Fourth Session, 42nd Parliament

(2023) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, February 6, 2023

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 257

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Blessings and Acknowledgments

F. Dick

J. Goertzen

Speech from the Throne

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill 1 —

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of Parliament

Hon. N. Sharma

Motions Without Notice

Special procedures for proceedings of Legislative Assembly during COVID-19 pandemic

Hon. R. Kahlon

Motions

Appointment of Deputy Speaker

Hon. R. Kahlon

Appointment of Assistant Deputy Speaker

T. Stone

Appointment of Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole

Hon. R. Kahlon

Printing of Votes and Proceedings

Hon. N. Sharma

Appointment of Select Standing Committees

Hon. M. Farnworth

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023

The House met at 2:04 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

This being the first day of the fourth session of the 42nd Legislative

Assembly of the province of British Columbia for the dispatch of business, pursuant

to a proclamation of the Hon. Janet Austin, Lieutenant-Governor of the province,

hon. members took their seats.

Mr. Speaker: Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to invite Florence Dick of the

Songhees Nation to begin our proceedings today.

Blessings and Acknowledgments

F. Dick: I want to thank the Speaker, and I want to thank our guests and all

the people that are here representing B.C. It’s an honour for you guys to be

on our ancestral lands today doing the work that you guys need to do for the

people of B.C.

[2:05 p.m.]

I’m a student of the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ

language. I’m learning myself. As you know, the dark history of residential

school. I’d like to just say that I’ve been learning, for the last nine

years, our Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ language. I’ve

started to hand down that to my grandson. He does the territorial welcomes

also.

I also would like to welcome our other Indigenous people that are in

the room. It’s always an honour welcoming them to the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ lands also today. That’s

the most important protocol our Indigenous people have and that we hold onto

— that we make them feel welcome in our lands. So hay’sxw’qa to all

the other people that are in the building.

I do want to say that my language does tell you who I am, and my

regalia that I used today represents…. You know, I’m speaking from the

heart, so I wear my traditional Coast Salish shawl that represents the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ people. It covers my

heart because I’m speaking from the heart.

The headband represents the words that are going to come out, that are

going to be true and honest, and that good words will come out in this

building. The foundation of this building should echo the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ people — the importance

of what our ancestors left us, what we carry today, what we hold onto always

— and should start with the foundations of the dark history of Canada and

rebuilding that relationship with the Indigenous people and how those

decision-makings happen here in B.C. and how you remember compassion and

love for the Indigenous people and how we are still here, how we hold this

ground and how we ground ourselves.

This is all I have to say.

[Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ was

spoken.]

Mr. Speaker: Thank you very much for opening our proceedings and grounding us to

these lands. We are honoured and grateful to have you here today, and we

thank you for starting us off in a good way.

The Legislative Assembly will continue to reflect on the important

responsibility to acknowledge that we are privileged to gather on the

traditional territories of the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ-speaking people and the

Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. We honour and respect your enduring

stewardship of these lands and the wisdom, culture and traditions which you

so generously share with our community and with our province.

Hay’sxw’qa.

I would now like to invite Chaplain Jason Goertzen from Leading

Influence Ministries to lead the House in prayer or reflection.

J. Goertzen: Good afternoon, Members. Let us pray.

Holy God, author of all that is good, true and divine, you are

gracious and compassionate. Your love knows no boundaries. You meet us right

where we’re at.

We’re grateful for British Columbia, this province rich in diversity

of people, abundant natural resources and a beautiful environment. I pray

today for all British Columbians and their families who are facing

challenges. Bring peace to those in distress, healing where despair has

lingered, hope where shame has whispered and love where the light of life

has burned low.

Lord, governing is not for the faint of heart, and I pray that you

would give all 87 members of this House clarity of thought and strength of

character. Help them to work together across political and ideological

divides to find common ground and to pass good legislation. Bless their

families at home as they are away, their partners, spouses, children,

grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I also pray for the incredible staff who work in this building and for

the constituency assistants faithfully serv­ing throughout the

province. You see each one. May they experience collegial connections of the

heart and clarity of idea and direction as they come to work each

day.

[2:10 p.m.]

Members, this spring may the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face

shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up the light of his

countenance upon you and give you a peace that transcends all understanding

to guard your hearts and your minds.

In Christ Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

Mr. Speaker: Thank you, Chaplain.

On behalf of all members of the Legislative Assembly, I would also

like to welcome the many guests joining us in the chamber today and thank

you for being with us this afternoon. I would also like to invite all

members and their guests to a reception right after the throne

speech.

Please be seated.

Hon. Members, Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor is in the precinct.

Please remain in your seats while we wait for her arrival.

Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor requested to attend the House, was

admitted to the chamber and was pleased to deliver the following gracious Speech

from the Throne.

Speech from the Throne

Hon. J. Austin (Lieutenant-Governor):

ÍY SȻÁĆEL NE SĆÁLEĆE. ÍY, C̸NES QENOṈE

ṮÁ .

Good day, friends. It’s great to be among you today.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker and hon. Members. Welcome back.

I’d like to start by acknowledging the

Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ peoples, the Songhees

and Esquimalt First Nations upon whose traditional territories we gather

today, and thank them for sharing these lands in peace and

friendship.

I’d also like to thank Elder Florence Dick for the gift of a

traditional welcome and Chaplain Jason Goertzen for his blessing this

afternoon.

As Lieutenant-Governor, I’m pleased to deliver the Speech from the

Throne outlining your government’s plans to tackle big challenges and build

a stronger, more secure future for everyone who calls this beautiful

prov­ince home.

As has become tradition, we begin by remembering those we have lost in

the past year.

Last September British Columbians were deeply saddened by the passing

of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She visited our province seven times, six

as a reigning monarch. Her service and dedication to duty will long be

remembered.

We mourn Indigenous leaders Kat Norris; T’łakwagila, Arthur Dick;

Hitlamas, Tom Henderson; Chief Allan Tom; Chief Roger Adolph; Dinï’ze

Madeek, Jeff Brown; and Chief Ken Baird.

[2:15 p.m.]

We mourn those who once served in this Legislature: Anne Edwards, Gary

Lauk, Patrick McGeer, Clifford Michael, Bob Skelly, Clive Tanner and Jack

Weisgerber.

We also mourn George MacMinn, the former Clerk of the

Legislature.

We mourn the philanthropist Joe Segal; community activists Ronald

Lou-Poy and Tommy Wong; advocates Chrissy Brett, Greg Gowe, Sid Chow Tan,

Robin Krause and Mary-Wynne Ashford; local leaders Helen Fathers, Helen

Hughes and George Puil; and from the world of journalism, political

columnist Jim Hume and music critic Tom Harrison.

From the arts world, we mourn dancer Bebe Eversfield, conductor

Bramwell Tovey, composer Joseph Koo, actor Pat John, singer Susan Jacks,

artist Rodney Graham, gallery owner Thor Froslev, guitarists “Ziggy” Sigmund

and Jerry Doucette, as well as Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker John

Zaritsky.

From the world of sports, we mourn Tom Masich, Ernie Dougherty, Gino

Odjick and Olympic gold medallist rower Kevin Neufeld.

We also mourn the First Nations communities who continue their

searches of residential school sites, and we reflect on the many lives lost

in recent years from COVID-19 and the poisoned drug supply To everyone who

lost a loved one last year: we acknowledge your grief and share in

it.

We open this session of the Legislature at a time when people are

facing real challenges. Global inflation is squeezing housing budgets. Food

prices are going up. It’s hard to find a doctor. We continue to see mental

health and addiction challenges brought on by the pandemic and toxic drug

crisis. Housing costs continue to rise as our population grows and interest

rates increase.

People in B.C. are working harder than ever, but many feel they’re

just getting by, not getting ahead. People who work hard and play by the

rules need someone on their side. Your government will be there for you.

From climate change and global conflicts to threats to democracy, this can

feel like an uncertain time — not just in B.C. but around the world. While

we can’t control global forces, we can take steps to protect people and

build the more secure future for our province that we all want.

When threats are at the door, government must be in your corner,

standing with you and your family while helping to build a stronger future.

Over the next year, your government will keep working hard with people

across our province, our country and the world to make sure you have a more

secure home, more secure health care, a good-paying job and more confidence

when the bills come at the end of the month.

Before the pandemic hit, we were starting to see the results of your

government’s work on the things that matter most to people. There’s no doubt

that COVID-19 set us back. Government had to respond and shift our focus to

keeping people safe and businesses afloat. As we emerge from the pandemic,

we face big choices to ensure security for you and your family in the face

of likely economic storms. Putting people at the centre of your government’s

choices has resulted in economic growth that allows us to deliver even

more.

Investing in child care meant that B.C. led Canada in women being able

to return to work.

Careful management of the pandemic meant that we closed as little of

our economy as possible, while the highest supports in Canada meant that

businesses were ready to get back at it when we reopened.

Responsible management of our natural resources meant that revenue set

new records.

Restructuring our public insurer put ICBC back on solid financial

footing and provided people with some of the lowest rates in Canada, instead

of losing billions of dollars.

Unemployment rates have been near record lows, with more people

working than before the pandemic, and more job opportunities.

All of this has led to a multi-billion-dollar surplus this year.

Still, economists are predicting a global slowdown. Because we are a

province that thrives on export and international relationships, this year’s

surplus won’t be there next year. Your government has a proactive plan to

deal with these global trends. It will put this year’s surplus to work for

people — to support them, now and for the long term, by reducing costs for

families and helping businesses attract the talent they need.

[2:20 p.m.]

By growing our health care work force to cut wait times and give more

people access to a family doctor; by building more homes that people who

live and work in our communities can afford; by giving record support to

cities and regions, rural and urban, that have grown quickly; by fighting

climate change and growing a cleaner economy through innovation,

partnerships and stronger export relationships, these choices will pay off

immediately and over the long term.

Some say we should respond to a downturn by pulling back, reducing

services or by making people pay out of pocket for health care, but that

would make many of our most serious challenges worse, and would pass down

costs, at a time when people can least afford it. There’s too much at stake

right now to pull back on supports for people who are only now finding their

footing after the pandemic. We couldn’t afford short-term thinking before,

and we certainly can’t afford it now.

In a chaotic world, B.C. is doing things differently — stable, secure,

stronger and more sustainable. Your government will continue to make choices

that put people first, with the introduction of a new budget at the end of

this month.

Budget 2023 will make smart investments today to build a stronger

tomorrow. It will make record new investments to improve public health care

and deliver more housing for middle-class families. It will ensure we build

the hospitals, schools, child care centres, roads and public transit that

make us stronger. It will introduce new measures to address the cost of

living, especially for the most vulnerable. It will help people train for

the jobs of the future, while helping businesses find the talent they need

to grow.

By far the biggest source of anxiety for people right now is the

rising cost of living. B.C. is an incredibly desirable place to live, but

that can also make it expensive. Global inflation and the long-lasting

impacts of the pandemic are only making it harder at the grocery store, at

the gas pump and when looking for housing.

In just the last few months, your government has taken significant

action to help put money back in your pockets.

The new B.C. affordability credit landed in bank accounts at the start

of the new year to help 85 percent of British Columbians with increased

costs. As much as $410 for a family of four went to British Columbians last

month. Basic car insurance rates have been frozen for another two years, and

a $100 credit reduced everyone’s hydro bill. In December 2022, child care

costs were reduced again, this time by as much as $550 a month for each

child or over $6,000 a year in additional savings.

This has been life-changing for many parents, as stocking their

cupboards with nutritious food or even a night out at a restaurant becomes

more feasible. These cost-saving measures build on the work your government

has done over the last five years to reduce ICBC rates by an average of $490

a year, to end bridge tolls in the Lower Mainland and to eliminate medical

premiums, representing the largest middle-class tax cut in a generation. But

even with all of this, people and families are still feeling

squeezed.

That’s why your government will keep working to help people, with new

measures targeted to those who need it most, including people with lower

incomes and families with children. This fall the significant child care

savings your government delivered for children who are kindergarten age and

younger will be extended to parents with school-age kids.

To truly feel secure, working people must also be paid and treated

fairly on the job. Over the last five years, B.C.’s minimum wage has gone

from one of the lowest in Canada to the highest among provinces. Workers’

rights to join a union and negotiate for better wages and working conditions

have been protected, and B.C. became the first province in Canada with five

days paid sick leave, so workers don’t need to choose between going to work

sick and putting food on the table.

In this spring session, your government will continue to put honest

people who play by the rules first. It will introduce new pay transparency

legislation, a critical tool to shine a light on the gender pay gap and move

closer to equal pay for equal work; and it will go after organized

criminals, rich tax evaders and corrupt officials from around the world who

mistakenly think they can hide in B.C. at the expense of hard-working

people. Your government is going to send a strong message by seizing their

homes and profits, using the proceeds to support British Columbians who want

strong, safe and secure communities.

[2:25 p.m.]

For most British Columbians, their biggest expense by far is for

housing, whether renting or paying a mortgage. The stability and security

provided by an affordable home is also key to building a good life here in

British Columbia. Yet finding a decent place to call home is challenging

right now.

For too long, the housing market has worked very well for speculators,

and it has worked well for investors who have used the housing crisis to

make excessive profits by purchasing homes and flipping them for a higher

price. All of this has driven up the cost of housing and put it out of reach

for many people.

In its first 5½ years, your government took important action to

deliver the homes people need. It cracked down on speculation with the

speculation and vacancy tax, which helped turn 20,000 empty condos into

rental homes for people in Metro Vancouver alone, helping to keep housing

prices and rents lower than they otherwise would have been. Your government

started making urgently needed investments in affordable housing of every

kind after decades of neglect.

We’re starting to see the results of these efforts. For example,

construction of rental housing for people was up 10 percent last year, the

highest ever on record and seven times what it was a decade ago. Despite

that improvement, we are facing new housing pressures coming out of the

pandemic, from record interest rates to record population growth.

The loss of existing buildings and an overall lack of supply can’t

meet the needs of our growing population. That’s why your government has

recently removed unfair strata restrictions so that empty condos can become

rental units for people.

It is investing $500 million in a new rental protection fund, a fund

that will safeguard renters against evictions or rent hikes by the big

investment companies that want to buy affordable rental buildings and make

money through exploitation and eviction. It is working with municipalities

to set ambitious targets to deliver more housing where it is needed most,

and it is breaking down permitting barriers that are preventing new homes

from getting built quickly.

In the months ahead, your government will make major new investments

to increase housing and services near public transit hubs around the

province. It will also launch a refreshed housing strategy. In the fall

session, after working with local governments, homebuilders and communities,

new laws will be introduced to turn that strategy into new affordable homes:

more homes for middle-class families, instead of profit for speculators;

more homes for seniors; more homes and support for people with the greatest

needs.

Another top concern for British Columbians is making sure health care

is there when they need it. The pandemic strained patients, their families

and health care workers to their very core. At the same time, we’re also

facing a record respiratory flu season, the toxic drug crisis, an aging

population and rapid growth. This combination of factors means that too many

people can’t find a family doctor, or they’re waiting too long in emergency

rooms.

Our health care workers need more support from us than ever. These

challenges are not unique to British Columbia. There are debates right now

about the future of universal medicare around the country. Some

jurisdictions are pushing for more privatization, allowing the wealthiest to

buy their way to the front of the line.

Make no mistake. That doesn’t fix the line. It would only lead to more

costs and longer lines for the rest of us, and it is a dangerous step

towards a two-tiered system we know British Columbians do not

want.

We need doctors, nurses and health sciences professionals. Pulling

them out of hospitals into private surgery clinics will not solve problems

for patients. It would just mean we’re paying more to pad the profits of the

clinic operator instead of supporting our patients. You can count on your

government to strengthen public health care and increase our ability to do

surgeries, to offer family doctors and to make sure people have care they

can count on.

Once again, our province is doing things differently, by putting

patients first. Private surgical centres and thousands of privatized health

care workers are being brought back into the public system. Instead of

privatizing, your government is working every day to achieve its vision of

connecting people to strong public health care that doesn’t cost them more,

investing in new hospitals, a new medical school at SFU, an expanded medical

school at UBC and a new deal that will help more people find a family

doctor.

[2:30 p.m.]

Action is being taken to get more internationally trained doctors,

nurses and health care workers into our hospitals and clinics to provide

care for British Columbians. Two thousand internationally educated nurses

are being fast-tracked in health care right now. In the last year, another

5,500 nurses have said they want to work in B.C., and we’re ready to welcome

them here.

We’re moving towards an historic agreement on health care funding with

the federal government. This is good news.

After the pandemic, there is a lot more to do to get back on track.

There’s also a need to connect more people with substance use care where and

when they need it. That’s why your government will build on historic

investments in saving lives with further expansion of treatment and recovery

services so more people can access care.

As our population increases and ages, there is a growing demand for

all health services and, in particular, for cancer care. Close to 90 people

every day are diagnosed with cancer in B.C., and that number will only

increase.

After a cancer diagnosis, nobody should be stuck waiting for treatment

they urgently need. That’s why your government will continue its work to

build our health care workforce and fight cancer with new investments to

enhance access to screening and early detection, diagnostic imaging and

treatments.

People in B.C. want to know that our province is a safe place to build

a life and raise a family, but communities in B.C. and across North America

are seeing our streets change for the worse.

This did not happen overnight. It’s the product of more than a decade

of cuts to supports and services in B.C. and chronic underinvestment in

housing. It’s a consequence of changes to federal laws and subsequent

Supreme Court decisions. It’s the product of a toxic drug supply that hurts

even more people than it kills, leaving them with serious brain injuries and

struggling on our streets. At the same time and for related reasons, we’ve

seen a rise in violent and repeat offending across the country.

What’s happening now isn’t working for anyone, and your government is

determined to change that. There is no one solution. It will take

collaboration between police, prosecutors, mental health experts and

community service providers.

What we do know is this. Being compassionate for those on the street

and taking action on mental health do not mean we accept repeated criminal

behaviour or violence. Your government will not rest until every British

Columbian feels safe.

In this legislative session, you will see new measures to keep people

and communities safe. Legislation will be introduced to crack down on gangs

and money laundering. As part of its safer communities action plan, your

government is implementing new response teams to track, arrest and jail

repeat violent offenders. These teams are made up of police, dedicated

prosecutors and probation officers. It is investing to ensure that the RCMP

can operate to its full capacity to keep people safe, particularly in rural

British Columbia. When people facing violence call 911, they need to know

help is on the way.

The B.C. Prosecution Service has been directed to strengthen their

bail policy. The public needs to have confidence that bail rules for violent

offenders make sense and keep everyone safe. Your government is joining with

all provinces and territories to press for urgent reforms to Criminal Code

bail rules.

Your government’s plan also focuses on getting supports to people

living on our streets. It is expanding mental health crisis response teams

into more communities so people in crisis get help from mental health

experts and so police are freed up to focus on crime.

When a person’s violent or disruptive behaviour results from mental

health and substance use, they need treatment to get better. That’s why your

government is working on a new model of addictions care, one that moves

people seamlessly from detox to treatment and fills the gaps between

services, where people might relapse and fall through the cracks. It’s why

your government has worked overtime to make sure those struggling with

addiction turn to doctors and nurses, not predatory drug dealers, and to get

people who are sick access to treatment and the opportunity to get

better.

Urgent action is being taken on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver to

move people from dangerous encampments to more secure housing. A long-term

plan is being developed with every level of government and the community to

address the ongoing crisis in that neighbourhood, with similar strategies to

move from decampments to decent homes in communities around the province

that are also grappling with this issue. A plan for safer communities must

include the safety of those living on our streets.

[2:35 p.m.]

Our population is growing quickly. People are choosing to move to

British Columbia in record numbers from across the country and around the

world for the stability and opportunity we offer in this province. We set a

record last year, and we have already set a record this year. This growth is

our strength. These new arrivals will make our province stronger, and all of

them bring skills and contributions we need, including nurses, doctors and

health care professionals.

Cities big and small are on the front lines of this growth. British

Columbians want sustainable, fun and welcoming communities. They want

governments working together to build roads, parks and community centres

that people need to enjoy and move around their communities. That’s why B.C.

will make record investments to support local governments in responding to

the growth they are seeing in a way that makes our communities stronger and

more liveable for families.

It will also continue funding enrolment growth in classrooms,

recruitment of new teachers and building new schools in fast-growing parts

of the province.

Progress will continue on the Broadway subway project in Vancouver and

the Surrey to Langley SkyTrain, the first rapid transit project south of the

Fraser River in 30 years.

A rural community strategy will respond to the unique needs of a

growing rural British Columbia. Roads, bridges and child care centres will

be built and maintained in every part of the province to support parents and

families that commute to work and want to spend more time at

home.

Your government will also continue to take action to combat hatred and

racism to ensure our communities are safer and more inclusive. This year a

new anti-racism action plan has been launched for K-to-12 students to ensure

schools are welcoming places for everyone. Working in partnership with

Indigenous, Black and other people of colour, B.C. will release data to help

identify and address systemic discrimination and barriers in government

programs and services as part of the Anti-Racism Data Act.

Legislation will be introduced in this session to address the

malicious and exploitative non-consensual sharing of intimate

images.

Foundational to all your government’s work is partnership with

Indigenous peoples, the people who have always been here on this land since

time immemorial. Starting in 2017, we have worked in collaboration to bring

transformational changes to B.C.’s laws, structures and policies. From the

unanimous passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

in this Legislature to the first consent-based, decision-making agreement

under the act with the Tahltan, we’ve come a long way together.

Your government’s vision for B.C. moving forward is one that

recognizes inherent rights as our greatest act of reconciliation and

respect. By working together, historic progress is being made. B.C. is now

the first province to recognize in law the inherent rights of Indigenous

communities to provide their own child and family services.

Investments are being made in both on- and off-reserve housing, making

B.C. the first province to do so. Like in N’Quatqua, where families are

moving into new affordable rental homes in the community’s first new housing

development in more than a decade.

We are working together with Indigenous peoples to close the unjust

gap in access to primary health care services. Just a few months ago

patients started receiving care at the new First Nations Wellness Centre in

Williams Lake.

Through work on the B.C. First Nations justice strategy, we’re

starting to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the

justice system by breaking the cycle of jail and release and addressing the

poverty, trauma and health issues that brought the person to the justice

system in the first place. In Prince Rupert, Prince George and Merritt,

people are getting meaningful supports to break that cycle closer to home in

new Indigenous justice centres. Ten more are on the way.

A few weeks ago Blueberry River First Nations and other Treaty 8

nations reached significant agreements with the provincial government that

commit to respecting Treaty 8 rights by finding a new balance of

environmental restoration and resource development. Such agreements are

based on our shared experience: that full partnership and respect is the

only constructive way forward — not endless court battles, not short-term,

transactional relationships. The future lies in a rights-based partnership

approach to decisions respecting land, water and resource

stewardship.

[2:40 p.m.]

We will ensure this future through the ongoing implementation of the

United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, one that

will provide stability and predictability for industry while ensuring First

Nations can meaningfully exercise their rights, one that recognizes that

First Nations working to pursue sustainable economic development and

long-term partnerships with industry benefit not just First Nations but

everyone around them, now and into the future.

Investing in the people of our province has helped us build the

strongest economic recovery in Canada. But with a global economic slowdown

on the horizon, more must be done to support B.C. businesses. They have the

customers to grow, but labour shortages and supply chain disruptions hold

them back.

This spring your government will introduce Future Ready, a

skills-training action plan to make education and training more accessible,

affordable and relevant to help prepare British Columbians for the jobs of

today and tomorrow. It’s a plan that will give more opportunity to every

British Columbian, one that will help people expand the skills and knowledge

they need to succeed in high-demand, well-paying jobs.

Your government will also continue to develop a goods movement

strategy that will ensure goods are moving as efficiently as possible so

businesses can scale up. It will expand our low-cost clean energy potential

through electrical generation and the promise of hydrogen to leverage our

strengths and attract new economic opportunities across the province. This

means British Columbia will continue to be able to access safe, affordable

electricity even as global fuel prices rise.

To make sure more people are able to work or start a business from

home, even in rural and remote areas, your government is working to connect

every underserved community to high-speed Internet by 2027. It is working

with the forest sector to ensure a sustainable industry going forward, to

retool mills and manufacture value-added products, including those that

replace plastics made from fossil fuels. It continues to work with farmers,

ranchers and producers to ensure we have sustainable local food systems

while creating opportunities that boost the economy and strengthen food

security.

By promoting innovation, it will increase efficiency in food

production through the use of new technologies and investments, such as the

B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation in the Fraser Valley. All are key pieces

of the StrongerBC economic plan that will keep guiding us

forward.

In an increasingly interconnected global economy, B.C. has many

natural strengths. We are a gateway to the Asia-Pacific and the United

States, and we share many family and cultural ties to countries that are

rapidly growing. To expand our trading relationships and create new

opportunities for people in B.C. businesses, your government will make trade

missions to emerging markets a priority. It will also work to remove

unnecessary barriers to growth.

The changes being made to speed approvals for housing permits will

also be applied to other projects, including those in natural resources and

tourism. Even as we work to fix bureaucratic delays., B.C. will continue to

have high standards, because that is equally important to our economic

future.

International accounting firm KPMG surveyed the heads of the largest

companies in the world, and here’s what they told them: businesses embracing

environmental, social and governance priorities, known as ESG, are best able

to secure talent, attract loyal customers and raise capital. These

priorities have gone from “nice to have” to integral to the long-term

success of their businesses. Our high standards are a competitive advantage,

one that your government will seek to build on with a new ESG centre of

excellence.

Our world is changing, sometimes in ways that can feel scary but just

as often for the better. It’s only when we confront monumental challenges

that we see new opportunities. Failing to match global action on climate

change doesn’t just mean more climate disasters. It also means we’ll miss

the economic opportunity of a lifetime as our major trading partners look

for low-carbon technologies, energy, resources and solutions.

As countries set new targets to tackle climate change, B.C. is well

positioned to thrive. We are a clean energy powerhouse. Our groundbreaking

CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 plan puts us on a path to reach net zero as well as

to be leaders in clean and inclusive economic growth. Last year B.C.

eliminated the largest subsidy for oil and gas companies to give British

Columbians a fair return and allow us to reinvest in our

priorities.

[2:45 p.m.]

Over the next number of months, you will see your government act with

increased urgency to make sure B.C. meets its ambitious climate targets. In

the spring session, legislation will be introduced to strengthen our ability

to ensure that polluters pay the cost of environmental cleanup on abandoned

sites. New legislation will also improve access to electric-vehicle-charging

stations in condo buildings.

To fight climate change now and protect this beautiful place for

future generations, B.C. will work with Indigenous peoples, the federal

government, industry, workers and communities to protect 30 percent of our

land and water by 2030.

You will see accelerated work on your government’s plan to protect

more of B.C.’s old-growth forests in partnership with First Nations rights

holders in the months to come. And you will see work with First Nations,

communities and stakeholders to help protect our watersheds, our clean water

sources — now and for our future generations.

As we take action to protect the environment, we must also prepare for

a stark reality. Climate change is happening now. We can see it all around

us in B.C., as we’ve been hit with one climate disaster after another. It’s

clear that we need to be better prepared. That’s why your government is

investing to make B.C. an international leader in future-proofing our

infrastructure to make it more climate resilient. It’s why a new Ministry of

Emergency Management and Climate Readiness has been created, and it’s why,

in this spring session, a new Emergency and Disaster Management Act will be

introduced to improve B.C.’s ability to respond and recover from whatever

might be in store.

Despite everything we’ve gone through together over the last few

years, British Columbians remain relentlessly optimistic about their

province and with good reason. B.C. is the place to be. In a time of global

economic uncertainty, B.C.’s strong economy continues to attract people from

across Canada and around the world.

Vancouver’s tech sector is growing at the highest rate in North

America. Mining is booming in British Columbia, with record-breaking

exploration expenditures in 2022. B.C.’s life sciences and agritech sectors

are thriving. In 2021, B.C. saw more growth and new businesses opening their

doors than in any other big province.

Our province will play host to national and international sporting

events for three years in a row, starting in 2024 with the Grey Cup,

followed by the Invictus Games and the FIFA Men’s World Cup. And this summer

will be the grand opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver

Chinatown’s historic Wing Sang building.

The future is bright here in B.C., and your government shares people’s

sense of optimism about our endless potential. It is an optimism rooted in

the fact that our greatest strength will always be our people. After all, it

is the people of B.C. who got shots in arms, rebuilt highways after

flooding, kept kids learning in schools and businesses thriving in difficult

circumstances.

It is the people of B.C. who responded to Vladimir Putin’s illegal

invasion of a sovereign country a year ago by welcoming fleeing Ukrainians

into their homes, places of worship and communities, and by helping support

those who stayed to defend their country — like Tamara Moldon, a nurse in

Coquitlam who fled Ukraine as a child and who joined many others to help

ship medical supplies to those in need.

If these challenging few years have taught us one thing, it’s that

going it alone doesn’t work. We’re all in this together. There is nothing

British Columbians can’t overcome if we keep pulling together and looking

out for each other.

Your government believes B.C. should be a place where everyone can

build a good life, where you can afford to buy or rent a decent home, where

you can feel safe in your home and your community, where health care and

public services are there when you need them, where there are training

opportunities for young people to pursue their dreams, where our beautiful

natural heritage is protected for future generations, where our economy is

cleaner and fairer, rewarding those who work hard and play by the rules and

where we always work in true partnership with Indigenous peoples.

This is the better, brighter future we all believe in. We have

accomplished so much together, but there is much more to do.

As we begin this legislative session, let’s keep working together to

build a stronger and more secure British Columbia, one where we all belong

and no one gets left behind.

[2:50 p.m.]

And finally, my personal thanks to all of you who serve together in

B.C.’s Legislative Assembly — indeed, to all who assume the noble task of

serving in public office. I’m deeply grateful for your leadership,

collaboration and tireless work over the past few most challenging years,

and I wish you all every possible success in meeting the opportunities and

challenges that lie ahead.

HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM . Thank

you.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, in order to prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy of

Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor’s speech.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL 1 —

AN ACT TO ENSURE

THE SUPREMACY OF

PARLIAMENT

Hon. N. Sharma presented a bill intituled

An Act to Ensure the

Supremacy of Parliament.

Hon. N. Sharma: I move that Bill 1, intitled

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of

Parliament, be introduced and read for a first time now.

Motion approved.

Hon. N. Sharma: The introduction of this bill, prior to consideration of the

throne speech, expresses the established right of Parliament, through

its elected members, to deliberate independently of the Sovereign, as

such is an important part of our parliamentary democratic process. It is

a right that was first asserted by the Parliament of Westminster in the

year 1604 during the reign of King James I.

I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for the

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

Bill 1,

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of Parliament, introduced,

read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second

reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Motions Without Notice

SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR PROCEEDINGS

OF LEGISLATIVE

ASSEMBLY

DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Hon. R. Kahlon: By leave, I move the adoption of the sessional orders establishing

special procedures respecting the regulation of the conduct of hybrid

proceedings of the Legislative Assembly.

Leave granted.

Hon. R. Kahlon: A copy of this has been provided to the opposition and to the

Third Party. Hopefully, they’re not going to make me read the whole

thing out right now, but I provided a copy to them all.

[That, for the remainder of the current Session:

GENERAL

1. As an exercise of the Legislative Assembly’s exclusive

right to regulate its own internal affairs as they relate to its

legislative and deliberative functions, including control over the

conduct of its proceedings, the use of videoconferencing technology be

authorized to enable all Members to be present in the proceedings of the

Legislative Assembly through remote participation, counting toward

quorum, while other Members continue to be present physically in the

Legislative Chamber, thereby enabling hybrid proceedings of the

House.

2. Zoom be approved as the videoconferencing technology

platform for the purposes of supporting hybrid proceedings of the

House.

QUORUM AND ATTENDANCE

3. Members who are participating in the House’s proceedings by

the approved videoconferencing technology be counted as present for the

purposes of the quorum of ten Members, as set out in

section 42 of the

Constitution Act (R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 66) and Standing Order

6, and for the purposes of determining a majority of votes as set out in

section 43 of the Constitution Act .

4. Members who are participating in the House’s proceedings by

the approved videoconferencing technology must have the audio and video

functions enabled with their face clearly visible in order to be counted

towards quorum, to participate in debate, and to vote.

DIVISIONS

5. Standing Order 16 (2) be amended by substituting the

following: When a division has been called, the division bells shall be

rung forthwith. Not sooner than 5, nor longer than 10 minutes

thereafter, the Speaker shall again state the question. No Member shall

enter or leave the House or Committee of the Whole after the final

statement of the question until the division has been fully taken, and

every Member present shall vote. No Member participating remotely shall

connect to or disconnect from the approved videoconferencing technology

after the final statement of the question until the division has been

fully taken.

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

6. Any Standing Order requiring that a document be “handed in”

or “laid upon the Table” or transmitted by other similar physical means

be interpreted to include the transmission of a document by approved

electronic means.

7. The transmission of a document by the Office of the Clerk

to all Members by electronic means constitutes for all purposes the

distribution and delivery of that document, regardless of whether a

Member has received the document.

8. Notwithstanding the usual practices of the House, petitions

presented to the House may include signatures collected through

electronic means, and that the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly or her

designate be authorized to exercise reasonable discretion in the

interpretation of admissibility of an electronic petition and its

compliance with Standing Order 73 and Appendix A of the Standing

Orders.

SPEAKER’S DISCRETION

9. For greater certainty, the Speaker be empowered to exercise

discretion on the applicability of Standing Order 17A as it may relate

to the facilitation of participation of Members in proceedings of the

House.

10. For greater certainty and further to Standing Order 19 and

Standing Order 20, the Speaker be empowered to intervene on any matter

of decorum on the Speaker’s own initiative or on a point of order raised

by a Member, including by muting a Member’s microphone and excluding

Members from the sitting in cases of serious misconduct.

11. The Speaker be empowered to exercise discretion in the

interpretation of the provisions of any Standing Order requiring Members

to stand or speak in their assigned place as this requirement may relate

to Members participating via the approved videoconferencing technology

and to Members participating in person in the Legislative

Chamber.

12. The Speaker be empowered to exercise discretion, in

consultation with the House Leaders or the Whips, in the

interpretation

of any provision of the Standing Orders or this order that may require

leniency or alteration in order to allow all Members to be able to fully

exercise their duties and rights in the proceedings of this House

conducted in a hybrid manner.

OTHER

13. Should any provision contained in this order be

inconsistent with the Standing Orders, the provision in this order

prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.]

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, the sessional order authorizing hybrid sitting has

now been adopted by the House. Any members participating remotely are

now able to participate in today’s proceedings.

Motions

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY SPEAKER

Hon. R. Kahlon: I move, seconded by the member for Kamloops–South Thompson

electoral district:

[That Spencer Chandra-Herbert , Member for Vancouver–West

End, be appointed Deputy Speaker for this session of the

Legisla­tive Assembly.]

Motion approved.

[2:55 p.m.]

APPOINTMENT OF

ASSISTANT DEPUTY

SPEAKER

T. Stone: I move, seconded by the member for Delta North electoral

district:

[That Jackie Tegart , Member for Fraser-Nicola Electoral

District, be appointed Assistant Deputy Speaker for this session of the

Legislative Assembly.]

Motion approved.

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CHAIR,

COMMITTEE OF THE

WHOLE

Hon. R. Kahlon: I move, seconded by the member for Kamloops–South Thompson

electoral district:

[That Ronna-Rae Leonard , Member for Courtenay-Comox

Electoral District, be appointed Deputy Chair of the Committee of the

Whole for this session of the Legislative Assembly.]

Motion approved.

PRINTING OF Votes and

Proceedings

Hon. N. Sharma: I move:

[That the Votes and Proceedings of this House be printed,

being first perused by the Speaker, and that he do appoint the printing

thereof, and that no person but such as he shall appoint do presume to

print the same.]

Motion approved.

APPOINTMENT OF

SELECT STANDING

COMMITTEES

Hon. M. Farnworth: I move:

[That the Select Standing Committees of this House, for the present

Session, be appointed for the following purposes:

1. Aboriginal Affairs;

2. Education;

3. Finance and Government Services;

4. Health;

5. Public Accounts;

6. Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing

Orders and Private Bills;

7. Crown Corporations;

8. Children and Youth;

9. Agriculture, Fish and Food;

which said Committees shall severally be empowered to examine and

inquire into all such matters and things as shall be referred to them by

this House, and to report from time to time their observations and

opinions thereon, with power to send for persons, papers, and records,

and that a Special Committee be appointed to prepare and report with all

convenient speed lists of members to compose the above Select Standing

Committees of this House under Standing Order 68 (1), the Committee to

be composed of the Hon. Ravi Kahlon (Convener), Hon. Lisa

Beare , Nicholas Simons , Garry Begg ,

Michele Babchuk , Roly Russell , Todd

Stone , Lorne Doerkson , Doug Clovechok , and

Adam Olsen .]

Motion approved.

Hon. R. Kahlon moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until ten o’clock tomorrow

morning.

The House adjourned at 2:58 p.m.

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