British Columbia Hansard — 27 April 2021, a.m., Issue 59 (42nd Parliament, 2nd Session)

20210427am-Hansard-n59

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Second Session, 42nd Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Morning Sitting Issue No. 59 THE HONOURABLE RAJ CHOUHAN, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Janet Austin, OBC Second Session, 42nd Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Raj Chouhan EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................... Hon. John Horgan Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training...........................................................................................................Hon.

Anne Kang Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries......................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing .............................................................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ....................................................................................................................Hon.

Mitzi Dean Minister of State for Child Care...................................................................................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Minister of Citizens’ Services.....................................................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Minister of Education .................................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation ........................................................................................Hon. Bruce Ralston, QC Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy............................................................................................. Hon. George Heyman Minister of Finance .......................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Selina Robinson Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development ................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations................................................................................. Hon. Nathan Cullen Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.............................................................................Hon.

Adrian Dix Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation .......................................................................................... Hon. Murray Rankin, QC Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation....................................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Kahlon Minister of State for Trade...............................................................................................................................................Hon.

George Chow Minister of Labour ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Harry Bains Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.............................................................................................................. Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Minister of Municipal Affairs ............................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Josie Osborne Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................... Hon. Mike Farnworth Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction........................................................................................... Hon. Nicholas Simons Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport .................................................................................................................. Hon.

Melanie Mark Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure................................................................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming Minister of State for Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bowinn Ma LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition...................................................................................................................................................Shirley Bond Leader of the Third Party .......................................................................................................................................................... Sonia Furstenau Deputy Speaker..........................................................................................................................................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Assistant Deputy Speaker..............................................................................................................................................................Norm Letnick Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ...........................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.............................................................................................................................. Seunghee Suzie Seo Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services........................................................................................................................... Artour Sogomonian Clerk of Committees.......................................................................................................................................................................

Jennifer Arril Clerk Assistant, Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..............................................................................................Susan Sourial Senior Research Analyst ................................................................................................................................................................... Karan Riarh Acting Sergeant-at-Arms..................................................................................................................................................................Greg Nelson

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Alexis, Pam (BC NDP) ............................................................Abbotsford-Mission Anderson, Brittny (BC NDP) .........................................................Nelson-Creston Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Penticton Babchuk, Michele (BC NDP)...............................................................North Island Bailey, Brenda (BC NDP).................................................. Vancouver–False Creek Bains, Hon. Harry (BC NDP).........................................................

Surrey-Newton Banman, Bruce (BC Liberal Party) ............................................ Abbotsford South Beare, Hon. Lisa (BC NDP) .......................................

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Begg, Garry (BC NDP).................................................................Surrey-Guildford Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ...............................................Peace River South Bond, Shirley (BC Liberal Party).................................Prince George–Valemount Brar, Jagrup (BC NDP) ................................................................Surrey-Fleetwood Cadieux, Stephanie (BC Liberal Party) .............................................

Surrey South Chandra Herbert, Spencer (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–West End Chant, Susie (BC NDP) ..............................................North Vancouver–Seymour Chen, Hon. Katrina (BC NDP) ............................................... Burnaby-Lougheed Chouhan, Hon. Raj (BC NDP).................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Chow, Hon. George (BC NDP) ..........................................Vancouver-Fraserview Clovechok, Doug (BC Liberal Party)........................Columbia River–Revelstoke Conroy, Hon.

Katrine (BC NDP) ....................................................Kootenay West Coulter, Dan (BC NDP) .......................................................................... Chilliwack Cullen, Hon. Nathan (BC NDP) ................................................................... Stikine Davies, Dan (BC Liberal Party)................................................. Peace River North de Jong, Michael, QC (BC Liberal Party)....................................Abbotsford West Dean, Hon. Mitzi (BC NDP) ...............................................

Esquimalt-Metchosin D’Eith, Bob (BC NDP) .........................................................Maple Ridge–Mission Dix, Hon. Adrian (BC NDP) ................................................ Vancouver-Kingsway Doerkson, Lorne (BC Liberal Party) ........................................Cariboo-Chilcotin Donnelly, Fin (BC NDP) .......................................... Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Dykeman, Megan (BC NDP)............................................................... Langley East Eby, Hon. David, QC (BC NDP).......................................

Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (BC NDP) ..................................................Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Hon. Mike (BC NDP) .................................................Port Coquitlam Fleming, Hon. Rob (BC NDP) ...............................................

Victoria–Swan Lake Furstenau, Sonia (BC Green Party) .............................................Cowichan Valley Glumac, Rick (BC NDP) ..................................................Port Moody–Coquitlam Greene, Kelly (BC NDP) ........................................................Richmond-Steveston Halford, Trevor (BC Liberal Party) .........................................Surrey–White Rock Heyman, Hon. George (BC NDP) .........................................Vancouver-Fairview Horgan, Hon. John (BC NDP) ......................................... Langford–Juan de Fuca Kahlon, Hon.

Ravi (BC NDP) .............................................................. Delta North Kang, Hon. Anne (BC NDP) .................................................. Burnaby–Deer Lake Kirkpatrick, Karin (BC Liberal Party) ........................West Vancouver–Capilano Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal Party)....................................................................Shuswap Lee, Michael (BC Liberal Party) ..............................................Vancouver-Langara Leonard, Ronna-Rae (BC NDP)...............................................

Courtenay-Comox Letnick, Norm (BC Liberal Party) .................................. Kelowna–Lake Country Lore, Grace (BC NDP)........................................................... Victoria–Beacon Hill Ma, Hon. Bowinn (BC NDP).....................................North Vancouver–Lonsdale Malcolmson, Hon. Sheila (BC NDP)........................................................Nanaimo Mark, Hon. Melanie (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Mercier, Andrew (BC NDP) ........................................................................

Langley Merrifield, Renee (BC Liberal Party)......................................... Kelowna-Mission Milobar, Peter (BC Liberal Party) .......................... Kamloops–North Thompson Morris, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ................................. Prince George–Mackenzie Oakes, Coralee (BC Liberal Party).................................................. Cariboo North Olsen, Adam (BC Green Party)............................ Saanich North and the Islands Osborne, Hon.

Josie (BC NDP)........................................Mid Island–Pacific Rim Paddon, Kelli (BC NDP) ................................................................Chilliwack-Kent Paton, Ian (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Delta South Popham, Hon. Lana (BC NDP)........................................................ Saanich South Ralston, Hon. Bruce, QC (BC NDP) .............................................Surrey-Whalley Rankin, Hon.

Murray, QC (BC NDP) .............................Oak Bay–Gordon Head Rice, Jennifer (BC NDP) ...................................................................... North Coast Robinson, Hon. Selina (BC NDP)...................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Ross, Ellis (BC Liberal Party)......................................................................... Skeena Routledge, Janet (BC NDP) .............................................................Burnaby North Routley, Doug (BC NDP)...........................................

Nanaimo–North Cowichan Russell, Roly (BC NDP).................................................... Boundary-Similkameen Rustad, John (BC Liberal Party)......................................................Nechako Lakes Sandhu, Harwinder (BC NDP) .................................................Vernon-Monashee Sharma, Niki (BC NDP)..........................................................Vancouver-Hastings Shypitka, Tom (BC Liberal Party) .................................................... Kootenay East Simons, Hon. Nicholas (BC NDP).........................

Powell River–Sunshine Coast Sims, Jinny (BC NDP) ................................................................. Surrey-Panorama Singh, Aman (BC NDP) .............................................Richmond-Queensborough Singh, Rachna (BC NDP)...................................................Surrey–Green Timbers Starchuk, Mike (BC NDP) ......................................................... Surrey-Cloverdale Stewart, Ben (BC Liberal Party) .......................................................

Kelowna West Stone, Todd (BC Liberal Party) ...............................Kamloops–South Thompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal Party) ............................. West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal Party)....................................................... Fraser-Nicola Walker, Adam (BC NDP) ....................................................... Parksville-Qualicum Wat, Teresa (BC Liberal Party) ....................................... Richmond North Centre Whiteside, Hon. Jennifer (BC NDP) .........................................

New Westminster Wilkinson, Andrew, QC (BC Liberal Party)......................Vancouver-Quilchena Y ao, Henry (BC NDP) ..................................................... Richmond South Centre LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission................................................................................. Pam Alexis Abbotsford South...............................................................................Bruce Banman Abbotsford West......................................................................

Michael de Jong, QC Boundary-Similkameen........................................................................ Roly Russell Burnaby–Deer Lake....................................................................... Hon. Anne Kang Burnaby-Edmonds......................................................................Hon. Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed .................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen Burnaby North .................................................................................

Janet Routledge Cariboo-Chilcotin ..........................................................................Lorne Doerkson Cariboo North.................................................................................... Coralee Oakes Chilliwack ...............................................................................................Dan Coulter Chilliwack-Kent .................................................................................... Kelli Paddon Columbia River–Revelstoke .........................................................

Doug Clovechok Coquitlam–Burke Mountain...............................................................Fin Donnelly Coquitlam-Maillardville ...................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson Courtenay-Comox................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard Cowichan Valley ............................................................................. Sonia Furstenau Delta North................................................................................... Hon.

Ravi Kahlon Delta South ..................................................................................................Ian Paton Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Hon. Mitzi Dean Fraser-Nicola .........................................................................................

Jackie Tegart Kamloops–North Thompson .............................................................Peter Milobar Kamloops–South Thompson..................................................................Todd Stone Kelowna–Lake Country .....................................................................Norm Letnick Kelowna-Mission ...........................................................................

Renee Merrifield Kelowna West ..........................................................................................Ben Stewart Kootenay East.......................................................................................Tom Shypitka Kootenay West........................................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy Langford–Juan de Fuca .............................................................. Hon.

John Horgan Langley .............................................................................................Andrew Mercier Langley East....................................................................................Megan Dykeman Maple Ridge–Mission.............................................................................. Bob D’Eith Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Mid Island–Pacific Rim............................................................ Hon.

Josie Osborne Nanaimo.............................................................................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Nanaimo–North Cowichan............................................................... Doug Routley Nechako Lakes........................................................................................ John Rustad Nelson-Creston ............................................................................. Brittny Anderson New Westminster.............................................................. Hon.

Jennifer Whiteside North Coast ........................................................................................... Jennifer Rice North Island................................................................................... Michele Babchuk North Vancouver–Lonsdale......................................................... Hon. Bowinn Ma North Vancouver–Seymour...................................................................Susie Chant Oak Bay–Gordon Head..................................................Hon.

Murray Rankin, QC Parksville-Qualicum........................................................................... Adam Walker Peace River North ................................................................................... Dan Davies Peace River South ................................................................................ Mike Bernier Penticton ................................................................................................. Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam...................................................................... Hon.

Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Coquitlam.......................................................................Rick Glumac Powell River–Sunshine Coast..............................................Hon. Nicholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie....................................................................Mike Morris Prince George–Valemount ..................................................................

Shirley Bond Richmond North Centre..........................................................................Teresa Wat Richmond-Queensborough..................................................................Aman Singh Richmond South Centre .......................................................................... Henry Y ao Richmond-Steveston ............................................................................

Kelly Greene Saanich North and the Islands .............................................................Adam Olsen Saanich South .............................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Shuswap...................................................................................................... Greg Kyllo Skeena........................................................................................................... Ellis Ross Stikine........................................................................................ Hon.

Nathan Cullen Surrey-Cloverdale .............................................................................. Mike Starchuk Surrey-Fleetwood.....................................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey–Green Timbers........................................................................Rachna Singh Surrey-Guildford......................................................................................Garry Begg Surrey-Newton ..............................................................................Hon.

Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ...................................................................................... Jinny Sims Surrey South ................................................................................ Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Whalley ................................................................. Hon. Bruce Ralston, QC Surrey–White Rock .......................................................................... Trevor Halford Vancouver-Fairview.............................................................. Hon.

George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek...................................................................... Brenda Bailey Vancouver-Fraserview...............................................................Hon. George Chow Vancouver-Hastings ..............................................................................Niki Sharma Vancouver-Kensington....................................................................... Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..................................................................... Hon.

Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara................................................................................ Michael Lee Vancouver–Mount Pleasant..................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark Vancouver–Point Grey ............................................................Hon. David Eby, QC Vancouver-Quilchena........................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC Vancouver–West End .....................................................Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee .....................................................................

Harwinder Sandhu Victoria–Beacon Hill............................................................................... Grace Lore Victoria–Swan Lake.................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano...........................................................Karin Kirkpatrick West Vancouver–Sea to Sky................................................................Jordan Sturdy Party Standings: BC NDP 57; BC Liberal Party 28; BC Green Party 2

CONTENTS Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Morning Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members..................................................................................................................................................... 1455 Introduction and First Reading of Bills................................................................................................................................ 1455 Bill 5 — InBC Investment Corp. Act Hon. R.

Kahlon Statements (Standing Order 25B) ......................................................................................................................................... 1455 Response to opioid crisis by Moms Stop the Harm network T. Stone Chilliwack Restorative Justice Society D. Coulter Bob Hughes and ASK Wellness Society housing initiatives P . Milobar Parks system in B.C. K. Greene Surrey Board of Trade Top 25 under 25 Award recipients S. Cadieux Supports for youth at risk R.

Russell Oral Questions......................................................................................................................................................................... 1458 COVID-19 vaccination plan and role of pharmacies S. Bond Hon. A. Dix R. Merrifield COVID-19 response and use of rapid testing S. Furstenau Hon. A. Dix COVID-19 response and paid sick leave T. Stone Hon. S. Robinson Child care plan K. Kirkpatrick Hon. S. Robinson Richmond Hospital acute care tower project T. Wat Hon. A. Dix New schools in Vancouver area J. Tegart Hon. S. Robinson Cancer treatment services in Kamloops P .

Milobar Hon. A.

Dix Tabling Documents................................................................................................................................................................. 1463 Office of the Auditor General,Avalanche Safety on Provincial Highways, April 2021 Report pursuant to the COVID-19 Related Measures Act regarding Ministerial Order M172/2021, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Orders of the Day Budget Debate(continued) .................................................................................................................................................... 1463 K.

Kirkpatrick Hon. J. Whiteside G. Kyllo

TUESDAY , APRIL 27, 2021 The House met at 10:03 a.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers and reflections: Hon. A. Kang. [10:05 a.m.] Introductions by Members Hon. R. Kahlon:I’m hoping that the House can join me in recognizing and welcoming four public servants who are here in the gallery today. We have James Harvey, who is the associate deputy minister in my ministry; Jessica Prince, who is an executive director. We have David Mor- timer, who is also an executive director, and Arian Zand, who is a legislative intern.

They’ve done some phenomenal work over the last sev- eral months under difficult circumstances for the public, for the people of British Columbia. I’m hoping the House can join me in recognizing the contributions that they’ve made to B.C. S. Furstenau:I just want to take a moment to introduce a group of students who are out in front of the Legislature this morning. They are from Mill Bay Nature School. They’re here with their teachers Brian Simmons and Kim Dell.

They’ve been gifted the namesmuq’wa’clan by Tousi- lum, an Elder in Cowichan Tribes.Smuq’wa’means “great blue heron. ” These kids are here today to raise awareness about the impacts to Burgoyne Bay from pollution, from garbage being left behind, from oil and diesel spills in the water. They’re hoping to raise awareness about the need to pro- tect this wonderful Burgoyne Bay. I’m really delighted to have had the chance to talk with them this morning and delighted to see these students in Cowichan really putting their educational efforts into real learning and real solu- tions.

Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL 5 — InBC INVESTMENT CORP . ACT Hon. R. Kahlon presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled InBC Investment Corp. Act. Hon. R. Kahlon:Mr. Speaker, I move that this bill be introduced and read a first time now. Mr. Speaker:Continue, Minister. Hon. R. Kahlon:I’m pleased to introduce Bill 5, the InBC Investment Corp. Act. This pandemic has been a challenging time for people, businesses and communities across British Columbia. While we have faced significant challenges, we have done well in B.C. because we have worked together.

When our small and medium-sized businesses are facing serious obstacles, our government has responded with the most supports per capita for businesses in the country. Today I’m pleased to share that we’re taking further steps to help lay the foundation for a stronger B.C. InBC, our new, bold, and first-of-its-kind $500 million strategic investment fund, will provide B.C.-based businesses with the capital to position our province as a frontrunner in the post-pandemic economy. The fund will be managed by a new corporation called InBC Investment Corp., or, simply put, InBC.

The act that I’m introducing today establishes some of the key features of that Crown corporation, including its unique mandate, the independence of investment decision-making, and its governance framework, as well as its transparency and accountability measures. InBC will make investments in small and medium-sized businesses through a triple-bottom-line mandate that equally values and prioritizes our people and planet with profits. With this focus, InBC will help grow our economy in an innovative, sustainable and inclusive way.

As we emerge from the pandemic in the coming months, we need to build an economy that creates more family-supporting jobs, advances reconciliation with Indigenous people and is cleaner, greener and more resilient than before. InBC will help us get there. Mr. Speaker:The question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Hon. R. Kahlon:I move that this bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Bill 5, InBC Investment Corp.

Act, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. [10:10 a.m.] Statements (Standing Order 25B) RESPONSE TO OPIOID CRISIS BY MOMS STOP THE HARM NETWORK T. Stone:I rise today in search of hope amid unimagin- able grief for far too many B.C. families, grief caused by the significant rise in opioid-related overdose deaths. I believe 1455

I found that hope in the unstoppable spirit of two moth- ers who, despite living their worst nightmares, have found unrelenting courage to make a difference for others. Our province recently marked five years since a public health emergency related to the rise of overdose deaths was declared. British Columbia was, in fact, the first province in Canada to see the overdose tragedy for what it was and sadly still is. With an average of five people dying of an overdose every single day in B.C., 2021 is shap- ing up to be even worse than 2020, the deadliest year on record.

Just last Wednesday, B.C. emergency health ser- vices responded to 138 potential overdoses, which was a new single-day high. Thankfully, however, there is courage and tenacity embedded in people determined to change the narrative. Sandra Tully of Kamloops and Helen Jennens of Kelowna are both of Moms Stop the Harm, a network of Canadian mothers and families whose loved ones have died due to substance use, a network fighting back against the stigma of opioid overdoses, calling for a safe drug supply and advocating for a new approach based on reducing harm and ensuring supports for a place to get better.

Sandra’s son Ryan died of an accidental overdose in January of 2016. Sandra just recently helped organize a highly impactful Lost Souls display in Kamloops. She said: “If I’m not going to speak, who is?” Helen has tragically lost two sons due to accidental overdoses: Rian in August of 2011 and Tyler in January of 2016. So many stories; so many families ripped apart. Y et through it all, we grieve with, and we say thank you to, brave and compassionate moms like Sandra and Helen. CHILLIW ACK RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SOCIETY D. Coulter:Today I’ d like to tell you about the Chil- liwack Restorative Justice society.

The society was incor- porated in June 1998. It is a volunteer-based community organization focused on delivering programs and services in the areas of crime prevention and public safety as well as fostering a safe and caring community through restor- ative approaches. Chilliwack Restorative Justice offers restorative services to people affected by criminal acts such as shoplifting, arson, assault, theft, break and enter, vandalism and mis- chief. They have a diversion program from the traditional court system.

This program empowers individuals to take accountability and responsibility for their actions and work to repair harm, rebuild relationships and restore communities. RJ can help with racial and gender sentencing dispar- ities and can help decrease the criminalization of men- tal illness and poverty. Victims have lower rates of PTSD and higher rates of satisfaction from RJ processes than traditional court.

This program receives youth and adult referrals from the RCMP , victim services, loss preven- tion officers, strata companies, sports associations and other community agencies such as schools and non- profit groups. Referrals include situations where crime, conflict or harm has occurred and the people involved are searching for solutions that promote repair, reconciliation, learning and understanding. Cases commonly referred include physical assault, threats, break and enter, mischief, theft, community disputes and ongoing relationship conflict.

Chilliwack Restorative Justice also offers prevention programs in schools. All the prevention programs aim to engage and empower youth in meaningful dialogue, experiential activities and learning sessions surrounding topics that lead to misbehaviour or criminal behaviour. Emotion management, self-awareness, mindfulness, com- passion, empathy, teamwork, leadership and resolving conflict are just some of the many topics covered. I hope this House will applaud the dedicated volunteers of Chilliwack Restorative Justice. BOB HUGHES AND ASK WELLNESS SOCIETY HOUSING INITIATIVES P .

Milobar:In 1992, on a basement couch, HIV/AIDS activists in Kamloops were seeking ways to support people in Kamloops who were struggling. This is where the AIDS Society of Kamloops was created. [10:15 a.m.] The society was created to promote health and wellness as well as provide education to strengthen the Kamloops community. Not long after the society started their work, they realized that many people needing help required housing to be able to properly focus on their health — or housing, sorry.

As the housing initiative started, the demand made it clear that the society had decided to tackle a huge problem, and they leaned into the work. In 2016, the society changed its name to ASK Wellness to better reflect the ser- vices and supports they were providing to Kamloops. In 2007, the society brought on a new executive director, Bob Hughes. From that hiring, the wheels were now in motion for ASK to become a major housing provider for the most vulnerable in Kamloops. Recently Bob Hughes was recognized nationally for his dedication and efforts in harm reduction and hous- ing.

In late March, Bob became one of 98 people recog- nized with the Meritorious Service Decoration from the office of the secretary to the Governor General. This ser- vice decoration is one of the highest distinctions that can be awarded in Canada. I’ve always appreciated Bob’s direct assessment of what programs or supports will work and where gaps exist. Be it in conversations with me on what the city could do to help while I was on council or now as an MLA on what provincial supports are needed, Bob has a way of cutting 1456 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

through the more partisan nature of politics and is strictly focused on what will help the vulnerable people the most. I know many people on both sides of this House know exactly what I’m talking about. His desire to help has led to ASK Wellness becoming a major housing provider that has a wide range of housing options and street outreach to try and find people the appropriate housing and supports they need to stabilize and succeed. Over the last few years, Bob has expanded the service area of ASK Wellness to include Merritt and Pen- ticton.

Now, Bob would be the first one to point out that he could not do this work without the incredible dedicated team of women and men who are always willing to go above and beyond. But we all know that every successful team needs a great leader, and the Meritorious Service Decoration is a well-deserved honour for Bob Hughes. More importantly to the people that Bob helps every day, it is a well-earned honour. PARKS SYSTEM IN B.C. K. Greene:B.C. parks are treasured by all British Col- umbians. We are proud of our spectacular home, from jagged peaks and alpine lakes to marshy estuaries and our wild coastline.

Nature is vibrant here. It is powerful. It also soothes our minds and bodies. No wonder that British Columbi- ans are visiting B.C. parks in record numbers. B.C. ’ ers love to camp, hike, picnic and explore our parks. Right now we need to stick to parks close to home to stop the spread of COVID, but I know how eager folks are to get their boots on and tents up. When we get our COVID numbers pushed down, we are excited to be able to travel to our favourite campgrounds and trails. I say “we” because I’m a camper too. One of my earliest memories is camping in a surprise thunderstorm.

Getting outside with our loved ones is a wonderful opportunity to make memories together, although I recommend checking the weather forecast and being prepared. All this love for our B.C. parks means they need a boost to be able to meet the needs of visitors and also protect natural areas. With the latest announcement, we’re going to see enhanced trails to improve accessibility, the renova- tion and expansion of facilities, additional staff and back- country improvements. Y ou don’t need to have a provin- cial park in your backyard to get excited about bigger and better B.C. parks.

Gail from Richmond wrote to me about her delight for hundreds of new campsites and trail improvements for our beautiful province. She says: “Thank you for your efforts you’ve put in to make this happen. ” Gail, I’m thrilled that you’re excited about B.C. parks’ future. So am I. See you out there. SURREY BOARD OF TRADE TOP 25 UNDER 25 AW ARD RECIPIENTS S. Cadieux:Last week the Surrey Board of Trade held its 11th annual Top 25 Under 25 Awards. The awards aim to recognize business- and community-oriented individu- als under the age of 25 and strive to encourage youth lead- ership and entrepreneurship.

This year’s outstanding winners may have come from diverse backgrounds, but all possess inspiring visions that can help positively transform different aspects of society.

For example, winners like Adrija Chakrabarti, Karanvir Dhillon, Sukhraj Dhunna, Vivian Tan and Vedanshi Vala founded non-profit organizations that aim to improve aspects of quality of life for others, insisting that by focus- ing on meeting the needs locally, we can have global impact. [10:20 a.m.] Winner Natasha Burgert’s project “Solar Electric Vehicle: A Sustainable Transport” has demonstrated that scientific research and experimental development can lead to innovations.

Likewise, Graydon Lawson, founder of social enterprise ReduceWasteNow, is inspiring others to live more sustainably so we can improve the health of our communities. Other winners — Michael Hong, Carissa Konesky, Gun- reet Sethi and Tajdeep Singh Sandhu — have reminded us of why providing resources like peer support to those who are coping with mental health challenges and addictions is imperative to both recovery and battling stigma.

Other winners of the 11th annual awards included Govind Deol; Sally Jiao; Anchal Kataria; Y ashmeet Kaur; Tavleen Kaur Ramgarhia; Tavisha Kochhar; Harpo Mander; Tilyna Pawer; Stuti Sharma; Darshpreet Singh Badyal; Gabriel Soares; Prabhvir Tiwana; Esther Zhang; and Jerry Pol, who is also the recipient of this year’s hon- orary Health and Safety in the Workplace Award. I congratulate all of this year’s Surrey Top 25 Under 25 Awards. The future truly lives here. SUPPORTS FOR YOUTH AT RISK R. Russell:Good morning to the House, and good morning to you, Mr. Speaker.

Last week my colleague the member for Burnaby North highlighted to me and made the observation that I can use my privilege in this House to give somebody else my voice. That’s what I’m going to do today. “I need you to imagine a picture with three faces of small chil- dren, small boys, the three of them blocked out. I took this photo in 2000, 20 years ago. These kids were in grade 1 and 3 at that time. They were in my shop often. They were part of a larger group of eight kids in town that, at the time, I was concerned about. “Even at this very young age, I knew that these kids needed additional support.

They needed our help and our love as a com- munity. I saw it. I’m sure teachers saw it. EAs saw it. The school principal saw it. Neighbours saw it. The RCMP saw it. Y et, very Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1457

sadly, of those eight kids who were at risk of possibly slipping through the cracks at ages six and seven, most went on to do just that. “ After finding this photo again, I took the time to track those eight kids down. The results were upsetting: one, drug addiction and suffering from brain damage; two, deceased; three, drug ad- diction, living on the streets; four, jail; five, jail; six, in and out of jail; seven, jail to a halfway house, but presently not reachable; and number eight pulled through and made it — one kid out of eight. “I wanted to know how. So yesterday, 20 years later, I reached out and asked.

The answer was one single teacher, one single per- son who reached out to show love and support, who wouldn’t give up and went on to change — most likely save — a person’s life. ” Those are the words of the owner of Unity skate shop in Osoyoos, a champion for youth in my community. Oral Questions COVID-19 V ACCINATION PLAN AND ROLE OF PHARMACIES S. Bond: Over the coming weeks, B.C. ’s supply of vac- cine is expected to increase, and that is a good thing. It will increase to nearly 275,000 Pfizer doses, and more are com- ing from Johnson and Johnson and from Moderna.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec are all finding ways to include phar- macies in their vaccination plans, including administering Pfizer and Moderna. But in B.C., the government has only talked about pharmacies playing a significant role in giv- ing second doses — which, for many people, is months from now, and not including them in the first doses that are so desperately needed right now. To the Premier, why are B.C. pharmacies not being asked to provide first-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccina- tions, as they are in other jurisdictions? Hon. A.

Dix: Thank you to the member for her ques- tion. To date in B.C., we’ve delivered, as the member will know, well over 1.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve focused first on our long-term-care and assisted-liv- ing homes, and did 100 percent of those in January. [10:25 a.m.] More than 80 percent of all those over 70 have been immunized, and 21 local health areas, principally rural ones, have been immunized at more than 50 percent. More than 60 percent of those over 60 have been immunized, and 180,000 clinically vulnerable people have also been immunized.

We have used, as of today, more than 98 per- cent of the Pfizer vaccine we’ve received and more than 90 percent of the Moderna vaccine we’ve received. This is an extraordinary achievement. Pharmacies have played a role as well. As the member will know, we distributed more than 188,000 doses of AstraZeneca to pharmacies across B.C. a number of weeks ago, and they’ve been doing an excellent job in distributing this vaccine to British Columbians across the province, such that we have only about 40,000 of those 188,000 doses left to be distributed. It is a team B.C. effort.

I think the performance has been simply exceptional. The only thing limiting our vaccine supply is the amount of vaccine we are receiving, and we’re going to be receiving more in the coming weeks. Pharmacies are play- ing a key role in our effort, and I think everyone should be proud of what we’ve done to vaccinate British Columbians against COVID-19. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Official Opposition on a supplemental. S. Bond: I appreciate the minister’s answer. He avoided answering the specific question.

We have been told repeatedly that the most important thing we can do in British Columbia is to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible. This should be an all-hands-on-deck situation, particularly with increased vaccine arriving in our province. The last time — and the minister referenced it — the government called on pharmacies to administer vac- cines, it was at the very last minute. We can all recall that it was so botched that many pharmacies didn’t even know they were on the list and in fact had to find out, from media coverage, that they were on that list.

Despite that confusion and the mayhem of multiple wait-lists, British Columbians were enthusiastic about receiving their AstraZeneca vaccine at a pharmacy. That, too, is a very good thing. British Columbians trust their pharmacists, and they want to get their vaccination in a familiar place. It’s a simple addition to the vaccination plan that the minister has outlined in great detail. Where is the plan to include pharmacies in the adminis- tration of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that is taking place in jurisdictions all across the country? Hon. A.

Dix: I say this with great respect to the hon. member — we’ve spoken about these issues, and I know of her support for our efforts to vaccinate British Col- umbians: when you’ve used 98 percent of the Pfizer, used it in a precise way, targeting those that are most vulner- able, those clinically vulnerable, our elders, Indigenous communities, rural communities who are most vulner- able from COVID-19, I think this is the opposite of how the member characterized these vaccination efforts. It has been exceptional, in service on the ground and the support and the generosity of volunteers, staff and med- ical staff.

In the actual experience of immunization, it has been exceptional. I’m not sure how you can do better than delivering 98 percent of vaccines — and being ready and having vir- tually none in the fridge when the Pfizer vaccine arrived from the federal government. I think our performance has been excellent. Pharmacists have played a critical role in it, 1458 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

and 188,000 doses distributed to pharmacies is not a lim- ited role; it’s an important role. We are going to continue to learn and improve our vac- cine performance in the coming weeks. After these slower weeks at the end of April, we are going to receive 276,000 doses of Pfizer — Moderna, less clear — and I think our teams are going to do an exceptional job in delivering it as soon as they can to British Columbians. R. Merrifield:Well, I think we should talk about the minister’s numbers that he’s using, because I do think it is absolutely exceptional that we have delivered 1,635,372 vaccines in five months.

I celebrate that fact. [Applause.] Thank you. [10:30 a.m.] What we’re talking about are the 4,364,628 that we have arriving in the next two months. The B.C. pharmacists have been left on the sidelines. We have record hospitaliz- ations and staff burnout, but instead of using pharmacists to shoulder the load, doctors and nurses are also adminis- tering shots at vaccination clinics. Health care profession- als are stretched. To the Premier, why is this government adding to the burden on doctors and nurses when we have pharmacists available across B.C.? Hon. A.

Dix: I guess I can repeat that 188,000 doses of AstraZeneca were delivered to community pharmacies — over 640 pharmacies across B.C. That demonstrates our commitment to using community pharmacists as a key part of our immunization campaign. I note that our strategy in B.C., and this is why we were first to complete long-term-care homes, is to focus on the most vulnerable: to ensure that rural and remote com- munities are supported, that all 205 First Nations com- munities had full clinics, that we could deliver 180,000 doses to the clinically vulnerable. I think the strategy has been exceptionally delivered.

And I want to be clear. It hasn’t been delivered by me; it’s been delivered by doctors and nurses and pharmacists and volunteers in every community in B.C. I am so proud of this effort. Y ou cannot, I don’t think, do significantly better than we’ve done in delivering the vaccine we’ve had. Y ou can’t do much better than 98 percent, and we would finish and go to 100 percent today if we didn’t receive more Pfizer vaccine. So the performance has been exceptional. Phar- macists are playing a key role. They’re going to continue to play a key role.

I think all members of the House would agree that we need to continue, as we receive more vaccine in May and June, to focus on those most vulnerable and protecting British Columbians, and we intend to do just that. Mr. Speaker:The member for Kelowna-Mission on a supplemental. R. Merrifield:Again, with all due respect to the minis- ter, this is not about expiring AstraZeneca. This is about the United States and most other provinces that have been using pharmacies for Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations. B.C. pharmacies should be fully activated, but under this government, they’re not.

This is what pharmacist Jason Cridge has to say: “The vaccine distribution so far has been very patchy and very uneven…. There’s no real rhyme or reason as to why that’s happened. ” To the Premier, he had a year, a full year, to plan. Why is there not a detailed plan to better use pharmacies? Hon. A. Dix: We presented our detailed immunization plan first in December, then in January, and we have delivered on that plan. We focused first on our elders, of course, and people in long-term care and assisted living, and we delivered. We focused on those clinically vulnerable, and we delivered.

We focused with our partners in the First Nations Health Authority, and we delivered. When I say “we, ” I mean all of us delivered in an extraordinary way. With respect to AstraZeneca, when it arrived…. It arrived, as the member will know, at the end of March in about 188,000 doses that came, in that case, from the United States. We employed our pharmacy network to help deliver that, and I am proud of their work and con- gratulate them for the work.

The only thing that is inconsistent about the vaccine delivery has been the arrival of vaccines in B.C., but we have delivered it when it has arrived, and I’m very proud of that. Interjections. Mr. Speaker:Minister. Just wait, please. Members, come to order. When the minister is answer- ing virtually, he can’t hear you, so there’s no point in going back and forth. COVID-19 RESPONSE AND USE OF RAPID TESTING S. Furstenau: We often compare our pandemic responses to other countries and other provinces. Indeed, it seems there’s a lot to learn both from the failures and successes of other provinces and countries.

Here in Canada, we have the maritime provinces, which have been very aggressive in their response to COVID-19. With a recent uptick in cases, let’s consider the steps they’re cur- rently taking. On Monday, with a population of less than a million and a total active case count of 323, Nova Scotia processed 11,335 COVID tests and reported 66 positive cases. Rapid tests are available to anyone in Nova Scotia over the age of 16, whether they are exhibiting symptoms or not. Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1459

[10:35 a.m.] All schools in the Halifax regional centre and some sur- rounding communities are closed, and the people of Nova Scotia have been told to stay in their own communities. The positivity rate in Nova Scotia right now is 0.6 percent. The positivity rate in B.C. is 9.3 percent. My question is to the Minister of Health. Interjection. S. Furstenau:Interesting. I’m being heckled on this, hon. Speaker. It appears from the actions that Nova Scotia is taking that it remains committed to keeping COVID-19 cases as close to zero as possible. What is our goal in B.C.? Hon. A.

Dix:Thanks to the member for her question. Our goal, first of all, is to reduce transmission as much as we can and protect the most vulnerable. That’s been exhibited in our strategy around vaccination, in our strategy since the beginning of the pandemic — one that, I think, is broadly supported across British Columbia. Our goal is to ensure that our health care facilities are not over- whelmed by the real challenges faced with current case counts of COVID-19.

Our goal is to ensure that people in communities, people with other health care issues — because I remind the member, and everyone else, that there are approxim- ately 7,900 people in hospital with other conditions than COVID-19 — people with health and mental health issues, get the supports they need. Our goal is to ensure that the impact of the pandemic on those most vulnerable is restrained. Our goal is to make sure that other social conditions, such as keeping schools open, are maintained. We had a discussion with the member’s colleague yes- terday with respect to rapid testing.

Our goal is that on the decisions such as rapid testing, we are focusing right now on the 2.5 million PCR tests we’ve done in British Columbia. Our goal is to support public health experts like Dr. Henry as they do their job and not give them instructions that would divert resources from where they’re most needed. Mr. Speaker:The Leader of the Third Party on a supple- mental. S. Furstenau:The minister says that, at the top, the goal is to reduce transmission. My question, really, is around the role that he sees testing playing in reducing transmission. Let’s compare Nova Scotia’s response to our own.

On Monday, April 26, British Columbia had a total active case count of 8,199. We processed 8,236 PCR tests, and we reported 763 positive cases. We have more than five times the population of Nova Scotia and 20 times the number of active cases, yet we processed 3,000 fewer case tests over the equivalent period. B.C. has 2.7 million rapid tests available but currently only for approved work sites. We have used less than 1 per- cent of those tests. Y esterday when the minister gave no clarity for when and how those tests will be used…. We are coming back and asking again.

Jurisdictions that have pursued elimination strategies, compared to balanced mitigation, have experienced less economic decline, supported higher rates of mobility, experienced less uncertainty and enjoyed far more flexib- ility in dealing with the pandemic over time. My question is to the Minister of Health. Will he com- mit to rapidly distributing the 2.7 million rapid tests in our stockpile to schools and workplaces, and will he indic- ate how his government is moving to further implement home-based rapid testing in B.C.? Hon. A.

Dix: The member will know — and I know she knows this fact — that the home-based rapid testing has not been approved in Canada yet. It has been used in the United Kingdom, and there’s a significant debate about the effectiveness of that. In addition, in other jurisdictions where politicians have intervened to force more asympto- matic testing, the results have not been positive for those jurisdictions in terms of the application of resources.

Our priority is to support British Columbians through this very difficult process, to work with them to reduce transmission in community, to use immunization on our most vulnerable groups, to reduce the worst effects of COVID-19 and to work in our hospital system to ensure that not just those with COVID but everyone receives the care they need and deserve. I think that this approach is broadly supported in Brit- ish Columbia.

It’s led and the advice is given on questions that are important questions of transmission, such as test- ing, by public health leaders. [10:40 a.m.] I don’t think we want to be in a jurisdiction where politi- cians overturn that — order, instruct and tell public health experts in issues such as transmission how and when they should use tests. The member knows we laid out our strategy for rapid testing in detail to her and everyone else in B.C. on March 4. We’re going to continue to follow that strategy, which uses rapid tests, yes, but uses the gold standard PCR test first.

COVID-19 RESPONSE AND PAID SICK LEAVE T. Stone:The Premier’s budget broke a lot of his prom- ises, but perhaps one of the most significant broken prom- ises was the one relating to providing a provincially funded sick pay program during the pandemic. Last year, the Pre- mier said: “We’re prepared to go it alone if need be…. We do have alternative plans in place. ” 1460 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

One year later, nobody has seen any plan from the Pre- mier to fund sick pay. It wasn’t in the budget. My question to the Premier is this. What was the plan that the Premier had prepared to go a year ago, and why did he break his promise to deliver sick pay during the pandemic? Hon. S. Robinson:I want to thank the member for his question. We certainly have taken a position about how important it is for people to stay at home when they’re sick and that for some here in British Columbia, it is difficult to do without a standard sick pay.

The Premier has engaged, and I have engaged, as well, with my counterpart federally to talk about how important it is to have a national pro- gram. This is a national issue, and a national program is the right way to deliver this program. As part of those con- versations, the federal government was interested in that program. They delivered their budget the day before we delivered ours, fully expecting that there would be an ele- ment of sick pay in their budget. Just like the members opposite, I was disappointed that that wasn’t the case.

Right now, there’s certainly conver- sation happening on this side of the House about how to proceed with next steps on a sick pay opportunity. Mr. Speaker: The member for Kamloops–South Thompson on a supplemental. T. Stone:That would be fine, except that the Premier said that he had a plan to go. He said he had a plan B. He had an alternative plan that was ready to go if the federal government didn’t step up and implement a national pro- gram. It’s been a year since the Premier made that commit- ment.

Here’s what his Labour Minister had to say: “ As the Pre- mier has said, if the feds fail to work with us, I think we as British Columbia will find our own ways. The Premier made it very clear. We don’t feel that the businesses should be burdened with the extra cost. ” That’s the Labour Minis- ter. It’s one year later, and there’s no plan from the Premier to fund sick pay. He couldn’t even be bothered to put it in his budget. Again to the Premier, is that still the plan, or is the Pre- mier content to break his promise to deliver sick pay dur- ing the pandemic? Hon. S.

Robinson:As I said in my earlier response, we were quite disappointed that the federal government made no mention of it in their budget, which was released the day before our budget. We were disappointed. We’ve cer- tainly expressed disappointment with the federal govern- ment. As a result of that, we are working together on this side of the House, as a cabinet and as a government, to address what I think, frankly, has been a missed opportunity for Canadians by the federal government. We’re prepared to continue to do the work, so that we can continue to take care of British Columbians. CHILD CARE PLAN K.

Kirkpatrick:The Premier isn’t just banking on the federal government to bail out sick pay promises. It was also part of his failed plan for universal $10-a-day daycare. The Premier promised a $250 million increase in child care spending this year, but only delivered $53 million in this budget. That is a quarter of what was promised, and still no $10-a-day daycare. Even this government’s own data shows that it will not meet the targets they set out four years ago. It’s not even in the service plan any more. The question is to the Premier.

Are you waiting for a federal bailout instead of keeping the universal $10-a-day child care promise? [10:45 a.m.] Hon. S. Robinson:Well, Budget ’21 certainly builds on the groundbreaking work that this side has been doing on child care. Our budget more than doubles the number of $10-a-day prototypes, not something that the people on the other side ever even considered. That was not even in their realm of possibility. Well, we’re doubling what cur- rently exists here in British Columbia, and that means 4,000 more affordable spaces for families right across Brit- ish Columbia.

I know that the member probably has another question, and I will save the rest of this fabulous answer for all of the things that we’re doing to make child care accessible for families here in British Columbia. K. Kirkpatrick:Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker:Let me recognize you, Member, first. Okay, Member. Proceed. K. Kirkpatrick:Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t hear, and I apologize. I also believe I did not hear exactly what the minister said.

I believe it was that this government has created 4,000 new child care spaces since 2017, which is true, according to what we’ve looked at, which is about 16,000 less than was promised. But these broken promises — they matter to the families that are struggling through this pandemic.

Paul Kershaw of Generation Squeeze: “Thousands and thousands of families during this pandemic are going to be struggling with child care costs that are equivalent to another rent, or mortgage-sized payment, on top of already higher housing costs. ” Instead of delivering univer- sal $10-a-day daycare, this Premier is choosing to let fam- ilies struggle. Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1461

Will the Premier dip into his $1 billion contingency fund to deliver universal $10-a-day daycare? Hon. S. Robinson:Well, I’ d be happy to share with the member that over 36,000 families now receive child care for $10 a day or less. There’s more on the way, and I have to say that now that the federal government is finally at the table, we’ll be able to do it much faster. RICHMOND HOSPITAL ACUTE CARE TOWER PROJECT T. Wat:The Premier has a habit of promising some- thing, re-promising it and then breaking that promise.

The Premier has told my Richmond constituents twice, not once, since 2017 that the NDP would build a new acute tower at the Richmond Hospital. Y et this budget shows the project is still not approved, and there’s no money or time- table to advance it. The MLA for Richmond-Steveston promised “shovels in the ground in 2021. ” Can the Premier tell us why the Richmond Hospital tower was a priority before his snap election but not after it? Hon. A. Dix: Well, unfortunately, the Richmond Hos- pital was not a priority prior to 2017. However, it has become a major priority of the government. A concept plan was approved.

That concept plan was upgraded, and the project was expanded, and we’re proceeding to build the Richmond Hospital. Mr. Speaker:The member for Richmond North Centre on a supplemental. T. Wat:Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess the minis- ter is lacking a concrete response to my question. The pandemic has shown yet again how important the hospital is to my community, despite the fact it’s over- crowded and does not meet current building codes. The Premier promised, in July, to be back in the fall to advance the project. But he decided on an election instead. The project is over six months behind.

It’s still not approved. There’s no money, and our community is con- cerned. The NDP MLAs in Richmond have been sitting silently on the sidelines, refusing to stand up for patients. [10:50 a.m.] Why is the Premier stalling on keeping his promise to the people of Richmond for a new hospital tower? Hon. A. Dix:It will be more than a hospital tower. It’s a significant project. It’s a high priority in Vancouver Coastal Health’s capital plan. It’s been approved at concept plan stage.

The member, as a former member of the executive council, ought to know that that means there is money attached to the project and a lot of it — a lot more than was originally in place when we first approved the concept plan in 2018. This will be an extraordinary project. We are building the hospital for the coming decades in Richmond. We’ve made it a priority when it had never been a prior- ity before. The member talks about months of delay. There were years of delay.

That’s why the Richmond MLAs, who are advocates for this project, including the member, are going to be delighted as we move forward on this project in the coming years, because it is needed in Richmond, just as the new urgent and primary care centre is needed in Richmond — which we just opened — just like increasing the support for seniors in Richmond was needed, and we delivered on that too. We’re going to continue to support the health care interests of the people of Richmond. NEW SCHOOLS IN V ANCOUVER AREA J.

Tegart:The Premier seems to have his bungling act down pat — roll into town, make a big promise, make it again and then just forget about it. Latest example — no new funding for a new Burke Mountain school, and that threatens the project’s future. Trustees wrote: “ An aspect of the urgency in securing funding is that a promised school opening date of Septem- ber 2023 is now unattainable. ” Also, in Vancouver–False Creek, the Premier promised a new school for Olympic Village. Any guesses as to whether they got it? They did not. My question is to the Premier.

How many more schools are you going to promise and not deliver on? Hon. S. Robinson:Well, I find it absolutely fascinating to hear from the members across the way, to talk about schools. Suddenly — they’re suddenly interested in build- ing schools. I have to say…. Interjection. Hon. S. Robinson: The member wants to talk about portables? I’m happy to talk about portables. Because in Surrey, this is the first year where they don’t need to buy a portable. Y ou know why? Y ou know why Surrey doesn’t have to buy a portable? Because we’ve been building schools in Surrey.

We are making up for lost time, because the members opposite continued to ignore the needs of our children. They continued to ignore the fact that they needed schools, so we’ve been working, trying to make up for lost time. We’re going to keep doing just that. CANCER TREATMENT SERVICES IN KAMLOOPS P . Milobar:It’s unfortunate the Finance Minister decided to ignore a question about Burke Mountain, 1462 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

which is, last I checked, I believe in her riding. But it’s not just these education promises that we’ve seen the Premier walk back on and break his promise on. In Kamloops, the Premier made it very clear during the election, came to town a day after the member for Kam- loops–South Thompson and myself announced enhanced cancer care for Kamloops, and said that would happen in Kamloops as well. Then he came back a week later and doubled down on that promise, and actually said it would happen in four years. The last time the NDP were in Kamloops, promising cancer care, was 1991, I believe.

I believe it was then Pre- mier Harcourt. Next thing you know — election’s over, cancer centre’s in Kelowna, not Kamloops. Now, as the machines age out of useful life, they need to be replaced in Kelowna. Fully two of the five get used by residents of Kamloops. The Premier knows this. The Pre- mier committed to four years. Y et the Health Minister, as recently as this week, has been on Radio NL saying ten years.

To the Premier, is the Premier going to fulfil his com- mitment — made in an election, very clearly on a very specified trip strictly to talk about a four-year cancer plan to Kamloops — and deliver a proper cancer centre in Kamloops in four years, or is it going to be ten years, or probably even longer, if the NDP track record is any indication? [10:55 a.m.] Hon. A. Dix: We believe that cancer care is an import- ant priority everywhere in B.C. That’s why we’ve expanded access to care, to treatment, to testing in all regions of Brit- ish Columbia.

I think it’s a real achievement of this govern- ment, but I say, importantly, of everyone involved in can- cer care in our province. In the election campaign, we presented a ten-year cancer plan to address what’s clearly going to be a grow- ing problem. We have improved outcomes, which is tre- mendous. We have enhanced life expectancy over 65, which means more age-related cancer.

We need to plan and prepare and provide the resources now, and that includes providing more cancer care in regional centres such as Kamloops — something that, by the way, wasn’t done in the years prior to 2017, the way that it needed to be done. We’ve continued, of course, to focus on delivering — these projects take time — on the Royal Inland Hospital project in Kamloops.

We’re delivering on our ten-year can- cer plan, as the budget shows, and as we intend to do, because we believe that care closer to home in communit- ies such as Kamloops — but also other communities, such as Nanaimo — is important to provide the care necessary for British Columbians. Cancer care is fundamental. Y ou need an organized plan to address the situation that’s in front of us. Kamloops is an important part of that. I’m proud to talk about the care we’re going to be delivering in Kamloops and the priority we’re giving to cancer care in that community.

I hope all members, especially those in Kamloops, would join in that support. [End of question period.] Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker:I have the honour to table a report of the Auditor General intituledAvalanche Safety on Provincial Highways. I also have the honour to table a report pursu- ant to the COVID-19 Related Measures Act. Orders of the Day Hon. M. Farnworth:I call continued debate on the budget. Budget Debate (continued) Mr. Speaker:The member for West Vancouver–Capil- ano will continue. K. Kirkpatrick:Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to continue the debate.

I’m going to go back just a moment over some of what I was speaking about yesterday. The $10-a-day daycare promise has not been seen in the budget. It’s causing con- fusion for families, and it’s causing confusion for daycare providers. [S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.] It’s worth noting that the majority of privately owned daycares are owned and operated by women. They employ a majority of women. They built these small businesses on a desire to provide loving and caring support to young people and to provide for their own families.

The child care they provide supports women in the workforce and the move towards wage parity and equitable career pro- gression. So poor daycare policy hurts women, and we are seeing poor daycare policy. I was speaking to a daycare provider over the last couple of weeks, who has just told me that he will be laying off 20 staff, who he had made offers to, in a brand-new day- care, providing 200 spaces, because with the wage cap that came in on April 1, he cannot afford to open, and he can- not afford to pay those staff.

He has already, in the past few weeks, notified the parents that those spaces that they believed would be available are not available. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention something related to this budget, but related to the ability for this govern- ment to do long-term planning. It’s something that not only creates delays in fee approvals and grants for day- Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1463

cares, but also something that impacts non-profit organiz- ations and other service providers to government. The trend we’ve seen with this government is a move to single-year contracts, away from multi-year contracts and funding contracts with service providers. This is for day- cares. This is for non-profits, social service agencies, health care organizations. What the result is, is continued uncer- tainty for these organizations and their staff and difficulty in them being able to do any kind of long-term planning. It was heightened this year with a budget that was two months late.

These organizations had expired contracts with government and did not know if they were going to be able to continue on, because their funding was on a year-to-year basis, and this budget did not come through in time to allow them to know if they could continue to count on that funding. [11:00 a.m.] There are long delays in approvals for program changes and fee increases, as I’ve heard from daycares, which makes it, again, difficult for them to do their planning, dif- ficult for them to know if they’re going to be able to give salary increases.

In moving to these one-year contracts, it has increased, in a dramatic way, the amount of paperwork that is required both by the service provider but also by government. In order to be able to rather than every three years enter into negotiations with these contracted services, they’re doing it on an annual basis. The contractor feels that by the time they get the first contract negotiated, it’s already time to start to negotiate the next contract. Again, this really, to me, demonstrates a lack of long- term planning.

So I would hope this government will con- sider moving back to multi-year contracts to give some clarity and support to these non-profits and small organ- izations that are providing services to this province, but more importantly, providing services to British Columbi- ans who desperately need them. It would also allow gov- ernment to be more efficient and direct more resources to service enhancement.

With the current deficit and with the challenges that we are facing as we move out of that deficit in however many years that takes, the more efficient the government can be in providing services, the better it will be for all British Columbians. I note, also, a reference in the budget that the sector’s intention…. And this is a fine intention, but the intention is to move daycare out of the Ministry of Children and Family Development and move it into the Ministry of Education. Now, this is a very tight time frame that the government has given in the budget.

They’re saying that by 2023, that is going to happen, yet I have not spoken to any school trustees or any daycare providers that have been consulted on this or that understand what the plan is. So 18 months from now…. Nobody that’s involved in this seems to know what the plan is. I’m also wondering if this means that the Ministry of Education…. Is it going to have an oversight role in the delivery of daycare, as MCFD and Health do right now? Or is the expectation that child care is going to actually be embedded within the education system and will be funded and operated by the Ministry of Education?

The ’21-22 Ministry of Children and Family Development ser- vice plan commits to developing a strategy for the “deliv- ery of child care into the Ministry of Education. ” In this budget, there is yet another pilot project in day- care announced. It’s called the seamless day model, and it’s another pilot. So we have the pilot which is the $10-a-day daycare. We have all these changes being made to the child care fee reduction initiative and the fee caps. Now we have another pilot project called the seamless day model.

If I was to look at all of this layering on in different programs, one might think that this government doesn’t have a focus or an overriding strategy in how to deliver efficient daycare in the province of British Columbia. There was a report on the seamless day model prepared by CUPE last summer. I’ll just read from it. Y ou know, I agree: ECE workers need more security. They need higher salaries.

They need more support from government, from the private sector as well, from daycare operators who I know desperately want to be able to pay more and support their staff, but because of ministry policies under CCFRI, do not have the ability to do that.

But what this report says — again, prepared by CUPE — is “moving child care and ECE into the public education system will also more broadly address recruitment and retention issues within the ECE sector, as ECE positions in the public sector have fewer recruitment and retention issues, and unionized programs experience less turnover. ” [11:05 a.m.] I’ll go back to what I just asked a moment ago. Is the intention for this government, in 18 months, to move child care into Education, truly into Education, to be operated through daycares which are staffed by the public sector?

From the reference to this program in this budget, I must say that the child care sector is concerned. It is unclear as to what is happening. This government likes to make an announcement about a policy and then try and build the policy underneath the announcement. It’s very unclear, and it is causing additional stress to these hard- working people providing child care today. They don’t know what they should be doing on a long-term basis. Should they be opening new spaces? Well, they can’t do that anyway. They can’t afford to do it under the CCFRI. Should they be hiring more staff?

How is an organization, whether they’re non-profit or profit, sup- posed to do any kind of operational planning when they don’t know where the funding is going to be and they don’t know if they’re even going to have a business or an organization to operate? On behalf of all of those child care providers putting their hearts and souls into caring for our children, I cer- tainly would urge this government to ensure that they are 1464 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

part of any planning or discussion on any change that is going to be made here. I was just reading some research that came out of Ontario, as they’re looking at implementing universal day- care as well. It shows very clearly that a market approach to regulated daycare provides a diversity of working exper- iences and opportunities for ECE workers and diverse experiences for children and their families, and it provides parents with a choice. The Representative for Children and Y outh made what she referred to as urgent recommendations related to sup- ports for children and youth with special needs.

So in last year’s service plan, a commitment was made to develop and to implement a children and youth with special needs framework. Now, this was to be delivered by government this past fall. Again, it’s been something that the represen- tative has been looking for, for quite some time, not just this last year. It’s been requested and recommended previ- ously. It has not been delivered, and certainly, nothing has been implemented. The pandemic has shown us just how vulnerable these families are and how much more support they need from government — without a pandemic.

For example, fam- ilies with children with autism experienced a complete derailment of the services that they could access in this last year. Y oung people with autism require development work. They require speech therapy. They require to be taken out into the community and learn how to use buses and go to day camps and learn to socialize. It’s so, so very important for these young people to have those external opportun- ities to develop their social skills and their coping skills. All of these services were cut off last year during the lock- down. There was no summer camp. There were no day camps.

Many of them couldn’t go to school because they have underlying health conditions and concerns. What happened is that these parents, who already are under so much pressure and have, also, very often had fin- ancial challenges because of the needs that have impacted their life in staying home and caring for this very loved child that they have…. Many had to take time off of work and lost income. They had to incur other expenses.

The autism funding that they’re allowed, on an annual basis, of $6,000 is so narrowly defined in terms of what they’re able to use these funds for that it was not allowed to be used for anything outside of day camps and speech therapy and all of these things that were not being provided to them, including respite for parents. I can’t even imagine how tired these parents must be.

Parents had asked that this $6,000 actually be allowed to be rolled over into the next year, particularly to recog- nize that there were some additional expenses, such as tak- ing time off work, but also to recognize that in this coming year, those young people are going to require a higher level of services because they’ve lost that year of development opportunity. They’ve lost that year of therapy. They’ve lost that year of social interaction and learning. They were told by MCFD, after it was asked of them, that that would not be possible, and that money disappeared at the end of March.

It’s very unfortunate. [11:10 a.m.] For many years, the representative has also been asking for supports for young people with FASD. Another report just came out last week asking for the same support, yet it does not appear in this budget. These young people often have the same or similar needs as a young person with autism, but as soon as they have an FASD diagnosis, CYSN actually cuts them off from these services. We’re hoping that this new CYSN framework, which is still to be released, is going to address many of the funding gaps that children and youth with special needs have.

Also, it is going to address the lack of funding and support for fam- ilies with children with FASD. With a budget of $2.4 billion, I was surprised, I guess is the word, when I looked at MCFD, the Ministry of Chil- dren and Family’s service plan, and it was 15 pages long — a $2.4 billion budget, 15 pages long, 12-point font at least, and some charts. There were six performance meas- urements. Now, we know MCFD has much greater responsibility than six programs and six priority areas, but there were only six performance measures. I was extremely surprised because this service plan….

I looked at the budget, and we’re trying to figure out what the numbers are in the budget. So you look at the service plan, and the service plan really should be the document that sets out the strategy. What are the programs? What are the supports? What are the outcomes that we’re trying to provide? How is this money going to be used? But, instead, there wasn’t much there. I’ve heard this government talk about reducing the number of children in care as a key objective, but that’s a quantitative number, not a qualitative one. There were no qualitative measures in this service plan.

I see that I am running out of time here, so I will just say a couple other things. I didn’t see additional support for those 17,000 non-union social services workers who have been left behind in the low-wage redress meant to move the sector closer to the health care sector. Those 17,000 employees are in a worse place than they were before. I don’t see the money that was supposedly set aside last year for recruitment and retention for that group.

This, to me, looks like another type of community bene- fits agreement, where this government is using a funding policy to force groups of employers to unionize, even if their employees have no need or interest in unionization. It’s the gradual unionization of the social services sector. Hon. J. Whiteside:I can’t tell you how honoured I am to stand before you today, virtually, in strong support of our government’s budget both as the MLA for New Westmin- ster and as B.C. ’s Minister of Education. Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1465

Our government’s budget focuses on people and busi- nesses across B.C. who are working hard to fight the COV- ID-19 pandemic and get life back on track. B.C. is provid- ing more supports per capita for people and businesses than any other province. Our government’s budget con- tinues to directly support people and businesses by con- tinuing to fund the B.C. recovery benefit and a range of measures to help businesses adapt and prepare to seize the opportunities that recovery will offer.

Our government’s budget makes the largest investment in B.C. ’s history in mental health and addictions services, including more supports in schools and expanding our response to the overdose crisis. An exciting investment for students across B.C. — free public transportation for chil- dren 12 and under.

Now that will save families up to $672 a year per child and give the next generation of transit riders a head start on the many health and wellness benefits that active transportation brings. [11:15 a.m.] Our government’s budget doubles the number of $10-a- day child care spaces, continues to build and expand centres to create more spaces and provides 400 more cul- turally relevant child care spaces for Indigenous families. And it doubles the wage enhancement for early childhood educators, the workforce behind the workforce.

I’ d go fur- ther and say that I think our plan really does recognize the diversity of B.C. families and the different needs that they have in different settings and sectors. In Budget 2021, we will also see record infrastructure investments, creating 85,000 jobs over three years, build- ing schools, building hospitals, roads and more right across the province. Ultimately, our government’s budget is about helping people now and creating the conditions for a strong eco- nomic recovery. In short, it’s all about people. It’s about supporting people across the province.

In my constituency of New Westminster, we also see the importance of these investments in access to health care and education and in affordable child care. I just wanted to highlight a couple of the projects that I think are particularly important. Royal Columbian Hospital, the oldest hospital in our province, has just started con- struction, just broke ground, on phase 2, which is a 348-bed acute care tower. It’s going to expand our acute care space, expand our emergency room space, and it is a lead-up to phase 3, where there will be a further expan- sion of in-patient capacity.

I want to say that Royal Columbian Hospital is such an important part of the fabric of our community in British Columbia. It dates back to 1862. It has a long and storied history as B.C. ’s oldest hospital, yet it has now become an important tertiary care centre for the province and, in fact, serves one in three people in British Columbia, provid- ing very important services. So we see how the investment that our government is making in people rolls out in com- munities right across the province.

In our government’s budget, of course, there’s so much good news for K-to-12 students, families, staff and com- munities. While we talk about education as a sector, education is really all about people. Schools are safe havens for many children, where students can access food and mental health supports, where they grow and learn and thrive. Our schools must be places that are welcoming and inclusive for all students. Schools are places where inequities must be addressed, where les- sons can change lives, where teachers and mentors help shape lives and build confidence.

I do want to give a big shout-out to all of the staff, to the teachers and education assistants, to clerical work- ers and administrators, to custodians and maintenance teams and bus drivers — all those who teach and sup- port our children, who take care of our schools, who lead and keep our schools running smoothly and who safely transport our kids. I’ d like to recognize, as well, all of the trustees and advocates who spend their own time advocating for education. We all owe you a debt of thanks for supporting schools and children and educa- tion throughout the pandemic.

I am proud of all of the work our government is doing, making phenomenal progress at building new schools, making schools safer with seismic upgrades, expanding mental health supports for students and staff, increasing affordable child care and introducing new anti-racism ini- tiatives as we all work together to end systemic racism. These important investments are moving forward des- pite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has altered this school year in ways we really couldn’t have imagined just over a year ago.

We know the sacrifices everyone is making this year will have long-term positive impacts for students on their learning because we were able to keep schools open and safe — and just as important, on their mental health and wellness. In a year of so much uncertainty, I know that for many students and families, school was one of their only constants, their only sense of normalcy.

I am very, very grateful and proud of the work everyone has done across our education system to mitigate the impact of COVID on our children. [11:20 a.m.] In addition to historic high investments in school operating and capital funding, as reflected in our gov- ernment’s budget, we have also supplied schools and dis- tricts with significant one-time funding to keep schools open and safe this school year. A total of $288 million continues to support school safety plans through the pandemic.

All school districts are using their COVID restart funding to hire additional staff, to make improve- ments to ventilation, to support remote learning and to increase cleaning protocols. We have several examples of these investments that aren’t just short term. They’re investments, in fact, that will benefit schools and the education system for many years to come. We will continue to work with public health officials as 1466 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

they review what health and safety measures will be neces- sary in September. While we expect that students will be learning in more normal conditions in the fall, as a res- ult of the government’s vaccine rollout, we will follow the advice of our public health officials and provide resources to school districts as needed. As we continue to support school communities, Budget 2021 ensures our education system will have the highest-ever school operating and capital funding.

K-to-12 education is receiving record levels of funding in this budget, with a 6 percent increase over last year which represents a 25 percent increase since 2016. Many of you know…. I mean, we know that education is all about people, but actually, 90 percent of the costs in edu- cation are directly about people. They’re our teachers, our education assistants, support staff and administrators. This budget, I am proud to say, fully funds negotiated labour costs for teachers and support staff with an investment of $662 million in funding.

Our government is also providing school districts with an additional $424 million to recognize enrolment growth. I am excited to tell you that our government’s budget includes funding boosts to improve access to virtual men- tal health programs and services in schools, to expand early learning and on-site school child care opportunities and for us to develop a framework to address racism and reconciliation. Throughout this pandemic, we have worked closely with our partners across the K-to-12 education system to do everything possible to maintain safe schools for students and staff.

I’m deeply grateful for the collective effort of students, educators, school staff and parents who showed their trust in our work by sending the vast majority of their children to school each day to learn in classrooms. We know, for many reasons, that kids learn best in the classroom with their peers and with the professional guid- ance of teachers, where they have access to the additional important supports such as meal programs, mental health supports and access to technology, and where they have a chance to be with their friends and be kids.

As we con- tinue our vaccine rollout in communities throughout B.C., our government’s budget offers record-high investments in school operating and capital funding at a time when stu- dents and staff are looking to us for steady leadership and increasing financial stability. Let’s just look at the numbers. Our government’s budget invests $21.5 billion over three years to deliver B.C. ’s K- to-12 education. Compared to Budget 2017, our govern- ment is investing nearly $3.4 billion more in the delivery of education in B.C. with this budget.

Our government’s budget includes more than $1.2 bil- lion in additional operating funds in B.C. schools over the next three years. It includes support for the growing num- ber of special needs students as well. English and French language learners and Indigenous learners in our schools also will receive additional funding. [11:25 a.m.] In 2021, we’re investing $437 million more annually to deliver K-to-12 education in B.C., for a total of $7.1 billion. That’s $1.4 billion or 25 percent more than the 2016-2017 budget. It’s a 6 percent increase over last year.

That is the largest year-over-year increase in recent history and some- thing that our government is justifiably very proud of. Of course, while we plan for the future, we are very mindful of what is happening in our schools now. We know that the pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of students and staff. We must be prepared to sup- port them. Our government’s budget adds $6 million to further support critical student mental health initiatives in our schools.

That’s on top of the nearly $13.9 million investment, in partnership with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, to help build capacity in school districts and make mental health and wellness front and centre for students, parents and educators. As part of our government’s broader work to build men- tal health supports, $97 million in total to build a network of mental health supports for youth that includes new Foundry centres that provide young people health and wellness resources in their communities.

This investment will also support the creation of 15 new integrated child and youth teams in schools around B.C. In addition, our mental health in schools strategy embeds mental health and substance use programs and services for students throughout the education system and expands onA Path- way to Hope, our government’s strategy to transform men- tal health and substance use care for children and young people. Teachers and education staff have done a tremendous job of keeping kids learning through the pandemic and have gone above and beyond this year in keeping our schools safe.

Navigating the ongoing pandemic is a chal- lenge for all British Columbians. We know that there have been impacts on people’s mental health. Our province also offers a range of supports that all education staff can access to help with anxiety, stress and worry. This includes access to free phone-based support with a counsellor through the B.C. COVID-19 Mental Health Network. Or they can access free remote access to the BounceBack program, which offers tools to support mental wellness. The 310-Mental Health support number also offers free emotional support, information and resources 24 hours a day.

The mental health and wellness of everyone in our school communities is supported by our government’s budget. Turning now to speaking about the environments and the infrastructure in which our children learn, we know that investment in infrastructure is critically important to support students, staff and safety. We continue to make historic investments in schools so that communities and families have the new schools they need. They have upgraded schools so their children are safe in the event of Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1467

an earthquake and expanded schools in fast-growing cit- ies, towns and neighbourhoods. We understand that modern learning environments will help prepare B.C. students for the jobs of tomorrow in the dynamic classrooms of today. We are continuing to make record investments in school facilities, with almost $3.1 billion in provincial funding budgeted over the next three years for new and expanded schools, to seismically upgrade schools and for maintenance, playgrounds and property purchases to invest in the future development of our school system. Again, if we just look at the numbers on this….

If we compare it to Budget 2016, Budget 2021 invests nearly $1.6 billion additional dollars in maintaining, improving and expanding B.C. ’s school facilities. [11:30 a.m.] Building on investments announced in recent years, our budget includes an additional $235 million over three years for accelerating seismic upgrades, an addi- tional $100 million for school site acquisitions in fast- growing areas of our province and $177 million more for expansion projects that address enrolment growth and reduce portable use.

In addition, our budget includes new funding to sup- port facility safety and improvements, including projects that address potential COVID-19-related health and safety issues, including increases next year for a number of cap- ital programs; our annual facilities grant — that’s an addi- tional $5 million to address unanticipated and emergent facility-related needs; an additional $6 million into our school enhancement program to improve the safety, con- dition and functionality of existing schools; and an addi- tional $4 million into our building envelope program.

I wanted to take a minute to speak, particularly, about, perhaps, the fastest-growing community in our province, and that is Surrey, where we have been especially aggress- ive, because we believe that every child in B.C. deserves the best possible learning environment. So we have approved nearly $450 million in new schools, expansions, seismic upgrades and land purchases for future schools in Surrey. These investments are helping nearly 9,600 students in Surrey move from portables into classrooms, as they did, between 2018 and 2025. Now, that’s the equivalent of almost 385 portables.

Listen, I know there is no question that we’re playing catch-up after 16 years of cuts and underfunding by the old government. But this past September, for the first time in recent memory, Surrey did not have to purchase new portables for students, and there is no plan to purchase portables for this upcoming year. Our investments in Sur- rey are working, and they will save the district millions in portable costs. This is the difference here: we are moving three times faster on school projects in Surrey than the old government.

Now, when it comes to sustainable investments, stu- dents are looking for us to lead now and support their futures. Our investments will become their legacy. We must be thoughtful in how we build and grow. With CleanBC, we are reducing pollution by powering our future in K-to-12 education by increasing the carbon neut- ral capital program by $11.6 million over the next three years, as well as investing $4 million extra to support the acquisition of the purchase of electric buses under the bus acquisition program.

I want to talk about another really, really important ele- ment of education, because it’s not just all about books and book-learning. As you know — we all know — school is so much more than books. It’s also a place where children come to play and to learn through play. We know that play is a critical component for student wellness, as well. To relieve the burden of parents having to fundraise, our government’s budget doubles the funding next year for safe, modern, accessible playgrounds in this fiscal year.

Now, we’ve already invested $15 million to date through the playground equipment program so that more than 35,000 children will be able to enjoy new playgrounds at 141 schools throughout B.C. I can’t tell you, actually, how thrilled I am that we are continuing this important investment for B.C. students and communities in our government’s budget with an additional $20 million over the next three years.

I have seen the faces on children as they are playing in these fully accessible playgrounds, and that is just a sight to behold. [11:35 a.m.] Of course, we know, as well, that there is nothing more important than ensuring that every child is supported to reach their full potential. Our government is committed to removing barriers that stand in their way. School dis- tricts will receive additional dollars for special needs stu- dents in the upcoming year.

An estimated $664.4 million in supplemental funding is allocated in our government’s budget, an increase of $200 million, or 43 percent, since the 2016-2017 school year. We know that that is welcome news for families whose children need learning supports. When it comes to Indigenous Peoples and our very ser- ious and true and lasting commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, of course I want to note that, again, B.C. was the first province to pass legislation to implement the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In Education, that means that for the first time, the new K-to-12 curriculum ensures that Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are woven across all grades and areas of learning. Eighteen Indigenous lan- guages have also been approved to be taught in B.C. schools, and more are in development. To support Indigenous learners in the 2021-22 school year, targeted funding is estimated at $95.2 million — an increase of $25.5 million, or over 36 percent, since the 2016-2017 school year.

Of the one-time COVID-related funds this past year, we’ve provided $8.2 million to the First Nations Education Steering Committee for Indigen- ous students living on reserve and attending public school. 1468 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

The COVID-specific funding supported pandemic-related challenges in First Nations communities, such as address- ing learning loss and student health, technology for remote learning, education and mental health support, as well as adapting classroom spaces, and enhanced cleaning. As part of our government’s commitment to support anti-racism and reconciliation efforts, our government’s budget will include an additional $1.3 million to continue our work to develop a framework to address racism and reconciliation.

This follows, and will allow us to continue, very important work started last summer, when we hosted a community round table on anti-racism and education. We brought together community leaders from a wide range of groups to provide input into the development of a multi-year K-to-12 anti-racism action plan, and to review how we can strengthen our provincial curriculum to include new teachings, perspectives and history. We plan to launch the K-to-12 anti-racism action plan later this year. I’m looking very much forward to working closely with B.C. ’s first parliamentary secretary responsible for anti-racism.

Finally, as we look to the future, bringing child care and education together is such an important step to sup- port government’s long-term plan to create a univer- sal, inclusive early care and learning system. That sys- tem will better support children and families and inspire lifelong learning. Our ministry will be expanding the seamless day pilot from four locations to 24, which will benefit families in accessing more child care on school grounds and will integrate school-aged child care programs into kinder- garten and grade 1 classrooms.

This is all about making life better for families, easier for families and improving the services that we provide to children. These steps will support the work ahead, as the province continues to engage with partners from the child care and education sector, including Indigenous-led child care pro- viders, to continue to build an inclusive early learning, early care and learning system to move British Columbia even further along the path to universal child care.

When I look at the sum of what we’ve put forward, and not just the numbers, but the intent behind the numbers, I think what our government’s budget says is that to British Columbians who are looking for what they can expect as we move out of the pandemic and into the months ahead, we’re answering the call for steady, supportive and com- passionate leadership that puts people first. [11:40 a.m.] Budget 2021, our government’s budget, is about helping people now and creating the conditions for a strong eco- nomic recovery.

It’s about making our health care better, creating new opportunities for people and for families. It’s about helping B.C. businesses hire and grow. It’s about investing in infrastructure, including schools, to create jobs and to build up our communities. Y ou know, I think about this every day. I think about how kids and families are experiencing our education sys- tem. I think that what kids and families want to know is that we care about them, that we have their backs. I think the investments that we’re making in schools and educa- tion in this budget show that.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to our government’s 2021-2022 budget. It is clear that the pri- orities of our government…. Putting people first. Building up our public services. Our green economy. Our capacity for communities to be resilient and build on strong found- ations. There are many, many elements of this budget that support those endeavours as we come out of what has been a life-altering experience in terms of dealing with a global pandemic. This budget, I know, is going to help every British Col- umbian. It’s going to help our education system.

It’s going to help us rebuild our communities. Thank you very much, and I will end my comments there. G. Kyllo:I’m very proud to stand in the House today to respond to Budget 2021. On behalf of my constituents of Shuswap, the hard-working men and women that do so much work in the local community, I just want to get an opportunity to thank all of them. This has been an extremely challenging year. I’m very happy to stand in this House today and talk about Budget 2021 and where I see that there are some failings and some missed opportunit- ies for this government.

Before I get into the meat of the budget, I would like to take an opportunity just to give thanks to my beautiful wife, Georgina — my wife of now 33 years — and our four amazing daughters and nine grandchildren, and growing. I’m certainly hoping that the girls haven’t given up yet and there may be some more yet to come. It’s certainly the bright spot of our life. I think as we all give consideration and thought to why we seek higher office or public service, it’s largely about our kids and our grandkids.

It’s certainly not lost on me — the work of this House and the work of government and even this budget and the implications that this will have on future generations. Georgina, I love you very much and want to thank you very much for all of your support in allowing me to do what I do. Also, back in the Shuswap riding, my constituency office is very ably managed by Holly Cowan and Bonnie. I just want to really thank them for all the great work they do.

The compassion that they share and show to constituents in the Shuswap when I’m not there and the concern they have for making sure that they try and find solutions for constituents is certainly very much appreciated. The work they do in that office is a direct reflection on me, so I really appreciate, Holly, both you and Bonnie for the work you do on behalf of constituents around the Shuswap. As we look to Budget 2021, we see a significant depar- ture from what we had seen previously, with a real desire and a drive, not just here in B.C. but across Canada, to Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1469

move towards balanced budgets, to spending only within our means. I think we can all appreciate that COVID has presented unprecedented challenges for society, so I think that we’re quite happy to see that the projected budget defi- cit that was projected last year by this government, at $13.5 billion, was much higher than what was actually attained. The economy did not derail to the same degree, I think, as government may have projected. [11:45 a.m.] We’ve also seen a significant increase in revenues, largely around the housing sector.

Despite the NDP’s promises around improving affordability, largely around housing prices, we have seen the exact opposite. We’ve seen a significant escalation in housing prices. Affordabil- ity is just that much further from the sights of many first- time homebuyers in the province. But it is a good sign. If we look back to 2017, the first year that the NDP took office in British Columbia, they inherited about a $2.7 billion surplus. The single largest surplus, I think, ever delivered in the history of British Columbia was $2.7 bil- lion.

If we look at that in the context of about a $69 billion provincial budget, it’s a pretty significant surplus that was achieved in 2017. The NDP maintained balanced budgets through until this last year. We have now seen, and I think it’s well understood and accepted by British Columbians and Canadians, that when we’re in tough times, that is the time for government to dig deep and go into deficit spending in order to help the economy and help British Columbians through very tumultuous times.

But what we’re seeing as we go forward is that rather than deficits for one or maybe two years until we see the economy start to return, government has actually announced and is forecasting deficit spending for the next nine years, a significant amount of additional debt that will be on the backs of future generations. The current forecast for 2021 is a $9.7 billion deficit; in 2022 fiscal, a $5.5 billion deficit; a $4.3 billion deficit in 2023. As I mentioned, the $13½ billion deficit that the gov- ernment had projected for this past fiscal was reduced and is now only $8.1 billion.

I think we also have to have a look at why, if we are ensuring and giving consideration to a return to full eco- nomic recovery within the next 12 months, there is a need for consistent and continued borrowing, only fur- ther saddling future generations with additional debt load. That’s something that’s concerning to me. I think we’re seeing increased conversation with British Colum- bians and Canadians, especially as we see a record deficit being projected by the federal government.

People are now, I think, starting to turn their minds to when we will see a return to balanced budgets across our province and across the country. Now, as we look to Budget 2021, there was a significant number of large promises that were made by the current government just ahead of the snap election.

Just to remind British Columbians, the fixed scheduled election date was actually for October 16 of this current year, of 2021, but government chose to put their political self-interests ahead of the health and well-being of British Columbians, and despite record support of additional COVID spending that was necessary to get through this last year. There was a lot of cooperation and collaboration within this House.

Despite all of that, the NDP chose, as I mentioned, to put their political self-interests ahead of the health and well-being of British Columbians and to move forward with an unnecessary snap election in the middle of a global pandemic. The reason I speak to that is that a lot of folks were not paying attention. There was, of course, a U.S. election south of the border. People were not paying attention at home as much as they otherwise would have.

We also have to have a look at what the lost opportunities are and the impact that snap election had on the ability of government to actually continue to deliver the services and the sup- ports that were needed during a pandemic.

Most import- antly, it had to do with continued stalling and delays of many of the different supports that both individuals across British Columbia and businesses were looking for. [11:50 a.m.] As we know, last spring in March, there was unan- imous support for a $5 billion COVID recovery spend- ing initiative to provide those necessary supports, both for businesses and for individuals, across the province.

The intention — and the understanding, I know, of both members of our opposition caucus and of those of the Green Party — was that those funds were going to be put to good use, that those funds were going to flow into the hands of individuals and businesses to help them through the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, what we saw, despite John Horgan appointing himself, so self-appointing as the…. Deputy Speaker:If I might remind the member, the practice of the House is not to use names. Thank you. G. Kyllo:Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My apo- logies.

What we saw is the Premier of the province self-appoint himself as the chair of the COVID economic recovery restart program. Through that process, we went through a period of five months of consultation with businesses and individuals. Through that entire five-month period, money did not flow — only to have the COVID restart funding initiative announced mere days before calling a snap election.

Despite what the Premier had indicated and conveyed to British Columbians — that the supports that businesses were looking for, those necessary financial supports, that lifeline, would not be in any way deterred or stalled because of the election — we know that that is exactly the opposite from what happened. 1470 British Columbia Debates Tuesday, April 27, 2021

The $5 billion funding that was established for COVID recovery…. The business support program wasn’t announced until September. A short four days later, we’re thrown into an unnecessary snap election, and no funds went out the door. It wasn’t until into December that we finally saw some initial applications even being taken, by government, for businesses that were looking for that sup- port. I believe that as recently as just last week, less than a third of the initial business support funding has actually gone out the door.

I think we can all appreciate that there is a need for gov- ernment to provide financial supports to individuals and businesses in the instance of a global pandemic. There’s also a necessity to see those funds flow. The fact that the funds were established and set aside is of no benefit to Brit- ish Columbians or businesses until those funds actually flow into the hands of those hard-working business own- ers, providing them the opportunity to put those dollars back into the economy to help with COVID recovery. It’s a significant concern. Now some of the highlights of the budget.

Again, the role of the official opposition largely is to provide criticism of government, to have a look at the unintended con- sequences of government policy and to hold government to account. I happen to be the critic for Labour. “Critic” — unfortunately or, maybe, fortunately — is short for “criti- cism. ” As we know, government has government commu- nications and public engagement. It’s a large branch with- in the government that spends tens of millions of dollars a year on talking about all the wondrous policies and initiat- ives of government. [Mr.

Speaker in the chair.] It is largely put on the backs of opposition members to provide the counter-narrative, to identify what areas of government spending may be unwise or may not be being put to their best use. It is largely the work and the respons- ibility of opposition members to highlight areas where there’s either a missed opportunity or where government may be going on a path and not being cognizant of the significant negative consequences of some of these policies that are being brought forward. It is not that we’re negative by nature.

It is the job that we are to undertake on behalf of British Columbians, largely to hold the government to account. So a large portion of my comments this morning will be to speak and to high- light areas where there’s either a failure of government to meet previous commitments or other opportunities, where government is missing the opportunity to provide those necessary supports to see British Columbians get through this pandemic. Noting the hour, Mr. Speaker, I reserve my right to con- tinue and ask for adjournment of debate. G. Kyllo moved adjournment of debate. Motion approved. Hon. S.

Robinson moved adjournment of the House. Motion approved. Mr. Speaker:This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon. The House adjourned at 11:55 a.m. Tuesday, April 27, 2021 British Columbia Debates 1471

Hansard Services, Reporting and Publishing DIRECTOR D’ Arcy McPherson MANAGER OF REPORTING SERVICES Laurel Bernard MANAGER OF PUBLISHING SYSTEMS Dan Kerr ASSISTANT MANAGER, REPORTING SERVICES Barb Horricks TEAM LEADERS Mike Beninger, Kim Christie, Barb Horricks, Paula Lee, Julie McClung, Karol Morris, Glenn Wigmore EDITORS Erin Beattie, Janet Brazier, Sophie Crocker, Tim Ford, Jane Grainger, Betsy Gray, Iris Gray, Mary Beth Hall, Kendra Heinz, Sophie Heizer, Louis Henderson, Bill Hrick, Jennifer Isaac, Quinn MacDonald, Anne Maclean, Claire Matthews, Jill Milkert, Sarah Mitenko, Erik Pedersen, Janet Pink, Robyn Swanson, Antoinette Warren, Heather Warren, Kim Westad INDEXERS Shannon Ash, Robin Rohrmoser RESEARCHERS Hannah Curran, Brooke Isherwood, David Mattison TECHNICAL OPERATIONS Pamela Holmes, Daniel Powell, Patrick Stobbe Copyright © 2021 Legislative Assembly of British Columbia TheOfficial Report of Debates (Hansard)and webcasts of chamber proceedings are available at www.leg.bc.ca.

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Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20210427am-Hansard-n59
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20210427am Hansard n59
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	e90d846f72fff31dff1e092ebaf2568b9cd950c8

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