2017 Legislative Session: Sixth Session, 40th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Monday, February 20, 2017

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 41, Number

ISSN 0709-1281 (Print)

ISSN 1499-2175 (Online)

CONTENTS

Page

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Bill M218 — Increasing Youth Participation in Elections Act, 2017

R. Fleming

Bill M219 — Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2017

Bill M220 — Election Amendment Act 1, 2017

A. Weaver

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

Senior Care Providers’ Day

L. Reimer

Marine conservation area and protection of orcas

G. Holman

Vancouver Foundation and West Vancouver Community Foundation

R. Sultan

Tri-Cities Moms Group

J. Wickens

Trevor M c Donald

J. Martin

Joy Coghill

G. Heyman

Oral Questions

Staffing levels for sheriffs

M. Farnworth

Hon. S. Anton

B. Ralston

Wait times for hip replacement surgeries

J. Darcy

Hon. T. Lake

IHealth electronic records system at Nanaimo Hospital

D. Routley

Hon. T. Lake

D. Eby

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority information technology project

M. Mungall

Hon. T. Lake

Negotiations for federal health care funding

S. Simpson

Hon. T. Lake

Care standards at seniors care facilities

S. Robinson

Hon. T. Lake

C. James

Petitions

A. Weaver

Reports from Committees

Special Committee of Selection, report, February 20, 2017

Hon. M. de Jong

Petitions

R. Fleming

Reports from Committees

Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills, report on the estimates process and establishment of select standing committees, October 2016

J. Martin

Motions Without Notice

Powers and role of Health Committee

Powers and role of Children and Youth Committee

Hon. M. de Jong

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate (continued)

J. Rice

Hon. S. Anton

G. Heyman

L. Reimer

N. Simons

D. Bing

K. Corrigan

D. Plecas

J. Wickens

Hon. T. Stone

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017

The House met at 1:35 p.m.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

J. Darcy: It is an enormous pleasure today for me to introduce a very special guest from my community, the New West Youth Ambassador Society. This is a group of youth volunteers who are out there in the community supporting everybody in the community at a whole lot of different community events — really, youth leaders of today and leaders of tomorrow.

I would like to introduce them to you. First, the coordinators: Lynn Radbourne and Bill Radbourne. With them is the guide dog Siku. This is the second and only time that a guide dog has been introduced in the B.C. Legislature and made it into Hansard . They’re very proud of that.

The youth ambassadors are Meghan Connor, Ben Osborne, Giselle Whittaker, Julie Ruggenberg, Cole Thiessen and Jonah Wright, and the chaperones are Victoria Henssler, Florence Earle, Barbara Palen, Linda Cooper and Rick Steinson. Their trip here has been made possible by the New Westminster Firefighters Charitable Society. Could the House join me in welcoming that this amazing group of young people.

I have one other introduction, probably the one the Health Minister’s also going to…. Okay. I’ll let the Health Minister go first, and then I’ll come in second.

Hon. T. Lake: Today, we’re very lucky to have joining us 19 guests from the B.C. Care Providers Association that represent 50,000 senior care professionals. They’re in Victoria today to celebrate their fourth annual B.C. Care Awards and also to celebrate today, February 20, being proclaimed Senior Care Providers’ Day in the province of British Columbia.

Tonight I will have the pleasure of presenting awards to the 2017 B.C. Care Award winners, including Mari Green from Beacon Community Services, Care Provider of the Year in home care; Bruce Devereux from Sunshine Coast–Powell River, the Good Samaritan Society’s Christenson Village, Innovation of the Year; Tom Crump from Surrey-Cloverdale, the Elim Village facility, for the Ed Helfrich Long-Service Excellence Award. I’ve saved the best for last — Tasia McLean Warren from my own riding of Kamloops–North Thompson, who works at the Hamlets at Westsyde. She is being awarded Care Provider of the Year in residential care.

Can everyone please join me in welcoming the B.C. Care Providers and their guests here today.

J. Darcy: On behalf of members on this side of the House, I’d like to join the minister in welcoming the B.C. Care Providers today. I want to also make special mention of the wonderful people I had the opportunity to meet with earlier today who will be receiving awards tonight.

These are the people who care for our seniors, for our frail elderly, 24-7, 365 days a year. They’re the unsung heroes and heroines of our health care system. Please join the minister and all of us in welcoming the people from the B.C. Care Providers today.

Hon. M. de Jong: In the gallery today, Mrs. Madelyn Craven is here. Mrs. Craven, for years and years, was married to Roy Craven. Roy Craven, before he passed away, was a lifelong educator and taught me math in high school. So on the eve of the budget, I plead with members, to the extent that they find the sums problematic, the equations not balancing or the decimals out of place, that the fault is mine and in no way Roy Craven’s.

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I want to welcome, and I know all members will want to welcome, Madelyn Craven here today.

As well, at least two former members are in the assembly with us today. Katherine Whittred was first elected in 1996 and served with distinction in this chamber until 2009. She represented Vancouver-Lonsdale and served in the cabinet of the province of British Columbia — as I say, with distinction. It’s great to see her here, along with Olga Ilich, who served in the government from 2005 to 2009, also in the cabinet, representing the folks from Richmond Centre.

I know they would want me to say, on their behalf, how proud they are to be attending a function that you are hosting, I believe this evening, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the achievement of the vote by women in British Columbia, and at the same time, honouring all women who have served with distinction in this Legislative Assembly. I know all members will want to make our former colleagues Katherine and Olga welcome.

K. Conroy: I, too, would like to introduce a former MLA to the Legislature. I don’t often get an opportunity to introduce guests, especially this one. I think he’s been here twice since I’ve been elected.

He’s a former MLA for Rossland-Trail and was the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries; the Minister Responsible for Rural Development; as well as B.C. assets and Crown land, the Columbia Basin Trust and the Columbia Power Corporation. He’s one of my greatest supporters, gives me all kinds of great advice and puts up with all the idiosyncrasies of this job. I think I can safely say he’s one of the few spouses that we have, for all of us here, that really, truly understands this profession.

Please join me today in welcoming my husband, Ed Conroy, to the Legislature.

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Hon. P. Fassbender: We often talk about people who leave the province of British Columbia. We know many are coming back. I have some very dear friends who left British Columbia to join their family in the province of Saskatchewan, and I am delighted that they are able to be here today in the House. Brent and Penny Kirkpatrick are joined by my wife, and I want to welcome them back to B.C.

We will always welcome you back.

I would like the House to make them feel welcome today.

D. Eby: It’s a great pleasure to introduce to the House my sister, who’s in the gallery today — my little sister. She’s only six feet tall.

Interjections.

D. Eby: Members, I hear some nervous laughter. Two Ebys in the same House are always cause for trouble. I’ll let you know if we get three or four in the same House. Today there are only two though, so you should be all right.

R. Sultan: It gives me great pleasure to introduce three individuals who’ve contributed enormously to the civic life of this province, the first being Nancy Farran. Nancy graduated from UBC, went into the investment business, joined RBC Dominion Securities in ’96 and currently is a vice-president and wealth adviser with RBC. Nancy is an active volunteer and has served the municipality of West Vancouver on the police board, on the financial advisory commission, on the finance and audit committee and on the Fiscal Sustainability Task Force. She is currently chair of the West Vancouver Community Foundation.

The next person I would be honoured to introduce is Dr. Audrey Sojonky. Audrey’s professional career focused on educational research and public policy analysis. She told me today that she did original policy work under the aegis of Minister David Anderson in Ottawa, where she got to know a little bit of the early career of our Premier.

She has had a long and successful record and board leadership in the community, serving as a director of the West Vancouver school board, the Vancouver Public Aquarium, the Vancouver Foundation, the Port of Vancouver, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Kay Meek Centre, the West Vancouver Memorial Library and, in her spare time, the West Vancouver Community Foundation.

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The third person I would ask to you welcome is Tiana Farran, who lived in West Vancouver in her earlier years, attended UVIC, got her bachelor’s degree in fine arts, never went back to the North Shore. She currently lives in James Bay and is admissions team lead at the Royal B.C. Museum.

Would the House please welcome these three distinguished women.

M. Mungall: Well, there is no shortage of good things that I could say about Jack and Bertha Smith, who are visiting us today in the Legislature. They are amazing volunteers in the Kootenays. They have contributed so much to British Columbia.

I could be here all afternoon telling everybody about all that they’ve done, but of course, I don’t want to get in the way of the most important business of the day — that cabinet waits for every day — which is question period.

May the House please make them very, very welcome and join me in thanking them for everything that they do for B.C.

D. Plecas: In the gallery today, we have two wonderful visitors from Abbotsford South, my constituents. The first is Stacey Somerville. She is a branch manager of Assante Capital. She is also a director of Abbotsford Hospice and a very, very important non-stop volunteer in our community.

We also have with her, her partner, Kevin MacDonald. He’s a videographer. If you’re someone who’s been in the media — interviewed by the news, filmed by the news — in Abbotsford, it was probably Kevin who did it.

Please welcome them to the House.

C. Trevena: In the gallery today is George MacPherson. He is the president of the B.C. Shipyard General Workers Federation. Mr. MacPherson really understands the concept of a jobs plan. He would like to see that B.C. ferries are actually built here in B.C., rather than jobs being shipped over to Poland and Germany.

I hope the House will make Mr. MacPherson very welcome.

A. Weaver: It gives me great pleasure to introduce three guests today, two of whom are constituents. The first is Ned Taylor — he’s a Reynold’s Secondary School student and the author of a petition I’ll be introducing momentarily — along with his father, Matt Taylor, and his friend Jordan Reichert.

I might say, for those of you are from Victoria, you will know that there is no such thing as two steps of separation from people. There is only one. It turns out that Ned’s sister was in grade one and kindergarten with my daughter and that his father’s sister went to high school with me and graduated in 1979 from Oak Bay.

Would the House please make them feel very welcome.

L. Throness: It’s always a pleasure to have family visit, and it’s a real honour to have my beloved brother, Lyndon Throness, and my sister-in-law Heather come all the way from Surrey to visit me today. Would the House please make them welcome.

L. Popham: Today, we have St. Joseph’s Elementary School visiting from Saanich South. Their teacher Mr.

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Mitch Zuback is here with 23 amazing grade 5 students. Please make them feel welcome.

D. Ashton: Thank you very much for the opportunity to introduce two people from the area I represent. First of all, Karla Kozakevich. Karla is the chair of the regional district of Okanagan–Similkameen. Karla lives in Naramata, home of the infamous and famous world-renowned Naramata Bench. Sorry, that was a bit of a tongue-twister for me, but I did get it out. And there was no wine at lunch.

Also, with Karla today is Ian Wilson, vice-president of Wildcat Helicopters, an incredibly innovative helicopter flight company based here in British Columbia and operating also in the South Pacific.

Could the House make them very welcome please.

D. Donaldson: I have a couple of quick introductions today. The first is Kerri Bassett, who is the director for the B.C. Association of Child Development and Intervention. She’s going to be attending the budget lockup in that capacity.

Kerri is also the executive director of the Bulkley Valley Child Development Centre located in Smithers. It serves an incredible region, all the way from Atlin to Vanderhoof. If you jumped in a car, it would take you 20 hours straight to drive that region.

She works hard, and she’s in Victoria to continue working with the provincial government on moving Project Pinwheel forward — their capital campaign.

I would ask the members of this chamber to join me in welcoming Kerri to the Legislature.

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For the first time in more than 35 years and the first time under this modern-day format, the Gitxsan women’s basketball team has won the All-Native Basketball Tournament women’s title in Prince Rupert on Saturday. The Gitxsan Mystics prevailed over the Haisla team from Kitimat, 56-46 in the final.

I was there, and it was nerve-wracking. The Haisla team got within two points in the third quarter. The Mystic showed what can be accomplished when you stick together as a team. Well done. Lugul um.

Would the House join me in congratulating the 2017 All-Native Basketball women’s champion, the Gitxsan Mystics.

Hon. B. Bennett: It’s my pleasure to introduce the parents of my chief of staff Eric Wallace-Deering, Gene and Kathleen Wallace-Deering. They’re up there somewhere. I’m not sure where they are, but you have a very fine son. Thank you for joining us today.

V. Huntington: I have two separate introductions I’d like to make today.

I, too, would like to welcome and join the member from Oak Bay–Gordon Head in welcoming Ned Taylor. Ned has been a tireless advocate for the welfare of egg-laying hens. The petition that the member from Oak Bay–Gordon Head will present today is testament to his commitment.

Secondly, I would like to introduce a good friend of mine, Antony Tsui, who has now for three years worked in my constituency office during the summers. Antony is in his final year at UBC — undergraduate, at least — and is accompanied by three other students, Liann Badiong, Lauren Badiong, and Stephanie Mah, all of whom are in the precinct today from the University of British Columbia.

Will the House make them all welcome.

N. Simons: I just want to add to the comments of the Minister of Health and my colleague from New Westminster to welcome the B.C. Care Providers and, in particular, Bruce Devereux, innovator of the year. The community is very proud of the work he’s done, and, of course, the arts community that’s been involved in his work is also lifted up by this recognition. I look forward to this evening where his accomplishments will be honoured.

J. Rice: I must concede here to my colleague to my left. It is long overdue that a team from his riding did take a championship in the All-Native Basketball Tournament.

However, I would like to acknowledge another team in my constituency. The Skidegate Saints took it for the sixth year in a row, I believe — the defending champions. It was a very close game with another constituency community, Kitkatla. It was neck and neck, sitting at the edge of your seat. With seconds on the clock, it was tied and went into overtime and, again with just seconds, the Skidegate Saints defended their championship. Thank you. It was a great All-Native Basketball Tournament.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL M218 — INCREASING YOUTH

PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS ACT, 2017

R. Fleming presented a bill intituled Increasing Youth Participation in Elections Act, 2017.

R. Fleming: I move introduction of the Increasing Youth Participation in Elections Act for first reading.

Motion approved.

R. Fleming: It gives me great pleasure to reintroduce this bill, which, if enacted, would allow for the automatic registration of British Columbians at the age of 16 to vote when they are eligible voters at the age of 18. This preregistration will help improve election participation rates and remove barriers to participation in our democracy.

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In the last provincial general election, 18- to 24-year-olds had the lowest level of registration of voters and the lowest level of voter participation. A 2014 report to this House, from our independent Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Keith Archer, recommended that voter registration be lowered to the age of 16, as per this bill. This change was also previously recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer in 2011, prior to the 2013 general election. The effect of this bill would be to allow Elections B.C. to work with schools and B.C.’s driver licensing program to inform and register young people about the sacred and hard-fought right of citizenship in our country.

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Restricting voter registration to 18 years of age means that when youth become eligible to vote, they may have already left school and home and be very difficult to enumerate. Under this bill, youth would already be preregistered, and it would encourage young voters to take their civic duty to heart.

The evidence from other jurisdictions like Quebec suggests that measures like this see a significantly higher voter participation rate amongst youth. Youth in my constituency that I have consulted with have demonstrated unanimous support of this measure, as have non-partisan youth organizations like CIVIX, who endorse this measure.

I look forward to second reading and debate of this bill. I move that this bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting day of the House.

Bill M218, Increasing Youth Participation in Elections Act, 2017, 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 M219 — RECALL AND INITIATIVE

AMENDMENT ACT, 2017

A. Weaver presented a bill intituled Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2017.

A. Weaver: I move that a bill intituled the Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2017, of which notice has been given, be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

A. Weaver: It gives me great pleasure to introduce this bill, which is designed to empower British Columbians so that their voices can be more effectively heard on environmental reviews of major projects such as oil pipelines.

If we are to re-engage British Columbians in our democracy, we need to actively seek their view on far more of what we debate in this Legislature. We also need to provide them with additional tools to hold their government to account. The Recall and Initiative Amendment Act is one such tool. British Columbians have lost faith in the federal review process, particularly as it pertains to oil pipeline proposals. The province has not listened to their voices.

This bill would offer British Columbians an opportunity to ensure that their voices are indeed heard. If an initiative were to pass under the proposed changes in the Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, it would require government to pull out of an existing environmental equivalency agreement for a particular project and hold its own made-in-B.C. review of, for example, a proposed heavy-oil pipeline.

I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Bill M219, Recall and Initiative Amendment Act, 2017, 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 M220 — ELECTION

AMENDMENT ACT 1, 2017

A. Weaver presented a bill intituled Election Amendment Act 1, 2017.

A. Weaver: I move that a bill intituled the Election Amendment Act, 2017, of which notice has been given, be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

A. Weaver: In this bill I’m introducing today, I would propose lowering the voting age to 16 in the province of British Columbia. There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that the earlier in life a voter casts their first ballot, the more likely they are to develop voting as a habit throughout their life.

It’s also a common misconception that 16-year-olds are not as informed on and engaged in political issues as older voters. The research, however, says otherwise. These young citizens of British Columbia are old enough to drive, pay taxes and sign up for the military. In fact, the notion of taxation without representation is one that is not founded within our democracy. We require representation with taxation. Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Germany and parts of the U.K. have extended voting rights to 16-year-olds, and it’s time that British Columbia did the same.

I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Madame Speaker: Hon. Member, was that No. 1 or No. 2?

A. Weaver: That was No. 1. I’m sorry. Thank you, hon. Speaker.

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Madame Speaker: No worries.

Bill M220, Election Amendment Act 1, 2017, 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)

SENIOR CARE PROVIDERS’ DAY

L. Reimer: It’s my pleasure today to recognize British Columbia’s senior care providers, including 19 members of the B.C. Care Providers Association who are joining us to mark the proclamation of today, February 20, 2017, as B.C. Senior Care Providers’ Day. Almost one-sixth of our population is over the age of 65, and the number of seniors in British Columbia is expected to rise to an estimated 1.4 million over the next 20 years, which means there’s a great and growing demand for the kinds of services our seniors care providers offer.

Already, thousands of British Columbians — our parents and grandparents, our friends and our neighbours — depend upon the compassionate, professional and generous care they receive from our senior care providers. These women and men work hard every day to improve quality of life for our seniors and ensure that their needs are met with the dignity and respect that they deserve. By holding the industry to recognized standards-of-care excellence and advocating on behalf of its members, the association has given a voice to our seniors and those who care for them.

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Today the association continues to provide valuable support to its more than 300 members as they carry out their important work in residential care, assisted living, home support and commercial care.

The proclamation of B.C.’s Senior Care Providers’ Day this year is a fitting tribute to the great work that our senior care providers do every day as they brighten the lives of our seniors and help to ease the challenges of aging. I hope the House will join me in showing our appreciation to the senior care providers we have here today, and to all of B.C.’s senior care providers.

MARINE CONSERVATION AREA

AND PROTECTION OF ORCAS

G. Holman: I want to revisit two related issues I’ve raised here before: the proposed national marine conservation area for the southern Strait of Georgia and its endangered resident orca population.

The south Salish Sea is one of the planet’s most productive marine ecosystems, home to more than 3,000 species. Parks Canada considers it the most at-risk natural environment in Canada, which includes our southern resident orcas threatened by water and noise pollution and diminished chinook stocks.

The now 14-year-old B.C.-Canada agreement on the NMCA and federal species-at-risk laws reflect our collective obligation to protect the Salish Sea and the orca. The consent and partnership of First Nations is also essential.

There is some progress on the NMCA. We now have protection targets for Canada’s marine waters, and newly hired Parks Canada staff are consulting with First Nations and re-engaging stakeholders in affected sectors.

The southern resident orca are still at grave risk, with recent deaths reducing the population to 78. Research by Raincoast indicates that the Kinder Morgan project may, in fact, extirpate the southern resident orca even without a major spill. The Steelhead LNG proposal in Saanich Inlet could be another ecological blow.

While we dither on protecting the orca and the south Salish Sea, we proceed apace with industrial projects. We must do better. For example, we could facilitate an NMCA through a reconciliation approach with First Nations to provide them immediate economic and cultural benefits, including, for example, protection of Owl Island, another Coast Salish burial islet in the Gulf Islands facing development.

We have a responsibility to protect the most endangered marine environment in Canada and avoid the destruction of its most iconic inhabitants. The path to fulfilling these obligations is through reconciliation and collaboration with First Nations.

VANCOUVER FOUNDATION AND

WEST VANCOUVER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

R. Sultan: Here are bits of wisdom. Chaucer said from little acorns, mighty oaks grow. Piketty said in the 21st century, wealth grows faster than economic output.

In 1943, a Vancouver woman named Alice MacKay passed away. She had saved $1,000 from her secretary job and wanted to help homeless women. Her will stipulated that only income, but not principal, be used. This attracted the attention of titans of B.C. industry: VanDusen, Ronald Graham, H.R. MacMillan, Kidd, Malkin, McHattie, Spencer, Williamson and Woodward. Today the Vancouver Foundation, which she started, has grown to over $1 billion and has dispersed another billion along the way.

There’s another acorn not yet fully grown. The West Vancouver Community Foundation — assets, $13 million. It is chaired by a wealth management expert from the Royal Bank, Nancy Farran, who sits in the gallery today. It supports community projects and scholarships in such categories as the North Shore 100 Women Who Care endowment fund and the aboriginal youth sport legacy fund, and a report card on the vital signs of our community.

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You might think investing money is the hard part and giving it away, easy. But my own experience at the McConnell Foundation suggests the opposite is true. Thank you to the benefactors and volunteers who show us how to both accumulate and disburse our wealth wisely to benefit everybody in our society.

TRI-CITIES MOMS GROUP

J. Wickens: Some people say that it’s moms who rule the world, and I agree. So many of the fearless advocates and social change makers I know are mothers who refused to accept anything but what was best and right for their children.

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Today there’s a lot of pressure on mothers: pressure if you’re a working mom, pressure if you’re a stay-at-home mom. Do you breastfeed or bottle feed? How many activities do you put your children in? How much screen time do your children have? I never realized how much pressure I would feel to do all and be all until I became a mom.

That is why it is so important for moms to have a community to lean on and get support from. The Tri-Cities Moms Group is an on-line group of over 5,500 moms in our community. This group has been instrumental in bringing moms together for support, advice and, sometimes, the social interactions needed that moms feel themselves alienated from once they have children.

Heather Hooten started the online group so that moms would have a place to ask each other questions and gain support. I often see her posting, at all hours, anonymous member questions for moms who don’t feel comfortable to ask those questions themselves.

The group has pulled together to raise funds for moms who find themselves in times of need. They have pub nights, Christmas parties, and this year they are having their very first Tri-Cities Moms Group retreat. I’m really sad that I can’t go.

The Tri-Cities Moms Group is a perfect example of women supporting women and finding a 21st-century way to address the pressures of parenthood. Thank you to all the tri-city moms who have spent so much time empowering this community and their fellow moms.

TREVOR M c DONALD

J. Martin: Trevor McDonald, called Chilliwack’s most prolific music maker by the Chilliwack Times , was recently given a prestigious honour. During the 21nd annual Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards held last month, a special presentation was made to honour Trevor’s commitment to the community of Chilliwack. There, he was presented the Stan Rogers Legacy Award, sponsored by the Legacy Pacific group of companies.

It’s an award given annually, named after great Chilliwack business leader and developer Stan Rogers, who passed away suddenly in 2014. Stan was well known for his community involvement, and each year the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce honours someone who shares those values.

Trevor is a leader in Chilliwack’s art and culture scene, easily recognized as the emcee and entertainment organizer for the downtown Party in the Park, Canada Day festivities and numerous other events. Trevor uses his talent and his personality to improve our community. His love of Chilliwack brings people together working toward a common goal and encourages a sense of success and pride in every event he is a part of.

Through his amazing one-man show, he brings to life songs of ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and the ’80s and entertains at literally hundreds of public and corporate shows every year. His involvement in jam nights at numerous Chilliwack establishments has encouraged many other local artists, young and old, to share their talents as well. Many have gone on to perform in large and small venues all across the province thanks to Trevor’s inspiration.

When it came to organizing Chilliwack Senior Secondary School’s Hello, Goodbye Reunion, as the old high school was set to be demolished and the new state-of-the-art facility unveiled in 2013, of course it was Trevor at the centre of the action.

We’re so fortunate to have a citizen of Trevor’s calibre in our community. If you’re ever visiting Chilliwack, please be sure to check out his busy performance

schedule and maybe congratulate him on his Stan Rogers Legacy Award recognition.

JOY COGHILL

G. Heyman: Later this afternoon, her many friends will celebrate the rich life of Joy Coghill. On January 20, B.C. and Canada lost a legendary actor, director, teacher and mentor. Joy was a trailblazer for actors and for women in the arts.

In 1953, Joy founded Canada’s first professional children’s theatre company, Holiday Theatre. Joy took pride that over half their productions were original, and the company was one of the first to commission new Canadian plays.

Generations of young people took lessons and the opportunity to express themselves onstage and backstage. I was one of many who found a creative channel for youthful energy.

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To watch Joy work was to see an inquisitive, experimental, energetic approach to theme. She brought new perspective to many roles, including the title character in Shakespeare’s King Lear . She played Emily Carr in Song of This Place , which she also wrote. In later years, she founded a company for older actors, Western Gold, and developed The Alzheimer Project .

Concerned that performing arts workers were often destitute in their senior years, Joy co-founded the Performing Arts Lodge as a residence that includes performance space.

Joy was honoured with the Order of Canada and a Governor General’s Award in Performing Arts. This Legislature appointed Joy to the inaugural B.C. Arts Council. Last November, Joy accepted the Union of B.C. Performers ACTRA Woman of Distinction Award.

Younger actors applauded Joy’s undiminished passion for theatre and film and her recognition that unions make performers’ lives better. Joy was passionate about both politics and community.

In her own words: “I really spent my whole life believing that the health of our nation depends on the health of the arts.”

Oral Questions

STAFFING LEVELS FOR SHERIFFS

M. Farnworth: Last year, we saw a record number of overdose deaths in the province of British Columbia. Yet just this past Friday, here in Victoria, an accused drug-dealing thug walked free because of a lack of sheriffs for the courts here in British Columbia.

Can the Attorney General tell this House how letting an accused drug-dealing thug walk free because of a lack of sheriffs is good for justice or keeps the public safe?

Hon. S. Anton: It is my priority and the priority of court services, of the judiciary, to make sure that courts run smoothly. And the vast majority of time in British Columbia, they do run smoothly.

Nobody wants to see the case dismissed. The member opposite doesn’t, I don’t, and the public certainly doesn’t. Nobody wants to see cases dismissed for what, in this case, was a technical reason, not a reason on the facts of the case.

But I think we do need to know a little bit more about the case itself. I’m informed that this was a case where the accused should have been in court on the Monday, failed to appear and came into custody during the week. The case was rescheduled later in the week — a late scheduling — so that on Friday morning, right at the time the court opened, the resources were not available right then. It did turn out that they were available just a short time later in the day, but they weren’t available right at that time.

That is not a situation that anybody likes, and that’s why we are increasing the sheriff resources in British Columbia, because my goal is to ensure that courtrooms are staffed and that cases go ahead appropriately around British Columbia.

Madame Speaker: Member for Port Coquitlam on a supplemental.

M. Farnworth: Well, we’ve just heard the Attorney General learn from the Finance Minister the fine art of gibberish.

The Attorney General can stand in this House and say that it was a technicality. It is not a technicality when an accused drug-dealing thug walks free in the province. It is a direct result of the choices of this government to ensure that we don’t have enough sheriffs in the province of British Columbia.

Five years ago, there were 500 sheriffs in this province. Now there are around just over 400. There were 35 in Victoria. Now there are just over 21. It’s because of those choices — a failure to put public safety first. It’s the reason this drug-dealing thug got to walk free.

My question to the Attorney General is: when and how is she going to fix this unacceptable situation?

Hon. S. Anton: As I said, it is my goal to make sure that courtrooms function smoothly and with the appropriate staff and staff as needed, especially sheriffs, throughout British Columbia.

That’s why we are, in fact, adding a second class of recruits this year. There are often 24 a year. This year there will be 48 — and over the next couple of years — so that we do have plenty of sheriff resources around the province.

[1415]

But as I said, this was a case where there were actually resources available a short time later. It was a late-scheduled case. But nobody…. As I said, I don’t want to see accused persons go free for a reason such as this, nor does the public, nor the whole court system. That is why we are working very hard to ensure that the right resources are in place at the right time in the courtrooms of British Columbia.

B. Ralston: The minister has tried to minimize the facts of this particular case, but let’s listen to what the judge in the case had to say. The drug dealer walked free. “A lack of provincial will to provide the necessary resources” — that’s what the judge said. A lack of provincial will to provide the necessary resources — not minimizing the facts but directly pointing at the government and at the minister herself.

It’s hardly a new issue. In January 2016, another drug dealer nearly walked away from a charge due to the lack of a sheriff. At that time, Dean Purdy of correction and sheriff services said: “It’s like playing roulette with security as well as the safety of the public.”

Knowing all this, and for all that time, why didn’t the Attorney General take action?

[ Page 13662 ]

Hon. S. Anton: As I said, we have taken action. There is an additional class of recruits going through the system this year and next. We will put more sheriffs into the system so that the courtrooms are ready to go as needed.

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members.

Hon. S. Anton: We are tackling this in other ways as well by taking things out of courtrooms — in other words, freeing up court time. The impaired driving cases — 6,000 cases no longer going into courtrooms. The civil resolution tribunal. Very shortly, the minor small claims matters will no longer be in courtrooms. So we are freeing up court time in other ways so that when there are criminal cases that need to go ahead, the resources are there so that those cases can go ahead as needed in all of the courtrooms of British Columbia.

B. Ralston: We aren’t talking traffic tickets here. There are a number of high-profile cases involving gang members that have dragged through the courts for many years. These are people accused of vicious gangland murders, and they could walk free because of courtroom delays. This isn’t theoretical. In Alberta in October 2016, a first-degree murder charge was dropped by the court because of lengthy court delays, delays that are very common in British Columbia.

My question to the Minister of Justice: how many gang members and drug dealers will be let free before she takes action?

Hon. S. Anton: Last year, there were seven cases stayed because of delay. That’s out of about 60,000 cases in the system, for a sense of proportion. No one wants to see a case stayed because of delay, but let me assure the House that that number is down significantly over the years. The number has gone down steadily. The Jordan case requires that criminal cases be heard in a timely way. The criminal justice branch of this government is working very hard to make sure that our cases do go through in a timely way, because no one wants to see cases stayed because of delay.

As I said, in British Columbia — only seven last year. But it is being monitored very carefully, because nobody wants to see those cases stayed.

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members.

Hon. S. Anton: None of those seven cases pleased anybody, and we are watching this very carefully to ensure that the number stays very low or to zero if possible.

WAIT TIMES FOR

HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERIES

J. Darcy: Lee Horn from Osoyoos has been living with excruciating pain for three years. He waited seven months for a CAT scan, almost an entire year then for an MRI, and then another very long wait in order to see a surgeon before he finally learned that he needed a hip replacement. It has been over 15 months since he got that assessment, and Lee still doesn’t have a date for his surgery.

Lee’s wife, Gaye, is in the gallery today. Will the Minister of Health please tell Gaye and her husband, Lee, if he thinks it’s acceptable that Lee has had to wait almost three years in excruciating pain to get his hip surgery?

[1420]

Hon. T. Lake: There is no question that a growing and aging population puts demands on the health care system here in British Columbia. We recognize that, in some parts of the province particularly, there are unacceptable wait times — in some cases for MRIs, in some cases for surgery.

We are working very hard to get to the people that have waited the longest. We infused $25 million into a surgical initiative last year on top, of course, of the hundreds of millions of dollars that we spend year over year on surgery alone — another $25 million, as well as an MRI program, including four new MRIs, and more procedures all around the province of British Columbia.

Madame Speaker: The member for New Westminster on a supplemental.

J. Darcy: The Minister of Health acts like it’s some kind of surprise that we have an aging population. We’ve known that for decades in the province of British Columbia, and the minister’s job is to be prepared for that. But the outrageous thing is that Lee isn’t alone. There are thousands more people like him who are waiting in pain for years. Because of this government’s failures, British Columbia has the second-worst — meaning the second-longest — wait times for hip and knee replacements in Canada.

This unacceptable wait has completely disrupted Lee and Gaye’s lives, and they’re unable to continue running the photo tour operation that they used to so much enjoy running in their community. Lee has been languishing in pain for 903 days — 903 days, hon. Speaker. Will the minister please tell Lee and Gaye when Lee can expect to get this surgery that he has needed for a very, very long time?

Hon. T. Lake: The reality is that between 2001 and today, the number of knee replacements has gone up 176 percent and the number of total hip replacements over 100 percent. That is outpacing the growth of the population. Cataract surgery is up 79 percent. Angioplasty is up 66 percent.

[ Page 13663 ]

We know, as the hon. member for New Westminster mentioned earlier today, that when people need emergency surgery, there are no waits, but we understand that there are some people waiting too long for some of these elective surgeries. We are working hard — 5,000 extra surgeries conducted with the $25 million from last year, another 5,000 extra surgeries this year. We will continue. You will see tomorrow, I’m sure, continued investment in the health care system in the province of B.C.

IHEALTH ELECTRONIC RECORDS SYSTEM

AT NANAIMO HOSPITAL

D. Routley: Last week we learned that the PharmaNet system was hacked. Patients’ personal information was put at risk for the second time in two years, and the best explanation the Health Minister could muster was: “In the age of data and cybertechnology today, this is a risk of the 21st century.”

On Friday afternoon, the minister’s inability to ensure that health care IT systems protect patients was on display yet again. On Friday, the CEO of Island Health told staff at Nanaimo Regional Hospital that they were going to cease using key elements of the minister’s new $50 million IHealth system because physicians said it was putting patients at risk — serious risk.

Can the minister explain why he waited so long to acknowledge that IHealth was putting patients at risk?

Hon. T. Lake: Well, in fact I didn’t wait. I went to Nanaimo. I met with the medical team at Nanaimo. I met with Island Health. We commissioned a report by Dr. Doug Cochrane, a B.C. patient care quality officer, who listed recommendations and a workplan. We set up an oversight committee. But it, despite best efforts…. I will say this, hon. Speaker. The physicians and the medical team at Nanaimo and the people at Island Health in charge of this project all have a common interest in making sure we get a product that delivers a single electronic health record for the people of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital that keeps patients safe.

[1425]

There are a number of physicians at Nanaimo, as the member well knows, that still have some concerns, so we are working with them, with Island Health and with the doctors and other medical staff to ensure that this system remains safe for patients while those improvements are taking place.

D. Routley: In between the minister’s rhetoric, threats made against doctors and nurses, and all of this mess coming to the minister’s desk, patients are at risk. The people we represent are lost in the battle. They feel that the IHealth system puts patients in serious danger of receiving the wrong medication.

Finally, the minister has been forced to acknowledge that these health care professionals’ concerns are valid. Can the minister explain why he ignored the real concerns of doctors and nurses at Island Health for so long?

Hon. T. Lake: I’ll repeat: I did not ignore those concerns. In fact, I personally went and met with the physicians and other medical staff members at Nanaimo. I, along with my deputy, met with the Island Health board and the senior executive team last week.

There are varying views on this system. Dr. Cochrane did not recommend that the system be taken down while the improvements were made. Two other experts were brought in, neither of which made that same recommendation.

The important thing is that physicians and others at Nanaimo did not have the confidence in the system, so we have to work with them in a collaborative way to ensure that the member’s constituents and patients at Nanaimo are cared for, that the physicians and other medical staff that use the system have confidence in the system. We’re all going to work together to achieve that goal.

D. Eby: You just have to look at the record to understand the problems with what the minister is saying. It was May of last year when the doctors and nurses that were front-line went to the media and said that this system was producing medication errors. They were putting patients at risk. It was November of last year that this minister’s own report that he commissioned said that this computerized provider order entry system be “revalidated” to ensure it was safe. Yet where are we now? This minister shut down the system Friday of last week.

My question to the minister: how many patients were put at risk, and were any patients injured?

Hon. T. Lake: The system has not been taken down. There are physicians, 112 members of the medical staff association — I believe there are 175 members in total — that still had some concerns and asked for the computerized provider order entry system to be put aside while that revalidation occurs. Dr. Cochrane did not recommend that. Other experts have not recommended that.

We are going to walk through what that process looks like with the medical staff association and the members of the health care team in Nanaimo. If that is the best thing to do, we will do it. But we will ensure that that process does not endanger patient safety, and we will walk together in a collaborative way to accomplish our goal of one electronic health record for every patient.

Madame Speaker: The member for Vancouver–Point Grey on a supplemental.

D. Eby: Whether the minister says that the system was put aside or shut down, the fact is that doctors and nurses

[ Page 13664 ]

are going back to pen and paper. They said from the very beginning that this system is not safe for patients.

When they said that, the minister said to them: “I don’t have a concern about the structural integrity” of this system. Then after he got the audit, he hedged a little bit: “No one is doing this to a level that they were hoping to get with this, so this will all get us to a better place.” But we’re not in a better place.

The doctors and nurses are still worried about patient safety. The minister and his experts can say there’s no problem, but the people treating patients say that there are medication errors taking place. Again to the minister: how many patients were put at risk, and were any patients injured?

[1430]

Hon. T. Lake: The member, as he is wont to do, is putting words in my mouth. I did not say that Dr. Cochrane or other experts said that there were no problems with the system. They recognized that there were challenges with the system, but they did not recommend putting it aside while those revalidation processes occurred.

The reality is that people working at Nanaimo — a large number of people, a significant number — still don’t have the confidence that is necessary to go forward with the system. So we will walk with them to look at the process of setting aside the system and discover to what extent that will affect patient care. We’re going to do it in a collaborative, cooperative way. The member, I know, can think back to other challenges in electronic systems around the world.

This is a challenge, but we shouldn’t be daunted by challenges. We shouldn’t give up. We need to get to an electronic health record that provides a single patient record, for the safety and effective delivery of care in the province of British Columbia.

VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT

M. Mungall: I mean, the minister ought to know that we don’t need to look beyond British Columbia’s borders if we want to see boondoggle after boondoggle after boondoggle. When it comes to IT systems, B.C. is notorious. The really troubling

part in all of this…. No surprise, there’s a twist in another one of these B.C. Liberal stories of IT failures.

The troubling

part is that after the minister’s $500 million Vancouver Coastal IT project went sideways and the minister fired IBM, he went out and hired Cerner to fix it. Now, that’s the same company that produced this system in Nanaimo that’s failing. So why on earth would British Columbians have any confidence that this minister’s repeated bad decisions — bad decision after bad decision — aren’t going to make things worse for patients in Vancouver Coastal?

Hon. T. Lake: I’m not sure I can match that community theatre performance, but let me tell you that Cerner was always the system being contemplated in the CSC program in Vancouver Coastal and PHSA. Across the globe, there are 5,400 hospitals and 45,000 physicians using Cerner systems. This isn’t a system that is new to the health care scene. In Canada alone, 34 health systems use Cerner-based computerized provider order entry. This is a well-used system. It has to be customized and tailored to our local hospitals. That’s what we’re all working hard to do.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR

FEDERAL HEALTH CARE FUNDING

S. Simpson: On December 22, the Health Minister had this to say about the accord with the federal government on health care. His exact words were that we’re “not going to negotiate a side deal.” Now he has cut a side deal, one that leaves B.C. short on health funding.

Can the minister please explain why he gave up on getting a good deal? Or did the Premier do the deal against his advice?

Hon. T. Lake: They are called negotiations for a reason. You actually have one side advocate one thing, one side advocate another. Here is where we were….

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members.

Hon. T. Lake: The former federal government was cutting the Canada health transfer from 6 percent to 3 percent. That’s where we started. We — the province of British Columbia and other provinces and territories — advocated for a 5.2 percent increase. With the agreement that we’ve come to with Ottawa, we get 4.4 percent increases, which is halfway in between where we started and where we wanted to be. That’s often the result of negotiations. But I’ll tell you this. It means $1.4 billion more for mental health and substance use and home care and residential care in the province of British Columbia.

Madame Speaker: Recognizing Vancouver-Hastings on a supplemental.

[1435]

S. Simpson: Let’s repeat the minister’s other words of that day and time for him. As he said: “The offer — let me be clear — means that over a ten-year period, the share of federal funding for health care would decline.”

He then said that he would not participate in “a divide-and-conquer tactic with other provinces.” Then he gave up in less than two months and walked away from that process with other provinces, doing exactly that.

[ Page 13665 ]

Did the Health Minister give up on standing up for B.C. health care, or was he thrown under the bus along with the rest of British Columbians by the Premier?

Hon. T. Lake: The reality is that we had very intense negotiations with the provinces, territories and the federal government. It became clear that we needed to get to a place where we were putting the money into action on behalf of patients in the province of British Columbia. This deal gives us $1.4 billion over ten years….

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members, the Chair will hear the answer.

Hon. T. Lake: Thank you, hon. Speaker. This deal gives us money for mental health and substance use and, importantly, a national framework for opioid response and $10 million directly to the province of British Columbia to help us with the very real public health care crisis that we are facing. The members will see tomorrow how much and how important health care is to this government as we invest further in the care of patients in British Columbia.

CARE STANDARDS AT

SENIORS CARE FACILITIES

S. Robinson: The government today announced that today is Seniors Care Providers’ Day, and in the gallery are some of the front-line workers who do their best to take care of our parents, our grandparents and our loved ones. Unfortunately, this government isn’t giving them sufficient resources to provide the care that our seniors need.

Last year the seniors advocate reported that only 18 percent of our publicly funded residential care facilities were meeting the benchmark of 3.36 care hours per resident per day, and last year the Minister of Health said that they were going to do better. This year that same report showed that only 9 percent of those same facilities were meeting that benchmark.

Will the minister please tell the House why his government is continuing to fail seniors as we look after our most vulnerable citizens?

Hon. T. Lake: As I mentioned, the agreement that we reached with the federal government will provide additional increased supports for home care improvements in the province of British Columbia. Again, the members will see in the budget that we continue to increase the number of resources available for caring for our vulnerable seniors.

Our parliamentary secretary has been working closely with the office of the seniors advocate, with B.C. care providers, with other organizations around the province to ensure that the seniors here in British Columbia get the very best care, the care that they deserve.

Madame Speaker: Coquitlam-Maillardville on a supplemental.

S. Robinson: Well, responding about home support when, in fact, the question was about residential care not being properly funded is really, I think, very disrespectful to the people here in this gallery who are actually doing that work.

Now 91 percent of publicly funded facilities that care for our seniors don’t have the staff that they need. That’s 91 percent. This leaves those on the front lines with moral distress and frustration about not being able to provide the care that they know seniors need. Last year when my colleague asked about this, the minister said that staffing levels weren’t much of a problem.

When we asked about the 3.36 hours of care per day per resident, the minister said:”It’s not a requirement; it’s a guideline.” So this government believes that adequate care of seniors is just a guideline. Why is the minister allowing our vulnerable seniors to have less than adequate care, and when will he make quality care a requirement?

Hon. T. Lake: The 3.36 hours per resident per day is, in fact, a planning guide that all health authorities should be working to as an average across the health authority. Seniors aren’t widgets; they’re individuals. Their care should be based on an individual care plan based on their RAI score.

[1440]

In terms of home care, I’m sure the member will learn that if you can support people in their home with more home care supports, that reduces the demand on residential care. We are committed to our seniors in the province of British Columbia, and that means that we’ll continue to do the hard work necessary. Our Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors will continue to do that work.

We will continue to make investments and, along with the deal that we have signed with Ottawa, increase investments even further so that people can stay in their home — whether that’s their home, whether that’s assisted living, or whether that’s residential care — in a safe and appropriate manner.

C. James: I heard the Health Minister say that these are standards they should be working to. Well, it’s very clear that they aren’t working to these standards. Nine percent of facilities met the guideline — 9 percent, Minister. That is a vast majority of facilities that are not able to provide basic care to seniors.

My colleague from Victoria–Swan Lake and I held a seniors forum about three weeks ago — an overflowing

[ Page 13666 ]

room — and the issue of care for seniors came up over and over and over again. We had families in tears because they can’t get the kind of care that their seniors deserve. We had workers in tears because they aren’t able to provide the kind of care that they need.

This is clearly a pattern with this government. We heard the Minister of Children and Families last week say that she wouldn’t take responsibility for enforcing guidelines — and now the Minister of Health.

Why will the minister not ensure that these guidelines — and the facilities that need the resources for these guidelines — happen for seniors in every facility in British Columbia?

Hon. T. Lake: This government has invested all around the province in new residential care facilities. It wasn’t that long ago that you could not find any residential care facilities. We have changed that, and we’ve made important changes to the Community Care and Assisted Living Act that allow people to stay in assisted living longer.

I have heard today member after member on the opposite side stand up and say: “More resources, more resources.” Yet they stand in the way of every single piece of economic development…

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members.

Hon. T. Lake: …that would flow resources into the services that government should be providing. They should be ashamed of themselves. They should be ashamed. They just say no, just say no to every piece of economic development. That’s, hon. Speaker, not what we should be doing in the province of B.C.

[End of question period.]

Petitions

A. Weaver: I’m very pleased to stand to present a petition against the use of inhumane cage confinement in the egg industry. This petition, which has over 33,000 signatures, was started and organized by Ned Taylor, a constituent who’s attending grade 12 at Reynolds Secondary School in Victoria.

In Ned Taylor’s words: “This petition stands firmly against battery cages, enriched cages and all other cages in the egg industry because chickens deserve to roam freely for their health and well-being. Battery cages are cages used in our egg industry that confine egg-laying hens for their entire lives. In these cages, the hens have no space to move or spread their wings, nor do they have a place to perch.”

Reports from Committees

Hon. M. de Jong: I have the honour to present the first report of the Special Committee of Selection for the sixth session of the 40th parliament.

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

Motion approved.

Hon. M. de Jong: I ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

Hon. M. de Jong: I move that the report be adopted.

Motion approved.

[1445]

Petitions

R. Fleming: I rise to present a petition to secure permanent funding for rural education, where the undersigned urge the government to recognize that all kids in B.C.’s public school system deserve secure, stable and predictable education funding and call on the government to invest in rural communities by properly funding our schools. I would note that the petition was brought to this House by somebody who’s in the gallery today, with your indulgence, Madame Speaker.

Ms. Brenda Dorosz is here. She’s a long-time resident of beautiful Osoyoos. She is a locally renowned person for standing up and organizing to save Osoyoos Secondary School. Welcome to the House, Ms. Dorosz.

Madame Speaker: If you’re introducing, Member for Victoria–Swan Lake, in future, seek leave to make an introduction.

Reports from Committees

J. Martin: I have the honour to present the report of the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills.

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

Motion approved.

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

Leave granted.

J. Martin: Thank you so much, Madame Speaker.

In moving adoption of the report, I would like to make

[ Page 13667 ]

a few brief comments. The report summarizes the results of the committee’s review of the practices and procedures relating to the referral and consideration of estimates by Committee of Supply and the establishment of select standing committees for the life of a parliament.

The committee affirmed the importance of the estimates process and felt that the careful consideration should be given to improving the estimates process in order to make it more efficient and effective for all members.

The committee also recognized the importance of parliamentary committees and agreed that select standing committees should be established for the life of a parliament, rather than on a sessional basis. Moving forward, committee members feel that continued deliberations on ways to adapt and strengthen the standing orders will serve the interests of members and further improve the efficacy of their work.

I would like to thank my fellow committee members, including the deputy chair, the member for Nanaimo, for their collaboration and their hard work during this process.

With that, I move adoption of the report.

Motion approved.

Motions Without Notice

POWERS AND ROLE OF HEALTH COMMITTEE

Hon. M. de Jong: By leave, I move that the Select Standing Committee on Health be empowered to continue their work, a two-part mandate identifying potential strategies to maintain a sustainable health care system for British Columbians and consider health care capital funding options.

This is work that the committee was engaged in under the previous sitting. The usual powers are provided to the committee to continue that work.

By leave, I would move the motion.

[That the Select Standing Committee on Health be empowered to:

1. Identify potential strategies to maintain a sustainable health care system for British Columbians; and

2. Consider health capital funding options.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Health, the committee shall be empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the committee and to delegate to the subcommittee all or any of its powers except the power to report directly to the House;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to conduct consultations by any means the committee considers appropriate;

[ Page 13668 ]

d) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and

e) to retain such personnel as required to assist the committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

POWERS AND ROLE OF

CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMITTEE

Hon. M. de Jong: Secondly, that the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be appointed, and the mandate under which they have been operating is continued in this motion….

Interjections.

Madame Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. de Jong: …as are the powers that will enable the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth to continue that work.

Again, by leave, I would move the motion.

[That the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be appointed to foster greater awareness and understanding among legislators and the public of the BC child welfare system, and in particular to:

1. Receive and review the annual service plan from the Representative for Children and Youth (the “Representative”) that includes a statement of goals and identifies specific objectives and performance measures that will be required to exercise the powers and perform the functions and duties of the Representative during the fiscal year;

2. Be the committee to which the Representative reports, at least annually;

3. Refer to the Representative for investigation the critical injury or death of a child;

4. Receive and consider all reports and plans transmitted by the Representative to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia; and,

5. Pursuant to

section 30 (1) of the Representative for Children and Youth Act , S.B.C. 2006, c. 29, undertake a comprehensive review of the Act or portions of the Act by April 1, 2017 to determine whether the functions of the representative described in

section 6 are still required to ensure that the needs of children and young adults as defined in that

section are met.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon Select Standing Committees of the House, the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the committee and to delegate to the subcommittee all or any of its powers except the power to report directly to the House;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to conduct consultations by any means the committee considers appropriate;

d) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and

e) to retain personnel as required to assist the committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

J. Rice: I’m very honoured to rise today to speak to the throne speech. I’d like to start by recognizing my legislative assistant, Robert Hill, for his commitment to northern and rural issues and to ensuring that I get on the right plane at the right time.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Thank you, Rob, and thank you to my constituency assistants Kaeleen Foote and Carrie Thorpe, back in Prince Rupert, who are assisting record numbers of people with housing and affordability issues who are desperately trying to find resources to refer struggling families to.

[1450]

I’d also like to acknowledge my former constituency assistants, Alexie Stephens — or Lexi, as she is known — and wish her all the best in her new endeavours, travelling the world and experiencing the joy of being a new auntie.

There is too much influence of big money and politics and not enough commitment to middle-class and working families reflected in this throne speech. The throne speech is about the vision of the current government, yet the throne speech does not reflect the priorities of British Columbians, let alone my constituents in North Coast. How is this government going to make life more affordable for everyday people? When will this government take action to help our most vulnerable assets: our children?

The Representative for Children and Youth just released a report called Broken Promises . This title speaks to the B.C. Liberal record of governing for this province. This government has given a $1 billion tax break over the last four years to the top 2 percent in this province. Yet report after report demonstrates that we are failing in child welfare, and B.C.’s child poverty rate is higher than the national average.

There are still over 163,000 children living in poverty in British Columbia. At the current rate, it would take until the year 2053 to eliminate child poverty in B.C. We are still the only province in Canada without a poverty reduction plan. Children are dying in government care, like Alex Gervais, the latest victim of a failed priority of this government. While there is money to give away to those that need it the least, those like Alex suffer the consequences.

Not one word in this throne speech mentioned child care. Yet we have one of the worst situations when it comes to child care costs and availability.

There is scant reference to the key issues that are important to First Nations in this throne speech, when it’s a very important time in history in regards to aboriginal peoples’ rights. We have the UN declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

We’re no longer talking about recommendations here. We’re talking about calls to action. And the courts are telling us to do so in cases like Delgamuukw and Tsilhqot’in. There’s no mention of that. It took four years and the revelations that political staff in the Ministry of Transportation’s office were purposefully deleting emails about missing and murdered indigenous women to get this government to bring safe transportation for families who live along Highway 16, otherwise known as the Highway of Tears.

The throne speech does not touch on the staggering number of aboriginal kids in care — at 60 percent — even though they represent less than 10 percent of B.C.’s population. The recent children’s report valuing early intervention with indigenous youth as well as kinship care and cultural connections was absent from the throne speech.

The throne speech says: “In the coming weeks, your government will implement a new rural economic development strategy that begins with an unwavering commitment to get to yes on building projects that create jobs in rural communities — projects like Site C and LNG. Secondly, investments to create jobs through necessary infrastructure improvements.”

Well, I eagerly await this announcement. Just ask the city of Prince Rupert how it’s managing its infrastructure needs. Lead in the drinking water, a failing dam, no sewage treatment, crumbling roads and yet not one LNG agreement made with the municipality to support the supposed influx of workers from the coming LNG bonanza promised four years ago by the Premier. Nothing for Prince Rupert to prepare for industry, yet the burden falls to the city to support this industry.

In this throne speech, the government boasts about their jobs numbers. There’s certainly some evidence to say that while British Columbia is leading the way in job growth, we know that it’s actually not accurate when you think about the kinds of jobs that are being created. In fact, B.C. actually led Canada in growth of below-average-wage work over the last number of years.

When you have low-wage, part-time workers who can’t pay their bills, whose MSP is going up, whose ICBC is

[ Page 13669 ]

going up, then they’re falling farther behind. While the numbers may look good on paper, the economic reality in the homes and lives of real people is not as pretty.

The government boasts about low taxes, but what’s really interesting is that over these last 16 years under this current government, there have been significant tax cuts to personal income taxes, but they’ve been replaced with regressive taxes like MSP premiums and ICBC premiums.

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When you add up all the taxes that people pay — all of it: income tax, PST, MSP, fuel, property tax — the people paying the bulk of the taxes in this province are the bottom of our income earners. That’s an unfair burden to our lower earners in our province.

Who’s benefiting from all this? Well, it’s the wealthy. The top-earners are actually paying less tax — a lower effective tax rate than everybody else. We have an unfair system, where the tax burden is placed on the bottom earners.

When you call it a fee, it is a tax. It’s a regressive tax. Whether you make $400,000 a year or $40,000 a year, you’re still paying the same fee. This is simply not fair. The B.C. Liberals only include income taxes in their numbers, while ignoring MSP, Hydro, ICBC and more — hidden taxes that everyone has to pay. When you add those costs, B.C. isn’t the lowest in taxes. We have one of the highest costs of living. These increases cost the average family at least $1,000 bucks per year. That’s a $1,000 more.

A year ago the seniors advocate said 82 percent of care homes in British Columbia weren’t meeting the government’s own standards of 3.36 hours of direct care per day. The government said: “We need to do better.” But things have gotten worse, not better. Now it’s 91 percent of care homes that aren’t meeting that standard. In my own community, seniors are being woken up very early in the morning and often have to sit two, three hours before they’re able to eat breakfast. They’re not being toileted in time, and they’re suffering the incredible indignity of having to sit in soiled diapers.

In the Acropolis Manor in Prince Rupert, when it comes to bathing — something we all take for granted — it’s the first thing to go. Sometimes residents don’t get the one bath they’re allowed a week. Often the care aides are too busy. They’re overworked, short-staffed, and they don’t get to the bath. It could go two or three weeks or more before someone gets a bath in Acropolis Manor. There’s not one single mention of improving this kind of care for seniors in the throne speech, let alone improving the situation for workers that are being run ragged and burning out.

The throne speech stated: “Your government will work with B.C. Ferries to provide a new seasonal ferry service between Port Hardy and Bella Coola.” Well, the Premier announced this in September to be implemented in 2018 after scrapping it two years ago. Ferries are only mentioned in the context of tourism.

The B.C. Liberals ignore completely all those who live in coastal communities, who rely on ferries for work and the needed connection to services and their families. Just ask the people of Sandspit on Haida Gwaii how their economy is going or how easy it is to get their kids to school with the cuts this government has made to their ferry service.

Let’s talk about the prosperity fund. The government says: “World markets may go up and down, but bringing home the generational opportunity of LNG remains within reach because of the work that has been done in our province…. And your government has made a down payment for all of us. The British Columbia prosperity fund already has $500 million — a savings plan for the future and to pay down our debt.”

Let’s talk about broken promises with the prosperity fund. Broken promises include that it will contribute to making B.C. debt-free. In fact, under this government, British Columbians’ public debt has increased 45 percent, from $45.2 billion in 2011 to $63.5 billion today — the largest increase under any one Premier in B.C.’s history. That $100 billion from LNG will flow directly into the prosperity fund — another promise. In fact, the Premier has taken $400 million from MSP hikes and the overheated real estate market to create a pre-election slush fund.

Another broken promise: that the prosperity fund could help eliminate the sales tax. In fact, the government took $6.5 billion from PST this year. The prosperity fund will accelerate the paydown of B.C. Hydro and for the Port Mann Bridge. In fact, B.C. Hydro’s debt has grown from $11.7 billion to $19.5 billion under this government.

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The B.C. government has significantly scaled back their LNG expectations in this throne speech. The Premier promised British Columbians 100,000 jobs, an LNG plant up and running by 2015 and five by 2020. The Premier promised $100 billion prosperity fund and a debt-free B.C. None of those promises have been kept.

In the 2013 throne speech, LNG was to eliminate our debt, eliminate the PST, and create 100,000 jobs and a trillion dollars in economic activity. In 2014, the throne speech said that LNG was a chance, not a windfall. In 2015, the throne speech said LNG was still a generational opportunity but was barely mentioned otherwise in an effort to change the channel. In 2016, in the throne speech, the B.C. Liberals finally admitted that their timelines could not be met and whined that the government have done all that they can, but “global conditions are posing new challenges.” Although LNG…. “Success is not for quitters” was the change of the channel there.

This year, LNG needs “global markets to thrive, but unforeseen headwinds have created challenging conditions,” and reminding us that world markets may go up and down and that the very best they can do is insist that bringing home that generational opportunity of LNG remains within reach.

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Quite a change in tune since the 2013 throne speech’s grandiose promises.

[R. Lee in the chair.]

I’d like to wrap up by talking about education. The throne speech states, “Average per-pupil funding is now over $8,900, the highest ever, even with an increase of 10,000 students in the past two years.” Well, B.C.’s per-pupil funding is $1,000 lower than the national average. Since the time this Premier was Education Minister in 2002, B.C. has gone from the second-best-funded education system in Canada to the second-worst.

Again, I quote from the throne speech: “This government has worked with the Teachers Federation to achieve the longest negotiated settlement in history, ensuring six years of labour peace in our classrooms so that our children can learn without interruption.” Like this was some sort of fun picnic that the government had with the teachers. Not only did this Premier deliberately provoke a strike with B.C. teachers in 2012; she oversaw the longest school strike in B.C.’s history in 2014.

When the Premier was Education Minister in 2002, she illegally ripped up teachers’ contracts, taking away their right to bargain for class size and composition. For 15 years, her government spent millions to battle B.C. teachers in court. In the end, it took the Supreme Court of Canada less than 20 minutes to decide the Premier had it wrong all along. But now, a generation of B.C. kids spent their time in our public education system in overcrowded and undersupported classrooms because of this Premier’s decisions.

I’ll return to the theme of broken promises. The throne speech says: “To keep our students safe, your government has committed $1.7 billion in new infrastructure over the next three years and invested $1.3 billion in more than 160 completed school seismic projects, with more to come over the next three years.”

Well, in 2005, the B.C. Liberal government promised that all schools would be seismically upgraded by 2020. In 2015, they pushed that deadline back to 2025, and 2030 for schools in Vancouver. Before the last election, this government promised that 45 high-risk schools would be seismically upgraded by 2016.

The Premier is now using excuses, like low enrolment, to delay these necessary upgrades. As of January 2017, 118 schools haven’t even started to receive seismic upgrades that they muchly need. That includes the Prince Rupert Middle School, where students are waiting to be assessed, lack support from specialist teachers, have complex classroom compositions and are experiencing overcrowding, safety concerns in labs and shop classes and foods, especially. Secondary students can’t get all of the classes they need to graduate unless they complete on-line learning. Parents are outraged.

Let me return to the seismic upgrades. At Prince Rupert Middle School, parents, students and teachers need to see follow-through. Prince Rupert has three empty school buildings due to school closures to reach that so-called 95 percent capacity that’s required. The only middle school, PRMS, desperately needs replacement. Still, families are waiting.

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The building needs $8 million in seismic upgrades and $9 million just to upgrade the delayed building repairs. A new building would cost $22 million. I’m hearing parents’ concerns weekly. It’s dire. The building is sinking in the rear because it’s on a toxic dump site. Asbestos is still in the walls. Fumes from the sludge below are seeping into the classrooms. They used to dump the toxic sludge out, but after 1995, all the fish in the nearby stream died, so now it still festers underneath the students’ classrooms.

Now, WorkSafe did test the substance and deemed it safe to stay below the classrooms, but parents and teachers are questioning these fumes. They bubble up intermittently, and rooms need to be vacated. This is happening right now in Prince Rupert. They’re working with an air quality specialist, because parents don’t believe they tested the gases adequately. Staff and students are experiencing reactions, such as lung and asthma issues.

The school desperately needs replacement. The throne speech is quite vacuous and, I believe, failing everyday British Columbians, especially and most notably our children.

Hon. S. Anton: It’s a pleasure to be here to respond to the Speech from the Throne.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

I would like to start off by acknowledging some of the people in my life — my husband of 36 years, who is always my strongest support, and my children. I will mention the new members of my family, my new daughter-in-law Sarah and her son Austin, who became very welcome members of our family when she married my son Angus last September. We are, of course, thrilled with that.

I’d like to recognize as well my constituency staff — Tanya Tan, who’s on maternity leave, having had a little boy called Mason, and my staff Dawn Escobedo and Catherine Kwan.

Also my constituents from Vancouver-Fraserview. What a fantastic constituency I live in. I know many people feel this way, but I just always am thrilled at the number of people who come into our office who give us their opinions, who ask for help. And when we can help people and do something for them, it really is probably the most gratifying thing that any of us do. It certainly is for me.

I’m in a diverse community and a fascinating community. I love every minute of my job, both being minister and also being an MLA in my constituency.

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In Fraserview this year — very recently, as a matter of fact, on the ninth of January — we finally had the great moment of the groundbreaking of our seniors centre, which is a centre that’s been talked about for many years. The province put in $2½ million, including the $1.2 million that I was able to get for the centre to top up the provincial commitment. Now we’ve had the groundbreaking.

I’d like to acknowledge Lorna Gibbs, who is a long-time leader of that process, and also her friend and colleague, Keith Jacobson. Keith Jacobson, unfortunately, died of cancer last year. He’s much missed. Everybody really feels his loss at the time of this centre being built, recognizing his leadership for so many years in leading that project.

We’ve got school projects in the neighbourhood. All of these things that I’m about to talk about now, including the seniors centre, all come about because we have a strong financial position in British Columbia. We’ve got a balanced budget — now, tomorrow our fifth balanced budget. We’ll have our fourth surplus announced shortly. That strong financial position allows us to do the seismic upgrades that have been long committed to. Kingsford-Smith is getting a seismic upgrade, and Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary — just on the other side of my riding but serving my riding — is getting a brand-new school.

We put $2 million into Fair Haven United Church Homes to build a new 139-unit apartment building for low-income or affordable housing for seniors, just a block away from my constituency office, and the community is thrilled to have those 139 new units replacing about 50 old units. The German-Canadian home, a long-time, long-term-care home right on the south slope, has received the go-ahead from Vancouver Coastal to rebuild. That is thrilling news for them. They’ve been working very hard on that for many, many years.

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I have, in Vancouver-Fraserview, more co-op housing than any other riding in British Columbia. It was very welcome news the other day from our Housing Minister and announced by myself…. A certain group of those occupants at the co-op housing were going to be fairly disadvantaged by the loss of the subsidies. So we have been able to put $2 million in to help those co-op residents so that they can stay in their units without a big price increase. Those are all the kinds of things that having a balanced budget lets us do.

I would like to mention the Ross Street Temple, which is a historic institution in Vancouver-Fraserview. It started, actually, in Kitsilano in 1906, home of the Khalsa Diwan Society, which is the oldest non-profit Sikh society outside of India. They now make their home and form a real community in the Ross Street Temple.

They suffered a very significant and serious fire in 2016 and are working very hard. I really compliment the temple. The fire happened at midnight, and by three in the morning, they were operational again right across the road. It was a remarkable tribute to the resilience of that community and also a remarkable tribute to the importance of community to that community, in that they needed to get their kitchen up and running again so that they could continue providing meals to people, really without even a break, notwithstanding the terrible fire they had suffered.

Turning from my riding to my ministry, the Ministry of Justice, let me talk a bit about the things that the speech said and then how they apply to the Justice Ministry. Certainly, the Speech from the Throne reflects what a fantastic time it is to be in British Columbia.

No wonder nearly 60,000 people moved to British Columbia last year. This is a place where you can get a job, a family-supporting job. The statistics are so good for the province. We have the lowest unemployment in Canada. We have the highest rate of growth in Canada. We have the best health outcomes in Canada. These are all pretty good statistics, I’d say.

We have the best education outcomes, in some ways, in the world. Our students are the best readers in the world, and they’re top in many — science, math, and so on. Certainly, when I go to the graduations that I go to at Killarney high school and David Thompson high school, I see those students — in each case about 350 — walking across the stage. Those are students ready for the world. I feel so proud of them, and I know their parents, of course, are proud of them and their schools and their community. Our schools are doing an absolutely terrific job for them.

We have a diversified economy. We have a strong economy. It lets us do things like help people who really need help. I heard the member opposite, a moment ago, talking about a poverty reduction plan. Poverty in British Columbia, child poverty, has gone down by 50 percent in the last ten years, so 79,000 less children are living in poverty than lived in poverty in 2006.

That is a remarkable statistic, and that is a testament to the hard work that government does to make sure that we’re in a prosperous situation in British Columbia, that the minister does to make sure that families are looked after. We are in this position because government is in a strong financial position.

Part of the purpose of being in a strong financial position is so that we can look after people who need help. We need to do health care and education, and we need to help people who need more assistance To have all those children come out of poverty really is fantastic. That is not to say that the goal is over. We need to keep working.

On the Ministry of Justice, we were challenged some years ago to not just keep coming back and saying that we’ve got growth and we need more money. We were challenged to be innovative, and have we been innovative. When I go across the country, when I meet with my colleagues from across the country, there is more going on in British Columbia and we are doing more in British Columbia in innovation than you see in any other jurisdiction.

[ Page 13672 ]

We have, for example, the Justice Summits where all of the partners in justice come together in one room to talk about particular issues. Last year it was mental health and addiction. How do you look at those issues in the context of the whole justice system — judiciary, police, defence counsel, Crown counsel, service providers, health, education, and so on.

You put all of those people in the room and you come up with, first of all, some conclusions and, second of all, some challenges for all of us in terms of how to improve our overall justice system. It is a very excellent concept, and it’s turning out well in British Columbia.

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We have about $100 million in Justice that goes into programs for lower-income British Columbians. For example, Legal Services Society, which delivers what you might call the traditional legal aid — $74.7 million, and in addition, last year another $1.08 million from the federal government. On top of that, in the last three years, Legal Services Society was challenged to be innovative.

We have what we call the JITI projects, the justice innovation and transformation initiatives. We have four of those. The Parents Legal Centre, helping parents who are faced with child protection matters, helping them early to find a good resolution. We have the Family LawLINE. If you have a family issue, you have six hours of a lawyer’s time. You can take that six hours at different times — an accumulated six hours of advice. We have the criminal duty counsel, which supports early resolution of less-complex cases, and we have the family duty counsel, which gives advice and coaching to clients on how to resolve matters earlier and outside of court wherever possible.

We can add judges and courtrooms forever that cost an awful lot of money, or we can figure out ways to take things out of court that don’t need to be in court. If you can resolve family matters out of court or you can find a mediated solution or a solution between the parties, that is a better solution than going into court and having a court-imposed solution.

That’s Legal Services Society. Then on top of that, there’s another $30 million spent on justice services, including 21 family justice centres, three justice access centres — Nanaimo, Victoria and Vancouver. We’re looking at adding a fourth.

We have the family maintenance enforcement program, which is a program that gets support for families from a spouse who may not be that keen on paying it. The family maintenance enforcement programs make sure that money is paid. Last year they collected $211 million, which was transferred to the family recipients. In the last 26 or 27 years, that program has reached and received, on behalf of families, $3.45 billion. That’s a very successful program and very well received, of course, by the families who are having trouble getting the maintenance that they are due.

Those are things that we do in terms of legal services and legal aid. At the same time, we do things to take matters out of court, such as the immediate roadside prohibitions so that 6,000 impaired driving cases a year no longer go into a courtroom. That saves a lot of court time.

Really transformational, we have the civil resolution tribunal coming. The civil resolution tribunal is the world’s first on-line dispute resolution tribunal, the only one in the world that is tied into the public justice system. Right now it’s hearing strata disputes, and shortly, the small claims disputes will go into that tribunal.

The strata disputes…. Everyone in this room, if they don’t live in a strata, has a friend who lives in a strata. We all know that strata disputes have been the kinds of dispute that can go on for a long time and can cause real grief in the strata. How have we been able to change that? By creating a dispute resolution tribunal for those strata disputes. That is the civil resolution tribunal.

You can go on line and see the first set of cases that have now been decided, have been adjudicated. You can see the kind of pressure it has relieved on those stratas that have been involved, the kind of solutions that they’re able to give to strata owners. It is a remarkable transformation of justice, the civil resolution tribunal, and as I said, the first in the world.

I feel very proud of that, and I really compliment all the people who have worked so hard on it, including our partners in justice, who have helped us along the way with their thinking about it, with their critique, with their assistance and with their advice.

At the same time, of course, we are a growing province, so we have got court expansion. The Surrey law court expansion is underway right now. We just very recently announced $157 million for a brand-new Abbotsford courthouse. Anyone who has seen the courthouse in Abbotsford anytime recently will know that it is desperately in need of replacement. To Abbotsford, this is a very welcome announcement that was made — a brand-new courthouse.

[1520]

We have physical, we have new programs, and of course we have technical. We have Court Services Online. Now 24-7, you can search civil and criminal court files, and you can e-file documents. Again, this is extremely helpful to people.

The court administration transformation suite streamlines citizens’ services and decreases court appearances. Of course, we are making increasing use of video appearances for bail matters, for example, for court appearances which are more routine — a date setting, for example. The accused, if he’s in custody, does not necessarily need to come from in custody all the way to the courtroom and all the way back again. That can be done now through video appearances.

We’re steadily increasing that around the province because it is so useful and transformational — a very great

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saving of people’s time and resources and a very beneficial addition to our justice system.

Let me talk now a bit about First Nations and justice. This is a real emphasis for everybody in the justice system. A couple of issues that are really significant…. It was referred to a moment ago. We have about 7,000 children in care in British Columbia. About 4,200 of them are First Nations. That is a statistic that so many people across the justice system are working to change.

We had the Ed John report, talking about children in care. Through the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, we had a family gathering last year which put a lot of people together and a lot of heads together on this issue. We’ve got the Parents Legal Centre, which was one of the legal services initiatives that I just described. We’ve got a commitment by government. We’ve got a commitment by First Nations, and we have a commitment by the courts. All of those entities are working together to change that dynamic of having so many aboriginal children in care.

For example, something that has happened recently is that in New Westminster, I was honoured to attend the new opening of the aboriginal family court conference, which takes elders and looks at this child who may be going into care and tries to find a better solution. Is there a solution for that child with family members? Is there a solution for that child in their community?

It is that kind of creative thinking — through the courts, in this case, and partners in justice — that is being replicated all around British Columbia, to think of better ways, better solutions than simply taking children into care. It is a universal desire to change the dynamic which I just described.

Similarly, in criminal justice, again, aboriginal people are overrepresented. There are solutions such as First Nations courts. I had the honour of visiting the First Nations court in Kamloops the other day and watched as the elders gave their advice and guidance to the man who had just pleaded guilty, to help him not come back again.

Criminal justice is the field where we don’t want our customers to keep coming. The best solution of all is when you can find a solution so that the person understands what they have done and is able to stay out of the criminal justice system after that. That’s certainly the goal of the First Nations court. It’s very admirable — the one in Kamloops that I saw the other day. There are several of them — New Westminster, Duncan, North Vancouver. Again, it’s a model that’s being looked at with interest around British Columbia.

Then another part of my ministry, of course, is our legal services lawyers, who work very closely with the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation to find ways of reconciliation around British Columbia. It’s very active. Matters are underway in terms of land issues, resource issues, working together with First Nations partners to achieve reconciliation and to achieve economic stability for First Nations around British Columbia.

I will mention one other file that is my responsibility, which is the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, the national inquiry which is getting underway. We’re working through — staff in Public Safety and through myself as minister — ways of working with the inquiry to ensure that British Columbia is a full participant and is a participant as is needed by the inquiry, because we all want good results from that inquiry — good, positive, constructive results.

[1525]

There are so many families in British Columbia and across the country who have lost women — missing, murdered and unknown fates. That is a source of grievous distress and ongoing distress to those families. I really am very interested in the inquiry and very hopeful that it can come up with some positive solutions and some things that not only help those families but help the issue going forward so that other families do not have to suffer in the same way.

I think that, in

summary, what I can say is that the focus in British Columbia, as described in the throne speech…. The focus on prosperity — on building a strong economy, on diversity in the economy, on being careful with how you deploy your resources and deploying them wisely — has been extremely beneficial to the Ministry of Justice.

It has led to the kind of innovation which is not seen across the country but is seen here. It is being watched with interest from around the world.

I would like to compliment all of the people in the Ministry of Justice who work so hard to make that innovation happen. And I would like to thank our partners in the community. There are so many people who put their heads together when these new initiatives come along — to make sure that they’re good initiatives and that we have good advice on them. Those are people who give freely of their time and their energy and their long experience to make sure that the products we build in British Columbia are good ones.

The Speech from the Throne outlined the success that British Columbia is having fiscally, and I know that in all of the different ministries, there is success happening. There are fantastic results. British Columbia really is a very good place to be right now — the strongest jurisdiction in Canada in so many different ways. I’m very proud, as I said, of my riding of Vancouver-Fraserview and very proud of my ministry, the Ministry of Justice, in how both of those benefit from having the kind of strong economy and the secure tomorrow that was outlined in our Speech from the Throne.

G. Heyman: It’s an honour, once again, to rise in this House to respond to the Speech from the Throne and to talk about the different reality that my constituents in

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Vancouver-Fairview, and British Columbians across the province, experience from the rather rosy and one-sided picture presented by the government, government ministers and the throne speech. I’ll also talk about the great features of my constituency and the great features of my constituents, but it is important, I think, to talk about the reality of their needs, the reality of their experience, versus the rosy picture that we’ve heard over the last few days.

First, I want to begin, as the throne speech begins, by talking about people who have passed over the course of the previous year. Earlier today, in a two-minute statement, I was able to pay tribute to a great British Columbian, a great artist in British Columbia, a great woman, a great role model, a great mentor, a great actor and a great teacher: Joy Coghill. It was an oversight that she was not captured within the mentions of important and great British Columbians whose passing we mourn over the last year.

She was also a woman who was passionate about her province, passionate about what she called the voice that politicians — and she preferred progressive politicians — could bring to debate in this province about the issues that face us all. She was passionate about the community.

[1530]

In her later years, she found new ways to contribute by, as she aged, engaging older actors in performances and by founding a theatre company especially for actors in their senior years. Called Western Gold, they created a production called the Alzheimer Project, which became the subject of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary.

Joy Coghill was an amazing woman, an amazing teacher, a woman that I was proud to call a friend. Her celebration of life is happening as we speak, in Vancouver. Many friends from many generations are paying tribute to an amazing British Columbian today, and I’m pleased to be able to add my voice to them.

I also want to take a moment to say thank you, as this is the last session of this parliament, to the many staff I’ve had the privilege of working with in my constituency office as well as in the Legislature. My first two constituency assistants, Ashley Fehr and Jared Hagglund, both of whom have left my office to move on to other opportunities, helped me get my office off the ground.

Together, we learned the ropes of representing constituents in many facets of their interactions with government. In their attempts to find justice as they dealt with public and private institutions, the exigencies of everyday life or simply wanting some information, they helped me reach out. They helped to organize town hall meetings and community forums in which we engaged residents of Vancouver-Fairview on issues that were of importance to them — whether it was child care, education, seniors care or housing. And the list goes on. I’m proud to know them. I’m proud to call them friends.

I also want to recognize another constituency assistant — who has been with me almost from the beginning but not quite — Reamick Lo, who is now the anchor and the senior constituency assistant in my office. She does an amazing job, organizes and makes sure every administrative detail is taken care of. When I’m in the office and I listen to her interactions with people who come in — often people who are very troubled, very anxious and very stressed out — she brings a sense of calm and focus to the issues they bring forward and gives me good advice and works with me to attempt to find resolution.

Finally, there are two new constituency assistants who’ve joined me in my office in recent days. One of them joined me three weeks ago: Lisa Dekleer. She has quickly learned the ropes of the job, is organized and ensures that I feel no sense of holes in the office that have to be filled. She specializes in community outreach and engagement, but I have watched her be totally on point in terms of dealing with constituents who are stressed, troubled and seeking advice.

[R. Lee in the chair.]

Beginning just today is my newest constituency assistant, Sean Phipps, a young man who came highly recommended. When I talked to the people that he’d been working with but who had run out of money to keep him going on the contract, he got the highest of praise as a quick learner, somebody who worked well with people. When I talked to him in the interview, it was obvious that he was looking forward to the opportunity to be part of the community of Vancouver-Fairview, to learn about Vancouver-Fairview’s issues and to help represent the community office, which we have on West Broadway, to people in the constituency.

People know that they had a place to come if they had an issue, that they had people to talk to if they needed help and that there was a good interface with government. I look forward to continuing my work with Reamick, Lisa and Sean.

[1535]

Also in this Legislature, I’ve had the opportunity, as we all have had, first of all, to work with many of the interns who come in for sessions to help us with research, to get us information, to help prepare us for estimates and to watch them learn and grow as they come here for a real-time political experience and learn what happens behind

[ Page 13675 ]

the scenes in this place that informs and helps us have intelligent and, hopefully, intelligible debate and discussion in this Legislature.

I’ve also worked with a number of research assistants and communications assistants over the almost four years of this term, most of whom I am no longer working with. But I do want to thank them for their help and recognize the contributions they made to helping me get acclimatized, to helping me learn how to address certain issues — whether it was spending estimates, private members’ bills, motions or whether it was simply communicating the issues that I was bringing forward.

Derrick Harder was a rock in my early days, as I dealt with TransLink. Lindsay Walton was tremendously helpful on issues of technology and the green economy. Jeff Dean and Kenn McLaren worked with me for brief periods of time on parts of my files.

Jennifer Jones and Jon Robinson both worked with me on the environment file. And many people have helped us out on both the research and communications side — Jen Holmwood, Marielle Tounsi, Ed May. I know I’m going to forget somebody here, and it’s really not my intention to do so.

Their help has been tremendous, and I want to thank them all. I hope to see them back here shortly after May.

Let me talk a little bit about my constituency, a place that I’m greatly privileged to represent. Vancouver-Fairview is somewhat unique in Vancouver. It straddles the east side of the city as well as the west side. There are older areas of working-family neighbourhoods. There are other neighbourhoods that are quite wealthy. And close by those neighbourhoods that are thought of as wealthy are actually a number of strata buildings as well as rental buildings where people have made their homes for many years.

There are single-family dwellings. There are, as you go back from the street in many of the areas in the heart of Vancouver-Fairview, developments that give great expression to the attempts of Vancouver to densify in a way that keeps the character of the community. There are many areas that used to be single-family homes that now are a series of townhomes.

Of course, Vancouver-Fairview is home to many, many students. We see a high turnover of renters in the areas of Fairview that, at one time, were affordable and, unfortunately, are becoming less affordable over time. But they bring a vibrancy.

There are students, young families, young professionals and seniors. Many others call Fairview home, whether it’s the western edge of Mount Pleasant, the Fairview Slopes, the South Granville neighbourhood or the Cambie village. It’s a vibrant constituency that I’m pleased and honoured to represent.

It is, in some ways, an interesting challenge to represent because there is no central core to the constituency. There are several cores, whether it’s the burgeoning Main Street corridor — with many people moving into new homes, as well as new businesses and restaurants starting up — or the Broadway corridor, with a history of small businesses and also a history of great congestion, as we wait for transit improvements to come. It is also home to the Cambie village that I mentioned — the area of business that, of course, went through such turmoil during the construction of the Canada Line but has made a great recovery — and the areas of South Granville, with another range of shops.

It is a vibrant area. There are art galleries. There are art galleries on the north side of Broadway; artists’ co-ops, which I’ve spoken about in this Legislature; many, many health research organizations in the cluster that’s near the hospital that employ many people in cutting-edge technological research to make our lives better; animation studios, post-production studios. The list goes on, and it makes the community vibrant.

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As I said, it’s a vibrant community, but it’s not a community that is not feeling difficulty, is not feeling pressure, is not feeling the pressure of decreasing affordability that we have seen grow incrementally over the 16 years of this government.

No matter what this government says in the throne speech, life is not so rosy for most British Columbians. Even British Columbians who consider themselves comfortably middle-class are struggling. Let me talk about some of the ways in which that is true.

A few months ago my colleague the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant and I co-hosted a housing forum in the constituency. I think we were both amazed that on a hot, sunny Saturday in spring the room was packed and overflowing. What we heard was story after story about the difficulties faced by renters, faced by people who were hoping to own a home — a home in an area in which they worked, in which grew up or in which they were currently living — and just see it become a pipe dream, a chimera floating out of attainability, floating out of reach.

Renters have been moving out of my constituency as rents escalate. I have had young families, parents of young families, come into my office and tell me that despite the fact that they both earn significant professional incomes, the hope of owning a home in the area near where they live and where their children are planning to go to school or are going to school…. They cannot hope to afford a home.

That’s wrong. It is hollowing out my constituency. It is hollowing out our city. It is creating stress and despair for people, whether they’re struggling with high rents that eat up far too large a proportion of their income or whether they’re struggling with mortgages and dreading the inevitable rise of interest rates that may put them over the tipping point of being able to afford the home they’ve got.

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I was going door to door a couple of weeks ago, and I knocked on the door of a young man who came outside and asked us to keep our voices hushed because his infant was having a nap. He talked about how much he loved the neighbourhood. He’d grown up as a child and a teenager just a few blocks from where he lived in Vancouver-Fairview.

He said: “We’re renting here. The rents are getting unaffordable. I’m not sure we can stay. I know there’s no way I can ever afford to buy a home here, as much as I would love my children to grow up in the neighbourhood in which I grew up, near where my parents made their life. I can’t see us ever being able to afford that.”

There’s just something wrong with that. Housing is important. We all need homes. Our economy in the city depends on people who work in our city being able to find a home. I’ve had tech entrepreneurs in Vancouver-Fairview talk to me at length about their difficulty both attracting and retaining employees who can’t afford to live close to where they work. When they decide it’s time, they get married or start a young family. They move out to the suburbs, where it’s marginally more affordable. But then it’s a long commute.

We haven’t had the investment in transit in the last five years that we need, that everybody in Metro Vancouver recognizes we need. It has been delayed and delayed because of this government’s refusal to work with the mayors to fund the needed transit improvements and then culminated by putting up a ridiculous referendum that everybody knew would fail, that was intended to fail.

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It was a cheap election trick and put off the funding measures that we need to build transit to create livable communities and reduce congestion, for both quality of life and our economy. It’s costing the economy. Despite what this government likes to say about being all about building the economy, it costs the economy. Congestion costs the economy over $1 billion a year.

This government stood by and did nothing while foreign speculative money — not people who hold foreign passports or people with foreign nationalities who wanted to come here, live here, work here and pay taxes here, but foreign speculative money — took Vancouver real estate from being about affordable places to live to being a place to park money, much of it suspect money, as an investment.

It’s driven the cost of housing in Vancouver through the roof. This government, as with so many other things, simply sees a gaping wound and tries to throw a band-aid on it at the last minute before an election.

This weekend we saw the government commit a one-time infusion of cash, of pre-election cash, into the education system to make up for the significant shortfall of money for student resources, student materials and per-student funding that has grown since this government took office in 2001 and the current Premier was the Education Minister.

I’ve had conversations with constituents in Vancouver-Fairview who have looked at me and expressed incredulity that the Premier could say, following the Supreme Court decision that finally gave a definitive decision…. That the stripping of teachers’ contracts that took money out of the school system, that took away class-size and composition limits, that took away the learning opportunities for a generation of school children…. That her attitude to that was: “Finally, we can get on with properly funding the school system.”

The Premier was the author of the problem. We have gone from the second-best-funded education system in Canada to the second-worst-funded education system, and all this government can do is have fun with numbers and say: “We’ve never put more money into education than we have.” It is not true in real terms because it doesn’t account for inflation or the actual students who need the money to learn, the resources to learn, the materials to learn.

What we need is a real commitment to funding education, not band-aid commitments to get this government through an election. It won’t work. It will not work.

We have seen cuts to adult basic education that is necessary for so many people who do not have high school graduation, who have emigrated to this country in order to contribute productively to our economy and pay taxes — which will pay back the supports they get from this government. We have seen mean-spirited and shortsighted cuts in funding to that program.

For students going to post-secondary, we have seen tuition increases. We’re the only province in Canada without grants.

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We see a shortage of people graduating with the necessary tech skills to fill the jobs in our burgeoning tech sector, so the sector, understandably, is looking for talent from outside of British Columbia, while young British Columbians choose, on the one hand, whether to get the education they need to get the good job that can support them and their families in the future, or whether they’re willing to graduate with well over $30,000 in student debt in a province that has the highest student loan interest rates in Canada — to actually be willing to think if they can carry that into their early working years.

We owe young people in this province much more than that. We owe our economy more than that. We owe the employers in this province more than that. We can do better. We need to have a long view rather than a short-sighted view, and this government, apparently, does not have it.

As I mentioned, a lot of seniors in Vancouver-Fairview and seniors across the province have been struggling. A year ago we put on a forum to discuss the needs for home support and home care and to talk to people about what their experiences were of availability.

We had, as a guest, the seniors advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, who gave a very informative presentation.

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We had a presentation from a person living with disability about their difficulty receiving home support, and we had a presentation from a home support worker, who talked about how the cuts in her per-client hours made it almost impossible for her to do more than breeze in and breeze out — barely has a chance to monitor the health and well-being of some of the seniors in her care.

Most tragically, we heard seniors, people with disabilities, people living with people with disabilities talk about how difficult it was to get the care that people needed to stay at home, to participate in their community, to get out of the home, to be safe, to have nutritious meals, to have the health care system notified if they needed medical attention.

This government thinks it’s more important to give tax cuts to the richest British Columbians, who never even asked for it, of $250 million a year, instead of offer supports to people who need our help if they have a disability or seniors who have given their lives to building this province.

It’s not good enough. That’s why this throne speech paints a fake picture of British Columbia. We are not doing well. We’ve lost 30,000 forestry jobs. Outside of Metro Vancouver, the economy is not doing well. Communities are shrinking. Without the booming real estate market — the out-of-control real estate market, which in and of itself is a huge problem — the growth in B.C.’s economy would be nowhere near the levels that this government takes credit for.

If they want to take credit, as they should, for making homes in British Columbia — particularly in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island — unaffordable, they should look British Columbians in the eye and say: “It’s our fault.” But it’s not a credit to the government; it’s a mark on their record.

Let me simply close by saying there are some areas in this throne speech which