Third Session, 42nd Parliament

(2022) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, February 28, 2022

Morning Sitting

Issue No. 158

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

B.C.’s health care worker shortage

K. Kirkpatrick

J. Rice

B.C. Seniors Care Providers Day

S. Chant

S. Bond

B.C.’s veterinarian shortage

I. Paton

M. Dykeman

The importance of communities coming together

J. Sims

B. Banman

Private Members’ Motions

Motion 4 — Action on housing and rental costs

T. Halford

K. Paddon

M. Lee

B. Bailey

R. Merrifield

D. Coulter

T. Shypitka

G. Lore

D. Davies

J. Sims

S. Cadieux

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022

The House met at 10:03 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: J. Tegart.

[R. Leonard in the chair.]

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

B.C.’S HEALTH CARE WORKER SHORTAGE

K. Kirkpatrick: Health care providers have been on the front line of the COVID-19

pandemic from day one, risking their lives to care for British

Columbians. We’re grateful for their commitment and sacrifices,

especially over the last two years.

The pandemic has shed light on staffing shortages that have

persisted in our health care system for years. It’s also revealed

significant gaps that should be addressed at a time when access to

health care is more important than ever.

[10:05 a.m.]

Last month nurses, paramedics and other health care professionals

missed 27,937 shifts due to short-term illness between January 3 and 9,

according to B.C.’s Health Minister. Hospital emergency departments were

closed, and LifeLabs, B.C.’s largest private lab service provider,

temporarily closed 11 locations and adjusted hours at another five due

to omicron.

Our health care system has been stretched to its limits. Dedicated

health care providers are completely overwhelmed. Many are burnt out.

They need help after two years of working through the pandemic, and

band-aid measures won’t cut it. We need more doctors, nurses,

paramedics, care workers in senior care homes and other health care

providers. Government must do everything it can, including putting

forward a health and human resources strategy to address staffing

shortages and to provide relief to health care workers that are

stretched thin so they can continue to meet the needs and provide

support to communities across British Columbia.

Many families have been struggling for years to find a family

doctor that’s taking new patients, while others scramble when their

doctor retires or the clinics close. Just recently, three walk-in

clinics closed their doors for good in Victoria, and families are

worried about who will treat them when they’re sick and

vulnerable.

British Columbians are frustrated about the ongoing exodus and

shortage of family doctors. They’ve been asking for an action plan to

rectify this crisis.

Global TV just ran an interview today with Dr. Renee Fernandez

from B.C. Family Doctors. She said: “With population growth and

physician retirement, the number of people in British Columbia without a

family doctor is close to 900,000. We must fix this.” B.C. trains 288

physicians every year. Of that, 40 to 50 choose family practice for

their residency and, of that, only 15 percent choose to work in

traditional family practice. That’s only six to eight doctors per

year.

While we’re facing doctor shortages, there are an estimated 5,000

internationally educated doctors eager to work but facing licensing

barriers. It’s apparent that more needs to be done on recruitment,

retention and licensing.

B.C.’s doctor shortage is impacting our whole health care system,

particularly compounding our 911 service and ambulance crisis. Last

summer, British Columbians were left waiting hours for ambulance

emergencies. A woman in Surrey experiencing a medical emergency was

forced to wait for more than nine and a half hours for an ambulance to

arrive. It was a time when paramedics were struggling with low staffing

levels and long hours.

A month before the heat dome, E-Comm 911 data anal­ysis

concluded that B.C. Ambulance Service delays were compromising public

safety overall. By June 28, 2021, they were struggling to work with

maxed out B.C. emergency health services, with more than 200 calls

waiting in queue to be assigned to an ambulance.

The system is in crisis. There are reports of a significant number

of psychological injuries. B.C. paramedics are still understaffed by up

to 40 percent daily due to burnout, injury and vacancies. The number is

worse, at times, amongst dispatchers. Even then, staff have to wait 90

days to process a claim at WorkSafeBC.

We only know about this situation, which was so bad that E-Comm

considered holding a press conference to pressure the government….

Because of freedom of information requests, we know this. It was not

public knowl­edge. It’s clear that we have to address issues to

keep ambulance workers supported and employed, including hiring more, as

well as increasing government transparency so these issues are not

allowed to fester behind closed doors.

[10:10 a.m.]

We can’t forget about our nurses, who have been working tirelessly

to provide safe patient care. The latest November 2021 figures from the

survey of employment, payrolls and hours show that British Columbia is

the only major province to have experienced a decline in employment at

hospitals during the pandemic. As of December 2021, B.C. had 7,500 fewer

employees working in B.C. hospitals. This compares to a 9,500 increase

in Alberta, 17,000 increase in Quebec and 15,000 in Ontario. This

reinforces news of nursing shortages and burnout at emergency rooms

around the province.

J. Rice: Indeed, we have a health care worker shortage not only in British

Columbia but also in Canada and worldwide.

In Fort St. John, as well as in my home community of Prince

Rupert, we are facing some of the highest numbers of health care

vacancies in the Northern Health Authority region. Since forming

government, we have made significant progress in hiring and in

implementing policies designed to address health care worker

shortages.

Unfortunately, the issues with health care go back decades and

cannot be solved overnight. Jurisdictions across the world are dealing

with an increase in demand for health care workers and a supply that is

not increasing quickly enough. We are working to transform our health

care system into a sustainable one that will provide high-quality care

for generations to come. While the scale of this change cannot happen

overnight, it will have a lasting impact.

A provincial health human resources strategy that is under

development will set out actions to grow, recruit and retain the health

care workers needed to meet the health care needs of British Columbians

in the future. We will have more to announce soon on this strategy,

which aims to address capacity issues throughout the health care system

and to alleviate the burden on our health care workers.

Between 2017 and 2020, the number of registered nurses providing

publicly funded health care services increased by over 2,200, or 6

percent, while the number of licensed practical nurses increased by over

1,100, or 12 percent. We just announced that 602 new nursing seats will

be added to the approximately 2,000 seats currently in nursing programs

in B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions. The new seats include 362

registered nursing seats, 40 registered psychiatric nursing seats, 20

nurse practitioner seats and 180 licensed practical nurse seats at 17

public post-secondary institutions.

As part of this expansion, new seats will support health care

assistants who want to train as a licensed practical nurse and LPNs

looking to move into a career as a registered nurse. We’ve also provided

approximately $8.7 million in this year’s budget to support health

educational training programs, including the expansion of specialty

nursing and the launch of a new nursing program in the

northeast.

More British Columbians are getting the health care that they

need, thanks to the investments the government is making in team-based

primary health care. Our primary care strategy is increasing access to

quality, comprehensive, culturally safe and person-centred primary care

services for people across B.C.

Across all our primary care initiatives, over 850 new

full-time-equivalent family physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and

other allied health workers are now supporting team-based care and

meeting patients’ needs, with close to a thousand more on the way. We’ve

launched 53 primary care networks across the province. Today 26 new

urgent and primary care centres are open and providing care to British

Columbians. Another four are in planning, with two to open in the next

few months, and another ten are working towards opening by 2023. That’s

40 new urgent and primary care centres, caring for and supporting

British Columbians.

I want to take a moment to address the ongoing health care worker

shortages in my constituency. I want people to know that I recognize

that the health services are not as robust as they once were and that

you want to see action to fix that.

[10:15 a.m.]

I’ve been advocating on your behalf, and I want you to know that

we recently announced supports of $6.3 million for programs and

incentives to encourage more health care workers to move to and stay in

the Northern Health region. This includes supports for clinical

management, virtual services, housing, child care, travel and a

comprehensive prototype rural retention incentive program. My home

community of Prince Rupert will be benefiting from many of these

supports to address some of our recruitment and retention

challenges.

We’ve also announced new resources for B.C. emergency health

services. We’re providing additional resources to improve the management

of B.C. emergency health services, and we’re also hiring more paramedics

and dispatchers.

It takes time, but we are working to transform our health care

system into a sustainable one that will provide high-quality care for

generations to come. I want to take this moment to thank all our health

care providers for the outstanding work you’ve performed in the last two

years throughout the pandemic.

K. Kirkpatrick: Thank you to the member for her response.

I think it bears repeating something just to really demonstrate

the impact to British Columbians, even with all that the government is

saying is being done. Again, Global TV just ran an interview this

morning with Dr. Renee Fernandez from B.C. Family Doctors. She said:

“With population growth and physician retirement, the number of people

in British Columbia without a family doctor is close to 900,000 people.”

That is unacceptable.

The medical profession requires dedication and hard work. Many

people choose to pursue this field because they have a calling to help

others. For some, it’s about an innate sense of compassion or the need

to give back to community. During the current pandemic, health care

workers have earned the title “front-line warriors.” This is due to

their dedication, their perseverance and their commitment to helping

COVID-19 patients recover — often at personal cost — and to continue to

support all the other people in the community who need them.

Whether it’s a broken leg or heart surgery, the rest of the health

care system didn’t get a holiday from COVID either. More needs to be

done to train new nurses, and more efforts need to be made to retain

existing nurses, which means providing better support and improving more

access to training. We need more doctors and other health care

professionals.

We need to encourage young people to go into health care and to

support our current health care workers so that they will stay. We need

to ensure that we’re doing all we can with credentialing to bring

immigrant health care workers into a system where they are greatly

needed. We need to build and train the health care workforce for the

future, including more spaces for people wanting to become doctors,

nurses and health care professionals.

Our government needs to work to attract health professionals to

underserviced areas in British Columbia and improve access to medical

care by encouraging practice networks and innovative practice models. We

need to do a better job of protecting our health care workers by

instituting the necessary system improvements to ensure that all workers

experience a violence-free workplace.

It’s time we show that we really, truly value our health care

workers. More importantly, it’s time for this government to put forward

a comprehensive health care human resources strategy.

B.C. SENIORS CARE PROVIDERS DAY

S. Chant: Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity to address the

private members of this House on a topic that is important to many of

us, not the least of which is myself.

I do want to acknowledge that at this time I am working and

staying as a guest on the unceded lands of the Song­hees,

Esquimalt and Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ-speaking

people and that the North Vancouver–Seymour riding that I represent,

live and work in is in the territory of the Coast Salish — specifically,

the Skwxwú7mesh and the Tsleil-Waututh.

Caregivers are a critical and well underestimated component of our

B.C. population. A lot of times, when we think of caregivers, many

people think of professionals — nurses, community health workers,

nannies, companions and others, all of whom have great importance to the

clients they care for and to the families of these clients.

[10:20 a.m.]

Then we think about our children who are cared for by their

parents, their teachers, the early childhood education folks and a whole

variety of others in programs — swim instructors, Guiders, Scouters,

coaches and many, many others.

Additionally, I want to ensure that I recognize that group that I

call the invisible population, those who are of an age that they would

expect to be in school or in a job. For a variety of reasons, these

people are unable to be immersed with the general population, and many

of them have care providers. We need carers in our society. In fact, we

depend on them in a huge variety of ways, day to day.

I want to focus on those people — not professionals, not paid, not

provided with vacations or benefits — who care for our seniors who need

care in their own homes or in the homes of their adult offspring —

wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons, all manner of

family members or friends that devote some or all of their time to

ensuring that people who can no longer live a fully independent life

have the support they need to remain in the community.

Care can mean many things, whether it means providing a home, like

Donna, her husband, Michael, and their kids, Sienna and Janine, in my

riding, who have created a suite for their parents so an independent

place is available yet the family is readily accessed.

Care can mean the supervision, direction or cueing that Sandra

provides for her husband, who no longer has the full cognitive capacity

to safely and effectively get through his day-to-day activities. Care

can mean how Amir goes to the home of a parent or sibling to pick them

up to go out for groceries, a haircut, a walk, a drive. Or care can mean

Manfred using a lift to get his wife, Sigrid, up to her chair or back to

bed or into the wheelchair, feeding, toileting, changing and bathing

her. Sometimes he has some help; other days he does not. He is also

there overnight, when she wakes up in an agitated state from which she

may or may not settle back into sleep.

What about palliative care? Family members or friends such as

Andrew, who is there throughout the last journey that Sandra and he

would take together, speaking quietly, holding hands, administering

comfort medications, encouraging her to take sips, reassuring other

family members and friends that she was okay and comfortable when we all

knew that was not so.

The names I spoke are not real. However, these and many other

circumstances are very real and happening every day in our province. The

number of people who provide care to our seniors without compensation,

to family members or to friends, continues to grow. People who may need

a bit of help or may need full help all the time, get the help, the

support, the care from a group of folks collectively known as the

caregivers.

Today and every day I laud the work that they do and the care that

they provide. And you know, caregivers need care too. Whether it’s

through break relief, respite programs, adult day centres, home support

or other mechanisms, it is imperative that we recognize and support the

caregivers in our province.

I will also recognize and say thank you to all those who provide

other types of care. In North Van, we have the Seniors Hub, which

provides information and links to service; the Silver Centre, which

provides socialization, meals, activities; North Shore Neighbourhood

House, providing tax assistance services, socialization, meals and

activities; My Parkgate Break, an adult day program run by the Parkgate

community association, which provides activities, socialization and

meals for seniors and respite for caregivers; the Alzheimer Society,

which provides support and education for families of clients who have

sustained a variety of cognitive losses, not just those attributed to

Alzheimer’s.

Madam Speaker, I am sure that you and members of this House get

the picture of one community amongst many in B.C. that provides a myriad

of support and care for its seniors.

I would be remiss if I did not circle back to the folks I started

with: those clinicians and care providers that work for both public and

private entities, providing a whole gambit of care for our seniors.

Something we do not think about when disaster hits is the managing of

those seniors in care when they are evacuated from their own

community.

[10:25 a.m.]

In 2021, on two occasions, Capilano Care Centre, in the process of

closing, was re-established to house folks — first from Armstrong,

fires; and then from Merritt, floods. My thanks go out to P.J., her team

and colleagues who did everything from rebuilding the beds, which had

been dismantled, to providing hands-on care to a group of tired,

disoriented, frightened and travel-worn clients as they came in by bus

and stayed until it was safe for them to return home.

Today I rise in the House to do exactly that: to say thank you to

all those who care for our seniors, in whatever way they do it. This is

thanks that we should all be doing every day.

If you’re a family caregiver, please tell yourself that you’re

doing a good job. If you have not yet looked for help, maybe do that and

let someone else care too, so that you can be the wife, husband, sister,

brother and friend that you’ve always been. If you provide care as your

vocation, please also tell yourself you’re doing a good job and accept

thanks.

March 1 is B.C. seniors caregiver day. I ask us all to take a

moment and thank a caregiver for all they do for our seniors.

S. Bond: Thank you to the member for North Vancouver–Seymour for

recognizing this special day and the work that seniors care providers do

in our province every single day.

When I initially assumed the role of Leader of the Official

Opposition, I was also very honoured to take on the role of the

opposition critic for Senior Services and Long-Term Care. No, it wasn’t

just because there were enough critic roles to go around, but because

the issues facing seniors in British Columbia are incredibly important,

and they deserve our full attention. In fact, few things are as

important as ensuring that older British Columbians have every

opportunity to receive the care and the support that they need and

deserve.

As the member mentioned in her remarks, tomorrow, March 1, is B.C.

Seniors Care Providers Day. The day was first proclaimed in 2017 to

celebrate the workers all across our province who look after British

Columbia’s seniors. Whether they work in someone’s home, directly with

residents in care homes, whether they provide administrative services,

meals or housekeeping, this dedicated group of workers should be

celebrated for their tireless efforts to support our seniors.

It could not be more timely. When we think about COVID-19 and the

global pandemic, few have been as signifi­cantly impacted as

seniors — those that live in care homes, assisted living facilities and,

of course, those that live in community. I know I will never forget the

images of seniors on one side of a glass window with much-loved family

members on the other side.

Our seniors experienced isolation, loneliness, separation,

confusion and anxiety, but thankfully, they were not completely alone.

Care providers stepped up, day after day after day, working tirelessly

to deal with physical needs but, equally importantly, the social and

mental wellness of older adults. I am deeply grateful that for two

years, they continued to show up. They came to work on the front lines

of the COVID-19 pandemic and have been the primary protectors of British

Columbia’s most vulnerable seniors during an extremely difficult

time.

We know that seniors were disproportionately im­pacted by

the pandemic. Because of that, so were their care providers. As

front-line workers, they faced increased pressures and stress,

diligently providing support during outbreaks and, in fact, putting

themselves at great personal risk.

Many of our seniors care providers have been stretched beyond

their limits the last few years. They have faced high levels of burnout.

Many have experienced the heartbreak of losing a friend, a patient or a

loved one to COVID-19. To say that the past 24 months have been

difficult for health care workers is such an understatement.

We have a responsibility not only to recognize, to celebrate and

to honour care providers, but we need to respond to the challenges that

they continue to face. As they serve on the front line, we need to

provide relief and support. We need to pay attention to how we can

better retain and recruit workers and how we can attract and train new

seniors care providers to deal with chronic staffing

shortages.

[10:30 a.m.]

We need to learn lessons from what happened during the pandemic,

including looking at infrastructure needs and standards of care. There

is much that needs to be done, and it needs to be a priority. But for

today, let’s take the time to share a collective thank-you to the more

than 50,000 care providers across the province. Thank you for your

compassion, your hard work and your perseverance. Mostly, thank you for

being there for our loved ones when many of us, due to public health

restrictions, could not be there in person.

Isobel Mackenzie, British Columbia’s seniors advocate, said it

perfectly this time last year, and I want to quote her. “It is on this

day that we take the time to formally recognize the tens of thousands of

people who bring care, comfort and friendship to our seniors every day.

It shows the commitment of our care aides, our nurses and our allied

health professionals. I thank you profoundly for your services and your

sacrifices. With profound gratitude, I thank you for everything you do.”

I think that those words capture how all of us in this Legislature feel

about B.C. senior care providers today and every day.

Today we recognize and celebrate the vital contributions made by

care providers across the province, and we commit to working together to

ensure that they have the support and resources that they need as they

care for British Columbia’s seniors.

S. Chant: Thank you to the member for Prince George–​Valemount for her

words, which also acknowl­edge the importance and value of

seniors’ caregivers in British Columbia.

I had the privilege of working with Vancouver Coastal Health as a

registered nurse in both Metro Vancouver and on the North Shore, with a

community health program that serves adults needing care to remain in

their own homes. As a home support supervisor, I saw the community

health workers, making sure that the seniors were clean, comfortable,

and cared for in their own homes.

As a case manager, I supported families and clients in making the

best care decisions possible that met the very needs of those people who

wanted to stay in their own homes or needed to move to a higher level of

care.

As a team leader, I made sure that all of the nurses, social

workers, case managers and discharge coordinators, as well as other

clinicians, had the support and resources they needed to provide care

and support to families and clients in their homes. I also acted as the

adult guardianship coordinator, working with clinicians who were dealing

with cases of abuse, neglect or self-neglect of vulnerable adults, most

of whom were seniors.

Recently, as an immunizer, I met numerous seniors’ caregivers in

their homes and also the ones that are bringing their seniors to the

clinics to get vaccinated. All of these roles serve to give me an

amazing respect for those who provide care to our seniors, some of whom

need limited support, others of whom need full care.

During COVID, I met a son who did not go out of the home that he

and his mother shared until they were both fully vaccinated. Also during

COVID, there were many families who cancelled the home support service

that had supported clients for many years and took on that role

themselves to reduce the chance of exposure to their loved

ones.

Our seniors advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, in a North Shore

News

article on February 16 of this year, said a rise in

volunteer services supporting the elderly has been one of the “brightest

lights” throughout the pandemic. She then went on to report that nearly

26,000 seniors benefitted from the generosity of over 13,000 volunteers

as part of a provincially funded program that was expanded in March 2020

to boost services through community organizations. When the call went

out for volunteers to help seniors and shut-ins in March 2020, the call

response lines crashed from the volume of calls, both to help and for

help.

Again, it was the non-profit organizations that recognized needs

in their own communities and developed programs to meet these needs and

pivoted their programs during the pandemic to continue to try and meet

those needs. One of the rec centres who does senior exercise programs

did a weekly YouTube video to send out to their participants of chair

exercises that could be used to strengthen and maintain mobility. Family

Services North Shore was providing meals three times weekly to shut-in

seniors, with fresh fruit from a local vendor and milk from another

grocer.

Many of our seniors….

[10:35 a.m.]

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

S. Chant: May I continue?

Deputy Speaker: Time is up.

S. Chant: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

B.C.’S VETERINARIAN SHORTAGE

I. Paton: This morning I would like to speak to the House about the shortage

of veterinarians in our province here in British Columbia. Over the past

two years, British Columbians have endured a lot — a global pandemic and

devastating climate events. During these challenging times, we have come

to realize the importance of our animals.

We lost one million farm animals between the heat dome and the

atmospheric river in 2021. During the devastating floods in Sumas

Prairie, B.C. farmers and community members rushed to save our

province’s farm animals. Among those heroes were our veterinarians, who

worked around the clock to save the surviving animals who suffered

injuries during the floods.

These veterinarians provided care for thousands of animals and,

sadly, when necessary, had to euthanize animals who suffered the most

severe injuries. The Sumas Prairie floods demonstrate most painfully the

critical role that veterinarians play in animal welfare as well as in

our food production and agricultural sector.

Vets also play an important role in our everyday lives as we try

to find the best care for our beloved pets. More and more British

Columbians have adopted household pets during the pandemic as a source

of comfort and companionship during difficult times.

With climate events and increased pet adoptions, the shortage of

veterinarians in this province is becoming more evident and severe.

Currently the wait time for an appointment with an urban veterinarian is

two weeks or longer. For rural veterinarians, it can be eight weeks or

longer. This is an animal welfare issue. When animals are not able to

get the appropriate care at the right time, they face illness and death

that could have been preventable. This is a strain that is especially

difficult in the remote and rural areas in British Columbia.

The floods in Sumas Prairie reminded us of the important role that

farmers and livestock play in our province, but with the veterinary

shortage, we are reminded of the emotional and financial toll that

follows when animals are not able to receive the care they

need.

As a result of this shortage, veterinarians in B.C. are facing

increased exhaustion and burnout, and the mental health impacts are only

getting worse. Many vets are working 12- to 14-hour days. For those

working with large animals, they’re servicing remote and rural parts of

the province. It is physically demanding. They are often on call,

travelling extensive distances and facing injuries from the large

animals who are often very unruly.

This job also includes the devastating work of euthanization,

which is emotionally draining and adds to the burden on the mental

health of a veterinarian. My brother, Dr. Dave Paton, is a well-known

large animal veterinarian, and as a longtime farmer of dairy cattle,

sheep and horses myself, I have personally witnessed his long hours,

extensive travel and midnight call-outs for colic, C-sections, milk

fevers, difficult births and the physical wear and tear that a

veterinarian experiences handling large animals.

There are many instances where veterinarians to have to deliver

devastating news to families about the health of their pets. Can you

imagine the emotional burden of dealing with the end-of-life procedures

performed on beloved horses, ponies, pets and companions while also

consoling the devastated owner at a veterinarian’s clinic?

A study done by the Ontario Veterinary College in 2020 found that

more than a quarter of Canadian veterinarians reported suicidal thoughts

in the previous 12 months. The society of B.C. Veterinarians says that

the number of suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts among veterinarians

are rising disproportionately from other occupations. With the high

volume of caseloads, vets are overwhelmed and afraid to take time off to

address their mental health.

In December 2019, our opposition caucus raised the concern of

veterinarian shortages which was ignored by the Minister of Advanced

Education. The solution to the shortage is simple: train more

veterinarians. But the minister refused to fund additional veterinary

school spaces for B.C. students, despite the minister’s own labour

market survey that same year which said B.C. would be short 100

veterinarians per year for the subsequent five years. That’s a total of

500 veterinarians that are going to be needed by the year

Last April I wrote a letter to the Minister of Advanced Education

to raise this concern when we began seeing the surge of pandemic pet

adoptions in British Columbia as people sought solace and companionship

in their homes. Several other stakeholder groups in B.C. also wrote to

the minister pleading for action.

[10:40 a.m.]

The opportunity for more students to attend veterinary school came

about when the province of Alberta forfeited 20 of the annual limited

placement seats available at the Western College of Vet Medicine in

Saskatoon. However, British Columbia declined the opportunity and the

NDP Advanced Education Minister refused to fund 20 additional veterinary

school spaces.

Deputy Speaker: Excuse me, Member. This is a non-partisan time. Thank

you.

I. Paton: Thank you.

Veterinarians across the province have been pleading for support,

but little action has been taken over the past three years.

We are not the only ones concerned about this issue. The Society

of B.C. Veterinarians

Chapter has reached out to the minister to secure

a meeting to discuss the need to educate more B.C. veterinarians.

Unfortunately, they say they have been rebuffed on several occasions.

They have now written a letter to all MLAs to seek support for their

efforts and note that many B.C. animal rescue groups will be joining

their public cause as well.

In Ontario, the provincial and the federal government announced a

$4 million cost-sharing program to increase veterinary care options. In

Alberta, their 2022 budget provides $59 million over three years to

expand the veterinary school at the University of Calgary.

The shortage of veterinarians is a nationwide issue, but while

other provincial governments are taking action on service gaps, the

situation in B.C. only grows more dire. Can the member opposite tell us

whether or not the government will be pursuing similar tools in funding

to alleviate some of the pressure on our veterinarians? And can the

member opposite tell us if it is fair…?

Deputy Speaker: Member.

I. Paton: Yes?

Deputy Speaker: Please sit down.

Recognizing the minister.

Hon. S. Malcolmson: Madam Speaker, I urge you to intervene again to encourage the

member to keep this focused on members’ business and not question

period. Thank you.

Interjection.

Deputy Speaker: Excuse me. We’re not having a debate amongst members. I would like

to thank you for your words. I’ll take it under advisement and remind

the member that this is a non-partisan time.

I. Paton: The shortage of veterinarians is a nationwide issue, but while

other provincial governments are taking action on service gaps, the

situation in B.C. only grows more dire. The shortage has been a long

time coming, but with the pandemic and climate events, the need for

action is even more urgent.

M. Dykeman: It’s an honour to rise in the House today to respond to the

statement from the member opposite from Delta South. I would like to

thank him for his continuous, passionate advocacy in this area. I know

he’s spoken, in this House, many times on this subject and has a

personal connection, being both a farmer and with his brother serving as

a veterinarian. So I’d like to thank him for his words today.

Veterinarians play such a critical role in supporting all key

animal-based B.C. industries and protecting the health and welfare of

animals in British Columbia. As a farmer myself and a small-pet owner,

it’s one of these areas where both…. We often talk about a rural-urban

divide. This is an area where you don’t see that, because we will all

share a need for veterinarians with both small and large

animals.

I know, as a farmer, as I mentioned, I’ve had many opportunities

to call the veterinarian. Whether it’s two o’clock in the morning,

Sunday, it doesn’t matter. Our large-animal vets, especially, work

continuously, 24 hours a day, serving the farmers in our community.

Whether it’s rain, snow, hot, our farmers call their vets, and they slog

out to the farm.

I remember growing up watching All Creatures Great and

Small with my mom. I said to her: “I want to be a

veterinarian.” She says: “You realize that you’ll be working with all

sorts of different animals — all sorts of different hours, through the

day.” She says: “Why would you want to do this?” Well, I absolutely love

animals. It was something that I pursued many years and then somehow

ended up going into chicken farming. Now I’m in this

building.

One of the things I learned shadowing some vets is it really is a

work of passion. You have to be passionately fueled to work in that

industry. Farmers know that veterinarians not only contribute to the

health and welfare but also to really key economic factors too. The

veterinarians ensure that our farms are successful — not only that our

animals are comforting. They provide advice.

[10:45 a.m.]

It’s impossible to even put into words the range of services that

they provide to allow us to make decisions day to day to ensure that our

farms are successful and are able to provide the best care for

animals.

It’s stressful for people who have difficulties accessing a

veterinarian, and the loss of a beloved pet or an animal on your farm is

devastating. Really, as I just mentioned, healthy animals are a key to

farmer and rancher success. Veterinarians play an important role in

that.

Our government is proud to fund a total of 80 B.C. students every

year to study at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. B.C. is

part of an interprovincial agreement with the provinces of Saskatchewan

and Manitoba and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, for five

years. This agreement contributes to the college’s overall

sustainability, so that it can meet the international accreditation

standards. This agreement ensures that the college is able to deliver

critical veterinary medicine, programming and research that meet the

needs of the three provinces.

There is a shortage of veterinarians in British Columbia, like

there is a significant labour market shortage in many occupations —

everything from health care to trades. The ministry has supported the

college by offering additional seats through the differential tuition

pilot, enabling and increasing the number of B.C. students at the

Western College of Veterinary Medicine in each of the last two years.

Over 30 B.C. students have been admitted — 32 and 33, compared to 20 in

2009 and prior years. Two public post-secondary institutions, Thompson

Rivers University and Douglas Collage, are offering programs that lead

to registered veterinary technologist credentials.

Solutions have to go beyond simply post-secondary training and

explore opportunities to attract more veterinarians to British Columbia.

The Ministry of Agriculture is working with the Minister of Advanced

Education to find ways to also attract veterinarians to other regions in

British Columbia that are facing a shortage — like in the

north.

Thank you, again, hon. Speaker, for the opportunity to respond to

the member opposite’s statement.

I. Paton: Thank you to the member for her reply. I appreciate that the

member opposite recognizes the importance of veterinarians in our

province, but we are not hearing a commitment to fix this dire

situation.

Recently Chris Dolbec, from Oliver, B.C., started a petition to

the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training to fund more

seats. Dolbec’s daughter is a first-year student at the Western College

of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon. Western College of Veterinary

Medicine admits 20 funded seats per year, which means 20 B.C. students

paying an annual tuition cost of $11,000.

Dolbec’s daughter has a non-funded seat and instead pays $68,000 a

year to be a student at the college. This is a huge financial barrier to

students who are otherwise passionate about animal care and willing to

devote their lives to a difficult but much-needed career. We should be

supporting these students now, so that we can empower aspiring vets and

alleviate the burden on our current workforce.

Corey Van’t Haaff, executive director of CVMA, said that

frustrated and overworked veterinarians, as well as the concerned

public, often call on the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

expressing concern over the shortage of qualified vets. Van’t Haaff also

went on to say that CVMA made recommendations over a year ago to the

Minister of Agriculture, who was also the minister for

veterinarians.

The minister provided full support for the acquisition of the 20

seats. CVMA then provided reports to the minister’s executive directors

and government analysts. Van’t Haaff says: “They unanimously backed it

and recommended she take all 20 seats. The minister has said no and that

veterinary medicine is not a funding priority for B.C.”

This government has previously said that B.C. is not only relying

on funded seats at WCVM, but also international recruitment efforts. The

veterinarian shortage is actually a global challenge, and other

countries do not want to lose their vets. The Ministry of Advanced

Education identified, in 2019, that we would face a shortage of 500

veterinarians by 2024. We cannot simply rely on immigration to fill

those 500 jobs, particularly when we have more than 145 qualified

applicants annually trying to get into the college in

Saskatoon.

[10:50 a.m.]

Funding more seats is one simple fix, but there are also other

opportunities, such as increasing the role of animal health

technologists and boosting telemedicine options. Although the pandemic

has exacerbated the vet shortage, it has also demonstrated the utility

of technology and providing care.

Vets play an integral role in our society and economy, and it is

time we prioritized their training, mental health and well-being. They

have endured challenging times throughout the pandemic, and we must take

action now to alleviate the burden of shortages of veterinarians in our

province of British Columbia.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITIES

COMING

TOGETHER

J. Sims: It’s my pleasure today to rise in this House and speak on the

importance of communities coming together.

The last few years, about 2½ now, I think, have taught us a lot.

Over the last two years, we have seen COVID-19. We’ve seen the impact of

the heat dome. We’ve seen the impact of fires. We’ve seen the impact of

floods. All of that has had a significant impact on individuals around

this province. I would say across the country and around the

world.

What is it that we have learned during this time that is really

valuable? What we have learned is the importance of relationships. What

we have learned is the importance of being there for each other. What we

have learned, through Dr. Bonnie Henry, is the importance of being kind

to each other during very, very difficult periods we have gone

through.

I want to start off by really doing a huge shout-out to our health

care workers. They have had no reprieve. They’ve been working around the

clock. And I know…. Many of them are my friends, and they tell me how

they haven’t had the time off they need to recuperate. We heard about

some of those concerns earlier today. But despite that, their

compassion, their behaviour, not only to cope with those going in with

COVID but also the regular health care challenges that individuals

face….

The other huge group that we have to do a shout-out to is every

person who lives in British Columbia. I’m always in awe of British

Columbians who stepped forward in a big way to tackle some pretty

traumatic, scary at times, and devastating pandemic after pandemic and

disaster after disaster.

You know, we hear a lot about…. Recently there has been a lot in

the media about the dissent and disagreements. I think we don’t take

enough time to celebrate the fact that 99 percent of people came

together, and they worked together to protect themselves, their loved

ones and their communities, and not just in their immediate

neighbourhood, but they stepped out and helped to build community during

very, very difficult times.

We hear a lot about those who have concerns about the vaccine, but

I am so impressed by the fact that 4.2 million people in B.C. have

downloaded the vaccine card. As of Wednesday, February 23, 93.2 percent

of eligible British Columbians have received their first dose, and 90.6

have received their second dose. Over 2½ million have received their

third dose, or what we now call booster. That’s all good

news.

All of these people…. Yes, they had concerns. Yes, they were

worried. Yes, they were scared. But they stepped forward and got the

vaccine because they cared about themselves but also because they cared

about the communities they lived in. So a big thank-you.

I now want to talk about a few organizations. There are so many

hundreds and thousands I could, but I’m going to take a few. Amenida

Seniors Community centre. They kept creative spirits high.

[10:55 a.m.]

How do we keep our seniors busy when they can’t have visitors? How

do we keep their minds active? They came up with a project from the

Getty Museum, which was a challenge where they took everyday items and

created art and added joy and laughter. For example, Ursula was

transformed into Queen Marie of Romania, okay? With a shower hose and a

fake sunflower, Jim Cullina became Anthony van Dyck of Self-Portrait

with a Sunflower.

Now, all of this happened because people cared, and they wanted to

build a community and provided support. Schools spread holiday cheer.

One teacher, principal Lianne McBride at George Vanier decided: “Let’s

make Christmas cards.” You know what? That spread, and students at North

Surrey, Sullivan Heights, David Brankin, Prince Charles, Strawberry Hill

— I could go on and list schools — all stepped forward, and they made

cards. Those went to seniors who were in assisted living. You know what?

That added joy.

A B.C. artist immortalized 20 health care workers, and that was

Shannon Holms, a Vancouver Island artist, who celebrated our health care

workers through the use of art.

Tourism. As we know, tourism has had a huge impact. It is one of

the areas that has struggled the most out of all of the business

community. Now, numerous hotels stepped forward, and they provided

discounted or free rooms to medical staff who needed to freshen up

during changes — hotels like Burrard Hotel, Element Vancouver Metrotown,

Accent Inns and so on. Free flights from Helijet to B.C.’s health care

workers. Forty Asian restaurants across Metro Vancouver donated 5,000

meals for health care staff. Salt Spring Coffee donated 1,500 pounds of

coffee.

Repurposing their facilities to address urgent needs, brewing

companies stepped forward. You know what? The 3-D printers came into use

as people started to print face shields. Breweries and distilleries

started producing hand sanitizer. Businesses adapted to the challenges

ahead of them. They went through an incredible transformation. But you

know how that was supported, especially in the restaurant businesses?

It’s because those of us who don’t own a restaurant business made sure

that we ordered a delivery or that we went in to visit. That was a

community coming together to protect what they valued and to be there

for each other.

I’ve just got to the end of my time, so I will save the rest for

the next segment.

B. Banman: I am happy to rise today to respond to the topic “The Importance

of Communities Coming Together.”

You know, B.C. is blessed to be home to such a wide variety of

communities, each with their own unique landscape, economies, cultures

and, of course, unique identity. One of the greatest qualities is their

ability to come together to support themselves and their fellow British

Columbians in time of need.

I thank the member for mentioning about the disasters. In 2021, a

year that brought unprecedented disasters, damage and loss to our towns

and province, we saw our communities come together on a scale never

before seen in this province. When the floods swept through the Sumas

Prairie and farmers saw their homes, businesses, livelihoods swept away

under a deluge of water and mud, British Columbians did what they could

and offered whatever they had to help their fellow citizens in their

most dire moments.

We saw local churches gather and put together mini dumpsites. They

gathered donations of food, clothing, equipment and anything else people

needed. We saw members of gurdwaras throughout the Fraser Valley cook

thousands of meals for those who didn’t know where their next meal was

going to come from that day. We saw farmers, local business owners,

power up their boats and jet skis to help to move goods, livestock and

families to dry land and safety. We even saw local pilots rent

helicopters, organize flights to get food, goods and medical supplies to

Hope, Merritt and other stranded communities.

Even after the floodwaters had ebbed, the spirit of bravery,

generosity and community are still found across southern B.C. With

spring planting upon us, our local heavy-duty mechanics are working

around the clock, helping farmers rebuild and restore the machinery that

was damaged in the November floods.

[11:00 a.m.]

Our volunteers and countless local heroes have done so much to

save goods, businesses, farms and even lives, and now they’re doing so

much more to recover and rebuild all that was lost. But our challenges

are not behind us. The danger of future climate emergencies is already

upon us. The spring freshet is already slated to potentially bring

record-high flow levels, which could see the banks of the Sumas and even

the mighty Fraser overflow again.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

Time is of the essence. Government must outline what immediate

steps it is taking to aid our farmers, our communities and our

businesses in their recovery and to better protect them from the

foreboding environmental challenges ahead.

While the announcement of the agricultural recovery fund was

welcome news, farmers and ranchers are under tremendous stress, with

spring planting and calving coming quickly. These are supports that

should have gotten out the door already, but the contrast, delays in

supports and response from this government are putting undue and

unnecessary strain on families and communities that are already

struggling.

We’re seeing even worse foot-dragging when it comes to supporting

our communities that have lost everything. It has been 243 days since

the Lytton fire, and the hope of a full recovery for the people of

Lytton is still a distant dream to them. This government’s lack of

clear, concise communication and its slow response to help rebuild the

homes and livelihoods of Lytton are having a significant impact on the

lives of the people who once called the village home.

There is incredible work being done by the people on the ground

and neighbouring communities — people getting together, helping one

another. They’re trying to support Lytton. They’re trying to support

other communities that have lost everything. Government must do its part

as well. Government must deliver, as promised, the supports to Lytton,

Merritt, Abbotsford, Penticton and other communities to help put them on

the road to recovery so that we can ensure that they will continue to be

there for one another.

Citizens are doing their part. It’s time for governments of all

levels to step up and do theirs.

J. Sims: I want to thank my colleague for his comments on the importance of

community and how people step forward to support each other.

I want to talk about young kids for a while now. Kids For Kindness

was a charity started by four ten-year-old girls in Surrey. They started

with a toy drive for the Children’s Hospital, and they did an amazing

job. There is also a group organized by Tavisha’s Helping Hands. Quinn

Callander, a Boy Scout from Maple Ridge, 3D-printed ear guards to

protect the backs of nurses’ ears. A grade 12 student, Sean Uy, from

Richmond, 3D-printed hundreds of visors for health care staff. Karl Chen

started an Asian Unification Project, which grew to over 40 volunteers,

and they worked hard.

Not only that, but our non-profits and our Surrey shelters on

homelessness and places also brought together…. Surrey Urban Mission

worked closely with health care. Amber Neufeld of Surrey Urban Mission

said it all when she summed it up: “It has been beautiful to see how

wonderful community is. In a time when everyone has been isolated and

not allowed to come together, we’ve still had the chance to create

community and grow community.”

I want to thank all the principals, especially principals like

Jordan Tinney, who stepped forward with a plan to safely reopen our

schools and have students and staff return — incredible leadership, calm

and flexible, advocating for students and the staff.

But you know what? I want to do a huge shout-out to teachers, who,

from day one, have advocated for their students’ safety and well-being;

who have tried to make schools feel normal in an anything-but-normal

environment; who have encountered increased cases of anxiety, stress,

depression and other mental health crises in their students; who have

had to adapt and pivot, prepare for school closures, absences and hybrid

teaching.

[11:05 a.m.]

I want to thank support staff who work with the most vulnerable

populations. One of the key things here is…. We all take it so for

granted, but teachers and support staff, every single day, are dealing

with our most valuable youth in schools, helping them to cope not only

with what is going on with the crisis but the impact of the opioid

crisis and everything else we are facing.

I want to thank all the religious community groups as well. During

this time, gurdwaras, masjids, synagogues, churches…. Everybody stepped

forward to support each other.

We in this House need to take more time to celebrate our

communities, to celebrate British Columbians who stepped forward and

showed us the resiliency of the human spirit, not only to survive but to

fly.

Hon. S. Malcolmson: I ask that the House consider proceeding with Motion 4,

standing in the name of the member for Surrey–White Rock.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed to

Motion 4 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it

on the order paper. If any member is opposed to the request for leave,

please indicate now.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 4 — ACTION ON

HOUSING AND RENTAL

COSTS

T. Halford: I am pleased today to rise to move the motion:

[Be it resolved that this House urge the Government to take

meaningful action to address record high housing and rental costs in

British Columbia.]

I think today’s topic of ensuring a supply of affordable housing

for families and young families in our community is extremely important,

especially in the light…. We’ve seen a long stream of broken promises

from this government when it comes to affordable housing, whether that’s

first-time homebuyers or rentals. For years, families, young people,

seniors have been promised that action will be taken, but we’ve seen

skyrocketing costs in both purchasing and rentals. What we are seeing is

too little, often too late.

In my community of Surrey, for example, the average cost of a

single family home is now $1.9 million. That does not seem affordable to

young people trying to get into the market. In fact, in many Surrey

communities, the idea of affordability, when it comes to the housing

market, is even more out of reach today than it has ever been.

Thirty-six years is what it will take the average person to save for a

down payment.

In the ridings of many of the Surrey MLAs, myself included, prices

have skyrocketed over the last year. In the riding of Surrey-Fleetwood,

a 51 percent increase in the last year for a detached home. Or for my

friend from Surrey-Panorama, a 46 percent increase.

We know British Columbians are faced with high rents right now.

Renters in Metro Vancouver are paying over $2,800 more than they have

per year. Renters are also not seeing any relief. This two-term

government has campaigned twice on a renters rebate. What we’ve heard

from the Housing Minister, as recently as last week, is that they’re

working on it. In my riding of Surrey–White Rock, there are a lot of

seniors that are on fixed incomes that are renting. “We’re working on

it” is little comfort to them as they try and pay their rent, as they

try and get food in their fridge.

If that wasn’t bad enough, there continues to be so much

competition amongst renters due to incredibly low vacancy rates. In

White Rock, it’s 0.8. That is the vacancy rate: 0.8. This makes it

incredibly stressful for families, for single moms and, like I said, for

seniors to make sure that they have access to affordable

housing.

Now, we could listen to the good intentions of this government,

but when it comes to the challenges that everyone is facing in regards

to affordability and housing, there are no answers. There’s no real

action. We saw that in the last budget. Whether it’s rentals, whether

it’s getting into the market, whether it’s gas prices, this government

continues to show little regard to those that are struggling on the

issues of affordability.

What we hear is: “We’re monitoring. We’re monitoring housing

prices. We’re monitoring rental prices. We’re monitoring gas prices.” To

the single mom in my riding, my neighbouring ridings who is struggling

to come up with rent, month after month, “We’re monitoring it” isn’t

good enough.

[11:10 a.m.]

It’s clear that this government has no intention of following on

some of the campaign promises that they put forth two years in a row.

Despite the Housing Minister finally clueing in to what recently….

They’ve had five years to help British Columbians. They are not doing

enough when it comes to bringing in more affordable housing. What we’re

seeing is a slew of taxes come on to the housing sector. Quite frankly,

it’s showing that this government is continuously out of

touch.

Here we are, six budgets later, with the most expensive housing

prices in the history of the province, and yet not a word of hope from

this government’s budget. What is clear is that despite all the rhetoric

and promises from the other side of the House, actual affordability for

British Columbians is becoming impossible. Sadly, it will continue to

drive young people out of this province.

K. Paddon: I am very pleased to speak to this motion on housing rental costs

today.

Over the last few years, British Columbians have been challenged

in ways that we’ve never imagined. I know that right now too many people

in our province are struggling to find an affordable place to live.

After so many years where the old government refused to build the homes

that people need, we know it will take a period of sustained action to

bring us back to a place of affordability. I hear the struggle and the

frustration of people I speak to in my community looking to rent or buy,

and I know that help can’t come soon enough.

Our government continues to work on making housing more affordable

for everyone in B.C. This is a complex issue that requires a

multifaceted approach, and our government is focused on doing that work

while we fix the problems that were left behind by the B.C. Liberals. We

are focused on creating affordable housing, helping renters and

stabilizing the B.C. real estate market.

We have already begun the work, implementing an ambitious 30-point

housing plan to tackle the housing crisis and make the largest

investments in housing affordability in B.C.’s history — more than $7

billion over ten years. This means supporting seniors, families, low-

and middle-income earners by funding new and affordable rental housing

through the Building B.C. community housing fund. This fund is

addressing gaps in the market and creating homes that growing families,

low- to moderate-income people and seniors can afford.

Our approach also includes funding supportive housing units for

people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. We are helping women and

children leave violence by funding transition housing — the first major

investment in more than two decades.

This work is ongoing, and although we are seeing results, we know

that there is much to do to keep up with the thousands of people moving

to our province and to make sure businesses can find the workers that

they need. We’re continuing to accelerate our investments in building

more homes that people can afford. And because we know that communities

need more homes for a range of incomes, we’re providing more resources

to accelerate the delivery of mixed-income projects through the

community housing fund and rental and home ownership opportunities

through the HousingHub.

In my community of Chilliwack-Kent and across British Columbia,

we’re building more affordable homes for families and creating new

supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

In the Chilliwack region, in addition to the systems changes that we’re

making, we have 413 homes in development, under construction or now

open. Construction is underway on 23 affordable homes for Indigenous

peoples in partnership with Tzeachten First Nation, and we have opened

16 supportive homes for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness

and 82 supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness.

Investments like these are part of our ten-year housing plan that

will continue to provide more affordable and supportive housing

opportunities for low- and moderate-income families, seniors, veterans,

persons with disabilities and people experiencing or at risk of

homelessness. These investments make a real difference in our

community.

Our government has taken so many actions to address the issues and

roots of housing and affordability, from protecting renters and limiting

rent increases to launching an inquiry on money laundering and

addressing speculation. I couldn’t possibly canvass them all in five

minutes, but I know that my colleagues will be able to add to this

picture of what we have done and what we continue to do.

[11:15 a.m.]

However, I must express my gratitude for this motion and the fact

that a member opposite brought it forward. It fills me with hope, hope

that the opposition has turned over a new leaf and will finally begin

supporting the actions and addressing housing, hope that despite the

selection of their newest leader — who would double down on decisions

that contributed to our current situation and even reverse actions that

have helped people with housing — they now stand ready to contribute to

the positive work being done.

I hope that this means we will see this new commitment to

addressing housing affordability for British Columbians in this House as

they, hopefully, contribute their voices and their votes to the real

action being taken by our government to clean up the mess left behind

and address this critical issue. I will watch for their actions to match

their words. I also hope that British Columbians are paying attention to

this new attitude, this new commitment from the opposition on

housing.

M. Lee: I’m grateful to my colleague the member for Surrey–White Rock for

this opportunity this morning to speak on this critical issue that’s

affecting communities throughout British Columbia. This challenge has

reached every corner of our province. With no end in sight, the housing

and affordability crisis we have in front of us is real and very

concerning for all British Columbians.

Last week the government introduced its budget for 2022. Many,

including myself, expected to see concrete measures put in place to

address rising housing, gas and grocery costs as they have reached

unprecedented levels over the past five years under this NDP government.

However, what we saw were more promises with no realistic plan on how to

make those commitments a reality.

Under this NDP government, our metropolitan areas have dominated

national headlines. Cities such as Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria

continue to see exponential growth which, in turn, has caused housing

and rental prices to skyrocket. It is also important to note that this

growth has affected smaller communities throughout our province.

Although we have seen a significant increase in housing and rental

prices in communities such as Chilliwack and Langley, Vancouver has

become the least affordable city in North America.

The latest statistics from this year provide little hope for those

in my community who are looking to enter the real estate market.

According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the average

selling price of a detached home in greater Vancouver went up to $2.3

million, the highest number ever and a 25 percent increase in the past

year alone. A National Bank report suggests that it would take the

average Vancouverite 36 years to save for a down payment on a typical

home in Vancouver.

The latest CMHC report is also indicating that renting in

Vancouver has never been this unaffordable. The average rent in

Vancouver has jumped to $2,519 per month, an increase of $356 per month

since 2018. These numbers indicate that renters in Vancouver are paying

$2,856 more per year under this NDP government. The B.C. Rental Project

gave this NDP government a C grade because “their strategy has been to

pile on regulation and taxes.” Clearly it’s not working.

When I look at my community of Vancouver-Langara, I can’t help but

think about the young families who cannot enter the market as first-time

homebuyers and young people, like my son and his friends, who want to

continue to live in Vancouver where they work and want to build their

futures.

I think about the elderly renters who have called this community

home for decades and now may have to leave — for example, the elderly

residents living on fixed incomes in the two- and three-storey apartment

buildings which are aging in the Marpole area of Vancouver-Langara. I

think about those renters who’ve continued to struggle to make ends meet

during this difficult time.

As we enter year 6 under this NDP government, things are only

getting worse, and their latest budget provides no indication that help

is on the way. If you look at their track record, this NDP government

ran on a promise to make life more affordable and to provide affordable

housing for British Columbians.

[11:20 a.m.]

However, neither has happened. It’s not there. It’s not working

for B.C. This piecemeal approach that this government takes is missing

critical opportunities to increase housing density in Vancouver — for

example, on the Broadway subway extension.

This line being constructed does not have the necessary plan with

the city of Vancouver to provide the right mix of housing for families,

renters and elderly residents. This is one of the most costly LRT lines

in the world, all under an NDP benefits agreement, a cost of $500

million per kilometre, with the highest density currently zoned being

just six storeys on one of the six subway stations. This corridor is the

second-largest employment centre in the province, and there is a need

for more affordable housing in this area.

The NDP promised that they would build 114,000 new homes, and

after five years, the total homes completed sits at approximately 5,000.

Twice, the NDP promised they would provide renters with a $400 annual

rebate to cope with soaring rents. However, this never happened. As

consumer prices increase at a rate not seen since the early 1990s under

this NDP government, life for British Columbians gets more expensive and

less affordable.

B. Bailey: I rise to speak to the motion: “Be it resolved that this House

urge the Government to take meaningful action to address record high

housing and rental costs in British Columbia.”

While this is an incredibly important issue, this is a ludicrous

motion. There’s a great old-timey word that perfectly fits what the

opposition is up to today: it’s called hoodwink. This is nothing less

than an attempt to hoodwink the public. Why is this opposition, who fed

at the trough of developer money before we took big money out of

politics, bringing this motion? It’s to fool the public into believing

that they would do something to control the very crisis they fed for 16

years.

They had four terms to address the housing issue, and they did

not. More than doing nothing, they feasted on the problem. They were so

tight with the developer community that their Premier actually received

a wage top-up of $50,000 a year from their party. The biggest

contributors to that party? Big developers. A 2015 list from Elections

B.C.’s database of political contributions over $50,000 shows names such

as the Aquilini family, Bosa Properties, Concord Pacific, Shape

Properties and on and on. Small wonder they did nothing.

Do they think that the people of B.C. won’t remember that, that

they can be hoodwinked by this new-found interest in intervening in the

housing market? When the MLA for Abbotsford West was Finance Minister,

he pushed against efforts to control rising housing costs, saying:

“You’ve got to be careful about intervening, about the state intervening

to try and regulate pricing or depress pricing.” He didn’t want to

impact those making money on their housing holdings. Well, he ought to

have known. At the time he made these statements, he himself was the

landlord of seven properties.

How is it that this party, the B.C. Liberals, are able to stand in

the House and somehow suggest our government should take a prompt from

them and start working on taking meaningful action on housing? It’s

really important that people pay attention to what’s happening here

today. This is hoodwinking at its finest. This is a party that was

ceremoniously dumped in a big way by the citizens of British Columbia,

largely because of their behaviour on this file. Taking big money from

developers, lining their coffers with this money while the housing

market grew out of control….

This party is now standing before us suggesting we take action —

which we have, which we are and which we will continue to do. They might

want the public to think that a new leader will mean that they behave

differently. So did they choose someone as their leader to take them in

a different direction? Not at all. Not at all.

They doubled down on their history. The pulled from the decrepit

deck of past Liberal cronies and came up with a leader who not only set

the agenda as Finance Minister for the out-of-control growth and benefit

to developers, but when he left politics, that’s exactly where he went,

where his bread was always buttered: directly to a big developer to

continue the party.

You’re asking us now to take action on housing? Hoodwinking. Let’s

also not forget the $2 billion surplus the MLA for Abbotsford West, as

Finance Minister, tucked away. Imagine the difference that people in our

province would be experiencing today if that vast amount of money had

been invested into affordable housing at that time.

[11:25 a.m.]

That side of the House is telling us to intervene on housing.

Hoodwinking. What have we done on housing? Well, 18,000 new rental units

came into the market in Vancouver as a result of the speculation and

vacancy tax. We’ve capped rental increases to the cost of inflation and

held them at zero during the worst of the pandemic. We brought in rules

protecting against renovictions, and we moved people out of entrenched

homelessness encampments into safer housing. We’re building more housing

than the prior government did, by a significant margin.

In the year ahead, we will work with local governments to speed up

approvals, seek new tools to curb speculation and move more

underutilized units into the market. This spring, we will introduce a

cooling-off period on home purchases to protect people when they’re

buying a home. We see developers as important partners on the supply

issue, but we have no intention to give them the keys to the castle.

They had that for 16 years.

This government is taking meaningful measures on the housing

crisis. The prior government did not. They were in bed with the

developer community, and self-interest prevailed over public interest.

This motion is nothing more than hoodwinking, and British Columbians

will not fall for it.

Deputy Speaker: The Chair is going to ask the member to withdraw the term

“hoodwinking.” Unparliamentary language.

B. Bailey: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’ll take that under consideration and

consult.

Deputy Speaker: No. You’ve been requested to withdraw.

B. Bailey: Thank you, Madam Speaker. In that case, I withdraw the

statement.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you.

R. Merrifield: I’m going to try and cool my temperature, having been in the

housing industry for 25 years and knowing how we have worked to actually

increase affordability for those that are in British Columbia by talking

about why — why we need housing that British Columbians can actually

afford.

I rise today to strongly support this motion as one who does

understand what meaningful action looks like to address record-high

housing and rental costs in British Columbia, because I don’t believe

that this government does. They don’t understand how important this

issue is or how dramatically it affects British Columbians. I believe

that if they did, we wouldn’t be in this situation, with the highest

recorded rental rates and housing costs in recorded history.

Why is housing affordability so important to our society and

communities? Sure, it fulfils the need of basic shelter, but it goes so

much further than that. It contributes the well-being of parents and

thus, children. Research has shown that children with stable housing

have better outcomes at school and are less likely to have disruptions

to their education. Having to move out of rental units or neighbourhoods

puts tremendous stress on parents and thus, children. Children have

higher truancy rates, but so do their parents.

Not being able to afford housing puts tremendous strain on people,

leading to poor performance in jobs and greater instability. Having to

find housing further and further from places of employment also creates

less time with family, friends and supports. This, in turn, has a

negative impact and effect on our environment with pollution, cost of

infrastructure and traffic congestion.

There are also better health outcomes for those that have stable,

attainable homes. Less physical and mental stress can lead to

improvements in overall health outcomes. Having housing affordability

allows people to spend on better food choices and healthy living. Once

people are caught in a cycle, many are not able to get themselves out of

this cycle, and this can have catastrophic outcomes in life.

Having housing affordability contributes to economic vitality,

resilience and growth. Business can recruit more easily. Commutes can be

decreased and the local workforce increased. Having attainable housing

in communities creates a competitive advantage for employers. Having

enough housing opportunities for all different demographics can

stimulate economic growth.

[11:30 a.m.]

Which is more important, rental or home ownership? Well, the

answer is both.

In order to meet the needs of society, there need to be enough

housing opportunities to fit all walks of life and demographics. Rental

homes fulfil the needs of many families. For some, especially low-and

moderate-income families in high-cost markets, or families who have

recently had a change to their incomes, or young families who are saving

to one day own a home, rental homes are a great option.

Other people rent because they prefer the lifestyle of renting and

may still be as socially invested in their communities as homeowners

typically are. Among their ranks are both former homeowners who are

empty nesters, and life-long renters who don’t want to worry about

lawns, gutters and home repairs. Still others because they expect to

move frequently.

Finally, for some families, affordable rental housing is an

important stepping stone that allows them to accumulate savings and

prepare for home ownership. Home ownership is also a critical part of

the housing stock and can be a stable and affordable option when

mortgage terms and home prices are within the reach of a family’s

budget.

For many working families, home ownership represents the British

Columbian dream. Aside from comprising their largest financial asset,

home ownership provides security from unwanted moves and control over

features of their homes. This stability is a great environment to raise

families, as well as create stability in society. That’s why there must

be opportunities for all.

If this government understood that its housing failures were also

affecting our health, our kids’ educations, our economy and our

environment, surely they would be doing much more to fix it. That is why

I urge this government to take action and make sure that there are

opportunities for all at a price that we can afford. That is

why.

D. Coulter: I’m really excited to speak about this motion today.

It’s like opposites day in the Legislature today. I think outside

the chamber, cats must be chasing dogs. For 16 years, the B.C. Liberals

refused to act while housing prices soared out of reach, vacancy rates

hit historic lows and rental rates became unaffordable. If given the

chance, they would double down on the bad choices that created these

problems.

People who live and work in B.C. should be able to afford a safe

and secure place to call home. There is no doubt there’s a lack of

affordable housing in B.C. I know it is hurting folks in my community

and holding our province back. Too many people in our province are still

struggling to find an affordable place to rent or buy. Because the old

B.C. Liberal government refused to build the homes people need, it’s

going to take a lot of work to bring us back to a place of

affordability.

Since the first day in office, we have been working on this. We’re

building tens of thousands of new homes that are adding to the supply.

In the budget, we are continuing these investments to speed up delivery

of affordable rental housing supply. We’re also working with

municipalities to streamline development processes and get homes built

faster, and we’ll be introducing a new cooling-off period this spring to

ensure prospective buyers are protected in a volatile market. It’s going

to be a key strategy in my community.

The housing market in Chilliwack is exploding. Folks are moving

east from the Lower Mainland to live in our community, and houses are

sometimes sold for above asking price and with no subjects in a matter

of days. What would the B.C. Liberals do about this? They showed what

they’ll do. They had 16 years to do that, and they did nothing. We have

thousands of people moving to our province, so we’re continuing to

accelerate our investments and building more homes people can

afford.

We’re implementing an ambitious 30-point housing plan to tackle

the housing crisis and make the largest investment in housing

affordability in B.C. history — more than $7 billion over ten years — to

build 114,000 affordable homes, so that all British Columbians can find

an affordable place to live.

We are also funding supportive housing units for people

experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Several have been built in my

community, and they have made all the difference. B.C. Housing is

currently working on another that will include wraparound services for

those that need it most.

[11:35 a.m.]

We worked with city council on expediting the zoning changes

necessary, and they were happy to do so, seeing that real need was being

met. Another thing we did to control the cost of housing is that we

introduced the speculation and vacancy tax to target foreign and

domestic speculators who own homes in B.C. but do not pay tax here.

Homes are for people to live in, not for folks to use as a

casino.

I know that the B.C. Liberals know all about casinos. I know that

they barely have any ideas, but I’ve clearly heard one idea. The Falcon

Liberals would get rid of the speculation tax. They’d axe a tax that has

put 18,000 rental units onto the market. They’d make life more

affordable. And who does this help? Not working people. It helps folks

who own two, three or even more houses and leave them vacant.

They really don’t care about affordability in the housing market.

They care about scoring cheap political points in the hopes that they

can be on this side in the next election, so that they can give tax

breaks and other giveaways to their wealthy and well-connected friends.

They sold off affordable housing to rich developers with sweetheart

deals. We only need to look as far as Little Mountain to see how much

they care about people.

To tackle housing affordability, we’re also increasing the foreign

buyers tax to 20 percent and expanding it to other urban areas, cracking

down on tax fraud and closing real estate loopholes to make sure that

people are paying their fair share of taxes. This includes creating

Canada’s first-ever pre-sale condo registry to crack down on flipping.

We’re taking action to end hidden ownership by requiring more

information on beneficial owners and proposing legislation to establish

a publicly accessible registry of beneficial ownership.

We’re also launching a public inquiry on laundering money in B.C.

after three independent reviews revealed that each year, billions of

dollars are laundered through our real estate market and other sectors

of the economy, making housing less affordable. On this side of the

House, we’re going to continue tackling housing

affordability.

T. Shypitka: It is almost laughable. The member before me, the member for

Chilliwack, was the actual member that stood in this House and actually

said that it was his Gen X generation that would be known as the last

generation that will ever be able to purchase a home in this province.

True story. You can’t make this stuff up. I urge this government to work

and do something about this so that this member is wrong.

Interjection.

T. Shypitka: Condo king.

I rise today to speak about the housing crisis in British

Columbia, an issue that is deeply felt in my community. Skyrocketing

housing prices and rental costs and this government’s lack of progress

in building affordable units are undoubtably among the most important,

pressing issues for British Columbians today. We must recognize that

it’s not just the ridiculously expensive cost of housing in B.C., but we

now see that B.C. has the highest rate of evictions in all of Canada, as

one in every ten renters face eviction.

Despite housing being near impossible to secure, renters now worry

about evictions too? It means a lot of added stress and uncertainty for

many families in B.C. What will it take for this government to recognize

that families in British Columbia are not made of money? When will real,

everyday people be able to afford to stay in this province?

Last week the Minister of Finance said that B.C. is “the place to

be.” However, while I agree with her, we must be realistic and realize

that B.C. is the place we can’t afford. The old initialism that the NDP

made famous in the 1990s is back, where B.C. stands for “bring cash.” If

the members want any more initialism, here’s another one for them. NDP:

never delivering promises, especially on affordability.

Every day that goes by under this government, it is proving to be

more and more unobtainable to live here. For example, I’ve seen the

average home price in Cranbrook increase by 55.5 percent since 2019.

That figure is astounding, and it speaks to the reality that many

individuals and families are fleeing the Lower Mainland and looking to

buy homes in smaller communities. Can you blame them?

Did you know that a National Bank report estimates that it would

take 36 years — and we’ve heard this from numerous speakers on this side

— to save for a down payment on a typical Vancouver home? I’m sorry, but

if every family is waiting 36 years to save up for a down payment on an

average-priced home, then our province is in incredibly bad

shape.

[11:40 a.m.]

By the time two 25-year-olds merely save up enough for a down

payment, they will be 61 years old. They’d be ready to retire before

ever being able to call a home theirs. This is nothing short of

astounding. I truly worry for my children and my two new grandchildren,

actually, even. The NDP member, as I said…. He said it. He says it’s

going to be his Generation X that will be the last generation to buy a

home.

Even if British Columbians were able to secure a down payment on

owning their own home, families must now deal with even higher costs

around almost every single basic need. And what is this government

doing? That’s a question I ask myself daily. They haven’t made much

progress on their promise of 114,000 affordable homes. We heard it a

couple times already. After five years, just over 5,000 are actually

lived in and open. At this rate, it will take this government another

109 years to accomplish their promise. The Premier and I will be a spry

168 years old by that time.

They aren’t providing renters the $400 annual rebate they promised

a couple times. They aren’t making life more affordable. No. Instead,

they are taking a $20,000 pay increase for their cabinet. One single

$20,000 pay raise to this government’s cabinet minister could fund 50

rebate cheques for British Columbians.

B.C. has experienced seven straight months of elevated inflation

over 3 percent, with the rising costs of housing, gasoline and

groceries. The cost of nearly everything is becoming more expensive for

British Columbians, and instead of helping people, the latest budget

contained three new or increased taxes to dip even further into the

people’s pockets. Listen to this: a brand-new tax on online

marketplaces, increasing taxes on used car sales and increased taxes on

the purchase of home heating systems that use natural gas

furnaces.

These taxes are hitting home to those who have enormous financial

constraints. These are everyday British Columbians who are edging closer

to insolvency and trying to save money just to survive. Enough is

enough. It’s time for this government to admit its failures and stop

making life more affordable for themselves while British Columbians are

struggling to pay their rent.

G. Lore: What a pleasure to speak to this topic on Monday morning. I thank

the member for Surrey–White Rock for bringing it forward.

I’m going to talk to this motion by talking about my community,

the community of Victoria–Beacon Hill. Sixty-one percent of my

constituents are renters. Protecting renters is essential.

Over the pandemic, we froze rents. We’ve tied rental increases to

inflation while the members opposite would have added an extra 2

percent. The member for Kootenay East mentioned evictions. We have

stopped predatory renovictions. Landlords have to show that their

renovation is really happening. Those renovations have to be

substantial, and they have to require the unit to be vacant. In my

community and in many others, a renoviction can mean being priced out of

the market and forced out of my community, and renters deserve

fairness.

We are creating new rentals, literally hundreds in my community.

The Johnson Street fire hall project will be the largest affordable

independent-living rental housing project ever constructed in our city’s

core — 135 units. Just recently through city council, 155 units of

mixed-income housing through the community housing fund right around the

corner from my family’s home….

It is absolutely true that many want to own their own home. The

HousingHub provides low interest rates in exchange for affordability.

The members opposite want to know what action looks like? I welcome the

chance to show them around. Right around the corner from my constituency

office is a huge construction site: 128 new homes sold below market

value.

Now, there are many of my constituents that I don’t hear mentioned

by the other side at all. On the weekend, I walked with thousands of

others across B.C. on the Coldest Night of the Year, which raised funds

in Victoria and the Western Communities for Our Place. So 500 people —

that is the number of people every day who sleep in safe indoor spaces

run by Our Place, not to mention the hundreds of other shelter beds,

supportive housing and transitional housing run by Cool Aid, PHS, the

Salvation Army and others.

[11:45 a.m.]

Last year around this time, dozens of my constituents were

sleeping in tents in parks across cities. Cracks and gaps exposed — and

widened during the pandemic — a decade and a half of insufficient

investment in housing, shelter and supports.

We acted. We created new shelters, purchased hotels, leased an

arena, built a tiny town at the baseball stadium parking lot. While

walking on the Coldest Night of the Year, I talked to advocates and

front-line service providers. Do you know what they told me? Residents

of these temporary homes had to have their pictures retaken for their

files because of the dramatic improvements to their health and

well-being. They were no longer recognizable.

In this year’s budget, we’re able to move from reactive to

proactive. The members opposite want to talk about addressing rental

costs, a dramatic increase in the number of rental supplements in the

budget. This tool has been so important to the positive flow of housing

in my community, from tents to hotels and on to independent living. And

these rental supplements are coming with wraparound supports that people

need and deserve.

For those for whom independent living is not yet within reach, 190

units of supportive housing — ground broken, buildings being built —

including 45 new homes run by the Aboriginal Coalition to End

Homelessness, decolonized harm reduction, land-based care and

support.

Let me be clear. Every single one of these examples is in my tiny

constituency — had I reached over to the constituencies of Victoria–Swan

Lake or into neighbouring Esquimalt-Metchosin, hundreds more. In my last

minute, Madam Speaker, please let me share two examples from outside my

community.

Another group deserving of secure, safe housing: women and their

children leaving violence. This government has been working on 1,500 new

transitional home beds, the first capital investments in two decades.

One of the transition homes here in Victoria is working on much-needed

second-stage housing. In Vancouver, we opened western Canada’s first

designated shelter for sex workers, run and operated by WISH: a safe

place to stay, predictable housing and a chance to choose rest over

work.

The fact that safe and affordable housing for these women, for

these members of my community most in need, has yet to factor into this

debate from the members opposite is telling.

Is there more to do? Yes. Are we done here? Absolutely not. Are we

moving forward like never before? Does a commitment to affordable,

accessible and appropriate housing define this government?

Yes.

D. Davies: I’m pleased to take my place today to talk to this motion brought

forward by my colleague from Surrey–White Rock. Why did we bring this

motion forward today? Well, it’s because this NDP government has made

the housing crisis beyond critical.

Coming from Fort St. John, one of the appeals of the North has

traditionally been that we can offer young families an affordable start

in life, where they can enjoy incredible things that our region has to

offer without the out-of-reach price tags that often come with living in

more urban areas, especially now. But as a result of the NDP’s inaction

on tackling B.C.’s affordability crisis, the cost of living is reaching

unmanageable proportions, even here in rural communities like

mine.

Across B.C., renters are now paying nearly $3,000 more a year

under this government. Add to this, the skyrocketing cost of living has

created a dire situation that has exponentially gotten worse over the

past five years.

This was the sixth budget recently introduced by this government.

I’ve been blessed to…. Well, maybe not blessed, but I’ve been here for

all of them. Yet again, this NDP government has failed to introduce the

$400 renters rebate as promised in 2017 and again in 2020. The average

cost of a home in this province has jumped a whopping 18 percent since

October 2020 alone. It would currently take, as we’ve heard, a British

Columbian 36 years to save for a down payment on a typical Vancouver

home.

It doesn’t look a lot better in the Interior, the North and even

areas in the Peace region. Housing prices are up nearly 50 percent, year

over year. What was once a refuge for young B.C. families seeking an

affordable start, the Peace region is now being plagued by the same

affordability challenges that are being seen in our urban

areas.

[11:50 a.m.]

It’s not just the basic costs of housing and rentals that are

being impacted. The latest budget from this government seems to go out

of its way to penalize rural British Columbians — British Columbians

living up in communities like mine. It makes life less affordable simply

because of where they’ve chosen to call home.

There is no replacement in this budget, or that has been seen

since they removed it, for the rural dividend fund — a fund which was

set up to help cater career and economic opportunities for young British

Columbians looking to live in rural B.C. The NDP also seems determined

to punish rural B.C. simply for how they keep their homes warm and cozy

in the winter, as where I am right now. While Vancouver and Victoria

might experience a few weeks of snow speckled here and there, winter

brings with it a whole new set of challenges in Fort St. John and

throughout the north.

Our natural gas industry does more than bring jobs and

opportunities to our region. It helps keep food on our tables, and it is

what keeps our homes, businesses and communities warm, so that we can

endure the long winters that can bring in snow up to our waists, at

minus 40 for weeks on end. Yet this government has chosen to increase

sales tax on fossil fuel–based heating systems from 7 to 12 percent —

another attack on rural and interior B.C.

While an electric system might suffice for winters in Vancouver or

Victoria, electric heat pumps need to be cold-rated for the weather in

northern B.C., adding significantly to the cost, and a gas-fired

appliance is critical to augment this electric system beyond minus 25 —

which is a nice, warm spring day up here. Rural communities depend on

gas heating systems. It’s not an option, and this tax increase penalizes

homeowners for simply wanting to stay warm.

This government’s illogical tax structure on things like the now

non-revenue-neutral carbon tax also disproportionately impacts

homeowners in rural B.C. The previous government launched the homeowner

benefit fund, with the revenue-neutral carbon tax, which recognized that

northern and rural communities face a different challenge when heating

their homes. But when the NDP decided to not make the carbon tax

revenue-neutral, it now pockets the difference instead — once again

leaving rural communities literally out in the cold.

My point here, as I’m wrapping up, isn’t just this government’s

failure to meet the housing supply targets that have led to an

affordability crisis. It is their mountain of taxes, their lack of rural

supports and a whole slew of actions that have had a direct impact on

the affordability in northern and rural B.C., as well as on the average

British Columbian. If we want to keep attracting British Columbians to

our rural communities, we cannot strip away the amenities and the

opportunity that have made rural B.C. an affordable place to

live.

J. Sims: It’s my pleasure today to rise and speak on the motion put forward

by my colleague from Surrey–White Rock on housing.

Housing has no political stripes. Whether you’re a Conservative, a

Liberal, a Green or an NDPer, or you have no political affiliation,

everybody needs housing. We know that it’s one of the fundamental human

rights issues as well: the right to housing.

We have got to a state, over many, many years, where I think we

have to do a close examination, and I’m so proud of the work that our

government has done to date on this area. When you go to work — and you

work eight, ten, 12 hours a day, and you come home — you should, with

that income, be able to afford shelter, a roof over your head, food on

your table and maybe even occasionally a few days off where you can go

out and enjoy yourself.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

We know that for many people, they are struggling with housing —

whether it’s housing shelters, moving out of tents into hotels and then

into supported units, or people like nurses, teachers and firefighters

looking to live in their communities and finding that house prices have

gone out of their reach. The opposition will try to portray this as a

new phenomenon, as if this just started to happen. We’ve seen house

prices escalate for well over two decades. During that time, we know

that there were steps that could have been taken to address this

issue.

[11:55 a.m.]

We were known as the wild, wild west, as a colleague of mine said,

but also, it was well known and documented by three inquiries that money

laundering was actually fuelling up the housing market. It was allowed

to happen as people looked sideways when information was right in front

of them.

All of us have been haunted by TV images of bagfuls of money being

taken into casinos and, at the same time, nothing really happening

during that period. I’m proud of the work that our Attorney General has

done to address money laundering and also to do the inquiry as

well.

House pricing keeps going up. There are a number of drivers. We

know that. More people love B.C. because we’ve got such a wonderful

government. When they’re looking at what’s happening across the

province, across the country, they’re saying, people from Alberta and

everywhere else: “We want to move to B.C.”

We are also attracting a high level of immigration — because we

need workers — and that also adds to it. At the same time, we have to

know that governments of all stripes have to pay very serious attention

to the issue of housing, affordable housing, because we want our nurses,

doctors, teachers, firefighters, police officers and those who work in

their communities to be living in their communities. We know that if we

want to address in a serious way climate change, we also have to have

people living close to where they work in communities — and build

communities.

I hear that nothing is being done from my colleagues, but I’m

proud of the fact that our government has spent $1.2 billion every

single year. It’s in the budget again to build housing and to build more

affordable housing.

I’m glad and celebrate the fact that for the first time we are

addressing housing for our First Nation and Indigenous communities in a

serious way.

I want to give a few concrete examples of what’s in the works for

Surrey. On 81st Avenue, 100 new more affordable rental homes. When I

look at 99th Avenue and 153, 85 new more affordable homes are going

there. When I look at 75 and 140th, phase 2 — 104 new rental units on

their way. Housing is being built, and during the pandemic, we’re one of

the few provinces where the construction industry kept

building.

Lots done. Lots more to do. There is no magic pill to address this

issue. What it requires is concerted effort, a multi-pronged approach,

which this government has. We will get the job done.

S. Cadieux: I’m pleased to speak today about the issue of housing on behalf of

my constituents in Surrey South.

I’m going to say that, probably for the first time, I agree with

the member for Surrey-Panorama on the fact that there is no political

stripe to housing. We all know that this matters. It’s why we keep

talking about it.

I find it offensive — frankly, very offensive — that members of

the government want to characterize this as something they care about

and we don’t. They care about people, and we don’t. I care very deeply

about people. My entire career shows that. The fact that I sit on this

side of the House has no bearing on whether or not I care about

people.

I, too, participated in the Coldest Night of the Year walk this

year, as I do every year. I participated in my community, the part of my

community I share with Surrey-Cloverdale. That walk raised $220,000 for

people this year, the most in Canada, all of it going to support the

needs of people who are homeless or requiring other supports from our

community. We do that because we care.

[12:00 p.m.]

That is not how we want to do it. We want to see those people

housed, just like members of the NDP.

This government promised something to voters. This government

promised affordable housing. This government promised voters they were

going to make housing affordable for British Columbians, and yet we, as

an opposition, have an obligation to keep the government to their

promises. We have an obligation to question the government about those

promises. Yet, in five years since this government made that promise to

British Columbians for the first time, I have not heard them define what

affordable means.

What does affordable mean to the voters? What does it mean to a

young person trying to find their first home? What is it that government

is actually promising them?

We absolutely need housing, across the spectrum, in British

Columbia. We need housing for the vulnerable. We need housing for women

fleeing violence. We need housing for seniors. We need housing for

Indigenous communities, and we certainly need housing for the middle

class. You will get no argument from me. What I will argue with is the

method with which the government is trying to say they’re providing

it.

The non-profit housing society, B.C. Non-Profit Housing

Association, said they’re ready to build 10,000 units of housing, but

this government has accelerated funding for only 850 units in this

budget. That’s going to…. If you add that to the 5,000 homes that have

actually been built, that people are actually in, this government is

nowhere near meeting their promise of 114,000 units of housing in ten

years. That is what government promised, and that is what government has

to deliver. They are not doing it.

This government also makes the claim that this is going to be

accessible affordable housing. What does government mean by accessible?

They mean that people can find it.

But you know what this government hasn’t done? This government

hasn’t talked about accessible housing for people who need it —

accessible housing for people with disabilities, the 20 percent of the

population that no one but me is speaking about in this House. We cannot

speak about the housing crisis, the affordable housing crisis, and not

also speak about the accessible housing crisis, because 20 percent of

this population in British Columbia has a need that isn’t being

addressed by either.

As we come to a close on this today, let’s just remember the

opposition has an obligation to keep the government accountable for its

promises to British Columbians, but in no way does that mean that we

don’t care about people, care about housing and care about affordability

S. Cadieux moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. S. Malcolmson moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. this

afternoon.

The House adjourned at 12:03 p.m.

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