Routine Business

Prayers.

Introductions by Members

Hon. J. Horgan: It is an honour to rise today and acknowledge some guests in the gallery. I have a number of them. Firstly, a dear friend of mine from Langford, Cody Bell, is here with his friend Oliver. They’re going to be enjoying question period and the remains of the day after that.

Also joining us in the precinct is the Westshore secondary school grade 11 class. They’re here with teachers Anita, Lyle, Betty and Debbie. I met them in the foyer. They watched you process in, hon. Speaker. They were dutifully impressed.

Most importantly, I want to acknowledge the presence in the gallery today of the Barrett family. Joining us in the gallery are Dave Barrett’s sons, Joe and Dan; daughter, Jane; grandson Andrew and beloved spouse, Shirley Barrett. They are here today to observe an acknowledgment of Dave Barrett’s tremendous contribution to British Columbia. I know all members will be joining in that in the time ahead.

Would the House please make everyone welcome. [Applause.]

R. Chouhan: I have two sets of introductions to make today. The first one is my friend Mario Gregorio. He is a member of the Alzheimer Society delegation. They are here today to meet with the ministers and MLAs to talk about their society’s contribution to British Columbia. He has lived in Burnaby-Edmonds since 2008, when we first met. He’s been a very active volunteer. He has helped me in every campaign since then. In the last campaign, he also helped the Burnaby-Lougheed member.

Really, I’m so happy to see him here. I met with him last night again. He’s a great photographer, and he has a passion to raise awareness about the stigma that’s attached to people with dementia. I would like to ask all members to give him a very warm welcome.

My second introduction — Minister of Health, I’m not finished yet — is Vanita Minhas. She is a young woman who’s very passionate, very hard-working. She does so much work in the community. She is an excellent fundraiser. I knew her when she was a little baby — like that. Now she’s a grown-up woman. She’s also here, working with the Alzheimer Society. Please give her a very warm welcome too.

S. Sullivan: I’m very honoured to have a special guest here today, a very successful businessperson, a philanthropist. Among his many roles in the community is as a trustee for the Audain Art Museum in Whistler.

Will the House please welcome Tom Gautreau.

Hon. A. Dix: I should have known, hon. Speaker, that the Deputy Speaker has so many friends.

In addition to Mario Gregorio, who’s here with the B.C. leadership group of people living with dementia, we have lots of representatives of the Alzheimer Society here. I think many members of the House are going to join together for lunch today. I know my colleague from Coquitlam–Burke Mountain will be speaking, as I will be.

[10:10 a.m.]

I wanted to introduce Maria Howard, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society; Barbara Lindsay, the director; Jennifer Stewart, manager at the Alzheimer Society; Alex Chui, the provincial coordinator; Mario Gregorio, as the Deputy Speaker introduced; and Robert Piasentin.

I’d like the House to wish all of them welcome and hope everyone will be able to join us for lunch.

L. Reid: I’m delighted to welcome to the precinct today representatives of the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association, particularly Mr. Jim McAllister. We met on the lawn earlier this morning to pay tribute to the memorial that’s on the south lawn.

I certainly invite British Columbians to take a look. It’s a wonderful tribute to their organization and to those who have given their lives in support and rescue of other British Columbians.

I would ask the House to make them welcome.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Following on the member from Richmond, I’d also like to introduce a number of search and rescue volunteers that are here to mark Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial Day. They include Shannon Rae and Robert Northcott, representing PEP Air; Cathy Dupuis and Jason van der Valk, representing the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue; and Stephanie Hart and Rick Morris, representing the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association.

Day in and day out, these volunteers and thousands of others around the province help keep our province and people who go out into the back country or find themselves in distress safe. We want to congratulate them on the work that they do.

Would the House please make them most welcome.

Hon. C. James: Yesterday I mentioned that the best high school in Victoria–Beacon Hill was visiting the gallery. That best high school is back again today. A very active teacher, very engaged in democracy, Ms. Jean Campbell from Victoria High School is here today and will be entering the gallery with 23 grade 11 students and two adults.

I would like the House to please make them very welcome.

B. Ma: In about an hour and a half, a delegation of students from Capilano University will be arriving in the precinct to meet with members of the Legislative Assembly. They will be here to discuss the implications of the confidence and supply agreement for democracy in British Columbia and how to best address climate change and intergenerational equality. While they’re not here yet, I would like to introduce them all by name.

Here we go: Jayde Achison, Jessica Courvoisier, Natalie Danieli, Madelaine Dawson, Brooklynn Doucette, Geraldo Fornari Netto, Nathan Harada, Helia Ghahremani, Keith Jackson, Michelle Livaja, Jaimi MacCara, Scott Mason, Taylor McCarthy, Laura Melczer, Sarah Nankov, Owen O’Rourke, Brenden Smith, Elena Tsvetkova and Jenna Young.

They are joined by Toran Savjord, Capilano University acting president. They are also joined by Tracey Maynard, the lead organizer of the Metro Vancouver Alliance, and their professor, who was also the 2017 B.C. Green Party candidate for West Vancouver–Capilano and my good friend, Dr. Michael Markwick.

Would the House please join me in welcoming them to the precinct.

Ministerial Statements

DAVE BARRETT

Hon. J. Horgan: I rise today to pay tribute in this House to Dave Barrett, the 26th Premier of British Columbia, member of the Legislature in 1960 through ’75 for what was then known as the riding of Dewdney, which included Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and everything in between. He was then returned to this place as the member for Vancouver East in 1976 through to 1984.

I had the good fortune of meeting Dave Barrett as a colleague, I would say with some humility, when he was a member of the House of Commons between 1988 and 1993, representing the great constituency of Esquimalt–Juan de Fuca.

[10:15 a.m.]

As I reflect on the passing of Dave Barrett, the weekend ahead and having the Barrett family with us here today — a memorial service will be held at the University of Victoria on Saturday and, I would suggest and characterize, a more raucous affair in Vancouver at the Croatian Centre on Sunday — I think it’s appropriate that we pay tribute as members of this Legislature to the enormous contribution that Dave Barrett made to life in British Columbia and, most importantly, life in this place.

I think it’s appropriate, as we do this before question period, that we remind ourselves that there was no question period until Dave Barrett introduced it. I think, as I look up at the Hansard table here at the Legislature, it’s appropriate that we acknowledge that as well, because were it not for Dave Barrett, perhaps we wouldn’t have every utterance, every word, every piece of wisdom delivered on this floor recorded for all time, as it is today — again, one of the contributions of Dave Barrett.

Although we have now decamped the opposition offices and left them behind, when Dave Barrett became Premier, there were no opposition offices. There were no opposition budgets. So all of us, whether we’re on this side of the House or on that side of the House, owe a debt of gratitude to Dave Barrett.

I know the Clerks and the Speaker will acknowledge, as well, that the decorum in this place has been somewhat changed since Dave departed. I know that we have more robust Sergeants-at-Arms, and no one has been carried out in my time here. But Dave Barrett, rotund as he was, did get carried out. So as I look at the Sergeant-at-Arms staff, be of good cheer that you didn’t have to pick up Dave Barrett and cart him out of this place.

His contribution was immense, not just here but right across the province. We will all be aware of the enormous contributions — the 387 extraordinary bills that were put through in the time that we’re still grappling with drafting legislation here in the 21st century. Cutting and pasting together bills, bringing them forward and passing them with a pace and a speed that would just not be done today — that was the transformation that Dave Barrett brought to our legislative processes.

I’ll touch upon some of those profound contributions in a minute. But I want to, instead, tell you a little bit about how Dave Barrett affected my life, even though I didn’t know it. Now, some of you may be aware that I had a tempestuous time as a high school student, and I owe a debt of gratitude to Dave Barrett for abolishing corporal punishment. I didn’t know at the time that Dave Barrett was doing me a service, but in fact, he was.

Later on, after graduating from high school — at great surprise to most of my teachers — I went on to work in a place called Ocean Falls. I wouldn’t have been able to go to Ocean Falls and make enough money to go on to post-secondary education if Dave Barrett and his government, the first NDP government, had not intervened when Crown Zellerbach said: “We’re not making enough money here. We’re out.” Dave Barrett and the NDP government bought the town lock, stock and barrel. That provided me an opportunity to experience life in a rural community, to experience life in a mill, to experience life in a place that would not have existed were it not for Dave Barrett.

Now, the government was eventually defeated, as all governments are, but the new government took some time before they wound up the affairs of Ocean Falls. Even to this day, coming on to 40 years later, I still run into the diaspora of Ocean Falls. They all have fond memories of their time there, largely because they were given a second life because of Dave Barrett.

Dave Barrett gave those people a second life because of his passion for the underdog. He cared deeply about this province and the people that reside here. There was not a better advocate for the downtrodden than Dave Barrett. There was not a more feisty and passionate speaker in this Legislature before or since. He was a profound political leader who affected the lives of everyone who came upon him. You could not walk into a room that Dave Barrett was in and not know he was there. The jacket over the shoulder, the sleeves rolled up, the foot on the desk — I won’t emulate that here today, but it was part and parcel of Dave Barrett’s presentation.

Later on, in 1983, I’d just graduated from university with my winnings from time in Oceans Falls. I was on the lawn with about 30,000 other people here. It was the Solidarity movement at that time. The opposition led by Dave Barrett was railing against the government for a restraint program. I have to say that the restraint program was trying to cap wages at 6 percent, and that was an insurrection in the streets. So we have certainly transformed as a society, and the issues of today are not the issues of yesterday. But 30,000 people showed up on the Legislature lawns.

I went, on a lark, with a friend who said: “Let’s go down and see what’s going on.” I had no particular political persuasion at that time, but in all of the chanting and the signs and the carnival atmosphere of a protest on the lawns, which we have not seen since, I saw this man come out onto the steps.

[10:20 a.m.]

He was a shorter man and jiggled a little bit when he talked. In fact, he jiggled a lot when he got going. I know Shirley saw more jiggle than anyone else over the years. But when Dave started to go, the crowd started to respond. They responded with love, genuine love, for a man who was standing, fighting the good fight, always putting people ahead of himself and always doing what he could to make life better for people.

What struck me on that day, Members, as I watched Dave on the stairs of the Legislature do his thing, was the profound power he had over all of the people that were assembled there that day. It was not just the presentation of the words. It was the power of them and the focus of them, and that was always to make life better for people.

I think we can all take a great lesson from Dave’s time here on this great earth. He worked day after day after day, a fearless defender of the rights of citizens. That’s why he created a B.C. Human Rights Commission.

He felt, back in the 1970s, that we needed to ensure that we had agricultural land to feed ourselves well into the future. We stand here, in 2018, all of us in every corner of this House, proudly defending the agricultural land reserve, which was mocked and ridiculed at the time. But Dave Barrett stood here and said: “Damn you all. It’s the right thing to do, and we’re going to do it.” There’s not a person in this place or across this province that would disagree with that today.

Public auto insurance has had a bit of a rocky road recently. I know that…. I’m just going to let that pass. For a moment, I might take a drink and just think about that for a minute — let that hang in the air. Public auto insurance.

The vision of the Barrett government at that time was to ensure that there was a public vehicle to ensure that the travelling public was protected, not just those who were behind the wheel but those that might be impacted by those that were behind the wheel. Ensuring that everyone had mandatory automobile insurance protected people and saved lives. It was a forward-looking policy at the time. It remains, despite successive changes in government, in place — more or less for the betterment of British Columbia. I’m hopeful that we can continue to build on that legacy and make public auto insurance not just a legacy for the Barrett government but a legacy for all British Columbians.

I want to acknowledge, also, Lynn Klein in the gallery today. Lynn has been coming to this place — as all of you know, certainly almost as long as I’ve been a member of this place — to observe the proceedings. A former paramedic, a former Ambulance Service employee, Lynn comes here because he believes profoundly in what we do. Dave Barrett established the Ambulance Service in British Columbia, and Lynn Klein reminds me of that frequently. I’m very, very much honoured — and I know the Barrett family are — that there will be an honour guard of the B.C. Ambulance Service at the memorial at UVic on Saturday.

It’s the contributions…. As you start going through the list, it gets longer and longer and longer. I did touch on corporal punishment — critically important to me at that time. But pay toilets in British Columbia were abolished by Dave Barrett. That’s not a small thing. If you’ve travelled in Europe and you’re hopping on one foot and don’t have a pound sterling or a euro in your pocket, it can oftentimes be embarrassing. That will not happen in British Columbia because of Dave Barrett.

The list is as long as your arm. I have very many examples of them here: a labour code, the minimum wage — the list is long — French in schools.

Again, the love that was made between the Parti Québécois and Dave Barrett was one of the stories he told me when he would hold court in Ottawa with young staffers. The member for Vancouver-Kingsway and I would gather around with other youngsters at that time — I would argue we were youngsters at that time — and Dave would regale us with the stories of how he and his intrepid band of comrades would fight the good fight on behalf of the people of British Columbia.

Starting in this place, starting on this side of the House — of course, he went back to 1960 — the first NDP government, the Allende of the North, socialism had broken out in Canada, and Dave Barrett was the face of that. Now, oftentimes when people hear about socialist hordes at the gate…. This was a tried-and-true method of the former government back in the ’50s, ’60s and up to the early ’70s. “We have to keep the socialists at bay.”

The advantage that Dave Barrett had over everyone else was: he was a happy warrior. He had a smile on his face all the time. He could be hitting you upside the back of the head, and you wouldn’t have known it because he was smiling at you so passionately and so vigorously. He was a kind man. He was an affable man. He was someone you couldn’t help but like.

[10:25 a.m.]

I was reading, and members will have in their in-boxes, the Orders of the Day, which is a great publication put together by former members of this place. Jim Hume — who was certainly a longtime coverer of this place, sitting in the gallery — writes a very fond piece on Dave in this edition of Orders of the Day.

He says at the outset: “We were never friends.” Yet when Jim Hume’s son was in hospital after a rugby injury, Dave immediately sent a handwritten note to Jim Hume’s son. Before Jim could leave the Legislature and get there to be at his bedside, Dave had already got a note to him, talking about rugby and the misfortunes of that game. That was the kind of guy he was. Even not being a friend, Jim Hume was able to find a good thing to say.

That would be put alongside a story I heard with my friend from Vancouver-Kingsway about the time that Dave bumped into Jim Hume in the hallway and said: “Are you still writing for the paper?” Of course, as members of the gallery will know, there’s no greater insult than to say to someone who writes every day: “Are you still writing in the paper?” Nonetheless, Dave did it with a smile on his face. Jim Hume, to this day, looks back fondly on Dave’s time in this place because it was an extraordinary time.

As an historian, I look back on the ’72-75 period. Obviously, as a partisan and a social democrat, I look on it with pride. But I believe all British Columbians look back at that time — the battles of Bennett and Barrett…. I know many members in this place cut their teeth or became aware of politics when these two titans were going at each other, election after election after election.

Bill Bennett has passed away. Dave Barrett has passed away. But the contribution that those two men made to this place is immeasurable. The contribution Dave Barrett made to my movement and to my colleagues on this side of the House…. We can never find the thanks to offer to his family for the sacrifices that they made over those many, many years.

Dave was, first and foremost, a family man. Wherever he went, the family was right there. The Volvo was packed up, the bags were tied onto the top, and off they went on their merry way.

Always with a smile, always with a song in his heart. Compassion, empathy, decency — those are the things I think of when I think of Dave Barrett. A giant in British Columbia who will be sorely missed. The 26th Premier of British Columbia. Gone today but never, ever forgotten. [Applause.]

A. Wilkinson: I thank the Premier for his thoughtful remarks about a true leader who served in this House for so many years.

Of course, we thank his family for being here today to hear these remarks in his honour and to pay respect to him.

We, of course, have to recognize that Dave Barrett spent most of his adult life in public service. He served for many years in this chamber and in Ottawa. His goal was to make British Columbia and Canada a better place.

We can disagree fundamentally on some of his ideas. Nonetheless, he left a profound legacy. We can all think, in this room, ourselves: “How many of us will be remembered 45 years from now for major institutions?” They still exist in our society. We can quibble with and adjust and amend and change them for the better, but they still endure because they were created by Dave Barrett.

Of course, that’s why we have a Legislature — because nothing’s ever perfect. It needs to be adjusted and changed and improved. We think of the agricultural land reserve, ICBC, Hansard, the Ambulance Service and the question period phenomenon. I’ll come back to that. Things as substantial as the durable French immersion programs we have in this province, with 55,000 students enrolled in those programs, exist because Dave Barrett launched them.

We have to reflect on our own goals and legacy and whether we can ever reach the standard that he set for innovation in this chamber. Now, some of the innovations involved taking himself out to the very edge of the democratic envelope and being ejected from this room. Nonetheless, he was a passionate advocate for the things he believed in, and he believed in the democratic process for getting them done.

Think only of question period. Well, what would we do in this room that would interest, entertain, stimulate and advance the cause of democracy without question period?

[10:30 a.m.]

I can think that…. In recent days, we’ve tried a new technique, and the government of the day seems to be squirming under the pressures of Dave Barrett’s legacy. Each morning I rise, go for my run, stop and look into the sunrise and think: “Thank you, Dave Barrett, for question period.”

To his family: unforgettable, our deepest respect. Thank you.

A. Weaver: I rise to pay tribute, on behalf of the B.C. Green caucus, to a great British Columbian, Dave Barrett, who passed away on February 2 of this year. I also wish to extend my sincere condolences to his family gathered in the gallery today.

Dave Barrett dedicated much of his life to the service of British Columbians. He did so with passion. He did so with commitment. He did so with integrity. He did so both here in the B.C. Legislature as well as in the House of Parliament in Ottawa.

Dave Barrett, without a doubt, was one of Canada’s great Premiers. During his time as Premier, from 1972 to 1975, his government passed a remarkable 367 bills, averaging one every three days. Much of his legacy has stood the test of time. His government created ICBC, launched PharmaCare and passed the human rights code, to name but a few of his impressive and lasting achievements.

In 1973, British Columbia was faced with sprawling urban development that threatened to swallow up precious agricultural land, including some of the best farmland in Canada. It was a challenge, with opponents down every avenue, and one that a timid political leader would likely have avoided. Premier Dave Barrett and his government rose to the challenge through principled and focused leadership.

They preserved Cypress Bowl — what he described as his greatest legacy. They protected vast swaths of land from developing by creating the agricultural land reserve, ensuring that future generations would have access to quality farmland and locally grown food. It was an act that angered many in the development community, but it was a bold and important act that was grounded in the principle of intergenerational equity.

A great orator. A gregarious individual with a wicked sense of humour. A man of integrity and principles. A man of the people. These are but a few of the traits for which he will be remembered.

As a junior high school student in the mid-1970s, Dave Barrett’s political leadership inspired me. His lasting legacy continues to do just that each and every day in the Legislature.

As we say goodbye to Premier Barrett, we should collectively reflect upon his great accomplishments, for it is with leadership like his that we can continue a build a province that is forward-looking, innovative and compassionate.

Thank you, Dave Barrett, for all that you did. You will be missed but never forgotten.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

REGULATION OF REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

L. Throness: As result of a few bad actors in the real estate industry, an independent advisory group created by the previous government issued a report and a series of recommendations now being implemented in order to protect consumers and give a new superintendent more power to act.

Let’s not underestimate the importance of the real estate industry to B.C. In 2016, 22,000 realtors sold 112,000 homes worth $78 billion. For the government, the property transfer tax raised over $2 billion, a substantial and growing part of provincial revenue.

A real estate transaction is one of the largest most consumers will make in their lifetime, so consumer protection is vital. The new regulations see to this. However, the services that industry partners provide to consumers are also important. In this regard, the new rules have met with industry dissatisfaction. Many argue that the rules are complex and the paper burden unnecessary. Rules don’t acknowledge the legitimate differences between commercial and residential and urban and rural business, with the unintended consequences that consumers may be both inconvenienced and underserviced.

A particular sore spot is the virtual banning of dual agency. While reasonable in most cases, it could hurt the industry, particularly in rural areas, and restrict the natural desire of consumers to deal with agents they know and trust, even after full disclosure.

[10:35 a.m.]

Although the superintendent was going to implement the rules in March, he has wisely decided to consult further and wait until June. Since cabinet has to ratify the new regulations, I would encourage the government, as well, to be patient, to listen to bona fide concerns and make rules protective but also practical, to reduce conflicts without hobbling legitimate business and, above all, to show the respect that is due the thousands of real estate agents who are upstanding members of all of our communities.

ESQUIMALT MILITARY FAMILY
RESOURCE CENTRE

M. Dean: My constituency is the proud home of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, Canada’s Pacific coast naval base. The Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre, MFRC, supports families of the 4,500 military members who work at CFB Esquimalt. It’s a remarkable organization that takes care of those who are taking care of us.

This not-for-profit agency has been supporting military families for 30 years. They’ve learned a lot about the kinds of services that are most valuable to military families and how to best deliver them. Military members have jobs that can be very intense and demanding. Relocation and separation are a fact of military life, and each year 600 military families move in and out of greater Victoria. Families may need support with deployment stresses, risks associated with the work, crisis situations and changing family dynamics.

MFRC offers confidential counselling, support services and also referral and connection to other resources to help these families thrive. In 2017, they supported families of 2,600 sailors who steamed 345,000 nautical miles. That’s the equivalent to 16 times around the world. They work with families of 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, located at Pat Bay, and families of land troops deployed to various locations, such as Egypt, Latvia, Kuwait, Iraq and Israel.

We thank MFRC for their services for military families. By helping to promote resiliency and life skills, their contribution helps military members to stay well and helps them focus on their missions, on behalf of us all.

LIL’WAT NATION
Ts̓zil LEARNING CENTRE

J. Sturdy: In Mount Currie, the Lil’wat Nation is developing a very impressive new post-secondary school. The Ts̓zil Learning Centre is currently under construction and, when complete, will replace the old broken-down ATCO trailers that have been used, literally, for decades as the community’s post-secondary location.

The new Ts̓zil Learning Centre is a purpose-built facility that will provide accredited post-secondary education and certified industry skills training to students from throughout the region. Students from Lil’wat, N’Quatqua, Skatin, Samahquam, Douglas, Pemberton and Whistler will now have better access to post-secondary opportunities.

Ts̓zil is operated in partnership with Capilano University. As well as filling a long-overdue need for a permanent post-secondary facility, Lil’wat is responding to the demands of the community for training and job placement. Industry training programs and the carpentry program recently offered at Ts̓zil have been well oversubscribed. Graduates from these programs have easily found work in Lil’wat, in Pemberton and in Whistler. Moving forward, a priority will be to build strong relationships with other post-secondary partners in order to offer more extensive and varied programs.

When complete, the centre will include a modern ishkin, or pit house, ceremony space, classrooms, computer labs, study space, a student lounge and meeting space. The Lil’wat Cultural Centre will also be an integral part of the facility, connecting students and visitors to traditional knowledge and cultural expertise.

The learning centre is funded in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and it represents a significant step in realizing Lil’wat Nation’s vision for the future. The Ts̓zil Learning Centre is located on Highway 99 in Mount Currie as you head towards the Duffy Lake Road. You can’t miss it. It’s worth a stop to see what the future of learning opportunities are in the north part of the Sea to Sky.

[10:40 a.m.]

COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY

J. Rice: Commercial fishing is a strong thread in the social fabric that has held B.C. communities together for generations, but the industry’s impact is typically evaluated in only dollars and cents, leaving the wider societal impacts poorly documented and largely underrepresented in fisheries policy and marine planning. Yet these values are no less important to the people who make their livings on the sea.

In just one part of the province, the PNCIMA region, where my constituents and I live, are some of the most valuable fishing areas on Canada’s Pacific coast. In 2010, the PNCIMA region yielded $415 million in wholesale value, just over half of the wild-caught marine fisheries’ wholesale value for the entire province.

There’s more to fishing than profit margins. There are economic ripple effects, as fishermen spend money on equipment and supplies — fishing revenue spreading throughout the local businesses and local communities. Fishing also has a role in the gifting and trading of seafood, and commercial fishing vessels play a key role in this complex system. One fisherman may give or trade seafood to 100 other people. This food community also contributes to food security in rural and remote communities.

These days many fishermen are First Nations. Without the ability to commercially fish, they would not have the necessary vessels to exercise their food, social and ceremonial fishing rights, nor have the ability to feed elders and others in their community. Being a commercial fishermen is more than just a job. It’s a lifestyle that connects people to each other, to their communities and to the surrounding environment.

Mostly, Canadian fisheries policy has been focused on two areas: economic, measured by landed value, and biological, measured by species abundance. Research by Ecotrust Canada and the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation highlights an opportunity to reframe fisheries policy that benefits environmental conservatism, economic resilience and social equity alike.

On the ceilings of this Legislature are paintings of the four foundational industries of B.C.: mining, forestry, farming and fishing. I think we can do a better job of supporting our commercial fishermen.

AGRICULTURE ON SALTSPRING ISLAND

A. Olsen: Agriculture is an important industry in my community and across our bountiful province. On Saltspring Island, there are hundreds of farms and over 3,000 hectares in production. There are a wide variety of crops supported by the rich farmland on the island, much of which can be sampled and purchased at the famous Saturday Market.

Saltspring Island has also developed an impressive list of local producers who rely on the agricultural products of the island. It’s a truly vibrant economy with rewarding jobs, supported by an inspiring community. Saltspring Island is home to an impressive seed bank, operated by Salt Spring Seeds; a non-profit abattoir, supporting the livestock producers of the island; and a cluster of innovative community farms.

One of those community farms is operated by Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust, a non-profit organization committed to promoting local food security. They’ve been an important component of the island’s agricultural economy over the past ten years. Beyond operating the Burgoyne Valley Family Community Farm, they run the Shaw Family Community Gardens and are actively building The Root, a food-processing and distribution facility that will also offer local food education.

The projects worked on by the Farmland Trust are models of community-driven rural development. There is strong dedication from the farmers in my community, in my riding, to growing food. Farming is hard work and requires an outstanding level of dedication. That’s why I’m pleased to see that that the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust received a $100,000 grant through the rural dividend program, investing much-needed resources in further developing the rural agricultural community on the island — yet another example of how government can reward the hard work and devotion of incredible organizations in our community.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND
WORK OF ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF B.C.

A. Kang: I would like to begin talking about Alzheimer Society of B.C. by reading this short, abridged version of the Alzheimer’s Patient’s Prayer by Carolyn Haynali, which takes us into the world of an Alzheimer’s patient:

“Pray for me. I was once like you. Be kind and loving to me. That’s how I would have treated you. Remember I was once someone’s patient or spouse. I had a life. I had a dream for the future.

“Think of how I am. My disease distorts my thinking, my feelings and my ability to respond. But I still love you, even if I can’t tell you…. Think how it would be to have things locked in your mind and you can’t let them out. I need you to understand and not blame me but Alzheimer’s.

“Keep me in your prayers, because I am between life and death…. How you live and what you do today will always be remembered in the heart of the Alzheimer’s patient.”

[10:45 a.m.]

It gives me great pleasure to speak about the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and the wonderful work that they are doing in helping to create a dementia-friendly province in B.C.

In B.C., there are an estimated 70,000 people who are diagnosed with dementia. Dementia doesn’t just affect the person who is diagnosed with the debilitating disease but, even more so, his or her family members. The Alzheimer Society provides support, information and education for family members, friends and the community. Unfortunately, stigma is still a major issue for people living with dementia, trying to live their lives with dignity in the face of a disease that, over time, relentlessly and progressively destroys the brain.

I’m proud to say that the Ministry of Health is working together in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of B.C. to provide a resourceful program called First Link to people affected with dementia in communities across B.C.

Thank you so much, Alzheimer Society of B.C., for everything that you do.

Oral Questions

EMPLOYER HEALTH TAX
IMPACTS AND IMPLEMENTATION

T. Redies: The employer health tax is an unexpected tax grab on everyone, from small businesses and non-profits to school boards and municipalities. We have raised example after example in this House of the negative impact of this new tax.

Will the minister admit that she is wrong?

Hon. C. James: I wouldn’t want to close off the week without talking about how proud I am that we are eliminating MSP premiums by January 1, 2020 — a regressive tax. We’re the last province left in this country that has a regressive tax that hurts businesses, that hurts individuals. Whether your income was $60,000 or $600,000, you paid the same amount in MSP.

I am very proud that we are eliminating it. We are bringing in an employers health tax, as other provinces have done, that protects small business. On a $500,000 payroll or less, you will not pay it. In fact, 85 percent of businesses in this province will not pay the employers health tax.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Surrey–White Rock on a supplemental.

T. Redies: According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 93 percent of businesses oppose the new tax. The CFIB estimates that more than half their small business members will pay the new tax, and they’re calling for it to be scrapped.

Will the minister admit her error and scrap this tax?

Hon. C. James: I would say to the members across — given that they increased MSP premiums, more than doubled them, during their time in office: are they advocating that we not eliminate the tax?

We’re standing up for the people of British Columbia and eliminating medical service premiums. Perhaps the member could tell us where she believes we’re going to provide the support for health care. We are bringing in a balanced approach. We are bringing in an employers health tax, eliminating MSP premiums and supporting British Columbians.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Surrey–White Rock on a second supplemental.

T. Redies: Well, replacing one regressive tax with another regressive tax is not progress.

For over two weeks now, small business owners across the province have been talking to us about the new NDP tax. They are all saying the same thing. This will impact their livelihoods, and it will lead to job losses.

When will the minister admit she was wrong and end this attack on small business?

Hon. C. James: Hon. Speaker, $1.3 billion of savings, with a 50 percent cut of MSP premiums this January, this year. An employers health tax, where 85 percent of businesses, because they are small businesses, will be protected. Five percent of businesses will pay the full amount on the employers health tax.

[10:50 a.m.]

That is bringing in a tax that supports families, that supports small businesses, that ensures we have the resources to provide a good-quality health care system and provide savings of $900 for individuals and $1,800 for families. Those are savings that’ll be in their pocket to spend in small businesses in our communities and keep our economy going.

S. Bond: On Monday, the Minister of Finance was pressed about possible exemptions to the employer health tax and responded that she would be having discussions about this. On Tuesday, she ruled out any exemptions, saying: “You’ll find they remain paying the health tax.” The minister’s own words are causing confusion and frustration across the province.

A very simple yes-or-no question to the minister: will there be exemptions?

Hon. C. James: We have said to school districts, to others who are raising questions, that the reason we are implementing the tax a year later is that we have an opportunity to ensure that the transition is smooth. We will continue those discussions, as I’ve said, and we will ensure that by 2020 the savings will be there for everyone when it comes to the elimination of the MSP premiums.

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

S. Bond: The only thing we know for sure is that the tax was, apparently, poorly designed, rushed out the door to be included in the budget, against even the minister’s own — the minister’s own — MSP Task Force. Adding to the confusion, yesterday the Premier weighed in. He said that groups would be “kept whole.”

To the Finance Minister, exactly which groups will be kept whole?

Hon. C. James: I’d say to the member across and all the members across: I’m not sure what you dislike about getting rid of medical service premiums — the last province left in this country. I’m not sure what you don’t like about savings for individuals and businesses and families across this province that will happen when we eliminate medical service premiums. We are getting rid of a regressive tax. We are going to provide support. It happens one year from now. We will ensure a smooth transition, and those are the discussions that are going on.

PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF
WILD SALMON AND STEELHEAD

A. Olsen: Every question we asked this week was about steelhead and wild salmon. We haven’t received straight answers to our questions, but we’ve learned a lot. We learned that six distinct ministries, in addition to a federal department, are all co-managing the Interior Fraser steelhead to extinction. There appears to be jurisdictional confusion about who is doing what for salmon.

I don’t doubt this government’s commitment to wild salmon, but I wonder about their ability to make concrete changes when it appears it is being managed off the side of everyone’s desk.

Salmon are resilient. In the Saanich culture, they are our relatives. The health and wellness requires a different relationship, one that we clearly do not yet comprehend.

Given the fact that everybody seems to be in charge, I’d like to direct my question to the Premier. Will your government consider creating a wild salmon commissioner or secretariat to unite and streamline the work being done by government to protect our wild salmon and steelhead relatives?

Hon. J. Horgan: I thank the member for Saanich North and the Islands for the question. He has, I think, characterized fairly effectively the challenge that all of us have in British Columbia with co-management of our iconic salmon species, whether they be steelhead, whether they be chum, whether they be chinook, coho, sockeye and the like. But that challenge didn’t just arrive, hon. Member, as you know, and that challenge will take some time to figure out.

We are working tirelessly on this side of the House, and we have been saying repeatedly to questions, able questions from the Green Party and from those on the other side…. Everyone in British Columbia understands the importance of salmon, not just to our people but to our land. We are going to do our level best to get through the red tape, to understand what Ottawa’s plans are for our salmon species. And we’re going to do our level best to make sure that at the end of the day, the people of British Columbia can have confidence that all levels of government are working in a coordinated way to realize the objective that the member just recognized.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Saanich North and the Islands on a supplemental.

[10:55 a.m.]

A. Olsen: Thank you, Mr. Premier, for the answer.

We’ve heard a lot of words spoken this week. What we’re proposing, with the line of questioning and with the suggestion that I made in my initial question, is action. I think that it’s a reasonable request that we make of government. When we needed action on climate, we created a secretariat. When we needed to address issues of conflicts of interest, we created a commissioner.

These are examples of where we’ve got multiple ministries working on their files, their distinct files, and we need action across government. That’s why today we are asking the government and suggesting to the government to consider creating a wild salmon secretariat or a commissioner that could do very similar work to bring together, to streamline, all the work that’s being done. That would require adequate funding, of course.

I ask my question, again, to the Premier: would your government consider such a secretariat to coordinate the effort, as he so ably described in his answer to the first question?

Hon. J. Horgan: Again, I appreciate the passion of the member. I know it’s genuine.

In the 1990s, the government of the day created what was called fisheries renewal B.C. to do just what the member has suggested. We need to address habitat restoration upstream. We need to have spawning beds in place so that our salmon have a place to come back to.

There is no shortage of work being done by the minister responsible for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations. The Minister of Agriculture has a role to play as well. I, too, in the intergovernmental relations side, have a role to play with our federal government. I have done the best I can to break through with the federal government so that they can understand that this is not just about scientists in Ottawa. It’s about people in coastal communities. It’s about people who live up the Fraser, people who live up the Nechako, people who live up the Skeena and everywhere in between.

Salmon are British Columbia. The member’s passion is absolutely well placed, and we are going do our level best, working with all sides of this House, to ensure that when we finish our time in this place, salmon are better off than they were when we arrived.

IMPACT OF EMPLOYER HEALTH TAX
ON BUSINESSES

J. Isaacs: My constituent Lisa employs 60 staff between her chain of Tri-Cities-based cafés and bakeries. As an inclusive employer, Lisa is proud to employ several staff on the autism spectrum. The NDP’s new tax will cost Lisa an extra $6,000 a year.

I’d like to quote what Lisa wrote to me. “This $6,000 may seem small, but it isn’t to a family-run business. We will be forced to re-evaluate employment of some of our team members.”

Does the Minister of Finance think that Lisa should raise her prices for customers, or should she lay off hard-working employees to pay for this new tax?

Hon. C. James: If businesses have been paying medical service premiums, as school districts and other employers have, there is a savings by eliminating 50 percent of the MSP premiums in January of this year. Those are savings that remain with businesses, that remain with school districts, that remain with other employers. When the employers health tax comes into play, we will ensure — again, as I’ve said — that discussions happen to make sure the transition is smooth. And there will be full savings in 2020 by eliminating medical service premiums completely.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain on a supplemental.

J. Isaacs: I’d like to quote Lisa further. She says: “We are not talking about CEOs with million-dollar salaries. We’re talking about families working seven days a week to put food on the table and pay for their mortgage — and, in our case, afford to pay for the therapy for our daughter who has autism.”

Again, to the minister: will she admit that this new tax will hurt businesses and family businesses like Lisa’s?

Hon. C. James: I will say, again, that whether it was businesses or whether it was families or whether it was employers, the call to eliminate medical service premiums came from across the board. It was a regressive tax. It was difficult to administer. Businesses that I talked to talk about the nightmare and the challenge of trying to administer that tax.

[11:00 a.m.]

We are eliminating it, and as other provinces have done, we are looking at an employers health tax to ensure we can provide services and be fiscally responsible. The transition will happen over this next year, and the full elimination will happen in 2020.

IMPACT OF EMPLOYER HEALTH TAX
ON POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

M. Hunt: It’s not just family businesses that are going to be affected by this double-dipping tax. It’s universities too. Simon Fraser University operates a campus in my community, and they’ll be facing an almost $7 million tax bill.

My question is to the Minister of Advanced Education. Is there $7 million in her budget to cover this shortfall for this double-dipping tax?

Hon. C. James: I find it extraordinary that now this other side cares about education all of a sudden, after 16 years of ignoring the pressures on education, ignoring the pressures for students.

I would remind the member across that medical services premiums were reduced by 50 percent on January 1. Those are savings to universities, to school districts, to employers, which they will get to use this year. We will be bringing in the employer health tax. We will be eliminating medical services premiums in 2020. That, again, will be a benefit to universities, to school districts and to employers who’ve been paying medical services premiums.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Surrey-Cloverdale on a supplemental.

M. Hunt: I’m known in my community for being a strong supporter of both Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. They’re in my community, and they are having to pay this unexpected tax increase. The programs are going to impact Kwantlen Polytech and other post-secondary institutions, as a result of these significant shortfalls.

My question is, again, to the Minister of Advanced Education. Is she going to force Kwantlen to cut student supports to pay this new tax?

Hon. C. James: I will remind the member, again, that there’s a 50 percent saving — for universities, for school districts and for businesses who have been paying medical services premiums — that they are receiving this year and that they will be able to utilize.

IMPACT OF EMPLOYER HEALTH TAX
ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS

T. Stone: Last fall the Minister of Education’s response, over and over, to funding questions from the Kamloops-Thompson school district was: “Stay tuned for Budget 2018.” However, the only thing he has delivered with this budget is the downloading of the NDP’s new employer health tax on school districts. For the Kamloops-Thompson school district, this will increase their annual health benefit cost by almost 14 percent.

To the Minister of Education, is he really going to force school district 73 to cut a quarter of a million dollars out of classrooms to pay for the NDP’s new payroll tax?

Hon. R. Fleming: Thank you very much to the member for the question.

The reality is that Kamloops-Thompson school district this year is going to realize hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional savings from the cutting, by 50 percent, of the MSP, which they get to keep. We’ve talked to superintendents. We’ve talked to school board chairs across the province. We’ve said: “Keep that money. Invest it in classroom resources. Invest it in learning resources for kids.” They are doing that.

The budget that’s before the House is the largest single investment in K-to-12 education in the province’s history. We’re proud of that budget. It’s going to do good things for that member’s district. It’s the largest capital budget in B.C. history for schools.

I know that that member never mentioned capital once when he was in the cabinet. He never mentioned it in Hansard. Now he’s asking the NDP to build schools in his riding, and we’re working with his district to do just that.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Kamloops–South Thompson on a supplemental.

T. Stone: Well, the minister’s bluster might make for good theatre in here, but the folks up in Kamloops, and British Columbians, aren’t buying it. The fact of the matter is that this government is going to impose a $70 million new cost onto school districts through this employer health tax.

[11:05 a.m.]

After eight months in office, the minister has failed to deliver on his promises and instead is imposing this new tax — a $250,000 annual hit to the school district budget in my community up in Kamloops. This is what the minister actually said on June 19, 2016: “Unfunded cost pressures are downloaded onto them, so you have districts who, for the sake of saving a few hundred thousand dollars, are turning the heat and the lights off at a school.”

My question to the minister is this. Is the minister going to force school districts to turn the heat and the lights off to pay for this new NDP payroll tax?

Hon. R. Fleming: It’s such a ridiculous question, especially coming from this member, you know? When you look at what this….

Interjections.

Hon. R. Fleming: This member sat at the cabinet table. He voted ten times over the last 16 years to raise MSP. He doubled MSP. He downloaded that cost onto the school districts, and he won’t acknowledge that this year school districts are getting a break. The MSP has been cut by 50 percent, and they’re keeping the money in the school sector where it belongs so we can educate our students better.

I’ve got to say, again, that we’re working with districts right across the province on fixing years of neglect, maintenance neglect and new school pressures that are in their districts. His district has been working with my ministry on it. Hopefully, we’ll have an announcement that will do something that never happened for 16 years: make an investment in schools in Kamloops-Thompson.

IMPACT OF EMPLOYER HEALTH TAX
ON BUSINESSES

J. Thornthwaite: Zazou Hair Salon and Academy in North Vancouver is no different from most hair salons in that its stylists work on a commission basis. Its co-owner, Bruce Peters, feels completely cornered by the NDP’s employer health tax.

Question. Does the Minister of Finance think that Bruce should raise prices for customers or cut the commissions of his hard-working employees?

Hon. C. James: I have to say, again, that to hear questions about concerns about eliminating medical services premiums, when this side had more than doubled MSP premiums and didn’t show any regard for the pressures that businesses face, that individuals face, that school districts face….

We are bringing in an employer health tax. Businesses $500,000 or less in their payroll will not pay the employer health tax, and 85 percent of businesses will be exempt, to support small businesses. Businesses between $500,000 and $1.5 million will only pay a portion. It’s only the top businesses, those that make more than $1.5 million in payroll, that will pay the full employer health tax.

In the meantime, families will be saving up to $800 a year. Individuals will be saving, and those dollars will be spent back in the community in small businesses.

Mr. Speaker: North Vancouver–Seymour on a supplemental.

J. Thornthwaite: Nothing that the minister has said actually helps Bruce pay the new NDP tax. Bruce also knows he can’t raise prices without losing clients, just like he can’t reduce commission without losing employees. In the words of Bruce: “That’s insane. Why are they penalizing us?”

Again, to the minister, will she admit that her new tax will hurt workers and local businesses like Zazou Hair Salon and Academy?

Hon. C. James: I will let the member and the members across the way know that we, as a government, are proud to do what that side never did, which is eliminate medical services premiums in 2020. We are proud that we lowered the small business tax to support businesses in September’s budget. We are proud that we reduced PST on electricity by 50 percent, and in 2019, we’ll eliminate PST on electricity for businesses, supporting investment in our province.

[11:10 a.m.]

AIR AMBULANCE FEE FOR
WILDFIRE EVACUEE

D. Barnett: My constituent Rudolf Dunst is 90 years old. He and his 87-year-old wife live near Lone Butte. Due to the wildfires last summer, he was forced to evacuate to Whitehorse, where he had a place to stay. He then required an emergency heart procedure and was airlifted to Vancouver via Yukon Air. Mr. Dunst is now told he needs to pay $20,000 for the flight.

To the Minister of Health, the fires have caused enough hardship for this family. Will he pay this $20,000 ambulance bill?

Hon. A. Dix: Thanks very much to the member for her question. She and, I think, the family have brought the case to our attention, and we’ll be reviewing it with the family in the coming days.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Cariboo-Chilcotin on a supplemental.

D. Barnett: Thank you to the minister, but the response I and Mr. Dunst have received is that the ministry will not pay this outrageous bill and help this family.

Minister, I sincerely hope that at the end of the day, this is a resolution that will satisfy these seniors, who are in dire straits and stressed to the limit.

Hon. A. Dix: I think everybody knows — and, certainly, people involved in health care in the Cariboo know — the impact on everybody, people who worked in health care. Everyone had to move. I know the member knows this, knows that at the most difficult moments of the fire, mental health workers were going door to door to find the people that they worked with in the community.

I think, as a province and as a health system, we responded very well to that situation. Recently, and I know that the member has supported this, it’s why we’ve invested significantly in Cariboo Memorial Hospital and the capital project that had been waiting, frankly, a long time for approval.

I share the member’s concern for people in the region, for the health impacts of people in the region. I think one of the things, really, the excellent CEO of Interior Health, who is retiring but worked very closely on these questions, has acknowledged with staff and everyone in the region is that the impact of the fire was so significant, in both specific cases and in the cases of others, that we haven’t seen the full consequences of it yet in health terms.

We have to be conscious of that and work on that, and I think people in Interior Health are doing that. I know I’m very concerned with that. I’m going back again and again to the region to ensure that services are there.

The case that she brings to my attention has been brought to my attention. I’m reviewing it, and I look forward to getting back in touch with the family.

IMPACT OF EMPLOYER HEALTH TAX
ON SCHOOL DISTRICTS

J. Tegart: This week the president of the B.C. School Trustees Association warned that the employer health tax will negatively impact every school district, and it’s the students who will feel it most.

To the Minister of Education, is there money in the budget to cover their new NDP employer health tax, yes or no?

Hon. R. Fleming: Thank you to the member for the question. What school district leaders and the president of the B.C. School Trustees Association understand is that there’s a $15 million savings that every district gets to keep in this budget, Budget 2018 that is before the House.

We’ve said that the 50 percent cut to MSP should go to priorities in their school districts that they would like to fund, whether it’s a district literacy coordinator, additional education assistants or additional district teachers — whatever that may be, improve learning conditions with that savings. That’s part of a $60 million savings package that has been returned to school districts.

I would remind the member, too, that Budget 2018, over and above what we tabled three months ago in the fall, has an additional $135 million of funding for schools, for education in British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Fraser-Nicola on a supplemental.

J. Tegart: This is what the president of the B.C. School Trustees Association said: “It’s going to cost every district, and they are going to have to decide what they’re not going to invest in and what they are going to cut from programming.”

What program does the minister think school districts should cut?

[11:15 a.m.]

Hon. R. Fleming: I find it…. I don’t know if it’s refreshing or completely baffling. We have an opposition now that spent 16 years ripping billions of dollars out of the education system, that fired thousands of teachers and took them out of the classrooms, declined resources for special needs learners in our province and took British Columbia from the second-best-funded school system in the country to the second-worst.

Our government has handed in hundreds of millions of dollars of new funding, and still they try and come up with something to say. Their record is known throughout the province. That government fought teachers, parents and school districts for over a decade. They have nothing to say, quite frankly, on the issue of making investments in kids. Our government tabled a budget last week that invests hundreds of millions of dollars into the school system, that has the largest capital budget in British Columbia’s history.

We’re working with our partners, the B.C. School Trustees Association, to drive improvements in the school system each and every day. That’s the conversation we’re having with school leaders, and we’ll continue to do that.

E. Foster: The Vernon school district is facing a serious deficit as a result of the new employer health tax. In 2018-19 alone, it will cost them an extra $450,000.

To the Minister of Education, is there an additional $450,000 in the budget for the school district to pay the new NDP employer tax, yes or no?

Hon. R. Fleming: I would encourage the member to actually go and look at the savings that will be returned to the Vernon school district this year. It’s hundreds of thousands of dollars in the MSP alone, but that’s part of a $60 million savings package. There are pension overcontributions, and we’ve said to the school district: “Keep those funds.” We’ve saved $10 million for school districts by lowering broadband Internet service. We’ve said: “Put that into classrooms for learning resources for kids.”

Now, this member voted for a lot of B.C. Liberal budgets. He has been here a long time, and many of those had MSP increases that never compensated school districts. I’m glad he’s found his voice now. He has never spoken about education, to my knowledge, on issues like this.

We’ve got the largest budget in B.C. history to fund schools before the Legislature right now. I’d encourage that member to vote for it because it’s good for Vernon.

[End of question period.]

Point of Privilege
(Reservation of Right)

J. Rustad: I rise to reserve my right to raise a point of privilege.