Orders of the Day

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

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Budget Debate

(continued)

Deputy Speaker: Members, would you please conduct your business outside the House. We have other business to do here. Thank you so much.

T. Stone: It is a tremendous honour to rise today to speak to this budget update. Before I get into the details of my comments on the budget, I would like to first just acknowledge what a privilege it is to represent the hard-working men and women of Kamloops–South Thompson. From Savona to Chase, Cherry Creek to Pritchard, Westwold and Monte Lake to Adams Lake, Knutsford to the south shore of Kamloops, it is truly an amazing corner of our beautiful province. I want to thank the people of Kamloops–South Thompson for placing their trust in me a second time. I look forward to working, always passionately, on their behalf.

I want to acknowledge my staff in my legislative office here in Victoria as well as my constituency staff back in Kamloops. I am very, very well served in both places and really couldn’t do what I do without having that tremendous support in place.

[2:35 p.m.]

Of course, I want to acknowledge and thank, as we always do, our families for the tremendous support that they provide us. My wife, Chantelle, and my daughters — Hannah, Sydney and Caitlin — are really the inspiration for everything that I do and the reason that I am here.

I want to start off just by acknowledging the worst wildfire season that we have had, this season, here in British Columbia. I want to thank all firefighters, first responders and the Canadian military personnel who have been risking their lives to protect communities and to protect our lives. They do their best to put these fires out and to ensure that there are livelihoods for people to go back to when the fires are indeed out.

We had over 45,000 evacuees at the outset of this year’s wildfire season. It was my responsibility, as the minister responsible for emergency management B.C., to declare the provincial state of emergency. That was no small decision, not one taken lightly but one that truly reflected the seriousness of this particular wildfire season.

In Kamloops, we had about 15,000 evacuees at the peak. We were not directly affected in our community insofar as the fires themselves. But along with Prince George, we were one of the largest reception centres for evacuees, with 15,000 people at one point in the city of Kamloops. I want to really thank everyone in Kamloops who stepped up to make life just a little bit easier for the wildfire evacuees — the thousands of volunteers, all of the restaurants and those in the hospitality industry, community organizations and everyone that just stepped up to do whatever they could to help evacuees.

We certainly witnessed a lot of examples of this compassion and the reciprocal gratitude from those who were being served. The Kamloops ESS centre, which moved between a few different locations in the city, was always full, with group lodging of up to 500 people. It was incredible — the organization, the logistics that were required, the hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers that were required on a daily basis for months through this wildfire season.

The Tk’emlúps Indian Band opened up their powwow grounds, and they were full. They had RVs and people in tents. They were also providing not just space on their grounds and the use of their facilities, but indeed, they were providing evacuees with three hot meals day — no small feat for them.

Of course, there were thousands of folks housed in the homes of Kamloopsians. At one point, out of 20 homes on my street, there were 17 homes that were hosting evacuees. Those were the most heartwarming moments. When you would walk down the sidewalk and introduce yourself to people, you’d just get a sense of the seriousness of the issue but the sense of gratitude that these folks had for the heart that they were being given by the people of Kamloops.

The Kamloops Food Bank coordinated thousands of pounds of food that flowed into our city from all over British Columbia and even across the country. In particular, Albertans really stepped up. I really want to give a shout-out to the folks in Fort McMurray. They donated more food than almost any other city outside of British Columbia — just truckload upon truckload — in a selfless gesture of paying it forward. They knew that we, as British Columbians, had their backs when they went through their wildfire situation recently. They certainly had our backs this time round.

The United Way Thompson Nicola Cariboo put together a campaign to raise funds for important social needs like housing, food assistance, trauma and mental health supports. Ranchers opened up their property to house and feed and water other people’s livestock.

Speaking of the animals, again, at the ESS centres, there were…. This was at the Sandman Centre in downtown Kamloops. At its peak, there were 300 dogs on any given day, 300 cats and, my favourite, 300 “other” — every animal that you could possibly imagine, mixed in and amongst all of these dogs and cats. Just the logistics of taking 300 dogs out to go to the washroom in the morning required an enormous amount of volunteer capacity, but Kamloopsians stepped up and were there.

[2:40 p.m.]

Perhaps one of the most heartwarming stories is this. It relates to the animal shelter that was on site at the ESS centre. There is a homeless gentleman who is known to most of us in Kamloops, who lives down in Riverside Park. He’s been there for quite some time. Even he came out of the shadows that he lives in and came up to this animal shelter and made it clear that he wanted to help in whatever way the volunteers felt was necessary. Just as he was there making this offer, there was a massive Great Dane that was brought into the facility. This was a big boy, hundreds of pounds, who was not very socially well adjusted to other animals. He was a ranch dog from up in the Chilcotin and was really upset that he was watching his owner walk off into the distance.

This Great Dane required three adults to hold it down. They didn’t have a kennel big enough for it. They weren’t sure what they were going to do. The veterinarians were considering maybe giving it some medication to just kind of calm it down a little bit. But before anyone could intervene, this homeless gentleman stepped forward and said: “Let me look after the Great Dane.” For four nights in a row, that gentleman slept in a tent that he brought up from the river. He set that tent up by the shelter, and he slept with that Great Dane for four nights. He became best friends with this dog, and the dog became best friends with him.

I think it really goes to show that every single one of us has a role to play. Every single one of us can step up, no matter what you have, to help your fellow human being. That is just one of many stories of what transpired in Kamloops, as so many evacuees poured into our city and were met with open arms, with big hearts, and made clear their gratitude for that support.

Now, the fires will be put out, eventually. We do know that we’re still in a very serious situation. We’re very, very thankful that there’s been no loss of life. But we are very rapidly moving from a wildfire crisis into an economic crisis.

The most common question that we get — those of us who represent ridings up in the central Interior, whether it’s in the Chilcotin or the Cariboo or Fraser-Nicola or the North Thompson…. People want to know where their government is.

There’s been a huge loss of trees. Lots of fibre is gone. Hundreds of structures are gone. Livestock is gone. Fencing and rangeland, gone. We know that several mills may not reopen. This will throw hundreds — and hopefully not, but potentially, thousands — of hard-working men and women out of their jobs. Yet what have we heard from the Minister of Forests on this economic crisis? What have we heard from the government on this economic crisis? What have we heard from the Premier on this economic crisis? What has this government done to address the concerns of the people of the central Interior that they will be supported through the economic crisis which is barrelling down on them? I would venture: nothing.

There appears to be no plan. There’s been no mention of economic development for the central Interior. There’s been no detailed plan that has been presented to the people of the central Interior as to what they can expect from their government in support of their livelihoods and their families coming out of the worst wildfires that we’ve ever had in this province. That is wrong. It’s inexcusable, and it’s unforgiveable.

We’ve canvassed in this chamber, as well, over the last week, countless stories of small businesses who have stepped up to support wildfire evacuees, who have provided food and lodging and other services, on the basis that through the voucher program, they will be reimbursed in a timely fashion. These are small businesses, many of them.

[2:45 p.m.]

I’ve talked about Harold’s Restaurant in Kamloops, which thankfully…. After some back and forth last week and some really hard work on the part of folks in emergency management B.C., finally some of the $40,000 that Harold’s has been owed for two months has been paid. Not all of it, but some of it. This is a small business, and being owed $40,000 is a lot of money.

We know of a long list of small businesses who are in the same boat, and it’s just wrong. In fact, the response from the minister at one point last week was to suggest that MLAs should raise the issue of non-payment with government in order for small businesses to be paid. Really? These small businesses, as I said last week, have stepped up to support evacuees. It’s now time for the government to step up and support these small businesses.

Now, with respect to the budget, I’m very disappointed with the NDP-Green budget in a number of areas. I looked through this budget. I looked through the lens of my three daughters. What will our province look like in the years ahead? Will there be jobs for my daughters and for our kids? Will B.C. be better off in the future as a result of the decisions that are made today? My conclusion is that this budget really misses the mark.

It squanders the strong economic position which the NDP government inherited from our former government — the No. 1 economy in the country, the strongest economy; the lowest unemployment rate; the best job-creation record across Canada, almost 200,000 jobs created since the jobs plan was introduced; the most competitive tax environment in Canada; on track to paying off B.C.’s operating debt within a few years; a vibrant investment climate where international companies from every corner of the world were coming to British Columbia. They wanted to set up in British Columbia. They wanted to invest here because of the promise that British Columbia provided them as well. And the fact that we had a triple-A credit rating and paid $199 million less in interest to support our debt in the province last year over the year before because of that strong credit rating and paying down our operating debt.

The budget does include some priorities which we included back in our February budget. It’s important to acknowledge that. I do think it’s interesting that the NDP, this government, is trying to…. They’ve highlighted a whole bunch of things in their budget update, items that they are trying to suggest to British Columbians really should underpin the commitment that this government has to a number of areas, particularly on the social side of the equation, when a lot of the increased spending in targeted areas was already in the budget last February. It was in the budget that we introduced.

We heard much about how health care funding is up almost half a billion dollars. That was in the budget in February. Or education funding being up $256 million — again, that was in the budget last February. Social services funding is up $137 million. It was already in the budget. But that said, with this budget, the NDP are leading British Columbians down a reckless economic path.

Let’s start with the past six weeks of cancelled projects and chaotic reviews, which has become a hallmark of this government.

The George Massey Tunnel replacement project was truly shovel-ready. I was the minister who worked on this for the previous four and a half years. Three rounds of public engagement. The release of 14,000 pages of information. Hundreds of meetings with local governments, including Richmond and Delta, Metro Vancouver. First Nation engagement as well. A project that 80,000 commuters every day were holding out as hope that relief was on its way: the single largest congestion point in the province of British Columbia would be addressed, a choke point for $25 billion worth of goods movement every single year.

A project that included half a billion dollars of critical transit improvements will now not happen. The government has said no. They have killed this project, and they’ve killed the 9,000 jobs that would have come with this project. That’s irresponsible.

[2:50 p.m.]

As we’ve pointed out in this House, this government has also not been forthright. They haven’t been forthright not just with the commuters who were relying on a fix; they haven’t been forthright with British Columbians. We released a memo last week that indicated very clearly that their plan all along, prior to even the election campaign, was to be bold. That was code for “kill George Massey.” In fact, it wasn’t code. It was written right on the memo. “We’re going to pay for all of these commitments by killing George Massey.” How very disappointing.

LNG. Again, shortly after this government was elected, a final investment decision did not happen with Pacific NorthWest LNG up in Prince Rupert — a $36 billion investment that would have created thousands of jobs and provided hope not just to the local governments and the communities up there and local government tax revenue, but, indeed, it was life-changing for First Nations communities in Prince Rupert and the area. This government was, I dare say, almost giddy at the cancellation of this project. If anyone thinks that this government’s approach to regulation and to taxes and to the cost of doing business in this province had nothing to do with their decision to cancel this LNG project, they’re kidding themselves.

Or how about Kinder Morgan, another project which the NDP have made clear they’re going to utilize every tool that they possibly can muster to kill — this pipeline twinning? It’s a $7.4 billion private sector investment. It’s an investment that involves 42 project agreements with First Nations totalling $300 million. Again, it’s a project that would provide thousands of jobs — 15,000 during construction alone.

In my community, in Kamloops, people are looking forward to and banking on 600 jobs related to this project. The economic spinoff will include an $11 million increase to property taxes paid to local governments. The city of Kamloops has signed a community benefit agreement for $700,000, and our university, Thompson Rivers University, will receive $500,000. All of that is at stake. All of that is in jeopardy because this government wants to kill this project as well.

Then there’s Site C, which, very clearly, is part of the deal struck between the NDP and the Greens to do everything in their power to delay and probably try to kill this project as well. It’s a project that would provide clean, reliable electricity in B.C. for 100 years, a project that would provide a contribution to our provincial GDP of $3.2 billion, 10,000 jobs during construction. There are 2,700 people already working up at this project, about 81 percent of whom are from British Columbia.

There are 48 people, as of a couple of months ago…. The number may have changed since then, but as of a couple of months ago, there were 48 individuals from Kamloops and area working at Site C — 48 people with families in Kamloops. People like Bob, who’s a heavy equipment operator and has three kids, or Carl, who’s an electrician and has two kids in Kamloops. I know Bob and I know Carl because I fly with them many weeks. Back and forth they go from Kamloops to Vancouver and then connect up to head up north to work on the project. They’re wondering when they’re going to receive their pink slips and what they’re going to tell their families, how they’re going to support their kids.

Whether it’s George Massey, LNG, Site C or Kinder Morgan, these are all projects, many of which involve private sector investment, that are either dead or on life support because of the choices that this government is making. And this is all just in the first six or seven weeks of the new government.

We also know in this budget that there is a massive increase in new spending — $3 billion in one year alone — but there’s no plan to generate the revenues necessary to cover off this increase in spending other than to blow through the surplus or to raise taxes. And of course, on the tax front, we know that this budget includes $1 billion in new taxes. Corporate taxes are going up. Income taxes for higher-income individuals are going up. Carbon taxes are going up.

[2:55 p.m.]

Even worse, on the carbon tax side, this government has decided to end the revenue neutrality aspect of the carbon tax, which means the tax is going to continue to further burden British Columbians. The price at the pumps will go up. The price to heat homes will go up. But there’s no longer going to be a commitment from the government of British Columbia to ensure that the people of this province benefit from an equal reduction in tax burden, a tax reduction equal to any increase in the carbon tax, and that’s just wrong.

Now, on the taxes on higher incomes. I want to just touch this one for a moment because I do know that this has become a mantra for the government to increase spending as dramatically as they are. Let’s just make the wealthy pay more. Well, I’ll give you a couple of examples — and there are many — that are pretty poignant, I think, for most communities in British Columbia, but certainly in Kamloops.

We’re working really hard to attract more doctors, more specialists to our community, many of whom come from out of province. Even if they’re trained here, we’re all operating in a highly competitive environment to have doctors practise in our communities. What we’ve done in one fell swoop with this budget by increasing the taxes on the high-income earners is we’ve said to these physicians: “Go someplace else. Don’t come to British Columbia, because we’re going to take a little bit more out of your pocket.”

Or how about the high-tech sector, where the average salary is much, much higher than the average salary, generally, in the province? Many, many folks in the tech sector — this is the sector I come from — are making well in excess of $150,000. These are highly skilled jobs, but they’re also highly mobile jobs. It’s very easy to pick up a tech company and move it from Prince George to Washington state or to pick up a company in Salmon Arm and move it to Ontario.

We have made ourselves less competitive by increasing these taxes, made British Columbia a less attractive place to invest, a less attractive place for people to move to and to work. That’s going to have ramifications for communities all across the province.

They’re projecting a $200 million surplus for the forthcoming year. That contrasts with a $2.7 billion surplus that this government inherited as a result of our sound fiscal management.

What have they done? They’ve increased spending, which I’ve talked a bit about, dramatically. They’ve also increased the taxpayer-supported debt through the elimination of tolls on the Port Mann and the Golden Ears bridges, despite warnings from many, including bond-rating agencies. These bond-rating agencies have been very clear. This is going to result in a higher cost to borrow in British Columbia, which is going to mean higher interest payments, and that’s going to mean less money available for health care and education.

In the context of bridges and all of the infrastructure that we need to build in this province…. When you build a bridge, you have to pay for it somehow. With no tolls, that means that the only other options are higher taxes or reduced spending.

I would suggest that we know what the NDP’s answer on that point is. They are choosing to increase taxes. So the fiscal room is largely gone, which makes this budget even more worrying because it assumes that B.C.’s economic performance and GDP growth will be repeated.

The budget relies on a substantial increase in forecasted GDP, from 2.1 percent growth to 2.9 percent growth, but that won’t happen. That just won’t happen, because it doesn’t happen when you increase taxes. It doesn’t happen when you dramatically increase spending with no clear plan for paying it. That doesn’t happen when you say no to every major job-creating project that crosses your desk. Of course, in addition, there are factors outside the government’s control which will further compound their ability to meet their fiscal objectives — factors like a rising currency, uncertain world markets and rising interest rates.

This budget has no jobs plan. There’s no plan to sustain and grow the economy. There’s no plan to attract investment and expand our footprint around the world. In fact, the budget really only deals with one side of the balance sheet — spending, spending and more spending. This budget is bad for jobs, it’s bad for growth, and it’s bad for investor confidence.

[3:00 p.m.]

But what’s equally concerning is what’s not in the budget. It’s worth highlighting, so British Columbians know that on the heels of an election campaign where grand promises were made by the government on all kinds of investments they were going to make…. They just have not transpired yet. It’s important for British Columbians to know what that part of the story looks like as well. Key NDP campaign promises with huge price tags are nowhere to be found in the budget.

How about affordable housing, the creation of 11,400 units of housing? In fact, all that’s in this budget is the 3,400 units that we had already committed to in February. How about the $400 annual renters rebate? It’s not there. The second half of MSP elimination? Not there. How about the ferry rate freeze? Do you remember that commitment? Nowhere to be found in this budget. Or the Hydro rate freeze. Also not there. The $15 minimum wage? Not there. The elimination of interest payments on student loans. Not there. The $1,000 completion grant for post-secondary education. I looked and looked for this one, but I couldn’t find it. I don’t think it’s there. And $5 million to restore provincial parks and hire conservation officers. Not there. How about $10 million in new arts and culture funding? Also not there.

And what about $10-a-day daycare? No mention of it. No mention of it whatsoever. On this one, perhaps that’s a good thing — recognizing just how unaffordable their plan would be, recognizing just how their plan would not target the supports where it’s needed the most and wouldn’t result in any new spaces to boot. The NDP did include $20 million in funding that our previous government had already announced for child care in February.

Now, why all of the big ticket promises not in the budget? Perhaps it’s because the NDP blew through all their fiscal room with the $3 billion in additional spending in the budget. Perhaps it’s because the NDP is concocting other plans to increase other taxes to pay for these promises. Perhaps it’s because the junior partner in this government, the Greens, haven’t signed off yet. I tend to think that it’s a little bit of all three of those.

This government does obviously wield the full authority of the purse. They were sworn in. Whether one wants to get into a debate on how legitimate this government is or not, they certainly don’t have a popular mandate from the people. The Premier and his government were not elected by British Columbians, but they do wield the authority of government, and British Columbians are rightfully and increasingly dismayed at this government’s systematic dismantling of B.C.’s economic leadership and advantage. Defer, delay, dither, review, review, review, taxes up, spending up — that’s the story of this government. It’s the story of this budget.

The NDP can say all they want that help is on the way. Well, British Columbians say no thanks. British Columbians have worked very hard in recent years to generate significant budget surpluses and a strong, growing diverse economy. British Columbians save their money. The NDP will spend it, all of it and more.

Our economic momentum truly hangs in the balance. The choice is clear, and it’s not a choice between backing business on the one hand and promoting fairness on the other. There is nothing progressive about attacking business and undermining our economy. There is nothing progressive about turning your backs on multi-billion dollar investments and walking away from tens of thousands of jobs. If the economy fails it’s not the richest who suffer, it’s the poorest, and everyone loses.

In that spirit, and on behalf of my constituents of Kamloops–South Thompson, I say with purpose and resolve that I cannot and will not support a budget that fails not only the British Columbians of today but fails our kids and our grandkids of tomorrow.

Hon. S. Simpson: I’m pleased to have the opportunity to join in the debate in regard to Budget Update 2017.

It’s always good to be back in this Legislature and good to be here on the territories of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.

[3:05 p.m.]

I’m very grateful to the people of Vancouver-Hastings, who have sent me back here to represent them for the fourth time. I’m particularly thankful for all of the work that is done by those in the constituency on my behalf. I have a wonderful team in my office in Vancouver-Hastings with Anne and Sherrill and Theresa, who all do excellent work for me and excellent work in making sure that the needs and concerns of citizens and constituents of Vancouver-Hastings are met and that their issues are addressed. They’ve been doing it for a long time, and they do it extremely well.

I’m also very pleased and thankful for the people who helped to return me here during the 2017 election. We all know that elections are exciting times. They’re times that can be stressful, and they’re times when we bring together people in our communities who support the values that we bring forward to this place and who come together to help to get us elected.

I had a wonderful team of people, and I just want to particularly acknowledge Colette Barker, who stepped up and took charge of my campaign as the manager and did a wonderful job making sure that I got the opportunity to come back here and speak for the people of Vancouver-Hastings in this Legislature again.

Since the election, of course, it was certainly a wild ride, as we went through the processes of resolving how government would unfold and play out here in British Columbia. Of course, I’m very, very excited with the resolution that we reached in this province, a resolution that led to a new government in British Columbia, a government that was committed to making this province more affordable, a government that was committed to adding and enhancing services and a government that was committed to a sustainable economy with family-supporting jobs.

That’s the commitment that we have made, that’s the direction that we have received from the Premier, and that’s the work that we are all doing every day. I’m very excited to be able to participate and be part of that through my role as the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction — a ministry that we have revamped, and I’ll talk a little bit about that as we move forward — and taking on new challenges into that ministry.

At the outset, I really want to say a big thank-you to the people who have stepped up to help me in this new job as minister, particularly to Val, Brenda, Jayne, Casey and Leah, who work in my ministry office and work for me as the minister; and, of course, to all of the people in the ministry — the leadership of the ministry, the deputy, the ADMs, the directors and everybody right down to all of the people on the front lines, who do a great job and who are working very hard and who have been extremely supportive and very excited about the changes in the ministry and about the opportunity to do the work that they believe needs to be done.

It’s a good time around that. As we move forward with the initiatives that are in front of us, we’re very much seeing a level of excitement and commitment by people in the ministry every day who are looking at new and innovative ways that we can make life more affordable, that we can reduce inequality and can deal with the cornerstone issues that are in front of us.

At the time when this government came into office, there were a number of adjustments made around ministries. You’ll know, and people often talk to me, about the change in the name of the ministry that I lead. The name changed, and it became the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. I’ve had people say to me: “So what does that mean, the Ministry of Poverty Reduction?”

The Premier was very clear, in the conversations that I had with the Premier, about what he wanted to achieve. He was very clear when he said that this is not a rhetorical change in the name. Our commitment is to reduce inequality. Our commitment is to reduce poverty. The mandate that I was given, and it’s in my mandate letter, is to in fact effect those changes, and we’re going to do that through a number of initiatives.

The first three of those are on the table now, and that work is proceeding. But the context of that work is: if we have poverty…. Why do we need a poverty reduction plan for British Columbia? Well, British Columbia is the only province in this country that doesn’t have a poverty reduction strategy. It is the only province that has ignored that issue for over a decade, and that has to change. The reason it has to change is because when you look at British Columbia, we have 700,000 people who live in poverty, based on the Stats Canada standards — 700,000 British Columbians. About 20 percent of those are kids living in poverty, and we know that poor kids mean poor families.

[3:10 p.m.]

The other thing that we know is that this isn’t just about people on persons-with-disabilities or people on social assistance. Over 40 percent of the people living in poverty are the working poor. They have a full-time paycheque coming into their household, and they can’t make ends meet. They can’t afford even a modest standard of living for themselves and their families.

I would like to think that everybody in this House would say that if you get up every day and you go to work and you work hard, you should be able to bring home a paycheque that at least affords you and your family a modest standard of living. That’s not what’s happening today.

We need to attack that issue, and attack the issue is what we’re going to do. We’re going to do that on a number of fronts. What you’ll see, moving forward, is first of all, the initial steps that we’ve taken, a couple of quick steps that we knew would at least ease some pressure. The first of those was to add $100 to the cheque of everybody collecting social assistance and persons-with-disabilities. It doesn’t solve the problem, but we knew, and I knew, that putting a few more dollars in people’s pockets, a few more dollars to spend in what is a very expensive place to live, would at least ease a little bit of pressure.

The other thing that was announced in the budget and that you’ll see as we announce more details is starting this October 1. We’ve increased the earning exemptions for persons on social assistance and persons-with-disabilities. What we have said is that we’ve increased them by $200. That means for a person on social assistance, a $200-a-month exemption has become $400. For a person with disabilities, the $9,600 annual exemption becomes $12,000.

What that does is it allows people to at least work some and keep the money. It encourages people to show some initiative, to take an opportunity and to be rewarded for that when they do that and to know that it’s not going to just get clawed back off their cheque. If they can make a few hundred extra dollars and ease their pressure a little bit, that’s a good thing. We all know that part of breaking the cycle of poverty is finding ways to encourage and support people into work when that’s an appropriate and available opportunity for them, with a little bit of help. Part of that is letting them keep a few of those extra dollars as they move forward. I’m very proud of that.

We’re going to announce very soon the details of the initiative around transportation issues for persons with disabilities, the bus-pass issue that was back and forth in this House for months and months and months. I look forward to the solution that we’ve designed. We’ll be putting that in place, and it will come into force on the first of January of 2018. More will come on that in the coming days and weeks.

We’ve also seen, from other parts of government, initiatives that support people who are vulnerable. We saw the removal of tuition fees around adult basic education and language learning, ELL. We saw the free tuition for foster kids, kids coming out of foster care. We’ve seen the initiatives that were in the budget — and there’ll be more details to come — around housing and homelessness and a homelessness strategy to put thousands of units and available spaces in place for people who are homeless. There will be more to come.

As the previous speaker talked about a list, well, I will assure the folks who are watching and the members on the other side that the issues of child care and the issues of the minimum wage and the issues of further housing initiatives are all to come. You will see more on that in the February budget, the first true budget of this government. You will see the plan begin to unfold as to how we, in fact, get at some of those objectives and those commitments. This is a government that put a series of promises in front of people, and we have been checking them off one at a time.

There’s much more work to do, but we will get that work done. I’m confident about that. I’m confident that we’re going to be successful in that. I look forward to the debates in this House, and I look forward to the debates moving forward as we move on these issues.

[3:15 p.m.]

In my ministry, there really are a couple of key steps that I want to talk about. I want to talk a little bit about poverty reduction. The fight against poverty, the fight to reduce inequality, is around improving the lives of people who are vulnerable. It is about looking at ways to break that cycle of poverty. It is about ways to bring together the resources of government to be able to effect some of the changes that break that cycle of poverty or begin to erode that cycle of poverty.

It means the minister responsible for Housing; the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions; the Minister of Health; the Minister of Education; of Advanced Education, Skills and Training; the Minister of Finance; Public Safety…. There has to be a concerted effort here. All of these ministries are coming together. We are bringing them together.

We are focusing attention on how to attack this issue. That consultation, the broad consultation in the community, has started. We are putting together the pieces now around what that strategy looks like moving forward. We are starting the conversation around how the legislation will look, and there will be legislation next year to legislate a poverty reduction strategy — a poverty reduction strategy with clear targets and timelines, a poverty reduction strategy that will report to this Legislature on an annual basis and that will seek advice on an ongoing basis, on an ongoing process, from people in the community.

It’s not just the activists and the stakeholders. We’re reaching out to people who are living the experience of being poor and talking directly to people who are living the experience of poverty. We are going to engage them directly in the process of helping us look through some of these issues and looking for the practical and the pragmatic solutions as we move forward.

One of the other things that we’re doing with this — and you’ll see this as we move forward — is beginning to look at some of the long-term potential solutions. Part of the agreement between ourselves and the Green caucus is to look at a basic income pilot and to look at what that looks like. We know Ontario is doing some of that work, and we’re going to do that work here and look at it in a British Columbia context.

We don’t know what the result of that will be. We don’t know what the evaluation of that will look like. But we will put in place, in the coming months, a pilot that will allow us to evaluate whether that model makes sense and, over the period of a couple of years, will be able to collect enough data to be able to make decisions about whether we should, in fact, be moving forward long term with that kind of initiative.

That work’s being done. Ontario is pursuing that work now. We’ve seen it previously in Dauphin, Manitoba, where it was pursued. In Finland, it’s been pursued. We’re collecting that information now. We’re collecting the data. We’re talking to experts in the field and beginning to craft what that pilot looks like, to allow us, in fact, to be able to measure whether that initiative, that kind of model, makes sense in British Columbia.

One of the other issues we’re looking very closely at — my colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, my colleague the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and myself have all been mandated by the Premier to look at a provincewide homelessness strategy. We’ve been mandated to look at a strategy that will affect, in a meaningful way, the homelessness crisis that we’ve seen across this province. It’s a crisis that is not limited to the big city of Vancouver but that we see in community after community around the province.

Even in my early travels as a minister, when I’m talking to people in those communities, I’m hearing about those issues. We’re seeing tent cities pop up around the province. We’re seeing people who really are striving to try to find solutions for themselves, because they’ve not been satisfied with the solutions that government has put in front of them. There has to be a better way to do this.

[3:20 p.m.]

I know my colleagues are committed to it, I’m committed to it, and the Premier is committed to it. We will, over the coming months, flesh that out, and it will become more apparent. We will be taking steps along the way to ease those pressures, as we head down that path to a homelessness strategy that effects real change in British Columbia.

The other issue that I want to talk about a little bit is around why I believe there is the level of excitement about the new government. And I hear that a lot. We hear that from people who are just excited about the change. We hear that from people who are just excited about a government that is talking to them. We hear that from local officials. I hear it from people in the community. I hear it across sectors. I hear it from people who are not historically or traditionally supporters of the NDP. I hear it from people who say there comes a time when you need new energy. There comes a time when you need a government that is prepared to reach out. There comes a time when you need a government that is prepared to look to the future and not just to how to hang on to power. And that’s what we have here.

There’s a lot of excitement, I must say, about the agreement between our party and the Green Party. I hear that in a lot of places. It’s an excitement about a sincere effort to have meaningful collaboration on how to move forward. It doesn’t say that we are going to agree on everything. It doesn’t say that we will vote the same way on everything, necessarily. It says that we have embraced a common set of values for the next 4½ years, embraced a common set of broad objectives, and that we are going to work together. We will have our differences, and we will have them respectfully. We will argue and articulate our positions in a respectful way with each other. We will sustain the government, but it doesn’t mean that we will always agree. And you know what? That’s okay.

As we move forward — you will see this in the coming weeks — around electoral reform and as we begin to lay out the first steps of a plan for a vote to happen next year around proportional representation, I know that it’s going to be critically important that we be able to demonstrate that we can work together in the best interests of British Columbians and to make the case for why a change in the electoral system is so important, why we need a change in the electoral system, where this Legislature more clearly reflects the intentions of British Columbians. It’s simply not acceptable anymore to the people of British Columbia, I believe, that any political party can get 43 percent of the votes and 100 percent of the power. It just isn’t what people want, in the future, from their representatives.

We see frustrations happening around the world, around political systems and around what they see as the elites. I think we have a commitment to try to change that. The legislation that was introduced today around campaign finance is a step to take big money out of politics.

We know that people are very cynical. Whether the cynicism is around the reality or the perception, it really doesn’t matter. People are cynical that those who have wealth — those organizations, whether it be a corporation or a union or, maybe even worse, people from offshore and other places that don’t call British Columbia home — have the ability, through money, to influence the outcome of elections. That’s going to end, and we will move forward. We have seen the last general election where money will be a major determining factor in the results of that election. That will be good for all of us. That will restore a level of confidence.

[3:25 p.m.]

I believe an initiative around proportional representation — if the people of British Columbia choose to support that next fall — will further restore confidence. Our task here is to demonstrate…. I don’t believe this is an obligation just on the NDP and the Greens. I believe it’s an obligation on the official opposition, as well — for us to do our best to demonstrate that we are here to work for everybody in British Columbia. We are here to work together. If that vote, that referendum, is successful, then the system will change. The dynamics and the makeup of this place will be a very different composition on both sides, whatever that means — on the three or four or five sides, however many sides there are. We’re going to have to all learn to work together to make that successful.

I would urge us all to make the efforts to start to build that new rapport, that new environment and that new climate for legislative action today. We don’t have to wait. We can do that today. The time for elections will come in due course. We will all run, and there will be parties that will come together, whether it’s on the right or the left or the middle, to form a government down the road. We have an opportunity today to try to work to make that happen.

I think that’s what people want. That’s the excitement that I hear from people about the agreement between our party — the government — and the Green caucus. It’s an excitement about the possibilities. It’s an excitement about the opportunity. It’s an excitement about politicians who are prepared to make a commitment to try to do things differently and to try to do things in a more collaborative way.

We will not always get it right. We will mess it up sometimes, and we will not always agree, but the effort is sincere, certainly on the part of both parties, I believe. It’s an effort that I feel very confident is going to lead to many progressive and positive changes over the next four or 4½ years here in British Columbia. I look forward to that as we move forward.

The previous speaker talked about an array of issues, and he talked about the economy. Well, we know the economy is changing. We know the resource industries need support. We know that probably the most compelling issue in front of us from the resource sector is to find resolution on softwood to put the forest industry back on its feet and begin to try to restore some of those 30,000-or-so jobs that were lost in that industry over the last decade and a half, to bring those jobs back. They’re good, family-supporting jobs.

We also know that we need to move forward and be very thoughtful about what the new economy looks like and about how we advance the new economy in a way that doesn’t create winners and losers. That’s a big challenge with the economy.

One of the things that we know, going back to the work that we’ll be doing in my ministry around poverty reduction, is that a poverty reduction strategy and a strategy to reduce inequality is not simply about putting a few dollars in the pockets of people who are poor — that’s an important thing to do — but it is an economic renewal strategy. It is a strategy that is about revitalizing the economy. All of the evidence and all of the research shows that those societies, those countries, those communities that have succeeded in reducing poverty, reducing inequality, have some of the most vibrant and dynamic economies in the world. The evidence shows, without exception, that those are the economies that work best.

[L. Reid in the chair.]

I do believe what we’ll see, moving forward, is that if we want to seriously address many of the social issues that are in front of us, whether they are issues of homelessness or issues around the opioid crisis or issues around mental health and addictions — any of these issues — we will do better when we strengthen everybody’s circumstances, when we improve the circumstances for all. We’re committed to doing that.

[3:30 p.m.]

I believe that we can achieve that, and as we do, I think we then will be in a better place in terms of the future of this province. We see poverty reduction, these initiatives, as being economic initiatives for economic renewal, moving forward. I’m very excited about this time.

I must say that when I was first elected in 2005, probably the most exciting day of my life at that time — certainly my work life — was the opportunity to come into this place for the first time to swear in as a member of the Legislature and to begin this adventure. That was an incredible day. I know that every member here has found that that’s a day none of us will ever forget — the day that we were sworn in. You begin to realize the incredible responsibility that you’ve taken on to represent the people of your community.

But I must say, the day that I got sworn in as a minister and took on a totally different responsibility — one that I didn’t entirely understand…. I know I can look at friends across the way, who have certainly had that responsibility. I’m sure they would agree that the job of MLA is the first and the most important job. That’s what you’re here for, is to be the MLA.

But the job of minister is a whole other experience, the good and the bad. So far, good. I know there’ll probably be a little bad to come down the road sometime. I’ll get there in due course, but I’m not in a rush. That day certainly borders on being the best day in my political life. We have a lot of work to do, though.We are committed, on this side, to doing that work. We are committed to doing it in a way that supports all British Columbians in all the communities around this province.

We understand that poverty is not limited to the Downtown Eastside and not limited to Vancouver — that it exists in every province, every part of this province, every community in this province, whether it be Quesnel or Prince George or Cranbrook. We need to work in those communities. I’m looking forward to building a consensus in those communities about how we move forward on poverty reduction. I’m looking forward to bringing together the resources, business, labour, local governments to begin to address those issues in those communities.

I look forward to the opportunity, hopefully, to come back in about a year and report out the first year of a poverty reduction strategy, the efforts we’ve made and the progress we’ve made on the path to reducing poverty in this province. I think it’s there. I think we can achieve it. It excites me. I know it excites a lot of people in British Columbia.

We’re going to get this done, and we’re going to get it done over the next year. I look forward to the support of all members of this House to make that successful moving forward.

Deputy Speaker: Member for Surrey South. [Applause.]

S. Cadieux: Thank you for that round of applause. I’m pleased to take my place to respond to this government’s first budget update. It’s an honour to serve my constituents of Surrey South both here and at home.

I’d like to start by welcoming all of the new MLAs. It’s been an unusual start to their tenure, and I’m certain that all of them, on both sides of the House, are pleased to be settling into the routine and their new respective roles.

Congratulations also to the Finance Minister for her first budget because, regardless of my feelings about the content of the budget, it’s a huge responsibility and an honour for her, I’m sure, and deserving of recognition. I’d also like to thank the Finance Ministry staff that support the minister in the preparation of the budget, because I expect many long days and hours were required.

Now, before and during the recent election campaign, outlined in the throne speech on Friday and today captured in the budget, the minister laid out her aggressive spending plan. The list of planned expenditures is long and, undoubtedly, will continue to grow. While this budget update contains an ambitious spending plan, what concerns me most is what’s not reflected in either the throne speech or the budget update — a plan to sustain and grow the economy and create the jobs that British Columbians will need.

The budget, as I said, does outline an ambitious spending plan, but what is missing is that other half of the balance sheet — a plan to generate the revenue, to attract the investment, to expand and increase our export markets to Asia and beyond. In fact, it’s a budget that’s relying on tax increases amounting to almost $1 billion over three years.

[3:35 p.m.]

In June, the former Finance Minister and member for Abbotsford West proactively released the updated budget status that showed strong economic job growth that would result in a $2.7 billion budget surplus. The then opposition, now government, mocked it. They said they didn’t believe it. But the public accounts released in August by the Finance Minister — the now Finance Minister — did indeed confirm it.

What the NDP government inherited is the best-performing economy in the country: five consecutive balanced budgets, a $2.7 billion budget surplus, a triple-A credit rating and a proven plan to keep taxes low, attract investment and grow the economy to create jobs. Upon release of the audited public accounts, reported on August 22, the Finance Minister was quoted as saying: “The public accounts for 2016-17 show that the B.C. economy is strong. We’re growing faster than was forecast, and we certainly have revenues that were higher than projected.” The result is a surplus of $2.7 billion.

Indeed, that is good news. Good news, as well, that the surplus was used to pay down provincial debt, as required by law. But past performance is no indicator of future success. Just ask a Toronto Maple Leafs’ fan. I jest. It’s not funny. It’s vitally important to the fiscal well-being of the province, and we have to respect that fact. Our past success is no guarantee of our future performance.

There is no guarantee that there will be a large surplus next year, particularly in the face of economic uncertainty. Revenues from corporate tax sources depend on a provincial economy performing in a healthy and supportive investment environment. Add to that the things you can’t predict, the issues that emerge or the deliberate policy decisions that will have significant fiscal implications that may be unknown today.

Dominion Bond Rating Services knows this. A quote from them: “At this time, British Columbia continues to have one of the strongest credit profiles of Canadian provinces and is not at immediate risk of a negative rating action. However, this fiscal policy direction reduces flexibility within the credit profile and suggests that social and programmatic considerations are likely to trump deficit reduction if the province’s fiscal plan is challenged by an economic correction.” That’s from Dominion Bond Rating Services’ 2017 Budget Update.

There are a few things we do know for certain. By cancelling major investments in our province, the government is jeopardizing thousands of jobs. British Columbia has been devastated by the worst forest fire season on record. The central bank has raised the interest rates and put the country on notice that further rate hikes are likely. There are ever-present risks of government litigation costs and unfortunate things we probably haven’t anticipated — the ever-present risks.

When the Finance Minister tabled her budget, British Columbians expected that this government — this new government, a coalition government — was going to bring in a significant number of new expensive programs, programs that during the past years and the most recent election campaign we on this side often referenced the cost of. Not because we don’t care about those kinds of programs, not because we’re heartless, not because they don’t matter to us, but because it’s just simple math. When you want three apples, but you only have two, you come up short, and it’s no different in this circumstance.

Social programs matter — health care, education, child care. They matter to British Columbians. They matter to each one of us British Columbians here in this House. But governing is about making decisions and tough choices. It’s about figuring out how you can maintain the No. 1 economy in the country and care for British Columbians at the same time.

The Minister of Finance has made it clear that she wants to make life more affordable for British Columbians, and I want that too. But none of what happens in government happens in a vacuum, no matter what it might look like sometimes. How much does a 0.025 percent increase in interest rates cost the provincial treasury? None of us probably knows that answer, but the money required to pay the increased interest costs is a direct and obvious cost that affects the budget. It’s money that has to come from somewhere.

At the same time, as government needs to find more money, so do consumers and businesses on their mortgage payments, their lines of credit and their credit cards. With that, the capacity of those businesses and individuals to absorb the government’s proposed tax hikes, amounting to nearly $1 billion over the next three years, is also diminished.

Now, I’ve been proud to be a part of a government that has created one of the most competitive tax and business jurisdictions in Canada. In the words of my colleague: “Silver isn’t gold. It’s the first loser.” It’s going to be true for British Columbians. You have to strive to be the best to attract capital that’s mobile.

[3:40 p.m.]

Capital investors can choose to invest wherever they want. We want them to choose British Columbia. We don’t want them to choose Manitoba, Alberta or Saskatchewan. This week, in the very short tenure of the government, the business world has been sent a message that it’s about to get significantly more expensive to do business in British Columbia because we’re striving for second place. In the words of the Premier: “The lowest tax jurisdiction in North America is not something we should strive for. Why wouldn’t we strive to be the middle tax jurisdiction in North America?” With all due respect to the Office of the Premier, that’s embarrassing. Because we want to be sending a message that is about: this is the place to invest. This is the place to grow your business, to live, to work and to play.

I believe many voters — and many voters in my riding — put their faith in the government when they said they’d deliver a $10-a-day daycare program. But where is it? It’s not reflected in the budget update. It’s not reflected in the three-year fiscal plan. But it is still being touted that it’s coming. So what is it? Is there going to be a $10-a-day program in British Columbia or not? Who’s going to pay for it?

I’m not asking about the merits of the program. I want to see improved benefits for B.C. families. But I want to be able to explain to my constituents when government will live up to their promise and how they intend to get the $1.5 billion or more, in addition to all the other spending promises that they’re making, to deliver that promise in British Columbia. I want to know that, because it will affect the wallets and bank accounts of British Columbians, and they deserve to know how.

We will also want to talk about the other missing pieces. There’s a list of promises. The $400 rent subsidy, support to students in post-secondary education, capital investments in post-secondary expansions — and the list goes on. Again, I’m not suggesting that the government should go and do those things. I’m not suggesting they should spend more money. I’m just concerned that they’ve promised these things to British Columbia, and they continue to speak about the fact that these things are coming, but they’re not reflected in the budget or the three-year fiscal plan — not even notionally. How will the government do these things? How will they pay for them? That’s what I’m asking.

There are other things that seem to have been completely forgotten, of course. After five years of railing about the underfunding of the Ministry of Children and Families, which I certainly know all too well, and the need to hire more people, the wait-lists for early childhood interventions, the need for more autism supports, the inadequate child and mental health wait-lists, the foster care supports and the foster care rates — need I go on? — there is nothing. Crickets. Nothing but a reannouncement of the B.C. Liberal budget and plan for MCFD.

So what do we take away from that? Either they don’t really care as much as they profess, or the state of the ministry is better than they chose to tell the public, or, heaven forbid, they think the plans, initiatives and budget that I put in place as minister were, in fact, on track. I suppose time will tell.

The issue is this: it doesn’t appear in the budget update at a time when the economy of British Columbia is in the best state it will probably ever be in. The most expensive promises made by the NDP government are missing from their financial equation. That is an issue for concern. It’s a legitimate issue of concern and a question for British Columbians who heard the budget update.

Again, please do not take any of my comments as a plea for the expenditure of more money. It’s just intended to remind the government that, in fact, governing is hard. I simply wish to illustrate that choices, even very good choices, have consequences. Priorities conflict. Money is easy to spend and hard to make. I believe the choices being made are going to make making money in British Columbia even harder. Tax increases will no doubt hamper investment, and that will affect the strength and growth of our economy — growth that this government is currently counting on.

I’m certainly not here to criticize all of the decisions of the government. I actually support a number of initiatives that the government has in place. I support the expansion of the tuition waivers for kids from care. I support the general idea of a poverty reduction effort, but I continue to be concerned about how effective it will be, because member after member has stood up and repeated a statement that B.C. is the only province without a legislated poverty plan.

[3:45 p.m.]

It’s factually incorrect. In fact, Nova Scotia has abandoned, or at least paused, their plan. Most provinces and territories have initiatives for reducing poverty, but most do not have legislated targets or timelines. And there’s a reason for that. It’s very difficult, complicated work.

I think it’s important to remember that when you examine child poverty rates in this province and take a look historically, the child poverty rate went up 38 percent in the 1980s under the Social Credit government. It went up 43 percent in the ’90s under an NDP government. And under a B.C. Liberal government, it dropped by more than 40 percent to levels not seen since those early ’80s. The levels are absolutely still too high. More can and should be done. But the folks across the aisle have continued to ignore the fact that B.C. already has the most comprehensive system of supports in place and has been the most successful in reducing poverty in our country.

Given that we all, I believe, want to see poverty rates continue to decline — the faster the better — one would expect that at least the government would want to start by acknowledging the current realities, informing themselves of what other jurisdictions have done and build from there. Now, I’d be happy to share with them the volumes of information that I have collected over my tenure as minister responsible and, also, from the national poverty summit from last year, if it would be helpful.

I also support the proposal for a basic income pilot. It will be interesting to see how that unfolds, although I expect this area may be slow-walked by the government. Beyond saying that I support the idea, I’ll say…. I’ll explain that a little bit. I support it because the move to a new economy, a new technology-based economy, is happening. We’re aware. We all agree. And it’s a good thing. But as we do that, fewer and fewer jobs are available for folks with low education levels, unskilled workers. Those workers are left, really, in a service-type job or environment, and those, traditionally, pay low wages. That’s concerning.

It used to be that in our resource sector at least, one with limited skills and limited education could earn a family-supporting wage. But with technology and advancement and change in our world, that is changing. It’s changing very rapidly. And I don’t believe that there’s a government out there today who has yet tackled this issue effectively. So I think conversations around basic income are necessary.

I think that people like Sen. Hugh Segal, who I spoke with a few months ago about this, and Mark Zuckerberg, who has been an outspoken advocate for looking at a basic income, are all in agreement that something is going to have to change. How is the question. I’ll leave further comments about that to a future date, but I do support the government moving forward with that effort.

I support the expansion of the earnings exemptions for people on income and disability assistance, something I successfully reintroduced as Minister of Social Development a number of years ago. And of course, I support the reduction in MSP and the first-responders credit, both of which were just reannouncements of B.C. Liberal policy from last February.

But here’s where things get tougher again. We left the best financial position a government could hope for anywhere. We have an economy that’s the envy of North America, and it appears that the government thinks it’s all by chance and that it will continue into the future despite their tax-and-spend decisions and despite their deliberate industry- and job-killing campaigns.

It’s as if the cabinet today sits around the table and says: “What big project can we axe today? We don’t want big projects in British Columbia.” What they should be asking is: “What can we do to bring the next big project to British Columbia? What can we do that will create an environment for business to thrive, to innovate and to grow?” When other jurisdictions are saying, “Let’s create tax-free zones to attract new investment and new industry,” this government is saying: “What roadblocks can we put up?”

This budget assumes that the economic performance of this province over the last year, which resulted in a $2.7 billion surplus, will be repeated. There are no guarantees, and the risks are substantial. It relies on a substantial increase in the forecasted GDP growth, but GDP growth will undoubtedly be negatively affected by the cancellation of projects and the delay or cancellation of investments by the private sector.

[3:50 p.m.]

The cancellation of the George Massey Tunnel replacement project — 9,000 jobs, all of which contribute to GDP. Site C, the Trans Mountain pipeline — all indications from this government are that those are next.

So where is the plan for job creation — for job retention, at least? My goodness, I sure hope they don’t think government can hire all the people that are out of work.

There was a statement in the throne speech that suggested concern over the fact that there was a rise in part-time, low-paying jobs. This is concerning, not because there is an increase in jobs or that there is an increase in part-time jobs. It’s concerning because in the throne speech, the government’s vision for the province — our State of the Union of sorts — the impression was left that more part-time jobs were being created than full-time jobs. That would be really concerning if it was true. Yet on page 72 of the government’s own budget document, it says that most of the 88,500 year-to-date jobs gained had been in full-time employment — about 85 percent of those, or 74,500, in comparison with only 15 percent, or 14,000 of those jobs, being part-time.

As a matter of fact, when you think about it, when you think about those jobs and job creation…. I also found it interesting that in the very first month of the NDP government, we lost 28,000 full-time jobs. And when you look at the projects that this government, in its first few months alone, has already moved against or outright cancelled — the 9,000 jobs on the Massey project, the thousands more with Site C and Kinder Morgan — and then add the devastating impact that the forest fires have had on the economies of the north…. Good, full-time, family-supporting jobs, gone.

If I was a member on that side of the House, I’d be concerned about keeping every job — every part-time, full-time, private sector, public infrastructure, resource sector, small-town, downtown, high-tech, low-tech…. I’d be telling people how I planned to keep them working, but what’s glaringly missing from both the throne speech and the budget is just that.

It’s great that the NDP government has decided to move forward with a tax decrease for small business that was also in the February budget, with more than one million people in British Columbia relying on those businesses for their jobs. But it’s the small businesses I’ve talked to that are still concerned about the impact of a proposed $15 minimum wage. The devil is definitely in the details and the date of that. We’re seeing report after report suggest that good intentions don’t always have the desired effect. We need to move carefully.

Our economy is indeed a unique one with the highest percentage of small businesses, but it’s not unique in Canada as being resource-dependent. As such, we need to be focused on what makes that economy thrive. Competitiveness is essential. In 2017, sustainability — socially, environmentally and technologically — is essential. Our job as the official opposition will be to watch the benchmark. The public accounts that were released recently set that benchmark.

British Columbians deserve to know that they have a government that’s going to have a strong economic plan, that’s going to focus on job creation and that’s going to welcome investment to this province, and that they’re going to be mindful that every time they increase taxes, there’s an impact on the economy and on the wallets of British Columbians.

This government is opposing the economic development that British Columbians need and want for today and tomorrow, and with tax hikes and spending increases, it’s lining up the chess pieces for a rewind to the 1990s. It fails to respond to the transportation needs of my constituents, with the cancellation of the Massey Tunnel replacement and no additional or alternative forward-looking transit investments for Surrey South.

I know all too well the need for capital for a growing city like Surrey, for schools and hospitals. I advocated for investments in both over the last eight years and was successful in securing more than $400 million for new schools in my area. When our former government announced the latest investments totalling $217 million, the MLA for Surrey-Whalley, now the Jobs Minister, said, “After years of neglect, Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals are trying to convince Surrey parents and students that they care about them,” and I don’t think anybody is convinced of that. Well that was after $400 million.

But after the pledges and the campaign by the now Premier and Surrey MLAs to eliminate portables and build more schools, not one dollar of new capital for schools in Surrey is in the three-year plan. This government’s members, including the Premier, said repeatedly it wasn’t enough, that they would do more, that they would do it faster. Last Monday they had the opportunity to show their cards, and nada.

[3:55 p.m.]

I think this government is learning, hopefully quickly, that it’s far easier to criticize than it is to govern. Our job will be to hold the government to account for the promises that they’ve made, the ones they will make and for the decisions they make on how to pay for those promises and the opportunity costs of those choices.

For example, our choices, admittedly, were to be fiscally prudent, to use our fought-for surpluses to pay down debt. With diligence, we produced five balanced budgets, and we paid down our operating debt, rather than increasing it through deficit spending. Because of that diligence and our choices, our interest costs decreased by almost $200 million last year. That’s $199 million that can be used for British Columbians and not paid to the banks. I believe that’s putting British Columbians first.

Now, the decision to eliminate tolls is popular in my region, but I also look at the roughly $200 million that will no longer be on the revenue side of that equation and the cost of moving that bridge back onto the public debt. Adding $3.5 billion to the province’s debt increases the money we’re spending on interest, which means that money is no longer available to pay for services and promises. It’s all about choices.

I realize this government is just getting their feet wet, and they’re not done yet. Those promises they’ve made, they’ll get to them, and that’s what worries me. With only half a plan, with only a spending plan and no revenue plan, we’re left to wonder what’s ahead.

I see a few options: huge deficits resulting in greater interest costs and fewer services; huge deficits resulting in greater interest costs and even bigger deficits to pay for the interest costs; stalled infrastructure spending — no new hospitals, schools or transportation spending; service cuts; promises forgotten; further tax increases on job creators resulting in further job losses and increased social costs; or new taxes on the middle class. One or all of those things is coming, and we’ll be holding the government to account for the choices they make. But it’s their turn.

With that, I will conclude my remarks with this. Despite my agreement on a number of initiatives that this government is embarking on, overall the tax increases and uncertainty delivered by the budget update do not bode well for the economy nor for my constituency, and as such, I will not be supporting the budget update.

Hon. S. Robinson: It is with great pleasure that I take my place in the debate on the Budget 2017 Update, in this first session under a New Democrat government. I’m proud to stand here in this House on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples.

Of course, it took considerable support to get me here for my second term. First, given that this is my first time on my feet here in the House, I would like to take the opportunity to thanks the residents of Coquitlam-Maillardville for putting their faith and trust in me and in the B.C. NDP for the next 4½ years.

Secondly, I’d like to take a moment to thank my family — my husband, Dan, and my children, Aaron and Leya — for their sacrifice. Everyone in this House knows what it means to miss birthdays, anniversaries, family dinners and holidays in order to serve our communities. I’m seeing nods on all sides. We can all agree on that. My family has done this with grace and with encouragement. I also want to acknowledge my dad, Irv, and my late mom, Rhoda, and my in-laws, Sandra and Gary. Their guidance, words of wisdom and comfort and support have been invaluable.

Finally, I need to thank all the volunteers and supporters who helped to broaden my margin in this last election. In 2013, I won by a mere 41 votes. There is nothing like a zero margin to ensure that you continue to engage your constituents and ensure that you are listening very closely to them. I want to thank all the people who helped with the door-knocking and making sure that we increased the margin to almost 3,000 votes.

The reason, I think, for that margin is because of the kind of platform that the NDP put forward and that this current NDP government is acting on. In the subsequent years between elections, I spent regular Saturday mornings out on the doorsteps of the neighbourhoods throughout Coquitlam-Maillardville. After the 2013 election, I started to hear more and more about affordability as a significant issue.

[4:00 p.m.]

It was these conversations on the doorsteps of my community over those years, while I served in my first term, that helped to shape my perspective and our government’s perspective on how a caring government, a government that listens to its citizens, needs to act. Acting on these concerns is what we have been doing.

This Budget 2017 Update is just the first steps of a 4½-year government that has an ambitious plan to make life more affordable for British Columbians — a plan to ensure that the services British Columbians have come to rely on are there for them when they need them most and an economy that is resilient, sustainable and has opportunities for all British Columbians, not just some British Columbians. This budget reflects the beginning of a change for British Columbia, a change that signifies that this government has been listening to British Columbians and is acting on what we have been hearing for years.

We heard that life was getting harder for people. Making ends meet was getting more difficult. The previous government’s policies, their choices, required citizens to pay for increasing hydro, ICBC and MSP rates — rates that just kept going up with no end in sight, rates that were becoming an increasing burden for those already stretched. Child care costs, if you could find child care, had become the equivalent of a mortgage payment. And housing affordability has become the most significant issue facing young people, families and seniors.

This budget update is our starting point for addressing some of these very pressing, significant issues. Your government’s Budget 2017 Update presents a strong, fiscally responsible plan that puts people first and ensures that we have the financial sustainability necessary for the future.

This budget update for 2017-18 is balanced. Total spending is $51.9 billion, and total revenue is $52.4 billion. We have a forecast allowance of $300 million and a budget surplus of $246 million. We’ve also identified significant capital spending needed to grow our province. We are doing all of this while maintaining a debt-to-GDP ratio that is affordable.

I am very proud of this budget update. The people of British Columbia have waited a long time for a government that puts people at the centre of its policies, and in a few short weeks, we’ve already started to do just that.

With this budget, we are asking top income earners in our province to pay a little bit more, and we are lowering the small business tax rate by half a percent and increasing the corporate tax rate by a modest 1 percent.

In my inaugural speech in this House, back in July 2013, I referred to a woman that I met on the doorstep and the impact the B.C. Liberal government’s choices were having on her family. I remember sitting on that side and talking about her. I don’t know if the Speaker will remember.

This woman had a knife, and she was waving it around as she spoke. I was asking her questions about what was happening in her life and how she expected the provincial government to make decisions that would make life better for her and her family. This woman stood out because of that knife in her hand. It was a late Sunday afternoon, and she came to the door wearing an apron. Clearly, she was preparing something in the kitchen. I hope that’s what she was doing, as she was wielding this knife, and she was waving it in the air as she spoke.

She was preparing dinner, and she did take the time — and I really appreciate it — because she had lots to say about how life was becoming more and more unaffordable for her and for her family. She commented on having to pick up more shifts at the hospital, where she worked, in order to make ends meet. As a result, there was less time to spend with her family. She spoke about frustration with having to pay bridge tolls, increasing hydro costs and significant school fees. She expressed concern about the lack of support for her children at the school her children attended and the added cost for private tutors so that her children could keep up.

After 16 years of a government that ignored the affordability challenges of its citizens, we are tackling those very issues that this woman, 4½ years ago, spoke to me about. We are taking action to fix a problem that festered under the previous government’s watch.

[4:05 p.m.]

In this budget update, we are taking our first steps. We eliminated those tolls that unfairly burdened those living south of the Fraser and that burdened those whose jobs were south of the Fraser. This woman’s life is now better and easier because we have removed those unfair tolls and she is no longer burdened with that.

We are also making investments in housing — $208 million over four years that will support the construction of more than 1,700 new units of affordable rental housing across this province as part of this budget. We are investing $291 million over two years to build 2,000 temporary modular supportive housing units for people who are homeless. That includes 24-7 support for those people. That’s 3,700 new housing units in B.C., a substantive, meaningful investment for people who need safe, affordable and functional housing.

Budget Update 2017 also increases resources for the residential tenancy branch. This new funding will reduce wait time to resolve tenancy disputes. These additional resources will finally begin to address the backlog that was created under the previous government. This backlog left both tenants and landlords waiting far too long to resolve differences.

This is why we on this side have chosen to make investments. British Columbians have been waiting for far too long for a whole lot of things from their government. We heard what they had to say, and we have been acting.

Your new government has the priorities that British Columbians expect of its government. Our priorities include all the people of this province, not just the wealthy and the healthy. We have heard from numerous advocates that our budget update priorities are hitting the mark. And as you can well imagine, as the new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, I’m paying very close attention to what housing advocates and the housing community have to say about our budget.

The Association Advocating for Women and Community said: “It’s going to be a huge answer to the issue of homelessness and for this community.” They recognize that a government that invests appropriately in homelessness is prepared to act because we’ve heard what it is that these communities need.

I’m not just talking about Vancouver. We recognize it’s significant there. It’s significant here in Victoria, in Maple Ridge, in Surrey. It’s significant in Terrace. It’s significant in Smithers. Every community is being impacted by homelessness. There has been a lack of focus, a lack of commitment to address it in a coordinated, logical fashion. That’s changing under this government, and this recent announcement in our budget of modular temporary units is just the beginning.

Kishone Roy of the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association said: “Combining new units with supports shows a commitment to saving the lives of the most vulnerable among us, and making a commitment to modular housing demonstrates that the government desires immediate action on addressing homelessness.” Hearing that from some of our advocates really helps to let us know that we are hitting the mark, that we are starting to make a difference, because this is a file that has required significant action for some time.

Vancouver’s mayor, Gregor Robertson, calls our modular housing investment “a huge step forward towards solving homelessness in B.C.” We know it’s important that we actually solve it. We need to not only address homelessness, but we need to actually also prevent homelessness. Those 1,700 units for rental are part of addressing the fact that we have to keep people housed. We need to keep them in their homes. So we are making the initial steps that require a government that is prepared to act.

The landlord and tenant associations are agreed that this new investment in the residential tenancy branch is long overdue. These are investments that are a starting point for a comprehensive housing plan for British Columbia that we will build together in partnership with local governments, First Nations, federal government, the private sector, the non-profit sector, the faith-based sector and the co-op sector.

There is still much to do, and we are getting started right now with this budget update. I want to just echo my colleague here the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction in acknowledging the kind of work that we’re doing with the Green caucus and making sure that they understand what this government is prepared to do. They see themselves as part of the solution. When we work together with our Green caucus colleagues, it really says that we are working on behalf of British Columbians.

[4:10 p.m.]

I would certainly invite members across the way to engage in that conversation to make sure that we have all the voices around this province focusing on a very, very difficult and complex situation around housing affordability. But the reality is that unless we get started, unless we commit to start working on it, we’re never going to get a handle on it, and nothing will change. So having a new government — a new government that has a different attitude, a different approach and a different style of working — provides an opportunity for British Columbians everywhere.

No matter where I go and when I talk with people as the new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, I am hearing hopefulness. For the first time in a long time, people are hopeful that things will change. They’re excited about what they’re hearing from us. They’re excited about what they’re hearing from our Green colleagues. They want things to be different. They want us to engage differently. They want their voices heard in this House. They want us to address the issues that matter most to them. They want us to do it with them — not for them but with them. So with this government and this budget is the beginning of a new era, and I’m very proud of that.

I do want to take time to reflect on how we are working differently, because I think it’s really important that British Columbians understand that when you’re dealing with difficult and intractable issues like homelessness, like mental health and like housing affordability, we need to work together. My mandate letter is very significant in the instructions to work with others.

When we tackle homelessness, I was given very clear instructions — I’m very comfortable with it, and I think it’s appropriate — that I work together with the Minister for Social Development and Poverty Reduction and that I work, as well, with my colleague from New West, who is the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

We all recognize the challenges that come with living with a mental illness and the challenges that come when you are affected by poverty. Homelessness is part of both of those things or just some of those things. So making sure that we’re working in lockstep, that the pieces that we’re bringing on line make a real difference.… To just have SROs open for business, eight-by-eight rooms, is not going to address homelessness, because a room in the Downtown Eastside isn’t necessarily a home. And it’s not necessarily where people can get the services that they need so that they can become a contributing member of society.

That’s not the kind of society that I want. I want people to be able to participate, to be able to be part of the community, to get their needs met so that they are not cycling through the criminal justice system and then going into hospital and then going back to the street. That’s not what I want. I don’t think it’s what anybody in this House wants.

Being instructed by the Premier to work closely with my colleagues so that we understand that the pieces that we can each bring to our ministries can actually make a difference is part of what we need to do. I look forward to doing that work.

The Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and I have both been tasked to develop a homelessness action plan. We certainly saw that homelessness ballooned under the previous Liberal government. That government didn’t have a particular plan. They also worked in silos, so we know that in order to address this problem, we need to be working together. I look forward to working with my minister colleagues to make a difference, a difference that has its time coming. I think every British Columbian recognizes the value and importance of getting a handle on it and working together to make a difference.

I also will be working closely with the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, who’s been tasked to develop a seamless, coordinated mental health and addictions system, something that has been sorely lacking in our province. We recognize that if you don’t have housing and you have an addiction or you’re living with a mental illness, it’s not going to change anything. It’s just not. We recognize the importance of working together, of tying these things together and making sure that we’re working in lockstep to bring services, to bring supports on-line. Because at the end of day, really, what we want is we want people to be healthy, to be able to contribute and to have meaningful lives so that they can fully participate.

[4:15 p.m.]

It’s also important to acknowledge that we need to reduce the burden on our overtaxed hospital emergency rooms, the criminal justice system and our policing costs. Making sure that we invest in the right direction will help. Not only will it help people and families, but it will actually reduce the financial costs of ignoring or not working together and making a difference.

The other thing I want to mention, just in terms of working differently — because I think it’s important to stick with that theme for a second — is that my ministry has a new name. It used to be called Community, Sport and Cultural Development. A lot of people did have a problem with that. We’ve given it a new name, because we think it’s (a) more descriptive, but (b) because it demonstrates the importance that when you’re dealing with housing, you need to recognize that you’re doing that work in partnership.

My ministry’s name is Municipal Affairs and Housing, and I’m the Minister Responsible for TransLink. When we think about working together and pulling files together differently…. We’re clear that in order to bring more housing on line, housing that is affordable, that better meets the needs of British Columbians, that is safe and affordable and functional, so it’s appropriate housing, we need to be working together with our local governments.

The previous government did not have a very good relationship with local governments. It was pretty…. It was tested. It was a very tested relationship. In order to really change how we do business here in British Columbia, we need to be working differently with local governments.

Making sure that my ministry is tied in with housing is very, very important so that we all understand — local governments are at the front lines and have the land use decision-making authority — that we need more purpose-built rental in our province, that we need to work together to leverage federal supports to get some more housing on line, that we need three- and four-bedroom rental units in our stock. There are certainly some issues around stock.

We need to address the demand side of housing. We need to be making sure we are looking at short-term rental and how that plays out. There’s a lot of opportunity for discussion when you have the ministry housed in one place. Of course with TransLink, we recognize, certainly in the Lower Mainland, that if you’re going to be doing affordable living…. We recognize that having a car, having automobile-oriented communities, adds significant cost to the affordability. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of $500, $600 a month goes to having a vehicle. Certainly, building housing or an apartment with a place to park a vehicle, that’s an extra $50,000 to $60,000 added to the cost of the housing right there.

Making sure that we’re working lockstep with transit, making sure that the transit investments are tied in with housing opportunities and working with local government is a beginning. It’s another example of how we need to work together in order to address the housing affordability challenges that we are facing, that British Columbians are facing, in all of our communities.

It’s affecting not just families but certainly seniors and young people as well. Government has more to do for families. That is why we have started to increase child care investments. It’s why we are cutting MSP premiums in half, saving families up to $900 a year. That is why we are investing in education. We are providing $681 million over three years to our public education system so that our children, our most precious resource, will get the education they deserve: smaller classes, more resources and much-needed supports.

When I reflect back on that woman who answered the door back in 2013, the one who was waiving that knife around as we spoke, I know that she will be pleased that her government, her New Democrat government, is investing in public education — a commitment that she has been waiting for, for years from the previous Liberal government, and it just wasn’t coming as they insisted on dragging things out in the court system.

Her children are going to benefit. Now that they’ll have the resources that they need, she might not have to pay for private tutors — money that was coming out of her pocket to make sure that her children have the resources they need. She knows that her government is investing in our children because she knows it’s the best return on investment that we can ever make. I’m very, very proud of our commitment to that.

[4:20 p.m.]

Your government’s Budget 2017 Update is also mindful that we need to build a sustainable economy that works for everyone. It’s for this reason that we have committed $14.6 billion over three years to build much-needed schools, hospitals, transit and infrastructure in communities right across British Columbia. These projects will create jobs in every corner of B.C. and enrich the lives of British Columbians.

That is why we are also creating an innovation commission that will advocate and be an ambassador for B.C.’s tech sector. We know that the economy is changing, and we have to be at the forefront. That is why we’re also moving forward to phase out the provincial sales tax on electricity. This will help B.C.’s businesses compete, while encouraging a transition to low-carbon energy sources like electricity.

It’s important that we make sure that there are opportunities, like this one, that make a difference for British Columbians. That’s why we’re also lowering the small business corporate income tax rate from 2½ percent to 2 percent. We recognize the value, we recognize the need, and I’m very proud of that.

I also just want to take an opportunity to recognize that when we do business differently, it also means getting rid of big money out of our elections, that 2017 was the last big-money election. We heard it loud and clear. I believe the number was well over 80 percent of British Columbians who’d had it with the Wild West, had had it with big corporate and outside interests and union investments in influencing our politics and in potentially influencing government. I’m very proud of the work my colleague the Attorney General has done to make sure that we don’t have that kind of influence in our politics.

This is a government. Your government is about people. It’s not about big business, it’s not about unions, and it’s certainly not about outside influences. This is about British Columbians, and British Columbians get to have a say for how their democracy runs, for how their government responds and how their government listens. I’m very proud of this budget update because it’s built on exactly that: listening to what British Columbians have been saying for years and taking our first steps towards doing that. I am pleased with this budget. I know that there’s more to do. These are early days for us.

It’s been a pleasure to serve these last few months in my capacity, and I look forward to what the next 4½ years look like. There’s certainly more work to do. We’ve certainly heard from members on the other side, who are starting to complain that we haven’t done it all.

I recognize that there’s angst on that side, because there has been not a whole lot happening for a lot of years. So I can certainly appreciate them sharing the voices of their constituents, that they want to see more. That certainly says to us that British Columbians want to see more, and we’re prepared to deliver more.

I look forward to our first real budget, our full budget for this government. February of 2018 is when we will be delivering our full budget, recognizing the numerous commitments that we’ve made. I know there’s going to be a lot more work to do.

I look forward to working with all members of this House. I’m pleased to be working with the Green caucus. They’ve had some really good suggestions. I look forward to hearing from the Liberal caucus members as well.

Our Budget 2017 Update takes the critical first steps to build a better B.C. Our government, your government, is choosing to invest in people and in a strong, sustainable British Columbia. I look forward to the coming days, weeks, months and years ahead.

A. Olsen: Before speaking to the budget update, I’d like to once again recognize the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation for his statement last week in honour of the tenth anniversary of UNDRIP and for his government’s joint commitment with us to implement UNDRIP, the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a move towards reconciling our collective history here in British Columbia.

This commitment, in my mind, sets the tone for this budget and for everything that government will do over the coming months and years. The extent to which they live up to their commitment to breathe life into the words of the declaration will be one of the greatest measures of their legacy.

Finally, we are at a threshold of real change in this relationship. There is a real possibility for true government-to-government relationships based on recognition and respect. The space that we occupy at this moment in time is truly historic, and it’s a time to embrace the opportunity before us.

[4:25 p.m.]

This sense of change extends much further. We are living in a time of extraordinary change in British Columbia, both in scope and in pace. This budget update shows that our economy continues to enjoy strong economic growth, as measured by GDP, and this is undoubtedly positive. However, GDP does not tell the whole story of the health of our economy. It does not capture the changes we’re seeing in how our economy functions or the affordability crisis squeezing British Columbians.

While government policy has firmly been lodged in the 20th century, applying ideas of my late grandparents’ generation, the economy is rapidly changing. It’s hard to picture what our province and our daily lives will look like 20 years from now or even in ten years time.

Much of this change is due to technological advances. Automation is set to have effects on the structure of our economy and our workforce that we can only begin to imagine. There are huge challenges in this time of transition, but there are also huge and incredible opportunities. To seize them, we must position ourselves at the forefront of the emerging economy.

We must develop a long-term economic vision which moves beyond old ways of thinking. The B.C. Greens’ economic vision is to build resilient and prosperous communities. The notion that economic investment in this province only counts when it’s an investment in the resource sector is not reflected in our current reality, and it isn’t reflected in the emerging economy.

There are incredible opportunities to revolutionize the resource economy that built this province — not the wholesale liquidation of our assets, as we’ve seen in recent years, but a thoughtful, well-informed, strategic approach, an approach that minimizes waste and invests in adding value right here in British Columbia.

I’m thrilled that this budget update included two items from our platform: the emerging economy task force and the innovation commission, designed to build the future of our economy. The emerging economy task force will look at the changing nature of business and how we can position B.C. to be at the forefront. The task of the innovation commission is to foster innovation in the emerging economy, not only in the tech sector but across sectors, supporting innovation in our resource sectors, such as forestry, for example.

Not only is our economy changing, the climate is changing in undeniable ways which are already having wide-ranging effects on communities across British Columbia. Rural communities have seen the devastation of the pine beetle infestation, flooding and wildfires, just to name a couple of challenges that we face.

We are still going through the worst wildfire season on record, which has had devastating impacts on communities across British Columbia and which our incredible firefighters and volunteers are still fighting. As we have seen in these communities, British Columbians are extraordinarily resilient, and we must do more to support them.

In the face of climate change, we cannot afford to stick our heads in the sand. It is a challenge that requires that we take bold action and that we take it today. We were once leaders in addressing climate change, but sadly, we’ve become laggards. This is not good enough, not for now or for future generations.

On this front, I am thrilled to see meaningful action on climate change in this budget update being taken through the increases in carbon tax. I look forward to future budgets where the government will broaden the carbon tax to include forest slash-pile burning and fugitive emissions.

I hope that the work will not stop there and that this government will introduce measures to move away from the internal combustion engine on our roads by incentivizing and educating British Columbians to make the default choice the low-carbon choice. Through these and other steps, we can once again become a leader in addressing climate change.

In response to the changes we’re seeing across the board, we need to take bold, forward-looking action to foster resilience in our community and to enable us to seize opportunities that arise from change. We need to support people to be resilient.

[4:30 p.m.]

To this end, education is the single most important investment our government can make in British Columbians. We said that we were going to make education the highest priority, that we were going to give our children, all of our children, the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. So I’m fully supportive, of course, of the investments announced in this budget update in education and, of course, the restoration of free adult basic education and English language learning.

But a strong public education system is only one part of the equation. Providing parents access to child care and mid-career retraining programs provides people with the ability to prosper and provides stability in our society.

I have two young children. Both are now in public school. Ella, my daughter, just started kindergarten last week. She’s pretty cute, I have to say. For the past ten years, I have been a work-from-home father. Emily and I decided that we were going to raise our children, so we have largely become a one-income family for that period of time. It is important that our government develop a child care and early childhood education program that considers parents who want this flexibility. When we design this program, we must do it with care and attention.

The increasing costs of child care weigh on the minds of so many and add stress to all the other factors making life less affordable, like access to safe and affordable housing near our work and near our families. We have less time to spend on the ball field and playing with our children, and that increases an empty, guilty feeling while we’re gridlocked in traffic.

We are less happy, less productive in what should be the most productive years of our careers. This is not good for community, and it’s not good for our economy. I am a strong advocate for supporting parents to support their children. That is why I am excited to work with the government thoughtfully to develop child care and early childhood education programs over the coming weeks and months.

Child care, early childhood education, public education, adult basic education and post-secondary are all critical components to providing British Columbians the education that we need to succeed in the 21st century. Another critical aspect of this are much-needed investments in programs that support workers to retool for a changing economy.

Losing a job to a machine is a scary prospect. This morning, I read an article about SAM. SAM is a semi-automated mason. Yes, even the masons are being replaced by robots. SAM can work about three times faster than a human. Humans lay about 300 to 500 bricks per day. SAM lays between 800 to 1,200 bricks per day. As automation accelerates and people undergo more work transitions, we need to support people to shift gears and retrain mid-career as the final component of supporting lifelong learning.

My generation will have more than a dozen jobs in a career — my late grandfather, just one. Providing people with lifelong learning opportunities supports their resilience as individuals, as an educated, skilled and agile workforce is essential to the resilience in our economy.

This time of economic change also means that we need to support British Columbians through providing greater income security. This is particularly important as the economy changes rapidly, and our old version of the social safety net is failing too many.

I support the increases to the welfare rates of $100 a month that this government has implemented. However, we must also ask: is our current welfare system the best tool to provide income security for British Columbians in the 21st century?

This is why we pushed for a basic income pilot to test whether basic income might be a better tool to provide health, wellness and employment outcomes for British Columbians. I’m excited to see the government move on this file in the full budget in February.

This time of change that we’re living through extends to our politics. This minority government presents an historic opportunity to do politics differently in B.C. and to craft better policy as a result. We are still learning what this looks like. It’s an exciting time, and I truly believe that this government has the potential to become more than the sum of its parts. We can all make things better through working together and through holding each other to account.

[4:35 p.m.]

This extends sincerely to the Liberals. As the government for 16 years, you are an immensely important voice in holding government to account and on sharing your expertise and making sure government is serving British Columbians in all regions of the province.

We are all different parties, and we all have different points of view. The goal isn’t to agree all the time. To borrow a line, we must be able to disagree without being disagreeable. We all share a common commitment to British Columbians, and if we keep this commitment at the forefront, our disagreements can provide a gateway to crafting better public policy. More voices will only ever make policy stronger. We need to rebuild trust in government. All of us in this House have a shared responsibility to do this.

This summer I heard a lot about the balance of power. I recoiled when I was asked about this. Our government is made up of 87 members. We all got here exactly the same way. Yes, we have the power to make laws and regulations, but there’s much more to it than that. We share a responsibility to all British Columbians to work collaboratively to develop and strengthen public policy focused on increasing the quality of our communities, our lives, our economy and our environment. But unfortunately, this House has become more about power — ruling over British Columbia rather than governing our province.

We have to do better. We have to stop making promises at election time that feed the desire to rule British Columbia and focus on governing our great province. When this place is reduced to a debate about who holds power, when we do not all equally share the balance of responsibility, we stop serving the people of British Columbia and start serving our banners, our colours and our parties. I do not accept a balance of power. I only accept my share of the balance of responsibility on behalf of my constituents in Saanich North and the Islands and all British Columbians.

I’m troubled by the promises to remove bridge tolls, I have to say. This was a political decision based on the desire to scoop up votes on either side of the bridge without properly analyzing how we’re going to pay for it or how it fits into our transportation or climate strategies. I do not believe that this is how sound public policy should be made.

At the Saanich Fair this past Labour Day weekend, I fielded so many questions from Vancouver Islanders who said: “Well, what about ferry fares? What about us?” They saw right through the decision to remove tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges. Decision-making like this quickly becomes a race to the bottom. It exacerbates the very problem that we’re trying to fix.

During recent town halls on all the Gulf Islands, I was asked about lowering or removing ferry fares, the critical connection for Gulf Islanders to the rest of British Columbia. My answer may have been unacceptable to some, but I believe that it was the responsible one. Decisions about ferry fares need to be based on careful analysis.

Are the ferries to the Gulf Islands too expensive? Are Gulf Islanders unfairly carrying more of the cost of their highways than others in British Columbia? I think the answer is yes, but rather than making this a political decision that may have consequences in the near future, it is responsible to take more time now to understand the current situation so we can make a more informed decision in the coming weeks.

I am disappointed, and I share the disappointment of my constituents, that B.C. Ferries was pretty much overlooked in this budget and in the throne speech. Let’s not forget that B.C. Ferries connects people to their homes and approximately 30 percent of our provincial economy. To all the Gulf Islanders and the people living in ferry-connected communities, I will be a strong advocate for you. I look forward to working with the Transportation Minister to address this issue in the very near future.

I have heard, in every community I have visited, British Columbians’ exasperation about housing. This is a canary in the coal mine for the provincial government which has been largely ignored. Governments talk about housing units. They do not talk about homes. I think we need more talk about homes, because they’re different than housing units. Homes are the places where people live, where families grow up. Homes are the cornerstone of stable, resilient communities.

[4:40 p.m.]

In my opinion, when your home is a rock, we have much stronger social outcomes, and economic and environmental outcomes as well. When you feel vulnerable in your home, when it is on the sand, then everything else is less stable, and that is when desperation sets in.

From what I have seen so far, desperation has set in for many British Columbians, and it’s from across a vast socioeconomic spectrum. We can immediately address housing affordability issues — the leaky bucket — by plugging the holes. But we ultimately need public policy that is about more than just plugging holes. We need to address the integrity of the bucket. It is pretty clear to me that the former government used the runaway housing market to cash in on their strong-economy rhetoric when their promises around natural gas did not come to fruition as planned.

Housing is too important to the stability of our society to be playing political games with. I support this budget’s investment in affordable housing, but I want to push further. I want us to dig deeper. In my opinion, we are not going to solve the problems of housing affordability simply by endlessly increasing inventory. British Columbia is blessed with an endless supply of demand from people who want to live in our beautiful province, from all across our country and all across the world. We must take bold action to curb the rampant speculation in our housing market, which is turning our homes solely into commodities.

That said, we must do this with caution. Many British Columbians are banking on the value of their homes for their retirement. So this is the fine line that we are walking. Homes define a community, and communities define a province. The unwillingness of the previous government to tackle this issue head-on is breaking our communities, and it is breaking our province. I sincerely hope that this government will show itself willing to treat the roots of this issue, to truly tackle the housing affordability crisis gripping our province. I will be working with them, going forward, to ensure that meaningful action is taken.

We are having some fundamental discussions in our communities about governance. In my riding alone, Saltspring Island has had a long debate on incorporation, and the Saanich Peninsula and greater Victoria, on amalgamation. A referendum ended Saltspring’s incorporation debate, with residents choosing the status quo. A report recently released identified ways that greater Victoria municipalities could work more closely together. While these initiatives addressed the immediate question at hand, nothing has changed.

Communities make a province. And how those communities are working together managing those fence lines and their connections across the fence lines ultimately is what defines who we are as a province. It is our duty to make sure that government is serving the people and that they are ultimately in control of their governance at the community level and at the provincial level. When public debate about incorporation or amalgamation exists, it is a sign that the communities are not feeling well-served by their governance structures, and we have a duty to act.

Housing, transportation, business — all exist in community. If the community governance is not working, if we cannot effectively build sewage treatment systems or effectively negotiate better transportation and transit options because it is unclear what fence lines we are responsible for and what fence lines we are tending to, then the governance structure needs attention.

The provincial government has a critical role in addressing this. Those conversations will start with this new government next week at the Union of B.C. Municipalities. I look forward to working with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink to address these issues in future budgets.

To sum up, there is much in this budget that I fully support. I’m thrilled that this budget update includes the emerging economy task force and the innovation commission — the two B.C. Green ideas out of our platform designed to build the future of our economy and enable us to seize exciting opportunities.

I welcome the increases to the carbon tax announced in this budget. This is the first of a number of steps that need to be taken to take meaningful action on climate change, enabling B.C. to once again become a climate leader.

[4:45 p.m.]

I am fully supportive, of course, of the investments announced in this budget in public education and the restoration of free adult basic education and English language learning. I’m excited to work with the government to thoughtfully develop child care and early childhood education programs over the coming weeks and months.

I support the long-overdue increase of welfare rates by $100 a month. But we also must take a step back and ask a more fundamental question than if our welfare rates are adequate to support the fundamentals of a decent life — which, of course, they’re still not. We must ask whether our social assistance system needs updating to adapt to the 21st century. To help us answer this question, I look forward to the introduction of a basic income pilot in the full budget, in February.

There are also items in this budget that I disagree with. The removal of bridge tolls stands out. It’s the result of a political calculation done to win votes without properly analyzing its impact on the government books or its place within our transportation and climate strategies. I’m disappointed, and I share the disappointment of my constituents, that B.C. Ferries was pretty much overlooked in this budget. I will advocate for all of the Gulf Islanders living in ferry-connected communities, because this issue hasn’t been taken seriously enough.

And while I welcome the investments in affordable rental stock and modular housing for homeless in British Columbia, we must address the root of the housing affordability crisis and take bold action to curb speculation and close loopholes in our real estate market, while maintaining an understanding that people have invested a lot in their homes.

Housing is too important. It’s too fundamental to the well-being of British Columbians and to the health of our communities, to the health of our province, to only take action on the sidelines of this crisis. We must face the housing affordability crisis and the many challenges facing us in B.C. head-on.

We are in a time of change in B.C. As we navigate it, we must at all times be thinking: what do we want our communities to look like today and tomorrow? How do we want to shape our future? Going forward, we must embrace a vision for the future of our province that is hopeful, that brings new opportunities and rejects the premise that we are divided. Through making smart, unbiased choices based on the long-term vision for B.C., we can seize the exciting opportunities arising out of our changing world. We can build a province where British Columbians enjoy a high quality of life for generations to come. HÍSW̱ḴE. Thank you.

Hon. J. Darcy: I welcome the opportunity to take my place in this debate in response to the Budget Update 2017. I want to begin by acknowledging that we meet today on the territory of Lekwungen-speaking people.

I am deeply honoured that the people of New Westminster have re-elected me as their member of the Legislative Assembly. I’m incredibly proud to represent such a wonderful community, a compassionate and dynamic community where everybody comes together, whatever the occasion is, whether that’s to care for the most vulnerable, whether that’s to stand up to bigotry and hatred or whether it’s to build a strong and thriving local economy where nobody is left behind. Everybody comes together to do those things together.

I want to take the opportunity to thank the amazing staff in my constituency office: Nadine Nakagawa and Laura Sunnus, my constituency assistants, and my new executive assistant, Raymond Liens. We have one of the busiest constituency offices in the province, I think, and they do just a wonderful job addressing the needs of constituents who come to them every single day.

I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank my husband of almost 40 years. Yes, this is the time when hon. members are supposed to gasp and say: “Forty years?” But it’s true. My son is 33 years old now. I want to thank them for their love and their stalwart support through good times and through challenging times.

[4:50 p.m.]

I am deeply honoured that the Premier of British Columbia asked me to serve as this province’s first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. When he called me, as I was getting on the ferry and coming over before the swearing in, and asked me to take on this task and explained to me why he wanted me to do it, I said to him: “Premier” — with a little difficulty at that time wrapping my tongue around calling him Premier — “I will pour my heart and my soul into doing this job.”

I want to begin by sharing a story that I think goes to the heart of why our government has created this new ministry. A few weeks ago, on Overdose Awareness Day in Victoria, I spoke to parents of a young woman who was sexually assaulted at the age of 13. The trauma of that horrific experience led her to become addicted to street drugs at age 17. Her parents told me that their entire lives are focused on trying to keep her alive. They also told me that there are no treatment beds available for young women in Victoria and that they have to wait for months to get access to a treatment bed in the Lower Mainland.

Families like this one and thousands more need our help to keep their loved ones alive and to have access to treatment and a pathway to hope. We are in the midst of a public health emergency, an acute widespread epidemic, the worst in British Columbia in decades. There are thousands of families in British Columbia today who are living with the same fear that those parents are living with.

If today holds to this year’s pace, four British Columbians will likely lose their lives to overdose in the next 24 hours. We don’t know who those four people are, whether they’re young or old, whether they’re living on the streets or earning a middle-class salary, like the college professor whose wife came to see me in New Westminster and shared her tragic story. They could be occasional drug users or people with long-term addictions. It could be an injured worker who began with prescription painkillers, became addicted, was cut off and turned to street drugs.

We don’t know when they’ll die or where. It could be anywhere in our province. We do know a few things, though. We know they’ll probably die alone. We know they’ll probably be men aged 30 to 59. We know one in ten will be Indigenous, and that means that Indigenous people are dying at three times the rate of the general population. We know something else. We know that these deaths are avoidable. Addressing those deaths is my most immediate, most urgent priority as the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

As Premier Horgan has said, the reason for creating this ministry is so there is someone in government who wakes up every morning focused on addressing mental health and addictions and nothing else. That’s exactly what my dedicated and hearty little band of people are working on.

I want to take the opportunity to thank the staff in the minister’s office: Shannon Russell, who served as my ministerial assistant for the crucial first seven weeks; Debbie Wade, our admin coordinator; Mary Kelly, our admin assistant; Meaghan Thumath and Anna Lindsay-Baugh, our ministerial assistants just for the past week; Doug Hughes, my deputy minister and his team.

This overdose crisis didn’t just dawn on British Columbia one morning. It has been building for years. For the past 16 years, this province has neglected both mental health and addictions, not to mention the social factors that have such a huge impact.

Having said that, I cannot say too much about the incredible work of all those people on the front lines — our first responders, health care providers, community agencies, clinicians, researchers, activists, peer support workers, staff and volunteers. You have been there through thick and thin, often when your provincial government has not been. On behalf of the government and people of British Columbia, I want to thank you so much for your heroic work.

Our new ministry has hit the ground running, visiting dozens of sites, speaking to hundreds of people on the front lines. In this budget, we are acting to save lives now and, at the same time, to build lasting, durable solutions for the long term for mental health and addictions. It’s pretty much like building a jumbo jet in mid-flight.

The urgency and scope of this emergency mean there is absolutely no time to waste on turf wars or communication silos. We just have to get the job done. That’s why we’re taking an all-government approach, bringing together Health and Housing and Poverty Reduction and Children and Families and Public Safety and Education and every other department that we need to in order to tackle this crisis.

[4:55 p.m.]

We’re taking action in four crucial areas: (1) saving lives now, (2) ending the stigma around addictions and mental illness, (3) building a network of mental health and addiction treatment services and (4) addressing the full range of supports and social factors that can keep people from developing addictions in the first place. I want to stress the importance of moving forward on all four fronts in tandem. None of them can succeed without the others. But let me start with saving lives because that’s the most urgent part of the job.

Saving lives is crucial. It means meeting people where they are now. There are many pathways to hope, and what works for some won’t work for others. Whether that path means abstinence or harm reduction, sobriety or maintenance, people need to be alive to follow it. That’s why, in this budget, we will be dramatically expanding access to naloxone and the number of people who are trained to administer it — so that when someone does overdose, there’s someone else nearby who can bring them back from the brink.

We’re going to do everything we can to deliver the message: don’t use alone. We’re going to expand access to harm reduction in this budget. There has never been an overdose death in a B.C. safe injection site or an overdose prevention centre — not one. Harm reduction does work. That’s why, in this budget, we’re expanding access to harm reduction sites in communities across B.C. We’re expanding access to Suboxone and methadone to treat people with opioid use disorder. We’re expanding the number of patients who can be served by the Crosstown Clinic in Vancouver. We’re expanding access to injectable hydromorphone too. Harm reduction saves lives and opens the door to healing and hope.

Hand in hand with saving lives is the action that we’re taking to combat stigma. If shaming and ostracizing people could end addictions, this province would be addiction-free many times over. Stigma is why people inject themselves in a room at home or in a locked bathroom stall where nobody can see them when they crash. It’s also why people suffering from mental illness often don’t ask for help before it’s too late. Stigma is why those people closest to those living with mental health or addictions often don’t have any idea that there’s a problem and why, if they do worry about it, they don’t feel they can ask. Stigma keeps the broader community from understanding what’s really happening with addictions and mental illness, what’s at stake and what measures really could make a difference.

I am so proud that our government’s first budget update will allow us to take on stigma in a very big way. We have to end the idea that addiction reflects some defect of character, both because it hides the fact that any of us could be at risk and because it separates us from compassion. Addiction is not a moral failure. Let me repeat that. Addiction is not a moral failure. The truth we need to tell is that addiction is most often a response to pain, to trauma, to profound emotional pain or acute physical pain, and shame only serves to compound the pain.

For some communities, that pain runs very, very deep indeed. First Nations of British Columbia, Indigenous people, are grappling with an intergenerational trauma, the legacy of colonialism and racism and residential schools.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

In the past number of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to First Nations communities and health centres, at the First Nations and cabinet leadership summit, and to meet with First Nations leaders across B.C. about the suicide epidemics amongst their youth, about the hopelessness and despair in many of their communities. Too many of their young people are turning to drugs and alcohol to numb their pain. I’m very proud that Budget Update 2017 commits significant funds to tackle the overdose crisis as it affects Indigenous people.

That brings me to the third area of action that this government is committed to. That’s building a solid network of services for people dealing with mental health and addictions.

[5:00 p.m.]

If I were to fall today in the Legislature and break a leg — I assure you that’s not going to happen — everyone in this chamber would know what to do. Everybody listening today would know what to do. They would know what kind of treatment I need and where I would get it. I would also get sympathy, not stigma. But nothing remotely like that happens for someone who wants help dealing with an addiction and with mental health issues too. Chances are they wouldn’t even know where to start.

Our new government is acknowledging a hard truth. The system B.C. has for dealing with mental illness and addiction is fundamentally broken. That is not for lack of goodwill, dedication or professional skill by people on the front lines who deliver mental health and addiction services, who do an amazing job under very, very difficult circumstances.

But the system itself is fragmented. It has huge gaps. There’s a lack of early intervention, prevention, coordination, communication and follow-up. What we also have, effectively, is two-tier care when it comes to mental health and addictions, because access to care often does depend on the size of your bank account or whether you have a really good extended health plan. And that’s wrong.

In this budget, we are taking some important first steps to put some building blocks in place for a better system for treatment and prevention programs for people living with mental health issues or with addictions. That includes funding for specialized substance use centres that will be hubs for an array of health and social supports. It includes additional funds for Foundry Integrated Youth Services hubs to increase the number of youth served in the ten sites planned across the province. It includes more residential treatment beds and outpatient services. It includes funding for improved pain management services.

This budget also provides funding to support those people on the front lines in hospitals and emergency departments, support for more outreach workers to connect with vulnerable groups and referral for things like harm reduction services, housing, health care or social services. It includes support for first-line responders, recognizing the urgent need to provide emotional and psychological support for first responders, community workers, health workers and volunteers.

As Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, I am haunted by the knowledge that time is not on our side and what that means in human lives. I’m very proud that our government has committed the funding in this budget to not just continue the emergency response but to escalate our emergency response to the overdose crisis — extremely proud that our government has committed $322 million over the next three years to do that and to start to build a better system for mental health and addictions.

When I say we are taking an all-government approach, when I say it needs to be all hands on deck, I’m talking about the full attention of government, but I’m talking about something much bigger. This crisis is affecting our whole province, and it demands nothing less than our whole province to address this.

We all share this. Nobody, not one person, is off the hook. Everybody has something to contribute, and that’s why we’re going to go out and actively bring partners into the solution — families, people with lived experience, local government, federal government, First Nations, Indigenous organizations, community agencies, the business community, the labour movement, faith communities, schools and universities, not-for-profits, sports teams, first responders, WorkSafe B.C. You name it. It absolutely needs to be all hands on deck.

Also, in the coming months, I’ll be working closely with my colleagues to develop a comprehensive strategy for mental health and addictions, because we know that addictions have a powerful social dimension as well as a medical and psychological one. That raises the fourth area where we’re taking action, ensuring that our strategy includes the social and economic supports that people living with addiction and mental illness need, and that’s why we’re taking an all-government approach, starting with housing.

[5:05 p.m.]

Time and time again, I hear from front-line workers, from health providers, from people living with mental illness and addictions. They stress the critical importance of housing, as my colleague the Minister of Housing spoke about just a few minutes ago. The importance of having a safe, secure, stable place to live is the foundation of everything else in rebuilding a life.

An all-government approach also means that we make the early interventions that we need in order to keep the risk of substance use from becoming a life-threatening addiction. That means starting early, with our kids in our schools. Drawing the connections between addressing addiction and addressing poverty and educational and employment opportunities and community services in the justice system and recognizing the indispensable role of reconciliation with First Nations are all crucial to our approach.

I am so incredibly excited that our new government has moved on many of these areas already — increasing the minimum wage; waiving post-secondary tuition for young people who have aged out of care; restoring free tuition for adult basic education and English-language-learning classes, a move that was applauded at Douglas College in New Westminster and by those people who had not had access to those programs because they couldn’t afford to pay; increasing income assistance and disability rates; tasking a ministry specifically with poverty reduction; and working on a homes and homelessness strategy, working on a strategy to create more affordable housing.

I want to just go back to my constituency for a minute. As I said, it’s a very busy constituency office. People come there with a wide variety of issues that they need help with, but part of almost everybody’s story is lack of access to affordable housing.

That includes a young mom, a recently widowed mom, by the name of Jane, who has a daughter who is not even two years old and who is paying $1,300 plus utilities for her apartment. Because of that, she doesn’t have enough money for food. She has to use the food bank. She’s often struggling to pay for child care and the cost of transportation to work, with no money left over for savings. She was working two jobs but was recently laid off at one of those jobs. If Jane and her daughter had affordable housing, she’d have a sense of security with a roof over her family’s head. She’d be able to save for emergencies and for her daughter’s education.

All of these initiatives, in all of the areas that I’ve talked about, are an integral part of our strategy. All of these actions are about creating pathways to hope. That’s exactly what this budget does. The budget update that was presented last week provides hope for British Columbians. We are making life more affordable. We are improving the services that people count on. We will be creating good jobs for people throughout British Columbia.

Our government is committed to putting people first and making life better for families everywhere in B.C. After 16 years of bad choices and neglect, there’s an awful lot of work to do. This budget update takes the critical first steps in building a better B.C. It starts by investing in people and in a strong, sustainable British Columbia.

This budget is also about fairness. We are asking people at the very top to pay a little more — yes, the top income earners who got a tax break under the B.C. Liberal government. We’re increasing corporate taxes by a modest 1 percent, keeping us competitive with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. We’re also cutting MSP premiums in half, saving families up to $900 per year. I can’t tell you, hon. Speaker, how many of my constituents have come to see me over the last number of years about this unfair flat tax. We are also lowering the small business tax rate by 20 percent, from 2.5 percent to 2 percent. I can tell you that the hundreds of dynamic small businesses in New Westminster, who are the backbone of our economy, are certainly very welcoming of that move.

In the area of improving services, we’re moving forward with new child care investments that will increase our spending on early childhood development and child care to $330 million this year and support more than 4,000 new child care spaces. This is just the beginning of what is to come in creating a universal, affordable child care system for parents across British Columbia, an issue that is certainly top of mind for young families in my community who have told me over and over and over again that child care costs, for them, are almost as high and sometimes even higher than what they’re paying for rent or mortgage.

[5:10 p.m.]

The story that Laura Cornish has shared with me many times and has spoken out about in child care forums I’ve organized in my community…. She has a daughter, three years old, and a new son, now two months old. Her daycare costs, now that she has a toddler…. Now that her daughter is three, she’s paying $855 per month. But when she was under three, she was paying $1,250 a month for full-time daycare.

She is desperately trying to find home-based child care for their infant son, but it isn’t the quality of care that they want. They’re on the wait-list for the only daycare in downtown New Westminster that has infant care. There’s no daycare where their new child and their three-year-old can attend together, so they’re looking at very hard choices. Her husband may have to stay home until their son is 18 months old so he can attend the same daycare as their daughter. The alternative is two separate daycares and over $2,000 a month.

In this budget, we’re also making important investments in K-to-12 education, $681 million over three years, to help our kids get the education that they deserve, with smaller class sizes, more resources and the supports they need to succeed, including hiring approximately 3,500 teachers.

We’re providing capital funding for $50 million to ensure that space requirements for kids going back to school are addressed. I’m very, very excited, as I know that the folks in New Westminster are, about the financial commitment in this budget to rebuild New West Secondary School, one of the oldest schools in our province and one that is in a state of complete decay — great education happening there despite it, but really excited to see this investment in New Westminster Secondary School. I’m also very excited to see funding for seismic upgrading at F.W. Howay School, as well as a commitment to accelerate further seismic upgrading of schools in years to come.

I can’t tell you how excited my community is that we are, indeed, continuing to move ahead with phase 2 and phase 3 of Royal Columbian Hospital’s development, a hospital that serves not just our community of New Westminster but is a trauma centre for approximately one-third of the province.

Finally, this budget highlights our commitment to building a sustainable economy — $14.6 billion in capital spending over three years for schools, hospitals, transit, transportation infrastructure in communities and in job creation in every corner of British Columbia.

It also includes creation of an innovation commission, which will be both an advocate and an ambassador to B.C.’s tech sector, and an emergency task force, which will be charged with developing made-in-B.C. solutions and looking at how government can encourage innovative and sustainable industries to drive economic growth in British Columbia in the 21st century, one of the important ideas that the Green Party has contributed to this budget in our working relationship to build a better British Columbia.

Also in this budget, an important priority, a critical priority, has been placed on fighting climate change by increasing the carbon tax by $5-a-tonne, starting April 1, 2018. We will be using that carbon tax revenue to support families and to fund green initiatives to address our climate action commitments. All of this is in the context of a balanced budget.

Let me conclude by saying I am very proud to stand in support of Budget Update 2017, a budget that truly does put people first. I am very excited to be asked to serve as the first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in British Columbia and to have the budget commitment today to be able to move forward to ensure that we are both saving lives and building a seamless, coordinated system for mental health and addictions. As a goal, in the future it will indeed be the case that when people ask for help once, they get help fast.

I’m very excited about the great work that lies ahead of us over the next four years, working closely with the Green Party and with all members of this House. I’m very excited for the opportunity to work again to serve my community and to serve communities across British Columbia in building a better B.C.

[5:15 p.m.]

M. Hunt: I want to begin by thanking my constituents in Surrey-Cloverdale for their fantastic support in this past election and giving me the absolute honour and privilege of being able to serve them here in this House. I, also, of course, would like to thank my family for their support. As with the member for New Westminster, who’s just spoken — and who thought that we should all be gasping at her almost 40 years of marriage — my wife and I passed 43 years this past summer. So I wasn’t going to gasp on that one. [Applause.]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. But actually….

Interjections.

M. Hunt: Yeah. Well, in three more years, we’ll have the three.

Also, for our 16 wonderful grandchildren that we have the awesome privilege of being able to enjoy, I’ll just give one little story on that. We were watching the new Cinderella movie with a couple of our granddaughters a little while back. As the movie was going on and as you come to the part in the movie where the ball is at the prince’s palace, my granddaughter looks and says: “Oh, the prince has a palace just like grandpa.”

So we’re going: “Okay, grandpa.” Yeah, the member for New Westminster has got the same look on her face as we had, like: “Grandpa’s castle? What is this?” So then we said: “Well, where did you see grandpa’s castle?” “Oh, we can see it from grandpa’s condo in Victoria.” Obviously, this is grandpa’s castle that we get to enjoy. It’s always interesting, seeing life and reality from other people’s perspectives. Here our granddaughter looks at this as grandpa’s castle.

As we look at the budget speech and the budget that’s before us, we really can’t start to talk about the budget unless we first of all talk about the fires of this past summer. Those fires across the summer have had quite an effect on this province and, certainly, a devastating effect on those up in the Cariboo and in the areas affected.

Certainly, we want to thank the firefighters, the RCMP, the emergency social services people — all those people that were involved in it — but it also comes down to Cloverdale. That’s because when we think of this, we think, “Well, this is up in the Interior, and Kamloops is a logical place for them to go while they’re being evacuated,” and those sort of things. But you had people that went from one evacuation to another evacuation to another, as the fires continued to grow.

During this summer, we had the wonderful opportunity of seeing Surrey’s emergency social services work together in Cloverdale to set up a facility in Cloverdale to be able to deal with these evacuees. Certainly, the staff were wonderful, but what was even more wonderful were the volunteers who came and were supporting their fellow citizens. Many people they didn’t know from Adam, but they were there to help them, to support them in the midst of their crisis and in the midst of their difficulties, as they were evacuated from those fires.

One of the most interesting parts I found was that when we’re dealing with evacuees, we normally think of the people side of things, of course, but we also have pets. It was interesting that over on the side was one group of people that were there to help the pets of those who were evacuated — with various supplies, various medical things, for them to be able to also take care of the pets and the trauma that the pets were going through in the midst of all of this.

To focus on the budget that is before us — a budget that is described as being “more affordable” for working people — certainly, we see that when we look at our riding in Surrey-Cloverdale. In the north end of the riding, we have those people that are very pleased with the removal of the tolls on the Port Mann Bridge. Also, those businesses up in the north, as well as up in Port Kells, have their employees coming from over in Maple Ridge–Mission. With the removal of the tolls on the Golden Ears Bridge, of course, they’re very pleased with that and receiving the benefits of that.

[5:20 p.m.]

Those in the south part of my riding are not quite so excited about the cancellation of the replacement of the Massey Tunnel and the continuation of their commute challenges as they work through the southern routes. We also have the increase in the carbon tax that’s coming to us from this budget. It’s an increase that…. One minute we think: “Well, that’s it. It’s carbon tax. It has nothing to do with us.” But, actually, it’ll be raising the price of gasoline for everyone. I believe it’s about five cents a litre that we’ll see it going up.

Interjection.

M. Hunt: I’m sorry. It’s 6.7 cents a litre that the price of gasoline will be going up for everyone throughout the province.

We also see things like the effect it’ll have on things like cement and the whole cement industry, which has been extremely challenged with the carbon tax that we’ve had to date. Certainly, they are fighting with imports of cement from other countries that don’t have carbon tax and aren’t paying carbon tax. They’re having tremendous difficulty staying competitive. Their market share has greatly decreased. But of course, that all comes to the price of cement, the price in construction and those sorts of things.

The long-term effect of this is, in fact, going to be touching everyone. Of course, we also have heard that the ICBC rates are going up, which is a challenge for all of us. I hear it’s about $130 a year for the average person. We see prices continuing to go up.

We’ve discovered that it’s a lot easier to make promises than it is to actually deliver on those promises. I’d like to talk about a few of those promises. Within the platform of the current government, the NDP’s platform, it was supposed to be realistic and reasonable. It was completely costed. But in fact, what we see is a budget that says something very, very different.

We look at, for example, the MSP premiums being cut in half. We had suggested that we were doing that. That was a part of our February budget. Congratulations to the members opposite for actually fulfilling that portion of what was our commitment, as well as their commitment, to reducing that in half. But now the challenge comes with reducing the other half. That’s $1 billion, and where is it going to come from? Well, that’s going to go off to somebody else to study for a while, and we’ll see where that one comes in.

We talked about fast-tracking schools in Surrey. We put over $200 million into the fast-tracking of schools in Surrey in order to reduce the number of portables. Our opponents, the NDP, said that they were going to remove all of the portables in Surrey within four years. But when we look at the budget, in fact, we see no new capital in this budget for Surrey schools. As a matter of fact, we see less capital in this budget for schools than there was in our budget back in February. So how is that promise going to get fulfilled?

We said back in February that we were going to put $147 million into new daycare spaces, creating about another 2,000 new daycare spaces in the province. Of course, we remember the NDP talked about a $10-a-day daycare, but they were going to take ten years to bring that in. I always thought that was an interesting one, because ten years to bring in a campaign promise that is a current promise means you got at least two more elections to work that promise in. We’ll see what happens with that one.

They said they were going to start with $175 million in this year’s budget to be able to get it started and to get it advanced. Well, when we look at the budget, what do we discover? We discover the same $147 million that we had for 2,000 spaces. Somehow they are going to wave the magic wand, and that’s going to become 4,000 spaces. We’ll see what actually happens on that.

Back in February, we said that we were going to add 3,700 new units for the homeless, for affordable housing, low-income citizens, seniors, those sorts of things. Our friends in the NDP said they were going to build 114,000 affordable housing units. But again, it was going to be in ten years. Again, two more elections to be able to work that promise through.

That averages out to 11,400 units per year. What do we see in this budget? Well, in this budget, we’ve got 1,700 affordable units and we’ve got 2,000 homeless units, which makes — surprise, surprise — 3,700 units of affordable housing, which is exactly what we said back in February and not what they said in the election of 11,400.

Obviously, the reality of having to balance budgets and the finances is taking its effect. Also what we don’t see in this budget are other promises that they made which, of course, we shook our head at and said: “How are you going to be able to afford that?”

[5:25 p.m.]

Well, they haven’t been able to afford it. The $400 renters rebate, ferry fares rollback, the freeze on hydro rates, transit upgrades, the elimination of student loan interest, a new hospital for Surrey — it almost sounds like that chicken in every pot that we had back in the States back in the 1930s. But anyhow, something for everybody, and we’ll stretch it all over.

What did we get? We got tax increases of $1.6 billion on top of the surplus that we had already given to them. So we’ve got a 1 percent corporate tax rate increase. Of course, they describe that as saying: “Well, we’re just staying like everybody else.” What we’re doing, in fact, is losing the competitive advantage that attracted businesses to British Columbia. Now we’re just like Alberta and the other western Canadian provinces, except they don’t have the high cost of real estate that we have.

A 2.1 percent increase in the income tax for the higher wage earners. Now, that sounds fair, because, after all, that’s those rich guys. But when we listen to the platform of the Green Party, in particular, we see that what they’re wanting to attract, to keep the economy growing, are high-tech workers. That’s what they want to come. Well, those high-tech workers are the ones that they just increased the taxes on by 2.1 percent to discourage them from coming to British Columbia and encourage them to go elsewhere.

Then of course we have the 17 percent carbon tax increase per year, which now will not have neutrality. I think that actually might be where the money is going to come from for the rest of the promises that aren’t in this budget, because that simply is a tax grab. We have made neutrality in legislation, and that is now being changed for whatever else we want to spend money on.

The problem with this budget is very simple: there is no plan to grow the economy, and it’s the economy that gives us the money to spend. It’s just like in a home. You only have the money that comes in from your job. You’re only working so many hours and getting paid so many dollars. The math is really quite simple. But when we remove the competitive advantage that we have in B.C., and our house prices continue to rise, we are, in fact, removing the advantages that attracted these people, which is why the economy has been growing. Now we’re heading ourselves in the opposite direction.

The economy and revenue are built on — and have been built on — growth. If you look at Surrey, as an example, you see that it’s been built on real estate development. But what we have, in fact, is that our friends on the other side — the new provincial government, the NDP — have decided they want to stop that. They want to cool down the housing market. They want to decrease the cost of housing and decrease the value of housing, which ultimately also decreases revenue, because the construction industry is not continuing to build, and that’s where those dollars have come from.

Federally we see higher interest rates, and we have the potential of credit downgrades because of the various things that we’re doing with the tolls on the bridges. That in fact is going to decrease revenue and increase expenses, which is exactly the opposite of balanced budgets.

It’s a very simple reality. Raising spending has to be paid for by raising revenue. Real simple. There are only two sources of revenue in real terms: the taxpayers now or the taxpayers in the future. Either you increase the number of taxpayers, which is economic growth, or you increase the amount that the taxpayers pay, which is simply more taxes, new and extractive taxes. So instead of attracting investment, creating jobs and growing the economy, it’s clear that this plan is to raise taxes, reduce jobs and reduce the number of taxpayers.

We simply have to look at Site C and the whole debate on Site C — 2,600 current jobs there. If they in fact go ahead with cancellation of that, we’re talking 10,000 jobs lost. The Massey Tunnel replacement — 9,000 jobs disappeared with the stroke of a pen. Then of course, we’ve got things like fighting Kinder Morgan and those jobs. So we really have a climate of job loss that is being created, not of job creation.

[5:30 p.m.]

If we look at this year’s budget, we’ve got a 2.7 percent surplus from last year’s budget. We’ve got $1.6 billion in tax increases. If my math is simply working here, that’s $4.3 billion to spend. But this budget, in fact, only has a $200 million surplus at the end of the day. In other words, they’ve spent it all. It’s all spent. So where are the rest of these promises? Where are the revenues for that going to come from?

I would suggest that it’s going to come from new and increased taxes, and that I consider a great concern. We saw it back in the 1990s. It drove people out of this province. It drove jobs out of this province. Oh I forgot. I’m not supposed to be talking about the 1990s, because somehow they didn’t really happen.

The problem is that those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, it looks like that’s where this budget is heading. As a result, I will not be supporting this budget.

Hon. G. Chow: Our government is focused on putting British Columbians first. Earlier this week, the Minister of Finance released the Budget 2017 Update. The budget update outlines the government’s new investments that will grow jobs and help develop a strong economy for the people and businesses of the province.

British Columbia has the fastest-growing economy in the country. International trade and investment are critical to our province’s economy, generating millions in revenues and jobs in communities across B.C. This is why, as the Minister of State for Trade, I’m very supportive of the government’s announcement in the budget update to provide funding to expand B.C.’s international trade and investment.

In the budget, our government has committed $1.7 million to establish a trade and investment representative office in Singapore and to continue the operation of two existing offices in Manila and Jakarta, and $800,000 to increase B.C.’s trade and investment representative’s presence in the United States, specifically in Seattle and San Francisco, with an additional $500,000 in fiscal year 2018-19 and fiscal year 2019-20 to support these offices.

I will elaborate more about international trade and investment, but first I would like to tell a bit about myself. I was born in China and went to Hong Kong when I was about four years old, with my mom and dad. Life was tough then, and my father decided to join my maternal grandfather in Canada. He landed in Victoria’s Chinatown in 1955, while my mom and I and my younger brother remained in Hong Kong for the next ten years. We did not see our father again until we came to Vancouver in 1965.

My first impression of Vancouver, upon landing on that February day, 52 years ago, was positive. Compared to Hong Kong, the cars here were bigger, the roads straight and wider, and the trees were everywhere. But inside, I was apprehensive. “Am I going to cope in this new land?”

My brother and I were enrolled in new Canadian classes at Sir William Dawson School in the west end of Vancouver, while our whole family lived in a rooming house bordering Hogan’s Alley at the edge of Vancouver’s Chinatown. On the first week of school, the teacher asked me whether I wanted to pick an English name. I thought to myself, “An English name would be kind of cool,” because while going to school in Hong Kong, I noticed that most of the kids attending English-speaking schools had English names.

[5:35 p.m.]

There was just one problem. Although there was English taught at the Chinese-speaking school that I attended, my English was limited. However, I did remember a few English names, like John, George and Richard, and I picked George, because King George came to mind. That was how I got my name.

After a few months, I was promoted to grade 8 at Britannia Secondary School. I say promoted because my English language ability was really not up to the standard, but because of my age, I was put into grade 8 anyway. Needless to say, I failed English in my first year, getting a D on my report card for English.

With time, my English improved, and I graduated from Gladstone Secondary School and went on to study mechanical engineering at UBC, graduating in 1975, and worked for B.C. Hydro for the next 30 years. After my retirement from B.C. Hydro, I ran for civic politics and was elected to Vancouver city council for two terms, from 2005 to 2011. I also ran in the last provincial election in 2013 but was unsuccessful.

I would like to thank the voters of Vancouver-Fraserview for electing me to represent them in this Legislature. I would like to thank my wife for her support and on-the-ground assistance in all my elections, starting in the year 2002. I’d like to thank our campaign team and our riding association executives, as well as all the hard-working volunteers who got me elected. Without them, I would not be here today.

Now, I’d like to focus on our ministry’s mandate to develop B.C.’s national and international relations.

To achieve that mandate, I have been given the responsibility to work with the federal government, other ministries, Crown agencies and industry stakeholders to protect B.C.’s interests in trade negotiation and disputes; expand export opportunity for B.C. businesses; advocate for a fair deal for B.C. in softwood lumber negotiations with the United States; expand efforts to market innovative manufactured wood products to world markets; ensure that B.C.’s tourism sector is represented on all trade missions; advance B.C.’s food and agricultural exports, especially to growing markets in the Asia-Pacific; and also develop a multi-year growth strategy to expand exports in the manufacturing sector.

All of these are complex and ambitious initiatives that will require close collaboration and relationships with our partners here in B.C. and also abroad. But I’m comfortable that through partnership and hard work, we’ll be able to achieve these objectives together. My ministry has already made positive progress on many of these initiatives.

As you know, in the realm of international trade, the current North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, is of high importance to Canada, Mexico and the U.S.A. It will have impact on all Canadian provinces and territories. As NAFTA renegotiations continue, our ministry, as the lead on behalf of the province, will continue to work with the government of Canada to advance and protect B.C.’s interests.

Our government continues to seek input from stakeholders and interested individuals. Stakeholders were invited to submit their input to the B.C. government’s call-for-submissions webpage, which will remain open throughout the negotiations.

As you all know, B.C. has many trade agreements with other jurisdictions. One of the main mechanisms we have to facilitate trade and investment in the province is through our extensive network of trade and investment representatives in countries around the world. This network connects B.C. businesses with new markets and trade opportunities and promotes British Columbia as a stable and attractive destination for investment, as well as for international students.

B.C. currently has trade and investment representatives in Japan, South Korea, India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Europe and the United States. And I’m pleased to tell you that our Seattle trade and investment office in the U.S. is now up and running, as our ministry announced earlier at the Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference in Washington.

[5:40 p.m.]

The Seattle trade and investment office expands our province’s trade network in the United States and will attract investment to B.C. while connecting our companies with American venture capitalists, skilled tech workers and strategic partners. Our ministry is also working to establish a trade and investment office in the Silicon Valley. That new office will open late this fall, representing B.C. in the most vibrant technology markets in the United States — California, the Boston and New York corridor and the Pacific Northwest.

In addition to our trade and investment representative network, we also have the export navigator pilot project, which helps B.C. businesses in rural regions and communities to become export-ready. It is a multi-stakeholder partnership, with financial and income support from the province, the federal government, Small Business B.C., Community Futures organization and the Comox Valley Economic Development Society. This pilot is currently running in six regions: central and north Vancouver Island, central Vancouver Island, North Okanagan, Kootenay-Boundary, the Cariboo and the Pacific Northwest. This pilot provides many benefits to participating businesses, and our government will be making an announcement about this program in the near future.

This is some of the diverse work our ministry is doing right now to help B.C. business grow, to attract foreign investors and to position our province as the ideal place for international corporations to set up operations.

While our ministry is focused on achieving our objective of expanding B.C.’s trade presence and attracting investment here, I think it’s important for us to know that a strong B.C. economy that benefits all British Columbians depends on more than robust international trade and investment.

We must also focus on other aspects that contribute to the well-being of all our residents, because a strong economy is built on the foundation of our people. At the fundamental level, it includes housing for B.C. residents, and our government is working on a comprehensive plan to make housing more affordable for people, close real estate speculation loopholes and reduce tax frauds and money laundering in B.C. real estate.

To add more affordable rental housing in communities across B.C., the government is investing $208 million over four years to create more than 1,700 new units. In addition to this, there will be 2,000 supportive housing modular units for people who are homeless, thanks to an investment of $290 million over two years.

B.C. Housing is providing $9 million in capital funding for 109 units of affordable housing for low- to moderate-income individuals, seniors and families. This project is located at 3175 Riverwalk Avenue in Vancouver. That is in my riding of Vancouver-Fraserview. They will be operated by the long-standing social agency SUCCESS. In addition to creating more affordable housing units for all B.C. residents, our government is also boosting support for families across the province. As grandparents to a 1½-year-old, we know the importance of child care to young families.

We are moving forward with $20 million in new child care investment that will increase our spending in early childhood development and child care to $330 million this year and will support more than 4,000 new child care spaces.

While we are providing support to working B.C. residents and families, we also need to take care of our seniors population in B.C. In the city of Vancouver, Vancouver-Fraserview has the highest number of seniors as residents. B.C. seniors contributed and continue to contribute to building our province. Over one-sixth of B.C.’s population is over 65 years old, and the number of seniors is expected to rise from approximately 880,000, in 2016, to an estimated 1.6 million over the next 15 years.

[5:45 p.m.]

With an increasing seniors demographic, health care service will be more important than ever as it touches on every family in the province. Whether in the home, assisted living or residential care, the government is committed to supporting relationship-based care for B.C.’s seniors.

Our government is committed to bringing care hours up to appropriate levels and meeting the minimum of 3.36 direct care hours per day, per person, as an average by health authorities. We will also demand accountability from providers to ensure staffing standards and levels are met and maintained.

By helping seniors stay in their homes longer through improved access and care delivery in the community and by investing in quality long-term care, we reduce the demand on acute care and emergency beds, provide relief to caregivers and staff and ensure seniors get the care they deserve.

The government will be working with municipal and community partners to strengthen seniors centres across the province. They provide a very important social network and help seniors stay at home longer.

While we take care of our senior citizens, we also must take care of our youngest citizens. We are providing $681 million over three years to help our kids get the education they deserve, with smaller class sizes, more resources and the support they need to succeed, including hiring approximately 3,500 teachers. We are providing capital funding of $50 million to ensure that space requirements for kids going back to school are addressed.

Our children need to learn in a safe and secure facility. I’m pleased that Budget 2017 will provide a seismic upgrade to Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith Elementary School in Vancouver-Fraserview, which is worth $11.6 million in the upgrade. This is a long-awaited upgrade.

We want the people of B.C. to get ahead. We want people, families and communities to thrive. People thrive through learning and education. It gives them opportunity and is the road to prosperity. That’s why we eliminated fees for adult basic education, and we eliminated fees for English-language-learning programs. These people who want to improve their English so that they can join the workforce or go on to university or college can do so.

We’re improving accessibility for immigrants, people who are underemployed and people who want to participate in B.C.’s thriving economy. British Columbia has always welcomed immigrants, and we continue to do so. Immigrants have helped build our province and continue to play a role in growing our economy. When newcomers arrive in B.C., they often need supports to adjust to life in our province and to successfully integrate and join the job market.

While the majority of settlement services in B.C. are funded by the federal government under the national settlement program, B.C. also funds complementary settlement services. The province is providing $4 million in funding for services for newcomers that are not eligible for federal services, under the B.C. settlement and integration services program. It means that up to 12,000 newcomers will be able to access services under the B.C. settlement and integration services program in fiscal 2017-2018. The program will include referral and orientation to key resources; community connections; language training; labour market services; and information and support on rights and responsibilities as residents, workers and citizens.

In addition, the province has allocated $3.5 million to Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants. That’s to support skilled newcomers to find employment that matches with their pre-arrival skills, education and experience. It is anticipated that approximately 1,000 clients will be serviced by this program in 2017-18.

Budget 2017 also sets out an ambitious capital plan. We’re going to build schools, hospitals, transit and transportation infrastructure in communities and create jobs in every corner of our province with $14.6 billion in capital spending over three years.

[5:50 p.m.]

One of the actions we have taken already to make life more affordable for the residents in Metro Vancouver is to eliminate a bridge toll for the Port Mann Bridge and the Golden Ears Bridge on September 1. The elimination of bridge tolls saves money and time for the commuters and truck drivers who cross the bridge every day, which in turn benefits businesses and Lower Mainland communities as well.

For Vancouver-Fraserview, transportation is an important issue, as the riding will see another 15,000 residents in the next few years with the development in the East Fraser Lands. We need better bus service with more routes. I’ll be working with our residents to improve transit in the riding.

In conclusion, it has only been two months since I was sworn into cabinet, but already, in this short amount of time, I have had the great privilege of meeting many trade-related stakeholders in my capacity as Minister of State for Trade, and various constituents as MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview.

I’m very honoured to serve the people of B.C., and I’m very excited about the goals and mandate objectives that lie ahead of me. Most of all, I’m excited by the budget that this government has introduced. The government’s role is to help spark investment in our province so that we can all prosper, to foster a favourable climate for job creation, to help build a better future for our children, our families and the people of this great province.

J. Tegart: On behalf of my constituents in my riding of Fraser-Nicola, whom I’ve had the pleasure of serving for over four years, I’m pleased to rise today to give my comments on the budget.

Before I begin, I’d like to acknowledge a number of people who dedicate their time to serve the constituents in my riding. I have Lori Pilon, Monika Walker and Andrea Graham, who are my front-line staff in my offices in Ashcroft and Merritt. They are the faces that greet people visiting my office with concerns and issues, and I’m pleased to say that they have a great deal of success in helping find solutions that meet constituents’ needs.

I’m also very fortunate to have a number of people in my riding who keep me informed of what is happening and what is important in their communities. These people include local First Nations leaders, local government leaders and many informal leaders in the many communities I serve. I want to thank all of them for their dedication and caring to ensure that they have a strong, healthy community.

I would also, at this time, like to recognize two very important people who helped to ensure that I was returned to this House last spring. Michele Coleman and Shirlee Johnson are tireless supporters and volunteers. Thank you to both of them.

When I look at the budget update, I view it through a lens of what is important to my riding and to the province. I’m also very aware of the growing divide between urban and rural ridings, which is reflected so visibly in the representation in this House.

I want to talk a little about the riding of Fraser-Nicola and what it takes to represent a large geographic area with small pockets of population who deserve and expect strong representation, versus a large, urban riding with a large population but often a small area. Fraser-Nicola starts in the south at the U.S. border. It includes Manning Park to Hope, from Hope up the Fraser Canyon north to 70 Mile, over to Lillooet, out to Gold Bridge and Bralorne, west to Deadman Creek and everything in between.

I have eight incorporated communities, three regional districts, three school boards, two health authorities and over 30 First Nations bands. Contrast that with an urban riding where the MLA can ride a bike around the perimeter of their riding in less than an hour. I cannot drive from one end of my riding to the other end in a day.

[5:55 p.m.]

We have roads, hospitals, schools, community infrastructure and a need for services for seniors, children and families. We have forestry, agriculture, mining, small businesses, which all need support and acknowledgment of their importance to the province as a whole.

There are many differences between a rural and urban riding, but there are also many similarities. I think it’s the job of every member in this House to share and inform each of us on what it’s like to do the work of an MLA for their constituents so that we can build empathy and understanding, as we look for solutions for a strong B.C.

When I look at this budget, there is a lot missing, especially for rural B.C. For instance, there’s no mention of whether or not the rural economic development fund would continue to exist, nor was there funding for any kind of economic recovery strategy for the interior of B.C. communities that have suffered so much due to floods and wildfires.

The rural economic development fund, which was created to build, strengthen and diversify rural communities, was expected to support up to 26,000 direct jobs, improve Internet access and reinvigorate local economies. This program was life-changing for many rural communities, yet it received no mention in Monday’s budget announcement.

All of us have seen on the news and have heard from a number of MLAs in this House about the damage that wildfires have caused to B.C.’s interior. The largest of these fires started in my riding, and my constituents and I have lived through months of disruptions and hardship.

Recently the TNRD released a completed summary of noted structure loss and damage suffered due to three fires in my area. According to the report, 234 structures have been lost or damaged. Of this number, 215 have been completely destroyed. The fires had an impact on every aspect of life in my riding, from small businesses to forestry, mining, transportation and infrastructure.

But numbers do not tell the story. The stories of people having 15 minutes to evacuate safely. What to take? Where to go? How long will I be gone? The many unsung heroes — neighbours helping neighbours who could not find their pets, who did not have transportation, who just needed to know someone had their back. Small businesses had to evacuate with thousands of dollars worth of food in their kitchens, which spoiled during the evacuation. Their employees were laid off. And how many stepped up to keep rescue workers fed and vehicles fuelled up so that the important work could continue?

I have a local market garden that, in a normal summer day, will see 600 cars a day. With fires and road closures, they were down to 15 to 20 a day, not for just a week but for multiple weeks. They normally sell 500 pies a day. They laid off 30 workers. Their revenues were down at least half a million dollars. What kind of support is in this budget for this business and its laid-off workers?

I visited a usually very busy sandwich shop in Cache Creek on the Monday of the August long weekend. Normally, a lineup out the door. No one in the shop. The owner had sent her workers home. Where is the support for this small business in this budget? The Cache Creek golf course, run by a non-profit society for over 20 years, was closed for the month of July due to evacuations and fires. Because of the closures and the effect on their budget, the society made the difficult decision to dissolve and shut down the public golf course — a great loss for the area. A service to the community for over 20 years. It’s too late to provide support for this business.

[6:00 p.m.]

Although not burned or evacuated, fruit stands in the Spences Bridge area saw traffic decrease to two to three customers a day. The district of Lillooet saw bus tours cancelled. Road traffic decreased to a trickle. The local winery has indicated a 40 percent loss in revenue. Fires, evacuations, road closures — businesses from Spences Bridge to Prince George have been affected. Our unprecedented fire season is leading up to an unprecedented economic crisis. The $1,500 from government was a welcome start. But it must be just the beginning, because my businesses are hurting, and they often run on the edge. A full summer of income is gone. They don’t need talk. They need action.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Our farmers and ranchers have noted that, yes, they have been allocated money for fencing on Crown land. But what about private land? What about their grazing tenures? My constituents are feeding their herds their winter hay right now. Usually their cattle are out grazing, but they’re all in close to home and having to be fed.

They’re thankful that they’ve received about two weeks’ worth of relief hay, but the reality of the situation is they’re going to need two to five years’ worth of hay because their grazing tenures are gone. We are burnt to a crisp.

Unfortunately, I think B.C. is going to see a wave of small businesses in our interior just disappear because they cannot catch up from the impact of the fires that have been 2017. Where in this budget is there any money to support recovery for our rural farmers, our local businesses, our tourism industry?

I know that watching these stories on TV for months about forest fires can be desensitizing. Until you stand in the ashes of a home and talk to the homeowner, you have no idea what the impact is, and that is a reality for so many of my constituents. To drive through my riding is like driving through a moonscape. Everything is burnt right down to the road.

We’ve not yet begun to talk about the effect this fire will have on next spring’s runoff. In the midst of crisis, we really needed and continue to need our government to step up to the plate, and thus far, many in my riding are feeling unsupported. The front-line crews that started fighting the fire in my riding are now 70 miles away and are still doing their best to contain and extinguish the flames.

Our people are coming home, but they’re seeing huge gaps in support. To add insult to injury, in addition to suffering through a horrendous wildfire season, we also were hit with terrible flooding early this spring. We started out with floods in Cache Creek, where we lost our fire chief, Clayton Cassidy. We had floods in Merritt, upper and lower Nicola, floods that took out culverts and washed away bridges.

If our current pace keeps up, when the flood season begins next year, the people in my riding will still be recovering from the flood damage that we saw this year. If you talk to any of our wildfire professionals and volunteers, every single one of them did their absolute best, and we are incredibly grateful for their contributions. But what they will notice shortly, and what many of my constituents have noticed, is that there is no comprehensive plan for short- and long-term recovery. We haven’t even begun to see what the impacts will be, how it will affect ranching, farming, agriculture, small business.

Thus far, we’ve heard a lot about the financial impacts of fires, and rightly so, as we’re discussing a budget. However, all this completely ignores the mental stress that has been put on my constituents — from the mental stress felt by our front-line workers, who’ve been working for months, straight to the guilt felt by those who weren’t affected by fires when their neighbours were.

[6:05 p.m.]

I’m really concerned, and the people in my riding are concerned, that their livelihoods have gone up in smoke. Truck drivers, skidder operators — everyone in the forestry industry is concerned.

Next spring, we’re likely going to face more flooding, and we don’t have time to talk about mitigation, because we’re still dealing with recovery from the fires. Where in the budget is there money to help make our forest lands safe again? Even though tree roots have been burnt to a crisp, those trees are still standing, and very dangerous.

My riding has lost the most homes of any, and many of my constituents are feeling abandoned. They still have to jump through hoops to get aid, and when it does come, it hardly feels adequate. They are tired of telling their story over and over again — a new face every time they have to tell it. This government is moving an inch when we need you to cover miles. I assure you that we will maximize whatever tools for recovery are made available, because our people need it.

The people in my riding need action, and they need it now. I share this with you because, as I said earlier, each of us in this House has an obligation to share our stories so that you will build an understanding of a place that’s perhaps different from where you live. The constituents of Fraser-Nicola are asking for your support today.

Just so you know: although fires have been uppermost in our minds in the last little while, we also need jobs. We need jobs like Kinder Morgan. We need support for tourism, which is the engine that drives our small community economies. Fraser-Nicola is the gateway to the interior of British Columbia, and I would ask that everyone who lives below Hope and those of us who live above Hope remember how important that transportation route is. We need a government that realizes that what is good for rural B.C. helps to sustain urban B.C. We need a budget that reflects that and so much more.

Thus far, I’ve talked about what’s missing from the budget. Here are a few things that the budget does include. It promises to burden British Columbians with a $1 billion tax increase. It promises to spend, without any concrete plans on how to grow the economy or create jobs. It promises to tarnish B.C.’s award-winning carbon tax by removing its revenue neutrality.

Among many things, it promises to make beautiful, outstanding, nation-leading British Columbia average, by bringing our business taxes in line with other western provinces. As Winston Churchill once said: “Adequacy is no standard at all.” It promises to remove the incentives for businesses to invest in our province — a bad move for economic progress, a bad move for those seeking jobs and a bad move for B.C. If we do not stand out, people and companies are going to put their money elsewhere. When companies decide to invest elsewhere, families miss out on opportunities and British Columbians suffer.

Thus far, there has been no mention or allotment in the budget on how the government plans on expanding and encouraging trade with Asia and beyond. They make dangerous assumptions that our economic performance will mimic the $2.7 billion surplus that we enjoyed last year and rely heavily on a forecasted GDP growth of 0.7 percent. The reliance on economic growth comes at a time of uncertain economic future, U.S. protectionism and the cancellation of multiple multi-billion-dollar projects. It has only taken this government approximately 60 days to take business confidence in B.C. from first to near-last. For all of those hoping to find work across B.C., especially those in trades, this has been an incredible disappointment.

[6:10 p.m.]

Another disappointment is not one but two warnings that B.C. has received, which state that B.C. may very well lose our triple-A credit rating if we do not find any additional sources of revenue. For a government that has inherited nearly every advantage, from our triple-A credit rating to a $2.7 billion surplus, we’re seeing a dismal start.

Members on the opposite side of the House seem more concerned with spending, increasing taxes and creating policy that will drive away business, rather than job creation or planning any long-term recovery solutions for those who are in crisis.

As one of the voices for rural B.C., I can assure you that my colleagues and I will keep this new government accountable for the things that they’ve promised British Columbians and for how they have chosen to respond to them.

I don’t think it will be any surprise for you to realize that I will not be supporting this budget, as it falls short of so many things that those of us above Hope need.

Hon. K. Conroy: It is my pleasure to address the House today in support of Budget Update 2017.

As the MLA for Kootenay West, I’d like to thank my constituents, those who have put their trust in me to represent our region in the Legislature. I have an amazing constituency made up of a diverse group of communities and constituents. I’m incredibly fortunate to have the support I do from so many people.

As MLAs, we all know we couldn’t do our jobs without the support of the people who work in our constituency offices. Thank you to my constituency assistants, Elaine Whitehead and Edena Brown, who have worked with me since 2005. Now Edena has been hired as my new executive assistant. We are welcoming Angelika Brunner as my new constituency assistant, although she really isn’t new, as she has worked for us to cover leaves in the past couple of years. A great team to ensure that constituents of Kootenay West get the best service possible.

Thanks to my family as well. My husband, Ed, one of the few spouses in the House who really understands this job, as well as our kids and grandkids — all incredibly supportive of my work, all attending events with me and for me. Ed has even given speeches for me at events that I couldn’t attend. I think not many MLAs in the House can say that, so I’m truly grateful and thankful to him.

Representing Kootenay West is not an honour I take lightly. It’s a privilege that I am reminded of each time I speak with someone in my constituency who wasn’t supported by the previous government, and it invigorates me to do the work that I need to do for B.C.’s families.

I’m also honoured to rise in this House as B.C.’s Minister of Children and Family Development to speak to our government’s Budget Update 2017. This is a portfolio that is very close to my heart.

I had a number of different careers before I ran for office in 2005. I was one of the first female power engineers in B.C., and I was the very first woman to work in the Celgar pulp mill. In those days, the only women working at Celgar worked in the offices. I didn’t even have washrooms or change rooms to use. I had to tag out of the washrooms or change rooms when I was going to use them. For those not familiar with this industry, it means hanging a great big sign on the door saying “Do not enter.”

By the time I left, they were building a change room and washrooms for women. A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a young woman who was working at the mill. She came and thanked me for proving that women could work in the mill and ensuring that she had the proper facilities. It was tough going at times, as even though many men were welcoming and supportive, there were also many who didn’t think women should be working in a man’s place of work. The experience helped make me who I am today. I can be tough when I need to.

With my husband, Ed, we run a ranch, raising purebred Hereford cattle for breeding and beef. There’s nothing like helping a cow give birth in the middle of a cold winter night to ground you to reality.

When I left the mill and decided to go back to school to become an early childhood educator, it was a tough choice. I liked the mill. The pay and benefits were really good, but the hours and Ed’s work hours just weren’t conducive to a good relationship or family life. I left to go to school for a career that I knew would be incredibly rewarding, just not very well-paying.

The opportunity came up when Selkirk College, the oldest community college in B.C., offered the early childhood education program for the first time in Castlegar. That decision led to a career of over 20 years as an early childhood educator, an instructor at Selkirk College teaching administrative and program planning in the ECE department and as an administrator for a multi-service organization — a non-profit society — providing services to children, youth and families.

[6:15 p.m.]

Ironically, it was the very same organization my mom had been a founding board member of back in the ’70s. Imagine. There were actually people who tried to fight against the creation of a society that was going be offering child care services. The sentiment was that moms should stay at home with their kids. Well, my mom and those other people involved persevered, way ahead of their time.

For all those years, I worked hard to ensure better services to kids and their parents, greater supports for youth and better wages and working conditions for the people who worked in the sector. For these reasons, I knew that, when I made the decision back in 2004, I needed to follow in my husband’s footsteps and get into politics. So here I am today, finally able to effect change, to ensure kids and families in this province get the services they deserve and need and make sure early childhood educators finally get the wages and benefits they deserve.

As a mom and a granny — my nine grandkids call me Granny Kat — I know from experience the challenges parents face when raising their family. I can tell you that our family has benefited from some of the services this ministry has to offer, and I have always been grateful that we could access those services when we needed them.

I’ve been told that serving as minister here is a thankless job, but I don’t see it that way. I am honoured to stand up for kids and families from every background. I’m excited to challenge the status quo and make positive changes, and I am keen, in my new role as minister, to start building on and improving services.

With the mandate that the Premier has given to me and this ministry concerning the fundamental shift we need to make in our relationship with B.C.’s Indigenous people, I am feeling very optimistic about the opportunity now to make real and lasting change, supported by our historic agreement with the Green MLAs and confident that this is a desire of all members in this House.

As the new minister, I want to say that I am here to listen. I am here to work across party lines whenever possible, and I am here to make life better for children, families and communities across B.C. Whether you’re a youth in foster care, a toddler with special needs, a single mom or dad looking to balance work with child care, a family looking to adopt or a young couple just starting out, I stand in the House for each one of you, and I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to a budget that reflects investments in you and every B.C. family.

Regardless of what corner of the province you live in, regardless of your age, socioeconomic position or what you do for a living, this budget update belongs to you. It’s just one of the many first steps your government is taking to make life more affordable for you, improve the services you depend on and build a strong sustainable economy that will propel our province upwards for decades to come.

So here I am today to speak in favour of Budget 2017 Update. It’s important that I start by first acknowledging that this is a budget update, and that our first full budget as the new government will be in February. The previous government, the B.C. Liberals, also started their time in office with a budget update in 2001. This isn’t unusual. It’s what governments need to do if, due to the timing of elections, they start their mandate halfway through a budget cycle. So we are looking forward to our first real NDP budget this coming February, when we can act on our priorities, particularly around addressing the affordability crisis in this province and restoring the services people count on.

I think, given the criticism I have heard from the opposition Liberals, that it is important to remember and highlight that when those on that side of the House were in government, when the B.C. Liberals had their first opportunity to do their own budget in 2002, they gutted the Ministry of Children and Families, cutting it by 23 percent. And the B.C. Liberal government tried to impose those drastic cuts to the ministry’s budget at the same time as they were getting rid of the independent watchdog for children in care, the children’s commissioner.

There was tremendous damage done to the ministry during those years. I remember it well, as I worked in the sector and felt those cuts to the people we were providing services to — another reason I got into politics.

It was also a time, I will remind members, when there were only two New Democratic MLAs in this House. Our tireless MLAs Joy MacPhail and Jenny Kwan fought the B.C. Liberal government’s cuts, as did community service organizations and people from across this province. As a result of all the public pressure, the previous government was forced to react. They realized they weren’t going to get away with cutting the ministry as much as they wanted to, so they reduced their cuts to only 11 percent. Only 11 percent — I say that somewhat facetiously. The ministry has been trying to recover fully ever since.

[6:20 p.m.]

This was a pattern with the previous government that can be seen across their 16 years in office. The only time substantial increases came for the Ministry of Children and Families was right before an election year or after scathing reports on the failings of the system. Budget choices were driven by political interests, not the best interests of the children of our province. That needs to change, and I am committed to making that change.

I’m proud to say that after 16 years, we have a government that’s not working just for some but for all of the people of British Columbia. We recognize that there are problems that must be fixed, and we have a lot of work ahead of us. It all starts when we choose to invest in people. This budget update is an important first step in doing just that.

We’re investing in fairness, in the principle that the cost for services shouldn’t be the heaviest on those who can least afford it. As a society, we have a shared responsibility to help lift vulnerable families out of poverty. Already we’ve increased income and disability assistance rates by $100 a month, and we’ve established a ministry and parliamentary secretary designated to reduce poverty in B.C.

We think that those at the top can afford to pay a little more to help support the services all British Columbians need, when they need them. That’s why we’ve reversed the tax cut for top earners and increased corporate taxes, in line with the rest of western Canada. At the other end, we’re saving families money by cutting MSP premiums and helping small businesses get ahead by lowering their tax rate.

Everyone knows that housing affordability is a huge issue in our province, and it’s put a growing pressure on lower- and middle- income British Columbians. While there’s no easy fix to this issue, we’re taking definitive steps in the right direction. Going forward, we will have a plan in place to make housing more affordable for all British Columbians. We’ll do that by closing speculation loopholes and reducing fraud in B.C. real estate.

We want to keep our economy strong, but we also need to ensure all British Columbians can benefit from it — $14.6 billion in capital spending, creating jobs in communities and supporting the infrastructure families depend on: our schools, hospitals, highways and roads. We’re complementing that spending with strong investment in our social sector — in classrooms with the developing minds that will inherit the B.C. of tomorrow. Over three years, we’re investing $681 million to shrink class sizes, bring in more teachers and ensure kids have the support and resources to help them thrive.

In health care, where we’re grappling with the challenges of a provincewide opioid crisis, we’re boosting the budget for the Ministry of Health by $603 million and putting nearly half of that to address the fentanyl emergency. We’ve got a new Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions to ensure services are coordinated, effective and working for British Columbians.

In my area of ministerial responsibility, our child care system, $20 million in new child care investments will bring our spending in early childhood development and child care to $330 million this year and support more than 4,000 new child care spaces. And this is just the beginning.

B.C. families are working harder than ever, but struggling with the high cost of child care, and for 16 years, a child care crisis has been getting worse, not better. We all know the reason. The B.C. Liberals spent their time in government actively dismantling existing child care programs and spending federal child care dollars on ABC — anything but childcare. Many of us remember Boostergate, when federal dollars meant to improve child care were spent on booster seats that were distributed at only B.C. Liberal MLA offices.

As a result of 16 years of neglect and inaction on child care, families in this province are in crisis, but our government is committed to bringing forward a plan for affordable, accessible and safe child care for all British Columbians.

Noting the hour, I’d like to call adjournment of the debate and reserve my right to continue at the next sitting.

Hon. K. Conroy moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. M. Farnworth moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House shall be adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The House adjourned at 6:24 p.m.