Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: K. Kirkpatrick.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

J. Tegart: We are joined in the House today by a dear friend to many members of this House, Lynn Klein. Lynn is a long-serving public servant, former paramedic, ambulance service employee, historian, author and champion of the first cardiopulmonary resuscitation program in Canada. While living in Victoria, Lynn had an exemplary attendance record in visiting the proceedings of this House. Lynn and his wife, Sharon, now reside in the Cowichan Valley. We’re so very happy to have Lynn join us here today.

B. Stewart: It gives me great pleasure to wish my sister Andrea McFadden a happy birthday on her 60th birthday today. Andrea is unique in the sense that she is following in her grandfather’s footsteps. Her grandfather Richard John Stewart was a horticulturalist, lover of roses and breeder of the Royal Stewart.

Andrea founded and operates Okanagan Lavender Farm, which has received global recognition for the products that it produces. She also is well known as a world-class blogger, from eye rejuvenation pads to bug hotels that can be built anywhere.

Andrea is an adventurer, risk-taker, mischievous, with a twinkle in her eye, animal lover, kind and loves her family. Married to David McFadden, children are Rory, and Alyssa and Lachlan; Keely, and Fabien and their newborn son Sebastian, or “Sebby” for short; and Liam, who’s the new proprietor of Steephouse products.

Andrea is business savvy, has incredible leadership skills and minimizes her footprints in the world. I just want to wish Andrea a happy 60th birthday today.

C. Oakes: I, too, would like to recognize Lynn and just say how much I have appreciated his contact and his emails over COVID. It means a lot that you care so much about the Legislature and the MLAs in it, so thank you.

Joining us today in the Legislature virtually is the Simon Fraser Student Society, a student-led, non-profit organization that represents over 25,000 undergraduate students from across the three campuses of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia. Their mission is to advocate for students, build student power and provide resources and services that represent, connect and benefit their membership.

Would the House please welcome all of the Simon Fraser University students in the Legislature virtually today.

Hon. M. Mark: Joining us from the gallery today is my constituency assistant and friend Amanda Bouchard. Amanda joined my constituency team last year. She stepped up to support my constituents in a pivotal moment during this COVID-19 pandemic. She has a long history as an advocate for women in the Downtown Eastside as the founder of the Vancouver chapter of PEERS, which supported women exiting the sex trade. She is also an extremely successful business consultant, supporting people to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. I’m so honoured that she’s joining us today on her birthday. Amanda, congratulations on this important milestone.

Would the House please join me in welcoming Amanda and wishing her a very happy birthday.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

SPRING FRESHET AND FLOODING

J. Tegart: I’m pleased to rise in the House today to talk about an event which happens with yearly regularity throughout my riding and your ridings too.

[10:10 a.m.]

It’s not an event that many in my riding are looking forward to, due to the most recent experiences which have occurred in the communities. The event is spring freshet. It is the time of year when residents, community leaders and community volunteers watch the water flow with keen interest. My riding has been severely affected over the past five years by unusually high flows of spring runoff. There have been many theories as to what the cause is, but whatever your theory is, the reality is that every spring, people who live on or near a stream, a river or a lake watch with trepidation as the water begins to rise.

Mountain pine beetle logging, wildfires, climate change and land usage have all affected the ability of the land to absorb water. Rules about equipment use in waterways. Inability to clear blockages without multiple levels of permission. Lack of recognition of the importance of preventative work. Another year goes by, and we are into flooding season again. It affects communities, waterfront communities, agricultural areas, to name a few.

We all talk about climate change, but people in the riding of Fraser-Nicola are asking for action from all of us in this House. We lost a beloved fire chief in a flood. We are losing waterfront homes. We are losing infrastructure, such as highways.

And still we only talk. We seem to have the dollars to react. Let’s flip that over and start working on prevention.

RESILIENCE OF ARTS SECTOR

B. D’Eith: It’s very nice to rise in person in the House to highlight the amazing resiliency the arts sector has shown during this difficult time.

When the pandemic hit last spring, I was asked by the Premier to talk to arts groups. One of those groups was the Cultch in East Vancouver. The Cultch is a cultural hub that champions artistic expression and diversity. They bring world-class performances to the heart of East Vancouver. Like so many arts centres across the province, they’re doing their best to respond to the new normal and keep people safe. They stopped performances and closed the theatre. They told us they needed to keep the lights on, and they also asked for flexibility. We listened.

The B.C. Arts Council advanced operating funding to arts organizations across the province and allowed organizations the flexibility to pivot their programs to adapt to the pandemic. So did Creative B.C., pivoting the Amplify B.C. $7.5 million program to sustain and stabilize the music industry, including a program that provided hundreds of microgrants to artists and musicians. Relief and support in the right places allowed these resilient organizations to keep creating incredible content and covering their overhead.

The Cultch was among many organizations that shifted their presenting during the program. Actually, according to the Globe and Mail, they’ve become the leading cultural organization to provide streaming live performances in Canada. Heather Redfern — she’s the executive director — said: “When we were faced with uncertainty, getting support from the province was vital.”

The Cultch is not alone. So many organizations have found new and innovative ways to connect with their audiences. As the Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film, I’m honoured to be working with the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport to support this amazing sector. Together we will help the arts and culture sector weather the storm.

I’m so looking forward to the day that we can all enjoy performances together again in person. But for now, I encourage everyone, please, enjoy the virtual art that these amazing, resilient organizations are presenting.

SALMON POPULATION
AND PINNIPED PREDATION

J. Sturdy: Last week I explored the lack of a science basis for the federal government’s ill-informed decision to curtail recreation fishing for chinook around Howe Sound and the south coast during the 2020 season. The concern remains that this restriction will be repeated again this year, despite chinook stocks being virtually absent during this chinook fishing prohibition. What is not absent, however, is the overwhelming presence of pinnipeds.

[10:15 a.m.]

Seals and sea lions have been hunted by First Nations for millennia and by others since contact. However, since the 1970s, they have been protected. According to Rob Bison, fisheries stock assessment biologist with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, pinniped populations in the Strait of Georgia have increased from, in the 1970s, less than 10,000 animals to more than 80,000 animals today. Over that same period, chinook and coho salmon populations have had a converse trajectory, with smolt survival during transition to open ocean appearing to be tremendously affected.

According to Carl Walters, professor emeritus at UBC’s Institute for Oceans and Fisheries: “Most of the drop in survival of chinook and coho in Georgia Strait since the 1980s is likely due to seals eating juvenile fish during their first summer in the ocean.” Estimates suggest that seals may be consuming five million juvenile coho each year, or about half the area’s annual juvenile population. Up to 15 million chinook juveniles meet the same fate, or about a third of that juvenile population.

In terms of returning spawners, any recreational fisher among you will have the experience with pinnipeds when you have a fish on your line. While freshwater conditions, ocean conditions and marine competition for feed are very relevant, pinniped predation is by far the most impactful variable on the survival of chinook and coho, from smolts to spawners.

Predator management for critically endangered prey species, while difficult to embrace, must be given serious consideration as a tool by DFO as we collectively support the survival of resident orcas and the traditional salmon culture of British Columbia’s First Nations.

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

S. Chandra Herbert: I was in kindergarten, and I ended up in the principal’s office. Why was I in the principal’s office? I said something which I shouldn’t have. A kid had told me that I should call another kid “gay,” so I did. The teacher, after the kid complained, said: “Well, gay means happy. Gay means joyous. Don’t worry about it. But you still have to go to the principal’s office.”

I don’t think I learned very much that day. My whole life would have changed if we’d actually talked about many of these other issues. But that being said, I want to talk about words: words we use, words that matter, words that change cultures, words that invite inclusivity and words that exclude. In the role of Deputy Speaker, I listen a lot, as do you, hon. Speaker.

I speak personally, but some of the language I hear, I consider probably ableist. I have asked friends with disabilities, and they agree. Words like “lame,” a word that, I checked, we used 14 times in the House in the last ten years. Not that much, but enough to suggest that having a physical impairment, like lameness, is a bad thing. I don’t think we should use that phrase. If we want to talk about something that didn’t work, let’s say it didn’t work.

Other word we use. We often talk about people turning blind eyes, deaf ears. We spoke about people who are actually blind 71 times in the House. We used the word “blind” or “blind eye” 204 times in the last ten years as a negative. If you’re blind, how do you think that makes you feel?

If you’re deaf, we talked about the deaf community 92 times. We used it as a negative 80 times. Again, probably not very helpful. “Crazy,” we used 206 times. Again, we should be talking about mental illness and not using someone’s physical or mental difficulties as something to slam each other with.

We can do better. I hope we all work hard to understand that our language matters and make sure it’s inclusive.

MEDICAL TRAVEL SERVICE
FOR TUMBLER RIDGE

M. Bernier: After the coal mines shut down in Tumbler Ridge, many workers and families moved away. But many also found this beautiful community to be a great place to retire. That, however, has brought other challenges for an area that has not kept up with the medical needs of its citizens.

Around 20 years ago, a small group of people in Tumbler Ridge saw their neighbours struggling to get to neighbouring communities like Dawson Creek, Grande Prairie and Fort St. John for critical medical appointments. So they stepped up to ensure that those that were sick or elderly would not be forced to miss out on the services they so desperately need.

[10:20 a.m.]

TR CARES was formed, and volunteers came forward to drive community members that were unable to take themselves to their medical needs in other communities, sometimes driving hundreds of kilometres in a day, regardless of the weather or conditions. Over the years, they’ve served hundreds of people who otherwise would have struggled or been forced to even move away from the small community. As with most volunteers for non-profit groups, they’re always spending time looking for help and for donations.

One of my personal highlights as an MLA is taking part in the annual TR CARES charity golf tournament. Those who have golfed with me know that I probably spend the majority of that time getting chased by grizzly bears and looking for my ball in the bushes.

Tumbler Ridge, though, has survived so many setbacks over the years thanks to the passion of the people who live there.

TR CARES is completely volunteer. I want to thank the over 100 people who have come forward over the years to give up their time, especially the current board: Amanda Coulson, Christine Vandeburgt, Gail Newman, Rose Snyder, Angie Robertson, Erin Wanvig and Floyd Frank.

I want to give a big shout-out and a big thanks to all of them for their dedication to the people in their community.

VOLUNTEERS IN RICHMOND

K. Greene: The Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives Volunteers Are Stars Awards are just around the corner. Sadly, we are not able to join each other in person this year, but there are no shortage of amazing volunteers who not only uplift members of our community but also inspire others.

The Nova Star Award nominees. Maisy Debray, Mamas for Mamas Vancouver. Maisy has helped mothers, families and children in need with supplies, food and emotional support. She’s also organized community support to meet these needs.

Patricia Lang, auxiliary Richmond RCMP. Patricia has volunteered over 4,800 hours to help Richmond residents in the areas of community safety and property crime prevention.

Jat Puri, West Richmond Community Association board and RCRG board. Jat is an RCRG Youth Now mentor for young board members. He has trained hundreds of volunteers and is on the board of Heart of Richmond AIDS Society. Jat’s optimism is uplifting.

Rowena Silver-Bridson, Kehila Society of Richmond and Beth Tikvah Congregation. Early in the pandemic, Rowena started a weekly food service delivery program for seniors and other isolated individuals in need. She also supports families going through Jewish life-cycle events.

Don Taylor, West Richmond Community Association board. Don is president of WRCA and has helped organized all the signature events at WRCC. Don is always the first to volunteer with a smile on his face, and his upbeat attitude is contagious.

Ray Wang, RCRG board. Ray is on the RCRG board and also volunteers with the Richmond Christmas fund. He also volunteers with the Better at Home shop-by-phone program, where he fills grocery orders for seniors to support their well-being.

Rosina Yip, Chimo Community Services. Rosina has helped over 400 vulnerable residents access community services and is known for embodying Chimo’s vision. Rosina continues to volunteer, even after her 2018 ALS diagnosis.

I wish I had the time to say more about the great work these amazing people have done. Please join me in thanking these star volunteers for their contributions to Richmond. We are so fortunate to have them.

Oral Questions

ADDICTION SERVICES IN
INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHORITY
AND STATUS OF PATHWAYS CENTRE

S. Bond: The mayor of Penticton feels that his community is being bullied by this government. Here’s what he had to say: “My community went berserk. The Attorney General instigating people to break the law. That’s not right. That’s unethical. We are losing trust in our ministers. I’d like to beg the Premier to please talk to the minister and cool him down.”

That’s not all. Now it’s the Pathways Addictions Resource Centre that is being defunded by this government. Here’s what Dawn Swanson had to say: “Pathways has kept my body and my soul together for many years. I thought I would lose my daughter, and I didn’t know how to cope. I lost my son this July in Calgary to fentanyl. My husband, my daughter, myself — they have kept us together. I just can’t have them go away.”

The minister refuses to take responsibility, so perhaps the Premier can stand up today and take some action.

Will the Premier today commit to maintaining the funding and ensuring that the Pathways program, so desperately needed and so effective, continues?

[10:25 a.m.]

Hon. S. Malcolmson: That front-line organizations in the non-profit sector held together British Columbia’s tenuous system of care for both mental health and addictions for such a long time is a testament to their service and their dedication to looking after people in their deepest time of need.

Pathways has been a valued member of the Penticton community, and we are grateful for their contracted service to Interior Health.

As I’ve said last week and, I believe, the week before, Interior Health is confident that no one is going to be left behind by the action of bringing the services that Pathways used to provide in-house, making them available along a much wider continuum of care and making them available to people throughout the South Okanagan region. There will be no disruption while the service is transferred in-house.

I’ll remind the members opposite that this is the call we hear from people so often. We want to bring mental health and addictions inside the health care system so that when people reach out for help, whether it’s a physical injury or a psychic one, they’ll be able to get the help they need. That is the work that is at hand.

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

S. Bond: Well, it’s interesting. The minister stands in this House and speaks in glowing terms about an organization that has been a lifeline for people in Penticton and beyond. Instead of standing up and making a decision to preserve those resources, she explains that Interior Health may be confident. Well, the residents of Penticton are not, and it is this member’s responsibility to stand up and do something.

Here’s what Gord Portman had to say. He has ten months clean. He’s got a support group. He has a counsellor. Now this government has decided, in the middle of a pandemic, to shift the services provided to the people of Penticton. Here’s what Gord had to say: “I don’t like this situation. I am happy with where I am at Pathways. There are good services. I know the people, and I trust them.”

What Gord would say to the minister today is that it’s time for her to stand up and ensure that the services that have made a difference in his life and so many others are preserved — not stand and make a case on behalf of Interior Health. It’s her job to stand up and take responsibility for services provided to the people of Penticton.

Pathways has been serving people for nearly 50 years. They serve more than 1,200 people a year. Somehow this minister and Premier think it’s appropriate, in the middle of a pandemic, to shut the doors on this vital service.

It’s time for the Premier to stand up today and ensure that this vital program, the Pathways program, continues.

Hon. S. Malcolmson: There will be no disruption to the service that people in Penticton have been receiving for mental health and addictions counselling. We, as a government, are doing the work to build up a system of care where one did not exist before, where people can enter the system and receive all of their primary care and mental health and addictions services in one place.

This is going to benefit the South Okanagan region. Because the population of the South Okanagan has grown, because we need to be able to expand services and reach people in a new way, bringing it inside the health authority is the evidence-based decision that the Interior Health Authority has made.

I’ll remind the member, too, that we are expanding services in that region in other ways. The urgent primary care centre that is opening right now in Penticton is particularly dedicated. It has mental health and addictions support as its primary focus.

This is the way we’re building a system of care. This is the way we’re moving forward, knowing there is much more to do.

[10:30 a.m.]

T. Halford: The fact is that this minister is not expanding services. She’s actually closing services.

The Premier said: “Trust me. The service is going to improve.” Pathways is closing. Keremeos is not reopening. The Sequoia and Alder youth recovery homes in Vancouver are closing, despite the government actually promoting them as resources. Carrier-Sekani — stopped by this government. There is a pattern here.

This government has reduced services and taken away treatment options for people in need. The minister and this Premier say that people in need and those suffering from addictions should be pleased with the services brought in by this government. I disagree.

My question is to the Premier. Will he do the right thing and stop the defunding of Pathways and unveil a plan that actually sees a real expansion of services?

Hon. S. Malcolmson: This government is building a full system of care for mental health and addictions where none existed four years ago.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. The minister will continue.

Minister.

Hon. S. Malcolmson: The opposition’s continued mischaracterization of the accessibility of mental health and addiction service does a disservice to the people that are seeking care in a greater way than they ever have. The pandemic has pushed more people into overdose crisis. It has pushed more people into mental health crisis. Those people are reaching out for help, and we are building and expanding services every year of our four-year mandate and every year of our four-year mandate ahead — both behind and ahead.

I’ll implore members to be very careful in a mental health and addictions crisis. To mischaracterize the inaccessibility of services…. It’s dangerous to suggest to people that help is not there for them when they need it.

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

T. Halford: A disservice is closing a facility that people are depending on. That is a disservice, Minister.

I’m going to read you a quote. “Many of our clients who have accessed service years ago will often need to access service again, as the struggle is always present. To be able to call the same place, speak to a familiar counsellor who worked with you in the beginning brings comfort to those who struggle.” Those words are from Daryl Meyers, the executive director of Pathways.

Minister, let’s talk about priorities. It costs this government $500,000 a year for Pathways to stay open. That’s actually less than you guys have spent on a toilet in Vancouver.

Instead of defunding Pathways, why doesn’t this Premier simply keep the program operating and increase support for the Interior Health so that there’s actually a net boost in services?

Hon. S. Malcolmson: In fact, as part of the work that is ongoing to build a system of care for mental health and treatment support, here are the new services that Interior Health is offering that have been…. Some of them just opened this month.

Ten government-funded youth treatment beds came online in the Interior. They’re helping people right now. Five new innovated integrated treatment teams throughout the Interior — Kamloops, Cranbrook, West Kelowna, Enderby, Salmon Arm areas — all moving out into the community to meet people where they are at, people that haven’t been able to access treatment because of shift work or lack of transportation or daycare complications, for example. There are 200 government-funded adult treatment beds in Interior Health, and the work continues.

Is there enough? No, there is not. Are we adding more services every month? Yes, we are.

[10:35 a.m.]

GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN
SUPREME COURT CASE ON
RIGHTS OF MUNICIPALITIES

A. Olsen: In 2018, the Ontario government unilaterally cut the Toronto city council from 47 members to 25. Just last week the Supreme Court of Canada heard the city’s arguments that the province infringed on the Charter rights when they did that. The province of British Columbia is the only province or territory in this country that intervened in the case. We are the only province or territory that intervened in that case.

Martha Jackman, professor of constitutional law at the University of Ottawa, says: “The B.C. government’s position relies on an ‘extremely regressive’ reading of the Constitution of Canada.” She goes on to say that she’s disappointed to see a social democratic government proposing the same very regressive, conservative and narrow reading of charter rights that Ontario argued.

My question is to the Attorney General. The Attorney General stated: “The relationship between provinces and municipalities is an ongoing dialogue between the province and our cities. It’s an issue that should be decided in discussions with cities rather than through the B.C. Supreme Court or the Supreme Court of Canada.”

Does the Attorney General still believe this to be true, and if so, why has the government decided to intervene in the case from Ontario?

Hon. D. Eby: I read the same Tyee article as the member did. The member will know that it’s a difficult thing for an Attorney General to comment on a case that’s in front of the court, which the member acknowledges is the case.

I will certainly say that I agree with the quote from me that the member read out…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. D. Eby: …that we are better off working with municipalities about how we work together, rather than having the court decide that for us. It’s an important issue that’s in that case. I look forward to the court’s decision.

I’ll just note that we’re the only province intervening in favour of the federal carbon tax as well. Simply because we’re the only province is not an indication of the province’s position or the progressiveness of that position. What is, is our arguments in front of the court, and we look forward to the court’s decision.

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

A. Olsen: I remember the time that I was at the local government table. In fact, I’m a member of this assembly because of the frustration that I felt at the top-down relationship between municipalities and the province.

Some will say that municipalities are creatures of the province and that, as such, gives us the ability to kind of do whatever we want from this tower that we sit in here. Municipalities are not our junior partner, nor is local government the training ground for provincial or federal politicians. They are our partners in delivering democratic governance.

Brian Frenkel, president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, has stated that B.C.’s argument is in conflict with the “intent of the Community Charter and the Local Government Act, which recognizes B.C.’s local governments collectively as an independent, autonomous and accountable order of government within their jurisdiction.”

This government has touted that it wants to build a better relationship with local governments. Frankly, this is a remarkable way to do that.

If the Attorney General is of the mind to sidestep my general question about relationships with the municipalities, then perhaps it’s best for me to simply ask my former colleague from local government tables, the Minister of Municipal Affairs. What does this government’s intervention mean to the relationships with local governments, and should local governments be expecting an even more top-down approach from this province going forward?

Hon. D. Eby: You know, the member does raise important questions about that case and about the province’s involvement. I look forward to having that discussion with the member once the court has issued its decision.

I’ll note that the evidence for our province’s approach to municipalities was best demonstrated this week in the city of Victoria, where we entered into an MOU around our respective areas of jurisdiction. This cooperative approach with a city is not unique. We’re in similar discussions with Vancouver, Grand Forks, Hope, and we were in Penticton. It doesn’t always go well, but our spirit of cooperation is there, and for those cities that want to work with us on the difficult issues of the day, we are there. I know my colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs is there as well.

I look forward to working with our partners in municipal governments, wherever we can do it.

[10:40 a.m.]

IMPACT OF PROPOSED U.S. LEGISLATION
ON CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY

M. de Jong: In the U.S. Congress, legislation has been introduced that could have a devastating impact on B.C.’s cruise ship–related tourism sector even after borders reopen, as they most surely eventually will. The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act would allow cruise ships from Seattle to completely bypass B.C. ports like Victoria, Vancouver and Prince Rupert, which would cost tourism operators hundreds of millions of dollars as a result.

Tourism operators are hanging on by their fingernails already and desperately looking forward to better days ahead. Those better days are now facing an entirely new challenge.

What assurance has the Premier received from Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski, who’s sponsoring the legislation in Congress, that rule changes allowing cruise ships to entirely bypass B.C. ports will not become permanent?

Hon. M. Mark: I appreciate the question from the member opposite. The member is fully aware that the federal government is in charge of our borders. We are working with the federal government to advocate for a robust return to cruise ships and other industries when it’s safe to do so.

Right now our focus is on the rollout of our vaccinations, the safety of British Columbians and our borders here in B.C. When it’s safe, we’re going to open up international borders, but that’s not up to me, and the member knows that. The member knows that it’s up to the federal government. It’s their mandate and jurisdiction to manage border control.

The advocacy….

Interjections.

Hon. M. Mark: I don’t know why the members are heckling about border control and jurisdiction. We’re in a federal state.

Interjections.

Hon. M. Mark: Because we are not allowed…. It is not up to me as the provincial minister to open up the borders. But the advocacy…. What we are doing in British Columbia is advocating for the vaccination rollout, for people to be safe and then to open up the borders.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Abbotsford West on a supplemental.

M. de Jong: Well, that’s a troubling response on all kinds of fronts if the minister doesn’t understand that the essence of the question is that when borders eventually do open up, people won’t be coming here anymore. They won’t be coming because of a legislative change being presented in Congress, in Washington, D.C.

Alaska is our neighbouring state. I hope the minister knows that. Alaska is our neighbouring state, and the Premier of British Columbia received a copy of a letter written by the Alaska congressional delegation almost a month and a half ago, seeking engagement on this matter that is so important to B.C. tourism operators. Now they’ve upped the ante. They’ve upped the ante by introducing legislation that could cost our struggling tourism sector hundreds of millions of dollars every year, on a permanent basis.

My question to the Premier: has he spoken to Senator Murkowski, has he written to Senator Murkowski, has he written to the Alaska congressional delegation, has he engaged with them, and if not, why not? The stakes for B.C.’s tourism sector are incredibly high and require engagement by this Premier and this government.

Hon. M. Mark: I appreciate the question from the member opposite. We will do that advocacy with the federal government on borders reopening and international travel. The member opposite knows full well that they have made the decision about the cruise ships.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Mark: The member opposite wants to remind me about geography, and the member opposite wants to remind me about cruise ships. It is an international border. It is up to the federal government to make those rules.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, let’s listen to the answer, please.

Hon. M. Mark: We are going to do the advocacy. The Premier and our government will do the advocacy with the federal government to advocate that the borders be open. We are on the best coast; we’re on the west coast.

Interjections.

Hon. M. Mark: Yes, it is.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

[10:45 a.m.]

Hon. M. Mark: The members opposite want a lesson in geography around Alaska and B.C. They are two different countries. International rules apply around international waters. The advocacy from the provincial government will deal with the federal government and the Prime Minister.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. That question and answer are over. Let’s listen to the next one.

T. Stone: Well, for the minister’s benefit, what we’re talking about here today is called the Jones Act. She might want to go and look it up and maybe read it or have her advisers tell her what it’s all about. This is a significant threat to the tourism sector in British Columbia and to the cruise sector in particular.

The nature of the questions here today is not about working with the federal government to reopen the borders or not. The question is: does the B.C. government have a plan for when the borders do reopen, so that there’s still a cruise industry here in British Columbia? That’s what we’re trying to get at here today, Minister. The issue is very clear.

Alaska is sending some very strong signals — well, not even signals. They’re being very, very upfront about it. They want to protect their cruise industry. They were mystified at the lack of engagement on the part of the B.C. and the Canadian governments, when the borders were closed. They’re now saying that they’re prepared to move forward without us.

The question to the Premier is this. Has the Premier sought guarantees or assurances from his American counterparts that B.C. will not be permanently bypassed as a cruise destination when the pandemic is over?

Hon. M. Mark: What our government is going to do right now, in the middle of a global pandemic, is focus on the vaccination rollout. We’re going to focus on people being safe and being healthy. Then when we’re able to open up the borders and have people come to the best destination in B.C., we need….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Minister, just a second.

Hon. M. Mark: Hon. Speaker….

Mr. Speaker: No, Minister. Take your seat.

Members, you’re wasting your time.

The Minister will continue.

Hon. M. Mark: I was saying, before I got laughed at by the opposition, that of course we care about the tourism sector. Of course we care about cruise ships and Destination B.C., and being a destination for international travellers to come here to British Columbia.

Right now we’re in the middle of a global health crisis. The focus of the provincial health officer is to get the vaccinations rolled out, so that we’re all safe to travel across B.C., across all the regions, in all the area codes. We will do the advocacy with our federal partners and our border partners. Of course, we’re going to do that work, but right now, the focus is on the vaccination rollout.

T. Stone: I think there’s a reason — a very good reason — here to be skeptical about the effectiveness of this government and this minister in particular, when it comes to looking out for the tourism sector.

The tourism sector asked for $680 million in support almost a year ago. They got 50 million bucks. The tourism sector asked for tangible actions to help them survive, and they got a task force report, which has a bunch of recommendations that haven’t even been implemented yet. They’ve asked for a relief on fixed costs, and they haven’t received that.

Now, the cruise industry is saying: “We are seriously concerned that we may not exist as an industry if the United States, Alaska in particular, goes ahead in bypassing B.C.’s ports — specifically Vancouver, Victoria and Prince Rupert.” Every cruise ship that pulls into Vancouver is worth $3 million in economic activity. I’ll remind the minister that this industry employs 20,000 British Columbians.

Again, the question to the Premier is: does he have assurances? Does he have guarantees? Has he had any recent conversations, with his U.S. counterparts in Alaska, that would provide some comforts to the cruise industry in British Columbia, to the thousands of people that work in the sector that we will not be bypassed if the Alaskans move forward with the plans that they have indicated they’re going to do?

[10:50 a.m.]

Hon. M. Mark: The member opposite talks about the task force. Our government called together a task force. I hope that the member opposite is not mocking their expertise and their advice to government. They gave advice. They gave seven recommendations.

We received the report on December 9. On December 23, we rolled out…. The member opposite is not quite accurate with his math. He says $50 million; $100 million was devoted to the tourism industry. We value the tourism industry. We listened. We’re moving on the recommendations.

The industry is asking for certification, safety certification. They’re asking for dedicated funds to the Indigenous tourism sector, which was thriving before the pandemic. That work is underway.

The members opposite can mock all they want about responding to advocacy and implementing recommendations from a task force. We’re going to continue doing the work. We’re going to continue valuing the tourism sector and make sure that they’re better than ever after this pandemic is over.

COVID-19 RESPONSE FOR TOURISM
INDUSTRY AND REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

T. Wat: Here’s another example to show the incompetence of this government, this Premier and this minister. I hope the minister listens carefully to my question.

Two weeks ago we asked the Premier why travel agencies who have been shut down are still being forced to pay government licensing fees. Instead of providing an answer to the hundreds of travel agencies who are asking about these fees, the minister chose to quote Michelle Obama and told us that implementing all the tourism task force recommendations was “impossible.” So what was she talking about — the task force just now?

Small businesses have been pleading for relief for months.

My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier fix his Tourism Minister in action and waive these fees?

Hon. M. Mark: The member opposite, if we go back to the transcripts, will hear that you can’t do everything at the same time. The priorities of the seven recommendations…. We moved on the first three. I can spell out the math — one, two, three. The first three recommendations have been implemented. We are working through the recommendations because we value the task force. We value their advice.

The industry has had a direct seat at the table with our great Dr. Bonnie Henry. She’s heard directly from the sector about their needs, what the challenges are with this pandemic. The advocacy and work are being done with the ministry….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, let’s listen to the answer, please.

The Minister will continue.

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

The member opposite is not accurately reflecting the actions that our government has taken to implement the task force recommendations. The experts asked our government to dedicate $100 million. Money has gone out the door; $40 million has gone out to some of those tourism, small business operators throughout this province.

It is not accurate for the member opposite and the members of the opposition to reflect that action isn’t being taken, because we are working with the sector. We’re at the table. Dr. Bonnie Henry is hearing directly what the concerns are. We’re moving the dial slowly as this vaccination is rolled out.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Richmond North Centre on a supplemental.

T. Wat: The minister claimed two weeks ago that: “We can’t move any quicker than we are.”

Dennis from Optimal Travel says: “The travel industry was hit the most since the beginning of the pandemic, with zero revenue but countless cancellations. We can’t sustain our business.” Thousands of dollars in licence fees are due in just seven days. Just one week.

Let me try the Premier one more time, on behalf of all of the suffering travel agencies. Will the Premier waive these licensing fees, or will travel agencies pay for his incompetence?

Interjection.

Hon. M. Mark: The member opposite’s yes or no….

[10:55 a.m.]

The members opposite think that…. They have their experience with, you know, this idea of duffle bags and ATMs and $20 coming out of nowhere. We are working with the budget process. We are doing the advocacy to get the money out the door through treasury. There is a process to advocate for those resources.

We are working closely with the industry. We value the tourism sector. There are grants available to the tourism industry, up to $45,000, which was a call to action — grants, not loans — and we’re going to continue doing the work.

[End of question period.]