British Columbia Hansard — 2 April 2026, a.m., Issue 147 (43rd Parliament, 2nd Session)

20260402am-Hansard-n147

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Second Session, 43rd Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday, April 2, 2026 Morning Sitting Issue No. 147 THE HONOURABLE RAJ CHOUHAN, SPEAKER ISSN 1499-2175

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Wendy Cocchia, CM, OBC Second Session, 43rd Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Raj Chouhan EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ................................................................................................... Hon. David Eby, KC Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities .......................................................... Hon.

Brittny Anderson Minister of Agriculture and Food ..............................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham Attorney General and Deputy Premier ............................................................................................................... Hon. Niki Sharma, KC Minister of Children and Family Development ......................................................................................................Hon.

Jodie Wickens Minister of Citizens’ Services ......................................................................................................................................Hon. Diana Gibson Minister of Education and Child Care ............................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness ................................................................................ Hon.

Kelly Greene Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions .................................................................................................................... Hon. Adrian Dix Minister of Environment and Parks .................................................................................................... Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson Minister of Finance ......................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Brenda Bailey Minister of Forests .......................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Parmar Minister of Health ........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Josie Osborne Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs ...........................................................................................................Hon.

Christine Boyle Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation ........................................................................Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert Minister of Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................................. Hon. Bowinn Ma Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth ...................................................................................................................... Hon.

Ravi Kahlon Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies .................................................................. Hon. Rick Glumac Minister of Labour .............................................................................................................................................. Hon. Jennifer Whiteside Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals .....................................................................................................................Hon.

Jagrup Brar Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills ........................................................................................Hon. Jessie Sunner Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................ Hon. Nina Krieger Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services ........................................................................ Hon.

Terry Yung Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction ...............................................................................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport ............................................................................................................. Hon. Anne Kang Minister of Transportation and Transit ................................................................................................................ Hon.

Mike Farnworth Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship ............................................................................................... Hon. Randene Neill Minister Without Portfolio ..............................................................................................................................................Hon.

Grace Lore LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition ......................................................................................................................................Trevor Halford Leader of the Third Party .................................................................................................................................................Jeremy Valeriote Deputy Speaker ......................................................................................................................................................................

Mable Elmore Assistant Deputy Speaker .................................................................................................................................................Lorne Doerkson Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ......................................................................................................................George Anderson Clerk of the Legislative Assembly....................................................................................................................................Kate Ryan-Lloyd Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel ......................................................................................................................Seunghee Suzie Seo Deputy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly...............................................................................................................

Artour Sogomonian Clerk of Committees .............................................................................................................................................................. Jennifer Arril Committee Clerk ......................................................................................................................................................................

Karan Riarh Committee Clerk .........................................................................................................................................................................Darryl Hol Senior Legal Counsel .................................................................................................................................................................Hayley Hill Sergeant-at-Arms ..................................................................................................................................................................

Ray Robitaille Director of Hansard Services .......................................................................................................................................D’ Arcy McPherson Legislative Librarian ...............................................................................................................................................................Peter Gourlay

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS BY PARTY BC NDP Anderson, Hon. Brittny ........................................... Kootenay Central Anderson, George ................................................ Nanaimo-Lantzville Arora, Rohini ....................................................................Burnaby East Bailey, Hon. Brenda ................................Vancouver–South Granville Beare, Hon.

Lisa .......................................Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Begg, Garry .................................................................Surrey-Guildford Blatherwick, Jennifer ....................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Boyle, Hon. Christine .............................Vancouver–Little Mountain Brar, Hon. Jagrup ......................................................Surrey-Fleetwood Chandra Herbert, Hon. Spencer ..................... Vancouver–West End Chant, Susie .............................................

North Vancouver–Seymour Choi, Paul ..................................................Burnaby South–Metrotown Chouhan, Hon. Raj ................................. Burnaby–New Westminster Chow, George ....................................................Vancouver-Fraserview Davidson, Hon. Tamara / Laanas ...........North Coast–Haida Gwaii Dhir, Sunita .............................................................Vancouver-Langara Dix, Hon. Adrian .................................................. Vancouver-Renfrew Eby, Hon. David, KC .......................................

Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable ................................................. Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Hon. Mike .................................................Port Coquitlam Gibson, Hon. Diana ........................................Oak Bay–Gordon Head Glumac, Hon. Rick ...................................... Port Moody–Burquitlam Greene, Hon. Kelly ..............................................Richmond-Steveston Higginson, Stephanie ........................................Ladysmith-Oceanside Kahlon, Hon. Ravi .............................................................. Delta North Kang, Hon.

Anne ......................................................... Burnaby Centre Krieger, Hon. Nina ...............................................Victoria–Swan Lake Lajeunesse, Dana ..............................................Juan de Fuca–Malahat Lore, Hon. Grace .................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Ma, Hon. Bowinn ................................... North Vancouver–Lonsdale Malcolmson, Hon. Sheila .........................Nanaimo–Gabriola Island Morissette, Steve ...................................................Kootenay Monashee Neill, Hon. Randene ............................

Powell River–Sunshine Coast Osborne, Hon. Josie ....................................... Mid Island–Pacific Rim Parmar, Hon. Ravi ...............................................Langford-Highlands Phillip, Joan / Amshen .....................................Vancouver-Strathcona Popham, Hon. Lana ........................................................ Saanich South Rotchford, Darlene ...............................................Esquimalt-Colwood Routledge, Janet .............................................................Burnaby North Sandhu, Harwinder ......................................................

Vernon-Lumby Shah, Amna ............................................................. Surrey City Centre Sharma, Hon. Niki, KC ....................................... Vancouver-Hastings Sunner, Hon. Jessie ....................................................... Surrey-Newton Toporowski, Debra / Qwulti’stunaat .......................Cowichan Valley Whiteside, Hon. Jennifer ...................New Westminster–Coquitlam Wickens, Hon. Jodie ............................. Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Yung, Hon.

Terry .................................................Vancouver-Yaletown CONSERV ATIVE PARTY OF BC Banman, Bruce .......................................................... Abbotsford South Bhangu, Harman .................................................. Langley-Abbotsford Bird, Rosalyn ............................................. Prince George–Valemount Block, Lynne ..............................................West Vancouver–Capilano Chapman, Brent .................................................................Surrey South Clare, Sheldon ....................................

Prince George–North Cariboo Davis, Pete ..................................................................Kootenay Rockies Day, Brennan ........................................................... Courtenay-Comox Dew, Gavin ..................................................................Kelowna-Mission Dhaliwal, Mandeep .......................................................... Surrey North Doerkson, Lorne .....................................................

Cariboo-Chilcotin Gasper, Reann .......................................................Abbotsford-Mission Giddens, Kiel ..............................................Prince George–Mackenzie Halford, Trevor ......................................................Surrey–White Rock Hartwell, Sharon ..............................................Bulkley Valley–Stikine Hepner, Linda ................................................Surrey–Serpentine River Kindy, Anna ........................................................................North Island Kooner, Steve ............................................Richmond-Queensborough Loewen, Kristina ..........................................................

Kelowna Centre Luck, Tony ..........................................................................Fraser-Nicola Maahs, Heather ......................................................... Chilliwack North McCall, Macklin .........................................West Kelowna–Peachland McInnis, Scott ......................................... Columbia River–Revelstoke Milobar, Peter ............................................................

Kamloops Centre Mok, Lawrence ...........................................................Maple Ridge East Neufeld, Korky ............................................................Abbotsford West Neufeld, Larry ...........................................................Peace River South Paton, Ian ..............................................................................Delta South Rattée, Claire .................................................................................Skeena Rustad, John ...................................................................Nechako Lakes Stamer, Ward .........................................Kamloops–North Thompson Tepper, Br yan ............................................................

Surrey-Panorama Toor, Jody ............................................................Langley-Willowbrook Van Popta, Misty..............................................Langley–Walnut Grove Warbus, Á’a:líya ..............................................Chilliwack–Cultus Lake Wat, Teresa .........................................................Richmond-Bridgeport Williams, David ...............................................Salmon Arm–Shuswap Wilson, Donegal ............................................Boundary-Similkameen BC GREEN PARTY Botterell, Rob .......................................Saanich North and the Islands Valeriote, Jeremy .....................................

West Vancouver–Sea to Sky INDEPENDENT Armstrong, Tara .....................Kelowna–Lake Country–Coldstream Boultbee, Amelia .............................................Penticton-Summerland Brodie, Dallas .................................................... Vancouver-Quilchena Chan, Hon ..................................................................Richmond Centre Kealy, Jordan ............................................................. Peace River North Sturko, Elenore .........................................................

Surrey-Cloverdale PARTY STANDINGS Total seats – 93 BC NDP – 47 | Conservative Party of BC – 38 | BC Green Party – 2 | Independent – 6

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF RIDINGS A Abbotsford-Mission ........................................................Reann Gasper Abbotsford South ........................................................... Bruce Banman Abbotsford West .............................................................Korky Neufeld B Boundary-Similkameen .............................................Donegal Wilson Bulkley Valley–Stikine ............................................... Sharon Hartwell Burnaby Centre ...........................................................Hon.

Anne Kang Burnaby East ......................................................................Rohini Arora Burnaby–New Westminster .................................. Hon. Raj Chouhan Burnaby North ..............................................................Janet Routledge Burnaby South–Metrotown .................................................. Paul Choi C Cariboo-Chilcotin .......................................................Lorne Doerkson Chilliwack–Cultus Lake .............................................. Á’a:líya Warbus Chilliwack North ..........................................................

Heather Maahs Columbia River–Revelstoke ...........................................Scott McInnis Coquitlam–Burke Mountain .............................. Hon. Jodie Wickens Coquitlam-Maillardville .................................... Jennifer Blatherwick Courtenay-Comox ............................................................ Brennan Day Cowichan Valley ....................... Debra Toporowski / Qwulti’stunaat D Delta North ................................................................Hon.

Ravi Kahlon Delta South ...............................................................................Ian Paton E Esquimalt-Colwood ................................................Darlene Rotchford F Fraser-Nicola .......................................................................... Tony Luck J Juan de Fuca–Malahat ...............................................Dana Lajeunesse K Kamloops Centre ............................................................. Peter Milobar Kamloops–North Thompson .........................................

Ward Stamer Kelowna Centre ........................................................... Kristina Loewen Kelowna–Lake Country–Coldstream ......................Tara Armstrong Kelowna-Mission ..................................................................Gavin Dew Kootenay Central ............................................ Hon. Brittny Anderson Kootenay Monashee ....................................................Steve Morissette Kootenay Rockies................................................................... Pete Davis L Ladysmith-Oceanside ........................................

Stephanie Higginson Langford-Highlands ................................................ Hon. Ravi Parmar Langley-Abbotsford ....................................................Harman Bhangu Langley–Walnut Grove ..............................................Misty Van Popta Langley-Willowbrook ............................................................ Jody Toor M Maple Ridge East ............................................................Lawrence Mok Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows ........................................Hon. Lisa Beare Mid Island–Pacific Rim ........................................ Hon.

Josie Osborne N Nanaimo–Gabriola Island ..........................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson Nanaimo-Lantzville ................................................. George Anderson Nechako Lakes ....................................................................John Rustad New Westminster–Coquitlam .................... Hon. Jennifer Whiteside North Coast–Haida Gwaii ............Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson North Island ........................................................................Anna Kindy North Vancouver–Lonsdale .....................................Hon.

Bowinn Ma North Vancouver–Seymour ...............................................Susie Chant O Oak Bay–Gordon Head ......................................... Hon. Diana Gibson P Peace River North ..............................................................Jordan Kealy Peace River South ............................................................Larry Neufeld Penticton-Summerland .............................................. Amelia Boultbee Port Coquitlam ................................................. Hon. Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Burquitlam ........................................Hon.

Rick Glumac Powell River–Sunshine Coast ............................. Hon. Randene Neill Prince George–Mackenzie ...............................................Kiel Giddens Prince George–North Cariboo ......................................Sheldon Clare Prince George–Valemount ...............................................Rosalyn Bird R Richmond-Bridgeport .......................................................... Teresa Wat Richmond Centre .................................................................. Hon Chan Richmond-Queensborough ............................................

Steve Kooner Richmond-Steveston ...............................................Hon. Kelly Greene S Saanich North and the Islands ....................................... Rob Botterell Saanich South ......................................................... Hon.

Lana Popham Salmon Arm–Shuswap ................................................David Williams Skeena ..................................................................................Claire Rattée Surrey City Centre ...............................................................Amna Shah Surrey-Cloverdale .......................................................... Elenore Sturko Surrey-Fleetwood ....................................................... Hon. Jagrup Brar Surrey-Guildford .................................................................

Garry Begg Surrey-Newton ........................................................ Hon. Jessie Sunner Surrey North ............................................................Mandeep Dhaliwal Surrey-Panorama ..............................................................Br yan Tepper Surrey–Serpentine River ................................................

Linda Hepner Surrey South ..................................................................Brent Chapman Surrey–White Rock .......................................................Trevor Halford V Vancouver-Fraserview .....................................................George Chow Vancouver-Hastings ........................................ Hon. Niki Sharma, KC Vancouver-Kensington ...................................................Mable Elmore Vancouver-Langara .............................................................Sunita Dhir Vancouver–Little Mountain ............................. Hon.

Christine Boyle Vancouver–Point Grey .........................................Hon. David Eby, KC Vancouver-Quilchena ......................................................Dallas Brodie Vancouver-Renfrew ................................................... Hon. Adrian Dix Vancouver–South Granville ................................ Hon. Brenda Bailey Vancouver-Strathcona ..................................... Amshen / Joan Phillip Vancouver–West End .......................Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert Vancouver-Yaletown ..................................................Hon.

Terry Yung Vernon-Lumby ....................................................... Harwinder Sandhu Victoria–Beacon Hill ................................................. Hon. Grace Lore Victoria–Swan Lake ................................................Hon. Nina Krieger W West Kelowna–Peachland ..........................................Macklin McCall West Vancouver–Capilano ................................................Lynne Block West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ...................................... Jeremy Valeriote

CONTENTS Thursday, April 2, 2026 Morning Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members ............................................................................................................................................. 6189 Introduction and First Reading of Bills ........................................................................................................................ 6190 Bill 17 — Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes (Codes of Conduct) Amendment Act, 2026 Hon.

Christine Boyle Bill M240 — Transparency of Advocacy Organizations Act Tara Armstrong Bill 18 — Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes (Parental Leave) Amendment Act, 2026 Hon.

Christine Boyle Members’ Statements ...................................................................................................................................................... 6191 Easter Korky Neufeld Remembrance of Lapu-Lapu Day Victims Mable Elmore World Autism Awareness Day and Funding for Autism Services Claire Rattée Education Week Sunita Dhir Transgender Day of Visibility Rob Botterell Stephen Lewis Steve Morissette Speaker’s Statement ......................................................................................................................................................... 6193 Guidance on Private Members’ Bills for Report Stage Oral Questions ................................................................................................................................................................. 6194 Drug Decriminalization Program and Data Collection Claire Rattée Hon.

Josie Osborne Service Model Change for Children with Support Needs and Funding for Autism Services Rosalyn Bird Hon. Jodie Wickens Protection of Old-Growth Forests and Independent Assessment Rob Botterell Hon. Ravi Parmar Old-Growth Conservation Funding Rob Botterell Hon. Randene Neill Taylor Bridge Replacement Jordan Kealy Hon. Mike Farnworth Access to Critical Cardiac Care Services in Surrey Elenore Sturko Hon. Josie Osborne Service Model Change for Children with Support Needs and Funding for Autism Services Peter Milobar Hon. Jodie Wickens Donegal Wilson Lynne Block Harman Bhangu Reann Gasper

6189 THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2026 The House met at 10:03 a.m. [The Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers and reflections: Hon. Christine Boyle. [10:05 a.m.] Introductions by Members Hon. Ravi Kahlon: It’s some sort of record. I get to talk about field hockey three days in a row. My colleagues are going to be pissed off about hearing about field hockey, but we’ve got a guest here today. I’ve got a guest here, Amrit Hundal. She grew up in North Delta. She played field hockey her entire childhood. She is a second-year JD student at University of Victoria. She’s a proud UBC political science alumni.

She does a lot of pro bono work through UBC, giving back to the community. She is also the niece of a good friend of mine, Udham Hundal, who’s known to many people in this place, a very respected leader in both the field hockey community as well as the business community. Keep an eye on Amrit. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day she’s down here in these seats and — who knows? — maybe even the Attorney General one day. I’m hoping the House can please make Amrit very wel - come today. Scott McInnis: I have Nick and Trudy here, new friends from Columbia River–Revelstoke.

We met at the legion in Edgewater during the Remembrance Day ceremonies. I’m so thrilled they reached out that they were going to be in Victoria. I look forward to taking them for a tour and introducing them to you, Mr. Speaker. Please welcome Nick and Trudy. Hon. Brittny Anderson: Today I am delighted to wel - come representatives from Canada’s kindest city, Peach - land. Today in the gallery, we have Patrick Van Minsel, who is the mayor; we have Coun. Dave Collins; and we have CAO Joe Creron. We had an absolutely wonderful meeting with the Premier earlier this week.

They are set to increase their housing by 10 percent. They’re doing absolutely incredible work in Peachland. I got to visit them. I think it was about two years ago. We had a really, really wonderful tour. This time they provided me with a CD. This was Papa Thom. Papa Thom was one of their councillors, who passed away a few months ago. He was such an incredible human being. I just want to say I really appreciated the gesture of giv - ing me the album from Keith Pierson. It’s such a tremen - dous loss, Papa Thom’s loss from your community.

It is super wonderful to see you again and know that with Papa Thom’s music, his legacy lives on. I just want to thank you for all of the incredible work that you do for your community. Please let them feel very welcome. Claire R attée: In the gallery today, we have a number of people that just came out front of the Legislature with us for a rally for World Autism Day.

Today we have April Johnman; Lynne Hopkins; Vanita, Ryan and Ben Lindsay; Chelsea Ganam; Nicole Imbrilo; El- ena Lawson; Nicole Lancaster; Sara Lindberg; Jaclyn, Char- lotte, Max and Piper Ferreira; Madison, Stephen and Diane Ross; Michelle Clark; Ripley Davis; Madison and Diane Perice; Patricia, Shane, Ava and Ivy Anderson; Nikolas, Lisa-Marie, Michelle, Diane, Shane and Jaxon Chai; Kayla Burnell; Sharon Banning; Hayley Shade; Ashleigh Allen; Tessa Guenther; Ed Court; Jennifer Marcell; and Dylan MacDonald. I would just ask that the House make them feel very welcome, please. Hon.

Randene Neill: It is my absolute pleasure to intro- duce you today to some constituents of mine and, more im- portantly, members of the ɬəʔamɛn Nation: Elder Eugene Louie; hegus John Hackett, who’s an amazing individual; Callum Galligos, who’s my counterpart in land, water and resource stewardship with the nation; Brandon Louie; as well as Denise, Kelly, Russell, Tabatha and Jenn. [10:10 a.m.] We are just days away from the tenth anniversary of signing the treaty back in 2016, and we also have an im - portant announcement today about a memorandum of understanding. Thank you so much for being in the House today.

It’s so good to see you here. But as always, I can’t wait to see you at home as well. Please, House, make them feel welcome. Reann Gasper: Please join me in welcoming Kathy Williams, who joins us today all the way from Alberta. Kathy serves as a school board trustee in ward 8 in the Chinook’s Edge School Division and is deeply committed to supporting students and strengthening public educa - tion in her community. She is also the proud mother of my executive assistant, Ethan Williams. We are very pleased to have her here at the B.C. Legislature. Welcome, Kathy. Hon.

Diana Gibson: Everybody in this House knows how hard our staff work during these long days in the Legislature. It’s my great pleasure to introduce my guests

6190 B ritish Columbia Debates T hursday, April 2, 2026 today, my administrative assistant Carly Bernays, who is our trusty spirit of the office, and her sister Amanda Ber - nays, who is joining us in the gallery for her very first time. Amanda graduated from Camosun College in my rid - ing back in 2023, in marketing, and is now attending Van - couver Island University for her post-baccalaureate bach - elor of education to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. Would the House please make them feel very welcome.

Macklin McCall: I, too, would like to introduce my Peachland delegation that’s here, as the minister across the aisle did. I’ll start off with Patrick Van Minsel, the mayor of Peachland, and CAO Joe Creron and Coun. David Collins are here with us today. I just want to recognize that they’ve been here for a week, having meetings with ministers and official oppos - ition critics on all things important to Peachland. Will the House please join me in welcoming them to the Legislature today.

Jeremy Valeriote: I’m pleased to introduce, and please stand if you’re comfortable, Prym Goodacre and Thomas Reimer from the Green team dream team. Please welcome them, visiting the House today, and give them a round of applause, if you don’t mind. Hon. Grace Lore: It’s been a good week for introduc - tions for me. I’m pleased to welcome Angus Matthews, who’s here today with the Maritime Museum Society. He’s an advocate and volunteer working really hard with a vi - sion and drive for our local waterfront. He’ll be joined later today by Alicia Thomas from the Esquimalt Nation.

We’re going to have a few meetings around community. I am really grateful for his work and vision in the com - munity and for my ministerial colleagues who are going to join us for some meetings today. Will the House please help me make Angus very welcome. Rob Botterell: I hope the House will indulge me. This is an extraordinarily special day for me. It’s my daughter’s birthday. She’s a captain in the Coast Guard. She wouldn’t want me mentioning her age, but she’s in her mid-30s. Will the House please wish her a happy birthday.

Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL 17 — HOUSING AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS STATUTES (CODES OF CONDUCT) AMENDMENT ACT, 2026 Hon. Christine Boyle presented a message from His Honour the Administrator: a bill intituled Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes (Codes of Conduct) Amendment Act, 2026. Hon. C hristine B oyle: I move that the bill be intro - duced and read a first time now. I’m pleased to introduce the Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes (Codes of Conduct) Amendment Act. This bill requires local government, elected officials, to adhere to a provincial code of conduct.

Any breaches of the code are to be handled by a locally appointed neutral investigator who meets the criteria prescribed by the prov - ince through regulation. Investigators will review all com - plaints and make recommendations on whether sanctions should be imposed against an individual by the council or board. [10:15 a.m.] This bill responds to repeated requests made by local governments and other interested parties, such as the Union of B.C.

Municipalities and the Ombudsperson’s of - fice, to establish a mandatory code of conduct across the province and enhance enforcement mechanisms to sup - port the implementation of the code. The Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Hon. Christine Boyle: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Motion approved. BILL M240 — TRANSPARENCY OF ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS ACT Tara Armstrong presented a bill intituled Transparency of Advocacy Organizations Act.

Tara Armstrong: I move that a bill intituled the Trans - parency of Advocacy Organizations Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be intro - duced and read a first time now. In British Columbia today, there are thousands of or - ganizations working to influence public opinion and pub - lic officials — Pride societies, Indigenous lobby groups, environmental organizations and many others. Many

Thursday, April 2, 2026 B ritish Columbia Debates 6191 are receiving money from the government or from for - eign sources, yet the public often has no way to see who is funding them, how much they receive or how that money is being spent. This bill changes that. It requires advocacy organiza - tions receiving government or foreign funding to publish annual reports divulging their funding sources, amounts and the salaries of their five highest-paid employees. They must also disclose the legal names of all affiliated organ - izations.

Finally, they must post a notice on their websites and social media admitting that they have received gov - ernment or foreign funding, along with a one-click link to those mandatory disclosures. If they refuse, the public can step in. The bill empow - ers any British Columbian to take a non-compliant advo - cacy organization to court. If a violation is proven, courts can impose large penalties of up to $10 million and award up to 30 percent of those amounts to the applicant who brought the court action. This bill will drag shadowy lobby groups into the light of day.

It will do this by harnessing the democratic power of financial transparency and public accountability. I wel - come every member to express their support. The Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Tara Armstrong: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. Motion approved. BILL 18 — HOUSING AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS STATUTES (PARENTAL LEAVE) AMENDMENT ACT, 2026 Hon.

Christine Boyle presented a message from His Honour the Administrator: a bill intituled Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes (Parental Leave) Amendment Act, 2026. Hon. C hristine B oyle: I move that the bill be intro - duced and read a first time now. I’m pleased to introduce the Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes (Parental Leave) Amendment Act, 2026. This bill establishes a provincial minimum parental leave entitlement for locally elected officials. The legislation provides for a provincial minimum entitlement of 26 con - secutive weeks of parental leave.

Local elected officials will be eligible for full remuneration and will not be dis - qualified for missing council or board meetings. This bill responds to long-standing advocacy from lo - cal elected officials and local governments and promotes gender and generational diversity and equity in local pol - itics by providing local elected officials with consistent ac - cess to parental leave. The Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill. Motion approved. Hon. Christine Boyle: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Motion approved. [10:20 a.m.] Members’ Statements EASTER Korky Neufeld: This coming weekend many British Columbians will be focused on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Bible teaches three powerful truths about how God relates to humanity: justice, mercy and grace. There is justice. Justice means receiving what we do deserve. God is perfectly holy and righteous, and justice requires that wrongdoings and sin be addressed. In a just system, every action has consequences, and people receive the results of their choices. Then there’s mercy. Mercy means not receiving the punishments we deserve.

Even though humanity has fallen short of God’s standards, God shows compassion and restraint. Instead of immediately giving us what we deserve, he extends forgiveness and patience. Then there’s grace, and grace goes even further. Grace means receiving something good that we do not deserve. Through grace, God not only withholds the consequences but also gives us blessings, such as forgiveness, new life and a restored relationship with him. There are three truths that come together most clearly at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Justice was satisfied because sin was dealt with.

Mercy was shown be - cause we did not receive the consequences ourselves. Jesus took them for us. Grace was given because through Jesus Christ, we receive forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. Justice, mercy and grace together reveal the depth of God’s character: perfect righteousness, deeply compas - sionate and overwhelming generosity. The Bible states, in Romans 3: “God setting things right by way of Jesus setting things right for us. Not only for us but for everyone who believes.

Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record of sins and proved that we’re utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, he did it for us. Out of sheer generosity, he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where we always must be.

6192 B ritish Columbia Debates T hursday, April 2, 2026 He did this by means of Jesus Christ.” We have the cross and resurrection. That is good news. Happy Easter. REMEMBRANCE OF LAPU-LAPU DAY VICTIMS Mable Elmore: This April my community will observe a cultural tradition that is deeply imbued with love and remembrance. It’s called Babang Luksa, or the dropping of the veil of mourning, a custom rooted in family and friendship. It will be an occasion to pray together and honour the memory of those who were lost in the April 26, 2025, festival tragedy in Vancouver. It does not mean that grief comes to an end.

It simply means that we are taking another step in our shared jour - ney of healing. It also reinforces the importance of com - munity and ongoing social supports to reassure victims and their families that they are not alone. I am reminded of the Sermon on the Mount, wherein Jesus said: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Individually and collectively, Filipinos know grief well. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one or the loss of the ability to practise a profession in Canada because of challenges in foreign credential recognition, Filipinos have had their own share of suffering.

But we know that sorrow is not a permanent place. With God’s grace, we will find new strength together with the broad commun - ity. Thank you for your solidarity. In memoriam: Jenifer Darbellay, Kira Ganapol Salim, Vicky Bjarnason, Glitza Daniela Samper, Glitza Maria Caicedo-Samper, Daniel Samper Toro, Jendhel Sico, Ri - chard Le, Katie Le, Linh Hoang, Nerissa Pagkanlungan. I invite everybody to join a commemoration mass at St.

Andrew’s Parish, 480 East 47th Avenue, on April 10 at 2 p.m., and also a community dinner of commemoration, where victims will be there to give tribute to their loved ones, at Fraserview Banquet Hall, on April 12 at 5 p.m. [Applause.] [10:25 a.m.] WORLD AUTISM AW ARENESS DAY AND FUNDING FOR AUTISM SERVICES Claire Rattée: Today on World Autism Awareness Day, we should all take time to recognize and celebrate the in - credible contributions and potential of autistic individuals all across this province.

Over the past few months, I have heard from countless parents across our province who have fought tirelessly to get their children diagnosed, access support and build sta - bility in their lives. Families like Amber’s, whose young son was once non- verbal and is only now beginning to communicate because of early intervention. Or Stephanie’s, whose son is thriving in school today but still relies on therapy to continue to succeed. Or Jenna’s, who knows firsthand what can hap - pen when children grow up without the support that they need.

What’s concerning about these stories is that each of these children are going to lose access to their support funding unless a change is made very soon. These stories are powerful reminders of a simple truth, that early inter - vention works. Support is not a luxury. It is not optional; it is foundational. When children receive the therapies that they need, they build communication, confidence, independence and the ability to participate fully in their communities. When those supports are taken away, the risks are not theor - etical; they are real.

Regression, mental health challenges and long-term system involvement are the consequences. Neurodivergence exists on a spectrum, and support must reflect that reality. There is no such thing as not au - tistic enough when a child is struggling. On this day, we should be reaffirming our commitment to inclusion and dignity and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

On this side of the House, we will always defend the right for all neurodiverse children, including all of those on the autism spectrum and with Down syndrome, to re - ceive the life-changing supports that they deserve. When we invest in children early, we are not only supporting families; we are building stronger communities for all of us. EDUCATION WEEK Sunita Dhir: I rise today to recognize Education Week, taking place across British Columbia from April 7 to 10. Education Week is a time to reflect on the vital role edu - cation plays in supporting young people as they learn, grow and discover their potential.

It’s also an opportun - ity to celebrate the students, teachers, education assistants, counsellors, administrators, school trustees and support staff who make our K-to-12 system strong and vibrant. In classrooms across our province, students are build - ing skills that will shape their futures — learning to read their first book, experiencing science and technology, dis - covering the arts and sports and developing a lifelong love of learning. These moments are foundational, and they’re made possible by the dedication, compassion and profes - sionalism of those who support students every day.

Education is about more than academics. Our schools are safe, inclusive and supportive spaces where students can access opportunities, build confidence, form mean - ingful friendships and find care and guidance when they need it most. The tragic events in Tumbler Ridge have deeply im- pacted communities across British Columbia, reminding us of the strength, resilience and compassion within our

Thursday, April 2, 2026 B ritish Columbia Debates 6193 school communities, especially in difficult times. There has never been a more important time to recognize and thank those who are dedicated to supporting students and strengthening our education system. I invite all members of this House to join me in cele - brating Education Week and the many individuals who make education in British Columbia so meaningful.

TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY Rob Botterell: “Protect the dolls.” This week we cele - brated Trans Day of Visibility, a day where the trans com - munity is supposed to feel free to be who they are without fear. That’s not always the case in our society, where being trans, visibly or in stealth, still puts you in danger. [10:30 a.m.] Access to timely, quality health care is a challenge for many across our province, and the trans community feels this crisis more than most. Gender-affirming, life-saving health care is more and more difficult to access. Medica - tions often have unreliable coverage.

Wait times for spe - cialists in surgeries are years long and getting longer, espe - cially with the shuttering of the Montreal surgery pathway. There are also fundamental flaws with this province’s name-change ban, which has caused immense harm to transgender and other marginalized communities. Resolution of these issues affects more than the trans community. We’ve seen it time and time again. When the trans community advocates for improvements in social services and health care, everyone in British Columbia benefits.

Transgender individuals affect more than the trans community, not just as advocates for gender equal - ity but as scientists, teachers, construction workers, librar - ians, doctors. Trans Day of Visibility is about recognizing the strug - gles and joys of being trans. Trans people have the right to live in dignity and be safe in their communities just like everybody else. We have much work to do to make our community safe for everyone, but no one has to do this work alone. To our trans friends and their allies in this chamber and across the province: we stand with you today and every day.

STEPHEN LEWIS Steve Morissette: It was with great sadness that we learned about the passing of an incredible human this past Tuesday — former leader of the Ontario NDP and a proud activist, father, husband, grandfather and much more, Ste - phen Lewis. Elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at 26 years old and becoming the leader of the Ontario NDP at just 33, Lewis became known for his eloquent and pas - sionate public speaking skills and his dedication as Leader of the Official Opposition to hold the government at the time to a high moral standard, fighting for compassion for all people.

Lewis worked fiercely to protect, uplift and improve human rights, and his advocacy for gender equality, anti- racism and social justice is at the very heart of what it means to be a New Democrat and a Canadian. Stephen wore many impressive hats throughout his career, all rooted in his passion for human rights, includ - ing serving as an ambassador to the United Nations and working for UNICEF. Lewis was an incredible activist and dedicated much of his life to bringing awareness to and fighting against apartheid in South Africa and the HIV/ AIDS epidemic.

In 2003, he co-funded the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which works to deliver funds and other resources dir - ectly to community-led organizations who are leading re - sponses to HIV and AIDS in Africa. He is survived by his three children; his grandchildren; and his wife, Michele Landsberg, an incredible leader, au - thor and educator. Stephen Lewis changed our country for the better, and his impact will continue to be felt here and across the globe. Speaker’s Statement GUIDANCE ON PRIV ATE MEMBERS’ BILLS FOR REPORT STAGE The Speaker: Hon.

Members, earlier in the week, the House received a report on private members’ bills from the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Pri - vate Members’ Bills. That report will be taken up during the next private members’ time, on Monday, April 13. It has been some time since the House last considered a reported private member’s bill, so the Chair will take the opportunity to offer some guidance to the House.

Report stage is intended to give members an opportun - ity, particularly those who did not participate in the de - liberations of the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members’ Bills, to discuss the amended form of the bill. It is not an opportunity to re-canvass the merits and principles of the bill or to discuss details that are suited for committee stage consideration. [10:35 a.m.] The maximum of 15 minutes of debate at report stage is intended to give the House an opportunity to canvass the amendments brought forward by the committee for the House’s consideration.

If a bill has been reported without amendment, it seems to the Chair that there is a limited scope of debate that could reasonably proceed at this stage, and the House should consider advancing the bill to its final stage of the consideration, being third reading. At third reading, the House has a maximum of 20 min -

6194 B ritish Columbia Debates T hursday, April 2, 2026 utes of debate to consider the bill at its final stage in the legislative process. As noted in Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia , fifth edition, at page 254: “Third read - ing debate has not been common in the Legislative Assem- bly, particularly when those substantive amendments have been made to the bill at committee considerations.” If a bill has been amended at committee stage, third reading debate should focus on introducing new view - points on the final form of the bill.

Members participating in third reading debate should not offer arguments that were canvassed at previous stages of the consideration of the bill. Members will know that unamended government bills are seldom subject to debate at third reading, and that practice should be applied for unamended private members’ bills. The Chair hopes that this guidance will be of assist - ance to the House as it navigates debate on private mem - bers’ bills in their final stages of consideration.

Oral Questions DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION PROGRAM AND DATA COLLECTION Claire Rattée: Yesterday, when I asked this government why they ordered the destruction of invaluable scientific research, the minister said: “This is false and absolutely misleading, what the member is saying. The data that Dr. Somers collected was not destroyed.” I have a simple question for the minister. Does she stand by her statement that the research was not ordered to be destroyed, yes or no? Hon. Josie Osborne: Again, data is a very critical com - ponent to understanding how government policies and services are affecting people. Dr.

Somers was contracted by government to under - take research. The data from his research have been trans - ferred into a government database, where they are avail - able for academics and for other researchers to access. I stand by the statements that I made yesterday and that the data are in the hands of government and avail - able for those academics, researchers and government staff — again, a very important component to evaluating programs, to being able to make informed decisions, mov - ing forward. The Speaker: Member for Skeena, supplemental. Claire Rattée: I have the letter that Dr.

Somers received from the government. The letter says: “All data must be destroyed, and all media storage devices that house min - istry data must be sanitized. This includes all backup cop - ies, uploads and data on any media devices.” I spoke with Dr. Somers yesterday, and he assured me that he was forced to destroy the data, not to transfer it. So I’ll ask again. Why did this government order the destruction of critical addiction and public safety data right before launching its decriminalization experiment? If they did not destroy it, will the ministry table that data? Hon. Josie Osborne: Dr.

Somers worked under con - tract to government. As are the conditions of contracts like that, these data then become the property of government. Those data were transferred into government databases, and they remain available for researchers, for academics, for government staff to be able to use, and they continue to do so to this day. SERVICE MODEL CHANGE FOR CHILDREN WITH SUPPORT NEEDS AND FUNDING FOR AUTISM SERVICES Rosalyn Bird: Today the gallery is full of families whose children depend on autism supports. Amber wrote to us about her son, diagnosed with aut - ism at just a year old.

He is only now beginning to speak, regulate and build the basic skills he needs, because of early intervention. However, her son may soon be con - sidered not autistic enough to qualify for support. To the minister: why are you taking away funding from a child who is just beginning to thrive? Hon. Jodie Wickens: I first and foremost want to thank the families that are here today. I want to thank them for their advocacy. [10:40 a.m.] I know firsthand what it feels like to advocate for your child. I am a proud mom of an autistic child.

I am an aunt of a child that has significant medical complexities and disabilities. And I am now the minister responsible for all children in this province. I take this role incredibly seriously. We have a system that exists right now that is not work- ing for all children. We undertook extensive engagement over years. We spent $4 million to speak to families, to experts, to service providers. There were three things that came out of that engagement. The first is we needed more investment in our system. The system had not been invested in for decades, and we are spending 475 million net new dollars in the system.

The second is that we were asked to expand individual - ized funding to more diagnoses so children with Down syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities will receive direct funding for the very first time. Lastly, families and experts asked us to tie support based on a functional need, not a singular diagnosis alone. We are building a stronger and fairer system for the future.

Thursday, April 2, 2026 B ritish Columbia Debates 6195 The Speaker: The member has a supplemental. Rosalyn Bird: Everyone on this side of the House sup - ports all neurodiverse children that need access to funding. Another parent, Stephanie, told us her son is verbal, bright and in school but still needs occupational therapy, speech therapy and behavioural supports each year. She said the new model forces families to prove their child is disabled enough to qualify. If a child does well in school, that is the beginning of stabilization. With autistic kids, they need consistent and stable supports continuously.

To the minister: why are you pulling the rug out on these families just as they have started to feel secure? Hon. Jodie Wickens: The members opposite have brought families here today. They should be honest with those families. Governments in the past had years to in - vest in children with various disabilities. They did not. Interjections. The Speaker: Shhh. Shhh, Members. Hon. Jodie Wickens: There is a track record of Con - servative governments across this country and how they deliver services for children and youth with disabilities. It is abysmal.

Members opposite stand in this House every day and say, “Stop spending. Don’t spend any more money,” and now they want to say spending $475 million is not enough. Interjections. The Speaker: Shhh. Hon. Jodie Wickens: You cannot have it both ways. We are making historic investments in children and youth in this province. There is a symbol used in the autism community. It’s the fingerprint. That symbol is used because everybody’s fingerprint is different. Every child with autism has very different needs. You could have a child that is indistin - guishable from their peers.

You could have a child that’s non-verbal and self-injurious. Under our current system, both of those children receive the exact same support. In the new system, funding will be tied based on a functional need. We have children with autism in our cur - rent system that will receive more funding in the new sys - tem. We have thousands of children who will receive more support in the new system. We are building a stronger, fairer system for thousands of children for years to come.

PROTECTION OF OLD-GROWTH FORESTS AND INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT Rob Botterell: Yesterday the Conservative member for Richmond-Queensborough and Attorney General critic called for extinguishment of Aboriginal title on private property in Richmond. In other words, ignore

section 35 of the constitution, ignore the historic injustice to the Quw’utsun and abandon reconciliation. Shame on the member, and shame on the Conservatives. Interjection. The Speaker: Member. Rob Botterell: The Conservatives are not the only ones operating in an alternate reality.

The Minister of Forests says the government is protecting old growth, but every single panellist from the old-growth strategic review has written a letter to this government stating that the prov - ince is failing to protect our most valuable forests. [10:45 a.m.] Our constituency offices are flooded with letters about logging in the Tsitika Valley, big-tree old growth in a pri - ority deferral area auctioned off by B.C. Timber…. The Speaker: Question, Member. Question. Rob Botterell: Question.

Will the minister get real and conduct an independent assessment of high-value old growth as called for by the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, yes or no? The Speaker: Before I recognize the Minister of For - ests, I want to caution members. When you make com - ments about the opposition members, those who are not able to respond, it’s not fair to do that. Thank you so much. Hon. Ravi Parmar: Thanks very much, Member. I ap - preciate that. Make note of that answer. That doesn’t hap - pen every day.

It’s always a pleasure to be able to rise in this House and be able to speak about the work that we’ve been do - ing on this side of the House to protect more old forests, protect our old forests. This is a foundational value here in British Columbia, where we are working hard to build a strong, sustainable and robust forest sector. Here in coastal British Columbia, we know how im - portant it is that we protect our old forests.

It’s why, on this side of the House, we’ve taken considerable steps, commissioning an old-growth strategic review, develop - ing an action plan and taking necessary steps in moving forward on that action plan. I would note to the member opposite that it’s really im- portant…. If you talk to Garry Merkel, who I’m going to

6196 B ritish Columbia Debates T hursday, April 2, 2026 be talking to in about an hour’s time…. The important step that we have to take is engaging with First Nations. In the case of the timber sale licence that member has re - ferred to, we engage with that nation. They are support - ive of that timber sale licence because they’ve developed an integrated resource management plan that meets the needs of conservation and economic value. The Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

OLD-GROWTH CONSERV ATION FUNDING Rob Botterell: I didn’t hear an answer regarding the old-growth assessment called for by the Forest Advisory Council. So let me take a different approach. Let’s try the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship instead. We know that the solution to protecting old growth and respecting the sovereignty of First Nations is con - servation financing. This government, alongside the feds, committed $1 billion to the cause in 2023. But since then, we’ve had little or no detail about how much money has been spent.

We’ve also heard serious concerns from First Nations regarding the scope and sufficiency of the fund. I asked the minister in forestry estimates, and he sug - gested the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Steward - ship could answer. The Speaker: Question, Member. Rob Botterell: How much of the money is left in the conservation fund, and what steps are you taking to en - sure that nations have the flexibility they require when using this $1 billion of financing to transition away from old-growth harvesting? Hon.

Randene Neill: I thank the member opposite for the question and also for, always, his advocacy in fight - ing for nature and restoring biodiversity throughout our province. In terms of the member’s question, there is something called the conservation fund, which is a $300 million fund. It’s a provincial fund, and $150 million was committed to from the provincial government. The other $150 million was committed through the B.C. Parks fund. This is intended to be an evergreen fund. As funds are depleted through partnerships with protecting areas in conservancies, more private donations will come in.

So we’ll never be able to run out of that fund. I think the member was also talking about the nature strategy, which is that $1 billion G2G2G fund with the federal, provincial and First Nations governments. I can get the exact numbers for him, but we publish a report every year into how many funds are left and what we’ve done with the funds that year. We just literally released that report this week, and I can certainly send a copy over to his office.

TAYLOR BRIDGE REPLACEMENT Jordan Kealy: Metal fatigue does not reverse, and when steel is cracked, welded and cracked again, it does not return to its original strength. In fact, it creates more stress points, which is stated in the reports obtained by the ICBA after they waited nine months for an FOI request of inspection reports from 2020 to 2025 of the Taylor Bridge. [10:50 a.m.] We now know the Taylor Bridge has cracked steel that is being welded and re-cracked. This can only happen so much to steel so many times until critical failure occurs.

The corrosion in critical structural components and a coating system the government’s own engineers say has failed…. You cannot just simply put this back together. Even after all that, the records show that this govern - ment is still identifying a preferred course of action, with reports leaning towards rehabilitation and more patch - work instead of replacement. The Speaker: Question, Member. Jordan Kealy: Why has this government continued to patch a structurally compromised, declining bridge, and will this minister commit today to finally replacing the Taylor Bridge, yes or no? Hon.

Mike Farnworth: I thank the member for the question. I obviously realize the importance of the Taylor Bridge in his neck of the woods and the importance it has to the province as a whole. We take bridge safety very seriously. Bridges are in - spected on a regular basis to ensure that they are safe, and that happens with the Taylor Bridge. We also know that the Taylor Bridge does need to be replaced. That’s why we’re spending $40 million to date in terms of engineering and project development to do just that.

Extensive field assessment, structural and environ - mental, hydrotechnical, utilities, traffic and economic an - alyses have been completed. This past summer load tests were done on some of the key areas in terms of where a new bridge would be. I can assure the member that work is underway to de - termine the best way that the bridge needs to be replaced and how it should be replaced. At the same time, I want to assure the member that the bridge is safe. It is inspected on a regular basis, as are all our bridges in the province. The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Jordan Kealy: Well, I go over this bridge all the time.

Thursday, April 2, 2026 B ritish Columbia Debates 6197 I’ve walked across it, and I’ve seen holes in the bridge deck bigger than my foot. Truck drivers are saying a prayer before crossing this bridge with their loads. Confidence is gone, and when confidence is gone, assurances from this minister don’t mean much. So I’ll ask again. When will he stop relying on patch - work and commit to replacing the Taylor Bridge with an upgraded new one that is meant to handle the loads and capacity of our region so that we can continue to be the powerhouse of this province?

My constituents are demanding answers now, and this minister is just leaving us praying. Hon. Mike Farnworth: I will repeat what I just said for the member. We’re spending more than $40 million in terms of the kind of studies that need to be in place to de - termine the appropriate replacement for the bridge. At the same time, I want to let the member know that not only is it regular maintenance but regular inspection. I understand the member’s concerns, but I will also tell him this.

We have incredibly skilled, dedicated, professional people in the Ministry of Transportation who regularly inspect that bridge, whose expertise goes into looking at that bridge and ensuring that it’s safe. They will continue to do that work as we work on the plan going forward to replace the Taylor Bridge. ACCESS TO CRITICAL CARDIAC CARE SERVICES IN SURREY Elenore Sturko: On March 8, a patient suffering from a heart attack was en route from Surrey to Royal Columbian by advanced life support ambulance when they were di - verted due to a staffing shortage.

EHS was rerouted to Sur - rey Memorial Hospital, which doesn’t provide the same level of cardiac care as RCH, and the diversion cost pre - cious minutes. The patient died. Perhaps they would be alive today if they were able to get treatment at RCH’s cardiac intensive care unit, or, if Surrey had these resources, perhaps their chance of sur - vival may have been higher. But that wasn’t an option for them or any other resident south of the Fraser. Even with the cath labs in Surrey, cardiac patients in critical condi - tion must be transported to access cardiac intensive care. My question.

When will this government deliver timely and equitable access to health care for underserved com - munities south of the Fraser? Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you to the member for the question. We know just how quickly the community of Surrey is growing south of the Fraser. That is why this government has been so focused on building the infrastructure and providing the services, including opening a new cardiac cath lab recently at Surrey Memorial Hospital. [10:55 a.m.] The member speaks of a specific incident.

While I can’t comment on that, I can say, of course, that tragic circum - stances like that are terrible situations to hear about, and all of our hearts go out to the family members and friends of any person who tragically or unfortunately passes away. That’s why we continue to do the work to strengthen British Columbia’s health care system, investing in those fast-growing communities and investing in smaller com - munities too: building new hospitals; renovating emer - gency rooms; undertaking recruitment campaigns to attract the specialists, the physicians that we need; con - tinuing to invest in B.C.

Ambulance Service; and working with all parts of the health care system to deliver the care that people expect to have close to home when they need it. The Speaker: Member, supplemental. Elenore S turko: I’m sure that those words will not be that comforting to those who are losing their lives or their loved ones’ lives due to staffing shortages. The addition of two cath labs in Surrey is a welcomed improvement, but what the public may not know is that the labs are only staffed Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and they’re for urgent but not critical patients.

Residents south of the Fraser will have to be sure to

schedule their heart attacks during business hours or be diverted to RCH and pray they aren’t on diversion again. My question. When will the minister get serious about timely and equitable cardiac care for the thousands of British Columbians living south of the Fraser? Hon. Josie Osborne: We are serious about this work each and every day. We know that the population is ex - panding, it’s growing and it’s aging, and people deserve that care. The last thing you want to worry about, of course, when you are sick or when you have a critical in - cident is whether the specialists will be there to serve you.

That’s why we’re building a new medical school in Sur- rey, opening this fall. That’s why we’re expanding nursing seats. We’ve expanded medical seats at UBC. You cannot reduce wait-lists and you cannot improve care without those people. The work that we are doing is showing progress. Be - tween 2019 and 2023, the number of specialists practis - ing here in British Columbia increased by 22 percent.

We continue to invest and build in hospitals, in surgical care, in new operating rooms: new surgical suites at Peace Arch, Burnaby General, Royal Inland, Kootenay Boundary; a second hospital in Surrey; and work at Surrey Memorial. A year ago we set a record for the number of surgeries that we are undertaking here in British Columbia. We are

6198 B ritish Columbia Debates T hursday, April 2, 2026 seeing progress. We are going to stay committed and fo - cused on doing this work. SERVICE MODEL CHANGE FOR CHILDREN WITH SUPPORT NEEDS AND FUNDING FOR AUTISM SERVICES Peter Milobar: I thought the minister was going to say they set a record for emergency room closures.

The Minister of Children and Family Development has demonstrated a master class today of the expression “that was then; this is now.” In 2021, the minister and other members of that government that weren’t in government at the time had no problem protesting the exact same cuts to autism that we are seeing this government implement now. Reggie is a child in my riding who’s been receiving autism supports for the past several years. Reggie’s mom, Heather, describes him as a bright, humorous and inquisi - tive child who likes history, trains, Lego and video games.

Reggie was first diagnosed at three years old and non-ver - bal. At ten, he could not read or write. Reggie is now in middle school and thriving. Reggie’s mom says this progress is largely due to the ongoing funding and therapy Reggie has been receiving. Reggie, however, is now one of the 10,000 children whose funding will be slashed to zero by this government, putting his progress at risk. Now, Reggie’s mom did meet with the minister on Wed- nesday, and it was a circular meeting with no outcome other than niceties being exchanged.

Why is the minister putting the future of kids like Reg - gie at risk with these funding cuts? Hon. J odie W ickens: I was very involved when an an - nouncement was made to change our system in 2021. Any time you make a change to a system and you transform from one state to another, there are some families that are going to be challenged by that. The member is incorrect. Our new transformation and our new system are considerably different from what we were talking about in the previous system. [11:00 a.m.] We are expanding direct funding for children and families in our province.

We are increasing direct fund - ing from $129 million to $326 million. We are investing $80 million in publicly available, highly specialized pro - grams and services. I encourage every MLA in this House…. The member from Kamloops can go to the Kamloops Child Develop - ment Centre and talk to the leaders in that organization about the welcomed investments that are being made in his community. This will make incredibly huge differen - ces in the lives of children and families in this province. We will continue to do this work.

In an unprecedented time globally, with global pres - sures financially, we are choosing to invest in children, on this side of the House. I am proud of that. We will create a stronger, fairer system well into the future. Donegal Wilson: I believe those words are pretty hol - low for the families in the House today. Two parents, Kaomi and Mike, told us their daughters gained life-changing communication and emotional regu - lation skills through early intervention. They said clearly that early intervention works. Why is this government taking away support for these children when we know it’s working? Hon.

Jodie Wickens: I know families will have ques - tions. Eighty percent of families who are currently receiving autism funding will receive direct funding through one of the two new benefits that we are rolling out. For some families who have a net adjusted income of over $200,000 a year or whose children do not meet the federal criteria for a daily functional need, they may see a decrease in dir - ect funding. However, we are prioritizing highly specialized, com - munity-based services delivered by speech-language path - ologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, behav - iour interventionists.

These programs and services are go - ing to be well invested in. We are not changing funding over the next year. We will work alongside families to ensure that they have the information they need so that they know what supports and services are available for them. Lynne Block: I just want to say that there are still cuts to many families, thousands of families, through this new model. We heard from Katrina Kirk, a mother of two autistic children, one child receiving $22,000 and the other receiv - ing $6,000. Under this new system, Katrina was told that her family will receive absolutely nothing — nothing.

How can the minister justify a plan where families like Katrina’s go from receiving vital supports for their chil - dren to receiving absolutely nothing? Hon. Jodie Wickens: I know the opposition is charac - terizing this as a cut. It is inaccurate. We are increasing…. Interjections. The Speaker: Shhh. Hon. Jodie Wickens: We are increasing individual - ized funding, including funding for children with autism in this province. We are working with experts right now around the assessment criteria for children to receive the benefit.

Thursday, April 2, 2026 B ritish Columbia Debates 6199 In the new system, children will receive individual - ized funding throughout their childhood of either $6,500 per year or $17,000 per year based on a functional need, through an assessment. For families who make above $200,000 net adjusted income or for children who do not meet the federal criteria, they will receive priority access to community-based services, highly specialized services that are available in all of our community. I invite the member opposite to visit the B.C.

Centre for Ability, which serves her community in wonderful ways, and speak to the professionals in those organizations who are going to support families through these changes. Harman Bhangu: Decrease — in other words, cuts — is exactly what that side of the aisle is doing to health care. I’ve heard from a single mother in Aldergrove raising a child with autism. Her son Reece is Métis. He doesn’t qualify for First Nations supports and has aged out of Mé - tis programs. Now, like many families across B.C., they are losing critical funding. She told me they may have to leave B.C. just to access care. My question.

Is this government proud of the cuts and forcing families out of this province? [11:05 a.m.] Hon. J odie W ickens: We are not making cuts to pro - grams and services. We are investing 475 million new dol - lars, above and beyond what our current budget is. We have heard from families for years who have said our current system is not working. Thousands of children do not have access to the services and supports that they need. That is changing under the new system. We know exactly what Conservative governments do when it comes to children and youth with disabilities.

You can look to Ontario under a Conservative govern - ment: seven-year wait after diagnosis for services. Alberta, three-year wait after diagnosis for services. Based on need, we’re taking a different approach in British Columbia. Since we made this announcement, I have met with families. We will continue to do so. We have a website. We will work alongside them to make sure that they have the information they need so that they know what supports and services they are going to receive in a better, stronger, fairer system in the future.

Reann Gasper: You have children on wait-lists for two to three years that have finally been approved for funding. Then they get a letter, when the announcement happens, and you say that they no longer qualify. Now you say that isn’t a cut. What is that? The minister paints us with a brush. She says we pre - scribe to stop spending money. Here’s what we prescribe to you in this House every single day. Stop wasting tax - payers’ money. Stop mismanaging finances that should be going to children. I want to be clear. I’m sorry. I’m very passionate about this because it’s about our children.

The Speaker: Question, Member. Reann Gas per: I will get there, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely. The Speaker: No, no. Reann Gasper: I want to be clear. We are supporting funding for all neurodiverse children. The Speaker: Member, ask the question now. Reann Gasper: My question to every member on that side of the House: will you go outside on the front lawn because of the promise your Premier made in 2023… The Speaker: Through the Chair, Member. Reann Gas per: …through the Chair, and defend your government’s cuts to families whose children are being stripped away of their funding? Will they do that?

The Speaker: Thank you, Members. Hon. Jodie Wickens: I am proud to stand beside a Pre - mier and a leader who listened and paused… Interjections. The Speaker: Shhh. Hon. Jodie Wickens: …and directed my ministry to invest $4 million in a comprehensive engagement process that listened to families, that listened to service providers and listened to experts to redesign an unfair system to de - liver more services and supports for more children. I sat on that side of the House when there was a Con - servative government on this side of the House. I sat on that side of the House… Interjections. The Speaker: Shhh.

Shhh, Members. Interjection. The Speaker: Member for Abbotsford South. Hon. Jodie Wickens: …when the now Leader of the Opposition stood idly by when they made cuts to my min - istry. I stood on that side of the House as a parent of a child with autism who could not buy a house or could not

6200 B ritish Columbia Debates T hursday, April 2, 2026 do the things that they all pretend to care about now and instead work with thousands of children with autism…. I will take no lessons from that side of the House. I am proud to be on this side of the House. I have met with the critic. I answered these questions during estimates. She knows that this is not a cut. They have brought families here today. Interjections. The Speaker: Shhh, Members. Members. Hon. Jodie Wickens: I have never seen a government… The Speaker: Thank you, Minister. Hon.

Jodie Wickens: …bring families to provide them with the wrong information. [End of question period.] Harman Bhangu: May I request leave to make an introduction? Leave granted. Introductions by Members Harman Bhangu: We have Murrayville Academy here from Langley. Their teacher Natalie is here with 11 grade 5 students here to witness the question period of democracy. Will the House please make them feel welcome. Hon. Mike Farnworth: In keeping with the motion passed yesterday, I move the House do now adjourn, and I remind members that we are back at two o’clock this afternoon. Hon.

Mike Farnworth moved adjournment of the House. Motion approved. The S peaker: This House stands adjourned until two o’clock this afternoon. The House adjourned at 11:10 a.m.

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Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20260402am-Hansard-n147
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20260402am Hansard n147
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	f2d8cc8a32a8521209c002f422ed4d7c91c991e2

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