Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I know members may want to extend question period. However, I have to disappoint them and instead call more debate on the throne speech.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Deputy Speaker: Members who don’t have House duty, maybe please leave the House so that we can continue with the business.

M. Elmore: I am very pleased to rise and resume my place and to continue my remarks in response to the throne speech. It’s a great privilege to stand in this place and speak on behalf of folks in Vancouver-Kensington.

Certainly I am very pleased to speak in support of the throne speech, which is focused on making life more affordable for people in British Columbia. We know that after 16 long years, people have been frustrated with the reality of rising living costs, cuts to services and fewer opportunities. This throne speech really recognizes that and takes us in a new direction to address the challenges and the crisis of affordability that families face.

I’ve certainly heard from families and individuals from Vancouver-Kensington. After 16 long years of decisions by the previous B.C. Liberal government to prioritize giving tax cuts to the most wealthy, to millionaires, but raising fees and costs, we’ve seen costs for B.C. Hydro raise, increases for ICBC and certainly the mishandling of ICBC, where we have learned of just an incredible debt and the financial crises rocking ICBC. In addition, we’ve heard of increasing ferry fares, rising tuition fees, the crisis of affordable housing, the lack of adequate affordable housing, and bridge tolls taking a big toll on families.

I’m very pleased the throne speech recognizes that, and that we have taken some first, initial steps to address affordability for families. We have announced that there’ll be a cap on B.C. Hydro and that ICBC will be adequately managed. We’ve made the commitment to reduce medical service premiums by 50 percent, looking towards reducing MSP premiums in the years ahead, as well as reducing interest on student loans by 2.5 percent.

[11:00 a.m.]

B.C. had, under the B.C. Liberals, the highest interest rate on student loans in the country, really putting a lot of pressure on young people and students wanting to pursue their education. We have recognized that and taken steps to address that. As well, addressing the affordability crises, we have removed the bridge tolls and also made commitments in terms of reducing ferry fares.

These are some in the suite of areas that our government has recognized and taken initial action on. Within the throne speech, there’s a continued commitment to work on behalf of British Columbians to realize the struggle and the crisis of affordability that many folks right across the province are facing, and for the government to work on side with British Columbians and be on the side of people and to work to make life more affordable.

I want to also address our commitment in terms of restoring public services. After 16 years we have seen just a steady deterioration and underfunding and erosion of our public services — public services that British Columbians depend on. And that really has left British Columbians without that adequate support.

I want to talk, in particular, about public education. We had, under the B.C. Liberals, 16 years of not only a fight against teachers but a losing fight, and the message from the Supreme Court of Canada, nonetheless, to ensure that our public education system is adequately funded.

In Vancouver-Kensington, families and students have been very engaged on this issue. Since I’ve had the privilege of being the MLA, now for my third term, I’ve worked steadily and supported students and teachers and families in Vancouver-Kensington around issues of adequate funding for public education, supporting many families that have been very active in terms of advocating on behalf of protecting our schools and saving schools from closure and, particularly, very active and engaged parents and teachers and students at McBride Annex, which was on the list to be closed.

So very pleased that that activism and support from those students and parents and teachers has really got that message through, and the school remains open. Certainly, that is a real tribute, speaking to not only the value of local schools in our communities but also the importance of adequate funding for public education, which our government has committed to.

It doesn’t take the Supreme Court of Canada to tell us that we need to adequately fund public education. So I’m very pleased about that commitment and the importance of ensuring that children in our schools are adequately supported and have every opportunity to prosper and to be successful in our schools.

We know, in talking to many families with young kids, that support for young children…. Certainly, that is the research that is coming out — the importance of the support in those early years for the development of young children. That’s where they really set the foundation for success.

I’m very pleased that we have a commitment around adequate support for public education, in terms of restoring the many cuts over the years. Over a generation of students have gone through this fight in our public education system — 16 years. So we have more than…. I guess it would be four cohorts of children who have gone in at kindergarten and graduated grade 12 who have been through our public education system over 16 years of this fight, of the previous Liberal government undermining public education.

There’s a real need to ensure that children are supported — that we ensure that there are adequate supports for teachers and children to be successful. That’s a big priority as well.

We know also, through discussions and travels and community consultations around the poverty reduction plan and hearing from folks right across the province in all communities — in our urban centres and suburban centres, our rural areas and semi-rural areas — that it’s a reality. Many people have fallen through the cracks and have really suffered through the cuts in these last 16 years in terms of inadequate supports for folks who need that help and support.

[11:05 a.m.]

In particular, when we talk about housing and the need for safe and adequate and appropriate housing, the hard-to-house folks and people on the street, there’s a need, as well, to address services to support people with mental health and addictions. Often if you have that dual diagnosis, it’s very difficult to find adequate housing. We’ve heard, right across the province, that there’s a real crisis of affordability, a very low or near-zero vacancy rate for rentals and a need for housing right across the spectrum. I’m very pleased that we have recognized the challenge around taking a provincial approach, with a need for provincial plan around mental health and addictions — putting that together.

There’s great need, and I’m very heartened with the role of the minister, who’s doing a very capable job and meeting a lot of needs for families in British Columbia and for individuals. It has been just a terrible crisis around the record deaths of folks who are caught in this opioid crisis, which has really struck people down, through our communities, from all walks of life. So the commitment of the government, certainly reflected in the throne speech, to taking on this issue and providing the needed supports for those individuals and families, is much needed.

As well, in terms of services that British Columbians depend on and that our government is committed to improving and strengthening, removing the fees for adult basic education and English language learning are also issues where I’m very pleased that our government has taken this step.

I know that in Vancouver-Kensington I have, just half a block from my office, the South Vancouver adult education centre. In my first term, when they faced cuts, I met with those students and teachers and heard their stories. It was through a very active campaign, hearing firsthand from students that young people are not able to finish their grade 12 for a whole range of reasons — either single parents, young people who have children, or people who have to work and, for one reason or another, aren’t able to complete high school. Needing to pay fees to upgrade and finish their grade 12, really limiting them from the opportunity to pursue upgrading of their skills, was a great barrier.

So one of the government’s early actions, to remove fees for these individuals, I think, is a great benefit not only to them individually in terms of their success, but the need that we have, right across the province, for supplying skilled workers. It’s not only for individuals to fulfil their potential but also to contribute in our economy. That’s a big need, we know.

In the throne speech, we talked about working for families, working to make life more affordable for families, working to improve public services that families and British Columbians depend on, and also building a strong and sustainable economy that everyone can benefit from. We have taken significant steps around addressing the need for affordable, safe and adequate housing. We know that there’s need right across the board, not only in Vancouver-Kensington but right across the province.

There is need, we hear from seniors, for adequate housing. There is need, also, for middle-income families. There is need for women who are fleeing domestic violence. It’s right across the board. It’s coming into just these tremendous needs in all these areas that have been neglected and that have not been a priority for the previous B.C. Liberal government over 16 years. That has created just such a crisis, a hardship and difficulties for people in our province.

[11:10 a.m.]

I’m very proud that our government is committed on these issues. It’s a great honour to be working as the Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction to bring in a poverty reduction plan in British Columbia. British Columbia is the only province not to have a poverty reduction plan and, not coincidentally, has record levels of poverty in our province and also has the highest income inequality gap, so we’re looking to address the real crisis and real needs of British Columbians.

When we talk about poverty reduction, it’s not only to address the 700,000 British Columbians who live below the poverty line, 40 percent who are also the working poor, who bring home a paycheque, who work two, sometimes three jobs but aren’t able to make ends meet. It’s also an investment in people. It’s an investment in strengthening our community. I have been very pleased to have meetings and have broad-based support for this plan.

The issue of social justice and equality in British Columbia — certainly, that’s shared very broadly across our province. We’ve met and talked right across the spectrum in terms of members at the chamber of commerce, at the board of trade, the business sector. Business leaders, as well, are on board, supporting this initiative and investment.

It resonates. It really speaks to the need in communities across British Columbia, where right across the board…. Folks don’t have to be living in poverty to recognize the value of ensuring that all British Columbians, all neighbours and everyone living in community has the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty, to have that success and opportunity that builds and strengthens the entire community.

When we talk about some of the key components needed to address and meet the needs of British Columbians that have been neglected, that haven’t been a priority of the previous government…. Certainly the throne speech talks about the biggest issue and the biggest difficulty for British Columbians around adequate, safe and affordable housing. These are issues, as well as child care….

Having the ability to meet those needs — not only of folks who need those supports, who are living below the poverty line — is also a benefit that everyone benefits from. There is a need for affordable housing and child care.

These are key concerns, as well, for the business community, for owners of small business. We heard this. It’s a very consistent message that we heard about the challenge of small business owners, particularly in communities throughout the Interior, who have a difficult time — having employees being able to afford adequate housing in the community and also needing to have access to child care, and ensuring that folks can stay, live and work in local communities and be part of the economy. These are priorities that are shared right across the spectrum.

The commitment from the throne speech addresses those challenges. It lays out our priorities. I’m very pleased that it sends the message. We’ve taken some initial steps. The throne speech addresses these key themes and our intention to move forward and make life more affordable for British Columbians, to ensure that public services that British Columbians depend on are restored and strengthened to support British Columbians. It’s tied together. It goes hand in hand with a sustainable economy that all British Columbians can benefit from.

We know, as well, that the issue of the working poor is a big priority. Fully 40 percent of folks who are working fall below the poverty line. So this is a big challenge as well. That’s why there is a commitment around the Fair Wages Commission to look at increasing the minimum wage. I’m very pleased that there was also a consultation process around that, to hear from workers, from folks who do work hard — two, three jobs to make ends meet — but also to hear from local businesses, the business sector and also industries in terms of the challenges they face in moving forward.

I think that’s a key theme, as well, in the approach of our government, and that is in the throne speech as well. We’re looking to work in partnership. We’re looking to work in partnership to listen to British Columbians, to hear their concerns, to hear what the challenges are that British Columbians face.

[11:15 a.m.]

There are a lot of stories coming forward in terms of just the incredible stress on families, the crisis of affordability, the crisis in housing, the lack of availability of child care, the difficulty of employers and the need for skilled workers. Right across the spectrum, we are committed.

Our government is committed to work in partnership with industry, with businesses, with First Nations to address our commitments around reconciliation and ensure that we restore that relationship, ensure that with Indigenous people across our province, we work in partnership with them on joint solutions. The government is here to support the initiatives of local municipalities, of folks who work hard in their communities, of individuals and families right across our province to ensure that life is more affordable.

The government is on the side of people. We invest in public services and a sustainable economy that all British Columbians can benefit from. I’m very proud to speak in favour of the throne speech and to be working on implementing a poverty reduction plan. There’s a lot of work to do. I’m very excited and looking forward to working in partnership right across our province, to working on behalf of British Columbians.

T. Shypitka: It’s my pleasure to respond to the Speech from the Throne. As always, I consider it an honour to be able to speak in this House and to represent the good people of my riding of Kootenay East.

Before I get to my comments on the throne speech, I would like, first, to recognize a couple of local events. I’d like to congratulate and send wishes of a happy birthday to three of my biggest supporters that are celebrating birthdays. My Auntie Anne Shypitka — happy 80th birthday to her. My mother, Lynne, just turned 75, and my niece Kimberley Bo Bo Bat Shypitka turns 27 years today.

Turning to a sombre note, last weekend, on Saturday, February 17, the community of Cranbrook and the province of British Columbia paid honour and tribute to two fine members of our community who perished in a horrific automobile accident.

Apart from being the captain on the B shift at the Cranbrook fire department, Clayton Murrell’s accomplishments were astounding, including past secretary, vice-president and president of his local, 1253. He represented the East and West Kootenay regions as vice-president of the B.C. Professional Firefighters Association. Clayton was the vice-president of the Pine Ridge Roping Club. He had an immense passion for roping, which he and his wife, Joan, spent so much time doing together.

What I personally recall about Clayton is his always-positive attitude, his infectious smile, his Tom Selleckesque moustache and his sense of pride. When you shook Clayton’s hand, it was always firm, a firmness that showcased his confidence and his pride, pride in himself, pride in his family — he is survived by his two great children, Dysen and Kirsten — pride of his workmates at the fire hall, but, equally, his pride of his community.

Clayton was a protector of his community and advocated to bring the proper EMR training to his colleagues to better assist first response. That was Clayton’s vision: to better serve and protect the communities and the province that he loved so dearly. I will make a pledge to ensure that Clayton’s vision is properly recognized.

Joan MacKinnon, who essentially perished alongside her husband on that fateful morning of February 3, was an equally giving person. Joan was the head of our lifeguards and the aquatic coordinator with the Cranbrook Aquatic Centre. Joan received the Lifesaving Society’s outstanding achievement award as a Lifesaving Society instructor in 2010. This is the highest honour for an instructor within the branch. Joan was instrumental in our local coaching of our Special Olympic athletes and was a strong supporter of the Lifesaving Society.

Joan, like her husband, loved the outdoors. They were passionate about horses and competing together in rodeo events throughout B.C. and Alberta. Joan left behind two children, Aaron and Andrew.

Together, Clayton and Joan were pillars of our community, and they always put others’ safety in front of their own. Joan and Clayton were only 51 years of age. As this couple has now been reunited in all of eternity, may they forever rest well.

[11:20 a.m.]

On behalf of my family, the constituents of Kootenay East and, if I can be bold enough to say, the members of this House and the province of British Columbia, I offer our collective condolences to the friends and family of Capt. Clayton Murrell and the beautiful love of his life, Joan MacKinnon.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the first responders from all services, such as the firefighters, British Columbia Ambulance Service, search and rescue, RCMP, paramedics, lifeguards and others in attendance at the celebration of life. There was representation not only from all over B.C. but as far west as Manitoba, as well as representation from our American brothers and sisters to the south of us. All told, there were about 3,000 in attendance. Finally, a thank-you to the Cranbrook fire department and all the other agencies and volunteers that put together this memorial. It was done right.

To move on to the throne speech and what it meant to me and the many people of my riding. Among other things, the most fundamental principle that the people in my riding expect of their government is the ability to stick to their word and deliver on their promises. Unfortunately, the messaging within this throne speech last Tuesday fell a little short of the standard. The purpose of the Speech from the Throne is to serve as a road map for government’s intentions. It dictates where our government plans on taking British Columbia in the near future, laying out the goals and the route to those goals.

Road maps are only as useful as the details they provide. The speech did an excellent job of identifying and outlining obvious issues that are happening within our province. It also did an excellent job on describing how British Columbians are affected by these various problems. However, it didn’t provide a lot of substance on how the provincial government planned on handling these tough issues. It was kind of like the old commercial that was on TV years ago, “Where’s the beef?” Little substance.

After listening and reading through the throne speech, it became quite evident that the NDP did not plan to fulfil campaign promises. Even if they attempted to, British Columbians would not be able to afford them.

For example, the two biggest focal areas of the speech involved child care and affordability. Now, I remember that when I was in election campaign mode last April, a friend of mine — I call him a friend; we don’t always see eye to eye on certain issues — accosted me at an election forum one evening. He was literally screaming at me, saying the B.C. Liberals were getting in the way of his family getting $10-a-day care. He was very adamant about it. He was very upset that perhaps that message would be lost if the B.C. Liberals took government.

I told the gentleman numerous things around this promise and why it was not a good platform. One of the main reasons was that the plan would cost around $1½ billion per year, and the rollout of this plan was about ten years. His child would then be in high school. I also told him that it was, more than likely, a false promise. In last Tuesday’s throne speech, there was no mention of $10-a-day care.

It is interesting to note that as of Tuesday, the Premier himself now insists that he made no such promise on $10-a-day care and that his words were just branding of a term. Most everyone I talk to seems to remember it a little differently. In fact, on the B.C. NDP website, if you check it out, they still have: “John Horgan and the B.C. NDP will work for you and take real action to make your life more affordable — like reducing or eliminating fees, tolls and fares, while bringing in $10-a-day child care.” They may have taken that down now since I’ve mentioned it, but it was there as of this morning.

This past June he said: “We plan, by year 5, to have 66,000 new spaces and the $10-a-day plan.” That was last June. This could not be more crystal-clear. There is no room here for extra meanings. This was a daycare promised to be priced at a rate of $10. Not branding, not intentions, but a promise.

Unfortunately, it appears that this brand was another empty and predatory promise used to win votes. I wonder how many more NDP promises will be spontaneously turned into branding when they realize there is absolutely no way of funding them.

Other promises made, like a $400 renters rebate and the plan to eliminate portables in Surrey — what about the $1,000 credit to university and college students? — are more broken promises that were nowhere to be seen in the speech.

[11:25 a.m.]

If anyone should be angry at the government, it should be their own supporters. In addition to making child care a focal point, Tuesday’s throne speech also highlighted the matter of affordability within our province. This is an issue that, I believe, certainly needs to be addressed with a reasonable and clear plan, one that considers the limitations of our resources and realistic projections of revenues and that provides long-term lasting value. It must be sustainable.

However, we did not get a reasonable approach in the speech. Instead, we were given the miraculous fix to affordable housing by building 114,000 additional homes, or 11,400 every year over the next ten years. During the last election campaign, the candidate from the NDP party stated this new election promise — right in the middle of a forum, I might add.

I was flabbergasted by this bold vision that he and his party had come up with. I was actually humbled by this vision. When I did the quick math on this major promise, I came up with a rough figure of about $25 billion. I was pretty certain, at that point, that this would be another questionable promise made.

Flash forward ten months later to what we now hear in the throne speech. Not only was there no mention of 114,000 affordable housing units being built, but the throne speech also added the caveat that in order for the government to fulfil its promises of building affordable housing, it will need the help of the federal government, as well as of municipalities to rezone and, in some cases, provide land to get this project started — something they chose to leave out of their election promise, leaving this government with convenient scapegoats for when their promise inevitably falls flat.

As far as accomplishments go, all that this government could reference in the throne speech was 1,700 modular homes completed last year. I’d like to make something clear. Those very same 1,700 homes were announced under the previous government. With that being said, to date, not one modular home has been approved or built under the current government. I would like to also add that the promise this government has put forward lacks any measurable plan to drive the economy or create job plans which fuel this $25 billion housing plan.

As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite. The recent refusal to abide by a recent federal Supreme Court order to allow the Trans Mountain pipeline to proceed has not only defied the rule of law but has also discredited our province to investors, other provinces and our country as a whole, as well as eliminating affordability in this province.

Much-needed revenues for the province to build infrastructure — like the Pattullo Bridge, George Massey Tunnel, Highway 1 — have been hampered by this move. Hospitals, schools and, of course, this grand scheme of 114,000 affordable homes need revenues. They need a revenue stream, and it has been cut short because of the irresponsible decision this government has made.

The government says that they are making this stance by blocking the shipments of diluted bitumen because they are standing up for all British Columbians. Does this government know that there are more British Columbians that support the completion of the Trans Mountain project than those that don’t? What British Columbians is the Premier speaking about?

I’ll tell you one group that this government supports. It’s the ones that are standing up for the special interest groups that are funded by American energy companies, which would love nothing more than to completely shut down our natural resource industry.

I find it very difficult to believe members on the opposite side of the House actually want to make life in B.C. more affordable, especially considering they raised taxes almost immediately after coming into power. They raised taxes on business, raised taxes on agriculture and forestry through things like the carbon tax.

People expect a tax raise when the government is running a deficit. However, this government inherited an unprecedented $2.7 billion surplus, $800 million of which has already been spent. That does not speak for making life more affordable in British Columbia. This government needs to be held accountable, to do what they say they’re going to deliver, and this side of the House will continue to do just that and to look out for all British Columbians.

I also noticed several other rebranded promises made by the B.C. Liberals, items like eliminating MSP premiums. Although our elimination of that MSP premium was a tax break, the NDP’s version is to add this elimination to your personal taxes.

[11:30 a.m.]

Reduction in the student loan rate and additional engineering seats at TRU and UNBC. You’d think that after 16 years — we hear it all the time — of sitting on the other side, they would come up with something a little bit more original.

The saddest part of this whole debacle is that the only real losers in this equation are their own supporters — the people who believed that they would actually live up to their word. I think that speaks volumes to the character of this government. They have demonstrated that they are willing to complain endlessly, promise the world, but when it’s their turn, they fail to deliver meaningful change, and we all pay the price.

As the critic for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources — mining and LNG — I’m tasked with holding this government to account and ensuring that they are moving our energy sectors towards a long and prosperous future — a future which will require planning and investments to ensure that British Columbia does not remain stagnant.

It goes without saying that mining and energy are incredibly important industries in the Interior and northern B.C., as well as residually throughout the province. This is why it was troubling to see that there was no mention of developing these sectors, as well as no mention of PowerBC, or the road map that the minister’s mandate letter calls for, located anywhere in the throne speech.

We’ve all seen a change in the rhetoric on hydro rates. I think it was last December when the headlines read: “Province Delivers on Commitment to Freeze B.C. Hydro Rates.” Now in the throne speech, what do we see? “To keep hydro rates affordable, government has asked the B.C. Utilities Commission to freeze hydro rates for the next year.” Quite the 180.

There was also no mention of reinvigorating or restoring the innovative clean energy fund; no mention of the scientific panel that the current government promised on fracking; the mining jobs task force, or the terms of reference and membership of this task force, which are due in the first quarter of 2018 — no mention of any of this in the throne speech.

The throne speech talked of compliance and enforcement being strengthened, but like many other NDP promises, they have failed to make a decision and outline the details of the independent oversight unit, which was promised during the May election. This is an integral part to the mining industry — yet no mention.

I can’t express enough how vitally important the industry of mining is to the revenue and social side of our province — how these industries have literally built our communities, employ union and non-union workers alike. This is part of who we are in this province, and to get nothing more than a side glance in this throne speech is, quite honestly, a slap in the face to our industry, our workers and our investors.

The list of shortcomings keeps growing with little end in sight. It’s troubling to see the utter lack of initiative from members on that side of the House to make these issues a priority and to help the industries that built this province into what it is today.

As the people may have noticed yesterday, and I’ve conveniently left mine on, the MLAs were wearing a blue ribbon. This blue ribbon here was in recognition of the thousands of workers who take care of B.C. seniors. The province of British Columbia has proclaimed February 19, 2018, in their honour.

As yesterday was B.C. Seniors Care Providers Day, I thought I would bring up the lack of commitment of this government in the throne speech towards senior care. Out of a 45-minute speech, there was but one sentence on senior care solution — one sentence. The sentence said it would provide more time for caregivers to spend with seniors, but they don’t identify how much more time. The sentence says they will train more people, but fails to say how many and how they plan on retaining these care providers, which is actually as big a problem as finding more trained people.

As my beloved colleague from Cariboo-Chilcotin said in her speech, they deserve more than “bedpans and lockup.”

I have to give out a shout, actually, to a resident that lives in my hometown of Cranbrook. Her name is Dianna Green Bennett. She has a form of MS, and she lives in assisted care. She has the courage of a lion, and she is standing up for the lack of care she feels is currently being delivered.

People are living longer in their conditions and becoming more complex. More time is needed, most definitely, and we need a more definite description of how that will look. This throne speech would have been a great opportunity to say this, but it missed the mark once again.

[11:35 a.m.]

Senior and assisted-living care in our province is a big issue. For those that have spent a lifetime of hard work, not only do they deserve respect and family care; they deserve more than one sentence in a throne speech.

As far as local events go, this government claims to be all for B.C., but the throne speech offered very little for the B.C. interior in regards to things that matter to the people in my riding of Kootenay East. There was no mention of fixing the B.C. camping reservation system and how they plan on putting British Columbians first in line for camping spots. This was a big promise during the last campaign. They were going to fix the reservation system. They were going to put British Columbians first in those camping spots — yet no mention.

There is a mention on increasing conservation officers but no real hard numbers on how many — and then failed to mention hiring of park rangers. No mention of hiring of park rangers.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for me is no mention of the decline of wildlife populations and an independent agency to facilitate a proper funding model to gather the proper scientific data needed to bring together a holistic wildlife biodiversity land use plan. This is a big deal.

Interjection.

T. Shypitka: We’ll get to the member over there on the other side on something he said yesterday, which was actually quite good.

I’m hoping I will see this in today’s budget, as I have made my voice heard quite loudly to government and as this is a message from my constituency. Wildlife habitat loss is a big issue. Our wildlife populations are being decimated around the province, and no area is more severe than in my riding of Kootenay East. Once called the Serengeti of North America, Kootenay East has more big game, has more carnivorous creatures than anywhere on the continent.

The awareness of this issue is non-partisan, as funding for our wildlife has been flatlined for 40 years. Habitat loss is one of the main culprits, but there’s a whole host of other ingredients that make this a deadly recipe. Biodiversity, land access, regionalized representation are all part of the formula to success. The biggest problem is that we don’t really know for sure the exact science on building up our populations.

We need more number counts on predator and prey, more mapping on wildlife corridors, breeding and calving areas, invasive species and noxious weeds and disease. Through this information we can adjust our hunting regulations and our policy on individual species. We have to address that first to get to the individual species.

For example, the recent ban on grizzly hunting was not science-based — like the member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head says he supports and, I think, a lot of the people in this House support. It was a political decision based on a populistic approach to many that have no idea of what proper wildlife management looks like. We need to be looking past one-species solutions for something as detailed as this.

Our province is beautiful and diverse, with more ecosystems in place, I dare say, than any jurisdiction in the world. These blanket policies and one-size-fits-all solutions will no longer do here in our province. The time is now. The time is urgent, and I’m more than willing to work with the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Forests, the Minister of Agriculture to work on solutions on a bipartisan level.

Interjection.

T. Shypitka: My friend — he’s tapping over there — for Saanich North and the Islands has pointed out the low steelhead numbers in the province. Quite true and equally as important. Well, this problem is on the land as well as the water, and we need some change. It has to happen now.

The omission of the ranching community and the continued funding for fencing and cost recovery for lost livestock due to predation was not in this speech as well. Our ranchers deserve better. These are such big deals to our region, and it is truly disappointing that this government has failed to recognize their importance.

If British Columbia is to remain beautiful, data-driven steps need to be taken in order to preserve our back country. These initiatives cannot simply be afterthoughts but need to be laid out clearly and taken seriously. I will continue to work hard on these files.

The budget will come out today, and I look forward to seeing more details on how they will allocate resources to accomplish some of these goals they have laid out for the people of this province. This government has done a great deal of work telling British Columbians what their priorities are. With the budget, we will actually get to see if their money matches their mouths.

[11:40 a.m.]

I, for one, am not holding my breath. My colleagues and I look forward to holding this government to task in estimates.

This government thus far has not given much hope to British Columbians. After starting a needless trade war with Alberta, the government offers no ideas to stimulate the economy or to reassure investors. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite. This is a sour message that this government is sending to our partners in Canada and Canada as a nation. The throne speech promises more reviews and little action. The only certainty is all of British Columbia is going to pay for it.

What I’ve brought forward thus far is only a small sampling in the ever-increasing list of broken promises and stolen, rebranded ideas. I believe, as do many others, that British Columbians deserve much better. For those reasons, I strongly oppose this throne speech.

Hon. M. Farnworth: As I begin my remarks, I’m reminded of something that the Minister of Health said to me in response to the previous member’s speech, who said he wasn’t going to hold his breath. The Minister of Health said to me: “Don’t hold your breath. It’s not good for you.” I intend to follow the advice of the Minister of Health and not hold my breath, because I think I’ve got, after listening to that, quite a lot to say.

I want to take a few minutes and thank my constituents. This is really the first time since the election that I have the opportunity to do that. I first was elected in 1991, again in ’96, then in ’05, ’09, 2013 and, most recently, in 2017. It really was an honour to be re-elected for the sixth time by a community I’ve grown up in — which, next year, I will have been a resident of for 50 years. Port Coquitlam is where I went to school.

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Yup, 50. I am 58. I will be….

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: That’s true.

Anyway, to me, it’s a very special place. I can think of no greater honour than representing a community that you’ve grown up in. As I said, it really is an honour.

And it’s an honour to speak to this throne speech, because after listening to the remarks of the previous member…. I understand where he’s coming from, and he clearly is passionate about a number of issues. I was, really, particularly interested to hear, on some of the issues around…. Whether it is back-country preservation, wildlife management, the state of our environment, the decline in species and how important they are, he was critical of the throne speech, going: “Well, there are no specific numbers. We need conservation officers. We need wildlife management officers. We need good data.”

Well, the problem is that for 16 years we didn’t get any of that. For 16 years, they cut the number of conservation officers, they cut the wildlife management supports and they cut the back-country supports. Sixteen years.

Now, I know the member over there is going “16 years.” He’s already, I can tell…. He’s going: “Oh yeah. Here they go, 16 years.” But I’d just like to remind him that they too, on that side, had their favourite number that they used to like to….

Interjections.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Exactly. There you go.

I’d like to remind him that for 16 years his party did sit on this side of the House, and so very many of those issues that he is talking about and is concerned about that weren’t directly and specifically mentioned in the throne speech in specific numbers…. The reason is because his party failed to deal with those issues on that side of the House.

They did that with so many other areas of government policy, whether it is B.C. Hydro, whether it is ICBC, whether it was education and the constant feuding with teachers, the constant desire to be taking them to court, wasting tax dollars on court fights that they knew that they were going to lose….

[11:45 a.m.]

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Oh, he’s upset because I’m laying out a record of the last 16 years to enlighten him as to….

Interjections.

Hon. M. Farnworth: It most certainly is a record. The fact is, it is a record. You guys took the teachers to court time and time again, and every single time you lost. The result was that when we won this election, you had the biggest mess of ICBC in the history of this province. You had the biggest mess at B.C. Hydro this province has ever seen. You had an education system where parents felt that they were pawns in a dispute between government and teachers. Those are facts. That was that government’s record.

So we have a challenge of addressing and fixing those messes. In the throne speech, we’ve laid out how we’re going to do that. We’ve seen it with actions from this government right from the get-go.

In my own constituency of Port Coquitlam…. People from the Tri-Cities and south of the Fraser were punished by an unfair tolling policy that meant that a working family in my community…. If two people lived in Port Coquitlam and were working south of the Fraser — in Surrey, for example, as many people were — they were paying, between the two of them, $3,000 a year to cross the Port Mann or the Golden Ears bridges in after-tax dollars — $3,000 a year. That does not include the small business man I talked to during the election campaign. The small business man was telling me that it was costing his company $15,000 a month.

So we laid out a program that was fair to people, that addressed the costs of affordability. When we came and formed government, in our first throne speech, we laid that out — making life more affordable. We took those tolls off. That’s put more money back in the pockets of ordinary, hard-working families in my constituency and throughout the Tri-Cities. That’s what an agenda based on….

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Thank you, hon. Speaker.

It’s unfortunate I don’t have…. I’m just getting going.

Hon. A. Dix: Unanimous consent.

Hon. M. Farnworth: I suppose I could, but even I, Minister of Health, must be fed at noon.

I hear the howls over there: “How is it going to be paid?” Well, it’s paid the same way that every other infrastructure is paid in this province. I didn’t see you making howls, for example, when road improvements took place in Kamloops. I didn’t see you making howls on taking the tolls off the Coquihalla so many years ago. That was quite okay. I didn’t see them rushing to put tolls on the Sea to Sky Highway. So why is it okay to not have tolls on the Coquihalla, but it’s not okay to take the tolls off the Port Mann Bridge?

Well, I’ll tell you something. I will stand with the people in my riding on their support for taking the tolls off the Port Mann Bridge over the desire of that side of the House to make them continue paying up to $3,000 of after-tax income every year. We stand for affordability on this side. They stand for tax breaks for the top 1 percent.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Now, let’s get on with another issue that the members have talked about — that we haven’t laid a plan out properly on infrastructure.

I have to congratulate a government — and I’m proud to be part of a government — whose first actions in this throne speech, one of the key announcements that was made…. It’s about fairness. It’s about ensuring all parts of British Columbia are treated equitably.

My colleague the Minister of Health….

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Oh, hang on. I hear the member talking about hospital taxes. I’m wondering if the….

[11:50 a.m.]

I know the Minister of Health made an announcement about a hospital in Williams Lake, if I’m not mistaken — a government so committed to fairness that one of the first acts they are doing is a new hospital in Williams Lake, a riding not held by us. What we are doing is ensuring fairness.

Then a second capital, another hospital project, if I’m not mistaken. Mills Memorial replacement, up in Terrace, British Columbia, again represented by an opposition member. That kind of fairness and equitable treatment we didn’t see from that side of the House for 16 years, where more often than not, decisions were made on the basis of what party holds a particular riding.

Our throne speech is designed to deal with issues of affordability. Education is critical to people in my community. It’s critical to the long-term economic future of British Columbia. We need to know that we’ve got teachers who are trained.

Interjections.

Hon. M. Farnworth: What I like is…. As much as the heckling is going on, and the chatter, it tells you two things. One is that they’re listening, which in my time in this House, I’ve always thought is a lot better than giving a speech to total silence — right? — which means they’re not listening.

Education. We’ve laid out an ambitious plan to address the education shortfall, not only in terms of the capital that’s needed in our province to deal with the fast-growing areas that are occurring in Surrey and Port Coquitlam and other parts of the Lower Mainland, but also to ensure that we’ve got the right number of teachers, which is why, after the Supreme Court decision, one of the first things we did was hire all those teachers that are needed, and more teachers are going to be hired.

We’re building schools in my own riding of Port Coquitlam. The throne speech that laid out the plan…. We’ve just most recently announced — the Minister of Education was in my community — Irvine Elementary School. That was a school that had been a priority for district 43 for quite a number of years. Yet for some reason, over the last 16 years, it never kept making it up. The district had it up here, and somehow, it kept falling back down there.

Parents were out door-knocking. In fact, I was out door-knocking with them in the pouring rain last October, gathering signatures to let the government know just how important this school was, that it was critical to replace Irvine Elementary, which was a cinder-block school built on a very poor foundation. If there was an earthquake, for example, it would come tumbling down.

Well, I’m proud to be part of a government that recognizes the importance of that. I’m proud to be part of a government that has a plan for education, that has a plan for health care, that has a plan to deal with the transportation infrastructure requirements that are not going to just help constituents but help build the economy of this province.

I know that the eager and attentive ears on the other side of the House would love to hear more. But I also know many of them are desirous to get some lunch.

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: You know what, hon. Member? As much as I would like to agree to your wish, I do know that a lot of people are hungry. It is close to the hour. So noting the hour, I will reserve my right to continue, and I adjourn the debate.

Hon. M. Farnworth moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. M. Farnworth moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:54 a.m.