Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: Hon. Anne Kang.

[10:05 a.m.]

Tributes

KATHERINE McPARLAND

Hon. S. Robinson: I rise today with some sad news. Katherine McParland, a well-known and well-loved resident of the Kamloops community and a good friend of mine, passed away suddenly this weekend.

I first heard of this remarkable young woman when I was Housing Minister and saw an article in the Kamloops local paper about the work she was doing. Shane Simpson, the Minister of Social Development at the time, and I invited her to make a presentation about the work she was doing.

She shared her story of bouncing around the foster care system for most of her childhood. It was followed, as she aged out of that system, by years of homelessness. It was from this that she was able to find her calling. After Shane and I met with her, we introduced her to the Minister of Children and Family Development, the member for Kootenay West, so that she, too, could hear from Katherine’s experience and her wisdom. I know that the members from Kamloops who are here in this House knew her well also.

Katherine was unwavering in purpose and committed to lasting change. She’d lived experience, and she married that with academic rigour by completing her master’s degree earlier this year. In the few years that I have known her, she became the co-chair of the B.C. Coalition to End Youth Homelessness. She became a member of the federal Advisory Committee on Homelessness, and she became a dedicated member of the board of B.C. Housing.

Katherine was courageous and warm, compassionate, thoughtful and funny. She had an ability to draw people to her that would help her in her mission. Someone on social media this weekend noted that she had social chutzpah. I think that’s a completely accurate description of her.

I will miss her midday texts asking if I had a moment for a check-in. She would often say that she was in awe that she had the ability to talk with ministers of the Crown and do work with the ministers.

I can really say, and I think I speak on behalf of my colleagues and all members of this House, those that knew her, that the truth is that we were the ones who were actually in awe of her.

I ask the House to join me in recognizing Katherine’s efforts on behalf of British Columbians and the tragedy of her untimely passing with just a brief moment of reflection on how we can honour her work and legacy on behalf of vulnerable youth through our work as legislators here in this place.

May her memory be for a blessing.

JOE ARVAY

Hon. D. Eby: It is very unfortunate news that I have to bring to the House of the sudden and unexpected passing of Joe Arvay, Queen’s Counsel. He was an exceptional lawyer. He was an exceptional person.

As a law student, I studied his cases. He revolutionized the understanding of section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantees equality to all Canadians, and his work was especially influential in recognizing the rights of the LGBTQ community. He fought the censorship of children’s books that promoted tolerance and understanding. He fought for the rights of same-sex spouses to the same benefits that every other person was entitled to in the country. He stood up for survival sex workers to say that they had a right to appear in court without having to put themselves in jeopardy.

He was respected not just throughout the legal community but across the country. He was the kind of guy that had every right to be unapproachable and to come across as condescending. He was brilliant, yet he was the exception to the rule of never meet your heroes, because if you had the opportunity and the honour, as I did, to meet Joe and to know him, he was kind. He was thoughtful. He never made you feel like you didn’t understand what he understood.

[10:10 a.m.]

He was an excellent teacher. He brought that ability to communicate the law to the courts, to his clients and to the public. He was unapologetic and unafraid in asserting the rights of even unpopular groups at the time and to say things that now are common sense but at the time were quite revolutionary. He dramatically reformed the legal landscape in Canada.

I am so grateful for the chance to know him. But more importantly, as a British Columbian and as a Canadian, I am so grateful for his work promoting the rights of all Canadians.

He left an indelible mark. He will leave a gap that will not be filled. But I will note, and I hope it is some comfort to his family and friends who are reeling right now, that he was an inspiration to generations of lawyers about the need to be committed to public service in the work that we do and the need to recognize the rights of everybody in the work that we do.

He changed the world. He changed our country, and he changed our province in incredibly positive ways. I’m very grateful that I knew him. I hope that other members had the opportunity. I’m very grateful for his life, very well lived. He will be sorely missed.

Hon. M. Rankin: All of us in this historic place are here in our own way because we want to make the world a better place. We want to leave a legacy of accomplishments that help change peoples’ lives for the better.

Yesterday a giant of Canadian law left us — a tireless giant who truly changed the course of history for so many people facing discrimination and injustice. Joe Arvay was my former law partner and dear friend. To read Joe’s cases over the last forty years is to chronicle the sweep of social justice and law reform.

Were it not for Joe Arvay, marriage equality in this country would not exist. Were it not for Joe Arvay, discrimination against LGBTQ2+ people in our schools and in our bookstores would have persisted. Were it not for Joe, the rights of Indigenous people would not have advanced to the degree that they have. And were it not for Joe, people suffering with interminable pain would not have been able to avail themselves of medical assistance in dying.

A month ago a widow of a dear friend of mine came with tears in her eyes and asked me to thank Joe because he had made it possible for her husband’s suffering to come to an end. In that historic case, Joe persuaded a unanimous Supreme Court of Canada to reverse the Susan Rodriguez decision that had been rendered not 20 years earlier. That is the stuff of legal legend.

Joe was widely recognized as perhaps Canada’s most brilliant and successful constitutional and human rights lawyer. He appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada over 75 times on some of the defining cases of our generation, including access to legal safe injection sites, the right of workers to associate in pursuit of workplace goals and countless cases advancing equality. At the time of his death, Joe was representing 15 children from across the country seeking more urgent government action to address climate change.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force during his career, and Joe was recognized for building its foundation case by case. Joe’s passion for justice was in his DNA. He didn’t care whether there was case law with him or against him. He believed that if he worked hard enough and long enough, he’d find a way. He usually did, and often all of this without fees.

I believe that Joe’s greatest legacy was that he inspired an entire generation of young lawyers to try to change the world and make it a better place. Yesterday a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada reached out to me. He said this: “What a fine man, and what an absolutely exceptional lawyer, perhaps the very finest appellate lawyer I ever saw. And what a record of achievement. I’m not sure how he persuaded my colleagues of some of the things he persuaded them of. I used to call him the court whisperer.” British Columbia and Canada have lost a legal warrior and a legal giant.

[10:15 a.m.]

He was like a brother to me. He was the bravest person I ever knew, and he made all of us better for having lived in our world.

CECIL PAUL

Hon. N. Cullen: I would like the House to join me in also recognizing the passing of a giant amongst us. Recently Wa’xaid, Cecil Paul, from the Xenaksiala Nation passed away at the age of 90. Cecil was an author, a conservationist, a cultural leader and also a very dear friend to me and to many.

He was born in the Kitlope, in northern British Columbia, in 1931 and soon after was torn away from his family and, like so many of his generation, sent off to residential school, where he experienced abuse that most of us can’t even imagine. For years — for decades, in fact — Cecil struggled with addictions. Only in returning to the Kitlope, the place of his birth, was he, in his own words, eventually healed by that place.

He then dedicated his life to protecting the Kitlope, the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. He worked with many great leaders like Gerald Amos, Bruce Hill and others to make sure that that place that had healed him, the place of his birth, would be protected for generations and generations to come.

Cecil once said: “Build a canoe and it will be supernatural. No matter how many people will come aboard to help you paddle to save your place of birth, it will never be full.”

To Cecil’s family, to his entire nation, I would like the House to join me in recognizing his contribution to the north, to British Columbia and, in fact, to our entire country and world.

Introductions by Members

S. Furstenau: I just want to take a moment to celebrate. It is my son’s 15th birthday today. Peter is remarkable in so many ways — inquisitive, curious, joyful, funny, always challenging us — and makes the most incredible meals that we can imagine.

Happy, happy birthday, Peter. I can’t wait to see you this evening. I’m so grateful to have you in my life.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL 3 — FINANCE STATUTES
AMENDMENT ACT, 2020

Hon. S. Robinson presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020.

Hon. S. Robinson: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

I am pleased to introduce the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020. The bill includes amendments to the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act to allow additional time for the budget and estimates development process. The amendments provide that the budget and estimates will be tabled no later than April 30.

While the proposed rules will also allow for modest extensions to release dates for quarterly reports in a fiscal year when there is a general election, the amendments still ensure that fiscal updates are publicly provided so that there is not a lengthy gap in public reporting.

The bill also proposes amendments to the Financial Administration Act to complement the amendments to the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act. This amendment ensures that limited funding remains available should a supply act not be enacted by the start of a new fiscal year and would only apply to address election year schedule impacts.

Finally, the bill includes amendments to the Home Owner Grant Act, which is a first step in ensuring that the province will meet its commitment to centralize the homeowner grant program administration as planned for in Budget 2020.

Beginning in 2021, all applications, including retroactive applications, will be made directly to the province.

[10:20 a.m.]

Mr. Speaker: The question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

Hon. S. Robinson: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 3, Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2020, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Presentation of Estimates

SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2021

Hon. S. Robinson presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: supplementary estimates (No. 3) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

MURRAY UNITED CHURCH
IN NICOLA VALLEY

J. Tegart: Today I want to share a story about community commitment and resilience. It’s a story about a beautiful church located in the Nicola Valley that was burned to the ground in 2019 by an arson. The Murray church was built in 1876 as a Presbyterian church and was the oldest building in the Nicola Valley built with Nicola Valley lumber.

If you took a peek through the windows, you got an idea of what a 19th century church looked like back in the day. There was a pulpit at the front, pews waiting to be filled and stained-glass windows at the back.

In 1927, the church became the Murray United Church, named after its founder, Rev. George Murray. As you can well imagine, many families in the Nicola Valley have fond memories of church events. Weddings, Christmas services, special occasions and funerals all happened at the quaint little white church.

In January of 2019, the community was devastated when the church burned down by an arson. The community came together and decided to raise $200,000 to rebuild the church. I’m pleased to report that the fundraising has reached nearly $170,000 of their $200,000 goal. They recently held a ground-breaking ceremony, with hopes of construction starting next year. They also an­nounced that an anonymous donor has offered to match every dollar of the last $15,000 needed if this can be accomplished by January 11, the second anniversary of the loss of the church.

This project is a beacon of hope during a very challenging time in our province and our country. I hope that this chamber will join me in congratulating the people of the Nicola Valley for their commitment to renewal.

411 SENIORS CENTRE SOCIETY

M. Elmore: The grey tsunami has arrived, and they’re working to change the world. The 500-member-strong 411 Seniors Centre Society activates the talents, strengths, expertise and skills of older adults.

Their peer-led services since 1977 include supporting seniors; navigating the health care system; resolving pension issues; skills training in the digital revolution; to their podcast, Powered by Age. Programs are delivered by members. You can take art classes, yoga, Spanish and other language courses, including ESL, and also join town hall and advocacy campaigns.

[10:25 a.m.]

During this pandemic, they’re working especially hard to ensure seniors are connected and that they get the help they need. Along with providing these important services, the 411 Seniors is a community of vibrant, passionate and critically engaged elders committed to bringing their wisdom to current-day challenges.

I’m so excited to welcome the 411 Senior Centre Society to their new location in Vancouver-Kensington. They’ll have a new centre, as well as a seniors housing co-op, partnering with the city of Vancouver, B.C. Housing, the Community Land Trust.

This modest but mighty organization is an inspiration for their dedication to taking care of those needing the most help amongst us. They’re always pushing boundaries to create a just, equitable and respectful world for all.

Please join me in recognizing the exceptional service and leadership of the 411 Senior Centre Society.

RICHMOND CARES, RICHMOND GIVES
PROGRAM AND CHRISTMAS FUND

T. Wat: The holidays are a time for joy but can also be a very challenging time, especially for the most vulnerable individuals and families. This season brings with it more challenges than ever before due to COVID-19, which is why it is more important than ever that we recognize and support amazing programs like the Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives Christmas fund.

A couple of weeks ago I joined a joint drive-through toy drive with Richmond RCMP in the parking lot of Lansdowne mall in my riding of Richmond North Centre. Over 300 people drove by to drop off toys and donations. This year this charitable campaign is able to help 3,000 Richmond families, children, teens and seniors with food vouchers, gift certificates and over 10,000 toys.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my most sincere appreciation to CEO Ed Gavsie; co-chairs Wayne Duzita, Rob Howard, Michael Chiu; and the committee. I’d also like to thank the nine angel donors who have stepped up with $10,000 each to support those in need. Special thanks must be given to the 200 volunteers and, of course, the many charitable donations from our community.

Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives, which runs this program every year, has been an integral part of Richmond for more than 40 years. Their work to support those in need and their efforts to promote philanthropy and the spirit of giving cannot be celebrated enough.

This season I urge you all to give the extra mile to support an amazing initiative like the Christmas fund. Help a family in need and offer our communities that little bit of extra holiday cheer.

A Tale of Two Cities
AND WORK OF LEGISLATURE

G. Begg:  

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief; it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of light; it was the season of darkness; it was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us; we had nothing before us; we were all going direct to heaven; we were all going direct the other way — in short, the period was so far like the present period that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

That memorable passage is, of course, the opening paragraph from A Tale of Two Cities, an 1859 novel by Charles Dickens set in London and Paris before and during the French revolution. Those words, penned more than 160 years ago, sound eerily like where we find our­selves today. Times are tough, and our future is uncertain. But is there hope?

[10:30 a.m.]

At the start of this legislative session, in facing the enormous challenges we all face together, let us all commit to working together to bring the house of hope to all our citizens who are looking to us. The task ahead of us is enormous and unprecedented. Let us join each other in finding that path forward together.

The last paragraph of A Tale of Two Cities is not as well known but just as memorable: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”

It is my hope that we can all collectively say that at the end of our tenure here together. We can curse the darkness, or we can light a candle. The choice is ours. May we all, in this House, be candle-lighters.

SALVATION ARMY PROGRAMS

D. Davies: Today I’m going to be talking briefly on an organization that all of us know and appreciate, the Salvation Army. This is an international organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in our country. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, providing shelter for homeless people or supports for those in addiction.

In Fort St. John, their food bank operates on a drop-in basis. People can come in, have a cup of coffee, grab a snack or sign up for a food bank slot. The community meal program brings guests in to enjoy fellowship, games, and access to case workers or just a hot lunch. In addition to food, many people are in need of clothing or household items and can find support there.

Additionally, the Salvation Army’s Northern Centre of Hope in Fort St. John has designed a proactive program for those who have reached a point in their lives where they are ready to move forward out of poverty and address the barriers that prevent the acquisition of sustained housing and career employment. The primary goal is to integrate these individuals back into the community as self-sufficient citizens.

There is little doubt that 2020 has been one of the most challenging years ever, which has presented significant hurdles for the Salvation Army and many organizations like it. Christmas can be an extra hard season for people with low income, and much worse under COVID-19 conditions.

Thank you to all the Salvation Armies across the pro­vince. I want to give special thanks to our local executive director, Cameron Eggie, and all of his staff and volunteers who are very thankful for the generosity of residents in our community for their continued support. The request for service remains high and ongoing. There is greater diversity of food bank users than ever before, from people that were not prepared for layoffs or revenue interruption. The same theme is taking place across our province.

Christmas kettles will be out this year. They may or may not have a volunteer. Some will have a $5.00 tap feature for your debit card or credit card. Whatever the case may be, please give generously.

ELECTION OF RAJ CHOUHAN AS SPEAKER

J. Brar: Once upon a time, a young Punjabi man came to Canada in 1973 for a better life for himself and his family. He spent his entire life fighting for the rights of every person and working to end discrimination and inequality. As a result of his work, he was first elected in 2005 as MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds, and yesterday he made history in B.C.

Mr. Speaker, your long walk to the Speaker’s chair reminds me of Nelson Mandela’s words: “It always seems impossible until it is done.” You may have thought the same for many years until it was done yesterday, Mr. Speaker. It was a historic day for the people of British Columbia, and specifically for the people of the Punjabi community and, of course, for you, hon. Speaker.

All members of this House worked together to make this historic choice and a positive change in this House. A long-serving member of this House from Burnaby-Edmonds was elected unanimously as the Speaker of this House, a rare milestone for all of us and for the Member for Burnaby-Edmonds. It was rare because you, hon. Speaker, are the first Punjabi person from India to be ever elected as a Speaker of a legislature in North America.

[10:35 a.m.]

It is so because Canada is a country of immigrants, who come to this country with big dreams for a better life. But it is almost impossible to dream of becoming a Speaker of the House, because it seems something beyond reach. Not anymore. It is not a remote possibility anymore. In fact, it can be done now.

Your story, Mr. Speaker, will inspire every immigrant and person of colour to dream even bigger. Your story, Mr. Speaker, will also send a message to the global community that people in this country not only open doors to new immigrants but embrace them as equals.

My sincere thanks to the Premier, the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Leader of the Third Party and all members of this House for your support to show that we are committed to making this province more inclusive, more equal and more fair for all.

In the end, Mr. Speaker, my sincere congratulations, mubarakan, and good wishes, shubhechhawan, to you and your family — your beautiful wife, Inder, and your kids. Der ahe drusat aae.

Oral Questions

COVID-19 RAPID TESTING PROGRAM
FOR LONG-TERM-CARE FACILITIES

S. Bond: Day after day British Columbians, including every member of this assembly, feel heartbroken when we hear about transmission, about outbreaks and, ultimately, about deaths in our long-term-care homes. The images of families being separated from the seniors that they love and the fear of losing that loved one should compel all of us to do absolutely everything possible to lower transmission rates and protect our most vulnerable citizens.

Yesterday the government announced the limited use of rapid tests in a small number of long-term-care homes in two health authorities.

My question is a straightforward one to the Premier. Rapid tests would provide an additional level of protection for vulnerable seniors. Knowing that, will the Premier immediately commit to the implementation of a rapid-testing program in long-term-care homes across the entire province?

Hon. A. Dix: Thank you very much to the Leader of the Opposition for her question. She’ll know that outbreaks in long-term care, the situation in long-term care, affects everyone in the province, from Rotary Manor in her hometown to Three Links in my constituency. I think it’s fair to say that every day, everybody in the health care system, including Dr. Bonnie Henry and all of us, are working and doing everything we can to both assist people in long-term care and to stop outbreaks in long-term care. It’s for that reason that a number of measures have taken place in B.C. that have not taken place in other places in the country, and we’ve had relative success compared to other jurisdictions in dealing with it.

But I don’t think people are that concerned with what happens in other jurisdictions. They want us to do everything we can here, and we are. The fact is that rapid testing, as Dr. Henry has explained many times…. The rapid tests that have been sent to us are not successful or effective in dealing with asymptomatic testing and, in any event, haven’t been sent to us in the numbers available to put in place such a system. It would not be effective.

That said, as with everything else, we are trying absolutely everything, including a pilot project, to see in what ways they could be effective in our province. Rapid testing is also being used and being piloted in other areas where vulnerable people live, from the Downtown Eastside to rural communities.

[10:40 a.m.]

I just want to assure her that the reason why we’re pursuing the pilot is that we’re pursuing absolutely every option to keep people protected. The reality is that these particular tests will not do what the hon. member is asking us to do. If they were able to do that, there would be no reason not to do them. We are following the evidence, we’re following the science, and we’re doing absolutely everything we can to protect everyone in long-term care.

I appreciate the member’s concern and the seriousness of her question. We will continue, I hope, to work together to provide as safe a solution as possible for everyone living in long-term care.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Official Opposition on a first supplemental.

S. Bond: I certainly want to let the Minister of Health know that the members of the opposition absolutely appreciate the exceptional and outstanding work being done by health care workers and particularly those in long-term care across British Columbia. The Health Minister himself has just pointed out how important it is that we do absolutely everything possible.

For weeks now, families, seniors organizations and even the B.C. seniors advocate have been calling for additional action from this government. In her recent comments, the seniors advocate had this to say about rapid testing: “We’re going to catch some of those people, maybe not all of them, but some of them. We have nothing right now. The question is: what is the harm in using them?”

I am sure that the Premier would agree with me that we must make every single effort possible to protect our most vulnerable seniors. The Premier has the opportunity today to take additional action and implement a provincewide rapid-testing program that has the potential to make a difference in long-term-care homes right across British Columbia. Will the Premier commit to doing that today?

Hon. A. Dix: Thank you again to the member for her question. As noted — and it has been a disappointment to us over the term of the pandemic — the technology involved in rapid-testing has not been as effective as we would have hoped by this point.

The fact is that these tests are not licensed for what’s called asymptomatic testing. So that is not an appropriate means, and in any event, that isn’t an effective method. The people who say that are the people who are expert in this area. I am with the seniors advocate, and I am with everyone in this province that wants to do everything they can, but the people who know testing have drawn this conclusion, because they, too, care about people in long-term care, and their first principle of action is to do no harm.

The member will know that this week we will be presenting our rollout plan for vaccines in British Columbia. She will know — I’m not letting anything out of the bag early in this regard — that the priority of long-term care, of long-term-care workers and residents, in that vaccine plan will be key to managing the pandemic for long-term care in the coming weeks, and I mean immediate weeks.

We are going full effort on that, just as we are in ensuring and finding ways to use rapid tests in the most effective way, to save lives of people across British Columbia. There is no issue more important to me personally and, I know, to the member and also to the critic for seniors for the opposition, the Leader of the Opposition. That’s why we’re going to continue to follow the science, to follow the advice we’ve received from our leaders in terms of testing in the province and make all the decisions necessary to protect our seniors.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Official Opposition on a second supplemental.

S. Bond: As we continue to battle COVID-19, every day matters, and every action matters. No one is suggesting that the implementation of a rapid-testing program will guarantee the end of transmission or outbreaks, nor is the suggestion that we would replace the existing testing regime, but it would add an additional layer of protection.

To the point that the Health Minister made, just yesterday his government announced the fact that they are going to use rapid testing in a small number of long-term-care homes. Our question is: what is the harm in looking at a provincewide rapid-testing program if it even adds a simple extra layer of protection for vulnerable seniors? The time for that action is now.

[10:45 a.m.]

If implementing a provincewide rapid-testing program has the potential to provide any additional protection for our most vulnerable British Columbians, there should be no hesitation in putting a provincewide program in place.

Families are frightened. Seniors are vulnerable. Will the Premier take the action that they deserve and immediately implement a provincewide rapid-testing program? Not just in a few long-term-care homes. As the seniors advocate said: what is the harm in putting a rapid-testing program in place? So to the Premier: will he make a commitment today to expand the rapid-testing program to long-term-care homes across British Columbia?

Hon. A. Dix: We have been using rapid tests in appropriate circumstances, and that action is guided by the leading experts in public health that we have. With great respect to the seniors advocate, who the Leader of the Opposition cites as evidence, this is not her area of expertise. The fact is that the rapid tests are not licensed, even, for asymptomatic people and that we have a better overall plan to address symptomatic people in long-term care.

The purpose of the pilot project, the reason that we are pursuing even that option, is to see under what circumstances you could use rapid testing to help — not to hinder but to help — our overall protection of long-term care. That’s why we’re proceeding, because every day we look at every possible option to assist people in long-term care and to deal with outbreaks in long-term care, which, right now, in active, long-term-care outbreaks in B.C., involve a total of 1,401 people.

Regularly, I talk to the families of those people, as the member will know. I hear their concerns, their worries, the fact of their separation, so we are taking the steps necessary. But those steps have to be effective, and they have to follow the science, and that’s why I’m following, in this case, the advice of Dr. Henry, the advice of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, the advice of those who know these areas of testing and have worked in them all their lives to guide our policies and will continue to do so.

R. Merrifield: The minister has referenced science. We know from science that rapid tests can break stubborn bottlenecks. They can contain infection. They can sever the chain of transmission. They can reduce morbidity and mortality and diminish debilitating economic costs — these tests, which can deliver results in minutes rather than days. Other jurisdictions such as Ontario have called these a game-changer.

Two weeks ago the federal government gave B.C. 131 rapid-test machines, 27,000 test kits and 500,000 antibody tests. Can the Premier confirm that B.C. has these tests and tell us how many have been deployed in long-term-care facilities?

Hon. A. Dix: We’ve received 131 of the machines with respect to the Abbott ID NOW tests, with about 27,000 tests. One might understand in the case of those machines that 27,000 tests would only be able to do the tests being suggested by the hon. member one time, or less than one time, for a long-term-care resident and less than one time per worker in long-term care equally. They’re not licensed, as we said, for asymptomatic testing.

Dr. Bonnie Henry has given the response on this question multiple times, as the member will know — that her response is founded on the science in this area. What British Columbia is doing in terms of piloting with respect to rapid testing is not dissimilar to what they’re doing in Ontario, and we’re going to continue to act, including ensuring that early access to vaccine, especially for long-term-care workers, which will hopefully ring-fence long-term care, will be a key part of our vaccine plan.

[10:50 a.m.]

For the member…. I think the member is incorrect in suggesting that those tests, the 500,000 Panbio antigen tests, are the answer in long-term care. They are being used in British Columbia. We’re taking the very steps required to ensure the best use is made of them so that people in long-term care and in other vulnerable circumstances such as rural communities, such as vulnerable communities, such as the Downtown Eastside…. So that they can be effective.

We’re following the science. We’re following the advice of the people in epidemiology who lead this effort, this specific effort, of testing. We’re going to continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Kelowna-Mission on a supplemental.

R. Merrifield: I can appreciate the minister’s comments, but there are still many voices calling for a widespread rapid-testing program to reduce the number and extent of the current outbreaks in long-term care and to protect one of our most vulnerable populations. That includes families like Lesley Telford’s, whose mom, Sandy, is in long-term care. She says: “I do believe that we can do more testing. We do have to pay more attention to their quality of life. We can’t just lock people away indefinitely.”

Again to the Premier, how many rapid tests does B.C. have today, and how quickly could they be deployed to our long-term-care facilities?

Hon. A. Dix: Well, I believe I just answered that question. I’m happy to answer it again. We have 27,000 tests of the Abbott ID NOW system and 131 of the machines. We’ve received approximately a little under 500,000 of the Panbio antigen tests. All of them, of course, require a nasopharyngeal swab. All of them require a health care worker to do the swab. All of them are not licensed for use except in people who are symptomatic, and even in the case of people who are symptomatic, they are not as able to pick up the virus as the regular NAT tests that we do on an ongoing basis in B.C.

I absolutely agree with the member, and people frequently want this: they would like there to be a magic solution or a single solution or an easy solution. There is not an easy solution to this worldwide pandemic. We have to do the work. We have to trust in the epidemiologists who have led us so extraordinarily well in this area.

We absolutely have to do testing on a systematic basis, and we have significantly increased our capacity to do testing in B.C. We have to ensure, as we have done in B.C., our single-site model for staffing, ensure that we’re adding health care workers — more than 1,000 of the 7,000 already hired, as proposed by the Premier in September. We have to ensure that infection control procedures are in place, and that effort is being made by health care workers everywhere in the province.

I am with the hon. member. I am with the families in this area. In fact, I am one of the families in this area. I can tell the member that we are doing absolutely everything we can, but wishing doesn’t make [audio interrupted]. We have to follow [audio interrupted] the best advice of people such as Dr. Bonnie Henry and will continue to do so.

COVID-19 IMPACT AND
DISAGGREGATED DATA COLLECTION

S. Furstenau: I just want to say that I’m glad that we have the opportunity to be asking questions of government after this time and being in the depths of the second wave of COVID-19. The public has a lot of questions, and it’s important we have this opportunity to be able to ask them. And as we come to terms with being in the depths of the second wave, we must recognize that COVID-19 has not only exposed the inequalities in our society but continues to deepen those inequalities. We’re not actually all in it together.

Some of us have the certainty of jobs that are not at risk because of COVID-19 and can work safely from home, even relying on delivery of groceries as a buffer from the risk. Others work in jobs that don’t allow them that security. Health care workers, teachers, principals, custodial and cleaning staff; people working in retail, food service, transportation — none of them are able to stay home while continuing to earn a salary. We also know that this virus has disproportionate race-based impacts, but we don’t know exactly to what extent.

My question is to the Premier. Telling people to stay home is not good enough. We need targeted supports that match the realities that different British Columbians face. To create those supports, we need disaggregated data about who is getting sick and where, including income and ethnicity. When will the Premier make this a priority and make the call to start collecting this critical data?

[10:55 a.m.]

Hon. A. Dix: Thank you to the member for her question and her assistance and advice during the many months of the pandemic. The member will know that British Columbia was the first to provide information around modelling, the first to do a provincewide survey to see the effects of COVID-19 on groups across B.C. All of that information is publicly available, and we’ve continued to do so.

It is the case that right now, we are not providing unique case counts, disaggregated data. But we know what the facts are. We know precisely what the facts are with respect to Indigenous people. We know that people who are doing essential work and others who are vulnerable are most affected from COVID-19.

I agree with the member that COVID-19 affects people differently. It clearly does. We only have to look at long-term care. We only have to look at people with chronic diseases. We only have to look at people who are doing essential work to know that. But I disagree to say we’re not all in this together. I think people in B.C. have come together in extraordinary ways, and we have to continue to do so.

We will continue to add and provide information and more information to people. But we have a pretty strong idea. That’s why the host of measures taken by the government across government ministries has supported people who are renting, supported people on income assistance and disability, supported people in vulnerable circumstances, raised up the wages of workers in long-term care, and so on.

We understand the scope of the situation, and everyone understands that the impact on some is greater than the impact on others. But I believe we can best respond by coming together as a province. I know the member agrees with that, and I know we’ll continue to do that.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Third Party on a supplemental.

S. Furstenau: I agree absolutely with the Minister of Health that British Columbians have indeed come together in the face of COVID-19. But that doesn’t mean that it is impacting us equally. I heard him agree with that as well.

It is government’s job to put policies in place that recognize that the impacts are not being felt equally and respond to that unequality of impact, and to do that, government needs evidence and data. We need to heed the voices of countless community leaders who are calling for this change and to collect disaggregated data from Black and Indigenous community leaders to the Human Rights Commissioner to the South Asian Mental Health Alliance.

Visible minority communities have been hit harder by COVID-19 than the general population across the country. But in B.C., we know very little about what is actually going on. We are one of the least transparent provinces in Canada when it comes to COVID-19. Most other provinces are far ahead of us in providing more detailed information about where cases are occurring and who is affected, yet this doesn’t seem to be a priority.

My question again is to the Premier. Why isn’t B.C. heeding the calls of the leaders of communities who are asking that we collect more disaggregated data and be transparent in our explanations about COVID-19 and its impacts?

Hon. A. Dix: I simply disagree. I do so respectfully with respect to the collection of data. What B.C. is doing — what many other jurisdictions in the country are not doing — is continuing to do case management and systematic contact tracing, which means we’re treating cases of people not just as groups, but as individuals. We’ve hired, for example, over 1,100 contact tracers since August in addition to the team of contract tracers, more than 500, that we put in place before.

I think British Columbia and the British Columbia health system have a greater understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on communities and how to address it, and that understanding informs our decisions. I simply disagree with the member that we aren’t being transparent.

Well, I think one important consideration, to the hon. member, because sometimes people did… This was true at the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s true now. There is a desire for more information about where COVID-19 is in communities. But it’s also critical for us — including for all of the people most affected by COVID-19, including the very people that the member talks about — that privacy be maintained, that people be protected, that they trust their health care system, that they can come forward so we can contact-trace. Those are critical values that we’ve put in place and have balanced here.

[11:00 a.m.]

We were the first to provide our modelling. We provide regular, detailed information, respond to questions virtually every single day, either in press conferences or in other forums, and we are in the Legislature.

I’m always looking to do better. Clearly, on the case of taking disaggregated race-based data, we have a direction from the Premier and the government to do better, and we will. But at the moment, the effort we’re making in British Columbia, the extraordinary effort of our whole system and our whole province, is second to none in Canada.

We must continue to make that effort together because this pandemic isn’t going away any time soon, although there is some good news on the horizon, and we’ve got a lot of work to do together.

COVID-19 RESPONSE AND
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

T. Halford: This pandemic is having a profound effect on the mental health of British Columbians. For many, the increase in social isolation and uncertainty is leading to the increased levels of distress, worry and anxiety. There is a critical need for more mental health services than what is available today. Unfortunately, the need is only going to get worse in the coming months.

My question is to the Premier. Where are people struggling with their mental health supposed to go for help today?

Mr. Speaker: The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Hon. S. Malcolmson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I first congratulate you on your historic election. It’s a proud moment for British Columbia.

I thank the member so much for his first intervention in the House, and for his first opportunity to speak, to talk about this double whammy of the pandemic. We know how much people in British Columbia were hurting, and we know that COVID-19 has made everything in the pandemic worse, so I share the member’s concerns about the impacts.

Let me say, more than anything, if you are someone who is thinking about suicide, someone who is suffering in isolation, if you’re a family member of someone, I want to take this opportunity to reach out and let you know there are supports especially designed through the pandemic to be safe. You can go to gov.bc.ca/covid-19 or call 811.

There are so many online and person-to-person virtual supports that are available. Foundry, there’s no cost. Addictions. Counselling support. We have an expanded the Bounce Back program, particularly focused on youth. I’m so encouraged that this spring we launched a 24-7 mental health support line for students in post-secondary, a very strong call that came particularly from Nanaimo.

But I’ll say, in a more focused way, we had started the work of building up a strong mental health and addictions system in British Columbia before the pandemic hit. We know even more now how badly that is needed. I want to assure all members in the House of our government’s deep resolve to invest more deeply in people and encourage anybody who needs help to reach out and ask for it. We need to do more. We will do better.

T. Halford: To me it’s clear that there are not enough mental health resources in B.C.

Last week the Canadian Mental Health Association reported that 42 percent of British Columbians said their mental health has deteriorated since the start of the pandemic. People need more help than they are getting, and the time is of the essence to get people the support they need.

My question, again, is to the Premier. How do people connect to the mental health supports they need today?

[11:05 a.m.]

Hon. S. Malcolmson: Again, I say to the member that we agree there was a great hole, as Dr. Bonnie Henry said. When our government inherited government in 2017, there was no mental health and addictions system in place. We have worked hard to pick up the slack from the front line, the amazing families and service providers that had been holding the system together.

But we have already, in the time that we’ve had before the pandemic hit, been able to get more supports on the ground. We opened B.C.’s first mental health and support team focused through the urgent primary care centre in Surrey, an urgent response centre. We’ve opened a 75-bed mental health and substance use division at Royal Columbian. That was opened in August. We’ve opened new Foundry centres focused on youth, a fantastic model, and we’ve announced the locations for eight more. That will be a total of 19 across British Columbia.

If you ask me three more questions, I’ll be able to carry on the list of the work that we have done. There’s more being rolled out right now. Towards the end of the summer, all of the health authorities across British Columbia received the funds to be able to expand supports for mental health on the ground. We’ve got more to do and more underway.

COVID-19 RAPID TESTING PROGRAM
FOR LONG-TERM-CARE FACILITIES

J. Tegart: The pandemic is taking a toll healthwise. It’s also taking a toll on the mental health of British Columbians — seniors who are separated from their families, parents who want to know if a school exposure was in their child’s classroom, teachers who can’t find out if they’ve been exposed for several weeks, isolation that’s impacting all of us in many negative ways.

Today we’ve expressed the worries and stresses being felt by many British Columbians, and we’ve asked the Premier to implement a number of practical, thoughtful actions to address these concerns.

Again, will the Premier embrace the feedback that we’ve shared today and commit to rapid testing broadly across British Columbia?

Hon. J. Horgan: I thank the member for her question.

I also welcome the new members for their first question period today.

I’m grateful for the line of questioning from the new Leader of the Opposition with respect to focusing on the challenge of our time, the number one issue for British Columbians wherever they live — whether it be on the Island, in the north, in the Kootenays, in the Lower Mainland — is addressing COVID-19 and making sure that we’re there for people, for businesses and for communities, and we have been doing that for the past nine months.

I’m grateful for all of the questions today. I’m grateful for the coherent answers from ministers responsible for the particular issues that were raised by all of the members in this House.

I understand that politics are now behind us, and we can, all together, focus on bringing forward the issues that matter to the people in our communities and matter to the people of British Columbia.

With respect to the final point that the member for Fraser-Nicola made with respect to rapid testing, pilot projects are in place, consistent with the response the Health Minister gave to the Leader of the Official Opposition. We will build on that if the science takes us in that direction.

With respect to race-based information and data, that is being collected. We’re working with the human rights commission. We’re working with the federal government on those issues.

With respect to the issues around mental health and addictions — again, one of the first provinces in the country to have a stand-alone minister to focus on these issues, establishing urgent primary care centres with mental health components attached to them, expanding acute care facilities across the province, making sure that our schools have the counsellors and social workers they need for young people who are distressed at the upheaval in their lives.

All of those issues raised by the official opposition today are valid issues, valid questions. I’m grateful that they were asked, and I want to continue to reach out and appeal to all members of this House to bring those issues forward and take the responses from the people that have been designated on the executive council to manage those issues going forward.

We have a lot of work to do, but I’m confident this new and invigorated Legislature is up to that task.

[11:10 a.m.]

[End of question period.]

Tabling Documents

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

Auditor General information report — Summary of COVID-19 Pandemic Funding Allocations and Other Financial Relief Measures.

Conflict of the Interest Commissioner — 2019 Annual Report.

Human Rights Commissioner report — Disaggregated Demographic Data Collection in British Columbia: The Grandmother Perspective, September 2020.

Information and Privacy Commissioner — Annual Report 2019-2020.

Ombudsperson — special report No. 45, Course Correction: The Ministry of Education 2019 Provincial Exam Errors, August 2020.

Police Complaint Commissioner — Annual Report 2019-2020.

Registrar of Lobbyists — Annual Report 2019-20; and Investigation Report 20-01, B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, September 24, 2020.

Representative for Children and Youth reports — A Way to Cope: Exploring Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in B.C. Youth; Annual Report 2019-20 and Service Plan 2020-21 to 2022-23; Financial Statements 2019-2020; Left Out: Children and Youth with Special Needs in the Pandemic, December 2020; Illuminating Service Experience: A Descriptive Analysis of Injury and Death Reports for First Nations Children and Youth in B.C., 2015 to 2017, December 2020.

Fourteen reports pursuant to the COVID-19 Related Measures Act.