Fifth Session, 41st Parliament

(2020) OFFICIAL REPORT

OF DEBATES

(HANSARD)

Monday, February 24, 2020

Afternoon Sitting

Issue No. 313

ISSN 1499-2175

The HTML transcript is provided for informational purposes only.

The PDF transcript remains the official digital version.

CONTENTS

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill 9 — Evidence Amendment Act, 2020

Hon. D. Eby

Bill 10 — Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2020

Hon. S. Robinson

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Moose Hide anti-violence campaign

S. Malcolmson

A. Wilkinson

John Davidson and VisionQuest Recovery Society

G. Begg

Mining industry

T. Shypitka

R. Leonard

Bob Lee

R. Sultan

Oral Questions

Government position on oil and gas industry issues

S. Bond

Hon. J. Horgan

Economic impacts of protests on B.C. ports and workers

J. Thornthwaite

Hon. J. Horgan

Government support for technology sector and industry tax credits

A. Olsen

Hon. M. Mungall

Economic impacts of protests on agriculture industry

M. de Jong

Hon. L. Popham

Government response to coronavirus impact on trade

J. Johal

Hon. G. Chow

Hon. A. Dix

Tabling Documents

B.C. Judicial Compensation Commission, final report, 2019

Orders of the Day

Budget Debate

(continued)

J. Thornthwaite

R. Singh

P. Milobar

Hon. K. Conroy

R. Coleman

M. Dean

M. Stilwell

Hon. K. Chen

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020

The House met at 1:36 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

N. Simons: It gives me great pleasure to welcome a constituent to the chamber today. Joining us is a former RCMP member of 34 years, a person who is well known in Gibsons. In fact, when he left the force, they shut down the Gibsons detachment. I’d like the members of this House to please join me in welcoming artist, former RCMP officer and devoted community member Ed Hill.

G. Begg: It is a pleasure for me today to rise to introduce my former boss to the House. That’s not his greatest accomplishment, however. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass was not only my boss but the boss of every Mountie west of the Ontario-Manitoba border. He’s lived in every province and territory in Canada.

Here in British Columbia, he set up the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team and a gang task force and was the lead investigator in the Air India bombing, the largest mass killing in Canadian history.

A great leader and a great public servant. Please join me in welcoming Gary Bass.

Hon. B. Ralston: Today is Mining Day at the Legislature. Mining is a key industry in our

province. Here in the Legislature to meet MLAs are dozens of representatives from

the mining sector.

I want to single out someone for special recognition here today, if you’ll

indulge me just slightly. Jerry Asp, who was recently inducted into the Canadian

Mining Hall of Fame, is an esteemed member of the Tahltan Nation. He worked

tirelessly to create greater inclusion and lasting prosperity for the Tahltan and

many other Indigenous people. He was the originator of the idea that the Tahltan

would participate in mining and has taken them from poverty to prosperity in the

space of 30 years.

He joins the Mining Association of B.C. today in order to acknowledge his

place in the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, what he has done for mining in this

province and his nation and as a show of gratitude on behalf of the entire

association and the province of British Columbia and the Legislature of British

Columbia as well.

Joining us also this afternoon are Michael Goehring, who is the president

and CEO of the Mining Association of B.C.; Rob Rotzinger, vice-president of

capital projects, Taseko Mines; Kendra Johnston, president and CEO, Association

For Mineral Exploration; Mike Abbey, chair of the Mining Suppliers Association;

and Eric Dell, who is the mines general manager of Copper Mountain Mining

Corporation, for those of you who don’t know, just outside of

Princeton.

Would the House please join me in welcoming our guests.

T. Shypitka: I join my colleague in welcoming all the mining associations across British Columbia that are here in the precinct this afternoon, recognizing that Mining Day is my favourite day of the year.

Being an MLA from one of the farthest jurisdictions away from Victoria, I don’t have a lot of family and friends that come here. But today is one of those days that’s an exception, as I feel I am part of that group. I’m really honoured to be here representing the mining sector.

[1:40 p.m.]

Katherine Gizikoff is here. Don Sander and Jay Schlosar from Teck Resources are here. Rob

McLeod and Rob Stevens from AME. Lynda Smithard, Mining Suppliers Association of

British Columbia. Ben Pierce from Taseko Mines. Ben Arden and John Schadan from

Conuma Coal Resources. Kendra Johnston, of course. Gavin Dirom from Geoscience

B.C. Michael Goehring from MABC. And of course, Jerry Asp, as the hon. member

mentioned, on the accolades he just recently had.

I would like to welcome them all, and I would like the House to join me in that welcoming.

D. Davies: On behalf of myself and the member for Parksville-Qualicum, we have a group

— actually, I believe three groups — of cadets touring together. I’m not sure if

they’re in here today, but they’re certainly in the precinct, touring around. I

don’t want to identify one of them. I don’t know all three, so that would get me

in trouble. Would the House make all the cadets that are in the House feel

welcome.

Hon. L. Popham: Today in the chamber, I have a whole gaggle of members from the Ministry of Agriculture joining us. They are from the innovation and adaptation services branch, and they’re responsible for delivering such amazing programs as Buy B.C. and Every Chef Needs a Farmer. I couldn’t do my job without them.

I would like to welcome Mat Patterson, Colleen Colwell, Blake Anderson, Cheenar Shah, Elaine Veray-Fournier, Sean Cheesman, Lee Haney, Ashley Legebokow, Maria Kawahara, Christina Waters, Andrea Hoerger, Adrian Semmelink, Natalya Melnychuk, Ashley Fernandes, Jane Wong and Emily Schulz.

Thanks for everything you guys do.

Hon. M. Mark: Today we celebrate the fourth B.C. Colleges Day. Colleges are a valued part of the public post-secondary ecosystem.

I’m pleased to welcome the presidents from ten public colleges: Sherri Bell from Camosun, John Bowman from North Island, Justin Kohlman from Coast Mountain, Dennis Johnson from New Caledonia, David Walls from the College of the Rockies, Lane Trotter from Langara, Bryn Kulmatycki from Northern Lights, Angus Graeme from Selkirk, Jim Hamilton from Okanagan and Colin Ewert, the president of B.C. Colleges. A special shout-out to Ajay, who is the new president for Vancouver Community College, a long-time east side resident, representing Vancouver Community College in my riding.

The colleges offer a pathway to affordable, accessible education. They offer 250 programs to 125,000 students in 60 communities. I’m sure all of the MLAs are very, very proud of the local community colleges in their backyards.

Will the House please join me in welcoming our special guests.

L. Throness: I would like to join my colleague the government Whip in welcoming Gary Bass to this House. Just to point out, in his retirement, Gary was chair of the board of VisionQuest, an organization in my riding designed to get offenders off drugs. So even in retiring from the RCMP, he’s working on a volunteer basis, fighting crime by helping to get people off drugs. I’d like to thank him for his voluntary service to the province of B.C.

J. Rustad: Mining is important, I think, for most of us here in the Legislature. There are a few people here who haven’t been introduced yet that I thought should be. Ed Beswick is here. He lives in the area, but he’s been involved in many projects over the years. As well as Richard Prokopanko and Jackie Prokopanko, who have a long history with the mining sector and are here as part of that engagement with MLAs around the province. Would the House please make them welcome.

D. Davies: I’ll do this again, now that I have my information and facts straight, and

make everybody happy. I’d like to welcome into the precinct the 109 Sea Cadets

from Alberni, the 893 Air Cadets from Beaufort and Parksville and the 296 Sea

Cadets from Esquimalt, who have just arrived for a tour of the Legislature. Would

the House please make them all feel welcome.

[1:45 p.m.]

S. Chandra Herbert: I, too, just wanted to join with members to welcome our friends from the

Mining Association. Folks might not know, but my constituency contains probably

the highest, if not the second-highest, number of mining company offices in B.C.,

even if the mines have long since left, and Coal Harbour doesn’t have a bit of

coal left in it. I want to welcome them here to this House. It’s important to

remember that it impacts all of our communities. Welcome to this House.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL 9 — EVIDENCE AMENDMENT ACT, 2020

Hon. D. Eby presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Evidence Amendment Act, 2020.

Hon. D. Eby: I move the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

I’m pleased to introduce the Evidence Amendment Act, 2020. This bill will amend the Evidence Act to promote the just, speedy and proportionate determination of personal injury claims in our courts. Specific improvements will include limits on the use of adversarial experts and regulation-making power to limit the amount of costs a successful party can recover from a losing party in litigation.

The bill will initially pursue these improvements for personal injury litigation relating to motor vehicle litigation. It will also allow for the future expansion of this proportional approach to all personal injury litigation, to come into force by regulation.

Mr. Speaker: The question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Hon. D. Eby: I move the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 9, Evidence Amendment Act, 2020, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

BILL 10 — MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS AND

HOUSING STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2020

Hon. S. Robinson presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2020.

Hon. S. Robinson: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

I am pleased to introduce Bill 10, Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to create the interim business property tax relief program, which will enable municipalities to provide immediate tax relief to the small businesses, non-profits and arts and culture organizations that have, for many years, been bearing the brunt of an out-of-control real estate market.

All of us here know that years of an out-of-control real estate market have resulted in

unexpected tax spikes for many small businesses that pay property taxes through

their commercial leases. We know that for a decade now, the provincial

government was hearing from small businesses, non-profits and arts and culture

organizations that they need relief and that they need it now. This isn’t a new

request. Too many empty storefronts in cities reveal the toll this province is

taking on families and communities and the price of the previous government’s

inaction on this file.

This government is committed to making life more affordable for all British Columbians, and this legislation will help provide communities with a tool to give relief this tax year. The interim business property tax relief program will enable municipalities, by bylaw, to relieve eligible commercial properties from higher property taxes where there was at least one tenant responsible for all or a portion of the property taxes.

The intent is to benefit the commercial tenants who are paying taxes on the potential of the land value while not realizing that benefit. This will particularly help the small businesses, non-profits and arts and culture organizations that have been impacted by unexpected and significant property tax increases. The relief would be available for 2020 and for up to five years while the province continues to work to develop a longer-term strategy.

This legislation provides significant flexibility that will allow local governments to

tailor their bylaws to the needs of their communities. We know that the extent

of this problem and the way it is affecting the local community looks very

different in Squamish, Victoria or Vancouver. Most importantly, this tool

offers an immediate tool to give relief for those that need it now, while

government continues to work with stakeholders on a permanent fix to the

situation.

Additionally, this bill contains four other items proposing minor amendments to the Assessment Act, the Local Government Act, the Community Charter and the Vancouver Charter.

These amendments align B.C. Assessment’s fiscal year with that of the government and all other Crown corporations, repeal the commercial vehicle licence program, raise maximum fines for bylaw contraventions for all municipalities, decrease the time frame in the Vancouver Charter for completing remedial action requirements and parallel the authority all other local governments have under the Local Government Act to provide the city of Vancouver with the statutory authority to enter into latecomer agreements and impose and collect latecomer charges in relation to multiphase developments.

[1:50 p.m.]

Many of these amendments respond to concerns raised by local governments, and they will

have a meaningful impact by ensuring that local government legislation is clear

and operates effectively and by enabling local governments to respond to the

circumstances in their communities.

Most importantly, these changes will enhance the provision of quality services to the citizens of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Hon. S. Robinson: 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.

Bill 10, Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2020, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

MOOSE HIDE ANTI-VIOLENCE CAMPAIGN

S. Malcolmson: Hunting moose near the Highway of Tears, Raven and Paul Lacerte had a great idea that grew into the Moose Hide Campaign. Two million Moose Hide pins pledged men to stand up against violence toward women and children, and they pledged to call out violence when they see it. Moose Hide pins start conversations. Strangers stop in the street and ask questions.

Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island University amplified such conversations when it hosted 20-plus post-secondary institutions across Canada at 2017’s National MBA Games. Imagine the impact of 600-plus business students fanning back out across the country, having had this intense week of dialogue about ending violence against women and using the Moose Hide Campaign as their focus. They also raised over $300,000 for Moose Hide and the Safe Space, Safe Place campaign so women and children are free across the country from violence in their post-secondary institutions.

Secondly, the Vancouver Island University Students Union in Nanaimo instigated the B.C.

Federation of Students union support of the Moose Hide Campaign. Now the Moose

Hide Campaign has engaged over 45 post-secondary institutions all across

Canada, 27 in B.C. alone.

A year ago our government and the Moose Hide Campaign launched a new education initiative

for K-to-12 students. As our Premier said at the time: “By expanding its reach

to include children and youth, the Moose Hide Campaign is helping young people

lead the way as we work together to build a future free from violence and

fear.” Just now, at noon, we heard Sage Lacerte with the strong voice of many

of those youth leaders.

Education is the key to ending systemic violence. The youth on the Moose Hide learning

journey today are smart, effective, informed, engaged and committed to the

cause. They’re changing our country, starting from home.

A. Wilkinson: People are gathering today all across our province to demonstrate their commitment to ending violence against Aboriginal, Métis, First Nations and Inuit women and children.

The power of the Moose Hide Campaign lies in raising awareness amongst everyone of the

seriousness of this issue and that we have to stand up to this tragic epidemic

of sexual violence against women and children, especially in our Indigenous

communities.

No one should ever face violence because of who they are. That’s a fundamental concept in Canada that I think all of us can agree upon. Victims need to have their voices heard, and those facing and fleeing violence deserve our support as a society.

The Moose Hide Campaign has started millions of conversations across Canada and especially

here in British Columbia. This campaign continues, as we saw on the lawn today,

with about 1,000 people out there showing that this is important, that they

care and that they will not let it go.

I’m proud to have participated in today’s event and to be part of this Legislature’s commitment to the purposes and goals of the Moose Hide Campaign. I invite British Columbians to join all of us in reflecting on this important issue and sorting out what we can do in this Legislature and in our society to end the violence.

I think I can speak for everyone in this room, in this House and in this Legislature in

saying that we have to get on with this, that we have to take it seriously,

that we have a role in all of this and that our goal unanimously has to be to

end violence against Indigenous women and children.

[1:55 p.m.]

JOHN DAVIDSON

AND VISIONQUEST RECOVERY SOCIETY

G. Begg: Today I take great pride in rising to honour a very special man. In May

of 2008, Insp. John Davidson retired from the Abbotsford police department

after 40 years of service. A career police officer, John served in various

departments from 1968. He’s worked with the London Metropolitan Police, the

Vancouver and Matsqui police departments as well as the Abbotsford department.

By any measure, John’s service and commitment to community was exemplary and

exceptional.

Through his vast and varied police experience, John came to understand

that much of the root of society’s crime issues find their origins in the

ravages of addiction. To that end, John gave more of himself and unselfishly

volunteered with VisionQuest Recovery for many years, both while he was still

an active police officer and after his retirement.

The VisionQuest Recovery Society recognizes that people who find

recovery can become a positive part of our society. VisionQuest is, in fact,

crime prevention at its very best. Its roots are found as far back as 1995, and

now VisionQuest has several recovery houses in British Columbia successfully

helping to make those suffering from addiction become productive members of

society again.

Over the past 15 years, John has served in various positions as a

volunteer with VisionQuest, and then, for the past 18 months, he has served as

executive director. With a remarkable investment of time and energy, John has

brought VisionQuest to a new level of proficiency and productivity. There are

many people today enjoying sobriety and freedom from addiction who owe their

good fortune to the unselfish work of John Davidson.

Choosing now to retire to focus on his health, John will leave a legacy

of grateful people and families. His hard work and sacrifice will not go

unnoticed. Indeed, it’s fair to say that John Davidson has truly made a

difference. He and members of the VisionQuest Society are with us today. We as

a community are the beneficiaries of John’s unselfish giving of

himself.

Thank you, retired inspector John Davidson.

MINING INDUSTRY

T. Shypitka: Today is Mining Day in British Columbia and my chance, as the Mining

critic, to brag about the importance that mining brings us all here in British

Columbia.

The B.C. mining industry is foundational to the province and a key

component of our economy. Some say it’s a sunset industry and part of the old

economy. To those folks I would say they are terribly misinformed. I am proud

to say that our province’s mining sector is a key part of our transition to a

cleaner economy. Electric vehicles and alternative energy sources like solar

and wind all require mined materials.

Our technology sector does not move without industry. Mining must be at

the forefront of this innovation to create a greener tomorrow. Technology such

as smart shovel technology, autonomous vehicles and 3D virtual mapping are all

developed on the backs of our industry. We are capable of sustainably

developing these better than anyone else in the world. We simply cannot let it

sit in the ground.

If I was to ask you what B.C.’s largest mining community is, you would

be correct if you said Metro Vancouver. Many would not think of Vancouver as a

mining town, but it truly is. More than 700 mining and mineral firms are based

in Vancouver alone. Approximately one-third of B.C.-based businesses that

supply materials, goods and services to the mining community are located in 20

urban municipalities in the Metro Vancouver area. This amounts to about $1

billion annually. Vancouver Island also benefits economically from the mining

sector. So to say that mining is a rural industry in the Interior of the

province would be a big mistake.

We are world leaders in environmental assessment and protection, yet

some of us would sooner drive global demand to countries that have abysmal

human rights, environmental and safety standards. We are becoming our own worst

enemy. Teck’s recent decision to pull their application for the Frontier

project, as well as the devastating effects of the illegal blockades on the

Canadian economy, blatantly illustrate this point.

I would like to thank Gavin Dirom and the folks at Geoscience B.C., and

also Kendra Johnston of the AME, as well as Michael Goehring from the MABC, who

are all here today.

[2:00 p.m.]

R. Leonard: I, too, will be speaking about mining. In B.C., mining and its related sectors provide jobs for more than 30,000 people in communities throughout the province, with a production value of more than $9 billion. Mining is one of British Columbia’s foundational industries and one that will play a significant role in building a low-carbon economy.

We’re fortunate to have representatives from the Mining Association of B.C. here today as

we celebrate Mining Day, including mine operators, mine managers and

representatives of the mineral exploration and mining suppliers associations.

Each year on Mining Day, we have the opportunity to recognize the importance of

this sector and interact and meet with senior mining representatives to discuss

the issues and opportunities facing the sector.

B.C.’s mining sector is a trailblazer in actively adopting innovative technology and practices that allow us to access ethically and sustainably sourced metals and minerals. Because of this, we have an opportunity to be a world leader in responsible mineral exploration and extraction. Much of this opportunity comes thanks to the industry leaders you see in the House today.

It is my hope that we can continue to recognize the efforts of this industry, not just today but every day. B.C. is a mining province, and the people here know that it is an integral part of our economy as well as an integral part of the clean future we’re working towards.

I’d like to take this moment to acknowledge the hard work of the representatives joining us today, the thousands of people who make mining a part of their careers and their lives, and the world-class mining which benefits all British Columbians.

BOB LEE

R. Sultan: A week ago Bob Lee died. The Lee family lost its patriarch, I lost a

friend, and Canada lost one of its great citizens.

I first met Bob at high school. We were both 15 years old. Bob’s father

imported goods from China. Our guidance counsellor, Mr. Howard, suggested to

Bob that he finish high school and do the same. He did not. Instead, he became

chancellor of UBC and the visionary who pushed UBC into world rankings with an

endowment of $2.3 billion.

Along the way, Bob gave away his own money to organizations which helped

people. He confided to me that his four children would simply have to figure

out how to do well on their own, and they did. The Vancouver Sun

quoted Jimmy Pattison: “They don’t make them better than Bob Lee. He was a very

humble guy, always friendly, very sincere. Nothing put on about Bob Lee. He

cared. He cared about people. He cared about his friends. He cared about the

community. He was a special guy.”

Hon. Speaker, could I ask this Legislature to pause its proceedings for

one minute to reflect on our loss.

[The House observed a moment of silence.]

Mr. Speaker: Thank you, Members.

Oral Questions

GOVERNMENT POSITION ON

OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY ISSUES

S. Bond: Yesterday we learned that Vancouver-based Teck Resources cancelled their $20 billion Frontier mine project, saying that they could see no constructive path forward for this project.

[2:05 p.m.]

This mine represents over 3,500 person-years of employment in British Columbia. These are well-paying, family-supporting jobs in places like North Vancouver that vanished overnight. But the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink celebrated this collapse: “…the turning point we desperately need.”

To the Premier, a simple question. Does this reflect the view of his

government?

Hon. J. Horgan: I thank the member for her question. I hope that she’s had the opportunity to read the very thoughtful letter put out by Don Lindsay, the president and CEO of Teck, after making the decision to step away from the Frontier project. I think that it should be required reading for all members of this place. He went on at some length to talk about the divides within communities that will not be addressed in the shadow of regulatory processes. I’ll read an excerpt.

“Frontier, however, has surfaced a broader debate over climate change and Canada’s role in addressing it. It is our hope that withdrawing from the process will allow Canadians to shift to a larger and more positive discussion about the path forward. Ultimately, that should take place without a looming regulatory” decision.

He concludes by saying the following: “The promise of Canada’s potential will not be realized until governments can reach agreement around how climate policy considerations will be addressed in the context of future responsible energy” use. Without clarity on this critical question, the solution that we face at Frontier will be faced by future projects, and that will make it more difficult to attract investment.

The member will also know that BlackRock, one of the largest private sector equity funds in the world, has made a shift towards low-carbon investments, made a shift towards responsible uses of capital to build the economy we need in our future.

I commend Mr. Lindsay for his long-sighted view on Frontier, which was a project that was

about a ten-year horizon. I commend him also for keeping Teck’s head office

here and the many, many mines that keep people employed right across British

Columbia. On Mining Day, I think it’s appropriate that we celebrate those

initiatives and look forward rather than backward.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Prince George–​Valemount on a

supplemental.

S. Bond: I appreciate the Premier’s response. In fact, of course, I’ve read the

letter. It’s clear that some members of his government have not or did not. To

celebrate the demise of the potential of 3,500 person-hours of employment in

British Columbia is irresponsible, from our perspective.

That’s not the first time. There are 10,000 jobs in British Columbia in

oil and gas development — 10,000 jobs. So it’s not the first time the

parliamentary secretary has attacked these family-supporting jobs. On November

28, 2019, she said: “We need to escape the systemic clutches of oil and gas.”

That is exactly the view of the U.S.-based Stand.earth organization, who are,

today, hiring a senior oil and gas campaigner. To do what? To stop oil and gas

development in British Columbia.

Do the views of the parliamentary secretary and of Stand.earth reflect

the views of this government?

Hon. J. Horgan: The member from Prince George has known me for a long, long time, and she knows full well that that does not reflect the views of me or this government. She will also know that it was the NDP government in the 1990s that created the Oil and Gas Commission, which allowed the proliferation of jobs in the region. She will also know it was an NDP government that put in place a flexible, competitive arrangement with the LNG sector so that we could land the first final investment decision in B.C. history — a $40 billion investment that is proceeding as we speak.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Prince George–​Valemount on a second

supplemental.

S. Bond: I think that the Premier, then, is fully aware of the fact that perhaps

he needs to have a conversation with members on that side of the House about

the history that he just recalled here in the House.

It goes further than that. The Environment Minister had dinner with

members of Stand.earth, who were present at the anti-pipeline strategy group

meeting on Bowen Island.

Interjections.

[2:10 p.m.]

Mr. Speaker: Members.

S. Bond: It’s ironic how facts actually upset the other side.

Let’s see what that organization is saying on their website. Here’s the job posting on their U.S. website: “Campaigns have focused on stopping the Trans Mountain pipeline, the Teck Frontier mine. In the coming months, we will expand to stop the growth of fracking and LNG in British Columbia.”

Well, the Minister of Environment didn’t want to get up last week. It’s his chance today to stand up and unequivocally reject Stand.earth’s American-led campaign to stop B.C. energy development.

Hon. J. Horgan: I don’t want to miss the opportunity to get up and participate in

question period. It’s one of the highlights of my day. I’ve been missing the

cut-and-thrust, the back-and-forth about the policy ideas and the challenges of

the 21st century.

How can we make life better for British Columbians? According to the

Liberals, don’t tweet your thoughts and don’t have dinner with anybody that

hasn’t been approved by the politburo on that side of the floor.

When we have industry leaders….

Interjections.

Hon. J. Horgan: Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Did I touch a raw nerve?

Interjections.

[Mr. Speaker rose.]

Mr. Speaker: Members, we shall hear the response.

Premier.

[Mr. Speaker resumed his seat.]

Hon. J. Horgan: Thank you, hon. Speaker.

When an….

Interjections.

Hon. J. Horgan: Oh my goodness. Kamloops is erupting over there.

When an industry leader of the stature of Don Lindsay reflects on all of us taking a pause and looking forward…. How do we bring the new generation, oftentimes reflected and represented by the member for North Vancouver–Lonsdale, into sync with the old generation? How do we all move together collectively?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. J. Horgan: We address climate action by having the most aggressive climate plan in

North America right here in British Columbia. We sit down with industry leaders

and find a way forward so companies like BlackRock can invest in British

Columbia because we have a plan to address climate over the long

term.

Most importantly…. I thought everyone in this House was with us on this,

but I guess they’re not. Addressing reconciliation and ensuring that we

recognize Indigenous peoples was something that we all embraced just a few

months ago. I don’t know what happened. You seem to be backsliding a

bit.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PROTESTS ON

B.C. PORTS AND WORKERS

J. Thornthwaite: It has been, now, three weeks since the blockades to paralyze our

economy started. There are vessels sitting, today, empty on the B.C. south

coast as ships await cargo from the Port of Vancouver. Local exporters are

unable to move their products to their global customers. This is an

unprecedented hit to B.C. businesses and B.C. families and B.C.

jobs.

In North Vancouver, Teck Resources has shut down its Neptune shipping

terminal for five months, impacting hundreds of jobs, many of them on the North

Shore.

To the Jobs Minister, what specific steps has she taken to address these

very real economic impacts?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. J. Horgan: I think if the opposition could figure out just what it is they’re trying to say, maybe it might be coherent to the people of British Columbia.

With respect to the member’s question, I can say that over the past seven days, I’ve been

in intense discussions with Premiers across the country, the most significant

blockades, of course, being in Ontario and Quebec, which are having an impact

on the Port of Vancouver and vessels that are now harboured all the way out

through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We’re working with the Prime Minister.

We’re working with the federal government to make sure there’s a way

forward.

As I understand it, as recently as last evening, the major blockade at

Kanehsatà:ke has been coming down. Freight will start to move. Ports will open

up.

[2:15 p.m.]

Again, sticking your head in the sand and pretending the problems that led to these impasses will somehow go away is the wrong approach by that side of the House.

Mr. Speaker: The member for North Vancouver–​Seymour on a

supplemental.

J. Thornthwaite: These problems are not going to go away without action from this government. The economic damage has been done. For every one day that cargo has been delayed due to blockades, it takes three days to get back to normal. Terminals on Vancouver Island, Prince Rupert, the North Shore, downtown Vancouver and the Fraser River in Surrey have all been affected. Over $2 million in wages have already been lost in Prince Rupert alone, and there are only 13,000 people that actually live there.

What is the Jobs Minister’s plan for workers affected by the economic

chaos caused by these protests?

Hon. J. Horgan: Again, I thank the member for her new-found concern about shipping

industries and the impacts on the economy here in British Columbia and right

across the country.

These are national challenges. What we’ve seen at the national level is

an unprecedented coming together of people from different political

perspectives that have different needs in their various communities with one

purpose in mind: open up the economy and continue dialogue — not to throw the

baby out with the bathwater, which would be the B.C. Liberal

approach.

“It’s getting a little bit difficult. We should stop now and put our

hands up.” Quite the contrary. We need to work together for a way forward,

united across the country. It’s a shame we can’t be united in this

House.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR TECHNOLOGY

SECTOR AND INDUSTRY TAX

CREDITS

A. Olsen: Two weeks ago the government released its economic framework. It supposedly provides an organizing framework for the work of this government.

In the

section on investments in technology and innovation, it states that the government “will contribute more than $700 million to technology programming, including in technology-focused educational programs, tax credit programming for technology companies, incubator and accelerator programs delivered by the Innovate B.C. Crown corporation, technology-focused procurement opportunities and the development of innovation clusters.”

My question is to the Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. Does this $700 million in technology programming include the Film Incentive B.C. tax credit, the production services tax credit and the interactive digital media tax credit?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Okay. Back to question period.

Hon. M. Mungall: Thank you to the member for his question. I know he and his colleague, as well as the independent member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head, have a deep passion for innovation and technology and all the opportunities that it brings British Columbia — not just British Columbia, but opportunities in terms of a global perspective and what we’re able to offer the world, particularly when we talk about our clean tech sector but also, let me add, in terms of our medical technology sector.

I was able to tour several businesses on Friday, one of them being MetaOptima and the work

that they’re doing in Vancouver around drone technology and diagnostics for

dermatology and dermatological illnesses. It’s really amazing to see the work

that British Columbians are doing and what they’re offering the world. I’m very

proud to be involved in what they’re doing, as the minister responsible for

technology.

In terms of the member’s question, the incentives and the work that we’re doing as government to support this industry and what it’s able to do are very numerous. He mentioned the digital media tax credit. That is something that we are very proud of. It’s one of a number of tax credits. That tax credit…. In particular, in Budget 2020, we’ve increased it from $55 million to $70 million to support small and large tech businesses all around the province.

[2:20 p.m.]

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Third Party on a supplemental.

A. Olsen: I guess I’m troubled by the vagueness of the answer. The question was provided in advance because we’re looking for a very specific answer to this.

I asked the minister if, in the $700 million number that’s given in the economic framework — the government’s own economic framework — the Film Incentive B.C. tax credit, the production services tax credit and the interactive digital media tax credit were included in that. I asked specifically because in our reading of the budget, it looks as if $637 million is what those equal to, leaving the remainder of that to be the actual investment.

I’m wondering if the minister can answer the question. Does the $700 million in the technology programming include those three tax credits which I’ve now outlined twice?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, if you could at least wait till the minister opens her mouth.

Hon. M. Mungall: That would be nice, hon. Speaker. It’s such an honour just to stand up and get heckled. Really, it is.

To answer the member’s question, I want to highlight some of the things that we are doing to support the B.C. tech sector that would be involved in that $700 million.

Interjections.

Hon. M. Mungall: I don’t know that the Third Party member is really that enthusiastic about the Liberals heckling on his behalf. I think he just wants to hear the answer.

The B.C. tech fund has committed over $65 million in venture capital funding to nine funds and made six direct investments into B.C.–based companies. That $65 million has leveraged over $549 million in further investment in 29 companies, and that has created over 1,000 family-supporting jobs right here in B.C.

To help connect communities and businesses, we are investing $50 million to expand

high-speed Internet to more than 479 rural and Indigenous communities to enable

them to participate in today’s economy. We are providing $17 million over the

next five years to establish the quantum algorithms institute.

We are doing so much for the tech sector. We have so many opportunities to support them. I

heard many of what those opportunities have done for small businesses and

start-ups and how they’re scaling up in my tours of them, whether it be in

Nelson or in Vancouver. I would love to give the member a full list. I don’t

think question period is long enough. I don’t think he’s going to hear it with

all the heckling going on either.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PROTESTS ON

AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

M. de Jong: My question is for the Minister of Agriculture.

Rail blockades are having a direct impact on B.C. farmers. We’re hearing

about beef producers who are losing orders to South American producers, poultry

producers who aren’t being able to get product into the grocery stores and feed

companies for poultry, dairy and, actually, pork producers who have a very

limited supply left.

The minister received a letter last week from the Animal Nutrition

Association of Canada, which reminded her and us that 500 poultry producers

depend on feed mills in British Columbia. Five hundred dairy producers are

relying on feed mills. The Lower Mainland mills combined manufacture and

deliver more than 3,000 tonnes of feed daily to area farms. Of this tonnage,

the vast majority of inputs are delivered to the valley by rail.

[2:25 p.m.]

My question to the minister is: what contingency planning has the

government undertaken to address the impacts of these blockades and the real

impacts they’re having on farmers, and who is going to cover the additional

costs incurred as a result of these blockades?

Hon. L. Popham: Thank you for the question. It’s a very important question.

We are keeping in contact with our stakeholders around the province to keep on top of which suppliers and which producers may be coming into a difficult situation due to the stalling of goods being delivered. We are in constant conversations, and we are hopeful that we will see the flow of goods start to happen soon.

I can tell the member that we are in constant contact with not just our farmers and our feed producers and suppliers but also our processors. One conversation that we’ve been in contact with since the beginning is one of our chicken processors. So we have managed to find an alternative route to get chicken through to customers.

Those are conversations that we hope we’ll have less of in the coming weeks.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Abbotsford West on a supplemental.

M. de Jong: I was hoping that the minister could relay to the House a broader contingency plan, given the vulnerability that agrifood producers are experiencing at this given time with these blockades.

The sad irony is that the feed mills want to use B.C. product to produce the feed that our producers require, and they can’t get it. Millions of dollars’ worth of grains are languishing on side tracks in railcars that haven’t been able to move.

One of those stakeholders — Clearbrook Grain and Milling, a company that’s been operating for upwards of 70 years in the Fraser Valley — has written to the minister and has alerted the government to the following. He says this: “The road and rail blockages are affecting my ability to produce feed for B.C. farm animals and pets, not to mention the additional costs that will be borne by all of us in the added costs for the price of goods and lost wages.”

Again, can the minister assure the House and the thousands of producers around British Columbia that there is a contingency plan in place that will service the needs of our agrifoods sector, given the unpredictability of the kinds of blockades we are seeing impact rail traffic and the transmission of goods to the feed mills?

Hon. L. Popham: I agree with the member. It’s of great concern to us as well.

As we keep in touch with our stakeholders, we are aware of any of the blockages that are affecting, say, our producers in the Fraser Valley. We know that our producers of chickens, turkeys, beef, dairy cows all need a consistent supply of feed, and we know, more and more, they’re looking for that feed to come from British Columbia.

We are doing our best to work with our agriculture community. We know that this is an ever-changing situation.

I invite the member to come to my office, and we can have a more in-depth conversation. I can tell the member that we are just as concerned as he is.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO

CORONAVIRUS IMPACT ON TRADE

J. Johal: It’s not just the illegal blockades that are causing damage to our provincial economy. The coronavirus is having an immense impact on the entire world economy, and as a small jurisdiction that is dependent on trade to sustain the economy, British Columbia is vulnerable. We are already seeing layoffs and major interruptions to the import and export of goods here in British Columbia.

Can the Minister of State for Trade tell us what steps the provincial government has taken to mitigate the impact on trade?

Hon. G. Chow: We are continuing to diversify our trade, and we’re exploring other trade….

[2:30 p.m.]

We are changing our ways of trade. In terms of the trade and investment offices, we’re going to be relocating them in our Canadian embassies and our consulates. This will serve us better as we expand into other trade agreements — such as the CPTTP, for example. We’re working hard in terms of diversifying our trade with Europe, with Korea and now with the new CPTPP.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Richmond-Queensborough on a supplemental.

J. Johal: Clearly, the minister of state wasn’t paying attention. So we’re going to do this again.

In the last hour…. I have a couple of stories that have moved on the wire. Here is a headline from the Financial Times.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, we shall hear the question.

J. Johal: Here are the headlines from the Financial Times within the last hour: “U.S. Stocks Have Worst Day in Two Years as Coronavirus Fears Spread.” It goes on to say that the Dow Jones industrial average shed more than 1,000 points today. U.K. stocks had their worst day in five years; stocks in Italy, worst trading day since 2016.

In the New York Times , in the last hour, they quote Goldman Sachs: “Economists at

Goldman Sachs, who were expecting first-quarter domestic growth of 2 percent as

recently as late January, have been steadily lowering their estimate, which

fell to 1.2 percent on Monday.” This is all because of the coronavirus. This is

the largest economy in the world. Here we have a small subnational economy the

size of British Columbia. Trade is very important. You can see the impact it’s

having on the United States. You can imagine what impact it would have here on

British Columbia.

Here on the west coast, we have 40 ships at this hour that are not moving, meaning that we’re not sending B.C. goods out of the province. We’re also told that no ships are coming in from other jurisdictions, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Trade is a vital part of our economy, and British Columbians are rightfully fearful of the potential for the layoffs and shortages that are coming.

Let’s try this again. Can the Minister of State for Trade tell us what specific steps the province has taken — not just watching — to ensure that British Columbia is protected from the pending fallout?

Hon. A. Dix: I think principally…. I know there’s a desire to heckle in these exchanges, but we take this issue…. We take these issues….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, I’m not sure we’re making the best use of question period here now.

Minister.

Hon. A. Dix: I think, at its core, this issue, the issue around COVID-19, around the

novel coronavirus, is a health issue that has enormous implications for people

around the globe and here in British Columbia, and it has a profound economic

consequence. There’s the potential for profound economic

consequences.

I’m very proud of the actions that we are taking as a jurisdiction, as

leaders in the world, to address the health consequences, which also have

profound trade consequences. I just want to say this….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, we are using up valuable answer time here.

Minister.

Hon. A. Dix: Well, hon. Speaker, the opposition can tell jokes, but I think this is a

serious matter that British Columbians take seriously. People from all

communities….

It’s why British Columbia is taking the lead in jurisdictions across

Canada — and, indeed, around the world — in addressing this question. It’s in

addressing this issue as a health issue that we mitigate all of the other

impacts that this can have — all of them. I want to say….

The people understand the effort that’s been put forward and our

understanding of the consequences of this not just for human health but for the

economy as a whole. It’s why British Columbia has done, for example, through

the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, 1,000 tests. When you put that in

context…. Across the United States of America, they’ve done 537

tests.

It’s because of that impact — the impact on human health and the impact

on economies, which we know is existing — that the world needs to come together

to fight COVID-19, to fight the novel coronavirus, so that its impact on human

health and its impact on trade can be lessened by the absolute maximum

possible.

[2:35 p.m.]

[End of question period.]

Tabling Documents

Hon. D. Eby: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to retable the Final Report of the 2019

British Columbia Judicial Compensation Commission . The Judicial

Compensation Commission is appointed under the Judicial Compensation Act to make

recommendations regarding the salaries, allowances and benefits for Provincial

Court judges and judicial justices for the three fiscal years 2020-21 through

2022-23.

The Judicial Compensation Act provides timelines for tabling and responding

to the Judicial Compensation Commission’s final report. The time established in

the act for resolution is 16 sitting days after the date the report is laid before

the assembly.

The 2019 JCC report was first tabled in the Legislative Assembly on

November 20. Given the sitting

schedule of the 2019 fall session, there were not

16 sitting days after November 20, so a response to the report was not required

before the fall session ended. The act provides that the timelines start over with

a new legislative session. Therefore, the Legislative Assembly has 16 sitting days

after today to respond.

Pursuant to

section 6(3) of the Judicial Compensation Act, I advise the

House that if any recommendations contained in the report are rejected, then the

assembly must set the renumeration allowances or benefits that are to be

substituted for the commission’s recommendations.

I also advise that if the Legislative Assembly does not resolve to reject

any of the recommendations contained in the report within the time established in

the act, then the judges and judicial justices will receive the salaries and

benefits recommended by the commission.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call continued debate on the budget.

[S. Gibson in the chair.]

Budget Debate

(continued)

J. Thornthwaite: I’m carrying on with my remarks that I started last week. I know I only got

a little bit started. I did do all my thank-yous and an introduction. So I’m going

to carry on right from there.

As everybody knows, I am the opposition critic for Mental Health and

Addictions, so I’m going to focus the initiating part of my remarks right now on

the budget and how that pertains to mental health and addictions. I’ll preface my

remarks, firstly, by saying that I’ve always been a proponent, a supporter, of a

separate ministry for mental health and addictions. Certainly, the Select Standing

Committee for Children and Youth, the committee that I chaired for four years in

my role in government….

I absolutely agree that we need to have a laser focus on mental health and

addictions. Having an individual responsible for just that is very important. But

I’m very, very disappointed on the lack of focus in this budget on mental health

and addictions. In fact, I don’t think the Minister of Finance, when she was

talking about the budget, even mentioned the words “opioid crisis.” I think that’s

a real concern, because we know that the opioid crisis is still a

crisis.

We had a report released earlier on today that said that the number of

deaths had been reduced. That’s good.

[2:40 p.m.]

Then carrying on with the measures that our government brought forward,

starting in 2016, with recognizing that it was a public health emergency and all

of the extra resources that went to helping prevent deaths — the increased

naloxone kits, overdose prevention kits and everything that we really pushed on

with our Minister of Health at the time. It’s good that this ministry and this

government are continuing on.

What we’re not seeing is any kind of decrease in actual overdoses. This is

the key. The deaths have gone down because of our positive measures with harm

reduction. But the actual numbers of overdoses have not gone down. What that means

is that we are not dealing with the root of the addiction. We are not helping

people recover from addiction. We’re not addressing their pain, their trauma,

their adverse childhood experiences. We’re not dealing with the root of the

addiction.

The other thing that’s not happening is that the gaps are still there. One

of the whole ideas of having a separate minister and a separate ministry was to

have one-stop-shop services and to have seamless care for all levels of treatment

of addictions. That’s not happening. I know it’s not happening because I have

people coming to me talking to me about the gaps.

I had a mother that was very, very frustrated that there was a requirement

for her to take her son to a drug-and-alcohol drop-in centre before she could even

get on a waiting list for a recovery facility. When she would go and take her son

to the drug-and-alcohol centres, the addicts were being approached by the dealers

at those exact places. So they were not a safe place for somebody that wanted to

get treatment. It was not a safe place for them, and her son was at

risk.

I had to fight for her to get her son immediately into a treatment and

recovery facility, which I did. But the gaps are there for everybody else. Of

course, if I hadn’t been alerted to this issue, who knows what would have happened

to that young man.

We have the four pillars. One that we’re doing quite well with is the harm

reduction. But certainly, the treatment is not going so well. There doesn’t seem

to be any emphasis from this government on recovery. When I looked at the service

plan for ’20-21 to ’22-23, I was hoping that there would be something mentioned in

here. It does say: “Deliver an immediate, escalated response to the overdose

public health emergency that keeps people safe and improves the health and

well-being of British Columbians.”

I’m just saying that with regards to that goal No. 1 of the Ministry of

Mental Health and Addictions, I would give this minister pretty much a C-minus or

a D.

Carrying on, the other thing that has not been addressed with regards to

the number of overdoses is that we’ve also seen that the calls for 911 for

accessing help when somebody overdoses have skyrocketed. We’ve got more people

overdosing. And yes, the people that are overdosing are not dying as much because

we’ve got these first responders that are there at a drop of a hat. But the

problem is that the overdose calls are not being reduced.

Certainly, we could make a little mention — I’d like to put in a mention —

in support of our first responders that are working so hard and sometimes reviving

the same individual two or three times a day, which, of course, is obviously not

good for the patient but certainly not good for these poor first responders who,

themselves, are suffering from PTSD because it’s really, really rough on their

jobs and in their lives.

Again, I’m thinking that I’d like to give kudos for the report that came in

earlier today. But again, I’m disappointed because we’re not really getting to the

root of the addiction. We’re not getting to the root causes, the pain, the trauma,

etc.

[2:45 p.m.]

The other thing that I would like to kind of throw out there with regards

to mental health and addictions is: how do we evaluate the Ministry of Mental

Health and Addictions?

I have mentioned before that there has been a report that was published a

couple years ago from the B.C. Centre on Substance Use on recovery. They actually

consider that one of the

definitions of the success of a plan would be not just

the amount of people getting back into recovery — in other words, improving the

access to recovery beds, which we do not have in this province — but also measures

like quality of life, getting help for their mental health, reconnecting with

family, reducing criminal offences and building social responsibility.

These are the types of measures that the B.C. Centre on Substance Use, in

their report Strategies to Strengthen Recovery in British Columbia: The Path

Forward , indicated would be a good way of looking at the success of the

ministry or the success of any kind of plan that is designed to help people with

their mental health and addictions. Again, I don’t see any movement from this

ministry in helping people into recovery.

We’ve seen that there have been positive results in, for instance, the

Nanaimo Correctional Centre, which actually does have a mini therapeutic community

within the corrections facility. They’ve actually seen positive results within

that small community. So we know not just from the report that the B.C. Centre on

Substance Use published but also in our own province the positive results that are

coming with getting folks directly into recovery and, in this particular case,

helping them in a therapeutic community.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about other therapeutic communities in

other jurisdictions, either in Europe as well as in the United States and other

countries. Therapeutic communities have been evidence-based. They have the

evidence to say that getting people into recovery, seamless care into treatment,

really does help not only to keep these people out of the criminal justice system

but helps them to live good, productive lives back with their families,

etc.

The other thing that nobody seems to be talking about, which is also very,

very important, is that the population that is being saved — in other words, the

people that are overdosing and then getting saved — but also the 85 percent of the

people that are using alone in their homes, which we’re also not getting to, that

are overdosing…. The issue that nobody seems to be talking about is the level of

brain damage that these unfortunate individuals do suffer from and the health

implications for young people that have suffered from brain damage because of an

overdose but have not died.

We are looking after these unfortunate people. Their families are looking

after these unfortunate people. There is no recognition that the costs in the

health care system to help them is not being addressed by this government. In

fact, nobody is actually talking about it. That’s going to be a huge burden on the

Ministry of Health with regard to health care services, both in the acute care and

also in the extended care environment.

Then the last thing — second to last, actually — that I wanted to mention

with regards to this topic is that addiction affects everybody. Addiction affects

all walks of life. It’s not limited to a sociodemographic. It doesn’t matter how

much money you make, and it actually often doesn’t matter whether or not you grew

up with a very stable family. Addiction affects everybody.

That’s why the idea of having a separate Ministry of Mental Health and

Addictions is a good one. What we need to have is the entire focus of government

focused on helping individuals and families to get help for their addiction, and I

don’t see that cross-ministerial emphasis at all.

I’m sure the minister goes up to her cabinet colleagues and goes up to

Treasury Board or whatever begging for more money. But the fact is that I don’t

see that commitment coming by what the government has laid out in their budget. So

again, I’m disappointed in that.

[2:50 p.m.]

It’s not just me saying that. I think that, certainly, the new mayor of

Vancouver has already commented. He did a statement on the budget and said that on

the overdose crisis…. There is no mention of new support for opioids. So he’s

basically negating the benefit of this ministry in actually putting a dent on the

overdose crisis.

I’d also like to talk a little bit about the final coroner’s report on that

young man, 16-year-old Elliot Eurchuk. There was a report that just came out. They

basically highlighted the problems that the family and poor Elliot had getting

help before he tragically died. Their recommendations, in amongst other things,

said that the jury recommended better detection, treatment and transition plans

for youth struggling with mental health and substance use in schools. The lack of

long-term substance abuse treatment for youth and a total absence on Vancouver

Island was also flagged.

I’d like to just kind of talk about that because I have brought forward

now, twice, the safe care act. What the safe care act would do…. I have lots of

support from lots of parents and people in the province that would like this. What

this would have done is helped people like Elliot if they were admitted. What

happened with Elliot…. He was admitted and then let go and then discharged, even

though they knew that he was in for an overdose. But they discharged him. He went

right back, and then he died.

This is tragic, and it could have been prevented because the safe care act

would have allowed us to keep that young child safe, not discharged, and, for a

short amount of time, be able to stabilize them and then get them the help that

they needed. Once again, I will put another plea to this government to at least

bring forward the safe care act and at least let us debate it. Of course, they’ve

ignored us, now, for two years on that. People and children and youth are still

dying.

Just going on a little bit further on the opioid crisis. It’s not just

happening in Vancouver. I’m just reading a headline here: “People think it’s bad.

It’s ten times worse: residents, businesses want decampment at Oppenheimer Park.”

I drove by there on my way to the helijet yesterday. It’s still there, and

businesses are still suffering because of crime around not just there, but around

tent cities that are popping up all over the province.

“Prince George’s top cop says city needs help from province to address

social issues downtown.” “How the Opioid Crisis is Hammering B.C.’s North.”

“‘Really fed up’: businesses abandoning downtown in B.C. Interior cities due to

housing, opioid crisis.”

One of the journalists that I admire, Daphne Bramham: “Time for a serious

debate about how to deal with the opioid crisis.” Then I heard this week…. An

article was published in Postmedia, I think in Calgary, is that Alberta, because

of the investments that they’ve put into recovery, has now become or is getting to

become a leader in treating addictions. That goes really flat in the face of this

ministry, because that government has done more with regards to recovery than this

government has for the amount of time that they’ve been in government, which is

very tragic, I would say.

I’ve visited many cities around the province. Oppenheimer Park is only one

that the media tends to concentrate on. But I’ve seen this in Nanaimo, Parksville,

Terrace, Victoria, Maple Ridge, Grand Forks, Surrey, Kelowna and Penticton. Take

your pick. I have been there. The sad

part is that we know the solutions: access

to immediate and seamless detox treatment and recovery options, and a government

that is committed to delivering those services in seamless care without the gaps.

No, that is not happening now.

Then, just before I leave this topic, I want to talk about what happens to

the first responders. I already mentioned that first responders are suffering

because of PTSD because of the opioid crisis. I brought forward a private member’s

bill last year on trying to space out the distribution of welfare cheques. I got

tremendous support on that from first responders.

[2:55 p.m.]

To date, I have seen nothing from this government, even considering that

perhaps, maybe, it would be better and have less effect on first responders if

these cheques were distributed more equally throughout the month as opposed to one

day. It’s been evident — quite frankly, everybody has documented it — that the

overdoses increase around that welfare cheque day.

The other thing about…. As I said, I’ve been on a few ride-alongs with

police, and they spend an exorbitant amount of time on mental health and

addictions. If somebody has to be admitted to hospital, then those police or first

responders are spending a lot of time in hospital waiting for them to be seen by a

doctor. That comes out of their budget. Of course, they would be wanting a lot

more services, at least in the hospital, in the overdose triage.

In St. Paul’s, where I went, they do an excellent job. But I think, for the

time that I was there, which was early in the evening, there were cohorts of six

police that were there waiting with their patients to see doctors. They sometimes

spend hours and hours of time in hospitals waiting for their patients to be seen

by a doctor.

Again, these are the things that are not being fixed by this government.

These are the things that first responders and doctors, obviously, have brought

forward to me. So I stick with — my way of saying — my score to be about a C-minus

or a D on this.

It’s not just the opioid crisis or mental health and addictions that people

are upset about with regards to this budget. There was a report out last week that

said that B.C.’s provincial budget fails to give adequate funding to victims of

crime, youth at risk of homelessness, people fleeing domestic and sexual violence

and women who need legal aid. This is from community groups.

I’m going to quote Karin Kirkpatrick, who’s the CEO of Family Services of

Greater Vancouver: “The wait time is unacceptably long for victims of support. The

organization has 18 support workers for victims embedded in police and RCMP

departments across Metro Vancouver, helping those who suffer assault, exploitation

and trafficking.” And they can’t access the supports. But Kirkpatrick says that

there aren’t enough workers, and there’s not enough stable funding to handle all

the cases.

We know that the report that was just announced last week from the

Representative for Children and Youth, who had gotten youth to devise a government

plan…. Certainly, they wanted a distinct plan to end youth homelessness and start

implementing it by the end of the year. I didn’t see any budget numbers that would

go to support the homeless youth that we have in all of our cities.

Moving on to other topics, my colleague the member for Chilliwack-Kent has

done an excellent job of getting down to the nitty-gritty of the number of child

care spots. He indicates that the NDP have abandoned their plan to implement

universal $10-a-day child care for all parents who need it. This was one of their

premium promises in the 2017 election. Gone. They backed away from universal child

care, saying subsidies for child care will be based on need rather than need or

want, as the NDP promised in their 2017 platform.

The $10-a-day daycare is still a temporary pilot program with 2,500 child

care spaces. That’s just 2 percent of 119,000 total spaces. Temporary means that

it ends. Parents in North Van that I know, who have approached me, are worried

about when that ends. So the $10-a-day daycare plan is a ten-year plan. The year’s

funding, $675 million, will flatline at one-third of the projected cost, which is

$2 billion of a full $10-a-day program. Three years from now, the NDP will be five

years into their ten-year plan at one-third of that funding.

While more families, 28,000, happen to pay less than $10 a day under

government subsidies, that was also true under our government. This is not part of

the $10-a-day plan. They claim to have funded 10,400 new spaces, but in actual

fact, only 2,000 have actually been delivered.

[3:00 p.m.]

What about transit? Transit I hear a lot about with this government, except

for…. They quietly cut funding for public transit in Tuesday’s budget — quietly.

Provincial funding for public transit operations fell almost 2 percent to $119

million in the budget, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

All of the projects that they’ve mentioned, and my colleague from Kamloops

went through a whole list, were actually B.C. Liberal projects that they’re taking

credit for, including the Lower Lynn highway improvement project, the bottom of

The Cut, in my riding — $198 million. We announced it before the last election.

It’s merrily coming along. I’m sure we’ll see the ribbon cutting happen in the

next little bit about that. But unfortunately, that wasn’t their project. That was

ours.

The only thing that they can really, really take credit for, for

instigating a transportation project, is actually the Pattullo Bridge. So we will

be replacing a four-lane bridge with a four-lane bridge — yippity-doo. And the

Pattullo Bridge is going to be $100 million higher in cost because of the decision

on the other side to impose union-only requirements.

Then, just before I leave transit, I’d like to mention to the others across

the line who say they’re the only ones that care about transit that the CBC, one

of their reporters, did a tweet a while back. He talked about the transit SkyTrain

extensions and building of the Evergreen line, the South Perimeter Road, Port Mann

Bridge, Golden Ears Bridge, Canada Line, Pitt River Bridge and Millennium Line,

all done under the B.C. Liberal government.

I see my time is almost up. So I’d like to just summarize some things that

are in the budget that I haven’t mentioned.

There’s a 7 percent added PST tax that’s going on Netflix — and it’s not

just Netflix; it’s Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, Crave TV, YouTube Premium —

and also on carbonated sugary beverages. What this means is that it’s going to

target all of them that contain sugar, natural sweeteners or artificial

sweeteners. It applies to soda drinks in both can and bottled form, including

those purchased in stores, kiosks, cafés, restaurants and vending machines, as

well as soda drinks in dispensable forms, such as soda fountains and soda guns.

We’re thinking about all of those small mom-and-pop organizations that are

suddenly going to be faced with dealing with another tax.

By the way, there are 24 either new or increased taxes that this government

has put on British Columbians since they got into government. The only reason why

they’ve got these new taxes is because it was the only way they could balance

their budget.

Our member for Prince George–Valemount, who is the co-Finance critic, did

an excellent job in her remarks with regards to going nitty-gritty and absolutely

coming to the conclusion that the only reason why we’re dealing with these 24

increased or new taxes is because that was the only way that they could balance

their budget.

R. Singh: It is such an honour to be standing here and talking about our budget.

Before I do that, I really want to thank my constituency staff, Sarina Grewal and

Balkaran Singh, for all the assistance that they give to me and to the

constituents of Surrey–Green Timbers. So a big thank-you to them.

I’m so pleased to stand today and speak to you about our government’s third

budget, Budget 2020, which is all about the work that we are doing together to

build a stronger B.C. for everyone. We have made a lot of progress, and Budget

2020 is our plan to keep B.C. moving forward. We are putting people first. This is

what we have always said.

[3:05 p.m.]

I remember when I was running for election in 2017. This is what I was

hearing from people — that they were being neglected and that they were falling

behind. I’m so proud that our government, through this budget, is putting people

first and making different choices than the former government. We are repairing

the damage that their choices created and fixing the problems facing families

today.

Budget 2020 is about making life more affordable, improving the services

that people count on and creating good jobs and opportunities in every corner of

British Columbia. We cannot afford to turn back. There’s much more to do, but by

focusing on people, life in B.C. is getting better every day.

Budget 2020 is a plan that builds on the progress that we have made. It is

a plan that makes life more affordable, it’s a plan that protects and strengthens

the services that we all count on, and it’s a plan that creates good jobs and more

opportunities. We continue to build on the actions we laid out in Budget 2018 to

improve access to affordable housing and child care, from building the homes

people need to increasing access to quality, affordable child care

spaces.

We fast-tracked our investments in our K-to-12 schools and classrooms.

Budget 2020 provides even more resources to improve those learning environments to

make sure all kids can succeed. This includes giving children with diverse

abilities and needs the supports they deserve to try and get ahead.

We are providing the additional investments needed to continue repairing

and strengthening our health care system. From tackling wait times for surgeries,

increasing access to MRIs and taking better care of our loved ones, we are seeing

real results.

I’m so glad that, over the next ten years, our province will see more than

860,000 new job openings in health care, early childhood education, skilled

trades, tech and much more. Budget 2020 looks to this future. We are putting

college and university within reach for more people and ensuring B.C. companies

have access to the skilled talent that they need.

We are building infrastructure to improve services, create jobs and support

our growing province. B.C. is growing. We know that. That’s what we really need to

put the investment…. We need to build and expand our infrastructure across the

province, and that’s what Budget 2020 projects — record levels of three-year

capital spending to expand and sustain provincial infrastructure over the

three-year plan.

This includes capital investments in schools, hospitals, roads, transit and

housing. I will go more into detail on what is happening in my

community.

Talking about infrastructure, I’m so glad about changes that we are making

to two of our old bridges and the new investment that we are doing in replacing

the Pattullo Bridge. This is something that we have been hearing from my community

a number of times. Everywhere we went, that was one topic that we heard about. I’m

so glad to see that investment coming. Just at the beginning of this year, I was

standing with the Premier when we finalized those plans. We have given the

contract out. This is such great news, not just for me but for all my community of

Surrey.

These kinds of projects help to create jobs, ensure that people have access

to the services that they depend on and support our trade corridors and businesses

to keep goods and people moving. Work on approved projects in our infrastructure

plan is expected to support over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs during

construction.

Making housing more affordable also remains a key priority for our

government. We are working hard to tackle the housing crisis by addressing

speculation, closing loopholes and cracking down on fraud, making renting more

secure and building more affordable homes for people across British Columbia. We

put our Homes for B.C. plan in place in 2018 to work with partners to

build 114,000 affordable homes, with a historic investment of $7 billion over ten

years.

This plan will also create more than 54,000 jobs. It will also strengthen

local economies by providing the housing that employers need to attract and keep

workers. Over the first two years, nearly 23,000 homes were completed or are

underway in nearly 90 communities across B.C.

[3:10 p.m.]

I’m so glad that one of those…. Surrey is also one of the places where

supportive housing is happening. B.C. Housing is providing a record $29 million in

capital funding to RainCity Housing supportive recovery, which will create almost

130 supportive recovery homes in Surrey. Over the first two years, nearly 23,000

homes were completed. They’re also underway in nearly 90 communities throughout

B.C. This includes more than 5,200 new mixed-income affordable rental

homes.

For individuals and families who rent their homes, the government has

limited their yearly allowable rent increase to the rate of inflation — to 2.6

percent in 2020. We are giving more support to help families and seniors afford

rent through the rental assistance program and Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters.

This is something very important. In my constituency, we hear from a number of

seniors who are really struggling with the rent. Putting a cap on that rent and

also providing assistance through the organizations like SAFER, I think, goes a

long way to helping our elderly community.

Budget 2020 continues our investment in housing with the fiscal plan

reaching a record high of $4.3 billion over three years to support housing

initiatives. This includes $50 million in program spending for homelessness

initiatives also.

Over the next decade, more than 860,000 new job opportunities will open up

across B.C., and more than 75 percent of these jobs will require some

post-secondary educational training. With new opportunities in every region, it’s

critical that British Columbians have access to the training and education that

they need to benefit from B.C.’s momentum. That’s why we eliminated tuition fees

100 days of forming government.

I can say that this is so important for the people in Surrey. Surrey, as

you know, is a fast-growing community. It gets more than 1,000 people who make

Surrey their home. Most of those people are new immigrants, just like me. I was a

new immigrant to this country in 2001. We see those new immigrants coming to

Surrey every month. These are the resources. These efforts that our government is

a long way to help these people come to this new country, to their new city, and

get the skills they require to get into the job market.

Last year in Budget 2019, we eliminated the interest from all new and

existing B.C. student loans. Budget 2020 takes the next step in making life more

affordable for B.C. students. A new needs-based, upfront B.C. access grant will

remove barriers to education and provide supports for learners to complete their

studies. This new grant will benefit more than 40,000 students in B.C. attending

public colleges and universities.

I have heard from so many parents. As I mentioned, my community has a lot

of newcomers, a lot of new immigrants, who are really working hard to get their

children the education that they deserve. But sometimes I hear from these new

families that it is really hard for them to afford post-secondary education. I

think this new grant that is coming up, this new access program, will really help

not only the students but also the families who are struggling. They really want

their kids to do very well. This new grant will really benefit those

families.

The B.C. access grant also expands eligibility for students pursuing

shorter-duration certificate and diploma programs, which means that labour market

priorities like early childhood educators, health care assistants and trade

workers will receive support.

[3:15 p.m.]

Budget 2020 also fulfils the government’s commitment towards expanding

post-secondary technology programming. This will complete a six-year expansion

that will result in 2,900 new post-secondary spaces in science, technology,

engineering and mathematics — the most significant investment in tech programming

in more than a decade.

I’m so proud that out of these 2,900, more than 500 seats are in my

community of Surrey. With a fast-growing community like Surrey, we needed more

seats. We needed our kids to stay in the community that they grew up in and get

the post-secondary education. So proud of this investment.

In 2018, Childcare B.C. was launched as our government’s plan to bring

affordable, accessible and quality child care to families across the province. I’m

so glad and I think I’m so privileged that I sit on the child care working

group.

I’m so proud of the work that my colleague the member for Burnaby-Lougheed

is doing to make Childcare B.C. a reality. I really commend her for her work. In

less than two years, with what the member for Burnaby-Lougheed has done, our

government has funded more than 10,400 new licensed child care spaces and helped

parents save thousands of dollars through the affordable child care benefit and

the child care fee reduction initiative.

Childcare B.C. also recognizes the important work of early childhood

educators and supports and grows the workforce through targeted wage increases and

bursaries.

Investment in total child care program funding will reach a record high of

$2 billion over the next three years. Out of this, I’m so proud that my community

of Surrey gets more than 1,200 child care spaces, with the help of the different

child care providers there. So thankful to our government for making that a

reality.

For me, that means a lot. Coming here as a new immigrant with a

two-year-old child, I did not have access to affordable child care. I remember me

and my husband struggling with how to take care of my young child. Seeing these

new changes coming in and helping the younger families makes me so proud of the

work that our government is doing.

The growth in child care funding will continue to create thousands of child

care spaces, reduce costs for parents and support the workforce our kids rely

on.

As announced as part of Budget 2019, government will implement the new B.C.

child opportunity benefit this fall. This will help to make sure children in B.C.

have the opportunity to thrive. The benefit provides a monthly tax-free payment,

putting more dollars in the pockets of low- and middle-income families with

benefits as high as $1,600 a year for the first child and higher benefits for

larger families.

The child opportunity benefit will replace the early childhood tax benefit,

which ended when your child was six. The new benefit will provide support until

your child turns 18, with families receiving up to seven times more over your

child’s lifetime, up to $28,000 for one child and up to $40,000 for two

children.

For anyone raising a child, they know how transformational that kind of

support would be. From the ability to put healthy meals on the dinner table to

being able to buy your child a good winter coat or enrol them in activities like

soccer, dance or art, that kind of support is going to make an incredible

difference.

Kids in British Columbia deserve the support needed to set them up for

future success. High-quality K-to-12 education has been a priority for this

government from the beginning. As a mother of two children, this has been my

priority. I see the efforts that our government is putting in, the efforts that we

are putting in to improve our schools and to give our kids a better

start.

We have hired more than 4,200 teachers and 2,000 new education assistants,

and we have announced more than 80 capital projects for building, expanding and

upgrading schools.

[3:20 p.m.]

For that, I can say, for my community of Surrey, which, as I mentioned

before, is one of the fastest-growing communities…. We were seeing that the

previous government was not giving Surrey the attention that it deserved. We saw,

during the previous government, that more and more kids had to study in the

portables. But what our government is doing is putting the efforts…. Our efforts

are demonstrated by a record $2.7 billion budget for new and expanded schools,

seismic upgrades and land purchases for future schools. Also, these investments

are helping up to 7,300 students in Surrey move from portables to classrooms by

September 2022.

These are the numbers till September 2022, but I can say that until now,

we’ve had more than 2,500 students move from portables to the new and better

classrooms. I think that is really good for Surrey families and Surrey

children.

Interjection.

R. Singh: It is.

We have also opened 100 new playgrounds, benefiting more than 25,000 children. It was such a great moment for me when I was…. In December last year, I had the opportunity to open up a new playground in my riding at Westerman Elementary. The joy on the children’s faces that I saw that day, and the little cards that they made for us — they were so happy to be able to play in that playground.

It was really emotional for me, because that was the school, Westerman Elementary, where my child, my son, started school more than 15 years ago. So it was such a proud moment for me and for my government.

Budget 2020 also provides the Ministry of Education $339 million over three years to continue to support the K-to-12 education system. This brings the total investment to over $20 billion over the fiscal plan. The new investment includes funding to support approximately 5,100 new students, including students with special needs, as of September 2019, and for additional projected growth for September 2020.

Making sure people can get health care when and where they need it continues to be a key priority, with over $1 billion in additional funding over the next three years. This builds on previous investments we have made to give people faster and better access to the day-to-day health care services they need.

We are opening new urgent primary care centres in communities across the province. I want to mention here that Surrey was one of the first cities to have an urgent care centre, and we are really advocating with our Minister of Health to have a second urgent care centre for Surrey. With the growing community that we have in Surrey, we are really looking. All the Surrey MLAs are advocating for a new urgent care centre, a second urgent care centre for Surrey.

Interjection.

R. Singh: Also, hearing from the colleague from the other side, it was such a great moment to stand with the Premier and the Minister of Health when we announced the second hospital for Surrey. This was something that we have been hearing from the people of Surrey. Every third house that I have gone to, this was the thing that they talked about. So I’m so glad that we have purchased the land.

Interjection.

R. Singh: I see my colleague talking about the Surrey hospital. He should remember

that it was their government that sold the land that we had allocated for the

Surrey hospital.

[3:25 p.m.]

That was allocated. If we still had that land, this process would have been

much quicker, and it would have been the Surrey hospital that would have been in

the budget today. Unfortunately, this is not what the previous government thought.

Their Minister of Citizens’ Services…. I don’t know what he was thinking when he

decided to sell off that land.

We made a commitment to the people of Surrey that we will build the

hospital. The land is purchased, and the hospital will be built. Whatever the

members opposite might be saying, this is our commitment to the people of Surrey.

This is our commitment, and we will see that happening very soon.

People are talking about health care. Obviously, I had to talk about the

Surrey hospital, but I also want to talk about how people are getting the

surgeries and diagnostic procedures that they need, much faster. The wait times

for hip and knee surgeries are falling, and the number of MRIs being done each

year has increased by over 23 percent. We are also improving access to PharmaCare

by reducing or eliminating deductibles for 240,000 B.C. families with net incomes

under $45,000.

When this government was first elected, we set out with a plan with people

at the heart of it. Our commitment was to make life better for people, to make

life more affordable, to improve the services British Columbians rely on and to

create more opportunities for everyone. People are starting to see the progress.

When we fully eliminated MSP premiums on January 1, 2020, we delivered one of the

largest middle-class tax cuts in a generation, saving individuals up to $900 a

year and families up to $1,800 a year.

I meet so many constituents who are so thankful, who are so happy to see

this cut happening. For a number of years, they were paying this unfair tax in the

form of MSP payments. When this was eliminated this year, I heard from so many of

my constituents who are so happy. They are saving the money that they will be able

to invest in their families, in their children and in the things that matter to

them the most.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Once our policies like the B.C. child opportunity benefit are fully

implemented, families with an income of $100,000 will see a 22 percent net

reduction in their taxes, with $80,000 will see a 42 percent net tax reduction in

their taxes, and with $60,000 will see a 60 percent net reduction in their taxes.

This is compared to when we first formed the government.

Our plan is working, and we are sticking with it. Budget 2020 is all about

building on the progress that we have made: from new measures to keep life

affordable, to new investments in schools, hospitals and roads that will mean

better services, thousands of good jobs and training programs to ensure that

people can take advantage of these opportunities. This is a budget that keeps

building a better, stronger B.C. for everyone.

P. Milobar: Thank you for this time to speak to the budget. I have to say that I’ll touch on a few of the remarks of the previous speaker, from Surrey–Green Timbers, as well.

After a throne speech that could best be characterized as “meh,” we’ve followed it up a week later with a budget that was kind of the same: meh. You know, it’s really quite shocking. When you go through the various programs, what’s become apparent, in listening to the few speakers that have spoken to this point from the government side, is that they’re very good at reading whatever has been put in front of them by the speechwriters in the back rooms, to make sure that the speaking lines of the government are maintained and the slogans are maintained.

[3:30 p.m.]

I know that slogans are a big part over there, but the reality, when you really dig into the numbers…. I would challenge any of the future speakers coming from the government side to, maybe, think back to all those 16 years that they were in opposition, when they would actually look with a critical eye at the numbers being put in front of them and actually dig into the numbers. The numbers they are parroting on their speeches simply do not mesh with the reality of what’s in the documents.

The previous speaker spoke at great lengths about Surrey and the hospital. I’m from Kamloops. We have a long history with NDP governments and promised health care initiatives. We were promised a cancer clinic during Mike Harcourt’s election. As soon as the election was over, the cancer clinic was pulled and moved to Kelowna instantly. So I’m always a little bit leery with NDP health care promises.

In fact, in the last election with the $420 million hospital expansion that was soon to be getting going, the NDP candidates were very hesitant to actually commit the government to that project continuing on. They would not actually publicly commit to it during the election. It made people in Kamloops very nervous about what health care plans are.

To the people in Surrey, I would say be careful about what promises are made when it comes to a new hospital. Because when you look in the budget book, and the simple reality is this. In the budget book, for the people at home that aren’t aware, the fiscal plan on page 48 through to 52 is a guide. It’s a guide for projects over $50 million of capital spending. It’s an ongoing running guide. It shows projects that are already underway. It shows projects that are slated within the years within this fiscal plan.

This fiscal plan goes from 2020-2021 to 2022-2023, so it’s for the next three years. Lo and behold, on pages 50 and 51, where health facilities are all listed, for the next three years, there’s nothing for Surrey. It talked about Surrey hospital that the previous speaker just was talking about. The promise isn’t there.

Now Surrey is much larger than Kamloops. Kamloops’ hospital expansion is $420 million for this next phase and $80 million for the first phase. Both of those would have wound up in this book. One’s still in this book actually, because it’s being worked on. It started under the B.C. Liberal government. The other one started and completed under the B.C. Liberal government.

The only thing I can think is that unless the government thinks they’re building a hospital in Surrey for under $50 million, there is no promised hospital on its way over the next three years in this fiscal plan. We have challenged all the members from the government side from Surrey to point to the page number in the budget that the Surrey hospital is accounted for. Not one has been able to, because it simply does not exist.

What also doesn’t exist for Surrey is any money for SkyTrain. That doesn’t seem to be in here at all either. There are certainly some broken promises in Surrey’s future. It does make one question the rest of the budget. As I say, when you really start to delve into the numbers, it’s quite shocking as you look into some of the speaking lines versus reality and the double counting that continues to happen.

On the one hand, the NDP insists that we did nothing for child care, that we did nothing for housing, that we did nothing, nothing, nothing. Yet, they keep double counting all of our projects and all of our numbers. In fact, that’s the bulk of the numbers of the projects that they keep announcing.

Child care. They promised they were going to implement $10-a-day child care. Now, in the throne speech, it was backed away. Now subsidies will be based on need rather than universal for all.

The $10-a-day child care is a temporary pilot project. It’s about 2,500 child care spaces for the whole province. It’s about 2 percent of the 120,000 spaces that have been talked about. It’s also a ten-year plan based on their own numbers.

[3:35 p.m.]

So $675 million that’s flatlined is one-third of the projected $2 billion a year that the daycare program would require. There are some families that happen to pay less, about $28,000, but that was true under the B.C. Liberals as well. So here’s our first bit of double-counting. Of those people, 22,000 were already paying actually less than $10 a day based on need. The NDP claim they have funded 10,400 new spaces, but less than 2,000 are actually working. Again, misleading numbers to the general public designed to cause confusion as to what’s actually happening or not.

There are a lot of other question marks as it relates to promises, as it relates to deliverables. I mention this almost every time that I have a budget speech or a throne speech, because these are the government’s own words. These were the campaign promises of this government that I’m quoting. These are what they told people they were going to do.

In fact, what they told people they were going to do, in the election, was fund all of this under an existing funding envelope that the B.C. Liberals were operating under before they knew they had a $2.7 billion surplus. Instead, they’ve added an extra $10-plus billion of taxation and still-unmet promises and unfulfilled targets.

It’s disheartening, to say the least, but it’s not just during the election campaign. When you start reading through some of the documents, you start to have question marks.

I’m going to delve in a bit on the Environment and Climate Change budget, as I’m the

critic for that as well. Let’s look and see what their agreement, CASA, has to say

— their agreement with the Green Party that enabled them to govern.

I found it interesting. It’s good timing today, given that the leader of

the Green Party was frustrated with the lack of an answer being provided, in spite

of the fact that the questions from the Green Party are provided to the NDP in

advance, before question period. Even at that, they can’t get a proper answer.

Maybe this is why. Frankly, the NDP don’t seem to want to hold up to much promise

within the CASA agreement either, not on some fundamental climate action

issues.

I’m going to read here — page 4, 2a, Climate Action — from CASA. “Implement an increase of the carbon tax by $5 per tonne per year, beginning April 1, 2018, and expand the tax to fugitive emissions and to slash-pile burning.” Well, that will sure help the forest industry out. “Deliver rebate cheques to ensure a majority of British Columbians are better off financially than under the current carbon tax formula.”

Well, an interesting thing to that. In the budget, there is an increase each time the carbon tax goes up for low-income offsets so people can get their carbon tax cheque at the same time as they get their GST rebate cheque. But you know what? It’s not making British Columbians financially better off than before, because it’s designed to go up by the same increments every $5 as the rates were set under.

At $10, when we first brought in carbon tax, there was a low-income subsidy. Every time it went up by $5, there was an uplift to that low-income subsidy. Every time that we’ve added $5 under this government, the uplift has been the exact same. So we now have a situation where low-income people are paying more in carbon tax than the cost of the natural gas itself to heat their homes in winter time. They’re no better off financially than under the old system.

Maybe the Greens are worried that their promises aren’t being met, or not. I guess we’ll only know if they actually vote with this budget or not.

The next bullet is: “Implement a climate action strategy to meet our targets.” Again, the Greens don’t seem to be very fussed about the fact that CleanBC only accounts for 75 percent of that target and that there’s a missing 25 percent. We’ve been waiting around 15 months now since CleanBC was first introduced to get any semblance of idea where that money might be.

[3:40 p.m.]

Let’s look at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s budget, as after all, this is a budget debate. It’s interesting to me that there are about 13 ministries that have all seen cuts — 13 ministries, the bulk of which are what we consider the dirt ministries or the economic ministries. The ones that rural B.C. count on the most are the ones that have seen the cuts in a budget that still has increased spending, which means there has been even more of a focus pushed down to other areas and taken away from some.

It’s interesting. When you say this, the other side will say: “That’s not true. That’s not

true. That’s not true. There’s no cut.” Well, it’s right here in black and white.

In fact, if you go to the Supplement to the Estimates Fiscal Year Ending March

31, 2021 , pages 38 and 39, the Ministry of Environment is right there.

You’ve got bolded out on the far left side the total 2019-2020 operating expenses,

and on the far ride right side, total 2020-2021 operating expenses. It’s pretty

easy to see. There is $4.6 million less in the operating expenses, but they would

have you believe there has not been a cut.

Let’s look at this, and remember, this is the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. This is the ministry in a government — a minister in a government who used to be head of the Sierra Club — propped up by a green party, and this is their environmental budget. It’s quite shocking, actually.

Let’s see where the cuts have come. Environmental protection down $400,000 — for environmental protection. The NDP and the Greens feel it’s okay to pass a budget that is going to cut environmental protection by $400,000. Environmental sustainability. They feel it’s okay to cut that by $1 million. B.C. Parks. Surely there has not been a cut to B.C. Parks. Oh, look at that. Cut by another $1 million. Conservation officer service. Well, there was supposed to be an increase in conservation officers in last year’s budget for the next three-year fiscal plan, so certainly, that can’t have a cut. Yet we see a $200,000 cut, approximately.

Climate action. Certainly, there is no way climate action has seen a cut. So $2 million taken out of climate action — gone. Executive and support services. Those were cut $200,000, although interestingly enough, the minister’s office budget doesn’t get a cut. The minister’s office makes sure its budget stays exactly the same. Just the rest of the ministry have to figure out a way to be a little more efficient, I guess, than the minister himself.

Where else would there be? Oh, look at that. The one program other than the minister’s

office that sees an even line is the CleanBC program for industry, the rebate

cheques for industry for carbon tax increases. Industry still pays $30 a tonne,

net, in carbon tax. Because the government has taken so long to come up with

anything they consider as the world-leading standard, there is an automatic

rebate, once industry files their emissions report, to take them from whatever the

current rate in that fiscal year was, in carbon tax, back to $30. So the

government has to make sure there is money in there.

In fact, a lot of the $420 million they talk about of extra spending under CleanBC in this budget is designed to go back to industry, much like a large portion of the $900 million over three years last year was targeted to go back to industry. So not a lot of relief to make sure that people are financially better off than under the old formula — none whatsoever. This is now in a backdrop of where today we have the provincial government of Alberta winning in court about the constitutionality of the federal carbon tax or not. We could soon be faced with the fact that with this accelerated rate to get to $50….

We went from a $30 jurisdiction that people had kind of figured out how to manage to potentially a $50 jurisdiction that’s no longer revenue-neutral. There’s no way the government can extract themselves out of that $2.2 billion a year they’re expecting to bring in.

[3:45 p.m.]

In this budget, they talk at great lengths about how they’re going to get $420 million more spending going out the door for CleanBC, but that’s — a large portion, about $120 million — for the low-income subsidy, which we support. We brought it in, in the first place. We support that, but that doesn’t change your emission profile. About $165 million, I think it is, out of the remaining $300 million is going for industry.

The interesting

part is the government makes it sound like this is all new spending. What they fail to mention is they’ve added an extra year because we’re one year further down the road. So this financial plan has another year of revenues to it as well. That extra year of revenue, the difference between a $30 carbon tax and a $50 carbon tax, is about $880 million.

They’re going to bring in $880 million, and they tell us we should all be happy and the Green Party should be happy that $420 million of it will be spent on the environment. But not in the Environment budget, a budget that has seen a $4.6 million decrease. And that’s before you factor in that the Ministry of Environment in particular provides a lot of service to people, not a lot of actual capital to people. So when you look at the operating budget, the vast majority of that is actually staff.

Why I bring that up is last I checked, the government settled with the unions. That’s fine. They got a 2, 2 and 2. But if you factor in 2 percent of the operating budget, that’s $3.8 million. So let’s be generous and say maybe only half of that operating budget is actually salaries. That’s still $2 million.

That means that just to have a static budget this year, the Ministry of Environment should have had a $2 million uplift at a minimum. Instead, they had a $4.6 million cut, which means that net, at least $6½ million has been removed in this year’s budget for the Ministry of Environment compared to previous years. That’s troubling when you consider they’re bringing in record dollar values in carbon tax that is no longer revenue-neutral.

It’s troubling when you consider that it was pointed out to them last year, the government, that those revenues are needed to actually balance the budget, because they actually show emissions rising under CleanBC to be able to balance their budget. When CleanBC was first introduced, there were taxes collected at $30 a tonne and at $35 a tonne. Then CleanBC came in. Those taxes were collected at 41.6 and 41.7 megatonnes of emissions. We are now going to see carbon tax collected on 43¾ tonnes, topping out at 44 megatonnes at $50.

The first three years of CleanBC in the fiscal plan and, in fact, the new year being added in this year’s plan, so four years…. The first four years of existence of CleanBC have actually budgeted for emissions to rise, which means that they’re down to seven years left to hit their first 2030 target, but all they have done financially is budget for an ever-increasing rise in emissions to make the budget balance.

Now, where else have we seen that happen in this budget? Oh, that’s right. We used to say that there were 19 increased or new taxes. Once the government realized this year they were going to be in deficit, that number has changed. We’re now at 23 new and increased taxes, strictly to make the budget balance.

[3:50 p.m.]

The government needs CleanBC to fail in its emissions targets, or they won’t hit the

revenue projections they need — several hundred million dollars, if it

actually succeeds. That’s a problem.

They need to tax sugary drinks or non-sugary drinks, basically anything that has a little

bit of carbonation in it. They want your money. That will result in

volunteer groups, small concession stands raising money for this or that at

ball fields and hockey rinks and everything else — to have to go out and

register and get a PST number and start filing paperwork with the government

about the pop they sell at baseball games. Talk about a bureaucracy run

amok.

They had to add that as a brand-new tax. That is the only way they wind up with a surplus. It is quite remarkable. It’s a very slim surplus. So that’s why today, even in question period, we were trying to inquire, essentially, about the impacts to the economy that we’re going to be seeing with the slowdown with the protests that are happening, with the slowdowns that we’re seeing with the ships and the coronavirus issues that are happening, which is a very serious health issue.

We’re not suggesting that the response from the government on the coronavirus has been inappropriate on the health side of things at all. We’re simply trying to find out what modelling is being done, what contingencies are being done for these serious economic disrupters, when you’re talking about razor-thin budgets. Even the existing budget that hasn’t finished off for this year will be getting impacted by the rail blockades. As you see forestry struggle, as you see other issues struggle, all of that is going to hit this budget. We don’t see much in the way of contingencies.

“Act immediately to improve transit and transportation infrastructure in cooperation with the Mayors Council and the federal government to reduce emissions, create jobs and get people home faster.” It’s on page 5 of CASA. Then I reread it, and I reread it. I’m thinking to myself: “Well, I guess they technically didn’t break this promise, because what they really hammered away at in this year’s budget is B.C. Transit, not TransLink.” B.C. Transit doesn’t have the Mayors Council, because that’s only a TransLink body.

Apparently, the Greens and the NDP shared a view, with that part F on page 5. “Don’t worry

about the Interior. Don’t worry about the capital regional district when it comes

to transit.” A party that’s saying they’re going to reduce emissions is cutting

funding to B.C. Transit, and not just this year but in the following two years as

well, in this plan.

I can tell you that as a former mayor, as a former board member of B.C. Transit, planning for transit takes a long time to get buses ordered, to add hours, to add to your fleet, to get extra staff trained and hired, to get the route planning done. You can only do it at certain times of the year to make sure that you’re minimizing the disruption to people and maximizing the new usage. You usually try to time it right near the end of summer to bring in the new service so that university students and that that typically maximize the use during the day can get access to it.

This isn’t going to be as simple as just flipping the switch and saying: “Oh, we found some money. Go ahead and add hours.” When you get rid of the flow of constant year-over-year increases that municipalities can slowly afford and slowly build up ridership to justify, it actually creates a ripple effect for years.

“Establish an innovation commission to support innovation and business development in the technology sector, and appoint an innovation commissioner with a mandate to be an advocate and ambassador on behalf of the B.C. technology sector in Ottawa and abroad.

“The mandate and funding of the innovation commission will be jointly established by representatives of both the B.C. Green caucus and the New Democratic government.

“The innovation commission will be created in the first provincial budget.”

Wonderful words. Lasted two years. Now they’re rejigging the position. Didn’t renew the commission.

[3:55 p.m.]

Took the word “innovation” out of the trade minister’s title when they did the cabinet

shuffle too. It’s gone. In fact, they took “trade” out of that minister’s title.

It’s problematic because, for a government that tries to portray itself as being

all about transparency, it’s interesting that, as I understand it, when the

innovation commissioner writes a report that does not shine a very favourable

light on the actions this government has been taking towards innovation and

technology, the contracts are not renewed and the report is not going to be

released any time soon.

It doesn’t sound very open and transparent to me. Who knows? Maybe the party that’s propping this government up will actually be able to get an answer. But based on question period today, I’m not going to hold my breath on that one. They don’t seem to be able to extract any answers out.

Again, we have a budget that seems to target in on the ministries that rural B.C. relies on the most and says to them: “Go ahead, and do small, stealthy cuts.” And the scary

part is that the members on the other side speaking don’t even want to acknowledge what is literally in black and white from their own government. They’re free to point us to the page number and the line item that we’re reading wrong, but to this point, they haven’t been able to do that. They just come up with slogans.

Forestry in crisis. Forestry in crisis doesn’t get mentioned in this budget until two-thirds of the way through the budget speech. I might add, there was not one number actually mentioned in the budget speech about any program until well over halfway into the budget speech. Talk about slogans at their finest: lots of slogans about nice things; no dollar figures attached to any of the slogans of all the wonderful things and sunshine that they are going to do.

I fully expect that next year, to make the budget balance, they’ll have figured out a way to try to convince us that they’re going to issue carbon tax on unicorn flatulence or something. I’m not sure.

That’s what this budget is about. Forestry has no new money in it. They did not renew the rural dividend fund. Rural communities are hurting, and this government doesn’t seem to care, and this budget shows that. They froze the rural dividend fund last year and told everyone that they would roll over the applications to this year automatically. That would make people believe they were going to reinstate the rural dividend fund, but they didn’t do that either.

There is no new money in this budget for any improvements on the Highway 5 corridor from Kamloops to Jasper. That’ll be three years in a row of zero work done on that major corridor, a major corridor that’s going to be full of truck traffic now hauling pipes around dangerous corners, a couple more of which could have been straightened out. A couple of extra passing lanes could have been done over these last three years. Instead, this government was so worried about trying to block a project they knew they couldn’t block. They’re now going to create a different type of safety issue for the travelling public on that corridor.

I could go on and on and on about the broken promises in this budget. It’s shocking with Surrey, the lack of attention for all the promises around schools. They have two elementary schools’ worth of kids born every year in Surrey. They’ve added nothing but portables since they’ve gotten in. Portables are at an all-time high in Surrey. They were promised, under this Premier, that in four years there’d be no portables in existence in Surrey. So, again, it’s another massive broken promise to Surrey, let alone to the rest of the province.

I do hope the next speakers will actually dig into these numbers, not just parrot the lines they’ve been given, and put a critical eye to their own budget document and understand what’s in their own budget document.

Hon. K. Conroy: Before I begin, I’d like to acknowledge the traditional territories of

the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ-speaking people and the

Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, on whose land we work.

I am really pleased to be able to respond to Budget 2020, because I

know this budget is definitely about making life more affordable for people.

It improves the services that people right across the province count on, and

it’s creating good jobs and opportunities all across B.C.

[4:00 p.m.]

We’ve made a lot of progress, and Budget 2020 is our plan to keep B.C.

moving forward. People are starting to see the difference in their everyday

lives. Making life better starts with the choices we make every day here in

this building as government. From affordability to services and a strong,

sustainable economy, our government is fixing problems and making progress

on things that matter most.

It’s a real honour to continue to serve the constituents of Kootenay

West. I want to take a few minutes, before I talk about Children and

Families, just to acknowledge the really great work being done in my

constituency office by my constituency assistants, Angelika Brunner and Cyra

Yunkws.

I’m not in the constituency office as much as I would like to be, and

they do an incredible job of making sure that the constituents of Kootenay

West are well taken care of. I’m always running into people who are saying

to me…. When I do get home, they tell me that not only did they get really

good service in my constituency office, but that they’re really both great

people to work with.

I also want to give a shout-out to my incredible family as well, who

all, in their own very special ways, help me to be able to do the work that

I’m doing for these number of years now, work I’m really honoured to be

doing. As we all have family members, we miss special family days. Yesterday

was my granddaughter Sarah’s fifth birthday. I just want to give a shout-out

to Sarah, because her mom told her I would do that. Happy birthday,

Sarah.

She woke up this morning, and her mom told her: “Get ready for

preschool.” She said: “I’m five now, Mom. I’m going to kindergarten.” Her mom had

to explain to her that you don’t get to go to kindergarten until you graduate from

preschool. She was really upset about that, but she has such great preschool. Here

she is ready to go to kindergarten at five.

There are so many things I could talk about, about my constituency. I

just want to tell one story before I talk more about the budget. It’s a story

about The Slocan Valley Seniors’ Housing Society. The society built the Passmore

Lodge, a lodge for seniors housing, over 20 years ago. I believe it was 23 years

ago. They had to raise money to do it. They had a three-day Hike or Bike for

raising funds, and they called it “Bike for Housing.” At the time, 73-year-old

Lydia Kania — she was in Vallican — walked 233 kilometres in three days and raised

over $8,000 for the construction of Passmore Lodge.

Now, fast-track to 20 years later. Lydia once again led the charge on

fundraising for seniors housing in the Slocan Valley. This was two years

ago. She was 93 years old. She again walked, raising money. They had another

walkathon to raise more money. She walked 50 kilometres — she’s 93 — and

again raised over $8,000 to raise funds for the new Slocan City

Suites.

I was there with four of my grandkids and my daughter. We made ten

kilometres that day, but that was hiking with a two- and three-year-old, and

a nine- and ten-year-old. We watched in amazement, watching Lydia walk and

just be part of this incredible project. Never would that small community of

Slocan Village have been able to build these homes for seniors if they

hadn’t had the tenacity of people like Lydia, The Slocan Valley Seniors’

Housing Society, the overall community support, the donation of land from

the village of Slocan, financial support from the Columbia Basin Trust and

B.C. Housing, to name a few.

I want to acknowledge the incredible work of our Minister of Municipal

Affairs and Housing for the work that she is doing. At the last minute, they

needed more funds, and they were able to find more funds in the Housing

funding so that they could build all of these housing complexes for the

seniors.

Just this last weekend Lydia turned 95. There was a big celebration

for her, and she now lives at Slocan City Suites, one of the seniors housing that

she helped to raise money for. There are so many stories like this to tell about

the amazing people in Kootenay West and how they persevere, and Lydia is one

example of that. Again, I’m humbled to represent these incredible people in our

area.

One thing I do get asked a lot when I am home, when I do get home, is

how the Columbia River treaty negotiations are going. I’m really always

happy to talk about what’s happening with all things Columbia, as we like to

call it, but especially around the Columbia River treaty. In 2018, we

started meeting with the Canada and U.S. governments to start the

negotiations and talk about the future of the Columbia River treaty. Since

then, in negotiations, we’ve met regularly to discuss what a modernized

treaty might actually look like.

[4:05 p.m.]

As the conversations continue about the treaty’s future, what’s

equal