It would have been refused by the BCUC, and they did it in the cabinet. Who misled the people? I can’t say in this House, but they’re probably sitting over there. Who will pay the price for it? It’s ratepayers.

It’s ratepayers that are paying it now, and they’re paying it into the foreseeable future, and they can’t pay with Premier dollars. Why has the minister undermined B.C. Hydro? Why have people in this province been misled by the shabby B.C. Hydro policies of this government? Hon. B. Bennett: Y eah, we’ve misled the ratepayers of B.C. all the way to the third-lowest rates in North America. That’s how bad it is. It’s really bad. Y ou know, the member sits over there, and he talks to us on this side of the House about misleading.

Of all the members on the other side of the House, he sits over there, and he talks about misleading people. Y ou know what? I don’t ride the subway very much, but when I do, I buy a ticket. And the other thing that I never do is I never back- date memos and then lie about it to the RCMP . I don’t do that. Nobody on this side of the House ever does that. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members. Hon. B. Bennett: Let that member not be preaching to us about misleading anybody. PORT MANN BRIDGE TOLLING EXEMPTION POLICY J.

Wickens: The Port Mann tolling operator, TReO, offers an exemption for persons with disabilities, but to qualify, one must be the registered owner of that vehicle. This policy leaves parents and caregivers of children with disabilities facing the same or greater transporta - tion demands paying full tolls. While the Transportation Investment Corporation has promised a review of their tolling policy, that is not good enough. Families have it hard enough in this province. I am sick and tired of families being pushed to the absolute break- ing point before this government will look at its ridicu - lous policies.

The breaking point. Families are looking at the breaking point, and having to pay to go back and forth for therapy is completely unacceptable. Will the minister commit today to extending the exemption to parents of children with disabilities in this province? Hon. T. Stone: First off, I would like to remind the member opposite that the Port Mann Bridge, through the TI Corp, is actually one of the only tolled facili - ties, one of the only tolling authorities not just in North America but indeed around the world that actually pro - vides exemptions for persons with disabilities, and we’re very proud of that.

Now, that being said, we’re always looking for ways to make further improvements. That is why I’m very pleased that TI Corp has made their intentions known that they are launching a review of their entire exemp - tions policy. Certainly, we understand the struggles of parents with children who have disabilities, and that is why it will be so important, as part of this review, to hear from those folks, to hear from those organizations. The review is underway now, and we will see where it lands in the coming months. [1440] DISABILITY BENEFITS AND BUS PASS PROGRAM CHANGES M.

Mungall: Well, despite the minister’s long-stand- ing spin job, people with disabilities are not giving up on their fight to end the bus pass clawback. Today they were on the steps of the Legislature again. Delphine Charmley was among them. She has two adult sons with disabilities who will now each be paying another $624 every year for their bus pass. If they choose not to get out into their community, however, and rather to take that money and buy the healthy food that they need but can’t afford now, they will not have to pay that extra money. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members.

The Chair will hear the question. M. Mungall: Delphine knows that this choice that the minister has forced onto her sons is plain wrong. It is mean-spirited, and it needs to come to an end immedi - ately. Why doesn’t the minister know that as well? Hon. Michelle Stilwell: The fact is everyone who re - ceives persons-with-disabilities assistance will now re - ceive a transportation allowance. Everyone, including the 45,000 people who were never receiving transportation support, will now receive it. We have made a $170 million investment to help raise the rates for people with disabilities.

Everyone will see a $25 rate increase to their allowance, and they will see a $52 transportation allowance, still providing every - one with transportation across this province, no matter where they live. Now the system will be fair and equit - able for everyone.

British Columbia Debates12152 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 M. Mungall: The minister has no idea why 45,000 people were not accessing the alternative transportation subsidy or the bus pass program because she consulted with absolutely no one on this bus pass clawback. It was something that they dreamed up to give people money with one hand and take away with the other, and that is just plain mean. The minister ought to know by now that Ms. Charmley isn’t the only mother concerned for her children’s con- tinued ability to be part of their community. There are thousands just like her.

Clair Schuman writes about her son. He has autism, is not able to work and needs his bus pass to keep some independence. Getting enough healthy food is a challenge for him, and now he and his mom are trying to figure out whether he should buy more healthy food or if he should buy a bus pass, because with this policy, it just can’t be both. When will the minister stop putting thousands of fam- ilies like Delphine’s and Clair’s between a rock and a hard place and do the right thing? End the bus pass clawback. That’s the right thing, Minister. Let’s see it today. Hon.

Michelle Stilwell: If the member opposite is having such a difficult time understanding what an in - vestment of $170 million means to the people with dis - abilities around this province, she can come meet with me. It’s been months. She has never requested a meeting with me. She has never come to talk to me. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members, Members. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members. [End of question period.] Personal Statements WITHDRAW AL OF COMMENTS MADE IN THE HOUSE Hon. B. Bennett: I want to withdraw the use of one word.

I thought, after I sat down, that it’s not a word that’s parliamentary, and I shouldn’t have used it. Madame Speaker: Thank you very much. Interjections. [1445] Madame Speaker: We will only proceed, Members, if the Chair can hear the submissions. Point of Privilege (Reservation of Right) A. Dix: I know it’s the slogan of that government that rules are for other people, but I will reserve my right to raise a question of privilege in this House. Hon. Michelle Stilwell: I’ d like to reserve my right to raise a point of personal privilege. Orders of the Day Hon. T.

Stone: For the information of members, there will be continuing debate on the estimates of the Ministry of Education in

Section A. Here in the main House,

Section B, I now call Motion 11. I would ask that mem - bers involved in the Education estimates and other duties please depart the chamber before we begin the debate on the motion here in this chamber. Tabling Documents D. Eby: I seek leave to table the two documents I dis - cussed in my question today — letters to the police con - cerning New Coast Realty. Leave granted. Government Motions on Notice MOTION 11 — TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP Hon. C. Clark: I rise today to move a motion in sup - port of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a motion that asks and urges the federal government to implement it.

There are voices across this country today — we hear them loudly and clearly — that say no to all economic development. They say no to creating jobs for working people. They say no to deals like TPP . In the name of ideol- ogy, they claim that it’s time to dismantle our economic foundation. But what they are really saying is no to work- ing people, and they’re saying no to jobs. If those voices had their way, this would be the first generation of British Columbians that left this province poorer than we found it. I know that we can always do better.

We always must strive as a government, and as a society, to do better. But the answer isn’t to disrupt the free flow of ideas and the free flow of capital. It isn’t to disrupt innovation and all of those things that happen in a functioning capitalist system, where trade deals mean jobs. In British Columbia, we know that international trade is the foundation of our prosperity. International trade is what creates jobs for people across our province, and it always has been. We are Canada’s Pacific gateway, and our future is linked more that any other province in the country with what’s going on in Asia.

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12153 For over ten years, we have focused on expanding our trade and investment ties in Asia, and it has worked. The results are clear. We’ve seen more opportunities. We’ve seen more wealth. We have seen more jobs in every cor- ner of this province — 72,000 jobs created over the last 12 months in British Columbia.

We are number one in economic growth in Canada, and that’s as a result of the visionary work that the private sector and government have done together in opening up new markets, diversifying our customer base, di - versifying the products that we sell to them. Whether it’s sawmills or software, mining or medical technology, we benefit from trade. When I say we, I mean workers and families in British Columbia. [1450] There are benefits to trade on both sides. We export clean technology to China.

China uses that clean technol- ogy to make sure that they have less pollution, that they fight climate change — the same with Korea, the same with Japan, the same with countries around the world. The TPP is another great step in the right direction for us — a level playing field for a market of 800 million people, a total GDP of $28 trillion, a $235 million boost to British Columbia’s GDP and thousands of jobs that go with that. We know what happens when provinces rely too much on a single industry. We’ve avoided that in British Columbia by creating one of the of the most diversified economies in North America.

We know what happens when provinces and jurisdictions rely on just one trad - ing partner. We’ve also focused on making sure that we diversify our markets. We know what happens when governments focus on growing the size of government, rather than growing the size of the economy. We need to create jobs in British Columbia. We need to continue along that path if we want to leave our children richer than even we have been. British Columbia and Canada need to keep moving forward. We don’t need to move backward. So let’s encourage Ottawa to do its con- sultations, as they promised in their platform.

Let’s let them hear from Canadians. But at the end of that pro - cess, let’s encourage them and urge them to move quick- ly on passing TPP , because it will be great for workers in British Columbia.

With that in mind, I introduce the following motion: [Be it resolved that this House, acknowledging the importance of diversifying trade to create jobs for British Columbians, sup - ports the Trans-Pacific Partnership because: the Trans-Pacific Partnership removes trade barriers and provides preferential market access for B.C. goods and services from all sectors in - cluding forest products, agrifoods, technology, fish and seafood, minerals and industrial goods, and through the transition sup - port will be available to our supply-managed industries; the Trans-Pacific Partnership provides more access for service pro- viders in professional, environmental, and research and develop- ment fields; and, ultimately, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will increase investment and create new jobs and opportunities for many British Columbians.] J.

Horgan: Once again, the Premier has called her mo- tion today, absolutely convinced that she knows best. In this case, it’s the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. The CEO of Ford of Canada has said: “There will be no positive outcome for Canadian manufacturing. ” But the Premier knows best. The former CEO of BlackBerry Canada said: “I actually think this is the worst thing that the Harper government has done for Canada. ” But the Premier knows best. The CEO of an investor in a B.C. tech start-up said: “Potentially dangerous for several innovation-driven sectors such as tech. ” But again the Premier knows best.

A Nobel Prize–winning economist has said the deal “was done in secret and with corporate interests at the table. ” Again the Premier knows best — which perhaps explains why the Premier is so comfortable with this. It’s because there is an expert whose opinion she values more than all of these others, who said: “Ten years from now, I predict with 100 percent certainty” — 100 percent cer - tainty — “that people are looking back, and they will say: ‘This was a great thing. ’” The Premier supports that. That, of course, was Stephen Harper who said that some time ago. Y ou might remember Stephen Harper.

He was the Prime Minister of Canada. The public responded to his certainty by dis- patching him to the opposition benches, and I expect that that may well happen to the Premier as well. But the Premier knows best — 100,000 jobs in LNG. Focusing all of her energies on one sector, the Premier knew best. “Debt-free in British Columbia” — the Premier knew best. A $100 billion…. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Members. [1455] J. Horgan: The Premier specializes in 100 percent cer- tainty. That’s how she rolls.

That’s why we have a dead- in-the-air prosperity fund that’s being now populated by increases to MSP premiums, not by revenues from LNG but from increased costs year after year after year that have been brought in by this government. Stephen Harper got his feedback on the TPP , and it was pretty clear. On Monday, in this province, the new federal govern- ment will be in Vancouver as part of their public con - sultation with Canadians to hear what we think about this important issue — what regular people think about this important issue.

Regular people — people that the Premier doesn’t spend having dinners at $10,000 a pop — ordinary folks. They’re going to have their say, and it would be nice if the Premier agreed with that. Interjections.

British Columbia Debates12154 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Madame Speaker: Members. J. Horgan: Again, the Premier is going to leave that to the federal government. She is absolutely certain that she knows best about how we’re going to grow our economy. I’ve seen that from her for the past five years. [Applause.] I see almost all the seals are here today, and that was a resounding blast from those on the other side. Interjections. Madame Speaker: Hon. Members, parliamentary de- bate is characterized by moderation. J.

Horgan: If the Premier wants to carry forward her 100 percent certainty that she knows best and that this is in the public interest, I’m proposing that she take the opportunity to actually ask the public what they think — not to come out of her private meetings and say: “This is going to be grand for everyone. ” I’m hopeful that she’ll support the following motion.

I will move: [That Motion 11 be amended by deleting the text after, “Be it resolved that this House, acknowledging the importance of di - versifying trade to create jobs for British Columbians, supports” and substituting, “referral to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for robust and transparent discussion and public consultation on the long-term job creation and employment impacts for British Columbia of the Trans- Pacific Partnership. ”] On the amendment. J. Horgan: The motion speaks for itself. The federal government, as I said, is going to be here on Monday.

They’re having open hearings. They’re going to talk to British Columbians to see how they feel about the TPP and whether it’s going to be in the best interests of their sectors, of their communities, of their jobs. The federal government understands that people have concerns and questions, and they need to be addressed. The certainty that the Premier has is not shared by the new government in Ottawa. They’re going to go out and consult and talk to the people of British Columbia, the people of Alberta — right across the country — and that’s as it should be.

A confident government would ask the people what they thought. A confident government would not just say: “I know best. ” A confident government would say to people: “What are your views? What do you think? I ap- preciate we’ve been here languishing on the government side for 15 years doing whatever the heck we want, but now we’ve decided we want to talk to you. We want to talk to you about how you feel about this motion. ” When this motion was moved, I had a hope that the Premier would recognize that this was an opportunity for her and her colleagues to say to British Columbians: “We care about what you think.

We care about your con- cern that other trade deals in the past have had a nega - tive impact on job creation” — and a negative impact on their jobs. B.C. is a trading province. We all understand that. There’s great hope and potential and opportunity across the Pacific Ocean. I agree with that statement. But I’m not necessarily convinced that the CEOs that sit down with the Premier and tell her that she should be 100 per- cent certain that it’s in their interests are speaking for the people of British Columbia.

With that, I’m hopeful that other members of this House will support this amendment and join with me in saying that the people of B.C. should have a say in the TPP , not just the Premier and the people she dines with. [1500] Hon. T. Stone: On the amendment. First, I want to say that it actually really takes courage to stand up and tell British Columbians what you actually stand for. I know the members opposite, and the Leader of the Opposition, in particular, would like to gloss over the fact that the federal government is on the front end of a cross-Can - adian engagement. That’s their job.

This is a federal trade deal. They’re going to do engagement. They’re going to be out there, and they’re going to talk to people across the country. What British Columbians want to know is where the parties in this province stand. Where is the…? Interjections. Hon. T. Stone: I know we touch a nerve when we talk about standing up for jobs. But, you know, the unfortu - nate reality…. And we certainly saw this play out at the national NDP convention, which many members oppos- ite attended this last weekend, where the great leap for - ward, the manifesto, was endorsed.

We now know why members opposite are so reticent to support jobs in this province, so reticent to get behind projects that will put British Columbians to work. When you look at this, you quickly realize that it’s ac- tually the B.C. NDP , the members opposite, who are the intellectual inspiration for the Leap Manifesto. Every opportunity that the members opposite have had in this House to support major projects, job-creating projects in this province, the members opposite have said no.

Every major transportation infrastructure investment that we have moved forward with as a government in the last 15 years, the members opposite have voted against. We see that pattern continue with the Port Mann Bridge. We’re seeing it with the George Massey Tunnel replace- ment project. Site C — there was a tremendous opportun- ity…. It was a tremendous opportunity and continues to be, because they can change their minds. We encourage them to do so. There was a tremendous opportunity for

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12155 the members opposite to stand up and to support Site C, and it was another big, fat no from the members opposite. LNG. Now, members opposite try to walk a line. Some of the members opposite say that they support some as - pects of LNG. Some are opposed to fracking. Some sup- port this project but not that project. But when they had the opportunity to stand up on the largest investment, the potential investment in the immediate term, the Pacific NorthWest LNG, the members opposite decided to say no yet again.

While they like to put out press releases by the dozen on a daily basis, on that particular point, there was no press release. It was a simple letter sent secretly to the federal CEAA process. But at the end of the day, it was another big no from the members opposite. It’s not that difficult to actually get behind these pro- jects and support the thousands of British Columbians who stand to benefit in the form of really good-paying, family-supporting jobs. I mean, perhaps the members opposite should spend a bit more time with the build - ing trades folks than they obviously do.

If they did, they would understand that there are tremendous opportun- ities, whether it’s with Site C or with LNG or with any number of major transportation infrastructure projects in this province. The members opposite consistently say no to those projects. [1505] Then we see this Leap Manifesto come forward last weekend. This is where all the dots are starting to con - nect. This is where, I think, British Columbians are really, truly going to see what the agenda of the B.C. NDP , the members opposite, really is.

This is a manifesto, as they like to call it, that, among many things, says: “There is no longer an excuse for building new infrastructure projects that lock us into increased extraction decades into the future…. That ap - plies equally to oil and gas pipelines; fracking in New Brunswick, Quebec and British Columbia; increased tanker traffic off our coasts; and to Canadian-owned mining projects the world over. ” The manifesto says that there must be “more localized and ecologically based” agricultural systems. Their manifesto calls for an end to trade deals. It goes on and on and on.

Many members opposite were at this convention, be - cause they’re all members of the NDP , as the NDP . They participated in the vote on the resolution that was put on the floor and that was endorsed by the members at the convention, the resolution that said: “Be it resolved that the NDP recognizes and supports the Leap Manifesto as a high-level statement of principles that speaks to the aspirations, history and values of the party. ” The Leader of the Opposition has had ample opportun- ity to distance himself from the Leap Manifesto. Instead, he goes back and forth, as he does on most issues.

In the radio interviews that he did this morning, he talked about how he doesn’t agree with all of the Leap Manifesto. But there’s a good amount there that he can work with, he says. I think British Columbians are looking forward to finding out, you know, what…. Is that the “no more frac- king in British Columbia” part? The “keep the resources in the ground forever” part? Is it the “no more big infra- structure” part? Is it the “let’s not import and export agri- culture products” part? What

part is it? This brings us back to the TPP motion, to the amend- ment to the motion. We know where we stand when it comes to jobs in this province. We consistently approach these major projects from a perspective of: how do we get to yes? How can we bring all the parties together, resolve any issues that there might be, get to yes and create jobs? The members opposite start from a place of no, and their track record consistently demonstrates that. With respect to the amendment, again, I would remind the members opposite that this is a Canadian federal gov- ernment trade deal. It’s an international trade deal.

The federal government is in the midst of a significant con - sultation across the country. We encourage all British Columbians to participate in that engagement, obviously. But part of that engage - ment is for the province of British Columbia, the people who are duly elected by the people of this province, to also stand up and to let British Columbians know where they stand. This is a good trade deal for British Columbia. It’s a deal that’s going to create thousands of jobs in British Columbia.

It’s going to ensure that British Columbia, as the Pacific gateway for this great country of ours, con - tinues to benefit from our place in geography and our place in history. It’s time for the members of this chamber and the members opposite to stand up and let British Columbians know whether they support this trade deal or not. With that in mind, the government will not be supporting this amendment. B. Ralston: I rise to support the amendment.

The Premier’s motion is clearly — unfortunately, in my view — not the result of profound or considered deliberation that this topic deserves but rather is based on a very sim- ple political calculus, and we just heard that exemplified by the Minister of Transportation. [1510] The Premier and her Minister of Trade supported the Harper government in pursuit of this deal long before they had any idea what was actually in the deal. The deal was negotiated in secret, yet they profess support sim - ply, I suppose, because it had the “trade deal” label on it.

The approach that the Premier offers today is a con - tinuation of that very view. In contrast, the new federal Minister of International Trade has spoken of her strong belief “in the merits of a robust and transparent exam - ination of the TPP . ” Now, we haven’t heard much from the Minister of Transportation nor from the Premier, other than a few

British Columbia Debates12156 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 shibboleths about Asia-Pacific trade, which everyone agrees with. But in a trade deal as complex and detailed as this, the detail is really required to be examined in considerable length. Let me give you an example of this, the approach that the government has taken on this issue. When I asked the Minister of International Trade in estimates debate, she spoke of her belief that the agreement will result in a net gain of jobs for British Columbia.

Net gain implies, clearly, that there will be some gains and some losses and that the net will be a balance of gain. When I asked her where the losses would be, she re - fused to answer. The report that she relies on, this study that she claims demonstrates this fact, is still secret. Contrast that approach — a secret study that she will not reveal, that talks about job losses and job gains — with the approach taken by the federal government, the new federal Liberal government. Her strong belief in the merits of a robust and transparent examination of the TPP are very different.

Of course, over on the other side, it’s the last bastion of Harper Toryism there. They’re still in mourning for the loss of the Tory government and the approach that he took: vituperative, nasty personal attacks on opponents; secrecy; using parliament as a rubber stamp; no transpar- ency; no democratic discussion. That’s the legacy. Indeed, they’ve imported some people from Alberta and from Ottawa to continue that at the staff level here. The agreement is long and complicated, and it’s not just about lowering tariffs.

Many knowledgable voices have raised concerns, deep concerns, about the effect the TPP has on raising global IP , intellectual property, standards agreed by the World Trade Organization by extending and enforcing the American IP regime and interest to all TPP countries. Arguably, the proposed agreement marks a shift in global value creation from tangible to intangible goods by providing unprecedented advantages to current holders, large holders and producers of IP . The creation of value in the 21st century will be led by the holders of IP .

Some have described the deal as a charter of rights for the U.S. entertainment and pharmaceutical industries. Let me quote from Blackberry’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie, who is blunt in his assessment of how the deal affects the technology sector, arguing Canada lost, and potentially lost big. He says: “I would argue that the innovation part of TPP is ten times more important than manufacturing and dairy combined. The U.S. intellectual property economy is $3.5 trillion a year. Their objective is double that to $7 trillion through TPP . Traditional stuff is bits and bites for them.

The real pony for the U.S. is sell- ing their ideas…. Half their exports are IP , intellectual prop - erty. Basically, the U.S. wanted a bunch of rules to lock in their leadership. ” Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize–winning economist, has said that his biggest issue with the treaty revolves around the investment

chapter and the right it would give cor - porations to sue governments if they think rules and regulations contravene the terms of the TPP .

He also expressed concern, and he’ s expressed this con- cern to the federal Minister of International Trade, that the deal would do little boost growth and would hurt Canada’ s job landscape. “Canada is a country which, on average, will be importing labour-intensive goods and exporting capital- intensive goods so that on net, there will almost surely be job losses. ” All this deserves careful scrutiny in the public realm, not the rhetorical harangue provided by the Premier. [1515] We have time to debate this.

We know that in the United States, the two leading candidates for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, both oppose the TPP deal. For balance, the leading Republican contender for their nomination, Donald Trump, also op- poses the TPP deal. So the likelihood…. Interjections. B. Ralston: That’s to satisfy some of the members from the Fraser Valley. The Globe and Mail, in an editorial, said this: “There is no rush. This deal needs to be ratified by the parti - san, electioneering Congress, and Mr. Obama is facing an uphill battle on that front.

That’s part of the reason why he’s appealing… to the American people to read the TPP , in the hope they will see its appeal and pressure their representative to ratify it. “It doesn’t have to work that way in Canada. ” This is the Globe and Mail, in an editorial. “The defeat of the Harper government, a government that reduced parliament to a rubber stamp, is solid evidence that Canadians want their representatives to do the work they were elected to do — that is, to protect Canadians’ interests in an in - formed, non-partisan way. The TPP debate is the place to begin. ” We’ve seen exactly the opposite.

The Liberals have in- itiated a process, what the minister has called a robust and transparent examination. We have had no such thing here in British Columbia. There are particular interests in British Columbia that merit examination by the cham- ber, and the committee is certainly the best way in which that could be done. At this point in the economic cycle, it is a moment to pursue, vigorously, innovation. While our traditional re- sources are the bedrock of our economy, Canada can be hurt by an overdependence on a single resource. Losing the ability to innovate is foolish.

We need to carefully analyze the proposed agreement to see what the implica- tions for British Columbia and Canada would be. That really is the job of parliamentary representatives. That’s the job that a committee of this House could under- take. Rather than the rhetorical overkill and excess and the vituperative attacks on opponents that seem to now characterize the government daily, it’s time to have the kind of debate that this very serious topic deserves. With that, I will conclude. I definitely support the amendment, and I hope — against hope, perhaps — that the members opposite will support it as well.

British Columbia DebatesWednesday, April 13, 2016 12157 Madame Speaker: Just a caution, Members. It is pos- sible to disagree in this chamber without resorting to personal attack. A. Weaver: I rise to speak in opposition to the amend- ment — not because I don’t understand the direction that the official opposition is heading, but because the TPP is bad for British Columbia. I have heard so much rhet - oric coming from the other side, but let’s be very clear. The motion that we are debating today was brought to this Legislature initially in the fall.

It was brought to this Legislature before the text of the TPP was even available. That tells me that members opposite…. Frankly, I would bet a lot of money that not a single member op - posite has actually taken the time to read the agreement. Members opposite, honestly, I would argue, are just tout- ing government lines. They talk about this being good for jobs. Well, let me give you some evidence here that I’ve actually got in studying this.

I’m holding a document called Trading Down: Unemployment, Inequality and Other Risks of the Trans- Pacific Partner Agreement, written by Jeronim Capaldo and Alex Izurieta from Tufts University as part of the Global Development and Environmental Institute. Let’s be clear what they say. Overall, the TPP is going to be a job loser. How much so for Canada? Canada will lose 58,000 jobs through the passage of the TPP . This isn’t about creating jobs; this is about losing jobs. Net exports in Canada will go down by 6.6 percent of GDP .

This is not good for Canada; this is not good for B.C. [1520] The reason why the government is touting job growth numbers is because they’re quoting from economic mod- els that had a fundamental error in them. The fundamen- tal error was that they assumed 100 percent employment,

whereas if I can give you a wonderful example of what it means and how perverse that is in this context. Full em- ployment is not a good start for economic analyses to make estimates on job creation. Here’s the example. Let’s say, for example — it’s com- ing from this Tufts document — that the demand for cars were to drop below producers’ expectations. The economic model that this government is relying on, as - suming full employment, assume that car prices will fall, ensuring that all production is sold.

Faced with lower- than-expected profits, car producers who want to cut costs may reduce the number of workers employed. However, since labour markets also supposedly enjoy price flexibility, wages will fall, ensuring that all auto workers remain employed, either in the car industry or in some other sector. That’s clearly an incorrect assumption. If prices fall, companies close down plants and workers lose their jobs, which is why, with the more realistic assumption of not full employment, we understand that this agreement will lead to 58,000 job losses in British Columbia. Coming back, let’s be clear again.

This government puts a motion on the table before they have even seen the text of the agreement, because the text is not public. Can you believe this, hon. Speaker? We are not making this up. It’s a reality and a matter of public record. Go to Hansard on the day that this motion was tabled. I tweet- ed out that day. The text isn’t even available, yet this government is touting the TPP as good for British Columbia. Why? Because today’s B.C. Liberals are nothing more than yes- terday’s Harper Tories.

This is a play out of the Harper Tory playbook, which is negotiate the deal, come hell or high cost, for the best interests of the corporate enti - ties and the multinationals, not in the best interests of Canadians. Let me outline some other reasons I disagree with the TPP as being good for Canadians and, hence, why I am not supporting the amendment because I’m opposing the actual motion in the first place. I do not think we should be discussing these matters further in light of the fact that it is federal jurisdiction, and this is not in British Columbia’s best interest.

The first and most obvious reason to oppose the Trans- Pacific Partnership is because of the threat it poses to the sovereignty of our province, primarily because of the in- vestor-state dispute settlement clauses found in

chapter 9 of this agreement. This government clearly hasn’t even read the document. It’s essentially saying that we’re tying future generations to investor-state dispute clauses that then have provisions that allow for a company to sue our government if that government implements a regulation, law or policy that affects the future profits of the company. Such claims would be settled in secret, through se - cret tribunals outside of our justice system. This is what this government is putting forward in a rah-rah, cheer - leading fashion. Why? Because Petronas told them to do this.

Because one of the very few jurisdictions, in the 12 jurisdictions that are part of this, that benefit is Malaysia. This government is so desperate to deliver on an elec- tion promise they knew had no hope of winning — it was purely an election strategy — that they’re selling out future generations yet once more in an irresponsible manner here. Why would we support a trade deal that limits our sovereignty, that places the interests of multinational corporations above the interests of British Columbians?

As legislators, it is our duty to act in the best interests of the electorate, not in the best interests of multinational corporations based elsewhere. This type of provision is not new. It currently exists under NAFTA as well, but let’s outline that it’s quite dif- ferent in NAFTA. Under NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, we know we can end NAFTA, as a nation, within six months, but with the TPP , we have little clear indication of how easy or difficult it is to with- draw from the agreement.

British Columbia Debates12158 Wednesday, April 13, 2016 “Sign a blank cheque, ” this government says, “and give our British Columbia sovereignty, our Canadian sover - eignty to multinational corporations based elsewhere, ” in a desperate attempt to land a Petronas deal that they’ve already written an agreement for that, frankly, we should be debating about eliminating because it’s such a give - away. We’re debating greenhouse gas reduction bills in this Legislature yet once more, to give yet another give - away. Reckless, reckless economics. [1525] Opposition to this bill comes from across the political spectrum.

When you have every presidential candidate on both sides in the United States opposing the TPP …. By “every” I mean Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and, bless him, Donald Trump. Now, I couldn’t see people fur- ther across the political spectrum than Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. But they’re joined by other perhaps more economically savvy, because that’s their back - ground, viewpoints. Let me quote, for example, Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

This isn’t some Johnny-come-lately who has taken first-year economics at perhaps some local university and failed it twice, and maybe the third time they passed it. This is a Nobel Prize–winning economist, and he says this: “‘I think what Canada should do is use its influence to begin a renegotiation of TPP to make it an agreement that advances the interests of Canadian citizens and not just the large corporations. ’ “‘It used to be the basic principle was polluter-pay, ’ he says. ‘If you damage the environment, then you have to pay.

Now if you pass a regulation that restricts ability to pollute or does some - thing about climate change, for example, you could be sued and could pay billions of dollars. ’ “‘This deal was done in secret with corporate interests at the table, ’ he said. ” And he described this, succinctly, as the “worst trade deal ever. ” And that’s not a failed economist; that’s a Nobel Prize–winning economist, Joseph Stigler. Interjection. A. Weaver: Stiglitz. Sorry. Thank you to the hon. Minister of Advanced Education for correcting me — and from the appropriate ministry, as well. The ever- helpful minister.

Honestly, it’s mind-boggling that we’re doing this. Let me quote another person. This is David Wolfe. David Wolfe is a co-director of the innovation policy lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and author of the introduction to the second edition of Trade, Industrial Policy and International Competition. This is another es- teemed academic, and he says the following: “ As Canada’s negotiation strategy for TPP , the previous gov- ernment adopted the traditional approach to international trade agreements.

They bargained for increased access to inter - national markets in the economic sectors where Canadian trade performance is strongest, while sacrificing some protection in the domestic market, especially in the manufacturing sectors. The trouble with this approach is that it is a 20th-century trade strategy applied to a 21st-century economy. Canada negotiated TPP in the rearview mirror. “The United States, ” he said, “did the opposite in their ne - gotiations. They aimed to secure competitive

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20160413pm-Hansard-v37n3
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20160413pm Hansard v37n3
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	cfc4f206e12fbfbee007a579fd4db1ffc268bed1

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