The House met at 1:34 p.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

[1:35 p.m.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: Hon. Kelly Greene.

Introductions by Members

Sheldon Clare : I have two introductions or observances to make.

First of all, I would like to wish my senior constituency assistant, Adam Schaan,

a happy 40th birthday. He joins us in the gallery today, along with Johnathan Raine,

my other assistant from Prince George. Happy birthday. All the very best.

Joining Adam, all the way from the Emerald Isle, Dublin, is Ronan Lynagh, a teacher and therapist with the integrative psychotherapy practice in Dublin, specializing

in working with at-risk boys and men. Ronan is Adam’s cousin. I make you all very

welcome, and I hope the House will join me.

George Anderson : I rise to introduce three guests in the gallery today. Joining us from White Rock

are Kara Cunningham and Kent Lissack, who crossed the Strait of Georgia with their

RV for some pre-summer island hopping.

Cara is an editor, publisher, teacher and lifelong learner, now supporting people

through end-of-life transitions. Kent spent 34 years in the energy industry and now

volunteers with Bracelets4Buildings, helping build homes in Cambodia.

Also joining us from Calgary is Rolf Wenzel, whose company Wildfire Innovations builds

mobile wildfire towers that help protect communities. I would hope that the whole

House will please join me in welcoming them to the Legislature.

Brennan Day : I rise today to welcome Concrete B.C. into the gallery. They’re up top there. Give

a wave, guys.

Eric Anderson, Terrance Byrd, Matt Devries, Glen Furtado, Dean Neufeld, Greg Parker,

Carly Pisterzi, Ryan Mathwig and Jason Saunderson. Ryan actually is a former colleague

of mine. So fantastic to see them in there and all they do to build B.C.

[1:40 p.m.]

Hon. Jennifer Whiteside : Today I am so thrilled that we have, joining us in the gallery, a whole group of shop

stewards and representatives from the Compensation Employees Union.

If you would like to rise, folks.

The Compensation Employees Union represents about 3,000 people who work at WorkSafeBC,

and they provide some of the most important supports to workers in our province. Indeed,

they are, in many respects, also first responders. They are with workers at some of

their most difficult times. They have been there at Tumbler Ridge. They have been

there for Lapu-Lapu. They are there when workers are injured and bruised and need

support.

I am so grateful for the work that they do to lift up working people in this province.

The role of shop stewards is so important.

Would the House please join me in welcoming this group of supporters of B.C.

The Speaker : Member for Kootenay-Rockies.

Personal Statements

Message of Appreciation

Pete Davis : Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to see you.

[Applause.]

Well, I can sit down. Thank you, guys.

Today is a big deal for me. It’s a big milestone. Today is exactly, to the day, five

months since my stroke that almost took my life. December 27 was the day I went into

the hospital. For me to be here today is a huge milestone. I wasn’t sure if I was

going to get here, but here I am.

I just want to thank some people. The constituents of Kootenay-Rockies, for all of

your warm wishes, your prayers, your help. My regional association were in our house

doing dishes, cooking food, doing the chores that I usually would be able to do, but

of course, I couldn’t. They’ve just been there with us the whole time. Of course,

my family. My wife, Heather, and my four kids — Kaylee, Alyssa, Dylan and Tyler. Thank

you, guys, for looking after me when I couldn’t look after myself.

It’s an honour to be here. It’s an honour to be able to represent Kootenay-Rockies.

Thank you, guys, so much.

Introductions by Members

Hon. Ravi Parmar : Welcome to the member. It’s really great to see him.

Game 4 is tonight. I’m a Canucks fan, a very proud Canucks fan. But like many in this

House, we’re jumping on Team Canada. Go, Habs, go!

I’ve got, I think, the world’s biggest Habs fan in the House. Chief Wilf Adam of the

Lake Babine First Nation is here. Chief, it’s good to see you.

He’s joined by his daughter Thelma Susan Adam.

Will the House please join me in making them feel very welcome. Go, Habs, go!

Lorne Doerkson : I’m certainly pleased to introduce two gentlemen here today, Luca Calabrese and Matteo

Calabrese. Luca is a student at UVic. Matteo is working at a mill in Williams Lake.

They’re here to visit their brother and our intern, Massimo Calabrese. I hope that

everybody will welcome them. I believe they’re going to be touring the precinct a

little bit later today.

Please give them a big round of applause and welcome them here.

Darlene Rotchford : My sister is watching us because she has nothing better to do with her time, apparently,

most days. But the reason that today is extra special is, for anyone on both sides

of the House who has had health things, my sister turns 50 today.

The reason it’s a really important birthday is not just because it’s a milestone.

She had a core belief she would not make it to 50 because my mother died at 50 with

a heart attack. So today for her is not only her 50th birthday. Today proves to her

that it’s all about bettering your mindset.

So Chassidy, happy 50th birthday. I wouldn’t be here in this building without you.

Trevor Halford : As we wrap up spring session, my colleague just alluded to it, but we have been joined

and we have been supported by some fantastic interns. They’re here with us today,

and I’d like to highlight them.

[1:45 p.m.]

We have Zofka Svec, Massimo Calabrese, Priya Minhas, Annika Clark and Emmanuel Adegboyega. Thank you for everything that you’ve been doing.

They’ve been writing speeches. They’ve been helping with everything — estimate questions,

communications, research, all of it. They have been really the Swiss Army knife of

our caucus over the last session, so I want to say thank you, and I look forward to….

You guys can pick out your desks now, because I’m sure that you will be back here

in different fashion in the not too near future.

Thank you for all you guys did. It was a joy to work with you.

Hon. Nina Krieger : Joining us in the gallery are two members of our ministry team: Carly Parry, director

of executive operations; and Alexis DiGeorgio, manager of executive operations. They

keep our office running and our ministry moving, and I’m so grateful for the work

that they do each and every day for British Columbians.

I hope the House will please join me in making them feel very welcome.

Korky Neufeld : May 27 is my wife Cynthia’s birthday. We’re very grateful to be growing older together

I just want to wish you a happy birthday, babe.

Hon. Mike Farnworth : At lunchtime today, many members on the government caucus had an opportunity to meet

with the concrete industry, which does such an amazing job in building the infrastructure

that helps to grow our economy and power our province.

They’re in the gallery today, and I’d like the House to make them all welcome and

recognize the important contribution they make to British Columbia.

Misty Van Popta : In the gallery up above me is the first class from Walnut Grove Secondary, one of

the three high schools in my riding. It’s grade 9. Mr. Rogers is their teacher.

The Gators are from a fantastic school, with excellence in sports, music, theatre

and academics.

Will the House please make them feel welcome as they witness their first experience

— hopefully, some question period.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson : Kevin Moroso is in the House. He’s a neighbour on Gabriola Island. He leads my riding

association. He volunteers with Gabriola Pride, and he protects the workers.

Would the House please make him welcome.

Rob Botterell : It’s with gratitude and admiration that I rise today to say thank you to our interns,

who have been with us since the start of the session this February.

Affectionately known — non-partisanly, of course — as the Green-terns, Kaden and Jenna

have exceeded our expectations through their incredible dedication, strong work ethic

and genuine openness to learning and engaging with the legislative process. Simply

put, they are indeed GOATed.

From supporting policy and communications work to estimates, late-night sittings,

even our cherished treaty Tuesday, our interns have been an absolute delight to work

alongside, and quite frankly, they are very real for that.

As they venture into the real world, the Green caucus wishes them nothing but success

in all that comes next. We hope they continue to carry the same energy, enthusiasm

and, of course, impeccable aura wherever they go.

Please join me in giving them a hand.

Hon. Diana Gibson : In the gallery today, we are joined by Kelly Kurta, executive director of the Greater

Victoria Festival Society, which hosts the Victoria Day Parade as well as other amazing

events in the city.

Today I really want to give a shout-out to the festival society. They won the prestigious

national Canadian Event Award for Best Cultural Event, beating out Invictus Games

and Cirque du Soleil, a testament to the important work they do bringing together

diverse community members and groups across our community — thousands into the downtown

of Victoria — and platforming B.C. in a way we should be proud of.

Would the House make them feel very welcome.

Rohini Arora : I just want to take a moment to shout out to my CA Anika Dhaliwal, who I have been

working with for quite a while, almost two years now. She’s a third-year political

science student, and today she helped me out by bringing out the Burnaby East Youth

Council.

[1:50 p.m.]

I’d like to have the House welcome our chair, Jas Kaur; our comms coordinator, Gurjot

Parthi; and events coordinator, Karen Velasquez. They have been supporting me in Burnaby East.

The office is getting a wonderful mural that has been painted and drawn by an elementary

school, and there is a professor that’s actually writing a paper on it to talk about

how we can engage youth in civic education from a young age.

We’re super excited, and I’m so thankful to this team for coming out today to watch

QP and for all the work you do in community. These are the next leaders in our province.

They’ll likely be sitting down here one day.

Hon. Brenda Bailey : I want to indulge upon the House to allow me just to give a special shout-out to my

youngest child, who is graduating from U of T with their master’s degree next week.

I couldn’t be more proud. Congratulations, Esme.

Sunita Dhir : In the gallery today is my dear friend David Berson, who is a tireless advocate for

the Jewish community in British Columbia. I really value his friendship, support and guidance so I can serve my constituents better

in Vancouver-Langara.

Please make my friend David Berson very welcome here.

Scott McInnis : It’s my understanding that Mr. Stephen Bagan is here from Oak Bay High School with

21 students in grade 10. Mr. Bagan has deep roots in Columbia River–Revelstoke — especially with my predecessor, the MLA there.

I just wanted to welcome Mr. Bagan and all the students here this afternoon.

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert : I just wanted to acknowledge and thank an old friend I hadn’t seen in a long, long

time. She chaired a board that I worked for back in…. DanceArts Vancouver was its

name. An incredible leader in the Jewish community, in child care, in the Society

for Children and Youth, I acknowledge and welcome Fran Grunberg.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Bill M248 — Chinese Heritage Month Act

Teresa Wat presented a bill intituled Chinese Heritage Month Act.

Teresa Wat : I move that a bill intituled Chinese Heritage Month Act, of which notice has been

given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read a first time now.

This bill is plainly written, but it’s very historical and emotional. It has a clear

and meaningful purpose: to proclaim the month of February each year as Chinese heritage month for all of British Columbia.

The history of the Chinese-Canadian community in this province is one that demands

our recognition and our honesty. Chinese Canadians have been part of British Columbia

since the mid-19th century. They helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway under conditions

of systemic discrimination, laying the very tracks that connected the country from

coast to coast.

Yet rather than recognition, they were met with injustice. From 1885 to 1923, Chinese

immigrants were subjected to a discriminatory head tax — a burden placed on no other

group. Then from 1923 to 1947, the Chinese Exclusion Act effectively barred Chinese

people from coming to Canada at all. These are among the darkest chapters in the history

of our province and this country, and we must not look away from them.

In 2014, the province of British Columbia apologized to the Chinese community for

historical wrongs.

Today British Columbia is home to approximately 500,000 people of Chinese origin,

one of the largest such communities anywhere in Canada. They are a vital and vibrant

part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of our province. They are our constituents,

our colleagues, our business owners and our health care workers. They have enriched

every corner of British Columbia.

[1:55 p.m.]

February holds deep cultural significance for this community. It is the season of

lunar new year, a celebration of renewal, family and community that is increasingly

embraced by all British Columbians. Designating February as Chinese heritage month

reflects this significance.

This bill is about memory, gratitude and celebration. It is an opportunity for all

British Columbians to reflect on the remarkable history and lasting contribution of

the Chinese-Canadian community.

I look forward to discussing this bill with all members of this House.

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

Motion approved.

Teresa Wat : 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.

Motion approved.

Members’ Statements

National AccessAbility Week

in the life of our province. I’m speaking today to recognize National AccessAbility

Week, which takes place from May 31 to June 6.

is not the responsibility of any one group. It requires commitment and effort from

all of us. Real progress is only possible when all levels of government work collaboratively

with public and private organizations to remove barriers and create lasting change.

An accessible British Columbia means playgrounds that every child can play in, websites

that anyone can understand and workplaces that everyone can access. It means public

spaces that are designed for everyone, when information is accessible to all and workplaces

Most importantly, we must listen to the voices of people with disabilities. In the

spirit of “Nothing about us without us,” lived experience must guide our decisions,

our policies and our actions.

Across B.C., advocates, leaders and community members are showing us what is possible.

Their leadership is helping to create a province where everyone has the opportunity

to participate and truly thrive.

I invite all members of this House to join me next week in recognizing AccessAbility

Week and in recommitting to the work of building a more inclusive British Columbia.

Special Olympics B.C.

and Support for Athletes

Sheldon Clare : I rise today to speak of an organization that makes a huge difference in people’s

lives: Special Olympics B.C. Special Olympics B.C. consists of some 3,400 athletes

and 2,200 volunteers across 55 communities. Special Olympics offers grassroots sports

programs and competitions in many communities across the province.

At the local level, athletes with intellectual disabilities are given the opportunity

to reach their full potential in the sports they play and to create lasting friendships

with others. In Prince George, Special Olympics supports over 120 athletes, who compete in 14 different sports. Quesnel actively supports some 76 athletes.

Many athletes compete in multiple sports.

Volunteers are the key to the success of Special Olympics. In Prince George, over

60 volunteers support athletes for special events, and many more join to support extra,

larger events.

Recently, the member for Prince George–Mackenzie and I were glad to meet with athletes Adam and Rita about the Special Olympics, along

with coaches and organizers Susan Masich, former MLA Shirley Bond and Peter Goodall to hear about challenges faced by Special

Olympics but mainly about the tremendous benefits that participants, both athletes

and volunteers, gain from being a part of Special Olympics.

This is an organization that has a dramatic effect on the health and well-being of

everyone involved. Confidence, health and participation in all other activities are

major benefits to athletes.

[2:00 p.m.]

Prince George Special Olympics will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with an event

at the Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum, June 28, from one till three. Prince

George hosted the 2025 Special Olympics B.C. Summer Games and was shortlisted to host

the 2030 national games.

The 2026 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics will be held tomorrow, Thursday,

May 28, from three to 4:30, in front of the RCMP detachment on Victoria Street in

Prince George.

There will also be the Special Olympics B.C. Classic on June 11, 2026, at the Mayfair

Lakes Golf and Country Club in Richmond.

The question in your mind is: how can I get involved? You can get involved by supporting

Special Olympics, by volunteering in one of those 55 communities, by adding to those

communities, by donating or by supporting any of those events. Visit SpecialOlympics.ca

for more information.

Menstrual Health Day

Jennifer Blatherwick : May 28 recognizes something that 51 percent of people experience for more than one-third

of their lives. That’s why tomorrow B.C. joins the global movement to acknowledge

Menstrual Health Day.

No one should be held back because of their period. Menstrual Hygiene Day, Menstrual

Health Day and world global recognition of menstrual health are not only about awareness

but about practical action. We need to continue to work to reduce stigma through awareness

and education, to ensure that everyone recognizes that menstruation and periods and

the end of menstruation are facts of life for more than half the population.

I want to be clear. The societal infrastructure that supports people who menstruate

doesn’t need special attention. It just needs a similar level of open, practical consideration

that other aspects of our biology receive. Menstrual health is about dignity, equity

and full participation in everyday life. It means people can show up at school, at

work and in community.

Research shows that about half of the people in British Columbia who menstruate have

struggled to afford products, and no one should have to choose between food and menstrual

supplies. This affects girls and women; Two-Spirit, non-binary and transgender people;

families, parents and caregivers who support children and youth. They feel it too.

I want to acknowledge the important work that is happening across British Columbia

in partnership with the United Way and in grassroots organizations. B.C. was the first

province in Canada to ensure that there were free menstrual products in school bathrooms.

This helps students learn without barriers.

There is more to do. We also want workers to participate in their jobs without barriers,

people to be in public spaces without challenge, so B.C. joins that global movement

toward a period-friendly world, where everyone has access to products and information

and support without stigma or shame.

Beaver Lodge Forest Lands

Anna Kindy : I would like to take a moment to recognize and express deep appreciation for the Beaver

Lodge experimental forest, an area of immense historical, ecological, recreational

and community significance here in Campbell River. These lands hold a unique place

in British Columbia’s forestry history.

First gifted in trust to the province in 1931, the Beaver Lodge forest was established

specifically for the purpose of advancing reforestation and forest management practices.

Over the decades, the forest has continued to serve as a living classroom, supporting

research, resource management and environmental learning for students, professionals

and community members alike. Its trail networks, diverse lands and carefully managed

ecosystem offer not only scientific value but also a cherished green space that connects

residents to the land and to our shared natural heritage.

Life for many people has become so busy and stressful, juggling work, family and so

many other responsibilities. Free time for leisure has become precious. The positive impact

of having Beaver Lodge lands as a place to walk, run, meditate and bring our kids

and pets cannot be overstated.

Not everyone has the time or financial means to travel, and the ability to access

Beaver Lodge lands as a centre of Campbell River allows everyone to get close to nature,

which in so many ways helps us heal from the stressors of everyday life.

Beaver Lodge lands could not have happened without our dedicated community advocates,

volunteers and local partners like the Greenways Land Trust, who have worked tirelessly

to protect and uphold the original intent of the trust.

[2:05 p.m.]

Let us continue to honour this legacy by supporting ongoing learning, thoughtful use

and enduring respect for the Beaver Lodge experimental forest and all it represents.

Simon Fraser University

School of Criminology

Paul Choi : I rise today to recognize one of B.C.’s true world-class institutions, Simon Fraser

University and, in particular, its internationally respected SFU School of Criminology.

As a proud alumni myself, SFU has become a global leader in research, innovation and

public service. Its School of Criminology is recognized as one of the premier criminology

schools not only in Canada but internationally, with faculty and researchers whose

work has influenced policing, criminal justice policy, forensic science, cybersecurity

and public safety practices around the world. I have personally seen the impact that

evidence-based research and modern legal education can have on our justice system.

The university’s legal studies program is particularly important as B.C. continues

to modernize and evolve its legal profession. The program provides students with practical

legal education and interdisciplinary training that prepares them for careers in law,

investigations, compliance, policing and emerging regulated legal professions.

At the same time, SFU’s work in police studies and criminology continues to bridge

the gap between academia and front-line public safety. Its research in areas such

as forensic investigation, cybercrime, extortion and evidence-based policing has contributed

to real-world solutions used by justice and law enforcement agencies internationally.

Institutions like SFU are not only educating the next generation of leaders; they

are helping shape the future of justice, public safety and legal education itself.

I want to thank President Joy Johnson, School of Criminology director Prof. Martin

Bouchard, legal studies program director Prof. Margaret Hall, other faculty, researchers,

staff and students at SFU for their continued contribution to B.C. and to communities

around the world.

Value of Summer Vacations

Ward Stamer : There is something special about summer vacations, especially when we are growing

up. Summer was freedom. It was the anticipation of that last school bell ringing in

June and knowing the days ahead would be filled with adventure, laughter and endless

possibilities.

The days felt longer, the evenings warmer, and life seemed simpler. For many of us,

summer vacations were built around those simpler moments — camping trips with the

family, swimming and fishing at the lake, road trips, backyard barbecues, campfires

with friends and staying outside playing until the street lights came on.

But summer vacation wasn’t only about vacations and relaxing. For many young people,

it was also the first taste of responsibility and hard work. Some of us cut grass

around the neighbourhood, sometimes three times in the same week just so we could

make a couple of bucks and go to the pool. Others ran lemonade stands on hot afternoons,

hoping enough cars and pedestrians would stop by. Some babysat, some delivered newspapers

and flyers or worked at odd jobs to earn a bit of spending money.

Then came that first real job. Maybe it was working at a fast-food restaurant during

the lunch rush. Maybe it was pumping gas at the local gas station, washing windshields

or stocking shelves at a grocery store. Maybe it was working in the bush for your

dad when you were 14 years old.

Those jobs may have been glamorous at the time, but they taught important lessons

— responsibility, punctuality, teamwork and the value of earning your first paycheque,

that first paycheque. There’s a real sense of pride that came from that first job,

and even most of it went to snacks or gas money or saving for something special. It

felt like independence.

Summer vacations have always brought us together to spend more time outdoors, more

time with our family and friends, more time to enjoy ice cream and more time just

to kick back. We are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful lakes, forests,

mountains and communities that truly come alive during the summer months, welcoming

friends and visitors from around the world. Let’s share our summer and those vacation

opportunities with everyone and remind ourselves there’s nowhere better to be than

B.C.

[2:10 p.m.]

Oral Questions

Access to Maternity Care

Services in Hospitals

Trevor Halford : This year alone Peace Arch’s maternity ward has already been shut down 12 times. Now,

we’re not just talking about a few days. This is weeks at a time that this maternity

ward has been shut down. This isn’t something that’s happened as of recent. A few

years ago, it was almost shut down indefinitely by the former Health Minister himself.

This government has known about this crisis not only at Peace Arch Hospital but multiple

hospitals in British Columbia, when it comes to maternity wards.

Have things gotten better? No. They have gotten considerably worse, sending families,

sending mothers into panic at what is supposed to be a very special time. Now, the

minister has been questioned about this in the media in this House, and the answers

are always the same.

So my challenge to the minister today is: can she get up in this House and assure

my constituents that they will not have to deal with another maternity ward closure

at Peace Arch Hospital? Can she guarantee that, yes or no?

Hon. Josie Osborne : I can assure the member’s constituents that we will always put the safety of expectant

parents and their babies first. That’s why, in the very challenging situation of health

care worker shortages that we have seen, difficult decisions have been made to put

that safety as the top priority and ensure that a mom and her baby get the very best

care possible. That’s why the Health Authority works with expectant mothers and families

to ensure that they know where services are available.

Fraser Health and other health authorities where these shortages have been experienced

are doing everything they can to fill these gaps with locums and with other coverage.

I am very happy to report that for Peace Arch Hospital, a new obstetrician is coming.

This spring, a job contract has been signed, and that person is coming from the United

States of America. We are welcoming that person.

We know that that is one step towards stabilizing maternity services for Peace Arch

Hospital. In the meantime, we’ll continue to work with those families to ensure that

they get the best care possible at one of the many surrounding hospitals.

The Speaker : Member, supplemental.

Trevor Halford : It’s not funny. It’s concerning. It’s alarming that this minister talks about the

safety of patients. She should probably flip on Global News at noon to figure out the safety of a patient when it comes to expectant mothers.

Absolutely a tone-deaf answer from this minister today.

I can tell you that it is the nurses and it is the doctors at Peace Arch Hospital,

at every hospital in this province, that are doing their job. What they’re waiting

for is the Minister of Health to do her job. That’s what they’re waiting for in this

province.

We need to think about this. This year alone, between two hospitals, whether it’s

Peace Arch Hospital or Ridge Meadows Hospital, we have 93 days closed for the maternity

ward. That is this government’s record. That is that minister’s record when it comes

to maternity care in this province. Expectant mothers in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows,

White Rock, Surrey, across this province, should not have to deal with this level

of incompetence.

My question is a simple one to this minister. Can she guarantee that the people of

Surrey, the people of White Rock, the people of Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows are not

going to have to deal with any more maternity closures, yes or no?

Hon. Josie Osborne : I can guarantee that this government will stay laser-focused, as will I as Health

Minister, on ensuring that we do everything possible to bring the stable, predictable

maternity care services that we know people are depending on.

[2:15 p.m.]

But British Columbia is not alone in experiencing a shortage of health care workers,

of physicians, of nurses, of other health care workers, and that’s why we’re opening

a new medical school at SFU this fall.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Josie Osborne : It’s why we’ve added 128 new medical seats at UBC. It’s why we went out with a recruitment

campaign to the U.S. to ask people to come to British Columbia and be part of our

public health care system here, with 581 job offers accepted already.

This is the work that needs to be done to build the health care system, to strengthen

the health care system, to ensure that it is there for people. But we will always

put a patient’s safety first and foremost, and that is why we will always work with

families so that they know where they can go to get the health care that they need,

including the delivery of their babies.

Obstetrician-Gynecologists and

Women’s Health Services

Anna Kindy : The minister well knows that an extra maybe 60 seats is completely inadequate when

a full third of our doctors are trained outside British Columbia, and there are thousands

of rejected applicants. It’s not just maternity care that suffers because of the shortage

of ob-gyns in British Columbia.

Ob-gyns play a critical role in women’s health. Early detection and treatment of cancer

can be the difference between life and death. Women across the province are facing

longer wait times, and the quick access to treatment after diagnosis is critical.

How many more women will see their cancer diagnosed too late before this government

addresses the shortage of ob-gyns in B.C.?

Hon. Josie Osborne : Those are, indeed, incredibly important positions throughout the health care system

to ensure that we have the ob-gyn specialists — the cancer oncologists, for example

— the people who specialize in women’s health issues. That is why this government

has been so focused on strengthening women’s health care by adding 128 new cancer

oncologists to our system, doubling, almost, the number of gynecological oncologists

here in British Columbia.

Again, expanding services in Kelowna to reduce the wait times not only in the northern

and central parts of the province but having a reduction in wait times down in Fraser

Health and Vancouver Coastal Health…. In fact, now because of the investments that

we have made in expanding these services in Kelowna, 90 percent of women in the Lower

Mainland are reaching benchmark targets for their surgery times. That is the impact

of making these kinds of investments.

We are going to continue to do this work. We are going to continue to support women’s

health and reproductive health through changes like expanding the scope of service

for midwives, increasing access to contraception services and making them free, by

increasing public funding for in vitro fertilization — all of the things that we know

are part and parcel of women’s health. This government is focused on that.

The Speaker : Member has a supplemental.

Anna Kindy : I just have to comment on the doubling of ob-gyn oncologists. The previous minister

promised three ob-gyn oncologists at Fraser Health, and they refused a job for somebody

who trained in B.C., in oncology, in ob-gyn, in Fraser Health. Fraser Health has zero

ob-gyn oncologists.

Maternity wards are closing or operating under strain. The shortage of ob-gyns is

still very real across the province. Ob-gyns have been sounding the alarm for years.

These warnings were ignored, like I just mentioned, and now we are seeing the consequence

in real time.

Why are mothers and babies in B.C. left paying the price for years for this government’s

inaction?

Hon. Josie Osborne : Just in case the member missed it, I just explained how this government has almost

doubled the number of ob-gyns, gynecological oncologists in the province….

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh. Members. Members, shhh.

Minister, please.

Hon. Josie Osborne : Making these investments in places like Kelowna has made a material impact down in

the Lower Mainland. We know that when the volume of service is required, the investments

will be made in Surrey and Fraser Health as well.

[2:20 p.m.]

We know that in Fraser Health…. It is one of the fastest growing areas of the province,

and that is why this government is investing in a new medical school, a new cancer

centre, new UPCCs, a new hospital that…. That side of the House, members who were

in government at the time, said no and actually sold off the land where the Surrey-Cloverdale

hospital could’ve been built.

The opposition’s choices would mean less doctors and nurses, less investment in health

care. We’ve heard it from members on the opposite side of the bench before. We know

that this government believes in investing in the public health care system of British

Columbians so that they have access, reliably and predictably, to the care that they

need.

The Speaker : The member has a second supplemental.

Anna Kindy : How many ob-gyn oncologists are there in Fraser Health?

Hon. Josie Osborne : As I just explained….

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members, shhh. Members. Let’s….

Interjection.

The Speaker : Member. Let’s hear the minister.

Hon. Josie Osborne : We know that south of the Fraser is one of the fastest-growing populations in British

Columbia. That’s why the choices of this government have been investments into services.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Josie Osborne : There are women all over this province that need access to these specialized services.

That’s why investing in Kelowna, in Interior Health, reducing the wait times there…

Interjections.

The Speaker : Members.

Hon. Josie Osborne : …increasing access to service in the Interior and North has made a material difference

in the Lower Mainland.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Josie Osborne : We will continue to take an evidence-based approach to the volume, the need, make

the investments at the time that they are needed. In the meantime, we will invest

across the health care system in Surrey and beyond, in Fraser Health.

Foreign Investment and

Protection of Farmland

Jeremy Valeriote : We’ve talked a lot about economic sovereignty and data sovereignty in this House.

Our food sovereignty is clearly also under threat.

In response to President Trump, this government has proudly promoted the Buy B.C.

label, but it looks like that moniker also applies literally to B.C. farmland, with

billionaires buying up ALR land as investments.

Near Merritt, an heir to the Walmart fortune now controls 1.2 million acres of farmland

and is blocking the public from accessing public land. In my riding, in Pemberton

Meadows, luxury real estate is booming as farmland is sold off for multi-million-dollar

mansions, equestrian facilities and even landing pads for private helicopters. Farming

operations are priced out or faced with unstable leases. In Dunster, an American billionaire

who profits from ICE detention centres is buying up ranchland for a game hunter’s playground.

To the Minister of Agriculture and Food, arable land is the foundation of thriving communities, and its ownership needs oversight.

What is this government doing to stop the ultra-wealthy from treating B.C. farmland

as nothing more than a safe financial asset?

Hon. Lana Popham : I appreciate the member bringing up this question.

It’s a concern to our government as well and to me as Minister of Agriculture. Protecting

farmland is essential, obviously, for food security, but it’s also essential to protect

the integrity of rural communities and for having a place for future farmers to learn

how to grow food for us.

The concerns I’m hearing are similar to the concerns the member is hearing. We’re

hearing about corporations investing in agricultural land. This includes concerns

about hedge funds, large corporations and non-farm investors purchasing that farmland

for activities that do not qualify for farming and also taking that land out of production

for farming, even to the extent that there are corporate farms that are planting bait

crops for illegal trophy hunting.

So I think that the member does have a valid concern. I’m working with the Minister of Finance to better understand the extent of foreign ownership in B.C. My staff have been reaching

out and working with the senior officials in Ontario and Saskatchewan to understand

the changes that are underway there to address the same situation.

We have added tools into our toolbox through the Minister of Finance to understand who is owning land in B.C. and ending the hidden ownership of land

in the province, and that does include farmland.

The Speaker : Member has a supplemental.

[2:25 p.m.]

Jeremy Valeriote : I understand the Premier, in 2023, mused about solutions to underused agricultural

land, and so a lot of time has gone by.

As the minister notes, other provinces have taken legislative action, but it’s an

easy win. B.C. is still seen as a great place for foreign investors because we have

weak or no regulation.

The problem is data. Before we can solve a problem, we need to understand it, and

much of the ministry’s data on B.C. farmland is either inaccessible or just doesn’t

exist. The only reason we know about the American billionaire investments in Dunster,

Merritt and Pemberton is because local farmers tracked the data themselves, paid out

of pocket to pull land titles and drove door to door to record impacts on local residents

and farmers.

We need public access to agricultural data, not just to track the securing of extreme

wealth but also to track the spread of avian flu and other threats to our food security.

Will the Minister of Agriculture commit to providing transparency about who owns our productive B.C. farmland?

Hon. Lana Popham : As I mentioned in my previous answer, we have added tools into our toolbox to understand

who is owning land in British Columbia. In fact, the Land Owner Transparency Act,

which came in, in 2019, was the first of its kind.

There’s work being done on that currently by the Minister of Finance. The minister informed me as we were discussing this issue that there will be discussions

on this particular issue as she goes to her FPT this summer.

So there is work being done. I’m happy to meet with the member in my office to run

through what we’ve discovered and the solutions that other provinces have tried to

implement, the effectiveness of those, and also examples of what we can do here.

I appreciate the concern about farmland.

Government Action on

Poverty Among Seniors

Kristina Loewen : My constituent Walter, delivers day-old bread to seniors in an apartment in the heart

of Glenmore, Kelowna. Last week an older lady told Walter: “We don’t eat until we

see you.” Days later another senior woman called Walter from the hospital because

she couldn’t afford her prescription. Our seniors have worked hard for everything

that they have.

This minister’s mandate was to reduce poverty by 60 percent, and, quite frankly, that

is not happening. This minister loves to talk about how she’s reducing poverty with

free birth control and affordable child care, but that is useless to seniors.

To the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction: will you admit today that your ministry is failing seniors?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson : We had a choice when we put this year’s budget together. We had seniors very much

in mind and the protection of health care, protection of basic services, continuing

to fund the SAFER grant, ways that we can make seniors’ affordability more possible.

We have, as a government, on the income side for seniors…. As the member knows, because

we talked about this in estimates, we have limited tools on the income side because

once somebody turns age 65, they switch into the federal income support system, OAS

and GIS.

Nevertheless, our government did make a decision to double the senior supplement,

which is a top-up when individual seniors find federal income supports are inadequate.

The B.C. Liberal government had never touched that supplement. We doubled it, and

it is making a difference.

We, of course, are concerned in every part of…. We want seniors to have the very best

life. We want them to have all the supports that they need. We’re concerned when we

hear about seniors that are going without. I know this won’t be comfort to the member,

but we have added tracking and new targets for poverty rates for seniors to our poverty

reduction strategy, and the latest year of data that we have has the poverty rate

having declined for seniors since….

We are building on progress. Our poverty reduction strategy is having an impact, and

we’re determined to do more.

Misty Van Popta : Seven long-term-care projects and phase 2 of the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment have

now been cancelled — yes, that is cancelled — by this government. And 100 million

of taxpayers’ dollars went down the drain because this government is incapable of

building major projects on time and on budget. Families and seniors were promised

more beds, better care and expanded hospital capacity. They are now left with nothing.

[2:30 p.m.]

How can this minister justify wasting hundreds of millions of dollars by cancelling

projects British Columbians were promised?

Hon. Bowinn Ma : We’ve canvassed this question and this topic many times in the House before. I can

assure the member that all seven long-term-care projects, as well as phase 2 of the

Burnaby Hospital redevelopment project, remain approved projects within the B.C. government’s

capital plan. We are working with health authorities to get those projects back on

track.

Because we are confident that we will be moving forward on these projects, the work

that has already been done will continue to serve the purposes of the project moving

forward. For instance, at the Delta long-term-care site, pre-ground works and early works have been completed. Those foundational efforts will continue

to serve whatever form the project takes into the future.

The work is not lost. The money has not gone to waste. It has gone to important work

on projects that will continue to inform those projects moving forward.

The Speaker : Member, supplemental.

Misty Van Popta : The important work of this government is to make sure that British Columbians receive

health care when they need it. The president of B.C. Care Providers said: “It’s hard to take

any solace in the idea that they may be saving some money on projects that they’ve

already got underway.”

The problem is that the government doesn’t have a plan. It is under this government that it has become

too expensive to build in B.C. Take some responsibility.

Will the minister stand up, take accountability and admit that projects are too expensive

solely because of her and the government’s incompetence?

Hon. Bowinn Ma : Since 2017, we have been delivering the single largest capital infrastructure program investment plan in health care in B.C. history. During

that time, we have so far completed 15 major new and upgraded hospital and health facility projects, 16 long-term-care-home projects. We’ve delivered 48 urgent and primary care centres.

In Budget 2026, moving forward, we continue to invest in 17 major hospital and acute care facilities

and an additional 14 long-term-care projects, six of which are actively under construction

and eight of which are in pre-construction phase.

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Bowinn Ma : All of this being said, there are absolutely some projects, including Burnaby Hospital

redevelopment project, phase 2, and the seven long-term-care projects, which have

faced cost escalations that we have deemed unacceptable. We are taking responsibility

by working with the health authorities to get those costs down so we can continue

to deliver those projects for British Columbians.

Availability of Long-Term Care Beds

Brennan Day : Re-pacing their own projects because they’ve had nine years that have driven costs

through the roof in this province.

We have nearly 8,000 seniors today in B.C. waiting to be placed into long-term care.

The Minister of Finance, just yesterday, claimed 1,000 long-term-care beds are proceeding, but B.C. is already

short 2,400 beds, and this budget has cancelled 1,200 more over seven projects.

After all the announcements, all the delays and all of these cancellations, how many

beds are going to be short this time next year under this government’s deplorable

record on seniors care?

Hon. Brenda Bailey : The other side is suggesting that government is responsible for increased costs. So

let’s talk about these increased costs — increased costs in steel, increased costs

in aluminum, increased costs all over the place. There is a government that’s responsible

for these increased costs, and it’s your friends…

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Brenda Bailey : …in the White House.

Government Response to Shootings

in Tumbler Ridge and Action on

Safety and Mental Health in Schools

Gavin Dew : Yesterday in this Legislature, the Minister of Education said: “Safety is my number one priority.”

[2:35 p.m.]

On May 21, Springvalley Middle School in Kelowna went into lockdown after two people were attacked with a knife on school grounds.

A Crown prosecutor said: “There have been expressions recently and in the past that the accused

wanted to kill someone and had taken steps to find weapons and guns.” The accused

also allegedly told police after the arrest that their intention was to kill. The

accused had been apprehended under the Mental Health Act multiple times between February

and May of this year.

Almost four months after the Tumbler Ridge tragedy, can the minister tell worried

parents today what changes have actually been implemented to school safety, threat

assessment, mental health response, lockdown procedures and communications with parents?

Hon. Lisa Beare : I thank the member for the question because it’s always important to be able to talk

to families here in British Columbia about student safety.

Here in B.C., we are a leading jurisdiction when it comes to safety for students in

our care. We as a government want, like every single parent, to know that when our

kids go to school, they come home safe. We have safety coordinators in every single school who are responsible for ensuring that they have safety plans

in place for each school and in every district.

When we look at the tragedy that happened in Tumbler Ridge, I made it very, very clear

to the community and to the province that there are multiple investigations taking

place right now. We are waiting to see the results of those investigations so that

we can coordinatedly take action to ensure that we continue to make safety our number

one priority.

But I want families to know that we take trauma-informed, community-led, school-participated safety planning very seriously. What works in Victoria or Vancouver or Surrey does not work for north coast or Revelstoke. We need to ensure that we are taking local communities’ needs into account when

building out safety plans.

Service Model Change for

Children with Support Needs

and Funding for Autism Services

Claire Rattée : Under this government’s new autism funding model, a mother from Fernie told me that her free services that are replacing the direct funding for her son

would require her to drive four hours each way through two mountain passes just to

access, costing her family more than $7,000 a year in fuel alone.

How is forcing rural families into self-funded eight-hour round trips for care improving access to services?

Hon. Jodie Wickens : I thank the member for the question. I visited the member’s local child development

centre that delivers really important services in her community and does travel far

in rural, remote communities to deliver early intervention services, mental health services, other services that families crucially need.

I want all members of this House to know that we are making a historic investment

that has not been made in a generation for children and youth with disabilities —

475 million new dollars into our system.

We are taking a blended approach where families…. We are increasing direct funding

to thousands more children, and we are investing in community-based services, because that’s what families and experts and service providers asked us to do through an extensive engagement process of over two years where we

invested $4 million.

We will continue to communicate with families. Since we made the announcement, I have

met with families, and I will continue to do so.

The Speaker : Member for Skeena, supplemental.

Claire Rattée : I appreciate that comment about connecting with the families because that’s what my

follow-up has to do with.

That blended approach that the minister just referenced means that thousands of children

are going without funding, and many of them are in situations like the one I just

spoke about in Fernie, where they’re having to drive four hours away to access those

free services that are replacing their direct funding.

This government has received formal reports from numerous advocacy groups warning

that autistic people without intellectual disabilities are nine to 13 times more likely

to die by suicide and that caregiver suicide risk also increases significantly when those supports disappear.

[2:40 p.m.]

This is the very group that this government’s own clinical guides identify as highest

risk for suicide, and the very group having their funding taken away by this government.

There have been emails, meeting requests, all of which have been ignored by this government

over the course of the last few months. I have the receipts. I know that to be true

for a fact. It is clear that this NDP government is not responding to families who

are desperate for answers.

Since the Minister of Children and Families won’t listen to these urgent pleas for

help, will the Health Minister respond to them and take these warnings of increased

suicide risk seriously?

Hon. Jodie Wickens : I have spoken at length in this House about children with autism not needing a one-size-fits-all

approach to the programs and services that they receive.

I want the members to know that under our current system, you could have a family

that makes over $200,000 a year with a child with autism who is indistinguishable

from their peers, taking advanced-level calculus courses, get the same amount of funding

as a single parent…

Interjection.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Jodie Wickens : …who has a child with significant disabilities living on the poverty line. Our current

system is not working.

Under the new system, funding will be delivered based on a functional need. So under

our new system, individualized funding for autism is increasing. There are children

with autism in our new system that will receive more funding.

In addition to that, traditional mental health services for neurodivergent children

do not always work. That is why we are investing $80 million into highly specialized

services in community. Families will not need to travel. There are multiple models

of services that we know will work.

We are changing an unfair, fragmented system into a stronger, fairer system in the

future. Communication is going to families. We will continue to communicate with them

and work with them over the next year…

Interjections.

The Speaker : Shhh.

Hon. Jodie Wickens : …as these changes are made.

[End of question period.]

Petitions

Korky Neufeld : I rise to present a petition to the House from Bradner residents of my riding regarding

acquiring a liquor licence for the Bradner General Store.

The Bradner General Store is located in a small rural community….

The Speaker : Member. Member, you don’t have to read it. That’s fine. We receive the petition. Thank

you.

Reports from Committees

Paul Choi : I am pleased to present the first report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance

and Government Services for the second session of the 43rd parliament, intituled Interim Report on Statutory Offices, 2026 .

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

Motion approved.

Paul Choi : I ask for leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

The Speaker : Please continue.

Paul Choi : I move that the report be adopted, and in doing so, I would like to make some brief

comments.

The Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services is responsible for

exercising general oversight of the province’s statutory offices. The committee typically

meets with the officers in the fall to review and recommend their budgets and in the

spring to receive operational updates.

This report summarizes the committee’s spring 2026 meetings with statutory officers.

During our meetings, we heard from many statutory officers about an increase in both

the volume and complexity of their work. Committee members appreciated the effort

that several officers are taking to improve workflows and efficiencies to help them

respond to this increased workload while maintaining and remaining within their budgets.

The committee also considered the supplementary funding requests from the Office of

the Representative for Children and Youth during these meetings. Our recommendation on this request attempts to balance providing an increased

front-line capacity while also exercising fiscal restraint.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to extend our gratitude to all statutory

officers, to their staff, for their important work. We look forward to engaging with

them again in the fall as we consider their budget requests for the next three fiscal

years.

I would also like to acknowledge and extend our appreciation to staff in the Parliamentary

Committees Office and Hansard for their continued support.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all committee members who are

in this House for their dedication to this work and for their thoughtful contributions

during our deliberations.

[2:45 p.m.]

Donegal Wilson : I would also like to make a few comments about the report.

The committee’s spring meeting with statutory officers was a really important opportunity

to receive operational updates from each of the offices and hear about what their

key priorities and focus areas are going to be for the coming year.

This year the committee also asked for updates regarding the corporate shared service

agreements, office space and lease agreements and grants that were being administered

by the offices.

Committee members continue to encourage our statutory offices to examine these areas

of focus and other areas to find savings and efficiencies as they prepare for their

budget requests for this fall.

I’d like to extend my appreciation to all the statutory officers for taking the time

to meet with us and for their valuable work for all British Columbians. I would also

like to acknowledge the members of the committee for their hard work and the staff

of the Parliamentary Committees Office for supporting our work, as well as Hansard.

In closing, I would like to thank all of the committee for their work, and I look

forward to heading out for public consultation on this year’s coming budget.

The Speaker : The question is that the report be adopted.

Motion approved.

Misty Van Popta : I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

The Speaker : Please proceed.

Introductions by Members

Misty Van Popta : I believe it’s the second class of Walnut Grove Secondary in the chambers that just

arrived, grade 9s. They’re here today to learn about our democratic system. Unfortunately,

they missed question period. It was a good one today.

Will the House please make them feel welcome.

Point of Order

Hon. Mike Farnworth : Hon. Speaker, I’m rising on a point of order pertaining to allegations made by the

House Leader for the Third Party in committee yesterday, in

Section A.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, a member may only raise a point of order regarding items

in committee business in committee business. However, the committee has ceased to

exist, and with the completion of the consideration of Bill 9, I was only able to

review the Blues for the committee after the House had adjourned for the day. So this is my first

opportunity to raise this point of order.

The House Leader of the Third Party stated: “It has been brought to my attention by

an applicant who has extensive legal background that he has evidence that the commissioner’s

office is repeatedly breaching administrative law principles of procedural fairness

related to the review and handling of FOI complaints.”

Further, the House Leader of the Third Party requested that the Minister of Citizens’ Services determine with the commissioner how these allegations could be addressed in questioning

the minister of what safeguards are in place for the commissioner to guide their decision-making.

Statutory officers report to the Legislative Assembly through the Speaker. A minister

initiating an investigation would be an unprecedented breach of the principles of

independence afforded to these officers as it pertains to the conduct of their statutory

duties. These duties are generally structured in such a way that the officeholder

exercises an extended scrutiny function of the executive branch of government on behalf

of the legislative branch.

I quote from the special report No. 21 in April 1998, tabled by the statutory officers

of the British Columbia Legislature, intituled Fundamental Operating Principles and Related Legislation .

“Statutory officers of the Legislature occupy a unique and valued position founded

in the tradition of the Westminster model of democratic governance. They each play

an important role in the process of holding the government accountable to the Legislative

Assembly and the public. They are the elected members’ representatives — in large

measure their eyes and ears — in monitoring and assessing government programs, procedures

and performance. It is essential, therefore, that the roles of legislative officers

are safeguarded.”

The allegations that were made are serious, being raised by the House Leader for the

Third Party against an independent officer of the Legislature that requires guidance

to this House on how to proceed.

First, Mr. Speaker, I ask that you test the application of Standing Order 40 on unparliamentary language as it would pertain to the independent officers of the Legislature. I quote

pages 621 and 622 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice , third edition, that “attacks against and censures of judges and the judges and courts

by members in a debate have always been considered unparliamentary and, consequently,

treated as breaches of order.”

I do not believe that this has been tested in this House, and I believe that the very

notion of independence being questioned by the House Leader of the Third Party warrants

due consideration and a ruling from you.

[2:50 p.m.]

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, I ask that you outline the proper procedure for a member to

provide clear evidence of malfeasance for the House to adjudicate and what other avenues

exist, such as judicial review or through the Public Interest Disclosure Act.

The Speaker : Thank you, Member.

Are there any submissions on this point of order by anyone? If not, the Chair will

take it under advisement. Thank you so much.

Tabling Documents

Hon. Josie Osborne : I have the pleasure to rise to table a report from the provincial health officer

entitled Living Well, Drinking Less: Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms in B.C.

Orders of the Day

Hon. Mike Farnworth : In this chamber, I call Committee of Supply, estimates for the Office of the Premier.

In

Section A, the Douglas Fir Room, I call continued committee debate on Bill 20,

the K’ómoks Treaty Act.

The tiny House remains closed.

The House in Committee,

Section B.

The committee met at 2:54 p.m.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Office of the Premier

The Chair : Thank you, Members. We’ll bring this chamber back to order, where we’re going to contemplate the Premier’s estimates.

On Vote 11: Office of the Premier, $15,334,000.

The Chair : Are there any opening remarks that you would like to offer?

Hon. David Eby : I’d like to begin by acknowledging we’re on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, the Songhees and the Esquimalt First Nations.

[2:55 p.m.]

I note that I’m joined by staff from the Premier’s office here today. I have Shannon

Salter, Deputy Minister to the Premier; Tom McCarthy, Deputy Minister of Policy and

Coordination, and Ben Bisset, project director. I want to thank all of them for their

hard work on behalf of British Columbians.

I, first of all, want to reflect on this process. This process matters. This is a

hallmark of our democratic system, the Westminster system, where everybody, including

the Premier, within government is held accountable to the Legislature and, by extension,

to the public. Estimates is a way the government is held to account. These are democratic

institutions that are worth protecting in a tumultuous time when it feels like these

institutions are under attack.

I am ready for a strong and thorough debate recognizing the context of this, which

is ensuring that British Columbians get the answers that they need about the questions

that the opposition has.

These are uncertain times from the impacts of the war in Iran on daily life for British

Columbians that we see at the gas pump. We’re seeing in the grocery store, impacts

of the Trump trade war on Canada. This is on the heels of the pandemic, global inflation,

slowing global economies, so many challenges that British Columbia has seen and fought

off.

We will do that, but in order to be successful, we need a self-reliant economy. Both

here in British Columbia and as Canadians, we need to be able to stand on our own

two feet. It has to be an economy that works for people, that supports people in having

more money in their pocket at the end of the day, higher wages, supports in their

communities, like affordable child care, strong public transit and strong community

infrastructure, including health care, especially in rural British Columbia.

We are moving in the right direction on these important issues. The spring session

has really been about seizing opportunities. Here in this session, there have been

laws about ensuring that British Columbia is able to seize the economic opportunities

to grow our economy and create jobs and, also, training opportunities for British

Columbians.

Just in the first four months of this year, more than $3 billion of investment in

new mines. I was sitting around the table with other premiers, western Premiers, just

the other day. Our success here is the envy of many jurisdictions across Canada and

around the world, but we do this as British Columbians to support the entire country.

We are excited about the opportunities in energy — LNG Canada phase 2. Reflecting

on our accounts, somewhere around $80 billion of investment related to energy projects

and 5,000 new trades-training seats so that British Columbians are at the front of

the line to take those jobs.

The happy news, just yesterday, is that our work here in British Columbia is supporting

people in Germany that have shut off their access to Russian natural gas and have

signed a $10 billion agreement with Ksi Lisims LNG to access B.C. natural gas. The reason why they choose our natural gas is that

it is lower carbon than other jurisdictions, and it helps them in Germany to achieve

their climate goals as well.

Over half a million British Columbians have been connected to a family doctor or nurse

practitioner, to primary care, since 2023. We’re recruiting more health care workers

from the United States than anywhere else, and we are thrilled that more than 2,000

American doctors and nurses have applied for jobs here in British Columbia and more

than 700 have accepted those jobs.

We’re building a new SkyTrain in Surrey, a jurisdiction long overlooked for major

capital investment, and a new hospital in Surrey as well.

For cost of living, we made a commitment to make housing more affordable. Rents are

dropping faster here than anywhere else in Canada, because we built and we focused

on building more rental housing and addressing some of the excesses in the market,

including in relation to Airbnb. Prices are stabilizing in the housing market, giving

people the hope that they may be able to buy into the market, but we know we have

more work to do in that area.

We have a new energy savings plan from B.C. Hydro that will support families by reducing

their hydro bills and put money back into their pockets for saving energy. We’ve opened

more child care spaces. We have kept car insurance low. B.C. Hydro rates have been

below the rate of inflation for the last several years, and we have some of the lowest

car insurance rates in the entire country, with some of the best benefits.

We’re protecting schools and places of worship in this province from hate and attack

and affirming the human rights code as a priority for this government, protecting

people’s dignity and the diversity that makes this province a beautiful place to live.

[3:00 p.m.]

We are making this progress despite massive uncertainty. In fact, this uncertainty

has spurred all of us as Canadians to do more. That is the commitment I made at the

table with the western Premiers yesterday and I will continue to make on behalf of

all British Columbians, that we will ensure this province is strong, that our public

services are strong and are all in service to British Columbians and Canadians.

I will admit frustration to seeing the opposition voting no to key measures that will

strengthen our provincial economy and our independence, like the North Coast transmission

line.

To even see the member for Skeena voting against the North Coast transmission line, despite knowing that that will

feed major projects in and near her constituency — Cedar LNG, Ksi Lisims LNG…. It will deliver high-capacity, high-voltage electricity to communities that

have been underserved for generations. I don’t understand that opposition, but I know that it will not turn us away from doing what we need to do to build up this

province.

B.C. has what it takes. We are focused on delivering for not just people now but for the next generation in this province and a more secure and hopeful future for all British Columbians.

I look forward to the questions, and let’s get this show on the road.

Jeremy Valeriote : Thank you to the Premier, and welcome back from Alberta.

I also value this process. It’s a unique opportunity. I appreciate that it’s all debate in this House, but I’m going to try to approach it a little bit differently

and provide a little bit of contrast with what I expect the Leader of the Opposition

to bring. I’m trying to approach this with some genuine curiosity.

Just off the top. I mentioned to the Premier one-to-one, but I’ll say it publicly, and I’ll explain why. I’m personally really impressed

with the Premier’s leadership in Tumbler Ridge in February. It seems like a long time

ago now. At the time, I felt genuinely, but maybe a little bit naively, that I wanted to try and help share this terrible burden that in this case, the

Premier has to shoulder. The reality is that we’re all conditioned to look to one

person, especially in challenging, tumultuous times.

A lot has been written about concentration of power in the Prime Minister’s Office

and the Premiers’ offices across the country. I don’t know. I’m not in those rooms.

I’m going to try and use a bit of a case study to understand it a little bit better.

It’s a little bit unfair because it’s a case study that’s very close to my heart, but it’s probably one tiny sliver of what the Premier deals with. I’m just going to

talk a little bit about Sea to Sky regional transit because we’ve been talking about

it on and off for some time.

Just as an example, it’s been grinding its way through the Ministry of Transportation and Transit slowly, from my point of view. Again, there is process to this, and I appreciate

that the Premier’s had a meeting with local government leaders on this recently.

I’m trying to understand a little bit about whether this is a typical process or whether

it lends credence to the idea that no new initiative can really get traction without

a blessing from the Premier and the Premier’s office.

[3:05 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : Thank you to the member for the question, and thank you for his kind words in respect

of Tumbler Ridge, an incredibly challenging moment for the entire province that continues

to this point. I think the hero of the moment goes to the many, many people of Tumbler

Ridge who have stepped up together in so many different ways to rebuild their community

and respond to that.

I thank the member for being there as part of a united, non-partisan message to the

community that we were all standing together. It was important that he was there,

and I appreciate his reflections on it.

On the important and welcome initiative of local governments and First Nations along

the Sea to Sky corridor around transit, I know that this has been a priority of the

member’s for some time. He and I have met on multiple occasions and shared the sentiment that

this is an important project to serve a congested corridor and one that is seeing

more and more traffic and that strong public transit services are a priority for him

and certainly for me and for our government.

To his specific question, work on initiatives is initiated by, led by ministries.

Certainly, I’ve had ministers bring forward proposals that I was not immediately persuaded by, but I created the space for ministers to be able to advance those proposals, and vice

versa. I think there have been ministers that have not been super enthusiastic about

things I’ve suggested that they have been willing to carry forward. Collaboration,

compromise and finding a path forward is the key in government, especially, I will say frankly, in a one-vote majority situation. Everybody has got to

be pointing in the same direction.

A little reflection on the member’s query about how things work over here on this

side. I do a lot of media on a lot of topics, which can lead to the perception that

sometimes these files are all my files. They are not. This one, in particular, is

being led by the Ministry of Transportation.

I had a meeting with the local government officials, with First Nations leadership.

What struck me about the meeting was that here you have a group of leaders that are

committed together to establishing this transit authority — one vote each. It is a completely unique model, including the First Nation’s full partnership with a vote at the table and one vote regardless of contribution or population size. When you have local officials

that are committed to work together in this collaborative way, I think that’s something

that as a government we need to recognize and find a path forward with.

Another piece that I was advised by the Ministry of Transportation is that the model

that they are presenting is completely unique in the province. Typically, regional

transit is wrapped when we establish that. It’s wrapped together with the inner city as well as each community’s transit service. What’s being proposed here is something

different than that. It doesn’t mean that it’s bad or worse or better. It’s just different.

As the member will know, any time government has something that’s different, we need

to understand all the implications for other communities before proceeding. In addition,

the funding model that’s being put forward is also unique. The Ministry of Transportation

is engaging, and the minister has also met with these leaders to engage on this important

issue.

I am certainly supportive of transit up the Sea to Sky. I share the hope with the

member that we are going to be able to deliver this as quickly as possible. The minister

is working hard with his team, and I would encourage the member to check in with the

Ministry of Transportation on this important issue for his community.

[3:10 p.m.]

Jeremy Valeriote : I appreciate the detail on that particular service and the perspective of how things

work. I fully understand that ideas are pitched back and forth. Well, I don’t fully

understand it, because I haven’t ever been in that situation, but I can imagine, in

a team scenario, this needs to happen.

You know, $15 million probably sounds like a lot, and I’m sure the Premier will take

questions from others about it, but if it is the nerve centre of the government, it

probably should be well resourced, so I won’t ask about that.

The Premier has been in office since 2022. It probably seems like a lifetime ago,

but in historical terms, it’s still a relatively new cabinet. As this government progresses

in its mandate, does the Premier feel like the team is jelling and he can devolve

more responsibilities to his ministers and maybe have to speak on fewer files?

Hon. David Eby : Thank you to the member for the question. I have been incredibly proud of our cabinet

and our entire caucus. It’s just remarkable and unprecedented times in the province

to have our biggest trading partner attacking us, global instability and war. We’ve

come through the pandemic as a legislature. The reordering of relationships around

the globe is significant and ongoing.

Through big, big challenges, this team has stuck together. It has not always been

easy, but it has been crucial. We share a dedication to making lives better for British

Columbians in whatever ways possible, ensuring that the economy works for people,

that there are strong public services and that we’re supporting families with the

challenges they face. That, I think, brings us together.

Just to the member’s question about media, it is a bit of a challenge, I would say.

As a Premier, if you’re not doing scrums regularly with the media and they can ask

you on any file of any minister, then you’re not available and you’re secretive. If

you do too many scrums, then you’re not letting your ministers talk on their files.

There is a challenge in constantly trying to find that balance.

I have an incredibly experienced and deep bench of ministers that speak on their files.

I would say all of our caucus members are incredibly capable and regularly speak out

on issues in their communities. I have every confidence in their ability to do that.

Whether that always gets covered when I do a scrum at the same time, who the media

chooses to ask questions to…. These kinds of things are beyond my control, but I strive

to be available to the media to explain to British Columbians what’s happening, and

I encourage my ministers to do the same on their files.

[3:15 p.m.]

Jeremy Valeriote : I’m just going to ask a question or two about the overall economic context.

The opposition has got a lot of attention in criticizing the lack of action on some

big-ticket promises from 2024. I won’t list them. Some of them are kitchen-table issues.

You know, a $1,000 grocery rebate was never particularly on our radar, but we know

that many British Columbians are still finding it difficult to balance their finances,

keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, find a family doctor.

What I’m hearing pretty consistently from this government is that to fund the services

that we all know are needed and that we want to fund, we’re turning to an economic

development model that has worked in the past.

I’m presupposing this puts the government into a bit of a bind, because moving to

a greener, lower-emissions economy takes longer than the political term, needs the

lead time that is even longer than the lifespan of most governments, and we never

get to see the fruit of those investments.

We’re seeing it again at a federal level to some degree, the same rationale that led

to the Trans Mountain expansion. We need revenue to invest in renewables, bring in

carbon price signals, electrify our economy.

Just for the record, obviously this caucus is fully in support of electrification.

We’re hearing a lot about…. The Premier just mentioned LNG Canada 2, Ksi Lisims, the

contract with Germany.

I’m hoping to get to hear the Premier’s reflections a bit about this kind of grand

bargain on funding our economy now so that we can progress into the future.

Long term, does he feel like we’re setting the conditions to progress beyond some

of these fossil fuel bargains? We would love to think that they’re happening in the

near, near future, but we know this is going to happen on an undetermined timeline.

But does the Premier feel like those conditions are being set for this transition

that we know is inevitable?

I’ll just note that it’s famously said that we can’t continue to expand fossil fuel

infrastructure and meet our climate targets. I’m sure that’s met the hard reality

of being in government and trying to provide jobs and economic development. I’m just

curious whether those conditions are in place for the longer-term energy transition

that we’ll see.

[3:20 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : First of all, let me thank the member for his work with government on the CleanBC

review. Our commitment to that work continues.

It’s important to understand the context that CleanBC set up for the province to be

able to be in position where we are now. For example, No. 1 in electric vehicle sales

in Canada, No. 1 in hybrid vehicle sales in Canada, No. 1 in growth of heat pumps

in Canada, a 50 percent reduction in methane emissions in the oil and gas sector,

among other notable accomplishments. We seek to continue that progress specifically.

The member talks about the pressing affordability issues facing families. In B.C.

Hydro, we have rates that are 12 percent below the rate of inflation, considering

where they were in 2017. That makes a difference for families, as does the new hydro

saver program that allows them to reduce their usage and access free digital thermostats

for people with baseboard heaters that are very expensive to run through the winter

in many parts of the province, for using electricity.

[3:25 p.m.]

B.C. Hydro, in the context of having some of the lowest rates in North America — it’s

us, Manitoba and Quebec because of our hydro legacy dams — is really the emblem, certainly,

in terms of growth in the province and electrification of our work here. A $36 billion

capital plan for B.C. Hydro, the largest probably since the ’60s. Fourteen clean energy projects across the province, the majority of them owned in

majority by First Nations all across the province. A current call for firm power that

is out that we hope will include proposals around hydro, geothermal and other firm

sources of energy. We are blessed in this province to have the opportunity to be able

to deliver affordable electricity and to use it to grow our economy in a clean and

sustainable way.

That’s not all. I would recommend to the member — I know he’s familiar with the document

— just another look at the Look West strategy. This is the strategy put together by

government to outline our economic priorities in the province. The member is interested

in industries and progress beyond LNG, and he’s right. We need to ensure that we are

a diversified economy. We don’t know what the world will bring us.

In the Look West strategy, you will see sectors as diverse as shipbuilding, where

we have more than doubled employment; life sciences, where we’re the fastest-growing

life sciences sector in Canada; our tech sector, with ambitious goals about growth

in tech and, thanks to the Web Summit that we landed, a huge opportunity to showcase

British Columbia’s tech sector and the opportunities in it; the manufacturing field,

including the growing aerospace sector, particularly in the interior of the province

in the Kelowna area; B.C. wood products and value-added initiatives using our sustainable

wood products to create long-term jobs by adding value to the wood that is harvested

in British Columbia.

Agriculture. We landed a half-a-billion-dollar dairy processing plant in the valley

called Vitalus that will single-handedly increase milk production by 17 percent across

western Canada and produces those milk powders that people use to supplement foods.

When you read the “high protein” this and that, usually they’re using these powdered

dairy products that are produced in places like Vitalus.

We also have Nanak Foods and Punjab Milk products that are opening major processing

facilities and shipping to export markets around the world. Vitalus ships to Africa,

China, Europe and South America, for example.

We are seeking a diversified economy. That does include energy projects like LNG projects

but by no means is exclusively focused in that area.

The goal with all of this is to create high-paid employment opportunities for British

Columbians, which is why training is a key part of the budget, giving people the opportunity

to go out and train for these jobs that are created in all of these different sectors.

That includes Red Seal training but also includes a significant addition of tech seats

across the province at universities in British Columbia, to give people the opportunity

to be able to move into these jobs, STEM employment seats across the province.

It is an ambitious plan but one we think we can realize and certainly one we’re very

proud of.

Jeremy Valeriote : I’m pleased to hear that work on CleanBC review continues, and I want to say I appreciate

that the Minister of Energy has been kind enough to keep me informed on some pieces of that.

I do appreciate the diversity of Look West. I’ve looked west through it many times. I was out in the Premier’s riding at UBC last week and pleased

to hear about some of the support on tech and life sciences, and I know that skills

training is going on well beyond that.

I only have an hour, so I’m going to cover a few different topics. Moving on to ask

about the state of the public service.

This time last year I asked the Premier about the support for the public service,

and there was quite a discussion about the impact of tariffs, and plans essentially

changed on a dime. The Premier talked about many late nights in the B.C. public service

trying to pivot for this eventuality.

[3:30 p.m.]

As we all know, many public servants are grappling with the same challenges affecting

all British Columbians — rising costs, environmental challenges like droughts and

wildfires. Those challenges continue, and we’ve seen some labour disruption in the

fall with the BCGEU strike.

In response to an increasing deficit, I understand there have been some adjustments

made. I believe that the number quoted in the budget was 15,000 public service jobs,

and some of those will be through attrition.

I’m wondering if the Premier can provide a

summary of where the government is at in

terms of public service — I believe the term used was “efficiency gains” in the B.C.

Public Service — and mitigating against some overall job losses through that work that’s underway.

[3:35 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : There are two numbers in terms of targets for government. The first is the broader

public sector, and that’s the bigger number because the public sector is bigger and

includes the SUCH sector. Then there’s the public service. The public service is a

smaller number. That’s core government, ministries, service delivery by the provincial

government and that kind of thing. For the broader public sector, our target is 15,000,

and for the public service, our target is 2,500.

I can provide an update to the member on the public service target. As of March 31,

we had reduced the public service by 1,760 people since we began this work. As of

the end of April, that number was now 1,857, and that reflects a reduction of 4.5

percent of the overall size of the public service.

For the public sector, the planning work with the sector is underway. We’re being

very careful because we want to focus on non-front-line positions to ensure that British

Columbians are protected and able to access front-line services, regardless of whether

it’s core government. We’re not talking about teachers and nurses here. We’re talking

about finding those opportunities to reduce administration and bureaucracy and redirect

savings where we can, certainly to deficit reduction but also, in some cases, to reinvestment

to improve the quality of services.

For example, in the health sector, $260 million in savings was identified, delivered

and then redirected into higher-priority core services. Within the natural resources

sector, the $34 million in savings from non-essential spending reductions was reinvested

towards enhancing permitting staff to speed up permitting while maintaining high standards.

Examples like that.

I hope that’s of assistance to the member.

Jeremy Valeriote : Thank you for that clarification. I should always trust the interns. They had 2,500,

but the 15,000 number stuck in my head.

I appreciate it’s a modest reduction of 4.5 percent. We know, and I’m sure the Premier

knows better than I do, that Gordon Campbell’s government damaged the public service

quite severely in 2001, as written about by one of his former ministers. By all accounts,

it took decades to build back morale and functionality.

Can the Premier describe what stopgaps would be put in place to prevent overburdening?

I have a number of Reddit quotes from unhappy public servants, and that’s not unusual

for any large organization. I won’t play gotcha with the Premier on this.

What measures will be put in place to prevent overburdening as the number is reduced

— overburdening overworked, under-resourced or understaffed areas within the provincial

public sector? Will there be adjustments made to keep the public service whole and

intact?

[3:40 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : Our goal with the reduction in the size of the public service is not to lump the

same work on to a smaller number of people but instead to be thoughtful about the

work itself. Is there duplication? Is there opportunity for streamlining?

We see this in our permitting work. How do we maintain high standards but also reduce

the permitting time and the number of hands it passes through? Are there ways that

we can provide information readily to project proponents, whether it’s a home or whether

it’s a giant industrial site, without having to require a public servant to recover

the information, bring it forward and deliver it? It’s just on a website. You can

just go and have a look at where your project is. These kinds of initiatives are really

where we’re focusing our attention.

In terms of, overall, how we’re approaching this work, we’re trying very hard to avoid

just blanket voluntary retirement, terminations — those kinds of things. What we’re

doing this work through is attrition, but also when a position is no longer going

to continue because we’ve found duplication and we want to address that duplication.

There is a program within government where individuals can be redeployed to other

areas so that we don’t lose talent within the public service, which is something that

you can lose when you say: “Okay, well, everyone’s got to cut by 10 percent.” You

can lose some very talented people, and sometimes they’re the first ones out the door.

So being extremely cautious about that is very important.

The other piece of work that is guiding this is the ratio between supervisors or management

and front-line workers. Getting that ratio to be consistent with recognized benchmarks

is a key part of this work as well.

I do want to talk about the remarkable work of the B.C. Public Service. It’s something

I was not aware of in the opposition benches until I crossed over, just the exceptional

work that’s done every day when we have a Tumbler Ridge, when we have a wildfire,

when we have an emergency. These folks work 24-7. They are incredibly innovative in

their work. When I was Attorney General visiting a court registry or the sheriffs,

the dedication that people have to serving the public is remarkable.

We also try to recognize excellence within the public service. I know it’s been the

subject of critique in the media, but the Premier’s Awards are, to my mind…. This

is something that started under the B.C. Liberal government. But I think it’s an important

mechanism to formally recognize excellence in the public service as a career choice

that people make. When they really excel and are exceptional, they should be recognized

and given a pat on the back.

I mean, frankly, every public servant deserves that, but there are some remarkable

accomplishments in this career path. We will continue to do the Premier’s Awards despite

the critique, because we believe firmly in recognizing excellence in the public service.

I hope that gives the member some perspective about how we’re approaching this work, recognizing

the significant amount of work that we ask the public service to do every day, express

appreciation for that…. We’ll continue to try to find ways to recognize that work

through fair compensation, through recognition of excellence.

I know every British Columbian, if they had the opportunity to see…. This is what

our judges in the Premier’s Awards always say: “If only British Columbians could see

what the public service is doing to deliver service for British Columbians, they would

really have a different perspective on the operations of government.”

So that’s something that…. I thank the member for the thoughtful phrasing of his question:

recognition of the work of public servants.

Jeremy Valeriote : I am going to ask a question or two about reconciliation and Indigenous relations.

I recognize that there is a minister in charge of that, but these are maybe specific

to the Premier.

First of all, I want to recognize the Premier’s candidness that this is the hardest

file he’s ever worked on. That kind of vulnerability and leadership I think is really

important. It’s fairly uncommon. From my point of view, it looks incredibly complex

and challenging.

[3:50 p.m.]

I’ve been a little frustrated. This Third Party caucus position is probably no secret.

I’m a little bit frustrated about leaders talking about a pursuit that has an end

— like, when will reconciliation end?

I’ve just done a media interview on Joffre Lakes. I’m pretty unequivocal in saying

there’s a fair bit of political opportunism going on here, and it’s a wedge issue

that fits, unfortunately, right into our adversarial system. There’s been a lot of

mis- and disinformation going around. I’m seeing a spike in anti-Indigenous racism.

I think I’m being fair in saying that the communication of the plan around this has

been murky, unclear. I understand it’s a work in progress.

Before I look forward, I want to look back briefly. It is my view that the tone was

set fairly early on here in terms of some mixed messaging.

With respect, I really want to ask the Premier to help me understand why, early on

in this discussion publicly, the Premier conflated the Quw’utsun decision with the Declaration Act. I feel like it’s playing into the hands of some anti-reconciliation

forces and that these two — I’m not a lawyer, but the Premier is — are somewhat separate

and that we’ve now devolved into a discussion about whether to keep DRIPA or not.

I’m curious why the Premier put those two things together early on in this conversation.

[3:55 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : Certainly, I am happy to take the member’s advice, but bluntly, I have tried really

hard to separate the two court decisions.

The Conservatives have done a significant amount of work to conflate the Declaration

Act and the Quw’utsun decision — one based on

section 35 rights under the constitution, and the Declaration

Act being provincial legislation, not constitutional law.

The two court decisions did come very close in time to each other, within about four

months. They have been a big challenge for us, and not just for us. I think it has

been a challenge for our relationship with Indigenous leadership but also, more broadly,

for the relationships of Indigenous communities with the broader community in the

province as well. I’ve heard lots of concern about how these decisions have landed

in different communities in the province.

Just for an update for the member, my understanding is that the argument is closed in the Quw’utsun case, where Justice Young was reconsidering whether or not to reopen that matter.

It’s before the court. We recently received leave to the Supreme Court of Canada on

the Gitxaała Declaration Act decision now out of the Court of Appeal. We’ll be advancing our arguments

there.

There are lots of examples in this province of reconciliation work lifting people

up, whether it’s through treaty, agreements around major economic projects, reconciliation

agreements or Indigenous initiatives. For example, we are working with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ on an affordable homeowner initiative that would not otherwise be available except

for our partnership with them. We expect about 2,600 families to benefit from that

initiative.

You’ve got Red Chris mine, Eskay Creek, Highland Valley Copper and the mining sector, projects

that would not be where they are except for cooperation, support and partnership with

Indigenous people in the relevant territories, and then, of course, the Ksi Lisims

LNG, an Indigenous-led initiative that recently signed a $10 billion agreement with

Germany around LNG supply.

When we do this work, it lifts all boats, and we have to continue to deliver on that.

The court decisions have been a challenge, and I’ll take the member’s advice if at

some point I inadvertently conflated them. I have been spending some time trying to

differentiate. But again, I’m sure the member will understand this is a deep and complex

issue, not an easy one to communicate, given the legal complexities of it, and one

that calls on all members of this place to do our best to be clear about what the

state of the law is in the province and where we should be going.

Jeremy Valeriote : My last question, sadly. I’m almost…. Well, we’ve got a few minutes for an answer,

but not a lot of time left.

It must be the end of the session, because I’m being interviewed. Our interns interviewed

me and asked me what I was most proud of. I’m terrible at these questions, because

reviewing a year and a half of life in a split second is not easy for me.

But the first thing that came to mind was the cooperation agreement that we were in,

in 2025, which we call CARGA. Even though it didn’t end particularly cleanly or well,

I’m actually quite proud of the structure and the discussions and the communication

that it engendered. I think they’re really valuable.

I can only imagine the number of competing interests and factions and coalitions the

Premier needs to hold together in this job. I’m not asking entirely tongue-in-cheek.

I’m curious. Is it a relief to not have to deal with the Third Party anymore? If so,

I’d just appreciate hearing the Premier’s reflections on any lessons that came out

of it that might be worthwhile in future dealings when we have more than one party

involved in the confidence of the House.

[4:00 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : I understand why the member was proud of the CARGA agreement and what we accomplished

together under that agreement. It was a good agreement, and it was important work

we were doing.

The member asked if I am relieved to not have to work with the Third Party. No, actually.

I enjoy working with the Third Party. Well, there’s one component. I appreciate not

having to continually re-engage with the proportional representation question, but

that is the sole exception to the rule.

I think we did good work together. I was disappointed that, in my understanding, the

Green Party did not want to continue with it.

I could run through the accomplishments. I think the member is aware that there are

seniors who are housed; there are people receiving urgent primary care who would not

have; and we’re No. 1 in heat pump adoption, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and

massive clean energy initiatives through B.C. Hydro. You can see the influence of

those conversations even if the formal agreement doesn’t continue.

Trevor Halford : Timing is impeccable. I feel I kind of walked into an awkwardness of a third-party

relationship there. I hope they can work it out, and I wish them all the best in the

future as they move on and go forward.

I want to thank the Premier for the time. I want to thank his staff for their time

and patience, as well, as we go through this.

A couple of things really resonate with me and, I think, with a lot of British Columbians

right now. The fact is that we have a record deficit that seems to be going only one

way, and that’s up, with the highest taxation levels on the backs of some of our most

vulnerable.

Whether I’m in the grocery store or on the soccer field or at my daughter’s dance,

the frustration that people have is immense. They’re angry. They’ve got a lot of questions.

Some of those questions we’ll canvass during this estimates. People feel like they’re

spending more and they’re getting dramatically less, whether it’s in health care,

other services or just transparency.

I had one person come up to me the other day. They were actually…. I think this comment

is just. They were….

It doesn’t matter what your perspective is on the policy, on the project. I think

John Horgan had a lot of respect from British Columbians. It didn’t matter if you

were a Conservative, a Liberal, NDP, Green — it doesn’t matter. I think Mr. Horgan

had a lot of respect in this province. The fact that a dam was named after him…. I

think that was a special moment for him and his family. I know other people may have

other opinions based on all the positions that he held, which he was very up front

and transparent on, as he was with everything.

[4:05 p.m.]

This person made a comment to me that stuck — that things over the last few years

have changed dramatically. Things seem to be centralized. The transparency of the

government seems to evaporate — inconsistency, blame, political wedges and overall

ignorance on some of the most important files that touch British Columbians. We’ll

canvass those files, whether they’re health care, transportation, taxation. We’ll

go through those.

I think one of the key things, and the Leader of the Third Party touched on it, is

regarding some of the challenges we’re seeing on the Indigenous file. Now, I know

the Premier is quick to call out our party’s position on this, but our party’s position

on this since the campaign in October of 2024 has been consistent. The Premier’s position

has been anything but.

I want to read some quotes into the record:

“If a court considers a provincial law to be inconsistent with the UN declaration,

this amendment does not allow the court to read in, read down or find that law to

be of no force or effect. This is consistent with the limits of the

Interpretation

Act but also with the understanding that substantive work of amending existing laws

in our province or introducing new laws being consistent with the UN declaration must

be done in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous People in accordance with

section 3 of the Declaration Act.”

Those were the Premier’s words, November 22, 2021, in this very room here.

My direct question to the Premier. If he needs to consult staff, I’m not sure they

were there with him when he did this. Does the Premier have any regrets in terms of

how he introduced the

Interpretation Act in 2021?

[4:10 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : I’d like to take a moment to recognize that the Leader of the Opposition…. The next

couple of days are his last days as leader. The Conservative Party will be choosing

a new leader.

I wanted to recognize his service for the people of British Columbia. The Leader of

the Official Opposition is not an easy job, especially in these times, I would say.

I know he has a family and that it has surely called him away, so I want to thank

his family, as well, for supporting him in this job.

[4:15 p.m.]

It’ll be a long afternoon, I’m afraid, just given how we’ve started here. But I will

begin with some gentle corrections to the record.

The member insists that we have increased taxes on British Columbians. In 2022, the

net provincial tax for a family with $30,000 of net income was $1,400 less than it

was when we formed government. By 2026, it was $1,600 less than when we formed government.

For a family earning $60,000 of net family income, the net provincial tax…. Oh, I’m

misreading the form. I’m going to start this again.

For a family earning $30,000 of net income in 2022, they would have received $1,400

back from the provincial government. In 2026, that amount grew to $1,600 back. In

2017, they would have received $189. With $60,000 of family net income, in 2022, the

family would have paid $1,600 in net provincial tax. In 2026, that number dropped

to $643. That’s like $1,000. That number…. In 2017, they would have paid $4,198. For

a family at $80,000 of net income in 2022, they would have paid $3,385 in provincial

tax. In 2026, that had dropped to $2,663 in provincial tax.

Back in 2017, we formed government. They would have paid $5,600 in provincial tax.

Finally, $100,000 of family net income in 2022 would have paid $5,623 in net provincial

tax. In 2026, $4,601 — so $1,000 less. But of course, in 2017, they would have paid

$7,444 in net provincial tax. It’s important to clarify the record on these important

questions. British Columbia has the lowest provincial income taxes for people with

incomes up to $149,000 in the entirety of Canada.

On the important topic of the declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, the

continued context of the opposition’s attacks on the Declaration Act is that it is

an obstacle to development in the province.

In just the first few months of this year, we have had over $3 billion in major mine

announcements or expansions, including Eskay Creek, a billion-dollar-a-year project

that will create hundreds of good jobs and a joint environmental assessment between

B.C. and the Tāłtān Nation. Cedar LNG just signed a contract with the German government for a $10 billion

offtake agreement. This will be one of the largest First Nations–majority-owned infrastructure

projects in Canada enabled through this work.

The fact is that we have $88 billion at least in major projects moving forward that

rely on strong relationships with Indigenous people in this province.

The member says that their position has been clear on the Declaration Act. Well, I

am afraid that has not been the case. In a recent column in the Times Colonist , the House Leader explained that the Conservative position apparently is that the

Declaration Act needs to be looked at, repealed and then reworked so everyone is on

the same page and that the Conservatives are advocating what she described as “a new

framework” for recognizing constitutional rights. I’m curious about what that would

be.

But in any event, it’s pretty clear that the opposition is admitting that repealing

DRIPA is not the end of the story as far as they are concerned. I’m curious about

what they think it is. There have been some challenging court decisions. I certainly

have acknowledged that in many forms. One of them does address the

Interpretation

Act as well as the Declaration Act. Four judges have heard this matter, a trial judge

and three Court of Appeal judges.

[4:20 p.m.]

Two judges agreed with government’s position and understanding of the

Interpretation

Act and the Declaration Act and that this is a matter for government to work on. Two

judges in the Court of Appeal agreed with the applicant that the Declaration Act was

something other than what I believe every member of this House, when we voted for

it unanimously, believed it was.

We have been granted leave to the Supreme Court of Canada. We’ll get clarity from

the court and be able to move forward. We’re also at the table with Indigenous leadership,

finding a path forward together.

This is a very challenging file. The member and his colleagues know — they have said

it in this House — that British Columbia was settled without treaty, and the consequence

of that, the recognition of Indigenous rights and title under the Canadian constitution,

is that we are required to sit down with First Nations and find a path forward together.

That will continue to be the focus of our government — to try to stay out of court,

try to reach agreements together and find that pathway forward together.

Trevor Halford : I appreciate the early words of the Premier. I do, sincerely. On the latter part,

in terms of just setting the record straight, it’s important that we make sure we

get our positions out there.

The Premier…. I would challenge him right now, as we have record lines at food banks

across this province — that he goes and gives the stats that he just did and asks

if everybody is feeling okay. I think he would get a much different reception than

one he’s probably thinking he would get.

I’ve just got a very easy question to the Premier. It shouldn’t take that long. Who

introduced the

Interpretation Act in 2021?

[Mable Elmore in the chair.]

[4:25 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.]

Hon. David Eby : The member rightly did not refute my very clear explanation of the reduction in taxes

payable by families in the province. Under the period from ’17 to ’26 or from the

period of ’22 to ’26, the reductions are significant. In the most recent budget, we

increased a tax credit for low-income individuals, people earning under $25,000, by $115, bringing it to $690.

The member clearly said that I was wrong in the numbers that I put forward about taxes,

that people were lined up at food banks and that I wasn’t responsive to that concern.

I’m outlining to the member exactly how I’m responsive to the concern about people

lining up at food banks — $115 additional tax credit for people earning under $25,000.

We’re helping people save on their hydro bill by as much as one-third, focused on

low-income individuals, specifically people with baseboard electric heaters, supporting

them with smart thermostats as well as cash rewards for reducing power use.

The average asking for rent is down 13.9 percent since 2023 because we’ve built more

rental housing and because we’ve addressed and continue to address speculation.

We’ve lowered auto insurance rates and frozen basic rates for six years now. The members,

obviously, when they sat on this side of the House, were projecting a 33 percent increase,

and they continue to advocate for private auto insurance despite the challenges faced

in Alberta.

We cut child care costs in half on average, saving families an average of $7,200 a year. More than 394 people have benefited

from free prescription birth control. More than 276,000 families will receive the

B.C. family benefit this year. There are huge challenges around affordability faced

by British Columbians, but not just British Columbians — people across Canada and

around the world, most recently because of the impacts of the war in Iran.

Now, the member also asked me about the Declaration Act. I was Attorney General. I

introduced the provision under Premier Horgan, at the time, the

Interpretation Act.

I said at the time, in response to then Attorney General critic Mike de Jong, about

the intent behind the introduction, that the general principle in

section 2 of the

Interpretation Act is that the

Interpretation Act applies to every enactment unless

a contrary intention appears.

Where a decision-maker is faced with two possible

interpretations of the public interest

in making a decision, the

Interpretation Act in this circumstance would, we intend,

instruct the decision-maker to prefer the

interpretation of the public interest that

is consistent with the principles of the DRIPA legislation.

The member asks me this question in the context of the Gitxaała decision and where the court went, because they did specifically mention the

Interpretation

Act.

[4:35 p.m.]

I would like to take this opportunity to walk through my understanding of this, recognizing

that we have received leave to the Supreme Court of Canada, but it is not yet before

the court.

It is clear that the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples can be relied

on by the courts as a source for interpretative aid. That was clear in the case law

even well before the Declaration Act. It has only ever been a question of the amount

of weight that a court would give it.

Section 8.1(3) of the

Interpretation Act was previously understood to apply where

there is not a contrary intention within a provincial law. I took the member to my

introduction of the bill and the debate when I covered this issue. More recent decisions,

including Quw’utsun and Gitxaała, have cast doubt on that understanding.

The basis of the understanding was that

section 2 of the

Interpretation Act says that

no provision of the act, including

section 8.1(3), should be relied on by the courts

any time there is a contrary intention in the legislation. Based on the common law,

this includes both express and implied intention. Using the modern principle of

interpretation,

legislation should be read in its entire context, not just looking at a single provision.

Prior to Gitxaała, there were many reasons to believe that the common law supported this understanding.

In accordance with the case Quebec Attorney General v. 9147-0732 Quebec Inc. from 2020, the presumption of conformity should not apply to an international instrument

unless that instrument is binding domestically. Courts had previously agreed that

UNDRIP is non-binding in Canada, yet the majority in Gitxaała concludes that the presumption of conformity applies to UNDRIP.

They conclude this not just based on

section 8.1(3) that the member asked about but

based on provisions of the Declaration Act and based on similar wording found in the

federal United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

Provincial law may, under current law, at times, provide something that on the face

of it, is inconsistent with

section 35, Aboriginal rights under the constitution.

However, in that realm, it’s understood that the law must only do so as part of a

justifiable infringement. Circumstances for justifiable infringement are limited but

can include, for example, matters related to public safety or preservation of an endangered

species.

The B.C. Court of Appeal decision, in my opinion, blurs what the UN declaration on

the rights of Indigenous Peoples is and leaves unclear whether it is an interpretive

aid or whether it is a freestanding source of rights like

section 35. The decision does so without analysis of the UN

Declaration Act as it relates to

interpretation versus substantive and immediate implementation.

I hope that’s of assistance to the member about the introduction of the bill as well

as the context of the Gitxaała decision in our seeking leave to the Supreme Court of Canada, which was recently

granted.

Trevor Halford : Thank you to the Premier for that comprehensive answer. I thought that might happen.

I think we’ve got to mark this moment in history here, because we just spent more

time on this than the Premier allowed for debate when he was Attorney General on the

Interpretation Act itself. In fact, it was double the amount of time that the Premier

allotted for debate on the

Interpretation Act that he introduced, which is now, obviously,

very problematic.

I want to read a few more quotes into the record here. This is directly from the Premier.

If I get these wrong, I’m sure the Premier will correct the record:

“But to be frank, it’s absolutely crucial that it is British Columbians, through their

elected representatives, that remain in control of this process, not the courts. Too

much rides on it in terms of our province’s prosperity and certainty, going forward.

So I think it just as likely or perhaps more likely that we would proceed with amendments

to provide clarity around what was clearly intended when we introduced this legislation,

and the court appears to have some confusion about that.”

That was the Premier at Canadian Press, December 5, 2025.

There are a lot of quotes here, and we can pick and choose. The Premier then goes

on to say: “There is significant concern among the public following a couple of major

court decisions, and I have to say I share that concern.” That was April 4.

[4:40 p.m.]

Another quote…. I want to get to around this time, because I think this is where the

British Columbians have a lot of confusion, frustration, uncertainty with the Premier’s

direction on this.

This is from January 20, on CBC. He says: “Recent court decisions have created real confusion about what the Declaration

Act is and what reconciliation means in its practice.” Then we go again: “Reconciliation

is the business of government-to-government relationships between provincial governments,

the federal government and First Nations. It is not for the courts to take over.”

Then we get another quote from the Premier — same date, January 20, probably the same

interview on CBC. “That’s why we’re going to amend the Declaration Act in the spring,

to make the intent explicit.” Those are the Premier’s words.

The Premier then goes on. This is April 3 on Global. He uses the words “huge legal

uncertainty.”

Then another on April 4. The Premier is doing a lot of media on this. “There is significant

concern among the public following a couple of major court decisions, and I have to

say we share that concern.”

Here’s another one. This one’s the same day, same interview. “We are having to move

quickly to make amendments in order to address some serious legal liabilities that

were created by the province through the court decision. Nobody is excited about this

process. Certainly, I’m not, and First Nations leadership are not.”

The Premier then does an interview with Business in Vancouver . It says that at the start of the year, he promised to change the law and that he

will “move as quickly as possible.” Now, I think those words are fairly straightforward

from the Premier.

That was leading up to…. The last quote I gave was April 20. So on April 20, there’s

also a press release issued from the Premier’s office, and I’ll read it in its entirety.

It’s not a long one. Very rarely do you get press releases issued on Sundays, but

this one was a special day. I’ll read it into the record.

I’ll use a name here because it’s listed in the press release, Madam Chair.

“Premier David Eby and the First Nations Leadership Council have released the following

statement regarding the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act:

“‘The government of B.C. will not be introducing legislation to suspend or amend DRIPA

or UN declaration–related provisions in the

Interpretation Act in the spring legislative

session. The government and the First Nations Leadership Council are committed to

working together with all First Nations leaders on a path forward to discuss and consider

the government’s stated legal concerns, while upholding the title and rights and human

rights of First Nations.

“Together we commit to a genuine collaboration to find solutions as soon as possible”

— I want to emphasize this part — “and before the fall legislative session.’”

Those are the Premier’s words, April 20.

Following that we come back into session, and the House Leader of the government does

an impromptu media avail where he has to backtrack on the Premier’s commitments to

introduce legislation — that the Premier made days earlier all over the media, to

various stakeholders throughout the province — creating confusion, chaos, in his own

words.

In fact, the Premier was so confident about what he was doing and confident about

the support that he had within his caucus that he was going to make this a confidence

vote. He said that on CKNW, on Jas Johal ’s s how . “Absolutely, this will be a confidence vote.” Those were the words of the Premier.

The problem is the Premier did not have the confidence of his caucus, obviously. He

didn’t even go out and do the media himself. He had his House Leader do it. That would

be embarrassing. I’d be embarrassed, too, if I changed my position six, seven times.

What amazes me is that through this whole process — and this is kind of a pattern

of behaviour that we have with the Premier — it’s always somebody else’s fault, somebody

else’s problem.

[4:45 p.m.]

I asked the Premier a direct question about who introduced the

Interpretation Act.

It took him about 15 minutes.

But the Premier says later in interviews, once he did his scrum…. Finally, he was

chased down by media, he was able to do a scrum, and he said he was tapped on the

shoulder by the Attorney General. “She came to me and told me she believed that there

was a route to reach an agreement like this. We had those conversations over Saturday

and Sunday.” An additional quote: “I want to thank