Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

MOOSE COW AND CALF CULL

D. Barnett: I rise this morning to draw attention to the provincial government’s decision to issue 400 hunting tags to cull the moose population in two specific areas of the province, one in the Kootenays region and the other in the Parsnip River area of Prince George — kept under wraps until a leaked memo recently emerged from the ministry responsible.

We know the government’s stated objectives: starve out wolf populations by allowing the cull of moose cows and their calves. A significant reduction in the moose populations will theoretically force wolves to move on and presumably leave the endangered caribou alone. This is ridiculous. Any biologist will tell you that wolves are a highly adaptable predator.

Deputy Speaker: Member, this is Monday morning, private members’ time. All members must be very, very careful when we are making these statements — non-partisan statements.

Continue.

D. Barnett: Thank you.

In the absence of moose, wolves will simply switch to other food sources, including elk, deer, mountain goats, beaver, rabbits, mice, birds and, yes, even caribou. The new policy initiative is a science experiment with unknown consequences.

Let’s begin with the fact that the limited-entry hunt for moose calves is nothing new. The current government has been issuing hunting tags for cow moose and their calves for the past three years. It is well known that previous governments have done the same thing. This was done in the past when moose populations were far more abundant. Today we are facing a different situation. Moose populations are declining across the province, and without any public consultation, this government is adopting an experimental moose cull policy…

Deputy Speaker: Member. As the Chair has cautioned you earlier, make sure that all of the statements are non-partisan. Thank you.

D. Barnett: Yes.

…that will save endangered caribou populations.

We know this is an experimental policy because the ministry’s director of wildlife management and habitat acknowledged this during a June 10 interview on CBC’s Daybreak South: “Harvesting cow-calves is part of the equation to achieve those specific objectives for caribou recovery. But in this particular management approach, we’re somehow on the forefront of the research with respect to how successful it will be for caribou recovery.”

In other words, this is an experimental policy. There is no comparable scientific data. Being on the forefront of research means just one thing: that there are no comparable science-based models or data confirming this experimental work. The only thing we do know is what has been successful in the past, specifically in British Columbia. Only accommodation of predator management — wolves, to be exact — and highly monitored caribou recovery zones are proven to be successful in raising caribou populations.

Predator management is key. Some caribou are targeted by grizzly bears and cougars, yet the most effective and most lethal predators are wolves, who work cooperatively in large packs to hunt down their prey.

To be sure, reducing the wolf population is not popular. Last year 450 wolves were culled. Yet it is scientifically acknowledged that predator management is the most effective way to save endangered caribou populations. However, the idea of starving out wolves through a moose cull is quite a stretch.

Fortunately, people like Dan Simmons, a former guide and founder of the caribou Moose Sign Project…. There are people like Dan. He has been working for the past five years with the First Nations across the province. Dan and First Nations have been raising awareness of declining moose populations, and they need to be protected.

[10:10 a.m.]

The new experimental policy would’ve gone unnoticed until a leaked memo was publicly revealed recently. Talking points issued by the ministry: “It is a worthwhile trade-off to remove a few moose, a species that’s population is secured throughout the northern hemisphere, if it assists saving other species like caribou.” No one — not the hunting community, not the First Nations, not any conservation groups — would agree that moose populations are secure in British Columbia.

As of today, 22 First Nations and their tribal councils have written to the minister. They are asking why there was no consultations with First Nations. As a matter of fact, this new policy has taken First Nations by surprise, especially as many of them have been working in cooperation with the province to address declining moose.

I look forward to a response from the member opposite as to why the killing of baby moose and their mothers is somehow in the name of caribou recovery and why it is necessary when moose populations continue to struggle.

Deputy Speaker: Members, again, a reminder that these statements must be non-partisan.

J. Rice: Wildlife management, especially mountain caribou recovery, is a top priority for our government. The southern mountain caribou was listed as a threatened wildlife species by the federal government in 2003, but years of inaction and mismanagement by previous governments left us with many herds at the verge of extirpation when we came into government just three years ago.

That’s why we committed $47 million over five years to support caribou recovery through the provincial caribou recovery program using a comprehensive, science-based approach. Part of this approach includes wolf population management through much of the Cariboo range as well as moose management in two very specific areas of the province: the Parsnip Valley in northeastern B.C. and the area northwest of Revelstoke.

In fact, moose management was part of the caribou recovery policy of the previous government. I find it hard to understand why this is now an issue for the opposition, when they engaged in the very same practise on a larger scale just a few years back.

At the peak of this moose management program under the previous government, almost 600 cows and calves were harvested, the vast majority of which were harvested outside of the mountain caribou recovery areas. In contrast, last year only 79 cows and calves were harvested, 90 percent of which came out of the caribou recovery areas. Only six moose cow calves were harvested provincewide.

Today cow and calf moose hunting is not allowed in 88 percent of the territory occupied by moose, and most of the hunting occurs in two very specific regions. Thanks to this program and the efforts of our government scientists, conservation officers, local communities and First Nations, we are seeing caribou populations stabilize and start the path to recovery in the two caribou recovery areas in the Parsnip Valley and north of Revelstoke.

While the opposition is trying to politicize an issue that is guided by science….

Deputy Speaker: Member, we don’t have to talk about those kinds of issues. You talk about the issue in front of you. So please remain non-partisan.

J. Rice: Okay. Thank you, hon. Speaker.

We have decided to follow the advice of our experts to ensure wildlife in B.C. is thriving by the time our children inherit this bountiful province from us.

Finally, I would like to clarify that the supposedly leaked materials the member for Cariboo-Chilcotin is referring to is actually a document provided to journalists as background information. This is yet another example of how this issue has become very much politicized when it’s not necessary.

I would like the member to have the facts, and I hope that I have been able to provide those facts in my response to her statement.

[10:15 a.m.]

D. Barnett: Well, I would like to thank the member opposite for pointing out what I indicated earlier — that the current government has been issuing tags for moose cows and their calves for years. It is public record that previous governments did the same thing when moose populations were much higher than they are today.

But that was then, and this is now. That’s why 22 First Nations have written to the government asking why the baby moose cull has been intensified suddenly. Why no consultation with First Nations communities that often depend on moose for sustenance? I assure you that a growing number of First Nations communities are opposed to the culling of moose cows and their calves and want the hunt to be stopped immediately, especially in the midst of declining moose populations.

The Chief for the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, Corrina Leween, had this to say: “A lot of our people don’t hunt anymore because we are trying to regulate for future generations, trying to get the population back, and then we hear that they are opening harvest season out there. Cheslatta is in strong opposition to that.”

It is not just First Nations. Other hunters will tell you the same. Daniel Norton, co-owner of Robson Valley Outfitters had this to say: “We all want to see more wildlife on the land base. Increasing tags for a species that’s already hurting in lots of areas in the province is not a good idea.”

Even local governments are beginning to state their opposition. The village of Burns Lake has publicly condemned the culling of baby moose and their mothers. City councillor Charlie Rensby, who himself is a hunter, had this to say: “Last week I attended a rod and gun club meeting to ask for their support and help. They were very happy to see that I’m going after this issue and behind me the whole way. I have also been asking people on social media and in person to send letters of support to us and letters condemning the hunt to the government.”

In conclusion, even though the government has already issued tags for baby moose and their mothers, the actual hunt does not commence until this October. Until then, government can expect public opposition to mount over an experimental policy that is universally condemned across the province. Government needs to do the right thing and reverse their decision to needlessly kill cow moose and calves.

Deputy Speaker: Again, a reminder. You know, I would clearly say that the first statement was not non-partisan. These kind of statements, this kind of tone and wording, are suitable for the second hour of Monday morning, not the first hour of Monday morning.

MANAGING COVID-19 THE B.C. WAY

M. Dean: Today I rise to speak on the matter of COVID-19 here in the province of British Columbia. Before I start, I must acknowledge the terrible grief of 187 families who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with you.

Since day one, our government trusted health professionals to lead our province through the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognized the importance of listening to science to shape our response and ensure the safety of all British Columbians.

Since our first case of COVID-19, our provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and the Minister of Health have provided frequent and regular briefings to inform the public about our situation. We were given the latest figures. We were kept informed about the status of outbreaks. We have personal protective equipment updates and sessions of detailed modelling. This information informed and educated the public and all sectors of our economy about the science behind our COVID-19 response.

Bonnie Henry, MD, MPH, FRCPC, is a Canadian physician who is the provincial health officer for British Columbia, the first woman in this position. She takes her leadership for young women seriously and has recognized that she can offer inspiration and motivation for young women. She has a background in epidemiology and is a specialist in public health and preventative medicine.

[10:20 a.m.]

Her handling the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia earned praise in a dedicated New York Times article that called her “one of the most effective public health officials in the world.”

Other provinces chose to really regulate people going outside. We took a different approach. Our approach all along has been to be guided by the science and to allow as much flexibility as possible to support the economy and people’s mental well-being. Through this approach, we empowered British Columbians to make safe choices and take appropriate actions to protect themselves, their families and our vulnerable population. Thank you to everyone for doing your bit. Thank you to everyone for the sacrifices that you have made.

Our relative success is especially stark when compared to other jurisdictions where they’ve allowed politicians to make public health decisions and ignored the calls of medical professionals. Cases rose exponentially because of these choices.

In B.C., we humbly acknowledge the luck with the timing of our spring break and being able to learn from other jurisdictions. We have the good fortune of working with colleagues across all parties and taking a non-partisan approach to a crisis on behalf of all British Columbians.

We also chose to do things differently. We never fully shut down the economy but, rather, carefully selected certain sectors to curtail operations, while providing advice and resources to business owners, tourist operators and community leaders.

In phase 1, we identified key essential services that needed to keep operating during COVID-19. It included workers in hospitals and health care and also support workers who assist people sexually assaulted, counselling women leaving violence in their homes, and transition houses. People working in grocery stores and gas stations were included. People working in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, silviculture and so many other areas were able to continue working, in line with provincial health regulations.

People across our education sector created alternative learning methods for our children. Critically, in B.C., we had already been building a universal, affordable, good-quality child care system, and this put us in a strong position to support child care for essential workers and support our economic recovery.

We made temporary emergency funding available for licensed child care centres who stayed open, and also those that closed. Child care resource and referral centres across the province helped to match essential service workers to child care spaces and provided resources and supports for parents during this uncertain time. Access to affordable, quality child care is more important than ever. We need this vital service so that parents can go back to work as we carefully restart our economy.

We also took bold actions in long-term-care facilities because our family members who live there are very vulnerable to this virus. We made it possible for workers to provide services at a single location facility, reducing the risk of virus transmission between facilities. Health care workers at all facilities were given equitable wages and benefits and scheduling stability so they could work at a single site without financial hardship or disruption to services for residents. Thank you to all our essential workers.

Many businesses pivoted to operate with modified practices to ensure the safety of customers and workers. A Kinder Cup, Serious Coffee, the Taphouse, Sugar Shack and many others across Esquimalt-Metchosin initially closed and then reopened a couple of weeks later, having modified their operations, put up instructions and implemented changes to be compliant with the provincial health orders.

While we’ve heard heartbreaking stories of the impact of COVID-19, there are also heartwarming stories and opportunities for improvements and transformations. Non-profit organizations in my community told me that by offering a hybrid model of service, they’ve reached some people who had not previously reached out to them for help.

As we entered phase 2, we introduced enhanced protocols that allowed for people to receive elective surgeries, people to go to the dentist or the chiropractor, people to go to provincial parks and people to go to more local retail businesses. It’s the people of B.C. who are the economy, and we need to work together to make sure that we can build confidence and safe operations. This is going to be key to restarting our economy.

[10:25 a.m.]

I hear this so often from chambers of commerce and from local businesses in my community. They know that we need to be following the regulations, creating safe places for people to bring business. Then they will have the confidence, and all the people of all of our communities and neighbourhoods will help us with our restart.

N. Letnick: I’m proud of the work of all involved in any way in managing this virus and of British Columbians who have been following the important orders and advice provided by our health leadership. Lots done, but there is more to do.

As we speak, several countries are set to tighten measures aimed at controlling the virus, including Hong Kong, the U.K. and South Africa. Worldwide, this weekend saw the most cases in a single day at almost a quarter million. Indeed, given what we’re seeing, especially south of the border, and in light of our experience during past pandemics, now is not the time to let our guard down.

The Spanish flu, as it was misnamed, spread across the globe in three ways. First was in the spring of 1918, next in the fall and the third in the winter. The first phase was responsible for a few deaths, but the virus mutated during the summer and killed 100 million people in the fall during phase 2, when it tended to kill young, otherwise healthy adults.

Before the Spanish flu, there was cholera in 1832, which crossed the Atlantic along trade routes. During the cholera epidemic, Canada fared better than major hubs like New York, in part because our medical professionals had more success in persuading government officials to institute a program of urban sanitary reforms. This was done within a framework in which public health interventions and restrictions on individual freedoms remained the exception.

During the next cholera epidemic in 1854, cases were traced back to drinking water tainted by feces, which led to the construction of sewers, protection of water supplies and garbage pickup.

Even with these measures, cholera still made its mark again in 1866. So by 1918, a particular virulent H1N1 strain of influenza emerged, causing the most devastating influenza pandemic in history.

The Spanish flu was brought to Quebec by a group of 600 American sailors. Although they were promptly quarantined, sufficient contact was made with others in the cramped garrison for it to spread quickly among soldiers and civilians alike. Recent research suggests that otherwise healthy young adults developed more severe symptoms and ultimately died in disproportionate numbers from an overreaction of the immune system as it rapidly cascaded out of control. It was the strength of their bodies’ immune response that ultimately may have killed them.

Not every jurisdiction had the same experience. Cities that instituted quarantine, signs on doors and bans on public gatherings early during the second wave suffered less. For example, New York — again, despite being one of the densest populations in North America — experienced the lowest death rate on the eastern seaboard by sending the sick to isolation hospitals, quarantining their contacts in their homes and placing signs on their doors.

The virus came into Canada via the American border. Once in Canada, the Canadian military spread it across the country as sick soldiers from eastern Canada were taken off trains, and the virus spread across to our western shores in a matter of hours.

As the virus sweeps around the world, it often attacks in waves, sometimes circling the globe several times for years before it outcompetes other strains to become the dominant virus. Pandemics end when the human population gains immunity to the new strain.

Have we been successful in British Columbia? At a population health level, I would say yes, thanks to our citizens for the most part following the orders and the advice of our chief medical officer and Health Minister; the work of all our public primary and acute health professionals; the closure of the U.S.–Canada border to non-essential travel, albeit a little late; and with a little bit of luck on timing, for example, as we heard, involving spring break.

I also believe we should recognize, as a contributing factor to public compliance, the support of health-related decisions of government by the official opposition in order to give people clear leadership to follow during this emergency. Together we fought the virus, not each other.

At the individual level, however, there are many stories of hardship and pain that we must acknowledge and continue to be vigilant as a society and individuals to stop the spread of this virus until we either find a cure or an effective vaccine. We can not let our guard down. As we’ve seen in Kelowna just recently, every individual needs to take personal responsibility for keeping themselves and others around them safe.

M. Dean: Thank you to the member for Kelowna–Lake Country for their comments and also for all of their work with the minister. Yes, there is more to do.

[10:30 a.m.]

We are keeping people healthy and safe by working together and listening to experts, like Dr. Bonnie Henry. We did push to close the borders quickly and require returning travellers to quarantine. We immediately made changes to fix problems in long-term care that were causing outbreaks. We implemented a strategic testing strategy to stop outbreaks quickly.

By moving carefully, we will ensure all of our combined efforts and sacrifices are not squandered. Together we can take these actions to keep the curve flat while doing more to improve our personal well-being, restart our economy and strengthen our connections in our communities.

As we keep moving forward through this pandemic, we’ll make sure that people, families and businesses can access the help they need. We know there’s more to do, and we’ll get there together. Together, we’ll continue working hard to keep people healthy and safe during this pandemic, while at the same time building B.C. back stronger so everyone has a good job and a more secure future.

Before COVID-19, too many people were working hard but not getting ahead. Our plan isn’t a return to that normal. It’s a hopeful, careful step toward a real recovery for all of us. Our recovery will use this as an opening to close gaps and increase opportunities.

On March 17, Dr. Henry ended her presentation with a line that would become her trademark and a mantra for many Canadians struggling to cope under a lockdown. Since then, it’s been hung in windows, painted on streets, printed on T-shirts, stitched on shoes, folded into songs and stamped on bracelets. This is our time to be kind, she said in that reassuring voice that she has, to be calm and to be safe.

She also provided a powerful metaphor during one of her briefings: “This is a storm that’s affecting the world. But we’re not in the same boats, so we can’t make assumptions about other people. I’m going to give you everything we know so you can do your best to keep afloat.”

WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS

J. Isaacs: I rise today in the House to speak on wraparound supports. At this point, most British Columbians are quite familiar with the term. It is one of the quintessential phrases associated with our province’s ongoing mission to tackle the homeless crisis, addiction and mental health challenges.

There’s an open declaration that much of the supportive housing in our province offers 24-7 wraparound supports that many of our communities’ most vulnerable rely on. The phrase has been so overstated for so long that we often don’t stop to think about what it means. To the public, 24-7 wraparound services sounds like an all-encompassing solution for care that will meet the complex and unique needs of those suffering from chronic homelessness, trauma, mental health and addictions.

When you hear the term “24-7 wraparound support,” you think of everything we should expect from supportive housing: physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical staff and outreach workers that are on site and available to those when they are needed. But when you actually boil it down, this type of 24-7 care is not being offered to residents as implied, and 24-7 care basically means there is security staff that monitors people going in and out of the building and that meals are provided. While this is important, it is a shock to many to discover that the term “24-7 wraparound supports” is so generously used when in reality, it is very limited.

One person told me that wraparound services were less for the addicted people living in the housing and more for securing the building and safety of the staff. This is certainly not the impression that the public has when they are told that there are wraparound services 24-7. For many who are experiencing homelessness or suffering from trauma, mental health and addictions, wraparound support in real time is not the reality. Wraparound support is only available a few days a week, as clinical staff rotate from site to site.

[10:35 a.m.]

B.C. Housing says that sites are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offer supports to residents on site, such as access to addiction and mental health referrals and other social supports. Clearly, wraparound support actually means access to support.

Everyone deserves to be cared for, especially in their time of need. I endorse every measure that provides an opportunity for someone to work through an immediate crisis or a situation that has persisted for years.

Ultimately, we need to have compassion for those who are battling difficult struggles like homelessness, trauma, addictions, mental health challenges or brain injuries. We need to design services and supports that improve circumstances and that allow individuals an opportunity to reclaim their lives.

People who have experienced trauma or who struggle with addiction not only live with the emotional pain. Their bodies are also physically broken. They feel the sickness of their addiction. They endure their pain by the minute, and they live through every symptom of withdrawal.

There are deep wounds, sometimes rooted over a lifetime, that won’t be adequately addressed or go away over a cup of tea. Many residents are dealing with serious and complex health issues, and the services we currently have in place do not adequately support their complex needs. We are falling short in meeting the capacity or funding needs for treatment options or recovery.

I am in full support of any and all services currently in place for our vulnerable and marginalized populations. But as we continue to address the impacts of homelessness within our society, we need to be clear with the public about what supports are actually in place. We need to be more definitive about what is implied when we declare 24-7 wraparound support and not mislead the public that what we are doing is more than what is actually taking place.

Let’s face the uncomfortable truth that these individuals are facing more challenges than ever before. Let’s uphold the practice of transparency, the importance of public perception and the impact that a phrase like this can have when we are looking for community partners to put their faith and trust in us.

I hope we can move forward and try to paint a more accurate picture of our supportive services for British Columbians so that our understanding of the challenges and supports available for those who need them does not differ from our reality.

S. Chandra Herbert: It gives me great pleasure, actually, to talk about the question of wraparound supports and supports for homeless and vulnerable residents in our community. Indeed, it’s one of the reasons I first ran for politics many years ago to become a member of the Legislature in my community in the West End. We’d seen such a rapid increase in people falling through the cracks, getting evicted, losing their housing, ending up on the streets.

I remember meeting a homeless resident. She was living in Stanley Park. She had been evicted from her home because of rental tenancy regulations which made it easy to kick people out of their homes. We protested. We won a change to those rules, but they continued.

She was in the park, terrified. She was challenged. She had addiction issues, and she knew that. She needed help, but there wasn’t housing available. There weren’t supports available. So a lack of support for her as a renter, a lack of mental health and addiction support. She ended up living in a tent in Stanley Park with her dog to provide her protection.

It was very challenging to get her support. We couldn’t find her again because she was afraid. I think about her often.

The other challenge, of course, right now we’re facing is with COVID and the unemployment and the economic impacts. More people are ending up on the street.

We know, certainly, over decades of inequality, of low wages, of high living expenses, that more people have fallen through the cracks in our province. I remember as a child, back in the ’80s, there were some homeless folks but certainly not compared to where it got when I first ran to be an MLA. I think the quote was a 400 percent increase in homelessness.

[10:40 a.m.]

Of course, we’ve managed to convince governments and others to build housing. Certainly, I’m proud…. I think there are 2,600 new units available for folks who are homeless, with wraparound supports, which I will talk about in a moment, that weren’t there before, just three years ago.

I’m proud, as I think of the woman I met in Stanley Park, that we now have, coming very soon just a block down from my office, the Buchan Hotel, purchased for women in need of supportive housing, women like the woman that I met in Stanley Park.

I want to thank the critic for referring to 24-7 supports, meaning access to supports, because, indeed, people have to want to access those supports in order to get the supports. I know in the past — well, I think six years ago — of people wanting access to supports when the services weren’t there. That’s still a challenge. I think we need to expand mental health and addiction supports. I know we’re getting there. There’s certainly more invested in the last three years than we had in the previous 16 in housing and mental health supports. But there’s much more to do. The challenge is great in front of us.

I am excited. The Buchan Hotel in my community is the first supportive housing being built in my community in probably 16 years or, maybe, 18 or 19 years now. It’s already there, obviously, so it’s easier to move folks in than building brand-new. But it will make a huge difference there.

I’ve visited a number of the modular housing units throughout our province but, indeed, in Vancouver especially, and met with residents whose lives have been changed. They’ve managed to access mental health supports, access drug addiction supports and start getting their life back together again. It’s challenging.

I think folks will fearmonger. There are those who try and spread fear, whether it be on a town hall or other things, to suggest that, well, maybe these people are from somewhere outside being dumped into a neighbourhood. Indeed, if you walk the alleys, if you walk the parks after dark, these folks are in our neighbourhoods right now. They’ve just been made more visible because they are in housing and in supportive housing in one spot, as opposed to spread throughout a neighbourhood where they’re much more unsafe and they don’t have access to any supports.

To those who try and say, “We don’t want this in our community”: these people are in our community. It’s better that they’re getting support in safety than living in alleyways and dying on the street, as we’ve seen happen before.

There’s much more to do. I would just encourage us all to look forward with hope and support and positivity in our hearts to help folks, as opposed to stigmatize and try and push them out of view once again.

Thank you, Member, for raising this topic.

J. Isaacs: Thank you to the member opposite for his comments.

I would like to use my concluding remarks to further expand on the public’s understanding of what wraparound supports entail. Wraparound supports don’t only refer to the supports available for those who depend on supportive housing and social services. They refer to supports available for the community who want to see these spaces safely and effectively integrated into their communities. Community consultation, an effective time frame and the establishment of appropriate community supports and resources need to also accommodate families and residents who live in close proximity to supportive housing.

As we have seen in downtown Vancouver, simply moving people into hotels without these services will not get our vulnerable citizens the help that they need. Instead, it just moves the problems into another neighbourhood. We are creating additional challenges, not removing them, and this lack of genuine wraparound supports is leading to spikes in crime, vandalism and concerns of public safety.

In Yaletown, the business improvement association reported a 400 percent increase in crime. Residents have reported finding needles in playgrounds, people defecating in alleyways and doorways, and a dramatic spike in break-ins. People are afraid to go to work, and customers are being turned away.

[10:45 a.m.]

When B.C. Housing offered a forum for dialogue, residents were instead given a YouTube video webinar and an option for mail-in questions. How can this be defined as wraparound supports? To claim that these are already in place is to ignore the very real challenges that our communities are facing in these challenging times.

I hope that this government will take the appropriate steps to offer a forum for community dialogue, to better define the supports that are being delivered and plan for how to appropriately integrate these supportive housing units into communities so that we can address these issues in the way that they are supposed to be addressed: as a community.

INVESTING IN PEOPLE

N. Simons: I’d like to begin…. It’s my first opportunity to be in the chamber in person since we began the hybrid sittings, and I want to, first of all, congratulate all those involved in making this a possibility. To everybody participating from their home or office virtually, I know it’s a challenge, but it’s interesting, and it works well here. We can see you clearly, and we can hear you clearly. The purpose for which we’ve been elected continues. We debate issues that are important and raise issues that are of concern to our constituencies.

I’m happy to be able to continue to do that, and I thank everybody involved for making it possible.

I want to just acknowledge the Sunshine Coast and the people of the Sunshine Coast who have been so successful in staying calm, being kind and flattening the curve. I want to just call out the local and Indigenous governments of the Sunshine Coast for their immense cooperative skills in getting things done for the people. I think they deserve a lot of credit — mayors and councils, chiefs and councils — so Hiwus Williams in Tla’amin and Hiwus Paull in shíshálh.

Today my topic is investing in people. The broad title allows me to speak about some of the investments that the province has made, has continued to make and which successive governments make efforts to address. I think our government has been uniquely successful in investing in people and putting the needs of people first and foremost in our agenda.

When I think about the investment in people, I think about investing in education, investing in helping people help themselves through participating in educational programs or training programs, improving their skills, giving them the opportunity to succeed more readily in our society. When you talk about restoring the tuition-free adult basic education and English language learning, I think what you’re doing is you’re removing the roadblocks that they would otherwise have to pursue their hopes and their dreams. I think we need to continually remind ourselves that early investments reap benefits down the road. I think an educated and capable workforce and society help us all.

The province eliminated interest on British Columbia student loans, also contributing to the ability of young people to pursue their education. We have invested, as a province, in the apprenticeship and foundation training seats in public and private institutions in the previous budget. That’s some 27,000 such positions, which will provide opportunity for young people wherever they live in the province.

I was pleased to see that our investment in the first Indigenous law degree program in all of Canada at the University of Victoria was not only a response to the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations, but it is long past time to have done so. I think the university is well equipped to provide the education necessary for people specifically studying Indigenous law.

[10:50 a.m.]

Tech-related seats in the public colleges and universities have also expanded. Tech-related seats have gone up some almost 3,000 positions.

We eliminated post-secondary tuition and provided additional funding for living expenses for former youth in care. This strikes close to my heart. Knowing many former children in care and knowing what…. This investment is far beyond the financial investment in the pursuit of education. It is an acknowledgment and an expectation that we as a province don’t diminish our hopes for children and youth because of their start in life. Our efforts are to invest in people to ensure that everyone has the ability to succeed and fulfil their capabilities in society.

Young people who have been in care have, in most cases, had a challenging time. The reason they’re in care is clear. So providing and investing in their hope, investing in our communities’ hope for them, I think, is one that is clearly a valuable investment.

We’ve expanded programs and bursary funding for those who want to pursue a career in early childhood education as our commitment to invest in the child care system. Yet another example of early investment in society and individuals in order to ensure that not only are their families more secure economically but that young people have an opportunity to learn from qualified child care workers.

We’ve created the first nursing degree program in the northeast and increased funding to create a number of additional seats in programs such as occupational and physical therapy, Indigenous teacher education, health care assistant training and trades. Yet another example of the province’s interest and efforts towards ensuring that everyone has opportunities.

We’ve further contributed $9 million to expand co-op and work-integrated learning at post-secondary institutions, so students have more opportunities to gain relevant real-life experience, work experience, which will help them in their career.

That, so far, covers adult education and skill training. We’ve also, in the education system, K to 12, provided some $6½ billion to support students in the ’19-20 school year, $1 billion more than other previous contributions from the province.

To me, the education investments are key, along with the important investments in other sectors, which I might get to.

P. Milobar: It gives me pleasure to rise to speak to the member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast’s statement around investing in people. And welcome to the chamber to the member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast.

I would note that in the first few weeks of this virtual mix, question periods have been very quiet in terms of inside the chamber, as witnessed by the thumping on the desk by the member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast. I expect that will come to an end today with his propensity to try to heckle when things don’t seem to be going the government’s way in question period, Mr. Speaker.

Today, speaking around investing in people, the member is right. It’s an important role of government to do, any government of any political stripe — to invest in the public. It’s, after all, their tax dollars that are being reinvested and redistributed around.

There’s a great many ways that any government can actually invest in people. Certainly, every government makes their own prioritized list of where to spend dollars, when to spend those dollars and how to provide services to the general public.

We heard the previous statement around wraparound services and 24-7 services, and how it’s important to make sure the funding levels and services being provided by government — by any government — match the descriptions that are being used. One way to actually invest in people would be to make sure that when phrases like “24-7 supports” are used, the full investment is there to make sure that people actually have access, that neighbourhoods know the access to what everyone else would consider in regular conversation to be 24-7 supports for people in need and in crisis is actually 24-7 supports and not a security guard.

[10:55 a.m.]

That’s one way to invest in people. In these times that we’re currently living in, there are lots of other ways to be able to invest in people. There are a lot of people — men, women and youth — in British Columbia that rely heavily and actually don’t really need much from their government except the ability to have a job and to go to work and gainfully be employed and to be able to provide for their own family and move forward in their own lives.

That’s another way to invest in people, where there could be investments made to make sure that the economy is rolling along, to make sure that full employment is possible, to make sure those half a million people that lost their jobs due to COVID are able to get back gainfully into the workforce and be a contributor back into the economy to provide for those other services that the people that are in crisis or in need desperately need as well.

There’s that way to invest in people, to make sure that they have a job to go to, to make sure that they have that daily sense of self-worth and pride within their own household, that they are getting ahead in life and that they are very proudly providing for their family. That’s an important way to invest in people.

Small business owners are people too. Small business owners are people that need investments made. Small business owners are people, right now, that are struggling and need those investments into their livelihoods and their ability to make sure that employment is there for people in the broader community to be able to function.

I do look forward to seeing what investments will be made in people, moving forward, to make sure that they can be full participants in the economy, to make sure that they can be full participants in making sure that they’re providing for their own families. These are people that are hard-working, very prideful in what they do. They’re not looking for handouts. They are looking for a way to get back into the workforce. They are looking for ways to be gainfully employed again. That’s how they need supports and investment into their lives in this current time.

They don’t need the 24-7 wraparound supports that it’s unfortunate that so many in our communities do need. But those people would benefit greatly from that 24-7 support provided to them, and that’s the investment that that segment of people actually needs from their government.

Again, the small business owner, the small business sector needs to see some investments coming their way to support them in their time of need. Their employees need to see that same commitment — investment to helping them. To this point, we have not seen it, but there is hope that they may see it at some point in the future.

Then, of course, the people that rely heavily on the governmental supports, around 24-7 supports — to make sure that those supports are there, that neighbourhoods aren’t unduly impacted while people are still getting the help and the supports that they need and the investments made into them. So here’s hoping that we see a broad spectrum of investments into people in our communities, because there is a very diverse group of people out there when you say the words “investing in people.”

N. Simons: I thank my colleague from Kamloops–​North Thompson for his comments. I tend to agree that when we say investing in people, we are implying that those people are from all walks of life. They are business people. They are artists. They are citizens of our communities, and they benefit from the investments that we make in order to make our communities stronger.

Every small business benefits from a workforce that is educated, and every industry relies on having people who are healthy and capable of working. I think our societies generally are healthier when we make key, targeted investments in ensuring that people have the skills and the tools that they need in order to succeed.

Just to refer back to a topic area that has been brought up today — that is, providing supportive housing and wraparound services to people who need it — if I may, this is an area of important investment. Of course, there are challenges along the way. Nothing like this, no investment of this magnitude and this breadth and scope could possibly occur without occasionally finding some areas where it needed strengthening.

To provide home…. As we’ve all said throughout the province for many years, providing a safe place to live is the first step in ensuring people can start to access the other help they need, whether it’s for helping them with their mental health condition, helping them with their addiction issue, helping them recover from trauma and abuse.

[11:00 a.m.]

I think that to start by giving a person a safe place to live, investing in their safety, investing in their home, not only provides them with the physical safety but also provides the rest of society an acknowledgment that we value them.

When I think about supportive housing in my communities, I know that there are kids walking past that building, going to school, knowing that their uncle has a safe place to live and knowing that their government cares about people who have had trouble and have struggled in their life. I think that investment is far beyond the financial investment. The rewards from such investments are generational. I think our province should be commended for the investments that we have collectively made in the people of this province.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.

Hon. A. Kang: I ask that the House consider proceedings with Motion 8 standing in the name of the member for Surrey South.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 8 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the order paper.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 8 — ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLAN

S. Cadieux: I move Motion 8:

[Be it resolved that this House urge the government to take immediate action on an economic recovery plan for British Columbia.]

On March 5, we adjourned the House for two weeks. We found ourselves in a state of emergency on March 18.

[S. Gibson in the chair.]

The pandemic took priority, of course, and this House came together on March 23 in a modified way to cooperatively give government authority to spend $5 billion in response. They held back $1½ billion and earmarked that for economic recovery. On April 2, they appointed an advisory group that would help guide that spending.

We came back to the Legislature three weeks ago, and we’re still waiting for an adequate update on the fiscal picture for the province. We’re still waiting for anything at all that looks like an economic recovery plan. This cannot wait. It is urgent, with 98 percent of our economy made up of small businesses, and up to 20 percent of them are expected to disappear within a year because of the pandemic. The B.C. Chamber survey data suggests that almost 43 percent of B.C. businesses said they’ll require more financial help to stay open than is available from governments.

Women and young people, who’ve been hardest hit through the job losses and layoffs, don’t know how they’re going to make ends meet. Renters are months behind in their rent. Landlords are out thousands of dollars and are wondering how they’ll pay their mortgages and taxes if those tenants don’t make good on the rent that they owe. The small business owners whose revenues are only about 50 percent of normal are wondering if they’ll lose their house and their retirement savings along with the businesses that they’re watching circle the drain.

Once again from this government, we just see a plan to make a plan. Surely government has heard from the experts on their panel, the calls from the economists, from the Business Council, from the Building Trades, from the CFIB. I don’t suspect they’ve appreciated our letters with 60 suggestions of things to do right now to stimulate the economy, to support those small businesses and drive competitiveness, but they certainly could look to those if they were really stuck.

Other provinces have jumped right in. Alberta has launched a $10 billion recovery plan, starting with a cut to corporate tax — which will serve to reduce B.C.’s competitiveness quite significantly, I note — and recovery grants of $5,000 for small businesses, and they’re accelerating $500 million worth of shovel-ready projects this summer.

The Surrey Board of Trade has a recovery plan. In fact, the Premier participated in the Economic Recovery Summit on June 25 and 26. They’re focused on Surrey’s diverse economy and on business continuity, innovation and digital transformation for resiliency. They’re calling on government to commit to infrastructure and workforce investments.

[11:05 a.m.]

The B.C. government, in contrast, has launched a survey to ask British Columbians what they think government should do with the $1.5 billion that they’ve earmarked. The Finance Minister was quoted in a town hall a week or so ago suggesting that health and safety are all we need to get the economy back on track, “because then we’ll build confidence and people will feel safe, feel like they can go out to businesses again, and economic recovery will start to occur.”

Now, health and safety is necessary and, arguably, priority number one, but it’s not sufficient in and of itself as a path to recovery. Her statement, unfortunately, sounds a bit like economic recovery will happen on its own. I note the only certainty we have from government is its own paper accompanying the survey, that they see recovery as building strong public services, meeting the challenges of the climate crisis and doing so in partnership with Indigenous peoples. All those things are good, and they’re all absolutely essential.

But there are certainly some glaring omissions, like any mention of the industries and sectors that create the ability for government to spend money. The industries that bring investment to B.C. and revenue to the province, like the tourism economy, with a pre-COVID revenue of $20.5 billion, has been devastated, and there’s no plan to assist these businesses to stay afloat until global travel resumes and clients return. Small businesses — 98 percent, as I mentioned — employing more than half a million British Columbians, who just might be looking for some help getting online. Ontario has launched a Digital Main Street grant program to help build resiliency. How about something like that for B.C.?

What is the [audio interrupted] industry and exporters? B.C.-origin exports fell 15 percent through the first five months of 2020. You know, really, it would just be great to know government had a plan, but we don’t see any evidence of that. We’re here doing the people’s work. Right now, there is nothing more important than looking at programs and policy that will help drive the quickest economic recovery possible within the essential confines of protecting public health and safety.

Put some ideas on the table, government. Put a plan in place. Let’s get it done.

B. Ma: COVID-19 has been devastating to people in a lot of ways. While British Columbians have largely been fortunate in avoiding the worst impacts of this global pandemic, the economic impact that the province has suffered cannot be denied. Amongst those hardest hit are women and youth, people in my demographic. Those under 35 years of age make up 54 percent of all job losses. The unemployment rate for youth under 25 is currently a staggering 29 percent.

It’s for this reason that ensuring young people take a front seat to economic recovery is so vital for British Columbia. The efforts made by the Premier to ensure young people are heard by him and our government haven’t gone unnoticed by me. The Premier recently met with the BCBusiness 30 Under 30 as well as a group of dozens of young people representing communities all across the province to hear from them.

Alex Hughes is a recent graduate from Carson Graham Secondary and one of this year’s recipients of the Bowinn Ma MLA Social Justice Scholarship award. Hassan Merali is another young North Vancouver resident who has been involved in the North Shore Young Citizens Forum. Both of these young, wonderful people were among those who recently got some face time with the Premier and offered him thoughtful and valuable comments on how our province could help young people thrive in a COVID and post-COVID world.

This dynamic group of young people expressed their support for investments in trades training and post-secondary education, and emphasized the importance of access to affordable housing, which, of course, was also a major issue prior to COVID-19. Rural Internet connectivity was also raised as infrastructure that young people needed to support their success. Many businesses in more populated areas were able to find ways to move their businesses online, as an example. But digital solutions and Internet-reliant employment and training is far more difficult to implement or obtain in places where high-speed Internet is unavailable.

Youth also recognize the importance of ensuring that government consultations take place, considering the intersectional needs of people who are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Youth recognized, for instance, that women, Indigenous communities, marginalized communities and people with disabilities all intersect with the category of youth, and that it was important to acknowledge this. For instance, it was noted that while economic recovery is happening, men are recovering jobs at a faster rate than women. Thus, child care continues to be a critical program for us to continue investing in.

[11:10 a.m.]

Also, we recognize that government investments meant to stimulate economies tend to be focused on very male-dominated fields such as infrastructure and construction. The film industry was raised as an important opportunity for us to combine economic recovery with efforts to increase minority representation in the sector as well.

Now, because young people have more ideas than folks sometimes give them credit for, I had the idea on Saturday night to ask young people, on social media, what their ideas were. So using the Stories feature on Instagram, I asked people under 35 years old to send in their ideas for what they wanted to see in terms of economic recovery from COVID-19 and to help them thrive into the future.

Although the question was up for only 24 hours, I received an absolute flood of responses. Feeling like it would be unfair of me to keep those ideas to myself, I’d like to share them with the House by reading them out verbatim, without judgment or prejudice to what these ideas are, until my time runs out. I have a minute left.

This is me now reading some of these ideas: “Government-funded retraining and high school tech for adults.” “Jobs of the future.” “Higher minimum wage.” “More public housing with lower-than-market rent.” Another idea was as follows: “Look into a basic income.” “Help reduce university tuitions or make them free in B.C.” “One hundred percent public, non-market housing with vacancy controlled to lower the rents.”

Here’s another idea: “Child care. It creates jobs and makes it easier for people to return after the disruptions.” One person sent in: “Move fossil fuel subsidies to eco restoration and legitimately green jobs.” Yet another commented: “Have a serious conversation about the global economic system and the consequences of capitalism.” “New Zealand prioritizes happiness of the people over the economy. I would love to see something similar.”

I see that my time has run out. I will leave the rest of the time to my colleagues to add to the discussion.

R. Sultan: I’m pleased to respond to the member’s motion urging the government to take immediate action on an economic recovery plan.

It has been quite a while since members on opposite benches bragged about our having the strongest economy in Canada. In fact, June employment numbers show just the opposite. Comparing employment numbers for the first six months of this year, we find only Newfoundland had a more rapid collapse of jobs than British Columbia. If we look at the six-month average unemployment rates, only Quebec had a sharper reversal of fortune than we did. While public sector employment continues to grow in British Columbia, private sector employment continues to shrink.

As youth employment spirals downward, as jobs for women disappear and as small business goes into bankruptcy, government has been very quick to take action with their specialties: meetings, consultations and surveys. Now we hear Facebook has been employed. Very creative.

What’s wrong with the economy, though? It doesn’t need a survey. We were ordered to stay home. We did, and traditional commerce suffered. We closed the border, and tourism collapsed. The pandemic destroyed investor confidence, and many citizens were forced to rely on government transfer payments — the federal government, by the way.

Canada’s situation is not so very different from rescue missions forced upon governments around the world, but it’s Ottawa which stepped into the breach, not Victoria. That is a defensible proposition, as a matter of fact, if Victoria, cushioned by Ottawa, is preparing economic plans and strategies for the new world which will emerge. But is it?

I’m discouraged by our government’s apparent inability to think beyond their next committee meeting, beyond taking a whack at the landlords and watching helplessly while the London reinsurance pool collapses, taking with it the affordability of condominium housing in this province.

[11:15 a.m.]

The IMF has analyzed governments around the world, desperately, all of them, injecting purchasing power into their economies and setting aside, for the moment, the problem of government debt.

Ottawa’s aggressive response matches other advanced economies. In IMF terminology, above-the-line transfers is their characteristic. This refers to measures directly impacting government revenues and expenses, such as cash transfers. These are now proportionately larger in Canada than the financing we experienced during World War II. That’s an incredible statement.

The feds are doing their job as best they can, but in B.C., I have to say, we are not. We lag far behind in the IMF category of what they call below-the-line support, including such things as public sector loans, equity injections and government guarantees.

There’s another looming issue. While public health must certainly remain the number one priority, we’ve yet to see any evidence of planning for transformational economic change once the pandemic subsides.

The party opposite’s ideology, unfortunately, is rooted in the past and will simply not work in the future. That is my forecast. Hoping to restore the way things were is wishful thinking. It will be a new world. We await the government’s response to emerging challenges. We await some fresh thinking and fresh economic strategies. And please, not yet another survey.

S. Malcolmson: I’m very pleased to be able to talk, in the midst of a global emergency pandemic the likes of which we’ve never seen, about some of the real innovation that’s happened in the Nanaimo region. That is exactly why I’m so proud and thankful to people in British Columbia for the way that they’ve addressed and moved through the pandemic — to have focused first on health, knowing that the best way that we can keep people safe economically is to look after their health and home ahead of anything else.

The very hard-hit businesses in British Columbia, and particularly Vancouver Island were feeling extremely worried about the survival of services and tourism businesses. We know how important it is to work hard to look after health and know that that is key to the survival of businesses. They’ve been fantastic partners. The Premier says often how people in British Columbia and businesses did more than we asked of them, and the results have been clear on the health side.

From the beginning, we have been focused on the economy — not shutting the economy down entirely; avoiding some of the worst impacts on businesses seen in other parts of the world and, certainly, other parts of Canada; working hand in hand with business to identify the supports they need and the ways we can help to work hand in hand with businesses and, particularly, industry associations, to identify the guidelines they needed to have in place to have a full, safe and economically powerful reopening; and then now to be in the process of continuing to support businesses, making sure we don’t have a deep crash in any region but to be working hand in hand with business to know exactly what kinds of supports they need for this next step moving forward.

We do not want to build the old British Columbia and the old economy. We want to build British Columbia back better. We are doing that. We’ve been doing that for three years. This is the time, absolutely, to tap into the innovation and brilliance of people on the ground.

I want to tell you about a couple of the fantastic programs in Nanaimo that really give me a lot of inspiration that we are going to indeed build B.C. back better. The B.C. Tourism Resiliency Network was started in Nanaimo and has fanned out across the province. It was launched in April. It pairs businesses with program advisers that help them survive this existing very difficult phase and also with how to redesign their businesses to be able to move forward. Already, 1,100 tourism businesses have been assisted. We’re doing this in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and we are going to keep working.

[11:20 a.m.]

The Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce has got a fantastic marketplace, building an online supply mall so that retailers and service providers are able to market their products at a fraction of the price and time usually involved in establishing an online store.

The chamber’s fantastic open-air market, which ran last summer, I think has prepared some of our businesses for working in new ways to be able to move forward with social distancing but still tap into the power that people have locally, wanting to shop locally and supporting our neighbours — not Amazon, but shopping right here. We’re even more committed as individual consumers to support local business, and a program like this is helping.

An even deeper way to help businesses move into a new way of operating has been offered by Innovation Island, in combination with Island Coastal Economic Trust — “ICE-T,” we call it here.

Let me tell you about the digital economy rapid response recovery program, DER3. Three hundred businesses so far, from fishing charters to home health consultation businesses to natural cleaning materials — a huge range — have been able to work hand in hand with partners to help them move online. Admittedly, some of our operators haven’t really embraced the full tech future. They don’t need to do that if they can work hand in hand with coaches.

Three hundred businesses are already using this service. Again, starting right in our region, fanning out to north of the Malahat, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands. Extremely inspiring. We need to tap into more of that so that we can do the best for people, for their health, for their local economy, for our provincial economy.

C. Oakes: Most economists will confirm that the pandemic is now causing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, and with the prospect of a second wave hitting not only British Columbia but the entire planet, there is much to prepare for.

More than one-half of small businesses in British Columbia think that it will take more than six months to get back to normal profitability. One in three say it will be more than a year. The economic fallout continues. It is possible we could lose…. Three out of four jobs could permanently disappear. Many of our small businesses and home-based businesses continue to fall through the cracks.

These are more than statistics. We are talking about families. We’re talking about people in our communities that are facing the unknown. Yet the government has still not announced an economic recovery plan. Instead, the Premier has set aside $1.5 billion in contingency funds with no programs attached, no plan, no economic recovery. And families are left in the dark.

Over the past four months, I’ve participated in over 16 small business town halls and chambers of commerce meetings. I want to thank chambers of commerce and business stakeholders for your leadership in your communities, for doing everything that you can possibly do to support our small businesses. I recognize that your organizations need support from government. You need support for small business programs. You need support for Shop Local campaigns. You’ve been doing the work. You’ve been carrying the heavy load on your shoulders, and I thank you.

I’ve also, as the MLA, been working closely and listening to what our constituents in Cariboo North have been saying, and I would like to add, verbatim, what they have been saying. One example in my riding is Patricia Pollard, a home-based business owner of a travel agency here in Quesnel. Here is what Patricia has had to say.

“Without support, thousands of retail travel agents like me will have no choice but to leave their profession. Over 40 percent of travel agents in Canada are home-based, independent contractors.

[11:25 a.m.]

“With close to 85 percent of all travel agents in Canada being female, many need the flexibility of being able to work from home because of child care, supporting loved ones or an inability to maintain a regular nine-to-five job for various other reasons.

“Being a travel professional is what we love, and in turn, we generate millions of dollars in revenue for hotels, airlines, tour operators, cruise lines, yet we’re often not included in any aid packages because we are small companies, not large corporations.”

Patricia is wondering where support will be for her in economic recovery.

Here’s another example.

“My name is Stewart Fraser, and I’m a guide-outfitter in the North Cariboo operating out of Nazko. I have a park utilization permit for the Itcha Ilgachuz Park. This is the third time in four years the parks have been closed due to disasters: 2017 wildfires, 2018 wildfires and now the virus. I realize that three closures are warranted. However, all three closures have impacted my business significantly. Again, closures in 2018 because of the wildfires have cost over $60,000 U.S. each year the wildfires impacted.

“My point being is that Parks have not offered to defer or cancel the park-use fees. You want us to pay for something we can’t use and costs us huge financial losses. The past four years have been significantly hard on our guide businesses. We’ve not recovered from 2017 wildfires, let alone 2018 spring floods and summer wildfires, and now this.”

On June 5, more than a month ago, Alberta announced a $200 million program to help small businesses restart in the wake of the pandemic. They provided grant money, as have other provinces for small businesses and home-based businesses, not just deferrals of taxes and hollow words.

Where is B.C. in this? We have the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the country, and what does the government do? They hang on to $1.5 billion of taxpayer money and launch a questionnaire that will take weeks to complete.

We need action — no more questionnaires, no more hollow statements of words without actual support. These are families in our communities, and they need government’s help now.

R. Glumac: It’s great to be in the House again today in a very physically distanced way with the other three members here.

The work to strengthen our economy has been underway for some time, before this current pandemic. B.C.’s innovation commissioner completed a report in January, which summarized his findings and recommendations after completing his term. The report is entitled Putting Innovation to Work for British Columbia: Growing B.C. Companies. The report recognizes that the world is changing, and we need to keep up with the times. As the report states:

“In these changing times, British Columbia cannot continue to lean on sectors reliant on tangible assets for prosperity and at the same time support the quality of life we’ve become known for. We must recognize that the world is being transformed by intangible assets such as data, software, intellectual property and product development, all leading to an increased competitive edge for those jurisdictions that invest. By building on our strengths and investing in ideas and people, we can manoeuvre through current economic headwinds and ride global trends to a resilient, sustainable and prosperous future.”

The innovation commissioner offers five recommendations that can be used to help government propel the economy forward — for example, establishing tech hubs around the province. At the same time, we have the 14-member emerging economy task force, which was struck in summer 2018. They also completed their work with a final report in March of this year.

What is an emerging economy? As the report suggests, it’s an economy that is rapidly evolving, as there will be disruptions that require businesses to adapt quickly. It’s an economy that is innovation-driven, one that can harness data, software and intellectual property to enhance productivity. It’s an economy that is diverse and inclusive, where all people across the province can share in economic prosperity. It’s an economy that is low carbon and sustainable, where we protect the environment and ecology and minimize pollution. The task force puts forward 25 recommendations on how to best support an emerging economy in B.C.

[11:30 a.m.]

Both of these reports demonstrate our government’s commitment to embracing innovation and technology as a major cornerstone of growing and strengthening B.C.’s economy. Both reports were released on May 11 of this year and will advise the economic recovery going forward.

These reports stand strongly on their own, but we also recognize we need to review these recommendations in the context of the pandemic that we’re facing and how we can best support a strong economic recovery. That is why, as Parliamentary Secretary for Technology, I worked with Innovate B.C. to host five virtual round tables with a wide cross-section of the technology sector. We used these reports to guide the discussion. The feedback from participants aligned well with the findings of these reports.

We need to provide skills training and re-skilling across the province to fill the needs of the future economy and the current shortages. We need to continue improving government procurement so that local businesses can grow. We need to support technology clusters as a place for business ecosystems to thrive. Even though more people are working from home, they’re also suffering from mental health challenges and not being around other people. A physical space, an ecosystem, will help foster company growth. That hasn’t changed.

We’re facing incredible challenges because of this pandemic, but there is also an incredible opportunity to point our economy in the right direction. I see it in my own community. The opportunity to foster clean tech innovation at the Burrard Thermal lands, for example, has become a reality due to the amendments to the Clean Energy Act that we introduced in this session. I see my community also talking about the possibility of a tech hub in the Moody Centre SkyTrain area, in alignment with what the innovation commissioner brought up. This government wants to support these opportunities.

I understand the opposition is calling for immediate action. They’ve been screaming about issues throughout our whole three years of this term, saying “take immediate action” all the time. In every issue that comes up, they say: “Got to move now. Got to take immediate action now.” Their demands are just too simple. They’re uninformed. When they were government, they never went to the people, and if they did, they ignored them.

We have a different approach. We’ve been reaching out to all British Columbians and the experts across many sectors of the economy so that we will do the right thing when allocating the funding for economic recovery. When we do, everyone across this province will experience the benefits.

B. Stewart: It’s a pleasure and an honour to be here in what I think is an important and probably one of the most critical times in a generation of debate in the legislative precinct. I’m here to support the motion to “urge the government to take immediate action on an economic recovery plan for British Columbia.”

We all know that we’re witnessing one of the most devastating human suffering and economic impacts globally. Here in B.C., thanks to the tireless efforts of B.C. public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and the cooperation from British Columbians, the new COVID-19 cases are trending lower. I thank everyone for that.

However, our society is under stress as the B.C. economy plunges into recession. Many industries have been hit hard, and job losses are staggering. As a matter of fact, last Friday’s jobless rate in British Columbia was stuck at over 13 percent, a number that most of us can’t remember in our lifetimes.

Not only have we lost the claim that we were Canada’s lowest unemployment rate, but these numbers show very serious challenges presented to the economy and to British Columbians’ livelihoods from COVID-19. Therefore, we must continue to keep safety in mind as a top priority. It is time that the government immediately map out a bold economic recovery plan for B.C.

In March, just about four months ago, we sat in this House with the group of agreed-to MLAs, and we agreed to a $5 billion COVID-19 economic response plan. That was then. Part of that was put out for renter relief and other things that we needed in the economy. There was also a plan for $1.5 billion for economic stimulation and recovery. You assume that the government would have come up with a plan after these four months — four months of people losing jobs and businesses shutting down — but rather, they have held a press conference only to announce an online survey.

[11:35 a.m.]

The member prior spoke about the fact that they wanted to do consultation. Is this the time for consultation? We’ve got businesses failing in every sector, every corner of the province. I’m really surprised about the round of consultation being the priority at this particular point. In the backdrop of the pandemic, this level of incompetence is unbearable.

It’s renters versus businesses. Businesses are the generators of the jobs that we need in this economy. We need more than a survey. After talking to industries and British Columbians, we on this side of the House have sent more than a dozen letters to the Premier with 60 suggestions and ideas that would help get the economy back on track. Immediate actions on helping small businesses — work safety, the hospitality industry, care for children and seniors as well as community safety.

It’s already July. We don’t have time for more surveys. Businesses will permanently close by the end of August if we don’t find a way to invest, to help businesses change and innovate. This government seems willing to waste more time than we can afford to.

Even before the pandemic, many barriers to economic opportunity have been placed by this government. The bottom line is: we continue to have broken promises about making British Columbia more affordable — this is pre-pandemic — and the lack of a jobs plan. Where is the jobs plan? We need to get British Columbia back working.

In my riding last September, we had Tolko close one of the mills in Kelowna. There was already no funding in the pre-pandemic budget for forest workers, even after more than 100 mill curtailments and ten permanent and indefinite shutdowns in 2019. Business investment has already slowed while exports fell.

As you can imagine, the export numbers published in July have only worsened. That’s not a surprise. British Columbia exports of solid wood products dropped more than 20 percent in the January to May period of 2020, compared to the same period last year. This includes a 20 percent decline in softwood lumber and a 64 percent decline in log exports. Elsewhere in the forest sector, we saw a 62 percent drop in newsprint, amongst others. Exports in our major destinations are down across the board.

I wonder whether the government has a plan to fix any of these things. If the government doesn’t take immediate action, how can it address and take the leadership that’s required in this?

We must ensure that every worker and every business has the tools and the resources that they need to recover. We need clarity. We need certainty to boost business confidence for production and for consumption to scale on its way back. The time to act is now.

B. D’Eith: “Be it resolved that this House urge the government to take immediate action on an economic recovery plan for British Columbia.” This motion by the official opposition implies that our government has not taken immediate action to help B.C. with the economic recovery that we all need.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. As soon as the pandemic started, Premier Horgan called on members from all parties to work together. This not only meant flattening the curve but also supporting people and businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Given my background, the Premier asked me to work with the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture to reach out to those immediately impacted in the arts, culture and creative industries. The minister and I reached out to over 160 arts organizations, festivals, film and television companies, venues, artists, theatres, non-profits, music companies, publishers, digital producers and many others to identify the need and how we can help.

What we found is that different parts of the arts and culture and creative industries were impacted in significantly different ways. For example, music, theatre, television and film production closures immediately forced many out of work, while others like video game and animation productions largely moved online. In other words, each part of the recovery had to be tailored to specific stakeholder needs.

Now, the most important word that we heard was “flexibility,” and the government listened. After the initial consultations, the minister, with Creative B.C., launched showcasebc.ca, a live streaming portal, and $750,000 in micro grant money to get money into the pockets of impacted artists. So far, 740 artists have received grants.

[11:40 a.m.]

The B.C. Arts Council was also able to provide $3 million to non-profit arts organizations to cover immediate operating costs. Many arts organizations were able to get this year’s funding up to six months early. This action was as close to immediate as possible.

Now, however, there was so much more to do. From the consultations, we learned that many in the sector were unable to access federal pandemic supports. So we responded by ensuring that gig workers weren’t left out, in particular, allowing for certain royalties to be allowed. Up to $1,000 per month allowed many who weren’t in the arts sector to get the CERB allowance and many in the creative industries as well.

The Premier then asked me to drill down into the recovery of the music industry, and I spent the next few weeks consulting with stakeholders in the music industry, one of the hardest-hit sectors. Again, I found that the complexities of the industry presented unique recovery challenges, and stakeholders continually reflected flexibility with funding.

After an accelerated consultation, I provided advice to the minister in May, and on June 1, very quickly, the ministry and Creative B.C. launched a retooled $7.5 million Amplify B.C. fund. This new version of the program built in the flexibility, innovation and resilience required for the music industry, not only throughout the pandemic but so that it can thrive in the future.

Now because we took the time to listen, the right decisions were made to provide the correct support for the music industry’s recovery. Moving forward, I’m very honoured to chair the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. We recently finished a record number of submissions from around the province but with virtual consultations, with a mandate from the Minister of Finance to consider the impacts of the pandemic on people and businesses. I look forward to the final report in August to help advise all ministries on the needs of British Columbians and the economic recovery.

The government is also inviting feedback on the recovery plan. I encourage all British Columbians to take the survey at engage.gov.bc.ca/recoveryideas. Last week I was very happy to join the Minister of Finance for a recovery town hall. What I heard spoke to the manifest need for these consultations. The needs are enormous, diverse and complex.

After this consultation process, I believe our government will be in a much better position to ensure that every dollar spent of the $1.5 billion in economic stimulation will have the maximum benefit and that all sectors and all people who are part of our economy will recover from this very, very difficult time.

D. Clovechok: It’s always an honour to rise in this House representing my hard-working, mountain-loving and healthy constituents in Columbia River–Revelstoke.

I want to start by saying that this motion really exemplifies the issue that all of my colleagues and I have been trying to highlight, as well as the message which is at the centre of our concern. I want to immediately stress that there’s an opportunity to speak on the behalf of the economic sector, the tourism sector, that requires immediate action. I would hope that all in this chamber have the goal of wanting British Columbians to have the opportunity for success for our province and to regain its prosperity. The heart of reaching that goal, as is the case with any goal, is having a sound plan.

My colleagues today have highlighted numerous components that are missing from this government’s supposed recovery framework. But I want to specifically touch on the complete lack of a recovery plan for the B.C. tourism industry.

As you know, last week we highlighted how the Premier and the minister responsible for this file failed to attempt lobbying the federal government for a piece of the $46 million tourism recovery bounty offered to Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. You also will be reminded of a series of non-answers from the minister during question period that merely highlighted the quality of the public health response, which is something we all agree on, rather than responses that would bring some solace to the thousands of tourism operators currently facing destitute outlooks in their business future. They’re worrying about bankruptcies and how they will feed their families in the future if support is not provided.

My co-critic and I have sent numerous letters to the minister and the Premier outlining issues that have been coming across our constituency offices since March. I am certain that everyone here has been hearing the same thing from their local operators.

Yet the best that can be offered by this minority government, so far, is a survey and more consultation. How is it that after four months into the pandemic, this government still needs to figure out what’s wrong and where they need to step in?

[11:45 a.m.]

The issues have been very clear right from the start — examples such as liquidity issues; PPE support; clear guidelines; and, frankly, the need for just a plan from this government. These are suggestions we have been asking for on behalf of British Columbians for months. I will have you know that we finally heard a response from the minister last week — a mere eight weeks late. And no surprise, there is no semblance of a plan moving forward.

Quebec has a tourism plan. As a matter of fact, they’ve committed $750 million over the next two years to develop the supply and demand side of tourism operations. The maritime provinces have a plan. And Alberta, which is arguably our greatest competitor, has a plan that they call the cooperative investment program, which has both the demand and supply sides in their streams, with aid in terms of destination development. Governments that have planned during the pandemic, and now they’re implementing those plans.

Yet this government, 16 weeks into the crisis, has no plan. Tourism operators, like many other businesses in this province, need an idea of what their future is going to look like in the coming months. They need to know if this government is planning to provide them with support from the remaining $1.5 billion COVID relief fund.

There are so many regional economies and communities relying on tourism to keep their economy strong. This is a multi-billion-dollar industry that has come to a grinding halt. Yet this government expects shortfalls to be filled by local and regional tourism. How is that possible? We rely on international tourism, so how are British Columbians, many of whom haven’t worked in months or are cautious to spend money or simply aren’t confident enough in the safety measures to travel, supposed to make up for the millions of tourists that come from other places, that come here to see our great province? The short answer is that they can’t.

It is time for this government to get off their hands and offer a comprehensive plan with defined supports and timelines, because for those in the tourism sector, the last 16 weeks has been a lifetime. Time, for many of them, is running out. Again, it’s time for this government to stop talking about doing something and actually do something when it comes to tourism.

J. Brar: I’m very pleased to respond to the motion introduced by the hon. member for Surrey South, regarding the economic recovery plan for B.C.

We know that many British Columbians continue to struggle and are uncertain about their future. COVID-19, as we all know, has impacted all of us. Before entering into this pandemic, B.C. had a strong economy, but it wasn’t working for everyone. Things were starting to get better, but too many people were still working hard and not getting ahead. This government is deeply committed to keeping people safe, while building a recovery that works for everyone.

First of all, I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Minister of Health for their exemplary leadership to deal with the challenges of COVID-19. And thanks to the people of British Columbia for doing their share to flatten the curve. I think that’s very important. That’s why we are where we are today. Because of that, B.C. was able to keep many sectors of our economy open during the COVID-19, as compared to many other provinces and countries. Therefore, we are in a way better position to restart and rebuild our economy. That’s a win-win situation.

Construction is one strong pillar of our economy. Unlike many other provinces, B.C. was able to keep the construction industry open while keeping workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to do this because of the strength and leadership of the construction industry in this province.

[11:50 a.m.]

By keeping this sector open, we have been able to keep people in this sector employed. These are hundreds of thousands of jobs during challenging times. This also means we have been able to continue building the infrastructure British Columbians rely on, like roads and bridges. That will boost the economy and create good jobs for the people of B.C.

We have a comprehensive plan for the future. We are building a long-term recovery that will help British Columbians secure a good job and good future, an economic recovery built around everyday people. Helping people to get the training and education to get good jobs building roads, mass transit and bridges will boost the economy and create good jobs for the people.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Recovery is going to be tough. We all know that. But we are focused, compassionate and capable in B.C. This is our chance to build our recovery and an economy that works for everyone. It’s very important that the economy works for everyone, an economy that is sustainable and good for our future generations.

One such example is the use of mass timber in B.C. buildings. This is a new cross-government initiative that will support the transition of B.C.’s forest sector from high volume to high value. It will advance CleanBC by decarbonizing the built environment. The new initiative will focus on demand for mass timber products and increasing the local supply by removing barriers and exploring opportunities for innovation in the forestry, manufacturing, construction, trade and allied sectors.

In 2019, B.C. created a mechanism for the early start of mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys in advance of changes to the national building code. We were the leader in that situation. Now 12 communities in B.C., and the University of British Columbia, have all signed on to become early adopters to bring mass timber technology by building up to 12-storey buildings. Expanded use of mass timber is an economic opportunity for B.C., but it will also make a significant contribution to advancing CleanBC’s commitment to making GHG production targets at home and around the world.

I would like to conclude by saying that we are building a long-term recovery that will benefit all British Columbians, whereas, during the last 16 years, only the top 2 percent of people were benefiting from B.C.’s economy. I know members have been speaking about the economy, but their economy was good for only the 2 percent at the top and not good for the people of British Columbia. We are going to change that in B.C. moving forward.

S. Bond: I’m pleased to continue the debate on the critical issue before us. I think it’s ironic that the member who spoke prior to me forgot, conveniently, that their government inherited the top-performing economy in the country when we were the government. I do want to thank my colleague and co–Finance critic, the member for Surrey South, for bringing forward this motion today, and I do want to thank members for their comments.

We’re at a critical moment in the province’s history as we work to recover from the COVID pandemic. We have to make sure that we are doing everything possible to support individuals, families and businesses that have been most impacted. I know that every single MLA in the House has countless stories of families and small businesses that are struggling. In fact, many of those small businesses will not survive without a focused, strategic economic recovery plan from this government. However, that work won’t happen on its own. In fact, it can’t happen fast enough.

I am not sure what else it will take to push this government to act. As mentioned, other jurisdictions have done the work and have aggressive plans to start their economic recovery. In British Columbia, the Finance Minister is holding round tables. There has been ample time to listen and to consider what steps need to be taken to jump-start our economy, and what do we get? Round tables and a survey.

[11:55 a.m.]

On Friday, we learned that British Columbia has the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the country. In our province, more than 345,000 people are unemployed. While there were some job gains, more than 100,000 of those jobs were part-time.

Who have been the most hard hit? Women and young people. Youth unemployment in B.C. is up a staggering 266 percent since January. That compares to 114 percent in the rest of Canada. Adult female unemployment in B.C. is up 152 percent since January. That’s not all. B.C. is in the bottom three provinces for the number of businesses that have reopened. Only 24 percent of businesses are at above or normal revenues, and 31 percent of businesses are at or above normal staffing. In June, we learned that 33 percent of businesses won’t be able to pay their full July rent without additional support, and that 58 percent of businesses are finding it difficult to absorb PPE costs.

What is the reaction of the government? Round tables and a survey. There’s more bad news. The B.C. Business Council estimates that at least 10 percent, and perhaps as many as 15 percent, of the 200,000 B.C. businesses with paid employees could be gone by late 2021, even after you account for new entrants.

Electricity demand in the province has seen its steepest drop since 2008. Why is that relevant? It’s because the decline is linked to commercial and light industrial activity. B.C. also posted a record retail sales drop in April. Sales fell by more than 20 percent from March. The tourism industry has been decimated. Nearly 10 percent of restaurants have closed permanently, with another 18 percent prepared to close permanently if the same conditions continue. These grim figures should compel this government to take immediate, decisive action to get our economy back on its feet.

British Columbians need and deserve a comprehensive plan for recovery, not just a survey that will only serve to delay a desperately needed response. While the opposition has a job to do — holding the government to account — we’ve been working for months to provide input and suggestions to the government to enable and support a strong, comprehensive economic recovery plan. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition and our team have sent the government 13 letters, with more than 60 policy suggestions on how to get the economy and the province back on track.

In the Finance Minister’s statement last Friday, she acknowledged the significant struggle British Columbians are facing. In fact, here’s what she said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged and changed our province. Thousands of families, young people and businesses continue to struggle to make ends meet.” We couldn’t agree more with the Minister of Finance. Families, young people and businesses continue to struggle, and while they do, the minister is holding round tables and the government is doing a survey.

British Columbia is facing an economic crisis. It’s time for the government to take bold action to create jobs and outline the comprehensive economic recovery plan that British Columbians need and deserve.

S. Bond 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 p.m. this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:59 a.m.