Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: I call the reply to the throne speech debate.

Throne Speech Debate

T. Redies: In accordance with parliamentary tradition, I move, seconded by the hon. member for Kamloops–North Thompson, that:

[We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present Session.]

May I continue?

Mr. Speaker: If the members can clear quietly.

Continue, Member.

T. Redies: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is an honour to rise today and to speak in support of this government’s Speech from the Throne. It’s also a great honour and privilege to represent the people of Surrey–White Rock.

The decision to put forward my name was not taken lightly, but I’ve lived in this community for many years, and it’s where my husband and I raised our four children. So I feel very privileged to stand for all residents of Surrey–White Rock and be their voice in this historic place.

Amidst so much uncertainty in the world today, I truly and honestly believe that British Columbia is the best place in the world to raise a family and to start a business. This is no accident. British Columbia did not stumble into our current position. It is the result of leadership, discipline and unwavering principles that, together, form the foundation for a strong B.C. and a secure tomorrow. That is why I’m very proud to be here today and proud to support the throne speech put forward by this government.

[2:45 p.m.]

It’s a vision for our future that ensures that the economy remains strong, which, in turn, will allow us to provide the services and support that British Columbians need. It allows us to balance present and future needs, while at the same time ensuring that the future of our children is not mortgaged to finance unchecked and uncosted promises today.

It’s a vision that will continue to make our beautiful, well-managed province the envy of every other province and territory in our country. More importantly, the plan put forward in this throne speech uses the dividends of our well-managed economy to ensure we are able to take care of all British Columbians.

I have no doubt that there are members on the opposition benches that cannot dismiss this throne speech fast enough, but this is a throne speech that reflects the will of British Columbians — fiscal responsibility but also more investments in social services and infrastructure. It’s a pragmatic vision, not stubbornly wedded to any ideology but based on what British Columbians told us they want from government.

Now, while together my caucus colleagues and I received more votes and elected more members than any other party, it is clear that for some British Columbians our platform was not enough. We heard that message, and this throne speech demonstrates that we are willing to change — not just to stay in power, as some would like to suggest, but because we’re here to represent all British Columbians.

When we talk about a strong B.C., a bright future, we’re not talking just about a vision for certain members of British Columbia. We’re talking about all British Columbians.

[G. Kyllo in the chair.]

Yes, some of the issues outlined in the throne speech were put forward by the opposition parties. Good for them. But in addressing the concerns of British Columbians — whether it is rapid transportation, social housing or helping to improve affordability — our approach will be quite different. More importantly, they are not empty promises, but highly doable, because they are balanced with ensuring British Columbia continues to have a strong economy that creates jobs and attracts significant investment.

I’m here today because of the many people who believed in our campaign — people who believed in our message of a strong and bright future for our community. I want to take a moment to thank my predecessor, Gordie Hogg, for his 40 years of service to our community and for his help on our campaign.

Thank you, also, to those who worked tirelessly to ensure that our message in Surrey–White Rock was heard and successful — including our campaign chair and manager, Lorne Valensky and Verna Logan; our volunteer chair and communications chair, Jennifer Wells and Victoria Blinkhorn; our dedicated volunteers from all ages who believed in our vision, including John Penner, who has been involved in campaigns since 1952, and Daniel Eddin and Brydon Chakrabarti, ages 12 and 15, who came to volunteer after school and on weekends because they were excited about the vision put forward by our campaign for their future.

I’d also like to thank the many experienced members among my new caucus colleagues who offered advice and guidance, especially the Minister of Children and Family Development, who herself serves the neighbouring constituency of Surrey South. Thank you all.

I also wish to thank those members of the community who gave me insight into the current issues and opportunities in our riding. Ramona Kaptyn with CARP and Sue McIntosh of Seniors Come Share Society, on behalf of our seniors; David Young, the president of SOURCES, which provides many services to our community, including our local food bank; and councillors Grant Meyer, Lynne Sinclair, Helen Fathers, Bill Lawrence, Megan Knight and Mayor Baldwin of White Rock, who gave me great background into some of the current issues and opportunities facing White Rock.

I also want to acknowledge Doug Stone, a former manager of the city, for his insights and his friendship; and Doug Tennant, the director of Semiahmoo House Society and his director, Rick Gorman, who toured me around this marvelous facility for those who are developmentally, physically and mentally disabled.

I also wish to thank friends and long-time acquaintances who made the time to help our campaign — Greg Dumas, Dan Burns, Glenn Todd, Lyle Knott, Peter and Carol Young, Laurae McNally, Olga Ilich, Ginny Hasselfield and Jade Burelle, and so many others. I don’t have time to name them all, but I am so grateful for all their help.

There are five people without whom I would not be here today, my family — my husband, George, and our four kids, Lauren, Lucy, Brian and Sabrina, who all helped on the campaign at various points. My husband, George — probably like many other husbands in this House — did everything from cleaning, painting, laying baseboards, making signs, putting up signs and even door knocking, which is something that he never thought he would do. Our kids also went door knocking and helped with weekly volunteer barbecues and gave their mom hugs when I needed them.

[2:50 p.m.]

I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you five, so thank you for supporting me in this, and thank you for generously sharing me with our community.

Now, as we heard in the throne speech, this government is committed to a fairer, healthier society. During the campaign I heard from Stephanie Beck, Siobhan Philips and Art Reitmayer of the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation, which has raised tens of millions of dollars from the generous people of our community to help build the new emergency and surgical care building. Dr. Hendry, of Peace Arch Hospital, generously toured me around the emergency, and even though I had been there many times with our four children, he did give me unique insight as to why we are facing challenges in our health care system today.

That’s a big part of why I support what this throne speech offers for health care: accelerating access to hip and knee procedures, establishing wait-time guarantees, speeding up access to MRI services, training 112 more general practitioners and increasing the scope of practice for professions such as nurse practitioners and pharmacists so we can improve primary care in our province.

I am very pleased that the throne speech commits to fast-tracking a new centre for mental health and addictions in Surrey in addition to a dedicated minister focused on mental health and addictions in our province. This is in addition to strong commitments to health care for our seniors, who have done so much for us — raising us and entrusting this amazing province to us all.

One of the constant issues I heard during the election was the need for better transit, especially rapid transit. Yes, we have a strong economy filled with opportunity, but my constituents say they want to get home to their families faster and they want transit options that work better.

That’s why I’m pleased to support a throne speech that commits to match federal funding to build rapid transit along the Broadway corridor and in Surrey, that commits to match federal funding for the next phase of the mayors’ transit plan, that also commits to repeal the requirement for new transit revenue sources to be affirmed by referendum in Metro Vancouver, ensuring that these needed projects can happen. But more importantly, that has a bold vision for our province, one that allows us to shape growth and build for our future transportation needs.

If I may say so, personally, after almost 35 years of commuting up and down Highway 99 into Vancouver, the initiative to assess the feasibility of the LRT into South Surrey and a high-speed rail line connecting the Pacific Northwest is very exciting and very welcome.

As a parent, education is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. I’m pleased that we raised our children in British Columbia, where our students rank among the best in the world. But there remain concerns from parents, and this government is prepared to address them. Especially in my constituency, I heard from parents concerned about spaces and funding for our local schools. So I’m pleased to support the throne speech, which commits to reviewing the funding formula for school districts and commits to establishing a royal commission on education, the first in 30 years.

British Columbia has a remarkable education system, one made possible by hard-working teachers — including those who were there for our kids. But there is an opportunity to make the education system even better through continued investment in the future. I am personally delighted to see the commitment to new special support educators, as through my own family circumstances, I’ve seen the benefit of early intervention for children requiring more support. As a parent, as a British Columbian and as a new member of this place, I wholly support the approach to our education system in this throne speech.

Like so many parts of our province, my constituency also has a lot of families, families that are looking to make a start. Their concern is housing. The market has changed, and British Columbians have been clear: they want their government to address affordability. This government has been unequivocal in its willingness to address this issue with a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy.

In the last year, this government took action through the B.C. HOME partnership, through the foreign buyers tax and through several other decisive actions. This throne speech continues that commitment with several more actions, including working with the private sector to build more supportive social and inclusive housing for those in need, ensuring more middle-class housing is built and available for buyers and renters, and further cooling the hot housing market by combatting speculation that disadvantages British Columbians. I’m pleased to support these measures.

For those just starting out, this government is committing to building 50,000 units of new housing across our province over the next decade — part of an innovative, new rent-to-own program available to B.C.’s middle-class families. This throne speech is a commitment to continuing to take action on this important file.

[2:55 p.m.]

I know these actions will help many young families and British Columbians from all walks of life looking to buy their first home. This government remains committed to ensuring that housing is affordable and to ensuring that the dream of home ownership is kept alive.

British Columbia was not always the envy of the country, as it is now. There was a time when businesses and job creators looked elsewhere, a time when more British Columbians left our province than came to it. That was long ago, and thankfully, today our province has Canada’s strongest economy. With the plans set forth in this throne speech, it will be possible to keep growing our economy, while at the same time making the investments that British Columbians want and need.

There is a choice to be made. It is a clear one. While I am new to this place, the choice here is both simple and profound: to either work together to make the investments that so many British Columbians want or continue with the politics of division. That is the choice before us.

In this last election, British Columbians were clear. The results of the election show a desire for their elected members to work together to make life better for the citizens of this province, to support job creation and the economy, to look after vulnerable British Columbians by increasing the levels of support and services provided by their government, and to responsibly balance the needs of British Columbians from all parts of our beautiful province, a task I believe that this caucus and this government are best positioned to do.

The throne speech presented here strikes that balance. It is one that looks to serve all British Columbians in all regions of our province. It is one that serves the needs of my constituents in Surrey–White Rock, as it does for British Columbians across our province. I’m very pleased to support this throne speech, and I encourage all members here to do so.

P. Milobar: It is an honour to rise today, in accordance with parliamentary tradition, and second this government’s Speech from the Throne.

First and foremost, I want to thank my constituents from Kamloops–North Thompson for electing me to be their voice, their representative, in this place. It has been a pleasure to serve you as a city councillor for two terms, a mayor for three terms and now to represent you here. I will ensure that your voice and concerns are heard here.

I also want to thank my family for their continued support — my two daughters, Kayleigh and Dylana, and my son, Ethan. I especially would like to thank my wife, Lianne, who didn’t think 16 years was long enough but has been supporting me and encouraging me for all of the 24 years of my marriage. My time in public service would simply not be possible without them and their willingness to share me with the people of British Columbia. Of course, my constituency association, my campaign volunteers and supporters — all of those who believed we could do this — I want to thank you.

I also want to acknowledge my predecessor, Terry Lake, who previously served as the representative for Kamloops–North Thompson. Thank you, Terry, for your years of service.

It’s a privilege to represent Kamloops–North Thompson, a region of our beautiful province with a rich history and a bright future. As I sought the support of my constituents, here’s what I heard. Their top priorities for the region were job creation and growth of the local economy.

The people of Kamloops are rightly proud of their community. They want a government that supports small business and tourism, a government that invests in world-class seniors care and infrastructure. They want a stable government that they can count on. I share these priorities. They’re a big part of why I made the decision to seek election to this place.

British Columbia, especially my constituency, just can’t take four years of policies that would hurt businesses, hurt the economy and ultimately hurt our families and our future. This government and this Premier have made commitments that will help my constituency prosper. This government has committed to funding a four-year engineering program at Thompson Rivers University. Currently Thompson Rivers University only offers training for the first two years, meaning that students need to move elsewhere. No doubt about it, Kamloops is growing, and these investments ensure that talented workers don’t need to leave our community to get ahead in life.

This government also announced the new patient care tower for Royal Inland Hospital, an asset to the entire Thompson-Nicola region. This new tower will provide rooms for treating mental health and substance use, labour and delivery rooms, new obstetrics beds and will double the available space in the emergency department. The construction will also create nearly 2,500 jobs in our community.

[3:00 p.m.]

As I join this caucus, I join with colleagues who represent all regions of our beautiful province. It is important that our province be served by a government that is able to recognize the needs and responsibilities of both urban and rural British Columbia. I note that many of my colleagues received feedback from British Columbians in our province’s more urban areas about things they want done differently.

There is only one caucus — only one caucus — that can respond to these needs, that is capable of taking on the task of balancing the needs of both urban and rural British Columbia. The NDP campaign, which brought forth the members across the way, focused almost exclusively on the Lower Mainland to the exclusion of so much of our beautiful province. Our caucus recognizes that the long-term well-being of urban and rural British Columbians are linked. While there are countless differences, the reality is there is a unique bond between rural communities and our province’s land and its resources.

That’s why I’m pleased that this throne speech makes a solid commitment to supporting rural communities and ensuring that industries that rural British Columbians depend on remain strong industries. I am pleased that the government is committed to doubling the Grow Local program and committed to making it permanent. I am pleased that the government will be bringing an additional 91,000 hectares of agricultural land into production by 2020. Furthermore, this government commits to doubling the rural economic dividend, thereby returning even more of our resource revenue to the rural communities that play such a large role in our beautiful province’s well-being.

Rural British Columbia matters. While much of the province lives in urban areas, those British Columbians who live in smaller communities matter, as recognized in this throne speech. I support this throne speech because it recognizes the unique and remarkable connection that so many of our rural communities have to our beautiful province’s land and resources.

There are those who believe that urban and rural communities are different, those who think that politics somehow inherently pits the urban and rural interests against each other. Friends, this is wrong. The profound connection between rural and urban British Columbians is a part of our province’s success.

In the wake of this last election campaign, this throne speech calls for bridging the divide between rural and urban British Columbia. This is a vision I support. This is a vision of a government that understands the needs of rural B.C. and urban B.C. and knows how to responsibly answer both.

This government has committed to prepurchasing wood for the construction of public housing — a solid vote of confidence and a show of support for the thousands of British Columbians who work in the forestry sector and depend on it for their livelihoods, who depend on it to support their loved ones. B.C. forest products are used around the world — a source of pride and joy for our province’s forestry workers.

This government also remains committed to standing up for the industry by actively fighting protectionist efforts south of the border. This is a government and caucus not compromised by divided loyalties and thus is ready to fight for our forestry workers. I’m proud to work with a Premier and caucus that will fight for British Columbia.

I am pleased that the government’s throne speech speaks to continued commitments to our health care system. Under this government’s watch, new and expanded hospitals have been built in every region of our province. This throne speech commits to continuing to move our health care system towards preventative care, commits to ensuring that our province remains the healthiest in our country.

Training more general practitioners at a rate of 112 per year, increasing the scope of practice for nurses and pharmacists, establishing a wait-time guarantee, accelerating access to knee and hip procedures — these are just some of the commitments in the throne speech that will serve not only my constituents but all of British Columbia as well.

Now, earlier I mentioned that investing in and ensuring that we have world-class seniors care is a priority for me and my constituents. That is why I am pleased that this throne speech makes that commitment, ensuring that the government increase the number of residential care beds, ensuring clear and measurable daily care hours are in place and are enforced consistently throughout our province.

Now, there is a contrast that exists between what this government is putting forward and the shaky, unstable alliance advocated by the NDP members across the way.

The throne speech put forward by the government today is built on stability. It is built on what we heard from British Columbians across our amazing province. It is built on ensuring that British Columbia remains Canada’s strongest economy. It is built on ensuring that British Columbia continues to be Canada’s leader in economic growth and job creation. It is built on ensuring that British Columbia continues to be a place of hope and opportunity. It is built upon listening to British Columbians.

[3:05 p.m.]

There are members on the opposition NDP benches here who, I’m sure, are all too eager to pounce on what they deem to be policy reversals. To my new friends across the way, let me assure you there is nothing amiss about a government that listens to British Columbians and is willing to change course so that the needs and wishes of British Columbians are taken into account.

Theirs is a reckless alliance predicated on uncertain numbers and vacuous, uncosted promises — promises that will cost British Columbians their jobs.

Friends, the throne speech put forward by this government proves that it is possible to grow the economy and support job creation, all while we make investments needed to support British Columbians in need.

The throne speech we have heard here recognizes that when British Columbia’s economy is successful, our province can make the necessary investments needed to take care of our loved ones and to take care of those in need. That’s why I’m pleased that this government is expanding the single-parent employment initiative and increasing rates for those on assistance.

This government is investing in education and students. That’s why I’m pleased that the throne speech is committed to creating a royal commission on education, one that puts the needs of our students first and lays the foundation for continued success into the future.

British Columbians in all regions of our province recognize the importance of our education system and the need to ensure that our students have what they need to succeed. This throne speech commits to doing just that for British Columbia. It’s important that what we do here lays the foundation for a bright future.

Kamloops has a growing tech sector, and with it come new opportunities. That investment this government is making to ensure that Thompson Rivers University can offer a full four-year engineering program is an investment in our future, ensuring that we can locally provide the skills needed to succeed in the new economy.

Across our province, this government is making and is committed to making investments to ensure that this government is on the best footing possible. The throne speech is a reflection of that. My caucus colleagues and I…. This government has heard the concerns of British Columbians, and we listened.

I’m pleased we are moving forward with the elimination of the MSP. This government has committed to immediately cutting those MSP premiums by 50 percent for households making up to $120,000, and I am pleased that this throne speech has committed to a review to see how full elimination can be achieved as quickly as possible.

Friends, this throne speech is one that bridges the divide between rural and urban British Columbia. It represents a government that listens to British Columbians and acts on their feedback. This throne speech represents an investment in the future of British Columbia.

This is a throne speech determined to build a bright future for B.C., and on behalf of my constituents of Kamloops–North Thompson, I am proud to support it.

A. Weaver: Hon. Speaker, please let me be the first to congratulate the members for Surrey–White Rock and Kamloops–North Thompson for their maiden speeches in this new parliament.

I rise to speak in response to the throne speech. Now, in the 2017 election, the B.C. Greens ran on a new vision for British Columbia that we will put at the very centre of all our decision-making in the months and years ahead. There are three central tenets that underpin our vision that we explained and took to British Columbians in the 2017 election.

First, the B.C. Greens believe that it is the moral responsibility of government to promote the health and well-being of British Columbians. Everything else that government does should serve this purpose.

Second, we believe that equity should be a fundamental value of government and that government should operate in the best interests of not only the present generation but, also, future generations to come. We, too, should leave a better world to the next generation, as our parents did for us. Frankly, this looks like we were heading to be the first generation in British Columbia where we would hand off to the next generation an environment and social systems and an economy that were not the same as we inherited from our parents. It was trending downwards.

[3:10 p.m.]

It is the future of our children and our grandchildren, not only our own well-being, that is at stake in the decisions that we make today in this Legislature.

The third central tenet is that government should act as stewards of our public resources to ensure that they benefit all British Columbians, both today and into the future. Our natural resources cannot continue to be harvested in a Loraxian fashion for short-term gain and benefits of a privileged few.

Interjection.

A. Weaver: I was asked by the member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast to provide an explanation of “Loraxian.” Well, I ask people to go and read the Dr. Seuss book called The Lorax. The Lorax quite beautifully illustrated what happens when you think not as to the consequences of your decisions today, where you focus only on short-term gain and the benefits of a few.

You know, our core central tenets may seem obvious, but they’ve been fundamentally lacking in our province, in my view, in our view, far too long. The B.C. Greens offered a vision to restore these core values to government and to improve the lives of all British Columbians. Our vision included this.

Our vision was a vision to seize the opportunities in the emerging economy by supporting dynamic business development in a changing economy, to invest in early childhood education, not simply daycare, to give our children the strongest possible start, to invest in public education.

Over $4 billion was found in our budget, a fully costed budget, to invest in public education and lifelong learning to ensure people had the knowledge, skills and abilities to be successful in the economies of today and tomorrow.

We had a vision to tackle climate change head-on while positioning B.C. at the forefront of economic opportunities in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We had a vision to ensure that all British Columbians have their basic needs met by piloting basic income and increasing welfare rates, so that they never fall so far down that they cannot get back up again, that those less fortunate than many here are not stuck in a poverty trap that they can never escape from.

Our vision was to ensure that everyone has access to the means that support a healthy life. Our vision was based on the conviction that government should make decisions based on principles and evidence, not political calculation and political opportunism. Our vision was based on the conviction that government should put people’s interests first, ahead of special interests and corporate or union donors.

Our vision was based on the conviction that B.C.’s economy comprises and should benefit every British Columbian, not just the wealthy few. Our vision was based on the conviction that prudent fiscal management is essential. We cannot burden future generations with poor planning and short-term decision-making today. Our vision was based on the conviction that planning and government decision-making should extend beyond the next election cycle and that we need to consider the long-term effects of our decisions and actions.

As the B.C. Liberals have said many times, governing is about priorities. In considering the throne speech, we should do so in the context of how it lives up to our priorities and the values that we as B.C. Greens ran on. We ran our election campaign on many of the policies that the B.C. Liberals have just embraced in the throne speech.

Before this election, I spent four years in the Legislature pushing for action on these issues, as did other MLAs, advocacy organizations, experts and concerned citizens — pushing for issues like removing the influence of big money from our politics, pushing for issues like addressing our unacceptable rates of poverty in this province through raising social assistance rates and implementing a poverty reduction strategy.

We were pushing for action on investing in childhood education to address the childhood care crisis affecting families across British Columbia and to provide children with a strong basis for lifelong learning to enable them to succeed in the challenging economy of the 21st century.

We were pushing for discussions on issues to take meaningful action on climate change, to ensure that the world we leave for our children is no worse than the world our parents left for us.

[3:15 p.m.]

The B.C. Liberals’ astonishing about-face in this throne speech raises the question: after 16 years of operating on one set of values, how can British Columbians trust that they — that is, the B.C. Liberals — truly believe in this new set of values?

How many of the members opposite, for the first time, when they heard the throne speech, said: “We stand for this now?” How many of the members knocked on the doorsteps in the last election campaigning for child care, campaigning for increased education funding, campaigning for a poverty reduction plan, campaigning for basic income? I suspect none — certainly not in my riding and certainly not in the many ridings in British Columbia that I went to on behalf of the B.C. Green candidates running there.

I come back to this. How can we trust that this change, this change in principles and values so fundamental — not just “add a little of this, add a little of that” — a fundamental and structural change in values…? How can we believe, how can we trust, that this change was based on principle and integrity as opposed to pure cynical political calculation and the desire to continue to stay in power?

British Columbians have been calling on this government for years to ban big money. I’ve forgotten how many times the Leader of the Official Opposition has brought in legislation. Six it is. To that, we could add a couple of times that Bob Simpson and Vicki Huntington did as well. I would have done it too, had it not been done so many times before. Each and every time, this fell on deaf ears. Each and every time, nobody listened.

The B.C. Liberal response was: “We’re going to report out more often. We’re going to rub in the fact that we’re accepting corporate and union donations — outrageous donations — from companies that we have to make key strategic decisions on, on behalf of British Columbians, and we’re just going to just tell you about it a little more often.” Shocking.

British Columbians have been calling on banning big money for such a long time, yet the government has refused — until today. Now the B.C. Liberals have committed to banning big money, today, and yet continue to rake in millions from corporate donations. Witness: within three days of the election, the B.C. Liberals raised $1 million from their corporate backers. Shame.

A government that is principled, a government that leads through conviction, is one that practises the behaviour they expect others to model. I challenge the B.C. Liberals today to stop accepting corporate donations, as the B.C. Greens did in September of 2016. If they were truly committed to banning big money, they could follow our lead — the lead that we put to British Columbians in September of 2016 when the B.C. Green Party stopped accepting union and corporate donations.

Let’s go to bridge tolls. This one is remarkable. To this day, the B.C. Greens stand against removing the bridge tolls, but we recognize that as a budgetary measure, we would support the budget brought in by the new minority NDP government.

But let’s come back to the cynicism and political calculation. During the election, the Minister of Finance told British Columbians this: “The decision to forgo all toll revenues in the way the NDP announced…will guarantee a credit downgrade. This decision in and of itself is sufficient to lead to a credit downgrade.”

So now a mere six, seven weeks post this statement, we no longer have to worry about a credit downgrade. Is this about political conviction, or is it about political calculation?

That was April 10 that that statement was made. Now we’re talking about unexpected surpluses, and nobody’s concerned about the credit rating anymore. Well, I am, and the B.C. Greens are, which is why we do not support removing tolls on the bridges that exist — and have not supported all along, in a consistent manner, because we believe it is good fiscal policy.

[3:20 p.m.]

What are the revenue implications of toll bridges? They’re not a one-year budget consideration. It’s not something that you can kind of change without long-term consequences. What justifies this change? We don’t know.

What are the revenue implications of toll bridges? They’re not a one-year budget consideration. It’s not something that you can kind of change without long-term consequences. What justifies this change? We don’t know.

What about the sources of new money? Thirty of the 48 throne speech initiatives outlined in the government news release were nowhere to be found in the Liberal election platform. Now, I recognize, and I have respect for, the fact that the throne speech was offered with humility. They recognized that British Columbians had sent a message that the direction the province was going in had to change. But the government now has said that it can finally make these 30 of the 48 throne speech initiatives that weren’t there, because they have suddenly found new money.

Well, I’m not sure where the new money was found, because we haven’t had the fiscal year update yet, and that’s not going to be announced till either later this week or next year. I’m wondering where this money is coming from. Just two months ago, the Minister of Finance cautioned against many of the promises that the B.C. Greens and the B.C. NDP made. He said this: “The suggestion that these promises…can be accommodated within a balanced budget, absent massive tax increases, is simply absurd.” Who do we believe now? But now they can be. They now suddenly can be found in the budget, at the 11th hour.

At the 11th hour of a government on its way out, they promised to implement many of those exact same promises that were too costly to do, yet they haven’t been clear on where the money will come from. The generally accepted accounting practices used by the government dictate that any unspent surplus from a previous fiscal year is allocated to paying down the budget — full stop. Has the government suddenly changed that policy, a policy that suddenly we haven’t discussed? That’s what the government is supposed to do: pay down the debt with any surplus that exists from the previous budget. We aren’t even through the first quarter of the fiscal year. So I’d be surprised if the government had reliable updated financials from this year yet.

This statement that suddenly there’s more money, frankly, is akin to promises that we’ve seen, historically, of 100,000 jobs, a $1 trillion increase in GDP, a $100 billion prosperity fund, debt-free B.C., thriving schools and hospitals — the famous unicorns in everyone’s backyard — as a consequence of an LNG industry that doesn’t exist. Elimination of GST, PST, and on and on. Within the fiscal framework of the budget they tabled in February of this year, there was no room for long-term planning to ensure that there is stable funding for these new promises — no room whatsoever.

How can British Columbians trust that this government has intention to follow through with these new promises, when they are premised on a surprise surplus? Is this just more politicking with the provincial budget, now that it has become politically expedient to invest in government services? I ask these questions because they get to the heart of the question of trust. Is this truly a genuine, principled about-face? Or is this simply more of the same politics that British Columbians voted to change?

The initiatives that were announced in this throne speech should not be treated as throwaways, as treats to buy votes in an election year in an attempt to retain a grip on power or as a surprise bonus when there’s an unexpected surplus. These policies need to flow from a principled vision for British Columbia and a plan on how to get there — principles and plans that the B.C. Greens offered in the last election campaign. And perhaps the government arrives at this astonishing change. Perhaps they did arrive at this genuinely. Who knows?

[3:25 p.m.]

Either way, we cannot have confidence in a government that for 16 years has argued against precisely these same policies and that only in the last few days has suddenly recognized that these policies — put forward by the B.C. NDP for, say, 12 of the 16 years and by the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Greens for the last four years — are now suddenly in the best interests of British Columbians without a clear demonstration that the change is driven by principles and not simply political expediency. Principles are demonstrated through action, and we simply haven’t seen the actions from this government to justify our confidence in it.

To see the faces on the members opposite as the throne speech was read out was truly a remarkable event. You know, I only had three words for the member from Chilliwack afterwards, after the throne speech was read, and it was these. “Well, well, well,” I said to the member from Chilliwack, who clearly was aghast, with his mouth near his chest, as he listened to the words during the speech from the throne. My colleagues here remember one too many well, well, wells over the years.

With all of that said, we have an incredible opportunity here. I do believe it’s actually an exciting opportunity. Never before have we had such potential for each and every MLA in this Legislature to represent their constituents before their party. That’s exciting. That’s exciting because we have a chance to put people ahead of party politics, backroom politics, and I hope that we can do that.

The B.C. Liberals, over the course of a 40-minute throne speech, did a 180. Actually, they did a 720. They did a 320 and a 320, and it was dizzy, on a significant number of their policies and priorities. I think that’s great. I think it’s great that they now believe that they should be able to work. When those policies, those similar policies, are brought forward under an NDP minority government, they’ll work towards ensuring that they’re implemented in a manner that we can all support, and that is an exciting, exciting opportunity.

You know, I can just imagine. Today at first reading, we didn’t vote for two bills, because we have not tested the confidence of this Legislature. The first bill was a rather expensive bill for the B.C. Greens to not vote for, to grant us party status, but it was the principled thing to do. But more importantly, the second bill, on banning big money — I have had a chance to look at it briefly, because we were just given a copy — has elements that I think would be wonderful amendments to a bill or some of the bills that have been brought in historically by the B.C. NDP. There’s ground for a stable government moving forward, where we actually take the best ideas from both sides of this House.

Unfortunately, the B.C. Liberals have had 16 years of not listening to any of the amendments or ideas being put forward in the committee stage from bills, and now we have an opportunity to actually make that work. That is very exciting.

The B.C. Greens will work with every member of this House in good faith in the pursuit of good public policy. That is our goal. That is what we’ll focus on. The opportunity, as I said, that we have to improve the health and well-being of British Columbians is now bigger than ever, and we must proceed with respect for the electorate. I emphasize: we must proceed with respect for the electorate to make this government work and not play cynical political tricks in the desperate attempt, the desperate quest, to retain power. This is not about power. This is about respect for the electorate.

“The results that British Columbians delivered in the May election require cooperation,” the throne speech read. “Your government is committed to working with all parties in the Legislature,” the throne speech said — as are we. “British Columbians,” the throne speech said, “want a stable government, and in sending us this result, they expect us to listen and find a way to work together. They expect us to collaborate, while respecting the dignity, rules and traditions that govern our constitutional monarchy, our democracy and this Legislature.” I could not have said it better.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

That is precisely what British Columbians want, which is precisely why we need to get on with the business of governing this province, dealing with the issues that need to be dealt with and moving towards having a confidence vote in the present government as soon as possible.

You know, hon. Speaker, the throne speech also said: “With that in mind, instead of focusing on areas of disagreement, we should reflect on who it is that we are and what we share in common.”

[3:30 p.m.]

Again, I agree entirely, and I’m excited and thrilled by the prospects of actually having everyone in this House work towards good public policy in the province of British Columbia, one that reflects the diversity of views, one that’s not artificially constrained between this dichotomy that has been artificially created between rural and urban areas.

It’s offensive to British Columbians to continue to hear this urban versus rural divide. It is only a divide because the B.C. Liberals have made it a divide. When you say, year after year after year, to rural British Columbians that they are somehow different from urban British Columbians, you create a divide. That’s irresponsible governance. It’s not putting the interests of British Columbians first.

There’s nothing different between a person living in Kelowna, Fort St. John, Prince Rupert, Victoria or Cranbrook. They’re all British Columbians, and they all want the same thing — a quality education, quality health care, a strong and vibrant economy and to protect our environment. The fact that this government, for 16 years, has been driving a wedge between rural and urban folk, frankly, is all the more reason why they need to be put in a time-out so that we can re-establish the trust between rural and urban British Columbia.

We’re starting this term with an unprecedented on-record level of agreement to cooperate and collaborate to resolve the most difficult challenges facing our province, a stable foundation from which to govern. We have all-party agreement on some of our core philosophies and key issues that were outlined in the throne speech.

If the B.C. Liberals are serious about these promises, if this is more than a political gambit, then this House can pass more legislation than ever before on the issues that matter to people, not vested union or corporate interests but people in British Columbia — issues like political and democratic reform, lobbying reform, childcare and early childhood education, solutions to the housing crisis.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we actually debated solutions to the housing crisis? I don’t know how many times the member for Vancouver–Point Grey brought forward solutions to the housing crisis that simply fell on deaf ears as it continued to get away from us.

When we get big money out of politics in B.C., the interests of people will return to the forefront and we can restore people’s faith in government and show them that government is working for people, because ultimately, there’s a lack of trust in British Columbia that needs to be regained. We can and already are fundamentally changing how politics works in B.C. This is an incredible opportunity.

I will not be supporting the throne speech; I will be voting against the throne speech. But more importantly, I encourage members on both sides to move towards a confidence motion in this Legislature today so that we can actually get on with the business of governing.

J. Thornthwaite: I would like to stand here and give my support to the throne speech, but first of all, I’d like to thank my constituents of North Vancouver–Seymour for returning me to the House as their provincial representative.

During this past election, I had the opportunity to talk to people at the doorstep for, actually, over a year, almost two years. I also was joined by a small little army of volunteers that I would like to recognize. These were people that helped me through the rain and the snow and the sleet and the cold. It seemed like an endless winter and an endless spring of bad weather that we all had to traipse through when we were door-knocking to talk with people and get their opinions as to where they felt the direction of British Columbia should go.

[3:35 p.m.]

I’d first like to thank my constituency assistant, Nick Hosseinzadeh, who then left that paid position and went into a volunteer position as my campaign manager. He ran a very good campaign. It was a fun campaign, and I think most people that were able to join us on our door-knocking sessions had a very, very good time — doing boomerangs and videos, etc.

I’d also like to personally thank Stephanie and Lindsay Marshall-White, who did a lot of door-knocking with me, John White and Dave McLeod, who did all the signs. We did actually experience some sign vandalism, but they put them back up again religiously for us. Trudy Hubbert has been a volunteer in my riding association for a very, very long time, and I very much appreciate her support. I had some super volunteers for door-knocking — Linton Cowan and Linda Sibau. Even my two kids, Jeremy Johnson and Zoey Walter, were helping at the doors.

My friend Mary Tasi was also there many times, door-knocking — over the year, actually. Ryan Vandespyker, Neil Parkinson-Dow and Simon Bower were also my millennials. That helped keep me grounded on what was important for millennials. J. Paul Stevenson, a Métis elder — so I’ve got the impact and the importance from the First Nations. Arlo Sjoberg, Gordon Adair, Shaun Hollingsworth, Kulvir Mann and her wonderful children were very, very helpful, coming door knocking with me.

Kristy Gill; Sean Pepin; George and Lee Grills; Mike Little; Katie Little; Gina Lazarowich; Chris Doll; Shiera Stuart; Heather Baker; Dan Meadowcroft, who came and helped me all the way from back east in Mississauga–Port Credit; Walter Mustapich; Greg Wilson; Vince Santacroce; Mike Emo; John Toljanich; Pam McDonald; Taleeb Noormohamed; Larry Kancs; Paul Robinson; Paul Mendes; Lynn Embury-Williams; Val Rosenthal; John Ciobanu and Corinna Stowell.

I apologize if I forgot anyone. The next time I get to stand up in the House, I will rectify that if I did. I did have a small little volunteer army that I’m very, very much appreciative of. I can tell you that the reason why I am here is because I did have a lot of people helping me out for a long time. We do not get here in this House and win an election without our volunteers. They definitely need to be appreciated, and I really appreciate them.

Having that direct connection to the people, doing the door-knocking — and I did a lot, as I said — is the best part of my job. You never really know, when you go door-knocking whether or not you’re going to get a good response, a non-response or a bad response. Sometimes we feel quite brave. But in either case, we did it.

I believe that this throne speech is reflecting not only what the members heard at the doors but also the ultimate results that we heard in the election. I’m going to be mentioning a few items that were standing out for me, but certainly there are other things that our other members will mention that were important to them.

Before I begin, I’d like to acknowledge the passing of two British Columbians in my riding, very prominent members in my community who passed in the last little bit.

Many sports fans in Vancouver are mourning the sudden loss of Kent Spencer, who worked 44 years at the Vancouver Province. Yes, he was my constituent, married to a friend of mine. Initially a sports writer and later in the newsroom, he was affectionately known as Spinner, a nickname he picked up while a student reporter at The Ubyssey. Kent passed suddenly just weeks after retirement, but he will be remembered as a supportive co-worker and avid lover of camping and the outdoors.

Another friend of mine, a British Columbian of esteem in North Vancouver, is Fiona Marshall-White. Fiona was an inspiration to me and many other women who felt they could do and have it all. She had a promising career and raised beautiful, successful children. A great career woman — great career, great job — she volunteered for many charities, including sports associations, youth groups, school groups and more.

[3:40 p.m.]

I wrote about Fiona’s passing earlier on this year, and I do so again because Fiona was taken all too early by ALS. There is no cure for ALS, which is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, but we must redouble our efforts to seek the cause and, therefore, a cure, to help those suffering from ALS and, hopefully, to make them better.

Last week the Lieutenant-Governor opened the first session of the 41st parliament with the Speech from the Throne, hence why we’re standing here, debating the contents of that speech. The Lieutenant-Governor noted from the outset that “British Columbia is a place like no other. Everyone who was born here or who has come here knows that this place is special and absolutely unique.”

We are blessed with abundant natural resources that remain the pillars of our provincial economy. And we have evolved into a highly advanced centre for technology, high tech, film and many other industries that drive the global economy.

Everyone who visits this place wants to live here, and why wouldn’t they? We are leading the country in economic performance. We have the lowest unemployment and a diversified economy that offers opportunities to just about everybody on earth. With the lowest taxes in the country and an education system that boasts some of the best student outcomes in the world, British Columbia is the best place to live, work and raise a family. Obviously, I think North Vancouver is the best place in British Columbia.

If you listen to what’s going on from the opposition, you’d think this was the worst place to live. We live in the best place, and we have the most successful economy in the country.

However, as the Speech from the Throne indicates, rapid growth places high demand on public services of all kinds. There are higher demands on our health care system and higher demands for classrooms, housing, child care, mental health and, of course, transportation and transit.

Fortunately, we have a resilient provincial economy that is weathering global markets that still remain fragile. We are the envy of the rest of the country. After five years of balanced budgets, we have the means to direct help and relieve increasing demands on those public services.

One of the main concerns that I picked up at the doorstep in my riding of North Vancouver–Seymour is affordability. Many parents worry about how their children will be able to afford their first home.

During the last mandate of this government, there were a number of significant measures taken to address demand for housing, including record announcements for affordable housing. Last year the government invested $900 million into building new affordable supportive housing across the province. People will begin to move into these 5,000 new units over the coming months.

As the throne speech mentioned, the single most important action governments can take to make housing more affordable is to work with local governments and the private sector to increase supply. No one government can do it all.

I personally, along with my colleagues from the North Shore, have worked with — and very well with — our mayors in North Vancouver and our federal government counterparts. We even instigated our inaugural meeting with those groups, those three levels of government — along with our Minister of Transportation and TransLink, as well as our Minister for Housing — recognizing the intricate relationship between affordable housing, housing affordability of our citizens, as well as the ability for people to get around on transit and on our roads.

We have worked with local governments and the private sector to increase the supply of family and starter housing for middle-income earners — especially along new transit lines and corridors. To that end, I welcome the announcement in the throne speech of the government bringing together a housing summit to be convened this fall. Real estate speculation will be one of the challenges put before those participants. But we must ensure the middle class is not pushed out of urban real estate markets.

Our kids want to be able to live in the communities they grow up in, and we all want to live in communities where our kids can live there too. That’s why we are planning to work with the private sector to build 50,000 units of new housing across the province over ten years that will go into a new rent-to-own program available to middle-class families.

[3:45 p.m.]

The purpose of this program is to help middle-class renters grow equity through their monthly rent payments until they are in a position to own the home. This comes in addition to the HOME partnership program that we announced last year that will help first-time buyers put together a down payment on a home.

To better protect renters, the government will also prohibit landlords from skirting rent control protections when term leases expire and make sure tenants’ rights are protected, while respecting the landlord’s ability to make improvements to their buildings.

Another issue that I heard at the door concerning affordability was child care. In addition to owning a home, young families find that both partners need to work and need access to affordable and quality child care.

To that end, the government will amend Budget 2017 to make a billion-dollar investment in child care and early childhood education over the next four years. This will include building 60,000 new child care spaces — a 50 percent increase over the next four years — covering an additional 150,000 children, a fivefold increase, with either full or partial child care subsidies; funding up to 4,000 new early childhood educators with $10 million in grants and bursaries to encourage folks to go into that vital field; exploring partnerships with school districts to co-locate new school care spaces at elementary schools. This has been all costed.

Also, as the throne speech points out, transit is fundamental to shaping a sustainable and affordable future for communities. To this end, the government plans to match federal funding for the next phase of the mayors’ transit plan and repeal the requirement for new transit revenue sources to be affirmed by referendum in Metro Vancouver. Certainly, nobody wanted another referendum, and the government has listened. Metro Vancouver mayors will then have the tools and accountability that they have asked for to fund transit. We look forward to the new commissioner, who has started his work.

Also in the throne speech was a feasibility study on major new expansion projects, including LRT to the North Shore as well as up to Squamish. I think that’s great, because a lot of people have mentioned that to me on the doorsteps, as well as folks across the North Shore, on getting up to the corridor, up to Squamish in a more timely manner and not having to go actually on the Sea to Sky.

Building infrastructure is crucial to achieve these goals. I just want to put a little plug in from the last budget, the $198 million that we were able to secure along with all levels of government — province, federal government and the municipalities — to fix the number one traffic nightmare that those on the North Shore suffer from at the bottom of The Cut at the north end of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge. Everybody, even since we announced that in February…. There has been frantic work going on right now at the bottom of The Cut, and we can see all of that construction working — not only trying to make things better for all of us as far as travelling, but putting all of those people to work building those new interchanges.

In addition to demands for affordable housing and better transit, we also must address the needs of vulnerable citizens in our province. Children are the most vulnerable in our society and the most at risk. Naturally, with respect to children, all British Columbians will welcome a plan to fully implement the recommendations and the report on indigenous child welfare from special adviser Grand Chief Ed John. This plan will focus on increasing early intervention and prevention services to keep families together, create a more equitable funding formula for child welfare and reunification and permanency planning.

As former Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, I was able to be part of a special project examining child and youth mental health in our province. Last year the committee released the final report, entitled Concrete Actions for Systemic Change, which has been a product of several years of consultation with experts in the field of mental health, families, specialists and youth. The report illuminated several areas of improvements, some of which our government has already implemented. Consequently B.C. launched a new Integrated Youth Services Initiative designed to support youth who have mental health concerns or may be at risk of substance use.

[3:50 p.m.]

We recognize that young people can face challenges with mental illness or substance use earlier in their lives. They need help, support and health care services, but too often they face stigma that discourages them from finding and accessing the right supports.

I was proud to be able to see off the riders for the sixth annual Ride Don’t Hide at Swangard Stadium over the weekend, run by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Those riders, those volunteers and the members from the Canadian Mental Health Association are the ones that are trying to cut the stigma away from mental illness and encourage those to seek help when they need it.

I encourage them to continue on with the fight. The more of them that are doing that…. Twelve hundred riders, actually, rode in that area of Vancouver, but there were 30 other towns and cities across Canada, all the way to New Brunswick, that also did their own rides to support awareness and cutting down the stigma for mental illness. We need to do that because the more people do that, the more resources go into mental health initiatives. As we know, all three parties had put mental health and addictions as a priority in their platforms.

I was, therefore, very proud to be part of the announcement on the North Shore a few months ago — the one-stop shop for children, youth and families called Foundry. It’s one of five sites announced in June of 2016 as part of our provincial network of easily accessible youth service centres. There’s one in lower Lonsdale. These centres will provide mental health, substance use, primary care and social services hosted by local non-profit organizations. The Speech from the Throne makes a commitment to expand the successful provincewide Foundry program.

We also know that mental health issues are often identified at school when there are experts available to recognize them. That’s what we’ve also committed to in the throne speech. All schools across the province will have at least one person trained to identify mental health issues and refer those in need to resources.

Certainly, the folks in school districts 44 and 45 on the North Shore, North Vancouver and West Vancouver are familiar with the work that Mountainside Secondary does for not just their students but other students in the region with regards to their help by specialists who specialize in mental health. I certainly was a huge supporter of theirs. Hopefully, this announcement with regards to the throne speech will help them in their work going forward. Obviously, it was also a recommendation of the report that we published last year.

Again, as former Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, I also welcomed the announcement of a minister of state for mental health, addiction and recovery. We need a strong voice at the cabinet table to increase investments in future budgets and establish a single point of entry for those seeking help.

I also welcome the announcement in the throne speech to appoint an expert panel on mental health. It is necessary to review how services are currently deployed and recommend ways to close gaps in service delivery that sometimes make it difficult to access care. Certainly, an expert panel will be able to help us in that work.

At the outset of my remarks, I spoke about our diversified economy. The fact that British Columbia is the leading economy in the country means that we have the ability to chart our own future. We stand on solid ground with five balanced budgets in a row. We must also nurture our economy and the way we manage our finances. In order to improve public services, we need to keep our taxes low, attract more investment and grow the economy.

This leads me to a topic that I rarely talk about in this House: film. I want to illustrate how the creative sector complements other industries and helps generate more economic activity provincewide — how the film industry positively affects the economy provincewide and, also, jobs across the province.

In B.C., there are 60 studio facilities that support over 45 productions all at once all across the province. Warner Bros. Supernatural, filmed in B.C. over 11 seasons, has supported over 9,000 full-time jobs and is responsible for over $500 million in direct production expenditures.

[3:55 p.m.]

For season 4 alone, the Arrow production spent $44 million on crew and labour and $30 million on goods and services and employs over 7,000 people. One production, 7,000 people. So 825 businesses in 31 communities benefited from the production of Arrow, including special effects companies, large production facilities, hotels, dry cleaners, small local retailers, restaurants, catering businesses, parking, etc.

Netflix Altered Carbon, which opened up Skydance Studios in Surrey last year, employs 400 people and has injected $100 million into the local economy. That’s expected to go for eight years.

The district of North Vancouver hosted 122 TV, movie and commercial productions in 2016, which brought in $643,000 in fees for general revenue. The two largest payroll companies that work for the film industry reported $17 million in wages paid to workers with addresses in North Vancouver alone, with the city having the highest per-capita number of film workers in the province.

The film industry complements other industries too. For example, I mentioned it at another time in this House. In West Kelowna, Gorman Bros. mill provides wood for four out of five major movie producers in North America. Not only that, almost every show or movie filmed in Canada uses Gorman Bros. wood.

For an industry that is being threatened by the rising tide of protectionism south of the border…. We need to do more to support our local forest industries. That is how we are going to help bridge the gap between the very real urban and suburban divide in our province. And there is an urban and suburban divide.

That is what I think the throne speech addresses, and it does prove that we are listening. Obviously, we heard things at the door. Obviously, we heard things in the results of the election. So isn’t it obvious that we would want to respond to that in a Speech from the Throne? What would we do if we didn’t do that? It would prove we weren’t listening. So now that we’re listening, everybody says that’s weird. Well, the fact is we are listening, and the throne speech actually addresses that.

Our Finance Minister has stated that our finances are now even better than they were documented in February, when the original budget was produced. This is what is allowing us to promise these things in the throne speech and still be fully costed.

I talked about childcare and early childhood education. There’s a poverty reduction strategy in there. An increase in social assistance rates. Indexed annual disability assistance rates. An expansion of the single-parent employment initiative. A royal commission on education. Certainly, the members on the opposite side have been requesting that. So the fact that we have suggested this in the throne speech again proves that we’re listening not just to constituents but also to other parties as well.

The other thing that I thought was significant that I did hear somewhat at the door was the issue of electoral reform — or, rather, political financial reform. I believe that in our throne speech, details were put down and addressed. In addition to a ban on what the other parties have said — corporate and union donations — there was also an addition of third-party donations, including donations in kind. This is important because just saying “union and corporate donations” does not encompass all the other donations that can occur in big money in politics. Our throne speech puts that part of the big ban of big money into the mix to prevent big money getting into politics in the side ways.

A ban on donations from outside British Columbia and a maximum donation limit. I challenge the members opposite to put those sorts of amendments into anything that they bring forward. Certainly, we saw before the last election that one of the largest union donations was from the Steelworkers union. That went to the members opposite.

[4:00 p.m.]

I’d like to finish here and say…. I would challenge the members opposite to thoroughly look at the throne speech before you make your vote and actually look at what’s in there. There’s a lot of good stuff in there that you’ll recognize and that perhaps you can see it in your heart to support so that we can have a stable government here.

I hope that I’ve given my remarks. Obviously, I’ve indicated that I will be supporting this throne speech. I think it’s a good example of us listening to our constituents and other parties and putting them all together in a good package, so I will be supporting the throne speech.

C. James: I’m pleased to stand and rise to speak to the throne speech. As one often does after an election in this House, I want to begin just by saying thank you to the constituents of Victoria–Beacon Hill for giving me the honour to once again serve them in this House. It truly is a privilege.

As one of our other members said on swearing-in day, it’s like the first time every time. When you are in this place and you take that oath, you realize the importance and the weight of responsibility that comes with representing your constituents. I want to express how humbled I am and how grateful I am to have the opportunity to represent them.

This is a historic time in B.C. politics, and that is saying a lot given that our politics in British Columbia are never boring. I have heard more discussion about politics in this last month than I think I’ve probably heard in my time serving as an MLA. People are discussing, they’re debating, and they’re looking at the issues more than we’ve ever seen before, sharing their views about politics. I believe that’s all good for engagement and for democracy.

There is one constant that is coming through in all the conversations. For 16 years, we’ve had a government that’s been looking out for the people at the top, and British Columbians overwhelmingly rejected that approach in this election. That’s what people are saying. More than 1.1 million people voted for change, and that included over 300,000 people who voted Green. They said loud and clear that it’s time for a government that’s going to work for the people in this province.

In listening to the throne speech on Thursday, it’s very clear that even the government can see that change is in the air, because they presented an NDP-Green throne speech. So even they’re aware of that. Even they know that change is around the corner.

It’s really quite something. It’s a complete reversal of everything that the B.C. Liberals have stood for, for the last 16 years. For years, for months, during an election campaign, even in the last few weeks, the Premier called the policies that she included in her throne speech irresponsible and dangerous. She refused to support any legislation that has been introduced many, many times — and I’ll get to the specifics of that — by this side of the House, by independent members, to try and move the Premier along on many of the things that we believe are priorities. And yet the Premier refused.

But now, when faced with demise, the Premier decided with this throne speech that she suddenly wants the public in British Columbia to believe that she cares. Well, I’m sorry. How can British Columbians believe her now when you look at her record over the last number of years?

I heard the member before me say that she hopes we will take a look at the throne speech and see in our hearts of hearts that the government has listened to the public in British Columbia. Well, there’s an old saying that my grandmother used to always say, which is: take a look at the actions — not simply the words but the actions.

[4:05 p.m.]

If we take a look at this government’s actions, it’s very clear that this is simply a last-ditch effort to hang on to power — and not power to support the public, not power to do something good, but power for power’s sake. The public has had enough and deserves better.

I also heard members who spoke before me talk about stability and the importance of stability. Well, there is nothing stable about a government that makes life tougher for families. There is nothing stable about a government that starves services and supports and decides at the last minute that they’ll invest in those things — only when they’re pointed at the end of their mandate and losing that power. That’s not stability.

Let’s remember when we take a look at the issues that were included that it’s this government, this Premier’s government, that actually caused these problems in the first place.

I want to take a little bit of time to talk about that throne speech, because I have taken time to read that throne speech; I have taken time to look at all the specifics in that speech. I want to look at a few examples and unpack them a little bit.

There’s a whole section in this throne speech that talks about housing. Well, let’s remember it’s this government that let housing prices spiral out of control. Let’s remember that it’s the former Minister for Housing who actually told families to stop whining, that they shouldn’t complain when they’re struggling to find what is a basic need for families. It’s this Premier who ignored call after call after call from this side of the House to do something about the lack of affordability.

There’s a huge economic and social impact when it comes to affordable housing. There’s a huge economic impact in firms and businesses and investment in British Columbia that won’t come here because of the lack of affordable housing.

I met with the tech folks in my own constituency last week, who told me again about the challenges they’re facing having talent come here because of the lack of affordable housing. We saw that with the CEO of Hootsuite, who again talked about the real challenges that are there.

There’s a huge social impact when families and seniors are so stressed about being able to find affordable housing, when, in fact, they’re becoming homeless. When the housing prices spiral out of control, what we’ve also seen is that it doesn’t only impact homeowners. It then moves to impact tenants and renters, because as investment opportunities come forward and buildings look at being sold, we see tenants being evicted.

That’s been a crisis point, not only in communities in the Lower Mainland but right here on Vancouver Island and other parts of the province as well.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

I had, last Christmas, an 88-year-old woman in my constituency office who expected she was going to live her last years in the apartment building that she had rented, that she was looking forward to living in, that her family visited her in. She received the first eviction office in a renoviction that occurred in our community.

Now, we fought that renoviction, along with the tenants who were brave and came forward, because that’s not easy to do. People are terrified, because when there’s almost a zero vacancy rate, they can be taken advantage of. They’re afraid to speak out. They’re afraid they’re going to lose their housing. And yet those tenants did speak out. They did stand up. But that woman ended up moving anyway because she was so terrified that it wasn’t going to last, even though her eviction notice was taken back.

That’s the kind of a heartbreaking story that I’m certain every MLA on this side could talk about, and this government scoffed at addressing any of these issues. This government refused to do anything on any of those issues. Why should we believe them now?

There was another section in the throne speech that talked about health care. Well, too little too late.

I’m sure others get stopped, as I do, about people who can’t find family doctors, who show up at the walk-in clinic early in the day in hopes that they can get in to see somebody — probably a revolving person — but they get the notice on the door that says: “We’re not taking patients after noon because we’re already full for the day.” There’s no support for the kind of health care that those people need.

[4:10 p.m.]

There’s no support for seniors when it comes to home care. It actually would save resources in the health care system, if we invested in home care and provided seniors with the opportunity to stay in their own home if they’re able to. There are very few seniors I talk to who wouldn’t choose that option if that was a reasonable option for them.

Then there are seniors who have to go into long-term care, into residential care. Well, when they do get into residential care, the standards that are set by this government aren’t even followed. The seniors advocate put out a damning report that talked about the challenges when it came to care for seniors in residential care. Over 90 percent of the facilities on Vancouver Island didn’t meet the basic standards — and believe me, those are basic standards: one bath a week. We’re not talking about extra supports and services.

I challenge any member in this House to think about one bath a week and not getting that basic service as part of your health care. Now the government says they care. Now they say it’s important, after they went through an entire election, after they have spent years governing in this province — and it didn’t matter then. Well, as my grandmother would say, look at their actions, not simply their words. Their actions show that this is not a government that put health care and public health care first, or seniors first, in this province.

The throne speech talked about child care. It talked about how important child care was. Well, when this government was elected in 2001, one of the first things they did was to eliminate the beginnings of a child care program — eliminate it. They completely wiped it out. It was starting with before- and after-school care. There were the opportunities there to provide affordable, quality, accessible child care for families in this province. Instead, that was the choice that this government made. They chose to eliminate the child care program that had started.

Now, what has that meant for families, after 16 years? It has meant that families live with anxiety and fear when they’re waiting for their due date for their child, because they’re trying to get on a wait-list — sometimes with a pregnancy test, in hopes that they can show that they’re ahead of the game — to be able to get their child into child care. Never mind the panic that comes when that hasn’t happened and they’re getting to their time when they have to go back to work. What kind of space will they be able to find? Will it be a space that is going to provide good quality care for their child?

We’ve all heard the tragic story of baby Mac. I want to say how incredible it is that the parents and the grandmother have chosen to speak publicly about the tragedy in their family, one of the things that none of us can even dream of or imagine. Yet they’re taking the time to speak out, to write letters, to meet with their MLAs, to talk about the fact that they felt that panic, that they couldn’t find a quality child care space, that that was the choice their family was faced with. There’s a lack of trained child care providers in this province — which, again, makes it difficult for people to find quality child care.

I’m sorry, but I’ll be thinking of baby Mac, and I’ll be thinking of those parents and that grandmother and other families when I look at the throne speech. This government had a choice to make, and they did not choose child care or families in this province.

The throne speech mentioned a better, fairer society. Well, over the last 16 years, if there is one issue that almost every day has been raised by this side of the Legislature, that has been raised by community groups, organizations and families and the incredible not-for-profit sector that works in our province, it’s the fact that this government has stood by and ignored — in fact, more than ignored, has made worse — a growing inequality in British Columbia. The gap between the haves and have-nots has grown immensely under the B.C. Liberals, and the statistics show that.

[4:15 p.m.]

We have the second-worst wage growth in the country. We have the highest use — and growing use — of payday loans right here in British Columbia. Do you know that 32 percent of the people getting help at food banks are children? Thirty-two percent. A growing number of working families are utilizing the food bank because they can’t make it paycheque to paycheque. People who have jobs, or two jobs, trying to get by, are stuck using the food bank now to be able to supplement every single month. How did a province that now the Finance Minister says has millions and millions of dollars…? How did a province like ours…? How did a government think it was fine to increase the number of children using food banks?

We have the highest per-capita debt here in British Columbia — $60,000 for every man, woman and child in our province. While unaffordability continued to increase, what was the record of this government? Again, coming back to…. Let’s take a look at the actions of this government. Let’s see. They doubled MSP premiums, making it tougher for families to get by. This government now takes in more in MSP premiums than income tax. That’s how much they’ve increased it.

Hydro rates — a 30 percent increase just since 2011. On average, $375 more a year for every taxpayer. Ferry fares went up 80 percent on major routes, 100 percent on minor routes. And 53 percent of British Columbians say that they live paycheque to paycheque. We have the second-worst rate of child poverty. And then, I think in one of the cruellest acts of this government, they eliminated the bus pass for people living with disabilities — eliminated the bus pass.

That’s a government that says we should believe them now — that they care about affordability? I think we’ll all remember families-first. We’ll all remember previous throne speeches. But I think this one will stand out, because why would anyone believe the government now, given that record?

There is a section in the throne speech that speaks to vulnerable citizens. Again, I have to shake my head. The words in this throne speech and the games that have been played would be laughable if it wasn’t real people who were being impacted by this government’s lack of regard and by this government’s games.

We have seen report after report after report from the independent children’s representative. We have seen community groups come forward. We have seen lives lost. We’ve seen promises made and promises broken, and we’ve seen a complete lack of commitment to putting resources in on the front line where resources were so critically needed.

I’ve heard ministers stand up in this Legislature and say that resources were going to go in and: “We know that something needs to change.” I’d ask again the next year, and the next year there wouldn’t have been any new resources. “We’re going to reallocate existing resources.” Again, this government’s actions show clearly that that has not been their commitment over the last 16 years.

There’s a section in the throne speech that mentions education. Well, this is one I really do have to shake my head at, because this is a government that decided to pick a fight with teachers, decided to spend tax dollars on fighting teachers in the court system instead of investing in education. And what could be more important than making sure we’re investing in education, building on our future? But they had to be forced by the Supreme Court of Canada to actually put money into something that is a basic service that every child deserves and that this government didn’t deliver on.

There are children who have spent their entire education, from kindergarten to grade 12, without the supports that they needed to be successful — without special needs support, without an opportunity for a full-time teacher-librarian, without the chance for music or fine arts — because those programs were cut, because the government wouldn’t invest in education.

[4:20 p.m.]

It wasn’t simply K-to-12 education — in fact, in post-secondary education as well. For a government that said they had a jobs plan and then decided that they were going to charge people for adult basic education…. An opportunity to get themselves out of the cycle of poverty, to better themselves, to invest in themselves and their families, and this government decided they’d start charging for adult basic education, charging for English-language-learning programs for immigrants, who were coming here and needed business English to move into their work and who weren’t able to do that.

Again, people came forward. They spoke out. Did this government listen? No. Did they take the opportunity to say: “We were wrong. This is a priority now”? No. They didn’t do that before the election. They didn’t do it during the election, and it’s too little, too late after the election.

There’s a section in that throne speech that says “Reforming Our Institutions.” Well, this government has done anything but reform our institutions. Or perhaps they’ve reformed the institutions for their friends. They’ve reformed the institutions to make sure it benefits them — but not benefiting the public.

Six times we’ve introduced campaign finance reform — six times. It’s not as though this government has not had an opportunity to see the light. They’ve had lots of opportunity to see the light — bills introduced by ourselves, bills introduced by independents, a Green member. Others have put bills forward for good reform for the public, good reform for democracy. The government made it clear every single time that people don’t come first, that they were not interested in moving on those issues. They weren’t interested in addressing democratic reforms.

Why should people believe them now? If this Premier really cared, she would have made different choices over the last number of years of governing. She would have invested in education and health care before the election, not have to be forced by the Supreme Court. She would have provided safe, affordable, quality child care for families before the election, and she would have given some relief and listened to all the calls about the lack of affordable housing before the election.

British Columbians don’t believe this throne speech, and they don’t believe this Premier. They can see through it. They know it’s not about helping people. They know that it’s simply a last-ditch effort for this Premier to stay in power, and the public deserves better in this province than that.

After 16 years, the conversations I’m hearing — and I know others are hearing it around the province — are that people have had enough. They’re ready for a government that’s going to make their lives better. They’re ready for a government that’s actually going fix the problems that the Liberals created.

We on this side of the House have a plan to help British Columbians build a better life for themselves and for their families. It’s a plan that we campaigned on, that we believe in, that is grounded in our values and our beliefs, that is focused on the public and the people of British Columbia. In addition, we have an agreement with the B.C. Greens to deliver that change for people, an agreement that is founded on our shared values — our shared values and a deep belief that government can make a difference in people’s lives.

We’re not always going agree, and that’s fine, because we need diverse views. That’s part of what makes a Legislature work. What we do agree on is that government should be there to work for people, to put people first, and the B.C. Liberals cannot be trusted to fix the problems that they created. That’s what we agree on.

It’s been almost two months since the election, and the public are restless. They want that change. They know the challenges that are there. They’re ready for a Legislature that’s going to work for them. So we need to stop the distractions and the delay and get on with the current issues that we’re all facing.

[4:25 p.m.]

The public education system needs to prepare for September. Children will be ready to head to school. We need to make sure that kids and teachers are ready for the school year, with the supports that they need to make that happen.

The softwood lumber dispute. We need leadership and action to protect B.C.’s forest jobs. It’s long overdue in this province.

We need help for the overdose epidemic. People can’t wait any longer. We’ve heard the stories from families who’ve lost loved ones. We’ve also heard the stories from those working on the front line: the not-for-profit associations, the first responders. It’s an incredibly difficult time for everyone. That work needs to get going.

We need to get working with mayors on transit, to get people moving again, not simply in the Lower Mainland but southern Vancouver Island and across this province.

We need to take action on the urgent care problems that we’re facing in health care. We need to make sure that health care is there for people when they need it, through a team approach, expanding opportunities for nurse practitioners, finding opportunities to work as a team and provide that kind of care that people are looking for. We need to say no to two-tiered private health care and invest in our public health care system to benefit all British Columbians.

We don’t simply need to talk about it. We actually need to act and make sure the investments are there for people who are struggling with mental health issues. We have not a mental health system in this province. We have bits and pieces of services that if you’re fortunate enough to be able to access them, perhaps you can find a little bit of help that you need. But most people don’t, and we see it every single day on our streets.

That’s why we’re impatient. We’re not impatient for ourselves. We’re impatient because there is so much work to do and so much we can do to help the people of British Columbia. I am an optimist, and I am hopeful for the future. I believe British Columbians are as well. Everywhere I go people are talking about the opportunity for change. They’re eager for that to happen. They’re looking forward to having a government that is actually going to get results on the issues that have been raised, issues that have been neglected by this Premier and this government for so very long.

Working with the Greens, we’re ready to get to work on the commitments that we have made to British Columbians, commitments that we take seriously. We’re going to make life more affordable, freeze B.C. Hydro rates, eliminate MSP premiums, get rid of bridge tolls and provide relief and protection for renters. We’re going to act on those issues and make life more affordable for families in British Columbia.

We’re looking forward to getting the work done to fix the services that people count on: better schools; shorter wait times for health care; allowing seniors the care they need to age with dignity; and affordable, safe child care for all families who need it here in British Columbia. We look forward to building a sustainable economy that works for everyone in our province, with good jobs — 96,000 jobs, building transit and schools and hospitals and homes for people; investing in forestry, with value-added forestry.

We’re looking at smart innovations in the tech sector, jobs that will fight climate pollution and that will provide real jobs in communities across B.C. We’re also looking forward to turning the page in British Columbia, to a new relationship with First Nations and indigenous people through investing and supporting the UN declaration and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations. We will ensure respect for First Nations.

British Columbians voted for a new kind of leadership, one that works for people, instead of just those at the top. I can tell you that New Democrats are ready to deliver that.

[4:30 p.m.]

With that, we’ve now heard from representatives on all sides of this House. So I move, notwithstanding the provision of Standing Order 45A(1), to seek unanimous consent to move directly to a vote on the address in reply and to let this House demonstrate whether or not the government has its confidence.

Mr. Speaker: Members, the member for Victoria–Beacon Hill is seeking unanimous consent to waive the requirements of Standing Order 45A(1) regarding debate on the address in reply in order to proceed directly to a vote on the motion. Should leave be granted?

I’ve heard a no. The member does not have leave. Debate will continue on the main motion.

Leave not granted.

Hon. J. Johal: It’s truly an honour and a privilege to rise as the member for Richmond-Queensborough to respond to the Speech from the Throne delivered by her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.

I’d like to start off by thanking the British Columbians who call Richmond-Queensborough home for their support and for allowing me to be here as their representative in this Legislature. I’d also like to thank my family for their love and support and, of course, all the volunteers who worked tirelessly during the campaign.

[G. Kyllo in the chair.]

I still remember my first day of door-knocking in early November, and, like all of you here, going through rain and sleet and snow, of course. It was a privilege to begin this journey.

I tell you all of this today because of a previous experience I had. Many years ago, when I first came to this country, obviously, like many immigrants, I struggled with English. In grade 1, I used to get pulled out of class to get extra help. That teacher was Mrs. Forsythe. I still remember. She and another teacher were so helpful to me. Taxes paid by a father who worked in the sawmill industry. Mom used to clean rooms at the Sandman Hotel in Williams Lake. Because of that help, I made a living off words for over 23 years. I got to travel this great province from the north to the southeast to the west. I got to travel to India and China and cover the Middle East. I made a living off words.

One time I was in Libya covering the Arab Spring. We got into Tripoli through Tunisia. Moammar Gadhafi had fled earlier that day, and we got into his compound. I was in that compound, and it hit me like a fist that my personal journey, like many immigrants, got me to Moammar Gadhafi’s house. A kid from Williams Lake who struggled with English made it to Libya because of this great province and the great help that I received from that teacher and a great system that we have in this country. Obviously, standing there at that moment, it hits you like a fist. I grabbed my pocket knife, climbed up on a chair and cut off a piece of Mr. Gadhafi’s chandelier. I have that in my home office today.

I tell you this story because when I walked into this great House with my family…. I’ve been here many times, of course, as a journalist. When I came in here with my family, my wife and my eight-year-old son, I got that same feeling again. No matter where you stand politically, I hope everybody in this House recognizes what a great province we have, what a great country we have — that a kid from Williams Lake who struggled with English travelled the world making a living off words, those words that he used to struggle with. I am here today standing up in this Legislature.

I listened to that Speech from the Throne, and I think it lays out a new agenda that will help create a very strong British Columbia. That begins by ensuring that British Columbia’s economy remains strong and continues to grow. Our government has tabled five consecutive balanced budgets, maintained a triple-A credit rating and ensured that we have one of the lowest overall tax burdens in Canada.

[4:35 p.m.]

In the last month alone, B.C. added over 12,000 new jobs, and we continue to have one of Canada’s lowest overall unemployment rates at 5.6 percent. Now, while these numbers are promising, we know there is more work to do. That is why we need to stick with our plan and not put our economy at risk under the unstable NDP-Green alliance.

This is a throne speech that reinforces our commitment to a strong economy and balanced budgets, along with an acknowledgement that voters have asked for a new direction on issues like affordability. Housing affordability and the pressures of the rising costs of living are important issues to my constituents. They have been brought up time and time again when we’re door-knocking. I still recall making that first down payment with my wife, probably 15 years ago, and the challenges that were there, so I understand that issue of affordability.

I’m proud that our government has taken steps to address the issue of housing affordability. These actions have had a real impact. Last year, we invested $900 million into building supportive housing across B.C. We also took action to protect consumers by putting an end to self-regulation in the real estate industry.

So while our government has taken action to control the cost of housing and increase access to affordable rental units, we know more can and must be done. That’s why I’m pleased to see, in the throne speech, our government’s commitment to help middle-class families by building 50,000 units of housing that will go into a rent-to-own program. This will help families grow equity through their rent payments until they’re able to purchase their home.

We also acknowledge that addressing the issue of housing affordability rests with all three levels of government. That is why we will work with local governments to increase the supply of family and starter housing for middle-income earners. We’ll also work with local governments to remove obstacles and eliminate backlogs to speed up the construction of new housing supply.

Maintaining our strong fiscal discipline means government can spend less on financing debt and more on paying for the services that British Columbians value. The financial pressure families face today is real and increasing. Parents want and need to work, and child care is fundamental to that goal. That stark reality actually hit home for me talking to my own sister, who is a mother of a one-year-old — my niece. We talked at length about daycare during the election campaign.

I remember when our son was born — juggling, obviously, babysitting amongst my wife and myself but also our family and babysitting as well, at least that we needed. So we fully understand the challenges that are there, among Gen X and millennials especially, in regards to daycare.

British Columbians have told us that new investments in child care cannot wait. They need to be made now. That’s why our government is committing $1 billion towards child care and early childhood education, the single largest increase in B.C. history. This will enable the creation of 60,000 new child care spaces, a 50 percent increase over four years. Also, families earning up to $60,000 will be eligible for full child care subsidies, and those earning up to $100,000 will be eligible for partial subsidies. This investment will enable $10 million in grants and bursaries for up to 4,000 people wishing to become early childhood educators.

When my family and I get together, people my age and a little younger, probably all of us have kids, and we constantly talk about child care. What I find fascinating about the conversation, beyond, obviously, someone to take care of your child…. It’s 50 percent of the population who are women. My former colleagues at, even, Global Television — I’ve talked to them. What they always say, women especially, is that it does hinder their careers, taking that year off, or two years or three years. Babysitting challenges come from it. What we’re telling 50 percent of the workforce, also, is that we want to give them the opportunity to continue with their career.

We also recognize that we can do more for those who need a helping hand. We must ensure that they have access to a strong system of targeted supports and programs. That is why we will amend Budget 2017 to increase monthly social assistance rates by $100. We will also expand on the successful single-parent employment initiative by introducing a new, two-year, low-income families in transition pilot program. This program will provide temporary assistance to low-income single working parents who are underemployed.

Creating a stronger province means ensuring that we continue to have one of the best education systems in the world. Currently there are more than half a million students enrolled in public schools in this province.

[4:40 p.m.]

B.C. students are quite simply among the best in the world, ranking first in reading, second in science and sixth in math. But we must keep up with the pace of change of this world and ensure that our education system adapts. That is why our government will review the funding formula for school districts. The review will focus on districts dealing with declining enrolment as well as ensuring that rapidly growing districts can keep up with demand.

As our government continues with our comprehensive school seismic upgrading program, we will include a commitment to ensure that all playgrounds needing upgrades will be funded as well.

Now, our strong economy has allowed us to make significant investments and create a health care system we can be proud of. Since 2001, approximately $12 billion has been invested in health care facilities throughout our province. We acknowledge that more needs to be done to keep up with aging infrastructure, and our government will accelerate efforts to replace this infrastructure throughout the province.

Our government will also accelerate access to hip and knee procedures, establish wait-time guarantees, speed up access to MRI services and increase access to family doctors by training 112 more general practitioners, bringing the total to 400.

We’ve also heard loud and clear that more needs to be done in regards to jurisdictions in Canada when it comes to campaign financing. That is why we will put an end to corporate and union donations and impose a maximum donation limit for individuals to political parties. We’ll also ban donations to political parties from outside of our province, including foreign donations.

Now, British Columbia can also be proud of the leadership this government has demonstrated on climate action. We were the first jurisdiction in North America to put a price on carbon. B.C. has gained international recognition for being a leader on the green economy and for taking bold steps to reduce our carbon footprint.

We intend to continue this work by raising the carbon tax by $5 per tonne per year starting in 2019, up to a total of $50 per tonne by 2022. However, we will stand firm on our principle of revenue neutrality. We will return every dollar of carbon tax in cuts to other taxes. For all future carbon tax increases, we will reduce the PST by the corresponding amount.

Agriculture is important to Richmond, which is why I’m glad to see our government’s commitment to preserving agricultural land in this throne speech. Our government will bring an additional 91,000 hectares of agricultural land into production by 2020. This will greatly enhance our province’s food security and help to grow our agricultural sector. We will also activate an all-party select standing committee to study how B.C.’s agricultural land can be used and stewarded.

This is important news for my riding, where there is a strong farming community, particularly blueberry and cranberry farms. While Richmond-Queensborough remains a vibrant urban riding, a significant portion of the riding remains agricultural. Today nearly 40 percent of Richmond is within the agricultural land reserve, and I’m proud to say Richmond accounts for a third of British Columbia’s cranberry acreage.

What I’m most proud of is that Richmond-Queensborough is truly a reflection of modern-day British Columbia. Our vibrant, multi-ethnic population was on full display last weekend, when I had the opportunity to welcome the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to Richmond’s Thrangu Buddhist Monastery. The monastery is one of many houses of worship along No. 5 Road, a road that is now called the Highway to Heaven. If you have been in politics long enough, I guess you could call it the road to redemption as well.

His Holiness is the head of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in Tibet, he escaped to India through Nepal at the age of 14. He is poised to lead the world’s Tibetan Buddhists when the Dalai Lama passes on. It was his first visit to Canada.

When I spoke with His Holiness, I suggested he travel to Victoria and visit the Legislature. After all, divine intervention is a bipartisan affair, I thought. Much to my surprise, he accepted. Last week he toured the Legislature and met his followers among Victoria’s Tibetan community. We had a lengthy conversation, because of my time in India. I’ve interviewed the Dalai Lama, and we had a lengthy conversation on what he’s doing and what the 17th Karmapa hopes to do.

One of the things that the 17th Karmapa is focused upon is climate change. We talk about it in this province. It’s real. We all know that we all need to do our part. One of the stories that I covered in India — and I focused a lot of my time on food, energy and water security — was the Himalayas and the melting glaciers.

[4:45 p.m.]

When you look and talk about those issues, that doesn’t surprise most folks who follow climate change. But the impact does actually follow downstream, when you follow the glaciers into the Ganges. Today 300 million to 400 million people rely on the Ganges to water their plants…. It is the life blood of India. In many ways, it is obviously the holiest of rivers for Hindus, which means that for the first time, climate change is impacting a major world religion. It is a real issue.

Then when I travel down the Ganges…. It’s not even listening to experts that will convince you. Talk to the farmers — many of them probably have never finished high school — and they’ll tell you things are different. Things have changed. The 17th Karmapa and I have talked about this extensively. This is one of the focuses of his conversations wherever he goes around the world.

When I worked for the natural gas industry…. Obviously, it is very much of a challenge to get these projects through. Well, one of the issues that I think we all agree on, whether you support natural gas development or you don’t, is that climate change is real and something has to be done about it.

Every year now 2½ million people die of air pollution–related illnesses globally — 1.4 million in China alone; 600,000 people in India. Today in Beijing, breathing the air is the equivalent to a 20-cigarettes-a-day habit. Those are the challenges.

When I did my first documentary in India in 2001, it was equivalent to about a six-cigarettes-a-day habit there, the pollution was so bad. What the citizens did, with NGOs, was sue the government, and the Supreme Court forced the government to move businesses out of New Delhi. They brought in a compressed natural gas system, so taxis, rickshaws and buses that travel through Delhi have to run on CNG. They leapfrogged over the modern world. But like everything, as affluence grows in India, we’re having the challenges again. Those who had bicycles are now driving motorcycles, motorcycles to cars, and cars to SUVs.

Climate change is real, and that’s where I believe British Columbia can play a significant role. The 17th Karmapa and I had a wonderful conversation throughout this. It’s great that we’re all coalescing under the main challenges that we have as humanity.

Now, farming and the Highway to Heaven aren’t just the only unique features of Richmond-Queensborough, of course. We’re also home to a vibrant technology cluster led by companies like MDA, the B.C. aeronautics firm behind the Canadarm.

As Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services, it’s great to see firsthand what local companies have achieved. The technology sector employs nearly 5 percent of B.C.’s workforce, more than mining, oil and gas and the forestry sector combined. Now, raised in Williams Lake, I can tell you a modern sawmill requires a tremendous amount of technology.

Last week I met stakeholders in the industry, including employees at Microsoft, DigiBC and representatives from the clean tech sector. The visit reminded me of how competitive technology remains, locally and globally. Sixteen years ago I did my first documentary in India. I spent over a week in Bangalore visiting the CEOs, the presidents and the tech workers who were quickly turning Bangalore into the Silicon Valley of Asia.

It was a fascinating glimpse into globalization in the early stages — right there, with accent-reduction classes. I recall a phone call somebody was making to collect their food stamps in New York State, and somebody was picking up the phone in India to answer. Or if they’re ordering a vehicle — whatever it may be. It was fascinating to see the frontlines of globalization.

Last year I was doing some consulting work in India with a group that handed out five million laptops to Indian students. It was the first laptop these folks had ever seen. Sometimes they get sporadic power, and they can’t even use those laptops, but after four or five years of having that laptop, the impact it’s had on these kids’ lives is amazing.

Technology has allowed them to see other parts of the world and research what’s going on. I was quite fascinated one evening listening to these young girls, 17 and 18 years old, talking about what these laptop have done for them. That access to information is access to opportunity. I was incredibly impressed that these young kids are going to do better because of this opportunity that they received.

But I also have to remind myself, even though I’m an immigrant from India, that I play on Team Canada. They’re our future competitors as well. So when I’m talking to DigiBC, talking to Microsoft, and talking to folks at clean tech, it’s a reminder that the technology innovation space is globally competitive and B.C. needs to continue to build on that great work that’s been done here in this province by this government.

[4:50 p.m.]

Our tech strategy is built on four key pillars: access to capital for promising companies, talent development, market access and data innovation. Our government is committed to funding enhanced funds and tax credits, specifically targeting to grow the tech sector, including the $100 million B.C. tech fund. We’ve also cut the small business corporate income tax rate. We’ve added $40 million to the $10 million connecting B.C. program to provide high-speed Internet service to British Columbians in rural and remote B.C.

B.C. will also increase the number of technology grads by 1,000 per year by 2022. While some schools are offering coding courses this school year, in 2018-2019 every student in B.C. will take a coding module or course between grade 6 and grade 9, preparing, of course, our students for the 21st century.

It has been an honour to speak today in support of a throne speech that embraces our core principles, a strong economy and fiscal management, but also addresses the need for a better balance between economic, social and environmental priorities. As outlined in this throne speech, our government intends to continue making B.C. an even better place to live, work and raise a family. As the MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, I look forward to listening to the priorities of my constituents and working with members from all parties.

D. Clovechok: I’m honoured and privileged to stand here today representing the people of Columbia River–Revelstoke and respond to the throne speech. Let me start by acknowledging that we sit here today within the traditional Lekwungen territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.

I’m proud to rise here today to represent my riding alongside of my B.C. Liberal colleagues. We worked so hard to get here, and I want to thank and recognize all those who helped me to earn the right to sit here. There are too many names to recognize individually, but for my over 130 active volunteers who gave freely of their time and commitment to our shared goal, I say: “Thank you.”

To my campaign managers, Eric Wallace-Dearing and Sebastien Togneri, I thank you. To my millennial organizer, Sara Miller, who organized over 40 20-year-olds that campaigned with us and bought B.C. Liberal memberships. I can’t thank them enough for their support and their guidance on the issues that were really important to them. Also, I want to recognize and thank the riding executive: president Dale Shudra, Peter Bernacky from Revelstoke, Tod Mitchell from Invermere, Dee Conklin from Radium and Cliff Boychuk from Kimberley.

I want to specifically thank my wife and my family for their never-ending belief in me and their unwavering support and encouragement. I could not have done it without them. I also want to congratulate my colleagues here today on both sides of this House for your achievements and the courage to stand for the people you now represent. I look forward to working with you on behalf of all British Columbians.

Columbia River–Revelstoke is geographically one of the largest ridings in British Columbia. With good driving conditions, it takes me over five-and-a-half hours to drive from Kimberley in the south of the riding through the Columbia Valley, on to Golden and ending in Revelstoke at the north end. Since my nomination in 2016, I’ve put on 35,000 kilometres travelling back and forth campaigning throughout the riding.

It’s a drive that takes me through some of the most beautiful and scenic and rugged landscapes in British Columbia — or around the world, for that matter — which includes Columbia Lake, the headwaters of the mighty Columbia River, and the village of Canal Flats, which boasts to be the headwater community of the Columbia River.

We go by the hoodoos; Lake Windermere; Mount Nelson; the Columbia Valley Wetlands, which are world renowned for birdwatching; the Bugaboos. The list goes on and on in terms of the scenery and what we have to offer. We’re six mountain ranges away from Victoria: the Rockies, the Purcells, the Selkirks, the Monashees, the Cascades and the Coastal Mountains. If you add on a ferry ride, we’re a little ways away from this place. But we are proud rural British Columbians.

[4:55 p.m.]

What we do is more than a shared lifestyle. It is a distinct mountain culture that comes with the values that are passed on from generation to generation. We have an established arts community throughout the riding. Hunting, fishing, birding, berry picking, mushrooming, skiing — some of the best skiing anywhere in the world is found within Columbia River–Revelstoke. Golfing. Just in my riding alone, there are over six championship golf courses. I invite you out to experience some of those.

It’s a new morning in Columbia River–Revelstoke, with a renewed energy that continues to emerge from this past election. Yes, the camouflage has come off of our part of the Kootenays, and the world continues to discover us.

Historic Revelstoke, with its unstoppable entrepreneurial attitude, is no longer one of the Kootenays’ best-kept secrets. Tourism is exploding everywhere, and new businesses are opening everywhere. Revelstokians work really hard, and they play even harder. Some of the best skiing, some of the best sledding, some of the best mountain biking is found in Revelstoke — some of the best anywhere in the world. Revelstoke Mountain Resort has seen ski visits continue to grow year over year with thousands and thousands of people, not only from Canada and the United States but international visitors coming to Revelstoke.

Of course, there’s the Pipe Mountain Coaster that has become an international destination. The Pipe Mountain Coaster opened last year and had a forecast of about 25,000. They had forecast 25,000 riders. Well, they exceeded that expectation with over 85,000 riders in their first year. And that was a $1 million investment that had been made in that community.

I know that when I took the ride with the member for Kelowna-Mission, it was absolutely a thrill. Getting that member for Kelowna-Mission into that vehicle that went down that mountain was in itself a challenge. But we both had a wonderful and amazing time.

It also has become a huge economic driver for the city of Revelstoke. It has become so busy that they have a ticket sale system where you have to actually go and buy the ticket, and you have about a two- to three-hour wait before you can have the ride. They have a pager system that they use. And what it has done is it’s driven business down into the city of Revelstoke while people are waiting. They come off the Trans-Canada Highway or they’re coming through or whatever they’re doing. The economic benefit and spinoffs from this have been absolutely amazing.

The new Revelstoke adventure park is under construction and, in terms of the land area, will be bigger than Disneyland. Once completed, visitors will enjoy zip lines, mountain bike trails, a lake, campgrounds, a hotel and so much more. And as this venue continues to grow in terms of its construction and its visibility internationally, it too will become another economic driver for the region.

It also needs to be mentioned that all of this does not happen without visionary leadership. Mayor Mark McKee of Revelstoke and his council provide this daily. They are proud of what they’re accomplishing in Revelstoke, and they’ll be more than happy to tell you about it.

I also want to recognize a special celebration: 2017 is the 125th anniversary of the Revelstoke fire department. I want to thank and recognize in this House all those who have served and those who continue to serve as firefighters in the service of their communities. I look forward to celebrating with them in Revelstoke on July 1. I have the privilege to be riding with the firefighters in one of the oldest existing refurbished fire engines that they have, and it’s still in service. So I’m certainly looking forward to that experience as well.

Some of the best fishing that you’ll find anywhere in the Kootenays is in Revelstoke, whether it’s Arrowhead Lakes or on the river itself. If you’re a fisherman, you’ve got to go and visit Revelstoke.

In Golden. Golden is booming. The Heemskirk mines — their northern silica operation is continuing its expansion, supporting, at the moment, 30 full-time, good-paying jobs, and the mine is growing. As committed in the throne speech, eight more mines will see operations supporting British Columbian families.

[5:00 p.m.]

In the Golden area, the Donald Development Corp, has begun the process for the creation of a centralized truck depot in Donald, about 30 miles west of Golden. This will include a hotel, a massive truck stop and a town in Donald. Where Donald used to be a town, they’re going to re-create the town. What this will do for the city of Golden is to take traffic away from Golden itself and move it to the truck stop.

A Local Food Matters resident group is actively working with Interior Health to develop an action plan for local food initiatives. What a great idea to supply homegrown food for those in care in Golden.

Who can forget the coming twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Kicking Horse? That will bring even more jobs to the city of Golden. Golden has also established a new committee that will seek and raise money to take on refugees for the city as well. I want to congratulate CSRD director Karen Cathcart and the Golden mayor, Ron Oszust, and their council for their leadership in all of these things.

In Invermere, there is a legacy in the making, a legacy that encompasses multiple community partnerships. I’m proud to say that I sat on the original board of directors of the Greenways Trail Alliance, which has grown now and has become the major organization that is responsible for the development of the new legacy trail that will run from Invermere to Fairmont Hot Springs, following the Westside Road, with the vision to building north to Radium Hot Springs. Trails throughout British Columbia have become a major economic driver for all the communities that they’re in and that they serve.

The project has generated widespread support, with 837 donors to date, totalling $4 million, including a $1 million grant from Bike B.C. and a $500,000 grant from the rural dividend. That is why I’m incredibly thrilled to hear, as promised in the throne speech, that our government will double the rural dividend, critical to rural development.

We also have, in the Invermere area, a very vibrant ranching community. I’m proud to say that we’ve opened a brand-new abattoir. That abattoir raised $500,000 to have it built, and it will service not only domestic meat but also wild meat. If you’re a hunter, you’ll be able to take your elk or your dear or whatever, and you’ll be able to have that prepared right there on the spot.

The trail itself has received support from the regional district of East Kootenay by the inclusion of the trail into the regional park system, thereby providing liability coverage and maintenance. I want to publicly acknowledge and thank the area F director, Wendy Booth, for her leadership and her commitment to the trail and to the people of the Columbia Valley.

Recently around the trail, Rick Mercer publicly congratulated Windermere Elementary School grades 6 and 7 kids for organizing the Run for Dreams that is going to be held on October 12, 2017. It’s a one- or a three- or a five-kilometre run, where district 6 students will be bused to that site, and they’ll all participate. Over 1,000 students from across the Columbia Valley will participate, and the students have invited Rick Mercer to join them. I hope he joins them and is able to come.

Also, I want to congratulate the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce for all of their initiatives. They are in the process of hiring a brand-new economic development officer that will drive economic activity in our valley — an incredibly important milestone.

There are times in communities where some people just stand out in their professions, and today in this House, I want to recognize one of those individuals in my community in the Columbia Valley. His name is Cpl. Grant Simpson, with the Invermere detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I want to thank him for his service and, as you’ll see, for so much more.

[5:05 p.m.]

Grant — or Corporal Simpson — is a poster example of what a community police member is all about. Grant has serviced our community as a corporal for eight years and has been an active youth, soccer and hockey coach. He works with kids who are challenged legally and is a friend of both of our aboriginal communities. For his involvement with youth, he received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

One time, he lit up a group of kids playing hockey on the street at a place called Pothole Park. The lights went on, and the sirens went on. I know that this happened because I was with him, and the staff sergeant was with him as well. He jumped out of the car, and he told those kids: “Hey, do you know that it’s illegal to play street hockey on the streets of Invermere?”

Well, those kids looked a little scared, except for one. There’s always one; he’s probably going to end up being a lawyer. He looked at Corporal Simpson, and he goes: “Well, why is that?” Corporal Simpson looked at him and answered: “Because you didn’t invite the police to play.” And for the next 15 minutes, Corporal Simpson and Staff Sgt. Marko Shehovac played street hockey with those six boys. Let me tell you, I heard from parents how important that was to their kids and what an impact that had on those children.

In our valley, too, there was a rehabilitation centre called the Three Voices of Healing. Aboriginal men from across British Columbia and across Alberta would come to fight their addictions, whether it be drug or alcohol — an incredibly successful program. These men came in broken and not sure of their future. But within that program, they emerged strong and confident men again who returned to their communities. I know that I’ve kept in touch with many of them who are working back in their communities as very successful business people and employees.

The reason I mention that is that Cpl. Grant Simpson and Marko Shehovac, who was our Staff Sergeant at that time, spent so much time at that centre counselling and talking to these men about police and the police issues that they faced. I have to say that for all of them, it was the first time that they ever sat in the front of a police car, because, before, they were hooked up in the back of one. Corporal Simpson worked so diligently hard to turn that vision and that perception within the aboriginal community around the police, and he was able to do that. I want to say in this House that his time in Invermere strengthened the relationship with the force and the citizens in this valley. Thank you for all you’ve done, Corporal Simpson.

We’re losing him. Corporal Simpson has been promoted and is now Sergeant Simpson — promoted from Corporal to Sergeant, that’s usually how that works. He’s moving to Clearwater, British Columbia. So the member from North Thompson is going to get a good Sergeant, and we’re losing a really good member. I just wanted to take that time and recognize Sergeant Simpson for the amazing work that he did for our community and the citizens of the Columbia Valley.

I also want to recognize the Ministry of Advanced Education. One of the things in the community that I serve is that it’s a retirement community. Many people from all over Canada are moving to the Invermere area, especially from Alberta. They’re moving with their children, and they’re looking for health care. We have health care providers within the town of Invermere that cannot find health care assistants.

So as the general manager of the college at that time, I filled out an application form, went through the processes, and we were awarded one-time funding of $115,000 from AVED to fund a new health care assistant program. Well, that program will kick off this September. We’ll have 16 students in a cohort. When those 16 students walk out of that college, they will have a job. Today there are three full-time lines that are already available at our health care providers. So I want to thank the ministry for that.

I also want to thank and recognize the Shuswap band and the Akisqnuk band for all of the work that they’re doing in terms of their economic development and the work that they’re doing inside of our communities.

[5:10 p.m.]

In Kimberley, the future is literally bright. The SunMine, a community-owned entity, is B.C.’s largest solar project and is Canada’s largest tracking system. It’s located on Teck Coal’s old Sullivan mine site. It’s a great example of how we’ve been able to reclaim land and use it in a productive way. It is the first solar-powered project in B.C. to sell power to the B.C. Hydro grid.

I want to recognize Teck for their continued support, which dates back to 2001. I also want to recognize the $1 million grant from the province’s innovative clean energy fund program, as well as the Columbia Basin Trust for their support. Thanks to Kimberley’s mayor, Don McCormick, and his council for their visionary leadership and the passion that they have for the city of Kimberley and their residents.

Forestry in my riding is critical. I have four major mills and multiple smaller mills, employing hundreds and hundreds of people. I’m absolutely thrilled to see in the throne speech that, in addition to the strong action already taken by our government, we’re going to do more — measures like increasing our efforts to promote the use of B.C. wood abroad. We’ve had success with this, and from that foundation, our forestry industry will become even stronger. We will also continue to defend B.C.’s forestry workers against U.S. protectionism, while taking action to ensure the sector does not falter during the trade dispute.

I want to recognize and thank the Premier of British Columbia for coming into that riding three times and meeting with those forestry workers — not the management, but the forestry workers, the on-line workers — and listening to their concerns. With all due respect to the Leader of the Opposition, I did not see him in that riding one time during that election. All we heard was when he talked about the softwood lumber industry. He said: “Good luck with that.” We are working hard to protect the over 60,000 B.C. families working in this industry.

Parks and wildlife management is huge in our riding. In all areas of Columbia River–Revelstoke, respecting our environment and wildlife management are both critically important. During the election, we had a meeting in Cranbrook of over 300 hunters, guide-outfitters, people who care about the environment. It was a non-partisan meeting. There were B.C. Liberals there. There were Green members there. There were NDP members there. We all agreed that this is something that we can all work on, and we’re looking forward to doing that.

While extracting our natural resources is a vital part of the economy, we must also protect the environment and take care to appropriately manage our wildlife. We also have the third-largest park system in North America — and some of the best, I would argue — in my riding. We also have a very, very diverse wildlife population. That is why I’m so pleased to see in the throne speech that the government is moving forward to support B.C. parks and strengthen our conservation system.

More conservation officers are going to find their way into our communities, and the implementation of a wildlife management plan that will ensure sustainable populations is vital in terms of protecting our biodiversity. Biology needs to drive wildlife management, not politics. That’s not to mention the $50 million for more of our bold B.C. Parks future strategy, which will create 1,000 more campsites on top of the 1,900 already committed.

When I was at the door, there were two important issues. Those were, of course, health care and child care — two other important areas I would like to touch on that are vitally important, as I say, to my riding. From the youngest generation to our oldest, we have family members, neighbours and friends that we all cherish. The financial pressures of new families today are real and getting heavier. We know that B.C. families can’t wait for action. That’s why, with the confidence of this House, we will invest $1 billion in childcare and early child care education.

For our seniors, those who have helped us build this great province, we’re investing to add 500 residential care beds and enforce standards, as well as doubling the home-renovation tax credit and creating a new respite tax credit.

[5:15 p.m.]

We will, of course, have faster access to MRIs, hip and knee procedures, establishing wait-time guarantees, training more family doctors, increasing the scope of practice for nurse practitioners — I want to recognize in this House my ranching neighbour, Jessie McKersie, who just graduated as a nurse practitioner; we’re so, so very proud of her — and increasing the support for health care teams that deliver comprehensive services for patients. These are all significant measures that we will build on in the incredible health care system that we have in British Columbia.

Economic strength and fiscal prudence is important to British Columbians, and it’s important to the rural people that live where I live. By balancing the budget over the past five years, we’ve created an attractive investment environment.

On this side of the House, we recognize that you grow public services only by growing the economy. While some would like to expand government by placing a greater tax burden on the existing tax base, this government remains committed to keeping taxes low.

The fact is that we’re not out of the woods yet when it comes to the global economy. In 2016, we were expecting that the risk around the world was receding and maybe things were getting a little bit more predictable. However, as we have seen in just a few months of 2017, the global economy has been anything but predictable.

But we do know a few things for certain. British Columbia has the lowest middle-class taxes in Canada. We have record investments in health care and infrastructure. This means record investments in roads, airports, ports, schools, hospitals and programs that lift people up, like the single-parent initiative. We can only afford this because we have the best job creation record and the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. That is something to be celebrated.

Our provincial economy is the envy of the rest of the country, but we did not arrive at this position by accident. International investors value governments that have their fiscal house in order. They are always attracted to jurisdictions that are stable and have control of their own finances.

Governments that pile up huge deficits and burden future generations with mountains of debt are definitely not seen to be desirable places to invest. When the public sector is addicted to borrowing to pay for services, it is literally steering capital away from the private sector. That’s why B.C. is viewed by the rest of the world as a place to invest.

In a world of economic uncertainty, B.C. has established itself on solid economic footing, and investors know it. It’s also one of the major reasons British Columbia is also one of the few jurisdictions that still has a triple-A credit rating. In fact, the government of British Columbia has a lower cost of borrowing compared to virtually every other province of Canada. This factor is critical when it comes to making decisions on large-scale infrastructure projects. It enables us to make investments in all of the important things I mentioned earlier — roads, bridges, airports, ports, schools and hospitals.

A low tax regime is attractive to investors, and that generates even more economic activity. A company will make a final decision to invest if they know that business taxes are low and kept stable over the long term. Furthermore, businesses will attract the best talent if employees pay less income tax.

The one thing that sets British Columbia apart from other provinces is our diversified economy — again, something we need to be very proud of. We have been able to weather the storm of economic uncertainty because British Columbia did not have all of its eggs in one basket.

The struggle in Alberta and other provinces, like Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, is their dependence on a single commodity to drive the economy. This is not to say that British Columbia is not affected by low energy prices. But we have a booming high-tech industry. We have a record year in tourism, and we’re finding new customers for our exports.

Currently Ontario sends about 80 percent of its exports to the United States. Alberta sends more than 85 percent of its exports to the United States. While the United States is an important customer, B.C. sends only about half of our exports to the United States.

At one time in our history, B.C. sent all of our exports south of the border, but this is no longer the case. More and more of our exports are heading to Asia. China is a primary destination. Since 2009, B.C. has increased our exports to China by 140 percent. China is developing a taste for our wines, our agricultural products, like berries, and our seafood to the tune of nearly $6 billion in 2015 alone.

Furthermore, this government’s policies fit well with our long-term strategy to strengthen our economic ties with China and the Asia-Pacific region in general. Our future depends on finding new markets like China and India, and we’ll continue our efforts to diversify the economy.

[5:20 p.m.]

In conclusion, I want to repeat how proud I am to stand here and speak of the amazing and innovative things that are going on throughout my riding, Columbia River–Revelstoke. I serve at the pleasure of the people of Columbia River–Revelstoke, and I will always, whether at home or in this hallowed place, have not only at the forefront of my mind but at the forefront of my actions the people who brought me here to serve them.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this opportunity. I am very proud to stand here today to speak in favour of the throne speech.

D. Plecas: It is truly a pleasure to rise and respond to the throne speech on this first session of the 41st parliament. As we’ve already heard, this is a throne speech which speaks to cooperation. It speaks to collaboration. It’s a throne speech which speaks to stability. It speaks to a broad concern for people everywhere in this province. It’s a throne speech which is made possible by an impressive track record of fiscal management and a tireless drive to build a strong economy.

Now we’re at a time when British Columbia has the leading economy in Canada. Of course, that wouldn’t just be me saying that. That would be the voice of independent observers everywhere. Where everyone looks in the western world, we are the envy of nations, of states, of provinces for our ability to build a strong economy and manage our finances well.

What it has done, of course, is given us a financial position and a capacity to do more than ever for British Columbians. It’s one of the reasons so many people move here. So many people want to live here. They want a chance at a good job — a high-paying job, a job where all of their money isn’t gobbled up in taxes — and a great place to raise a family. They want to live in the best place in the world to retire.

However, as we know, the unprecedented growth in our province also presents significant challenges. All of us know that affordability is a serious issue for many people. There are other challenges as well: people facing mental health challenges, health challenges of one kind or another; more people facing challenges to get an education; people with addictions issues. All of these, we might remember, almost to an issue, have become more pronounced in very recent times. The challenge has accelerated. The demand to respond to that challenge has accelerated.

Addressing all of these challenges is what matters to British Columbians, and I don’t think we want to ever forget what we’ve been able to do since 2001 in responding in each of these areas. Spending on health has outstripped inflation by some distance, and we have the best outcomes in the western world.

Spending on education once again outstripped inflation by some distance. This is not some kind of new thing. This has been ongoing. Once again, on the education side, we can be proud that the outcomes…. Whether we’re talking K to 12 or post-secondary, we’re at the top of the pile in terms of achievement.

[5:25 p.m.]

On housing. I would say this is a very well-established fact. Observers have said this everywhere. Nowhere has any jurisdiction done more to provide for affordable and supportive housing than we have here in British Columbia. No question about that. Yet we’re the first to say, amidst this great challenge, that there is a need to do more. That’s what the throne speech is all about.

This past election has exposed a real divide between urban and rural British Columbia. As the throne speech indicates, we need to bridge that gap because urban and rural communities cannot succeed without one another. We know that not all parts of the province are experiencing growth. This is hard felt in the north, who are feeling the effects of low energy prices, and more remote communities that depend heavily on forestry.

For rural economies, the throne speech calls for a doubling of the rural economic dividend, returning more resource revenue to rural communities that are responsible for so much of this province’s wealth. For the forest industry, the throne speech reiterates the government’s commitment to defend the forestry workers from U.S. protectionism by all means at its disposal. For rural economies, where much of the agricultural industry resides, including in my own riding of Abbotsford South, the government intends to double the Grow Local program. A very successful program as it is. We’re going to grow it yet more, and we’re going to make it permanent.

I’m also reminded, when we talk agriculture, how well we have done. We currently ship over 350 products around the world to 150 different countries — an incredible track record. It doesn’t happen on its own. It takes a government that facilitates the ability of business to do well. We also want to bring an additional 91,000 hectares of agricultural land into production by 2020. The government will also activate an all-party select standing committee to study how agricultural land can be used and stewarded.

On a different note, in referring to my specific role as Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors to the Minister of Health, I’d like to reiterate a commitment contained in the throne speech to increase the number of beds by 500 residential beds. This isn’t the only commitment, as I will get to. There are many, many commitments that we made leading into the election.

It comes in addition to many announcements I participated in last March. Working with Isobel Mackenzie, B.C.’s seniors advocate, we took up a review of residential care in British Columbia. This involved visiting many of our seniors care facilities around the province. I’ve got to tell you. If you want to experience where you can be very proud to be a British Columbian, visit our residential care facilities. This is really an eye-opener. We have some incredibly impressive places for our seniors to live.

In the process of doing that, I took the opportunity to meet and talk directly with seniors, seniors groups, service providers, unions, associations and service groups to learn about the issues that matter most to them. Through these consultations, these groups and individuals helped me identify strengths and challenges to the existing health system. It also helped me identify opportunities to enhance quality of life for seniors in residential care. This is especially important to me, as I have long believed that we need to look at seniors care through more than a medical lens. It’s about quality of life. Seniors need to be supported in a way that they can live independently in their own home for as long as possible.

[5:30 p.m.]

I’m immensely proud, as all of us should be, of our Better at Home program — the whole thrust of what we’re trying to do. Seniors want to remain connected to their own communities and take part in meaningful activity in their community. Once again, it’s all about enhancing quality of life.

Recently Daniel Fontaine, the CEO of the B.C. Care Providers Association, talked about the so-called silver tsunami that is being used to describe B.C.’s aging population. As Mr. Fontaine pointed out, the proper description should really be “a rising tide.” A tsunami is destructive and hard to predict. A rising tide, on the other hand, is something that you know is going to go up, and you can plan for it. You must plan for it.

That is precisely what we’ve been doing here in government since 2001. Nearly a quarter of British Columbia’s population is expected to be 65 and older within the next 20 years. It’s already been the case since 2001 — increasingly so — where the proportion of the population which is made up of seniors has grown to the point where now we have a situation where we have more people over 65 than we do under the age of 15. That’s true all across Canada.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

This is really important when you consider that right now we spend 41 percent of our budget on health care — 41 percent right now. And why? For starters, we spend $5,000 per person who is under the age of 65 on health care. Once somebody gets to 65, and between 65 and 85, that climbs to $10,000 per person per year. Then, for every person over the age of 85, we spend $25,000 a year. For those who need to go into residential care, we spend $67,000 per year.

Now we have 800,000 people in British Columbia over the age of 65. That number is expected to double within the next 20 years. Where is the money going to come from?

We have to be planning ahead. We have to be thinking of this. This challenge is enormous, and we have to be very thoughtful about this, which is why we do things in such a measured way.

We often talk about affordability. It’s not just about affordability today. We need to work in a way which provides for affordability down the road. And importantly, when we make those decisions about that for seniors, we’re making them for people who can’t even vote yet, because they’re going be picking up that tab. More seniors and fewer people to pay for it — this is a challenge we need to be ready for.

Overall, it’s never just about thinking about today. It’s about tomorrow, and it’s about our young people. Ironically, we’re talking about the needs of seniors, but we can never do that without simultaneously thinking of all of the young people who are going to have to deal with that. We already know how hard it is today for young people at every turn. The younger you are, it seems — the younger as an adult you are — the more difficult it is to get ahead. So we have to be thoughtful.

It’s why government has put together an action plan to strengthen the system of care for B.C. seniors. We’re investing $500 million over the next four years to improve care for seniors across the system. By the way, that was an announcement we made prior to the most recent election. That’s in addition to another $200 million we committed to improving facilities, and that’s in addition to a significant amount of money we committed to improving quality of life in a number of different ways beyond direct care hours.

[5:35 p.m.]

This funding increase from the Ministry of Health will enable each health authority to reach a consistent average of 3.36 direct care hours per resident per day across both publicly administered and contracted residential care facilities. This was one of the key recommendations coming from the seniors advocate, Isobel Mackenzie.

To help meet the increase in hours and to further improve the quality of care, the province plans to work with health authorities and industry to hire about 1,500 additional staff. This includes health care assistants, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

The throne speech takes this commitment even further, with plans to do the following kinds of things. Accelerate access to hip and knee procedures. Establish wait-time guarantees. This is incredible. We’re not just going to improve wait times; we’re going to provide guarantees.

Speed up access to MRI services. Increase access to more family doctors. Increase the scope of practice for professions such as nurse practitioners and pharmacists. Long called for, this is happening. And increase support for health care teams, delivering comprehensive services to patients. I’m reminded, again, that we’re making every effort to make sure that’s spread across the province.

We also want to help families who care for their aging loved ones at home by doubling the home-renovation tax credit. That’s not increasing the home-renovation tax credit. We are doubling the home-renovation tax credit — $20,000; this is huge — to help people make necessary home improvements.

This has to be so helpful to seniors who want to stay in their homes longer or want to provide an ability to have a live-in caretaker. There are so many benefits to this. We will also create a new respite tax credit and ensure both benefits apply to families who care for loved ones with disabilities — so needed, so happening.

Naturally, again, all of these things cost money. However, as the throne speech points out, five successive balanced budgets have put British Columbia into a positive position of strength.

While other provinces are struggling with structural deficits…. Never mind other provinces. One need only look around the globe to see how governments are, over and over again, mismanaging their finances — creating situations where people’s pensions aren’t there anymore, creating a situation where you have 30 percent unemployment.

Oh, by the way, I’m reminded that we’re not even close to that in British Columbia. We have the lowest unemployment rate in the country, the lowest in decades. Quite the opposite situation. Again, an example of how to do it in a way that you can make people’s lives better without taxing them.

This is not something we should ever take for granted. Sound fiscal management must be nurtured so that British Columbians can continue to enjoy the lowest provincial taxes in the country. I’m reminded, again….

Recently people are saying: “Gee, you’re doing all of these new things.” Yes, we are doing many new things. And why is that so? Well, part of the reason it’s so is because we exceeded even our own expectations on how well the economy would perform. We don’t have more revenue coming in because we’re increasing taxes. We have more revenue coming in because we have more people working — more people paying tax. What a wonderful way to move forward.

[5:40 p.m.]

It’s all what helps us remain competitive and attractive to investors. Once again, we have this track record of increasing diversification to move us to a place where we’re not just reliant on one part of the economy, not relying on one importer from somewhere.

Perhaps the best example of that comes with what we’ve seen in the forest industry: no longer so reliant on the United States and seeking out other markets. We have every reason to believe this will continue. We have every reason to believe that if we continue with good government, we are going to see, as we have in recent times, more investment in this province than we’ve ever seen. Investors love us. Employers love us. We just need to keep this going on the same path.

Overall, again, these new measures announced in the Speech from the Throne are only possible because we have sound fiscal management. We have to pay for it. I just want to emphasize this, using the example of tolls.

Some people might say: “Well, gee. You did an about-flip there. First it was only paying for half. First it was half of MSP.” Well, yes, that was the case, because once again we say: “How do we do this?” Not that we want tolls, not that we don’t want MSP to go away — we stated that quite clearly — but we want it to roll out in a fashion so that we’re not hurting people in the pocketbook, that we can make it happen affordably. I’m very proud that we’ve done that.

Now, what’s happened in recent times? Well, the projections of the experts outside of government would appear to be overly conservative. Our economy is going better than we could ever have imagined. That, together with our sound fiscal management, has created a situation where we have money to spend on things that we didn’t have before. What a great place to be.

The kinds of things that are in the throne speech, what some people would say is a sudden shift to a commitment to the social side, to the environmental side — that side has been there forever. This government is a big tent. We pride ourselves on embracing a diversity of perspectives, people from all walks of life and people from different political perspectives. It’s that big-tent concept which has given us that commitment for years.

What’s different now is our capacity to actually do it and perhaps take some licence that we haven’t been able to do in past years. Again, part of it is this long-standing commitment to not just balance budgets, but to get us to a place where we don’t have any provincial debt. We’re so on track to making that happen.

Now, why should we care so much about that? We should care so much about that — and especially younger people should care about that — because we have a situation right now where our finances are such, with our triple-A credit rating, that we have what amounts to an ability to save ourselves something like $2 billion a year. Well, you can do a lot with $2 billion a year. The minute that we waver off that, we’re going to find ourselves with a lesser capacity to pay for these services down the road — once again, all in a measured fashion.

[5:45 p.m.]

Am I proud of this throne speech? I am immensely proud of this throne speech. It is, for me, everything I would want our government to do. I’m so happy that the management in government, the management of our finances, has been such that it has made it possible. This is a throne speech which we should all embrace, we should all be supporting — and again I’m reminded — because it’s a throne speech which speaks to cooperation, collaboration and stability. We don’t want to risk that.

In sum, I will be overwhelmingly voting in favour of this throne speech.

Hon. S. Sullivan: I’m very pleased to speak in favour of the throne speech. But please permit me to say a few words of thanks to some people who have helped me get to this place.

I, more than most, am keenly aware of how indebted I am to the support of other people. You see, when I was 19 years old, I broke my neck in a skiing accident and became quadriplegic. This certainly gave me some very interesting insights into provincial government policies and how they affect people who need the support.

I ended up on welfare. I remember my first cheque was $396 per month. At that time, I was pretty thrilled that society would be able to support me that way. I said to my welfare worker: “This is a great start. This is a wonderful chance for me to now build my life and start to explore what opportunities I have.”

My welfare worker said: “No, you don’t understand. That’s not how it works. Once you’re on welfare, you’re on welfare. If you start to make any money, we will deduct that from you. You actually become a criminal if you keep any of that money. If you start to make beyond your welfare cheque, you will actually be cut off welfare. That will mean you’re cut off all the other things you depend on: housing, transportation, medical equipment and things.”

I became a major user of handyDART. At that time, it was actually Easter Seals. So I’m very aware of the kind of investments we’re making with the throne speech and how that affects so many people.

At that time, I set up a number of non-profit groups that were tied in with many other people with disabilities that were looking for quality of life. One of the most important initiatives we went on was to try to make an exemption for people with disabilities when they work, that they should be able to keep a small amount of that money.

I’m pleased that the minister at the time came to one of our events and announced that a $200 exemption would be available. We were absolutely stunned that that kind of change could be made with lobbying, with advocacy. Actually, this government has extended that to $800 a month and made it yearly so that it would be amortized over the full year. If someone has a cyclical disability where they’re able to work for a while and then not able to work after that, they would still be able to keep the benefits of their labour.

This is such a wonderful and important step. I’m very grateful to this government for the many efforts they’ve made to help people who are receiving disability benefits and benefits of all kind.

[5:50 p.m.]

I’ve had many people supporting me along the way. I’d just like to mention Shala Robins, who has been my legislative assistant. She is outstanding, providing so much help for me. Also, my constituency assistant, Cris Garvey, has been outstanding in understanding how to work, manoeuvre and navigate the different features of government, the different ministries. She knows where all the community benefits are, the community resource people, so she has been a tremendous support to me and to the many people who come to the office to get help.

Recently I have been honoured to be appointed as a minister, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, with responsibility for TransLink, and I have some amazing staff there: Joan Dick, Parveen Sandur and Angella Ok-Stone. They have provided some very important support. As well, we have other staff in the office, like Lia and Tim and others. Although I haven’t spent much time with them, I would like to just offer my heartfelt thanks for the support they’ve given to me and previous ministers.

I have very big shoes to fill. Our former Minister, Peter Fassbender, did an outstanding job in leading this portfolio, and it’s very, very complex and complicated. There’s so much conflict involved that I can only be in awe of the kinds of things that he was able to accomplish.

One of the reasons I’m here, of course, is the election campaign. I had three election co-chairs. One was Kristin Blake; another, Lou Cruz; and Hasnain Raza. The three of them did a wonderful job at getting me elected and being able to take my place and become a cabinet minister, so I will be always indebted to them for their help. They had some great support from Cristian Worthington, who was my previous campaign chair. He is such a capable strategist and an implementer as well.

I also would like to acknowledge Michael Leung, my financial agent, who has taken on the work, as a volunteer, to look after the financial end of that, as well as my volunteer coordinator, Jane Guy. I had so many volunteers that stepped up and helped me through that process, and every one of them is important.

It was a squeaker. At the very end of the day, it wasn’t until late at night that I had some confidence that I would win that election, and I’d like to acknowledge my opponents who did a very fine job. I would like to say to Morgane Oger and Bradley Shende that they ran a very, very creditable campaign.

Most of all, I thank the voters of Vancouver–False Creek. They were the ones who made the decision and gave me their confidence, and I take that very, very seriously. I thank them for giving me that confidence.

I would like to especially, most of all, thank Lynn, my partner — Lynn Zanatta — the amazing, the incredible Lynn, who is my inspiration and has been so helpful to me coming over, every time I come to Victoria, over the past four years and doing all the things that it takes to get me into the Legislature and to be effective.

Vancouver–False Creek is a remarkable riding, and it is affected very much by the throne speech. It is a riding that I call downtown British Columbia. It is the centre of many provincial businesses. We have, especially, a vibrant, bubbling tech sector with many young workers flooding into the riding, working at very cutting-edge companies.

[5:55 p.m.]

Just down the street from where I live, we have SAP. We’ve got 1,500 young people doing some really cutting-edge things. I just visited a group called MPA, literally a block from my home. I had no idea that they could put 500 people into that building. It’s quite remarkable.

Microsoft. They have a major role here in the riding. We have other businesses, like craft brewers and distilleries. In fact, we have British Columbia’s only sake producer, and he makes sake from rice grown in British Columbia. It took him seven or eight tries in different parts of British Columbia before he finally found the right formula. It’s interesting, because he can only farm on land that is considered not suitable for many other types of farming. It needs clay and not a very permeable surface. We also have an electric car manufacturer who sells cars manufactured in B.C. to Japan, if you can imagine that — anybody imagining that a few years ago.

My riding of Vancouver–False Creek is also the centre of many of the great arts organizations, cultural organizations of British Columbia. We have the Dance Centre, and they are making waves throughout the world. We have the Arts Umbrella, which has now become a major feeder into the Dance Centre. They are producing international quality dancers that are coming out of this school — these young, young kids that are just doing outstanding work. We have the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. We have the Playhouse Theatre. We have all sorts of theatres and spaces for production. We have a lot of art studios.

Not only that, we have a lot of tourism. It’s a very great centre of tourism. Probably the most frequented tourist destination in the province is Granville Island. They’re now going through a renewal. Some of the work that was in the throne speech will affect their ability to renew and produce a great experience, not only for international tourists but locals as well. The convention centre — a huge generator of economic benefits. This convention centre sees thousands and thousands of people coming through the riding. We also have the cruise ships, and these all are in or just adjacent to my riding.

We are also a centre of recreation. In False Creek, there is a boating centre. There are many recreational boaters. If you go there, you will see people who come from across the world. They will sail into Vancouver, and they will be given a place to moor. Right beside the Olympic Village is the new boating centre that has dragon boats, and it has, interestingly, a disability paddleboard program, which I helped to initially get started.

When I was mayor, I was responsible for the Olympic Village and that file as it was being built. We also have many Olympic venues in the riding, the live sites, and many of the features that were so loved at the time in 2010. You know, the site of the last hockey game, the gold-medal hockey game, which is still…. I can hear the cheering reverberating in my mind from that moment.

We have important social organizations — Covenant House, which has just been given a $5 million commitment from the government. We also have 18 social housing sites, which, when I was the mayor of Vancouver, I offered to the Premier, Gordon Campbell, and Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing. They agreed to take those sites and to build social housing on them.

[6:00 p.m.]

Currently six of those sites are built and operating, providing much-needed housing to hundreds of people, vulnerable people. They are now active and up and running and doing good work. I’m very proud of the social consciousness of the people in our riding who very much endorse this.

I’m very proud of the B.C. Liberal achievements of the past few years — five balanced budgets, the strongest economy of Canada, the incredible juggernaut that we now have created, and the recent numbers that have been out that double the projections of the growth in our economy. I know that this has been a commitment from the throne speech: to continue those balanced budgets.

Now, the throne speech reflects a key strength of democracy. Through hundreds of years, government policy and society have evolved through the constant feedback by the citizens through elections and through consultations. This throne speech represents listening to the people and the effort to connect with the needs of the people that we heard throughout the campaign.

I’m very proud that our Premier campaigned throughout the province. We had great success in the north, the Interior and suburban areas, but we did not connect with urban voters. We were given a strong message, and the Premier asked me to take on this portfolio responsible for municipalities, TransLink, arts and culture. She’s asked me to be taking on this role.

The first thing we were able to do was cancel the request for an additional referendum. I feel this was a very important thing to do. We heard about this during the campaign. The referendum was popular in the previous campaign. People were concerned about the governance of TransLink. I’m pleased to say that the referendum that did take place did have some very important benefits. It helped to clarify for the Mayors Council the exact type of transit that they thought was necessary. It also helped to spur some reform of the TransLink leadership. This has clearly been successful, and we look forward to now moving expeditiously to support more transit.

I’m especially pleased about the Broadway line, which will have a very distinct impact on my riding. We will see the Millennium Line extended. This is something that I’ve been advocating since I was mayor of Vancouver, and as a city councillor. It will go right to Arbutus, and it will really take into account a lot of businesses there, a lot of employment generators, especially in the health industry. There are a lot of hospitals, other health facilities and biomedical facilities that are on the Broadway line. This will be a tremendous benefit not just to people in Vancouver but to people from throughout the region. Many people have to get to that area, to Vancouver hospitals and other important sites, for health reasons.

Also, of course, the LRT in Surrey is a very important initiative that is endorsed by the mayor, and I hope that one day we will see a streetcar in Vancouver. We have had plans for 40 years now. Plans have been on the books to develop that, and that may come one day, I hope.

[6:05 p.m.]

Part of my ministry takes in handyDART, and handyDART is something that I have used quite a bit in my life, and I have benefited from that. We have been able to add, I believe, over 85,000 hours of service, increasing it well over 10 percent, so that people with disabilities who really do rely on this vital service will see an improvement in that.

I’d like to also make a comment about another part of my ministry — the Royal B.C. Museum. This is a group that does outstanding work and really does carry the culture and the history of our province and puts on very important…. They do publications. They do community involvement. They are actually all over the province, and they do fine work.

They recently had a display that they worked on with many First Nations on the importance of language preservation and revitalization. I was pleased to be able to have a role with this very venerable institution and also to support them in their efforts.

The provincial government gave them $2 million toward repatriation. So a lot of the First Nations artifacts and very important cultural items have been sent all over the world. Just in the last short while I have seen items returned from places like Stockholm, Chicago, New York and other places around the world that have ended up with very important parts of First Nations history. Now many of those are being repatriated. I’m thrilled to see that and thrilled to be part of that through the ministry that I’m now responsible for.

The throne speech presented a plan for British Columbia that makes record investments. It supports so many people throughout the province. But we know we have to maintain a strong economy — job creation, balanced budgets.

We also saw a divide that we really need to work hard to overcome, and we need to make sure that all regions of our province feel like they are part of each other. We need to look after each other, look out for each other and support our different ways of living. We need to respect that we should not be telling other parts of the province how they should live. We need to respect the ability of each region to define itself and to define its own priorities. I believe this throne speech does that.

I’m pleased to say that we are introducing the comprehensive reforms that will deal with donations that people have been very concerned about. I have been involved in charity and political fundraising for many, many years. I’ve always seen the highest ethics. I’ve always been impressed with what I’ve seen. But what I can tell you is that out there, in the community, there is a perception, and the perception is not good.

It is absolutely essential that we maintain the confidence in our government and the confidence in our political system. Therefore, I’m supporting this effort to make these changes. The changes that are being proposed are quite good. They’re very comprehensive. I’m disappointed that earlier today it did not receive the support of the Legislature, but I still hope that these things will be coming forward in a future time.

[6:10 p.m.]

There was a ban on corporate, union and third-party donations, including donations in kind; a ban on donations from outside B.C., including federal parties; and a maximum donation limit.

The other issue is about electoral reform. I know that we’ve had referendums in 2005 and 2009, but there will be another one.

When I look at some of the issues around the fear about instability in the minority government…. I went back to the 1952 minority government. That’s when we experienced a minority government before. I note that the election was in June of 1952, but the Legislature did not get called back until February of the next year — almost seven months. That is a little bit of an indication of challenges that there are. We think there’s a challenge with our system and what we’re dealing with right now — well, not at all like others have experienced in the past and in other parts of the world.

I know the Netherlands voted in mid-March, and they still do not have a government. I haven’t checked in the last week, but I believe they still do not have a government. There is a problem in that the system that they have allows racist parties to gain power, and in that situation none of the mainstream parties wants to ally with the racist party. So right now, they’re at a stalemate. I’m sure they’ll eventually come up with an acceptable solution. Belgium — it took them a year and a half to get a government together. There are challenges that we will have to certainly consider when we go forward with this.

Probably the issue that I heard the most about was child care. This was in the election campaign. People were very passionate about this issue. We’ve had a bit of a challenge, and I do remember, as a city councillor, Minister Linda Reid trying to support our efforts and trying to get more child care.

The problem was that the urban areas of Vancouver are not set up for the rules that restrict and the rules that are really based on suburban models. For example, children have to…. If you have any outdoor space, it has to be at the same level. Children can’t go up elevators to get to outdoor space. This makes it extremely difficult to develop child care spaces in the downtown area. Also, the outdoor space has to be big enough that every single child in the space would have to be able to go out and have a certain number of metres surrounding them, something that would never happen in an urban situation.

I was able to sponsor several changes when I was mayor, but I’m told that there still are serious impediments. I believe that one of the things we can do through this throne speech is to support the many high-quality companies and organizations that are providing good child care. We need to support them and make sure that they have the space to actually create their important institutions.

The financial and time pressures families face today are real and increasing. We have a situation where people move to Vancouver–False Creek because…. Many come because they like the environmental responsibility of living in a high-density place. I note that people who live in the downtown core of Vancouver create 1.5 tonnes of greenhouse gas per person. Just outside of the core, you will go up to three tonnes, and then when you get to other suburbs of Vancouver itself, you get to six tonnes per person. Then it goes further, beyond the Vancouver borders.

[6:15 p.m.]

So they like living in a high-density area. People are quite stunned at the number of young families that move into Yaletown and places like this. When you go to the Roundhouse Community Centre in the morning, you will find traffic jams of baby strollers — young parents that are meeting at the community centre, going for coffee, etc. They have a real issue around child care, and even schools. We find that parents who conceive name their child before they’re born so that they can get them on waiting lists. So clearly, it’s absolutely essential that we do something about that.

We certainly want to support B.C. Hydro in their proposal to create two brand-new schools — 500 children in each — for no cost to the taxpayer, if they could build their substations under our parks. This is something I hope we will be able to move on and see a dramatic increase of schools in the downtown.

New investments need to be made now. That is why I am very pleased that the 2017 effort will have a $1 billion investment in child care and early childhood education over the next four years. This is the single largest boost.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your time.

Hon. L. Reid: I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to rise today — and, certainly, I acknowledge that we are on the Songhees and Esquimalt territories — and that the deliberations and debates are taking place.

I believe absolutely that public service is the rent we pay for our time on this earth. I want very much to instill that in my children and all the youngsters in British Columbia. I spend a great deal of time teaching children how to volunteer.

Issues that I’m passionate about…. Accessibility, no question. Whether it’s in this place, British Columbians who rely on chairs for mobility, or whether it’s access to public institutions — all of those things continue to speak to me.

I’m incredibly proud of my dear children, Will and Olivia. Perhaps they’re doing their homework; perhaps they’re watching. Let’s see what the outcome is. I absolutely believe in their abilities, and I absolutely believe that collaboration strengthens community. Do I want them to be the best collaborators ever? No question.

I certainly believe that this year is an extraordinary year — 2017. It was in April of the year 1917 that women first received the electoral franchise. It was Mary Ellen Smith who became B.C.’s first woman MLA.

To the women in this chamber, on both sides, newly elected: welcome. Continue to speak to me.

British Columbia has the highest percentage of elected women in Canada and the only woman Premier ever re-elected. I’m in awe of the distance we have come. There is much to do if we are to reach 40 percent and then 50 percent.

Thank you, again, to all the women in this place. You have no idea the legacy you have left. Each time I walk by our women’s wall on the first floor of the rotunda and see, as I did today, two tiny little eight-year-old girlies looking at that wall and saying: “One day that could be us….” I said to them: “It absolutely could be you one day.” Because I think women bring a unique vantage point to deliberations in this chamber, and I think the topics and the range of topics and the range of experience are only going to be more necessary on a go-forward basis.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Nancy Hodges was the first female Speaker in this House, back in 1950. I do believe that when my colleague, who touched on the government issues in 1952…. That is probably what brought an end to her tenure.

I have brand-new colleagues. The creation of a fourth riding on Lulu Island, in the cities of Richmond and New Westminster…. Certainly, my accolades to the MLA for Richmond-Steveston; the Minister of Technology, the MLA for Richmond-Queensborough; and the Minister of International Trade, the MLA for Richmond North Centre.

I want to pay special tribute to the voters of Richmond South Centre for their support. I am learning the ropes of a newly configured riding. There is much to do. There is much to learn.

The notion that all of us do this work for the people…. It is the people that we serve. It is the people who grant us the opportunity to serve. It is the opportunity for us to give back that continues to speak to me.

Anyone only has to turn on the news on any given day and realize the instability, the unrest, across the globe, and you know that in British Columbia we enjoy incredible stewardship in this province. There’s no question.

[6:20 p.m.]

I want to offer a heartfelt thanks to my Richmond South Centre team, as well, as they continue to deliver with huge heart and humanity.

I love campaigning, and I have huge respect for the people you meet along the way. I wasn’t yet elected in 1989 but was seeking the seat in Richmond East, whenever the election was called. It was a bright and sunny day at the University of British Columbia, and I was seated between Pat Carney and Grace McCarthy, both of them remarkable women, extraordinary Canadians and extraordinary British Columbians. I’ve been mentored by the best, and I will do my best to advance the issues each day.

When the election of that year finally came around, it was 1991, October. Both of those women phoned me that day to congratulate me, and both of those women have made a huge impact on my heart on a go-forward basis.

I was touched, with many colleagues in this room, to be at the service on behalf of Grace McCarthy. The notion that we can continue to come together and acknowledge what has been extraordinary service to the province of British Columbia is huge.

To my family, who have campaigned with me for many an election — my mom since 1991…. My husband actually learned the ropes in the 1996 campaign. That was his first campaign. They have both acquitted themselves as fairly seasoned campaigners.

Some have said that the throne speech is familiar. I can tell you that it is familiar to me, and I absolutely stand in support of it. Many of the ideas and values reflected in today’s throne speech deliberations were in my 1991 throne speech response.

The Liberal platform has been steadfast. No one in this chamber balances a budget for its own sake. It’s budgeted and it’s balanced so you can have future projects you can actually afford, a future citizens can actually plan for. Balancing the budget is about the future, and this government has done an amazing job over five balanced budgets — extraordinary commitment to the future of this province. It is about hope, but it’s equally about stability on a go-forward basis.

I have the absolute privilege today to be the Minister of Advanced Education. I was a teacher prior to my first election. I taught youngsters in the British Columbia school system, both in Vancouver and in Richmond, and the notion that we have the opportunity to inspire, to create opportunity that will be uplifting continues to speak to me.

I served as a school administrator. One of the things that touches me very deeply today is the notion that children I worked with when I was minister responsible for early childhood education will, this year and next, be entering post-secondary education. It’s a huge, huge sense of what the future holds. I do believe it is about the babies, and many members of this chamber will have heard me say that repeatedly. It is about the generations that come after us.

Whether it is about new policy or new buildings, the work is uplifting. In terms of advanced education, 426,000 unique students are enrolled in our institutions today, a roughly $1.9 billion budget — huge investments.

I’d like to give my thanks to the very talented people who work in the ministry and in my office, certainly Jennifer, Cindy, Rodney, Raman, a deputy minister leading an uplifting array of service across the province of British Columbia. Twenty-five institutions — hugely, hugely important that that work continue. I thank them all for their work.

Certainly, when we talk about post-secondary education, it is a pathway. The throne speech talks about post-secondary education as a pathway. It’s hugely important that that work continues.

One million job openings are expected in British Columbia to 2025. Openings will be in a range of careers, everything from trades, health care and management to high tech.

I believe the pathway to the British Columbia economy continuing to be strengthened is post-secondary education. That work needs to continue. We have students who absolutely deserve the best opportunities possible.

Very recently I had the opportunity to visit the Annacis Island campus of the B.C. Institute of Technology — huge, huge wins for students in heavy industry and trades transfer. The notion is that whether it’s forestry or mining or marine or aerospace, that skill set can transfer and take them to a variety of different projects across our province and across this land.

It is about a job. The best social program in the world is a job. The opportunity to give that back to families so they can care for the ones most close to them — that is absolutely something that this province has done a stellar job of over the last number of years.

The B.C. government invests more than $1.9 billion annually to support post-secondary education. That is the equivalent of about $5.2 million a day, an extraordinary level of investment.

Since 2001 our government has added seven more public university campuses and added more than 32,000 student spaces to the public post-secondary system. Also since 2001 government has invested more than $3.3 billion in capital and infrastructure projects at public post-secondary institutions throughout the province.

[6:25 p.m.]

Noting the hour, I would move adjournment of this debate and reserve my place to continue tomorrow. Thank you very much.

Hon. L. Reid moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Tabling Documents

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present the following reports.

Office of the Auditor General — Service Plan 2017-18–2019-20; Budget Process Examination Phase 2: Forecasting for Operating Expense, Capital Spending and Debt; An Audit of B.C. Housing’s Non-Profit Asset Transfer Program; Police Records Information Management Environment: PRIME-BC — A Security Audit.

Office of the Merit Commissioner — 2016-2017 Annual Report.

Office of the Ombudsperson — Misfire: The 2012 Ministry of Health Employment Terminations and Related Matters, referral report No. 1.

Representative for Children and Youth, Delegated Aboriginal Agencies: How Resourcing Affects Service Delivery.

Hon. M. Polak moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The House adjourned at 6:26 p.m.