Orders of the Day

Hon. M. Farnworth: I call continued throne speech debate.

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Hon. K. Conroy: I’ll carry on from where I left off this morning. I was talking about the resilience of the communities and people across the constituency, and the appreciation that is expressed for the many available programs that have been provided.

[N. Letnick in the chair.]

I’ve seen businesses change how things have always been done, and how they’ve gone online or outside to provide their business. I’ve seen schools adapt and adjust and continue to provide the incredible learning and supports that all children need, now more than ever. I’m grateful to the people that are educating our kids — those teachers, teachers’ aides and the support people in the school system. You’re all doing an incredible job. So thank you.

Before I move away from the many deep impacts of COVID, I want to thank our health care team here in the Kootenays. Interior Health has been working tirelessly to support, care for and provide necessary medical care throughout our region. I just don’t think there are enough words to share our appreciation for all of your efforts. So thank you to you all.

Our government is committed to providing the highest-quality health care, and our area is benefiting from this commitment. With much gratitude, I want to make note of some of these investments.

The Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, which is based in Trail. Their emergency department upgrade was finally finished, and it was an almost $20 million cost that was shared by the province, the West Kootenay–Boundary regional health district and the Kootenay Boundary Regional Health Foundation. Even though it’s finished, I haven’t been able to see it in person — which, in retrospect, is probably a good thing — but I have had an online tour and heard from many people who have visited, all so happy with the new emergency department in Trail.

The good news at KBRH continues, as the building of the new ambulatory care area and the pharmacy are underway. People are really excited about that as well.

In Nakusp, at the Arrow Lakes Hospital, we have upgrades ongoing for the expanded emergency department, and the new urgent and primary care centre in Castlegar has been such a boon to the community. I get lots of great feedback from people who are using the centre. The communities work to try to make sure we have doctors in our area, but for those who don’t, they can access that urgent and primary care centre, and it has been really, really valuable.

We also have increased dental surgeries at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital for the first time in many, many years. It has been good for people who don’t have to travel all the way now to Kelowna to get dental surgeries.

There are also investments and training opportunities for mental health care workers, support workers and health care assistants, through Selkirk College.

When it comes to jobs and rural development, this is an area that I can speak about for quite a while, as there are so many investments in various sectors. We’ve invested over $2 million in reforestation efforts in Kootenay West. Over $1 million in FireSmart projects have been done around Silverton, Nakusp, Rossland and throughout the regional district of Kootenay-Boundary and the regional district of Central Kootenay. Those are such important projects to prevent…. We’ve had some pretty terrible wildfires in the region, and these are really critical projects.

We’ve also invested in Eagle graphite mine. This is a producer of much-needed graphite, used to produce batteries needed in electric cars. It’s a zero-impact mine. You know, I toured it, and I didn’t even realize I was in the minesite. We were standing in the middle of it, and I asked the tour guide, the fellow leading us through: “When are we going to get there?” He says: “You’re there.”

It’s just pretty incredible. You’ve got the beautiful Valhalla mountains on one side, you can look down Slocan Valley on the other, and you’re in a minesite. It’s pretty amazing. It’s producing graphite that we all need if we’re going to use electric cars, which are becoming more and more popular here in the Kootenays. Since innovation in our small rural areas should be celebrated, I just think this is one that should be celebrated.

This is also evident in the local industrial circular economy. There are municipalities and several of our chambers of commerce. Non-profits, such as The Lift co-work space in Silverton, have got funding, as well as arts organizations right throughout the constituency.

[1:40 p.m.]

One that I want to mention is Castlegar Sculpturewalk, which has made Castlegar known internationally as the Sculpture Capital of Canada. We have sculptures come, every year now, from all across the world — some pretty incredible sculptures that are on display for people to walk around and see. It’s outdoors; it’s COVID-friendly. People can appropriately distance. There’s some pretty amazing artwork to be seen.

The government has also invested almost $500 million to improve connectivity in our rural areas in collaboration with the Columbia Basin Broadband Corp. That’s critically important. Especially nowadays, we know how important connectivity is.

I think it’s really exciting news for our region that the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce has an­nounced their $5 million expansion for a multi-use building. It’s a huge announcement that means the chamber will finally be able to move ahead with plans for this new building. They’ve been developing plans for their dream building for more than eight years now.

The executive director, Tammy Verigin-Burk, is just so thrilled to see all of this hard work come to fruition. I want to give kudos to her for her tenacity. She’s been leading the charge on this project and has just brought it to where it is today. It’s going to serve as a hub for tourism economic development.

Besides the chamber, the 7,000-square-foot building will house the visitor centre, the economic development office, a satellite branch of Community Futures, and Destination Castlegar. It will also include co-working spaces, a large collective space for community events or gatherings, tech-charging stations and office spaces for rent. It will also be accessible for public use. It will be an L-shaped building that will be built on the same property as the chamber’s current building and will also provide outdoor park space, which will be included on the property.

What I also think is pretty exciting is that the new building will be built to Passive House certified building standards, one of the few buildings of this type in western Canada, if not Canada, I believe they were saying. It’s a leading standard for low-energy-efficient buildings. To meet the standard, construction uses the passive influences in a building, like sunshine, shading and ventilation, instead of heating and cooling systems. It will be coupled with very high levels of insulation and airtightness. Construction is expected to begin in spring of 2022.

Tammy says that another exciting feature of the building will be the materials it’s constructed with. They are working with Kalesnikoff Lumber to include locally manufactured mass timber products in the building, which I think is incredible and goes along with my ministry’s goal of ensuring that we have more mass timber products utilized across the province.

So it’s an exciting project, and I’m just so happy that they’ve got the funding. The funding came from the government of Canada as well as from the provincial government, through our CleanBC communities fund, as well as other funding bodies in the area. It’s just a great project that I want to give them lots of kudos for.

As a mom of four, a granny of nine and a former early childhood educator, I really appreciate the increases in child care that our province has undertaken. You know, our government has invested over $17 million just in Kootenay West alone. This is huge. We have put back over $5 million — it’s almost $6 million now — into the pockets of families through reduced fees and benefits. We’ve created new spaces in Castlegar, in Winlaw, in Nakusp. There are 47 prototype spaces at Selkirk College. These families pay no more than $200 a month and $10 a day. We’ve also announced new projects at Glenmerry Elementary school in Trail, and in New Denver.

I just can’t overstate what these spaces and programs mean to the families who can now access them. I hear all the time from people that I run into that are utilizing the services and are so excited for the new ones coming onstream.

Also, children with extra needs at Kootenay Family Place, my old stomping grounds. They’re now supported more fully, which is really, really important. In total, we have supported the creation of over 300 new licensed child care spaces, just in Kootenay West. I think that’s amazing and well worth celebrating.

I know we are all really heartbreakingly aware of the impact isolation has had on many, and with it is an increased need for mental wellness supports. Many are aware of the free supports and phone lines and virtual options put in place by our government. These are wonderful and much-needed.

I also want to acknowledge that much of the grant funding is going to support the incredible local not-for-profits who do the challenging work of meeting the needs of people where they need support. These not-for-profits provide child care, family supports, seniors programming, environmental work. There are so many things that they do. There are millions of dollars of support that have been going to the communities because our government recognizes that people need support not only during the pandemic, but always.

[1:45 p.m.]

I want to talk a bit about poverty reduction. Our government has created a solid plan to address poverty called TogetherBC. We continue to spend money to ensure that it is helping those who need it most. On top of the many supports available to assist with COVID-related issues, we’ve also added the biggest-ever increase to those living on disability. This and all of the other supports are created to have the biggest impact on the largest amount of people possible. I think when we lift up those who are the most vulnerable, we all benefit.

When we talk about supports that are needed, we need to talk about housing. Our government has been working so hard to address the challenges in the housing market. There is a need for local, affordable housing, and it can be hard to find. To date we have supported essential housing needs assessments across the region, and we’ve partnered with the Columbia Basin Trust to fund affordable units in Slocan, Trail, Rossland, Nakusp and Castlegar, and more are in the works. B.C. Housing is working hard to support communities and organizations to solve some of these problems.

Education has been an area needing support for such a long time. Under our government and the previous coalition government, we have been able to increase support significantly. All the school districts have seen increases in funding, teachers and support staff. There have been school enhancement funding and upgrades for schools in Trail, Castlegar, Nakusp and New Denver. In fact, all three school districts in my constituency, school districts 10, 8 and 20, have all had upgrades and additional funding.

Recently we announced the really excellent news that Glenmerry Elementary in Trail will receive the much-needed funding for a really, really needed new school. It’s almost doubling the current capacity. People are very excited about that. And we don’t just stop at the school infrastructure, but we recognize the need for children to play. So we’ve also funded new playgrounds in Winlaw and Castlegar Primary. The one at Castlegar Primary is amazing. Whenever I drive by, I always see kids out playing on it.

There have also been many new teacher positions funded. Learning doesn’t just stop at high school. I know our government has made massive investments in post-secondary. The tech and trades upgrades at Selkirk College’s Nelson campus are benefiting students right throughout the region — and all the new funded health care assistant seats, new spaces for web application development certificates to support the tech industry, more spaces for early childhood education, additional supports for co-op opportunities, and mental health care support worker spots that have been funded. They’ll produce more skilled workers and provide better supports for those who need them.

Additional funding is also in place for more programs and initiatives, and all of these encourage strong economic recovery for our region. We’re also committed to the environment and protecting what makes B.C. and the Kootenays such a special place to live. We have added land to Syringa Park and improved its water systems. We’ve deferred logging for huge swaths of land in the Incomappleux as part of the deferred old-growth areas. I will talk more about that in a bit.

Nakusp has seen massive funding for improvements on the accessibility of trails in the area. In fact, we ran into a fellow out doing his ride on the wheelchair. He’d come from Victoria because he said it was one of the best trails that he’d been on. He said they were really hard to find, and he was having a great day. He said he was spending the week there because he could go on these trails, and he was totally self-sufficient. He just loved it.

Also, there was funding for the Kootenay Columbia Trail Society. We appreciate the space and beauty found in the Kootenays and are working hard to protect it and develop it in a thoughtful manner that reduces the impact on other species but also supports tourism, outdoor activities and healthy interactions.

As a long-term rancher, I really appreciate the investments and funding through the Canadian agricultural partnership to increase resilience. We’ve also seen investment into the food hub in Creston and the Boundary-Trail region. Many of the investments are in neighbouring ridings and show the collaborative spirit of rural B.C. We all benefit from the success of one another. Both regional districts in my constituency have received significant funding for organic waste diversion, with nearly $2 million going towards this project and simultaneously reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

I want to touch a bit on my role as the minister responsible for, as we like to say, all things Columbia — the Columbia Basin Trust, the Columbia Power Corp. and the Columbia River treaty. First, I want to thank the staff and board members who are doing such amazing work in the basin, supporting residents in a way that was hoped for back in 1994, when the trust was formed.

It’s the 25th anniversary of the trust, and they have published this beautiful book telling the story of the trust, the basin in the last 25 years. It’s actually an incredible story, and I have to say that there are very few people in the basin who haven’t been touched in some way by the good work over the years. I want to acknowledge the vision and persistence of the provincial and municipal leaders who ensured that this happened.

[1:50 p.m.]

It all started over discussions of the fact that the Columbia River treaty was potentially coming up for possible renegotiations by the year 2024. Just to clarify, the Columbia River treaty is an international treaty signed in 1964 by the Canadian and U.S. governments. It was an agreement to build three dams — the Hugh Keenleyside, the Duncan and Mica on the Canadian side of the border and Libby in Montana. This was a way to control floods, to generate power and to be beneficial to both sides of the border.

Treaty modernization negotiations started in May 2018, and there’s no deadline to complete the negotiations. There have been ten sessions to date. In March 2020, the U.S. presented a framework proposal for modernizing the treaty. Canada, including B.C., responded in June 2020 with a Canadian proposal. The U.S. state department hasn’t responded to our proposal. I think this has quite a bit to do with the fact that they had an election, there was an interregnum, and their administration is just getting up and running.

The thing is that our two proposals are pretty far apart with respect to the key negotiating areas. The province is committed to working towards achieving a really successful agreement in a timely manner. During negotiations, treaty topics have included flood risk management, hydro power, ecosystems, Libby dam coordination, enhanced flexibility and adaptive management, and other benefits that the U.S. receives as a result of the treaty.

Both B.C. and Canada have been committed to stren­gthening the treaty for the benefit of both countries. Since the last negotiation round in June 2020, the Canadian lead negotiator, Sylvain Fabi, has regularly reached out to his U.S. counterpart to provide opportunities for further discussions. We continue to wait, and we hope that those discussions will carry on soon.

Canada and B.C. continue to work with the Ktunaxa, the Secwépemc and Syilx/Okanagan Nation, who are leading studies and modelling on ecosystem functions and Indigenous cultural objectives and performance measures, as well as making progress on investigating the feasibility of reintroducing salmon in the Upper Columbia.

We also work closely with the Columbia River treaty local governments committee, who are doing a lot of work to identify socioeconomic performance measures that can be incorporated into the modelling of alternative treaty operations.

It’s an incredible amount of work, and the team that we have is just amazing. They meet regularly with the residents of the basin and most recently had a virtual town hall. It was held in February and was attended by over 200 people. I do want to acknowledge Sylvain as the Canadian lead and our B.C. lead, Kathy Eichenberger, and all of the staff for the really excellent work they are doing on our behalf.

I just want to remind folks that there are no politicians at the bargaining table, only experts in their own field. I just think that’s really important — to remind people that we need experts there who are going to be there for the duration and not politicians, who sometimes think in four-year terms. So on both sides of the border, it’s been really important to not have politicians at the table. But we’re there to provide support and advice. I just want to acknowledge our staff who are doing such an incredible job.

On Monday, when Lieutenant-Governor Janet Austin outlined our government’s commitments to supporting people, businesses and communities while working to put the pandemic behind us and build a strong recovery for everyone…. I recognize the incredible amount of work that has been done but also that British Columbians have risen to the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. They work so hard to keep each other safe, to keep the economy open and to maintain those vital community links. Keeping people healthy and safe until we cross that finish line is our collective responsibility. Government has been there to support individuals, businesses and communities throughout this pandemic.

As part of B.C.’s $10 billion economic recovery plan, my ministry is delivering $100 million to the communities that are the backbone of this province. Funding is flowing throughout B.C., helping communities rebuild through job creation and infrastructure and economic development. This week, for example, we announced $11 million for over 220 jobs in the natural resource youth employment program and the recreation sites and trails program. But we know we have to do more to help hard-hit sectors recover, to create good jobs while protecting the environment and to ensure this province comes back even stronger.

[1:55 p.m.]

The throne speech also recognized that too often economic growth in this province has come at the expense of the environment. Shifting this paradigm is a priority of this government. We can no longer rely on just resource extraction to generate wealth without thinking of the long-term consequences.

We are committed to taking on environmental challenges that were just neglected for too long, including in the forestry sector. This year we will continue the work of reforming the Forest Act and the Forest and Range Practices Act to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Updating forest policy and legislation will address the increasing pressures from climate change, cumulative effects and changing societal values. It will help secure a sustainable future for forest companies, Indigenous peoples, forest workers, their families and forest-dependent communities.

The throne speech also affirmed our intention to take action on old growth. This issue has long divided British Columbians, but one thing both sides have agreed on is that the old way of protecting old-growth forests just wasn’t working for anyone.

In a break from the divisive practices of the past, we will ensure government-to-government discussions with Indigenous nations are a priority and engage the full involvement of industry, workers, communities and environmental groups to find a way forward on old growth. We’ll continue to implement the recommendations of the independent panel on old growth, including new protections for old-growth stands not already protected. We are committed to doing things differently to protect vital old-growth stands while supporting workers and communities.

You know, I started my career in the forest sector. I worked in the pulp mill in Castlegar. I want my children to be able to find family-supporting work in forestry, if they choose. Just a fun fact: last month my oldest granddaughter worked the shutdown at the pulp mill that I worked in. That makes four generations of our family that have worked in that pulp mill: my dad, her great-grandpa; me; her mom worked in the pulp mill for a while; and now her. So I think that’s pretty cool.

If they want to, if all of them choose to work in the forestry sector, I want to make sure we have a forestry sector. But I also want them to be able to see old-growth trees growing in a forest, not just to be able to look at pictures in a history book. I think that’s critically important. We have to make sure that we keep that front and centre all the time.

Monday’s speech outlined the new measures that will be proposed to increase access to fibre for First Nations, small businesses and communities. For the industry to create family-supporting jobs in rural communities, we need to get more from less. Our government wants to make sure fibre is getting to manufacturers who can add more value and create more jobs as a result.

Protecting and creating jobs for workers and communities is a priority. A balanced and diverse forest sector must support B.C. jobs but also our commitments to the environment. We will update land management practices to improve stewardship of forests and emphasize environmental protection. We’ll support the forest sector to move from volume to value as a key element of a revitalized B.C. forest industry. The shift to value-added will help people by creating sustainable forestry jobs right across B.C.

We know that a strong dimensional lumber sector is crucial to our industry, but we have seen our industry become more consolidated and less diverse. A 21st-century forest sector will be a mix of large industry and independent manufacturers selling a range of products at home and around the globe. That diversity will help shield the province from market downturns.

To protect B.C.’s environment, we will build on actions we’ve already taken. This includes our plan for the conservation and stewardship of B.C.’s wildlife and Together for Wildlife strategy. We’ll continue to work with neighbouring jurisdictions to develop and invest in new strategies to better protect our shared wildlife and habitat corridors.

Now, the throne speech underscored our commitment to build on our efforts to combat climate change. This includes the 300 million trees we planted last year, with another 300 million trees planned for this year. Last year they did it without a single case of COVID. And you know what the conditions are like; they’re in camps. That is so impressive. Congratulations to the silviculture industry and the workers, the people who are really committed to ensuring that we can plant — that we planted 300 million trees and will again plant more. Tree planting contributes natural solutions to climate change. It reduces risks of flooding and landslides in areas deforested by wildfires.

The speech also reiterates our commitment to CleanBC to achieve a more sustainable economic future. We will champion innovation in the forest sector that aligns with CleanBC objectives and improves sector efficiency. Mass timber is an excellent example of a forest product that is creating jobs while reducing carbon emissions. Just last week the province announced plans to speed the adoption of mass timber buildings with funding for research and demonstration projects right across the province.

[2:00 p.m.]

We’re in the third wave of COVID-19, and we have some hard weeks ahead. But as vaccines are delivered, we are starting to see a glimmer of light. I can’t wait to get mine. I’m booked for the end of the month. I am looking forward to it.

We must emerge from this a stronger province — a province that takes care of its people and a province that takes care of its environment. The government will continue to walk the path of reconciliation with the Indigenous People of B.C. so that everyone can share in the prosperity of this land. We will build an economy that not only works for every one of us but also as responsible stewards of our natural resources.

A. Olsen: I’m thankful for the opportunity to stand in the chamber here and speak to the Speech from the Throne.

There is a theme that I’m hearing from this government and from responses to the Speech from the Throne that I think has a problematic sense of exceptionalism at its core. I will challenge the notion that this B.C. NDP government is exceptional, starting with this throne speech that is at best mediocre.

The attempt to perpetuate the idea of B.C. NDP exceptionalism is established immediately in the narrative, that because we were the first jurisdiction to legislate the declaration on the rights of Indigenous People, we are now the shining beacon of decolonization and reconciliation. This is the story that I fear many members of the B.C. NDP are telling themselves, even as they use the levers of this Crown government, empowered by the pomp and protocol of this chamber, to divide Indigenous people and turn us against ourselves so those same members can satisfy their need for complete and total control.

It would be incorrect for me to suggest that nothing has changed. As I’ve said many times, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act is an important step forward. But just because we have taken a step forward, it’s incorrect to assume that all is well. This is a journey with no end.

I’m thankful that this government opened this throne speech by acknowledging the Indigenous people who have survived this exceptional colonial experiment that we call British Columbia. As I hear SENĆOŦEN, the language of my ancestors, reawakened at ȽÁU,WELṈEW school, the place of refuge for our W̱SÁNEĆ children, I’m grateful for the investments of this government to support Indigenous language revitalization, although I remain deeply disappointed with how little action has been taken by this government to help Indigenous people rescue those ancestors who still lie in museum basements and the countless sacred ceremonial items that sleep in the drawers and cupboards or have become spectacles of display for undiscerning eyes.

As the government opens this edition of the throne speech with a land acknowledgment and grounds it in the actions they have taken toward reconciliation, they paint an incomplete picture. The Crown mistreatment and overt manipulation of Indigenous people in this province continues daily. The Crown is now represented by this B.C. NDP government. This institution was not established to benefit all British Columbians equally.

Let’s not kid ourselves. This institution was established to liquidate the natural assets of the territories that we acknowledge in this place, on behalf of that Crown. As a result, the decisions that have been made in this chamber reflect that purpose. The bias, discrimination and racism are deeply rooted in the foundation of this government. That’s why I will not accept empty platitudes.

As I see the current actors in this legislative theatre reading from scripts of the first governors of the colony, and later the province, I recognize the great distance that we have yet to travel. When the lawyers of our province continue to make archaic and disturbing arguments, still framed in the doctrine of discovery and terra nullius, like they are with Nuchatlaht, or when they continue to drag Douglas treaty–protected hunters before the courts in an attempt to win past losses, let’s not get too lost in these celebrations.

[2:05 p.m.]

What brings me the greatest sadness in my spirit is when I see the actions of the people in this chamber exploit their authority to agitate Indigenous people to turn against each other. The divide-and-conquer tactics should be remnants of the past and should not be perpetuated by a government claiming to have turned a page on reconciliation or who have staked a claim to a progressive position on the high moral ground.

When the people in this chamber, who have all the power and access to all the financial resources, will only negotiate with a colonial governance construct created in the Indian Act, ignoring the legitimate, ancient Indigenous governance bodies that have evolved over centuries so they can continue the colonial project painted on the panels of the rotunda just outside the doors of this chamber, I am reminded to judge actions, not words.

The acts we must reconcile are those of the people who sat in the seats here in the past that unilaterally moved Indigenous families from one community to another to deliberately sow seeds of discontent, cut land allocations into fractions, removed children from their parents, forcing them to go to residential and day school, and turned a blind eye to the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women and children.

All of this is to say only the few steps the government has taken so far to reconcile with Indigenous people should be applauded. However, that applause should not be misconstrued as a free pass or that we have accomplished much. Indeed, they have set even higher expectations of the Crown than we had before.

Unfortunately, from my experience working with this administration, I’m at conflict. Either I’m witnessing an unwillingness to learn and change from one land and governance dispute to the next, or we have an administration who feels empowered to say one thing and do another.

This notion of B.C. NDP exceptionalism is further entrenched in the stories being told about our response to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, whereby a series of fortunate circumstances elevated British Columbia to rock star status. Despite the third wave exposing us as rather ordinary, we still hear, in most answers to questions about our COVID-19 response, a desire to cast back to when people thought British Columbia was exceptional.

I understand the challenge this government is facing with respect to the COVID-19 global pandemic. It has disrupted all aspects of our lives, including the regular work that we do in this chamber. I find the government communications plan over the past year confusing. Frankly, this government embraced that first-wave-exceptionalism storyline for much longer than it should have. I understand that there was no playbook. But for the past year, we’ve been building a playbook, and it feels like this government is unwilling to use the plays that have proven to work in other jurisdictions.

We saw in the throne speech a weak attempt at a sports analogy. I don’t agree that we should compare what we are facing with COVID-19 to a marathon. I get it. Marathons are difficult, and they’re exhausting. But that’s about as far as you can go with that analogy.

For example, marathoners train. They compete within very clear parameters. The course and the distance have been determined. The finish line is clearly marked. With all of those parameters established, a marathoner manages their energy supply. They plan when and how much to expend and conserve. They know the final push is the final push, and they also have the certainty that the finish line is not going to move with little or no notice or that a previously unforeseen hill won’t pop up in the middle of the final stretch. Success for a marathoner doesn’t rely on unreliable external forces like vaccine suppliers and federal or foreign governments.

[2:10 p.m.]

It’s premature to suggest to British Columbians that we are near the end. We are where we are and not one step ahead of that. In fact, I’d hoped the government communications had learned the lesson of suggesting we are further ahead than we are, when the Premier talked about seeing the end just in sight. One week later, our public health officials began implementing new restrictions, because we were clearly in a third wave.

Yes, we all need hope.

When we see unmasked New Zealanders enjoying America’s Cup on the beach, we envy them. We wish we had the opportunities that they had. The concept of B.C. NDP exceptionalism is now embedded in how they market British Columbia to the world — “Come visit super, natural British Columbia” — even as they allow for the continued degradation of ecosystems and the incredible natural spaces that make B.C. special.

The waters of the Salish Sea once bubbled with salmon waiting for their run up the Fraser. Where biodiversity once thrived, we now see species going extinct due to a pockmarked landscape from runaway resource extraction. While the B.C. NDP were claiming to change the approach, they ramped up the status quo. There is no mention in this throne speech of biodiversity, of endangered species or of any commitment to take action to reverse the decline. When asked about our mandate to protect the last remaining intact, monumental, high-productivity old-growth ecosystems, the Minister of Forests relies on talking points from another generation, uses spin to frustrate and confuse and actually shows a general disdain for even having to discuss the topic.

To illustrate the dire situation in another way: would any member of this chamber, on either side, support a trophy hunt of an endangered species? Remember when we used to harpoon and capture the southern resident killer whales? Thankfully, that ended decades ago. But would any member of this Legislature dare participate in an orca hunt? Probably not.

However, this is essentially what we are doing when the government is allowing the destruction of the last remaining intact, high-productivity old-growth forests. These fragile and endangered ecosystems are the orcas of the forests. Not only do we sanction the devastation of the most ancient living beings on our planet; we profit from it. And there is a department in this government that is actively working to auction and sell the proceeds of that activity.

To provide a little more insight into the perspective that I bring to this, when my W̱SÁNEĆ relatives refer to the orca, KELL̵OLEMEĆEN, or the ancient cedar, XPȺ, they do so from a perspective of kinship. They are our relatives. So no matter how you spin it, whether you’re harvesting an endangered orca or an intact, high-productivity old-growth ecosystem, no matter how you’ve separated the two in your mind, to me they are the same.

British Columbians do not want passing references to a panel report that this government seemingly has little interest in actually implementing. They want to see real action to protect these endangered ecosystems, and they want to see it now. Reforms in our forestry legislation, promised for the last couple of years — FRPA and the forest acts — are necessary and overdue, and I’m glad that the government mentioned those reforms. However, it remains to be seen how far the government is willing to go to restore some balance in our forestry policy and ensure that communities are benefiting, but also that we’re protecting those ancient and sacred places.

We hear this B.C. NDP exceptionalism at the core of the rhetoric driving the response to climate change. We often hear the B.C. NDP pat themselves on the back when they refer to CleanBC as North America’s leading climate action plan. They just as often fail to recognize the significant investment of time and energy that the B.C. Green caucus expended in making sure that that plan had substance. Throughout the entire process, our staff and MLAs had to push the NDP. We had to push them for sectoral targets. We had to push them for legislated accountability.

[2:15 p.m.]

When the Minister of Environment needed time and space to find all the sources of emissions he needed to account for to ensure we meet our legislated greenhouse gas reductions, we gave the minister that time and space. Even then, four months ago, the 18- to 24-month timeline expired, and the minister continues to languish on this matter. We’ve got a plan, but unfortunately it seems there is not the political will to meet it.

At the same time, this government is handing out billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded subsidies to multinational fracking and LNG corporations to extract and export climate-destroying fossil fuels. Just when we thought we could not offer much more to the industry, the Premier stands and lets British Columbians know that the cheque is blank for Site C. So far, that is another cool $16 billion investment in a project to produce the electricity promised to those fossil fuel companies. It is clear the Premier and his cabinet will not stop, no matter the cost to the B.C. Hydro ratepayer, to the British Columbia taxpayer, to Indigenous cultures, to the environment and to agricultural land.

Finally, to top it all off, if you’re wondering just how committed the B.C. NDP is in their efforts to render CleanBC meaningless, one of their former cabinet ministers from the 1990s is a key B.C. NDP spokesperson on a local radio panel. He’s not only a registered lobbyist for an LNG company but also lobbies on behalf of the wood pellet industry, hoping to turn entire forests into wood pellets.

While the B.C. NDP has offered some tidbits of good news, what they have offered is simply not good enough. This throne speech lacks a vision, leaving us at risk of more of the same chaotic, responsive governance, rather than a coherent, proactive plan that they could put in place now that they have a majority.

The NDP wanted a majority — indeed, sending British Columbians to the polls early, in the middle of a pandemic, to get one. You would expect that they would be able to roll out, very shortly after, an ambitious agenda that they felt that they needed to have all the power in order to accomplish and deliver on behalf of British Columbians. But we’re not seeing that in this speech. Instead, we’ve seen some of them excitedly embrace the tired, generational finger-pointing with their old foes — the B.C. Liberals.

There is one single paragraph on mental health and addictions in this throne speech. It does not convey the desperate sense of urgency British Columbians would expect from a government who has lost more than 7,000 citizens to a toxic drug supply and a mental health crisis. This is the other public health crisis in this province, and it is now five years old.

This provincial government continues to drag its heels on ensuring that psychiatric services are available as part of our universal health care system. There is still a desperate need for the minister to clearly articulate a plan to address the institutional bias, discrimination and judgment of those suffering from a mental health crisis when they present themselves at one of our health care facilities. This is not good enough. I expect to hear a thoughtful approach to changing the culture in those facilities very soon.

I am excited to hear that the government intends to continue working to enhance the tech and innovation sector and their focus on building a more robust shipbuilding sector on the British Columbia coast. As the B.C. Green caucus has been saying for the past four years, these economic sectors provide British Columbia a clear pathway out of our reliance on the extractive industries.

However, this throne speech did little to demonstrate that this government has much of an economic vision, other than the reactive approach we have witnessed over the past months. We need to hear how they will use important mechanisms that were in place under CASA, like the innovation commissioner and an Emerging Economy Task Force, which offered a road map and a plan for creating a brighter future through a modern approach to economic development.

[2:20 p.m.]

I’m thrilled that the government will invest in hiring more people to work in long-term seniors care. It is the passing statement about fixing the cracks exposed by COVID-19 that caught my attention. What does this mean? Is the government willing to change the for-profit model? Are they willing to require operators to make their financial audits public so we can see how they’re spending public money to determine the value that we’re receiving? Will they create better oversight, stricter enforcement?

The seniors advocate has been asking for this for more than a year. We believe that we need to move away from the model of seniors care that relies on for-profit companies to deliver services. Yet it appears the B.C. NDP is unwilling to consider this direction.

In the reference to improving health care, many people waiting for a surgery will be happy to hear that reforms are on the way to shorten wait times. What caught my attention was what is missing. Where is the emphasis on primary care networks and team-based care? The Health Minister has been transitioning his language over time and now seems completely invested in urgent and primary care centres.

Primary care networks and urgent and primary care centres are not the same. We do not need bigger walk-in clinics. Thousands of my constituents, who are without primary care — a family doctor — have been waiting for the province to provide them an option to develop a relationship with a health practitioner or a team of health practitioners. We continue to be underserved by the urgent care model, and it must be noted that the shift in focus has been controversial, causing a great deal of concern among family doctors in my riding and beyond.

Few words were offered in this throne speech on housing and the homelessness crisis in our province. The housing market is causing tremendous concern in my community. The Gulf Island communities are struggling to remain sustainable. Many of their essential workers, like police officers and health care workers, cannot afford to live there. There is a great deal of turmoil in communities to provide adequate housing and supports. There is fear and sadness.

We are not just challenged by a shortage of supply. We cannot build our way out of this crisis. While building units for the missing middle is one necessary step — and I fully support it — what is needed are aggressive measures to cool this housing market. It’s out of control. Real estate is sold before it even hits the market.

This government needs to acknowledge that our reliance on the revenue generated by real estate transactions is dangerous, and that until the Minister of Finance addresses this, the government’s unhealthy reliance on this revenue, no matter what we do, will not be good enough. Our government is too interested in the profits generated by an inflated real estate market.

With respect to the almost nonexistent comments on public education, it is far from good enough to think that referencing a one-time, $290 million investment to support school districts to comply with COVID-19 public health measures is good enough. I’m thankful that the government will continue making investments, as it says in the throne speech, but let’s be clear: because this government is not providing enough funding to the public education system, they’re forcing school districts like Victoria to propose cutting educational assistants and band programs. I’ve heard enough B.C. NDP members celebrating the arts this week in this chamber to see how they feel cutting music and arts programs is in any way acceptable.

In addition, teachers and support staff have been asking the government for more and stronger protection against COVID-19. The response has been slow, they have been introduced with reluctance, and their concerns have lar­gely been silenced and ignored.

I’m grateful that the B.C. NDP are considering developing an anti-racism act, as we’ve seen this provincial institution struggling with addressing systemic bias, discrimination and racism that exists in every part of government. However, it is not the B.C. NDP’s responsibility to solve this problem alone. In fact, this work is best done across government by all parties in this Legislature.

[2:25 p.m.]

The result of this legislation, the legislation that is on the floor, needs to be acceptable by all parties in this House. I challenge the government to facilitate the development of this legislation through an all-party select standing committee. Please make this a collaborative and inclusive process.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent the amazing communities of W̱SÁNEĆ, Saanich North and the islands. The people I represent are passionate, outspoken people. They’re engaged and participate in British Columbia politics unlike any other riding in this province. I will continue to work with this government in addition to embracing my role as a member of the opposition, demanding this government be more accountable and more transparent.

So with that, as I take my seat, I will say to my constituents and, indeed, to all British Columbians this: I do actually believe that we are an exceptional place. I, like my W̱SÁNEĆ ancestors before me, believe that I live in and represent the centre of the universe. It is my sincere hope that we do not take this exceptional place and the exceptional advantages and the exceptional people who live here for granted. Let’s acknowledge our exceptionalism, but let’s keep it in perspective.

P. Alexis: Today I want to acknowledge that I am speaking to you from the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ people, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.

It is my privilege and honour to rise and speak to the throne speech, opening the 2nd session of the 42nd parliament of the province of British Columbia — a session that began with the prayer and reflection from Elder Butch Dick of the Songhees Nation.

What an honour it was to be here in person to hear Elder Dick as we returned to our work here serving the people of British Columbia. I haven’t heard the sound of the drum in person for many months. I must say it brought me great comfort, in that we can begin the good work that needs to be done. It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I rise to support this speech and acknowledge it for what it is: a reflection of what has passed this year and a promise for what lies ahead.

First, however, I want to thank my hard-working staff, my friends and my extended family, all of whom have supported me during this unprecedented time. I also want to thank the constituents who have reached out with questions, concerns, and, yes, even complaints. It not only keeps my team and me grounded, it reminds us of the importance of connection to the people we represent. If we can’t meet in person, the phone calls and emails remind us there are people out there who are counting on us, and, of course, we can’t forget the Zoom calls too.

Before going into politics, I wore many hats, one of which was working as a passionate educator. As I’m sure you know, education is not limited to classrooms and schools. It’s a lifelong pursuit and one we owe ourselves to pursue. Nowhere is that more true than in politics. I think it’s safe to say we all have had to learn a lot this past year. More than anything, I learned that my journey, like so many of my colleagues, well prepared me for the challenge of this pandemic.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

These skills — the willingness to collaborate, knowing how to seek out and engage with others, knowing how to really listen — laid the groundwork for a government equipped not only with legislative acumen to face this crisis, but empathy. Each of us in this government understand that the decisions we make as public servants have far-reaching impacts on our communities and our society. Politics is about the importance of connecting with others. During this pandemic and this strange, awful year, we have missed those regular connections more than ever.

It’s an old adage in politics that you should never let a crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it’s an opportunity to do things you thought you couldn’t do before. For example, just this week, while meeting with B.C. Rural Health Network, they acknowledged that the solutions to pandemic challenges had expedited some of those long-standing concerns, including providing the virtual delivery of services.

[2:30 p.m.]

Even as we navigate the end of this pandemic, we have confidence and optimism for what lies ahead, thanks to the groundbreaking and visionary decisions we’re making now. However, we cannot move forward without ensuring the highest standards of public safety we can deliver.

On Monday, the Minister of Health announced that eligible age cohorts had been bumped up, meaning more British Columbians can register to get their COVID-19 vaccine. The province will continue to deliver two streams of vaccines: one age-based program with Pfizer and Moderna and a second program with AstraZeneca, delivered through pharmacies for people age 55 to 65.

People who get their first vaccine dose will be notified by email, text, or phone call when they’re eligible to book an appointment for their second dose. Right now, more than one million British Columbians have received their first dose of vaccine, with thousands more being added to the list each day. The largest-ever immunization program in B.C.’s history is ahead of schedule and is being aided by 1,400 former tourism and hospitality workers who were trained to work in mass vaccination clinics.

I received my first vaccination shot last week, and I admit to having an emotional moment as the needle hit my arm. This has been an overwhelming year, and as I watched the pharmacist gently push the plunger — I might have averted my eyes for a moment — I felt a quiet elation, knowing that I and so many others are finally one step closer to putting this awful, awful year behind us.

I want to thank the pharmacist not only for assisting me, but also for the care and empathy he showed everyone there that afternoon. He patiently answered all of our questions, questions he had no doubt been asked a thousand times before. He took his time with each person, as if recognizing that this was more than a simple medical procedure for all of us involved. He displayed a grace, humility and kindness that I believe to be emblematic of all the workers on the ground, moving this province closer and closer to our post-pandemic time.

I believe our government’s throne speech is an extension of that duty of care. We have come a long way by looking out for each other, and we can finally see the finish line in sight, but as we know, this last push will be the most demanding. The threat of new variants means we cannot let down our guard, not when we’re this close to the end.

The throne speech highlighted concrete actions this government will take over the next year to ensure that B.C. comes back from the pandemic stronger and more resilient. It’s our commitment that even in the face of crisis, there is opportunity for us all.

Those actions include: improving health care, so B.C. is better prepared for future challenges by addressing cracks in long-term care that COVID-19 has exposed; reducing surgery wait times; building more hospitals and urgent primary care centres in every part of British Columbia; making life more affordable through changes to ICBC that will cut car insurance rates by 20 percent; expanding access to $10-a-day child care spaces; and investments to help get thousands of missing middle and supportive housing rental homes built throughout the province.

As an example, in my riding, crucial work in housing is underway. In Abbotsford, which is establishing itself as an extraordinary example for supportive housing, we have four affordable housing projects, with more on the way. The district of Mission has partnered with B.C. Housing, the Mission Association for Seniors Housing and the Mission seniors community association to see the construction of 74 affordable housing units for vulnerable seniors.

More actions include: supporting businesses with grants to help them build or expand online stores and by introducing legislation to support the operations of InBC’s strategic investment fund, which will help promising B.C. firms scale up and keep jobs here at home; building more inclusive communities by developing B.C.’s first antiracism law; reforming the outdated Police Act; and introducing landmark legislation to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion experienced by British Columbians with disabilities.

[2:35 p.m.]

As an aside, in Mission and Abbotsford, I’m proud to say we have secured investments in antiracism projects for Archway Community Services, the Reach Gallery, the Mission Arts Council and the Kara-Kata Afrobeat Society of Canada, all of which will bring unique community-based programs to celebrate arts, culture and wellness.

Other actions include protecting the environment by reforming forestry legislation to meet the challenges of the 21st century; continuing to take action on recommendations to protect old-growth stands and improving waste management for plastics; and bridging the digital divide by investing in boosting digital connectivity in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, building on the progress made to bring better Internet to thousands of households around the province.

Where we have perhaps felt the biggest strain through COVID is the loss of connectivity, of community. That’s why, through the pandemic, we ensured that local governments could continue providing services and keep the people who provide those services working. As we turn towards recovery, investing in stronger communities will be a key priority, and our training programs and community benefits agreements will ensure that these investments support good job creation where it’s needed most.

Crucially, the upcoming budget will outline how we will make record investments in infrastructure to keep people and our economy moving, through roads, bridges and rapid transit as well as schools, hospitals and community centres that will continue being built across the province. In my riding of Abbotsford-Mission, an estimated 40 percent of its workers are in the trades. Infrastructure projects like the ones we have planned keep those people working and keep our communities and local economies moving.

Even in the face of these commitments to the people of British Columbia, the Premier faces criticisms and attacks in an attempt to undermine not only his judgment but his leadership. To those who offer nothing but cynicism and anger with no solutions, nothing constructive, I say only this: there is no progress without hope, and there is no future without vision.

Later this month we will introduce a new budget that will improve health care, help businesses grow and hire, and make record investments in infrastructure. That budget will lay out our post-pandemic vision, and it is the one that will bring B.C. back as not only an economic leader and inspiration but a community and family one.

Many small businesses had to make the tough decisions to close or reduce services to protect their workers and customers. From the outset, our government made it clear we would help small businesses and their employees get through it. Early on, we cut property taxes, prohibited commercial evictions and forgave hydro bills. We introduced tax incentives for businesses to hire workers and make new investments. In the year ahead, we will continue to support businesses that have been the hardest hit by the pandemic while we build towards a more innovative, sustainable and inclusive economic future.

Our record investments in infrastructure will help support a resilient and sustainable economic recovery by putting people to work and helping businesses get products to market. Our investments in affordable housing and child care are part of our economic development strategy be­cause we recognize that both help businesses attract and retain talent by lowering the costs of living.

When COVID-19 first struck, our government also moved quickly to provide relief for renters, middle-class families, hard-hit small businesses and the most vulnerable. Indeed, B.C. has delivered more direct help for people throughout the pandemic than any other province in Canada. We make these investments because we serve all the people in British Columbia, not just the wealthy and the powerful.

[2:40 p.m.]

We recognize that a government can move quickly in service to its people and that a healthy, safe population goes hand in hand with a healthy bottom line. We, in this government, value people and prosperity.

COVID has forced us to reflect on what we truly value as individuals and as a society. As elected officials, we are tasked with meeting our constituents’ present needs, but with one eye on the future. There is no crystal ball in this chamber to show us what lies ahead, but we’ve earned some optimism thanks to our decisions and the help that we’ve delivered.

When I speak to people in my riding, yes, there’s fear and sometimes frustration and sometimes even anger. But there’s also immense gratitude. Every Saturday evening I make a point of visiting a different restaurant in my riding. I speak to the staff, the manager and, if they’re there, the owners. I’ve heard their stories, ranging from the tragic to the heroic, all of which will be very hard to forget.

One owner was kind enough to share his experience with the government’s assistance for his business. He was delighted that his accountant was fully up to speed and ready to connect him with the business recovery program on such short notice and thanked me for our efforts.

I met with another restaurant owner just recently who had reached out, frustrated and angry, seeking assistance. Help was on its way. Our circuit breaker support program was up and running in six business days. I sent him the online link, and he responded immediately with a heartfelt thanks and a confirmation that he had registered.

Anecdotal as these examples may be, they prove that even in the face of this crisis, our government can and has moved quickly. Necessity may very well be the mother of invention, but government work is not always known for its speed. We’ve put that notion to rest.

My constituents ask tough questions too. They want not only answers but assurance that there is an end of this in sight. They know it’s still dark now, but they want to know who has their backs as we face the dawn. I’m proud to stand here with a government that I believe really listens to those stories. I’m proud to say: “We’ve got your backs.”

C. Oakes: It is truly an honour to join the Legislature virtually, in this House, and to represent the views of the hard-working men and women living in Cariboo North. The riding of Cariboo North is an extraordinary part of British Columbia with a rich history and diverse communities. The riding is actually larger than Vancouver Island and, like so many of our rural ridings, covers large geographical areas.

While we may not have the urban population base, I believe if one was to evaluate the economic and the social contributions — if we were to look at the revenue generated by these rural ridings for the province, which really has such a strong impact on the services that so many British Columbians count on, whether we consider health care, education, the social network — the entire population of British Columbia benefits so much from the contributions of rural ridings like Cariboo North. I feel it is important to acknowledge that contribution and recognize them here today.

I’ve previously mentioned in this House…. Mr. Speaker, I know that you have heard me talk about what an amazing place Moose Heights was to live in, the community that I grew up in. Many moved into the area in the 1930s, on homesteading grants. For my family, it was a journey in the 1800s from Minnesota and Nebraska up to Weta­skiwin, in Alberta.

[2:45 p.m.]

Then during the Dust Bowl years and into the Depression, they moved into Fort Langley and the Lower Mainland until, finally, they arrived in the Cariboo in 1933 on a homestead grant. They were provided a tent and a cow and 160 acres. I think often of my great-grandparents, Allan and Ida Oakes, who moved to the Cariboo around the same age that I am today. I think of the enormous task at hand for them of clearing the land and building up the farm, the house, the horse barn, the blacksmith shop, the granary — everything that we have benefited from as a family for so many years, so many generations.

Then, of course, with my family’s strong desire and need, knowing how important it was to have a school in Moose Heights, my great-grandfather turned his attention to donating land and lumber to ensure that our community had a school. I raise my incredible pride in the community of Moose Heights because it is like so many of the communities in Cariboo North. I could talk so proudly of the people and the communities across the region.

Again, the riding is the size of many European countries. It has taken me many years as the MLA to learn about the uniqueness of the people and the communities that I am so proud to represent. Each of the communities has such different, diverse needs and challenges. I come virtually to this Legislature understanding the enormous responsibility of ensuring my constituents’ voices are heard and that the Legislature and government understand what is happening in our communities. The people of my riding, my communities, have sacrificed so much for the privileges that we all are so blessed to have today.

Last month the community of Moose Heights lost one of our pioneers, Douglas Charles Mighton. I want to take a moment to pay tribute and to honour Doug’s sacrifice. Doug moved to the Cariboo with his family in 1931 and at the age of 17 enlisted in the Canadian army and went overseas to serve our country. Wounded twice, with notices of “Missing in action” sent home to his family, Doug saw active combat in Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. Doug, like so many of his generation, sacrificed so much to ensure that we have the protected democratic freedoms that we all are privileged to have today. Lest we forget.

I’ve spent a lot of time during this pandemic reflecting on the sacrifices that people have and continue to make. At the risk of leaving any one group or individual out, let me just say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to all who have made such extraordinary sacrifices. In my reflection of Doug and so many who sacrificed so much during, for example, World War II, who we have recently lost and have been unable to gather together to celebrate and share their stories and recognize what they’ve contributed to our communities, I think it’s important in this Legislature to think of the values and the principles that they were fighting for.

It’s the principle of democracy and how during those very dark days during the war, we as Canadians drew great comfort in the pillars of our constitution, understanding that we had checks and balances, safeguards and protections and oversight in place. I know that our strength in times of crisis is to hold dear our democracy and constitutional conventions and policies and procedures that the public know and can have comfort in.

What does my reflection on democracy have to do with this throne speech and the vision that the government has put before us? Well, I am concerned with the government’s approach that is being taken — that at a time when I feel we need to lean into our democracy, they’re using the pandemic to make significant chips away at our democracy, our processes, our constitutional conventions and policies. And they’re doing so under the cover of a pandemic. I think it’s just wrong.

[2:50 p.m.]

Take the manipulation of the legislation on a fixed election date, which was set out in statute. At a time when these very pieces of democratic principles were established to encourage greater participation in and equity for more people to participate in government, the government took a troubling turn in manipulating this democratic principle. I think it’s wrong.

This government manipulated the budget process, a process that was established in response to the work of what we learned with manipulations in 1996 — again, steps being taken by this government to once again chip away at these democratic principles. A government that manipulated the budget schedule and reduced the ability for the people of British Columbia — for the people in my riding — to have their voices heard and have their questions to the government answered through local MLAs during the estimates process I think is wrong. Ignoring the Budget Transparency Act that was passed in 2000 with no quarterly update in late 2020 and arbitrarily changing the budget date by two months, again, I think is wrong.

Bit by bit, policy by regulation, this government is dismantling necessary safeguards, oversights, transparency and accountability rules, all under the cover of the pandemic. Instead of looking at leadership from previous generations, that when the country is in the greatest time of crisis…. Instead of providing the public the confidence in and knowledge that our constitutional conventions will be protected, this government has taken an opposite approach. I hope — I know — it is not too late for this government to reverse its course.

I want to advise this House of a new troubling edict from the Premier’s office that local officials and public servants are not permitted to speak to local MLAs on their constituent files. This is antidemocratic. The Premier can’t hoist up on one hand when he needs to tell British Columbians to go to their local MLA for information on things such as vaccinations and other areas and then, on the other hand, remove the capacity of MLAs to talk with their local experts and public servants on issues affecting their constituents.

Instead, this new process that we need to bring our constituent concerns directly to the Premier’s office and the minister…. We wait, and we wait, and we wait to hear back from a minister because, of course, the issues across the board, across this province, are so great. The attempt to get answers or resolve for the people in our constituencies is very real, and the consequences are very troubling, and it’s happening on the ground in our community. I appeal to all legislators in this House that it is time to repeal this direction and to get back to how things were before, where our non-partisan constituent offices, our MLAs, can work on constituents’ behalf, working closely with our local officials and local ministry staff.

Take my riding currently. We currently have a local state of emergency with a landslide risk that has prompted the evacuation order of five properties, and others are on alert. This risk has impact on our trail system and our school that sits just below the hill and is adjacent to the river in Quesnel. Spring landslides last year impacted properties in another area in Quesnel and led to more evacuation orders and alerts.

Last spring freshet we experienced over 200 road issues in the region being impacted by landslides or floods. Quesnel-Hydraulic Road, for example, was impacted by a landslide. While the government set up a forest service road for residents to currently travel on, I can share with this government that the alternate road of French Road has a significant challenge, with the road becoming nearly impassable for all but 4-by-4s. People are now trying to utilize other forest service roads, such as the 500 Road.

The conditions that the residents are being exposed to on these other forest service roads are certainly not up to any standard laid out in the Ministry of Transportation public safety transportation and guidelines. Nowhere do I believe that anyone would expect British Columbians that had access to good-quality roads to now be forced, with the only option of having a 4-by-4 vehicle, to pass on these roads.

[2:55 p.m.]

This follows up on the previous year, where landslides took out West Fraser Road. Now, while the residents wait years for the road to be rebuilt to travel on…. What they travel on now is a slightly upgraded forest service road, Garner Webster Road. I’d be most happy if the government would follow through on commitments to these communities, and many of our communities, to listen to the concerns on these alternate roads and to update the people on how they’re actually going to improve these routes that the government has put in place.

I certainly understand the impacts of the 2017-2018 wildfire season. I know that it is contributing significantly to the challenges that we have with infrastructure. I heard from the Premier and government a criticism of us and a challenge to opposition members to bring forward solutions. I have in the past, and I will continue to do that — bring forward important solutions that I know work on the ground in Cariboo North. It is critical that the government listens to those who know and live in and understand what is happening on the ground in the community. Centralizing everything in Victoria will not serve the people of British Columbia well.

I know that there are real challenges as a result of climate in the Cariboo. In the throne speech, the government talked about the environment and alluded to investments in infrastructure. I am excited to see what those announcements will be, and I hope that the budget includes real money for rural road infrastructure. I know that the government has the geotechnical reports on the roads in the Cariboo: the hydrological reports, the lidar reports, the engineering reports and studies. I know that the Premier and the minister and this government understand the necessary investment to ensure proper road infrastructure and public safety in the Cariboo.

What I do not understand with all of these reports and studies is the repeated example, year after year, of how we are managing our infrastructure — that we need to look at doing things differently. The government continues to be reactive instead of doing the right thing and looking at more preventative measures.

A solution to the problem of this is for the Premier and the government to provide greater investment in prevention. That can mean cleaning out culverts, upgrading culverts, proper ditching, gravel, ensuring that there is adequate training to ensure that when grading happens, it doesn’t negatively impact the culverts and ditching that has been done — real basic investments that are needed that do not require one to be a road engineer to understand. Why, with everything that we know, everything that we’ve learned, when the government looked at awarding the new ten-year maintenance contracts last year, did they not understand that the government needed to take into consideration the climate impacts in the Cariboo?

I hope this budget resolves this, and I hope it puts significant funds into what is absolutely necessary. The government’s own think tank that was set up after the wildfires told the government that an investment approach was required, similar to the approach that was taken in the Lower Mainland to address earthquake and tsunami risks.

Ignoring rural concerns and voices will have a real impact on the ability for Victoria and the government to move forward on economic recovery and to ensure that we have food security. The list goes on.

You know, I share this story. I don’t want to embarrass anyone, but there was once an MLA in this House who, in response to some of the comments that were being made on rural investment, said: “Well, why do people decide to live so far out of town?”

Well, in many of the instances, if you look at our rural communities — a ten- to 15-minute commute outside of our major city limits, such as Quesnel or Williams Lake — you will see some extraordinary farmland. For example, Moose Heights is ten kilometres out of the city of Quesnel, and you’ll see on average 100 cow-calf operators that provide greatly to the food security. As you go on and you look at perhaps an hour travel distance out of our larger areas, areas on West Fraser Road and Quesnel-Hydraulic Road, you have some incredible market gardens that produce incredible food security for our region and for our province.

[3:00 p.m.]

I share the story that you don’t see too many cow-calf operations in downtown Victoria. It just doesn’t happen. If you’re looking for food security and if you’re looking for the types of investments that drive our GDP and our exports, you really need to understand the realities of rural British Columbia and the important fabric of how we fit into the fundamental success of the province at large.

I want to take a moment to thank my amazing constituent assistant Jackie Sarginson and the entire team that has come together to support the Cariboo North office. They go far beyond…. We have a saying that we lead with our hearts, and there are many, many days that we all end up just in tears, broken-hearted, trying our best every single day to support and help the constituents that we care about.

I really, personally, want to thank you, Jackie, for all the work that you’re doing.

To provide a snapshot of the calls and the files we’re working on, I took a snapshot of a day in our office, April 13, just, really, on the road front. And note to the Premier’s office: if you want to centralize control, you must understand how directly responsible you now are for all of these files. Waiting months to get on top of some of these files will have some pretty significant impacts.

I will also note that these are just files that have been brought forward into my office. I certainly recognize that there are many more roads that have been impacted that perhaps constituents haven’t brought directly forward to our office.

Here’s the list from April 13: Soda Creek–MacAlister Road, which is now closed; Soda Creek Ferry Road; Hawks Creek Road, closed to a landslide; Williams Lake Cut Off Road by Hawks Creek; Fridlington Road; Edmonton’s road; Blackwater, Knickerbocker. I continue to raise this, because the government has all the reports you need on this file, and to understand the catastrophic impacts of further damage on this road is critical. You need to take preventative courses of action and come up with a long-term solution.

Milburn Lake Road needs a bigger culvert. Bastion Road, Bear Valley Road, Highway 97, Cottonwood Bridge, Beaver Lake Road, Horsefly Lake Road, Likely Road, Mountain House Road, Valley Road in Miocene, Quesnel Lake Road, Bunting Lake Road, Crystal Street and Agate Avenue, Pinnacles Road, Nazko River bridge, Monte Creek Road, Lavington Road, Punjeskit Lake Road, Kersley-Dale Landing, which has been closed for a considerable amount of time, Jarell Road, which got closed recently again, Long Bar Road, Ernst Road, Morris Road, Narcosli Pit Road, Enderling Road, Indian Lake Road.

All these roads — we’ve recently heard from constituents — have significant issues and require work done on that. Again, just a snapshot of a short amount of time in our constituent office to understand the work that we’re doing every day as MLAs and constituent assistants to help have resolve for our constituents.

One from the Big Lake volunteer fire department…. Let me just say how incredibly important our unincorporated and corporated, all of our volunteer fire departments — the incredible work that they do in search and rescue. I cannot imagine what our community’s public safety would look like if we did not have these amazing volunteers step up and provide incredible service.

Just from a quick drive around — four roads that are not passable by their fire trucks and several not passable by B.C. Ambulance. These are the roads: Alpha Road, Overton Road, Parker Road, Tyee Lake Road. The isolation of these roads and their apparatus leaves over 14 homes unprotected for fire and causes a significant delay for medical services. We need to provide a plan of access for these parts of the community for the rest of the season. These are the types of issues that we’re dealing with in spring freshet. We can’t wait for a significant amount of time for a centralized approach from Victoria to resolve. We really need to be working right now.

I want to thank all of the local public servants who I know care deeply about what is happening on the ground. I really appreciate their efforts, because I know they’re getting the calls and coming back and trying to get the answers for us. I really, really do appreciate that and want to acknowledge that.

[3:05 p.m.]

Just a few other things that are happening. Of course, roads, as you can hear, is a pretty considerable one that we’re dealing with right now. But some of the other calls — and in reflection of what our constituents are hoping are in the budget and in response to the throne speech — are around the commitment around the $10 child care. At last check in my riding, we had only seven $10-a-day child care spots. Again, my riding is larger than Vancouver Island. So could you imagine the entire Vancouver Island only having seven spots and considering that a considerable success?

I can share with the government that there’s a much greater need, with this new regulation that’s being brought forward by the government, to understand that their attempt at that centralization, of one-size-fits-all for child care, is having really negative impacts on child care spaces in rural British Columbia. I think it’s something that the government needs to look at. Hopefully, the budget will do just that.

On the mental health and addictions services side, the government continues to highlight that they’re having this great transformation. I just think that perhaps the Premier’s office forgot about rural B.C. I’ve sat with the families who have been so desperate to find, for loved ones, acceptable and accessible treatment and recovery programs. I know how families have struggled with the financial burden as they try to look at accessing programs throughout the province and that we don’t have in our rural communities — they’re looking to go anywhere — and even how difficult it is just even to access things such as counselling in our rural populations.

I just think it’s really disrespectful — and, maybe, a lack of compassion — when a government continues the rhetoric of all these services being available, instead of really just being honest and real with people. I hope that in the budget we will see real treatment and recovery options that are accessible for people, and not to forget about rural B.C. I think that’s critically important.

Our chamber of commerce has requested that I bring a response to the throne speech to remove the 10 percent penalty fee on city taxes. This is something that the province needs to address in legislation. Of course, we know how deeply impacted our small businesses have been, hit by this pandemic. I appreciate the supports that have been put in place, but I think much more is needed if we’re going to come out of this successfully, post-pandemic, and ensure that this incredible, rich heart of all of our communities — our small businesses — is able to thrive and to move forward successfully.

I’ve heard the Premier and many members of this House talk proudly about Barkerville. While I am proud that Barkerville and Cottonwood House are in my riding, I know that this pride in our heritage properties belongs to all MLAs — including you, Mr. Speaker — and all of the people of British Columbia. These heritage properties are in significant need of stable, predictable funding from the government.

We hope that this money will be announced in the budget. I’ll be certainly looking for that. If more resources are needed, I hope, in true non-partisan fashion, to reach out to all members of this House to understand the incredible gem that we have, with Barkerville and our heritage properties, and to please consider these important investments in these properties.

In closing, I just want to take a few minutes to talk about our extraordinary, world-class post-secondary and skills training that is available in British Columbia. I know that this world-class education and skills-training system has been built for many generations. We have so many people to thank. It’s Education Week. I truly want to acknowledge all the faculty, the staff and the support services — the librarians and the entire teams in our post-secondary education skills-training family — that have worked so diligently and hard over this past year during the pandemic — or over a year.

Know how grateful we are for contributing so much to the hopes and dreams and aspirations of the students of our province. I want to thank the students. I know that young people have been so disproportionately affected by this pandemic. I have had the privilege of talking to so many students and organizations over the last few months.

I know how difficult it was when I went to university. You know, I worked 11 years as a bartender and as a server to help put my way through university. I know the deep struggles of trying to understand how you’re going to financially continue on with your post-secondary education.

[3:10 p.m.]

Trying your best to manoeuvre and to ensure that you are doing everything that you can to stay on top of your classes, with the mental anxiety, just the affordability challenges with your housing and all those issues…. There are some vulnerabilities that, certainly, this pandemic has exposed in our post-secondary education system, specifically around our funding model and the enormous pressures these vulnerabilities are placing on students — the increasing auxiliary fees that students are seeing, at a time when, of course, our students have limited ability, or have been deeply impacted by their ability to work.

In the words of the AMS and GSS student associations in B.C., one of the things they wanted to share is: “Understanding the financial impacts that COVID-19 has imposed on the budgetary positions of higher education institutions in B.C., it is imperative that the provincial government contribute towards student services to avoid necessary service-related budget cuts.”

I raise that again, because another significant vulnerability for funding of the post-secondary system is the approach that we’re taking in funding, the approach that we’re taking in regards to the tuition costs for international students, and the fact that there is no predictability there. I know the enormous stress that these international students are facing.

We pride ourself as a multicultural society and being welcoming for people who want to build and have aspirations for a greater life. To build your hopes and dreams and aspirations in British Columbia should be available for all. I hope that the budget actually looks at that.

Finally, I hope for the young people, because I want to end with hope and optimism. I think that’s really important. I want our young people to have such a strong sense of optimism for the future, and I want them to enjoy all of the opportunities that we have had growing up. I want them to know that home ownership and job opportunities and a rewarding, happy life is available to you.

I commit to you that I’ll fight for you. I’ll advocate on your behalf and provide the necessary oversight to government. Because it’s not good enough for the government to take out ad buys bragging about how they’re making life more affordable for you, when you know that after nearly four years of the NDP, housing prices in B.C. are higher than ever. I’ve heard from you that it would now take 34 years, on average, to save for a down payment on a typical Vancouver home. That’s not good enough. I know that the government knows that too.

I truly am hopeful that the policies that they put forward, the investments that they put forward in this budget, are ones where we can have hope and aspirations and know that economic recovery is on the horizon and, for all British Columbians, that we’re going to be okay.

Again, as always, I want to the thank the community of Cariboo North and all of my constituents for the enormous privilege I have to represent you and to make sure your voice is heard here in Victoria.

J. Routledge: For the past few days, I’ve been listening to the debate on the throne speech with great interest and growing alarm, even to the point where I was motivated to stop and remind myself: what is a throne speech? What role is it meant to play in parliamentary democracy? A throne speech is a narrative. It tells our shared story. It anchors that story in the here and now and provides some clarity about the future.

Alternatively, we can also understand a throne speech as a road map. It reminds us where we’ve come from in our shared journey as a society. It puts a pin in the map to show us where we are now, and it plots a route for moving forward. It confirms that we’re not travelling back the way we’ve come from, nor going in circles, nor unwittingly taking a treacherous road when a safer one is possible. It warns us about traffic congestion up ahead. A throne speech is a political GPS.

That’s exactly what this throne speech does. It clearly articulates our priorities and maps out, in broad terms, how to get there. Let me recap the highlights.

[3:15 p.m.]

The throne speech stresses that our government will continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and push forward the economic recovery plan after the pandemic. It states that the province hopes to finish the largest-ever immunization program in B.C. history ahead of schedule. More than one million British Columbians have received their first dose of a vaccine already.

It states that the government will continue to respond to the pandemic and improve health care by addressing cracks in long-term care that COVID-19 has exposed, by reducing surgery wait times and by building more hospitals and urgent primary care centres in every part of British Columbia. It reaffirms that we will create more jobs in long-term-care facilities and invest in mental health services.

The throne speech acknowledges that many people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. It charts a path to close that gap and reduce systemic economic vulnerability. It promises that ICBC will cut car insurance rates by 20 percent. It promises to expand access to $10-a-day child care spaces. It reminds us that the minimum wage will increase to $15.20 an hour in June. It promises to provide thousands of missing middle rental homes throughout the province.

The province will create more job opportunities and provide assistance to businesses, including grants for online businesses. The province will increase investment in infrastructure projects, extending the SkyTrain to Langley and extending the Broadway rapid transit to UBC. The province will also invest in boosting digital connectivity in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. The government will work with businesses to ensure that local workers will be hired first in major infrastructure projects.

The throne speech acknowledges that racism has gotten worse during the pandemic. So we are taking action to develop anti-racism law to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination and to reform the outdated Police Act. The throne speech reaffirms the government’s commitment to take actions to support reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and foster true partnership, based on the declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The government and Indigenous Peoples will tackle the climate crisis together. It will also continue to implement North America’s most progressive climate action plan, CleanBC, including fostering clean tech innovation, electrifying industrial activities and making it easier to buy electric cars.

Opposition speaker after opposition speaker has called the Speech from the Throne, and this government, disappointing, disorganized, failures, incompetent, self-serving. They’ve accused us of using the pandemic as a cover. They’ve referred to our plans as botched, hopeless, smokescreens. At best they’ve expressed skepticism. These are not words of constructive criticism.

I would remind these members that March 2021 was B.C.’s 11th consecutive month of job growth. B.C. has the highest job recovery rate in Canada. B.C. is the only major province in Canada that has now surpassed 100 percent of pre-pandemic employment levels. B.C. has the highest per capita supports for businesses and people across the country. Our circuit breaker relief grant was launched and opened in less than one week, among the fastest ever turnarounds for a major spending program in provincial history. B.C. has done the most genomics sequencing in North America. B.C. was the first jurisdiction to give public access to our modelling.

This speech from the throne is a road map. It is not a guided tour. The Lieutenant-Governor is not our tour guide. To criticize the throne speech for not providing enough detail is like criticizing GPS for not telling you where the sales are or how old a particular landmark is or when the streets are going to be cleaned or what’s going to be built on that vacant lot over there.

[3:20 p.m.]

The opposition knows this. So their behaviour begs the question: what are they up to? What are they trying to accomplish with their overheated rhetoric and their hyper-partisanship?

This throne speech, this road map, this narrative is shaped by the unprecedented times in which we find ourselves. We call COVID-19 the toughest challenge we have faced in more than a generation. That’s one thing we in this chamber all seem to agree on. The reality of the pandemic had barely registered on the consciousness of the people of the world more than a year ago, when we started using war terminology. We began to see ourselves as being in a war against COVID-19. We quickly and easily fell into the practice of referring to health care workers, education workers, truckers, grocery workers, first responders and postal workers as the front line.

But let’s stop and remind ourselves where the term “front line” came from. The “front line” is a military term that refers to the positions closest to the area of conflict — to those most directly engaged in battle with the enemy. The front line are those who put their lives at risk to protect the rest of us. In the early days of the pandemic, an article in the Vancouver Sun talked about Canadians having put themselves on war footing. A few weeks later another story documented “‘Life in the Trenches’: An…ICU Doctor Describes the War Against COVID-19.”

Here’s a piece that appeared in the Times Colonist in December: “How many times have we not referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a different kind of war? We are like soldiers going to war. Not wearing a mask and following proper protocols is like sending a soldier to war without their gun. We need to work together, and as we approach a winter which sees numbers soaring daily, increasing each day and week, we must treat this pandemic as a war. We must guard ourselves and those we love and those we care for from all harm.”

Just this morning I heard industry leaders on the radio say that our common cause in the next couple of months is to defeat COVID-19 and that we go to battle by socially distancing, washing our hands, staying home and wearing masks. They said that the time to debate the details of economic recovery is after we’ve won the war.

We all agree that we are in a war against COVID-19. So let’s take a minute and talk about a real world war, the last world war: World War II. Some of us had parents who lived through that war, or grandparents, and they told us their stories about what it was like to fight a world war. At the very least, everyone in this chamber learned about that war in school.

We learned about Rosie the Riveter and Victory Gardens. We learned that newspapers of the day not only published dispatches from the front but that business pages discussed war production, and domestic pages shared ideas for making do with shortages and rationing. The shared narrative of the time was one of unity, mutual support and self-sacrifice.

[R. Leonard in the chair.]

During that war, retired generals or armchair generals certainly did not take to the airwaves to muse about how they would have won and run that war differently or publicly question whether Canadian troops should have landed on Juno Beach or some other different beach that they thought would have been better. In parliaments around the world, partisanship was put on hold. Opposition politicians certainly did not start demanding details of the Marshall plan even before the enemy had surrendered.

They disciplined themselves to set a positive example and to be part of the war effort. Why? Because when a country is at war, when surviving a life-and-death struggle depends on mutual trust, the primary role of leaders is to swallow our pride and our personal ambitions and demonstrate a united front.

[3:25 p.m.]

Exceptionalism or holding the line? When we hold the line, we’re inspiring collective confidence, because to do otherwise during a war is to undermine morale, to create doubt in the minds of the people that they can actually win the war.

During the Second World War, the Nazis were famous for dropping leaflets on London neighbourhoods to create division. When that happens, the enemy wins. Can we not do the enemy’s dirty work for them in this war?

That is why I’m so alarmed by the sneering and jeering, the overheated rhetoric, the disinformation and distortions we’ve been subjected to by opposition speakers. I have found their language and tone to be reckless, irresponsible and dangerous in the face of what continues to be our common enemy, COVID-19.

Yesterday I heard an opposition member state that he’d lost confidence in our government. He said it like it was a rallying cry. Well, his party has three and a half years to try to alienate the public from their Premier and his government. Couldn’t they wait at least a couple of months until the current crisis is behind us?

Speaker after opposition speaker have been taking cheap shots about the so-called snap election. Some called it self-serving. Some called it unnecessary, and they averred that government was stable. Well, I was the government Deputy Whip during the 41st parliament, and I beg to differ.

I would remind the members that we were a minority government that lasted longer than pundits had predicted. With the support of the Third Party, we enjoyed a one-vote majority. Our government was always one cancelled ferry, one heart attack, one fogged-in airport away from not having enough votes to carry a confidence motion. What could possibly go wrong during a pandemic?

To get through the pandemic together, the people of British Columbia needed a stable government, and their government needed a renewed and current mandate to make bold decisions. It’s not unprecedented to hold elections during wartime. Canada did it, the United States did it, and so did Australia and New Zealand.

To conclude, I support the throne speech. It outlines a clear path forward. To quibble about the details at this time is to ignore what is actually preoccupying most British Columbians, and that is how to survive COVID-19 and protect our families, our friends and our neighbours. Once we’ve won the war, we can engage in passionate debate about what our Marshall plan should look like. I, for one, look forward to it.

In the meantime, this government and the people of British Columbia are in a war against COVID-19. I’d like to ask the opposition who they are in war with. I urge them to remember that we are living through unprecedented times. We are making history whether we want to or not. We in this chamber need to ask ourselves: do we want future generations to remember us as Churchills or as Mosleys?

Finally, in the words of my colleague from Abbotsford-Mission, ganbatte.

B. Stewart: It’s a pleasure to rise and be able to speak to everyone in the House today, as well as at home, about the throne speech from just this past Monday. I think one of the things with throne speeches, as the member previous just talked about, is that it is really about a road map, about where we’re going. I think that, as she points out, there’s so much uncertainty that we all face today, that we have to be concerned about not only people’s health but their homes, their livelihood and all of the impacts on that as we go through this unprecedented third wave.

[3:30 p.m.]

I want to thank, first of all, the constituents in Kelowna West in terms of allowing me the opportunity to represent them. I know that it was a challenging snap election in the sense that it was a very different campaign in terms of not knowing that it was coming up and it was happening during a time of crisis.

I think that when people are faced with the fact that they’ve been told to social distance and not mix with other people, etc., they’re hesitant to hear, maybe, the messages or the challenges that are being faced. Now, I think, as we saw just a couple of weeks ago…. With the provincial health officer closing down inside dining, gymnasiums and other activities like that, I think that probably we can talk about the fragility of what some of these businesses are going through. Of course, we’re going to find out in the next few days here if, as rumoured, that will be extended. It’s going to financially impact many of these people that have those investments.

This is the second time in five months that the government has delivered its throne speech. Part of the throne speech, as I said, was to lay out a map that challenges even themselves as to what they want to try and achieve. I looked through it. I know that some of the things that they’ve referred to are bold, but I do think that in some cases, we’re not being bold enough. I think that it’s supposed to be the beacon of hope for people struggling. I don’t think it offered the hope that people were looking for in terms of some bold economic planning.

I think that if you’re in a business that has been shut down…. Some of them have been down for 14 months now, since March. Well, 13 months. They’ve been shut down, and they don’t know when the possibility is that they’re going to reopen.

We know that vaccinations are hopefully going to be complete sometime by the end of June. I know many of us haven’t been vaccinated yet. We still have to practice all of the social distancing and protective rules that have been put out there and maintain that in our business. I’m glad to see that the provincial health officer, the Minister of Health and the government are supportive of those things.

But what about the future? When we are vaccinated, what’s the reopening plan? When are we going to find out what we can do, what we can’t do? How does one adjust to this? Are we going to be able to operate normally? Is it just one day that it’s all going to come off? Or is it the fact that we’re going to be facing years of uncertainty? I think that’s the bigger concern. This is meant to be the document that lays out the framework of where we want to get to.

The Premier has said: “Trust me.” I think that probably the time has passed, and we expect more. The fact is that some of the things that were promised, even during the last election, haven’t come forward. I’ll give you a specific example.

The renters grant that was promised over four years ago in the platform and re-promised back in September of the last election hasn’t come forward. Renters have faced unprecedented increases. As a matter of fact, across the board, it’s up over $200 a month. The $400 is a paltry amount. I know that the government made an announcement today, which I’ll come back to. I think that when it comes to real affordability, some of the things that the government takes credit for are not necessarily creating the affordability that people need.

While British Columbians are facing rising case counts and the spread of COVID variants and they worry about their health and economic well-being, this government continues to fail to put forward a real plan. Small businesses are struggling, not-for-profits are worried about their futures, and parents are concerned about their kids, especially with COVID showing up in some of the schools.

British Columbia has nearly 40,000 fewer full-time jobs than before the pandemic. That’s a whole city of people. As a matter of fact, that’s many cities, especially in some of the rural parts of British Columbia, where their populations are a fraction of that size. We have watched as this government has demonstrated the repeated inability to get supports to those who need them most.

[3:35 p.m.]

I mean, look at the $500 that was promised during the election. “We’re going to have that in your pocket by December.” I know my office was inundated with trying to help people apply online. Frankly, some are still waiting today, and we’re still struggling to get that out.

I think that, as we’ve seen just recently with the circuit breaker funding, as well as the previous programs that the Ministry of Jobs had, frankly, these programs are not as easy to roll out as the government…. It’s easy to announce but not as easy to actually deliver on that.

In order for the prosperity of British Columbia, I think that people need to know that their government can deliver on these things and not make promises, whether it’s ICBC, the renter’s grant, the $500 Christmas bonus or whether you have a business that might be eligible for the circuit breaker grant. I think that, frankly, this is the type of stuff that we’re looking for greater certainty on, in terms of not only the budget coming up on Tuesday but also the throne speech that’s just been brought out.

The government has the responsibility to lead our pro­vince through this pandemic and into economic recovery, but instead, they’ve delayed vital relief. We saw that. We passed a bill back in March of 2020 to help with emergency financing, increased contact tracing, health care workers. We know that that was essential. It was very non-partisan, contrary to what my colleague was just talking about during times of war, etc. I think the fact is that we have been very collaborative. But there is a point when some of the impacts on the economy, which is so important and vital, are not brought out until….

As she said, we wanted certainty. Well, businesses want certainty too. Government might want certainty in terms of one missed ferry or one heart attack and all of those types of things, but I think at the end of the day, businesses are expecting us, as government, to have leadership in being able to help them with supports.

We know that some of the federal government supports, with wage supports, were helpful. I know that the government thinks that it was very helpful in terms of protecting businesses. I have all sorts of businesses that faced landlord issues in terms of increased rents, eviction notices and things like that. That’s not the type of stuff that people want to be talking about. There are limitations to what the government can do, in terms of unregulated. The commercial rent business is unregulated. But I do think that….

The bottom line is there is a need to make certain that we’re partners in this. Frankly, the partnership hasn’t been that strong between government and business up to this point. I know that there’s some money that’s starting to come out now, but it’s way too late. Frankly, I don’t know how many businesses you have in your ridings or communities, but I look around communities where I see boarded-up storefronts. One in three businesses in Victoria, when I walk around there while being in the Legislature, frankly, shut down.

I don’t know if that’s forever, but I do think that we’re going to see a dramatic change once this is all over. To have that much commercial real estate sitting empty has got to be unnerving for anybody that has commercial real estate. But it should be more concerning to the government that counts on those small business owners to help generate taxes and provide employment for people.

The cost of neglecting businesses, which sustains what I would call rich services — things like the CBAs or community benefit agreements, public sector settlements…. That is being thrust onto the backs of taxpayers, which, indirectly, are businesses that employ people that work, that pay taxes. If they’re not healthy, then their taxes aren’t going to be healthy, and it’s not going to be affordable to anybody.

British Columbians are looking for hope. With COVID cases continuing to surge, 53 percent of British Columbians are a mere $200 or less away from not being able to pay their monthly bills. People deserve more from this government. They should be able to feel confident, especially during the pandemic, that their government has their best interests at heart.

I think that it’s got to be a balanced equation here. It can’t be this imbalance where only one side of the equation is getting the support. People that own businesses, that have risked all of their savings — a lifetime of savings, in many cases… Family support is what’s at risk.

[3:40 p.m.]

People that own gymnasiums. I can’t imagine, with all the equipment in there and the overheads, etc. That’s no small feat. I know restaurants are feeling the same way. I understand the rules about COVID, but the bottom line is they need our support.

The Premier says he called the snap election in the middle of the pandemic so we could put politics behind us. Well, what type of politics behind us is taking the money that we approved in March and doling it out just during the election and then promising another $500 for people that sign up? Frankly, that’s just luring people into false platitudes and stuff like that.

The real tough part is how we’re going to make it so that those people that got their $500 or some of the money from that $1½ billion that was set aside for businesses, tourism sector, hospitality, etc., are really going to make it and survive. I think that we need to find a path forward, even with the majority government. I think that we need to be listening to one another. I don’t think that there’s a limitation on good ideas.

Over the past four years of the NDP’s leadership, we’ve seen a gradual transition in growth from the private sector to the public sector. That is a philosophical difference, and I understand that. The pandemic has only added to this growth in government, as we’ve seen the private sector jobs hit especially hard, and small businesses are forced to close their doors due to the challenges of the past year. Yet this government still doesn’t have a jobs plan.

What is a jobs plan? I know from the time when I was in government that we had a jobs plan. I heard earlier today that somebody talked about the fact that it was a single industry that we were kind of trying to attract. I worked on the trade file for a fairly long period of time. I can tell you that we promoted and worked hard on more than just the resource-based economy, which includes mining. I know the member that I’m speaking of is near Smithers. That’s kind of the diamond drilling capital of North America.

I know that other parts, with forestry — which is all over the province, all sorts of communities, large and small — depend on value-added forest products. I know we heard the Forests Minister talk today about going to value. I think that that is important. I’m fortunate to have a mill right in my own riding here, owned by a family called the Gormans, and they’re one of the highest value-add mills in the province. They’re not the only ones, but I know that value-add is important. You have to make certain that you have a strategy as to how you do these things.

When it comes to technology, I worked with quantum computers, people building software, attracting companies to come to British Columbia, foreign investors that came here because we had such a great education system and we were turning out people that could design and figure these things out. I had the opportunity of being in Tokyo with the fellow that actually wrote the book on quantum computing, and here it was resolved by a technology firm in Vancouver.

The reality is that that technology is the type of jobs that are clean. They’re in high demand around the world and trying to solve some of the problems we face on climate change and the things that we all want to do. But the bottom line is that it’s transitioning and adding value within a reasonable amount of time, continually incentifying it.

We need a strategy. We don’t have a jobs plan. We don’t have a strategy, in terms of what it is that we’re actually going to focus on. We have lots of rhetoric about what we’re going to…. We talk all the time about technology. We need to have some goals. What is it we want to be when we grow up? Public service is important, and it is really something that we all depend on. But it’s not a tax-paying kind of service. It depends on taxpayers to fund it.

What about the educational goals? When we were talking about having to look at projects like LNG Canada…. I know this government was a part of and signed the deal with Shell Canada and its partners to help create a massive project that’s going to clean up the air and energy systems in places that I had to live in for three and a half years, over in Beijing, which are using thermal coal as their principle basis of generating electricity. This is an opportunity to clean that up. It’s not perfect, but it creates real jobs.

When we were doing our jobs plan, we had a specific assessment done, with the unions that were going to be helping build these projects. Did we have enough tradespeople and all of these different professions, etc.?

[3:45 p.m.]

We realized that we were not training enough tradespeople, and the bottom line is that sometimes we were training too many people in certain sectors, and we needed to shift and focus on different areas. I haven’t heard anything about that in the throne speech.

We hear about building schools, but we don’t hear about how we’re going to continue to make certain that people that are in the trades are valued and appreciated and that it’s seen as a really top-flight job. People in the business of running their own company, frankly, have the breadth and scope of being able to take on a world-class project like LNG Canada.

I think that we need to make certain we invest in the right areas to incentify things. Now, I know that the government has proceeded on Site C. I think that’s important so that we continue to have renewable energy from a clean source like that. There are all sorts of things that maybe have not been done as well in decades past. But today we’re looking at it very thoughtfully with the environment, trying to mitigate that.

The Peace River has several dams on it. The reality is that this dam was one of the most efficient dams, being able to add to the other dams that are already on that river. So I think that the fact that we have clean energy…. That is going to be in demand, with the focus on clean energy, whether it’s electric vehicles or electric trucks on the road or electric forklifts. We just bought one at our winery. The bottom line is that we’re all in this together, but we need to have a reliable source of energy. It’s not going to happen without continued sources like Site C.

I go back to the fact that the minister has a responsibility to deliver on a jobs plan. I hope that we’re going to hear more about that after, as we get into the coming weeks.

We didn’t see anything in education, no bold or exciting plan on education in this throne speech.

What about child care? We keep talking about it. We know that we need good child care. But the problem is that we’ve come up with a program that isn’t delivering the $10-a-day care that was promised four years ago. We have a pilot project. We have a small amount of projects.

What we have is a bunch of rules that impose rules on private operators that really are a take-it-or-leave-it type of thing. I think the member for West Vancouver–Capilano described it the best in terms of looking at the reality of what people are faced with in terms of trying to get to more affordable daycare. The bottom line is we’re supportive of it. We believe in making certain it’s affordable, but it can’t all be sourced out of the public purse. It needs to be thoughtful. What about the regulations, the square footage that these places need to have, etc.?

I often remember Storyland Daycare, where Erica Rider, just up the road from my home, ran a daycare for kids. Frankly, it was affordable. But of course, today it would be somebody in their own house. It probably wouldn’t meet the threshold or the requirements of what the government has imposed. I’m not certain that we’ve really got to address that.

One of the things that we’re going to be faced with and businesses are going to be challenged with, and regular people, is the 23 new and increased taxes facing British Columbia after the first few months in government. How is that making things more affordable?

We talk about the newest taxes, the Netflix streaming tax, the pop tax. We know that sugary drinks are maybe a health enemy. But what about the ones that are the alternatives to that that don’t use sugar? They use alternative products, etc., that are not deemed to be unhealthy. Why are they being taxed? Why is Netflix getting the tax right now, or why are we looking for that extra provincial tax right at this moment in time? I think that there’s a lot to be done about the tax load on individuals.

Secondly, what about the future taxpayer liability that’s going to come out of what was purported by the Finance Minister of the last government, around $15 billion. How are we going to recover from that? What’s the long-term strategy? I know that we’re talking about spending billions of dollars on B.C. housing, housing hub projects, etc. — really a loan guarantee of sorts — and trying to increase affordable housing for the middle-income group of people. But the bottom line is that somewhere, we have to realize what government should be doing and what it should be incentifying.

[3:50 p.m.]

What about the report on the development approval process? To me, we’ve got big issues in terms of development approvals and lots of layered-on costs. What are we doing? We’re putting more rules in place. And we’re not necessarily getting out of the way so that municipalities, which have been trying to fast-track things….

Look at Stew Young in Langford, in the Premier’s own riding. I mean, he’s proudly out there building a community because he gets things done. And lots of other communities are doing that. But that doesn’t mean he has transit issues and infrastructure and things like that. Where’s the provincial government when we really need to help bring down the costs in his community so that renters and owners of property are able to afford what it is that they have to do to work around things like the agricultural land reserve?

The province has got four million hectares in the land reserve. We know Fort Nelson is surrounded by agricultural land reserve. If you haven’t been up there, it is not a farming community. Frankly, there’s never been a farm up there. That’s what the locals tell me, and the mayor, etc. The reality is that the agricultural land reserve is not only a blunt instrument, but it needs to be thoughtful about where it is and isn’t.

Now, I know the pressure in the Lower Mainland is causing many communities, including the provincial government, which wants to build a promised SkyTrain link out into Surrey and Langley and maybe even one day out to Abbotsford and Chilliwack…. But the bottom line is that we’ve got long stretches of ALR land, and we’re going to have to pay the price for that agricultural land reserve.

The bottom line is that we need to be thoughtful about reducing red tape and making certain that the provincial government is effectively applying its resources to help make certain that people can get around and move around and not be burdened with the things that are costing extra money for municipalities, whether it’s sewer, water or other infrastructure.

I know earlier we talked about the air tax. Of course, this is a consequence of the speculation and vacancy tax. Raw land is now considered to be speculative. I’ve seen letters, from Saanich Peninsula to people right here in my community, that are talking about that. People in Vancouver that have businesses where, of course, there’s great opportunity to go up and it’s underdeveloped…. You’re taking communities like 4th Avenue in Vancouver and Kitsilano and forcing those people, like John Bishop, who has now shut his business….

A lot of these people that have restaurants and businesses on that strip are now being forced to pay extra thousands of dollars. As a matter of fact, a comment here and a quote. “The owners of a business specifically zoned that are affected by the new tax are on the brink of closing their doors permanently. Their livelihood is at stake, and they need the government’s support, not the government’s disdain. Even one small business shutting their doors because of the tax is too many,” the Vancouver Business Improvement Association Partnership says.

“This will come directly out of my paycheque, as it affects my bottom line. We will have to sell an additional 750 meals to pay for the spec tax,” Trevor Bird, owner of Fable Kitchen, is saying. “We’re losing our business. Why are they trying to close down West 4th?” — Brian Wener, the owner of Tuesdays Drycleaners, facing an additional $4,500 tax bill.

You know what? I know that the Minister of Finance, questioned on this the other day, said that she’s going to have a fix. I think that the problem is far greater than she imagines. And the fact is that people are concerned that this is an unfair tax on property that has…. You know, it’s vacant for a reason. Sometimes it’s just not practical, because of services and other things, to do the development that the government would like to incentify.

Let’s just talk for a second about the fact that Vancouver is now the second-most unaffordable housing market in the world, according to the 16th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey. The Okanagan is also not immune to these trends, where the cost of housing is rapidly rising, and many find themselves unable to own their own homes.

For years, this government has blamed rising prices on foreign buyers. Well, you know what? The current minister responsible for Housing blamed nearly all of the market woes when he was the critic on this particular group. I don’t think that that’s fair, because it signals and it sends a message that foreigners are bad, or whatever.

[3:55 p.m.]

This country is made up of foreigners, if I need to remind the government. We need to welcome them. We want people here. We don’t want them to be seen as people that, as we heard in the question period rhetoric the other day about the fact, have come here with something else. These people have come here for the opportunity to work, to help make our businesses run. The bottom line is that we can’t do that unless we’re welcoming and we have a supply of affordable homes, whether it’s rental or market housing. Frankly, I just don’t think that we have really got that.

I know that today’s announcement sounds impressive. But the bottom line is that’s going to take years to get off the ground. How long does it take from the time that B.C. Housing and housing hub put the money out the door in a project to the time that it’s actually available? Well, it’s going to be a year or two at least. That includes if you’ve got the property and you’ve got the right zoning approvals, the building permits, the design. All of those things.

What about the red tape and all of the other things that we know that are recommendations in the development approvals process report that you’ve been sitting on for a couple of years? Why don’t you act on it? Why don’t you do something about it? Why don’t you work with municipalities to reduce the cost of projects getting to yes? Talk to Stew Young. He’s in your riding, Premier.

I think that what we’ve seen is that foreign buyers now represent about one percent of the purchases and less than 1 percent of the values. So they’re not the problem. They never were the problem. The bottom line is that it is supply. You have to do something about increasing supply. It is never going to happen if you just sit back and think that the government is going to be the landlord and build all these projects.

We need not-for-profits. We need private developers. We need people that are passionate about building good community-based housing so our communities have the vacancy, we can welcome people in, and we can grow our community so that the good jobs that we can provide here in British Columbia also come with affordable housing.

It’s not going to come with us spending billions of dollars on interest-free loans or whatever the housing hub expects to incentify people to build more housing, which is really, frankly, subsidized by the taxpayers. What we’re seeing is a complete lack of inertia. I know that in both my community and others in our area and across the province a lot of things have been going into supportive housing, as if that’s the only problem we have. We need affordable housing for people that are not part of what we consider to be at the bottom end of the affordability scale, that are homeless or whatever.

I know COVID has thrown a terrible wrench. I think some of the plans that the government has done, taking over the facilities like the Save-On facility in Victoria and turning that in…. They’ve done the same thing at a new UBC Okanagan facility, temporarily, here in the Oka­nagan. We’ve got to get down to resolving the problem and helping with wraparound supports. I have mayors phoning me every single day, talking about the fact that these projects are without the wraparound supports. We hear that the supports are there, but frankly, they don’t exist. We need to do more.

Unfortunately, the government is failing in terms of delivering the projects that are affordable — so that there is market housing for people who want to get started here in British Columbia — and the wraparound supports that we need to make certain that people are actually getting better. We’re giving them the addictions services, the mental health support they need and an opportunity to train up. I know that the government talks about it, but we’re not seeing it in Kelowna West. I know that there are many communities that will tell you the same thing.

I look forward to the fact that we’re going to get a chance to debate, during estimates, the NDP’s housing plan. Just to remind everybody, they’ve only built 3,246 units of new affordable housing. That’s their own numbers, out of the 114,000. We heard today the minister say that there are 26,000. Well, he’s not counting B.C. Housing’s numbers; he’s counting CMHC’s numbers. That is not the complete picture. Let’s stop playing the shell game of moving numbers around, and let’s make a point of acting on facts.

I look forward to the rest of this session.

D. Coulter: I’d first like to begin by acknowledging that I’m on the traditional territory of the Stó:lō people, in particular that of the Ts’elxwéyeqw and Pilalt Tribes.

[4:00 p.m.]

We often use territorial acknowledgments before we speak in this House, but I thought I would go a little further and learn a little bit more about the place where I live and maybe names of some of the mountains around here. I encourage everyone else to do it in your home communities as well.

The major, I guess, physical piece of geography that really is noticeable in Chilliwack is Mount Cheam. I re­cently learned that Mount Cheam’s Indigenous name is Lhílheqey. Lhílheqey was a woman who lived south of here, and she ran away from her family. The creator, Xá:ls, turned her into a mountain. The mountain behind her is called Sqwema:y, which means “dog” in Halq’eméylem. Coincidently, Sqwema:y is Lhílheqey’s dog. Those are just a few things that I’ve learned recently, and I encourage everyone in this Legislature to learn the same.

I’d like to begin by thanking, obviously, the people of Chilliwack for putting their trust in me to sit in this House and bring their interests to this House and represent them to the best of my ability. I’m grateful for that trust every day. I’d like to thank my two CAs, Caitlin Hickenbotham and Willow Reichelt. Without them, there is no possible way I could do this job. They do a lot of tough work day in and day out, assisting constituents, navigating programs and things like that.

I’d also like to thank my legislative assistant, Caelen Tyrrell, who is absolutely indispensable to me when it comes to helping me with my calendar or navigating the precinct there when I’m in Victoria. And I would like to…. I haven’t thanked her yet in any of my speeches, and I’d just like to thank Kaylee Szakacs. She is the Whip’s assistant for the B.C. NDP caucus, and I definitely wouldn’t be able to get around or know where I’m supposed to be without her.

I’d also like to thank my predecessor, John Martin, for his years of service to Chilliwack. He certainly was a champion of Chilliwack in the Legislature, and he is certainly a cheerleader for Chilliwack. I believe during his time he served Chilliwack well. He’s always been very magnanimous to me and helped me when I’ve needed it. He has put out his hand to me — that I can give him a call and rely on him any time that I need his assistance — which I think is very, very generous and gracious of John. I’d like to thank him very much.

We’re all acknowledging it because it’s in our faces every day, but I’d just like to acknowledge the difficult time that the pandemic has caused for all of us. Some of us are inconvenienced; some of us are truly endangered by the vaccine. I think I’ve heard it said a few times: “We’re all in the same storm, but we’re in different boats.” That is definitely true for some of us.

But there is hope on the horizon, which I’m looking very much forward to in the form of vaccines. It seems like the rollout is going faster and faster all the time. Actually, tomorrow I’m going to be able to register myself. I say, with my age group registering, I would think the majority of the Legislature will be registered by that time and maybe a little bit more. Maybe the entire Liberal caucus, actually; tomorrow, 45 and above can register.

I’m very hopeful about the vaccine rollout. That said, we still are in, obviously, the third wave, and we can’t take our eye off the ball. We do have to continue with these measures to keep ourselves safe. I know that is a big priority of the government, to keep us safe and healthy. It’s a platform of the throne speech, which I have a lot of….

[4:05 p.m.]

I heard yesterday the member for Kelowna-Mission say that she has no hope in the throne speech. I don’t feel that negative about this. I feel like there is lots of hope in the throne speech. There’s lots of hope with what this government has done over the last four years. We are building back stronger out of this pandemic, a more inclusive recovery. I fully support this throne speech with 100 percent of my heart.

I’d also like to thank a few people and organizations in my community. I’d like to thank city council and the mayor. They have been just terrific to me, have embraced me and helped me with the work I need to do, and have not shied away from telling me of the things that they need. I’m very grateful for them.

I can say the same about the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce and their executive director there, Leanna Kemp, who I know from before. I was a director on the board of the Chilliwack Restorative Justice Society, and she was the executive director there at that time. I enjoy continuing working with her in this capacity.

I’d also really like to give a shout-out to CEPCO. CEPCO is the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corp. It’s a corporation whose sole shareowner is the city, and it’s there to promote economic activity. The executive director there, Brian Coombes, has been just terrific to me. It’s the same thing; we have regular check-ins. One of my two-minute speeches I dedicated to the Downtown Chilliwack Business Improvement Association and their executive director, Trevor McDonald. Obviously, I have to thank him.

I’d like to maybe go back a bit to city council and the mayor and to particularly thank the mayor, because the mayor is a really courageous housing advocate. I’ve always really appreciated the mayor’s hard work on housing, when it comes to housing. His name is Ken Popove, and he’s been serving the Chilliwack community as a councillor since December 2011 and then as mayor since November 2018. He’s a longtime Chilliwack resident, an established business owner long before his city council career. He was heavily involved in the community through the BIA, supporting local community events, etc.

He has really been a courageous advocate to tackle the housing crisis. I served as co-chair, with the mayor, on this committee called Chilliwack Healthier Community. His strong support for a housing-first approach has made a large impact on reducing homelessness in Chilliwack. He serves as an example to mayors around the province of how to work with senior levels of government to get things done — not fighting against the senior levels of government, but really working with the senior levels of government to make sure that people get housing. I’m very excited to continue working with the mayor in this role.

One of the projects that the provincial government has announced in Chilliwack is a project that will replace The Portal clinic but will have some supportive housing and some other regular housing. B.C. Housing and the Phoenix Society have submitted a rezoning application to the city of Chilliwack for the project. It would be located at the corner of Rowat Avenue and Trethewey Avenue. The site is ideal for use as a shelter and supportive housing project, as it is close to public transportation, clinics and other amenities.

Society staff from the Phoenix Society would be on site, 24-7, to provide support services for residents, including life skills training, mentorship and wellness checks, and would encourage culturally appropriate programming. The mayor said this about this project: “‘Providing supports for people experiencing homelessness involves an enormous amount of teamwork and collaboration. We are grateful the province recognizes a need for supportive housing and shelter space in Chilliwack and look forward to meeting with them further.”

[4:10 p.m.]

“Fraser Health, through an integrated response team, will provide primary health care, home health, mental health and substance use services on site to some residents and shelter guests, as well as referral to mental health and substance use recovery programs, as needed.”

The three- to four-storey modular-built project would be shaped in an L-shape, with supportive housing on one side and the shelter on the other side. The building will include offices, meeting rooms and a commercial kitchen. The 50 homes would be studio units, with their own bathrooms and kitchens. This shelter would be open nightly and provide a warm and safe and physically distanced place for people to stay.

I’m personally grateful for the efforts of B.C. Housing and Phoenix Society for working together on this proposal. Additional homes with supports and shelter spaces are desperately needed in the community so more people can get off the streets and into safe and secure housing.

At this housing project, a community advisory committee would be formed, which would include project partners and neighbourhood representatives. The CAC, or community advisory committee, would help address any concerns that may arise.

If rezoning is approved for this project — and I believe it will — construction is expected to start either late spring or summer of this year. I can tell you that the province, through B.C. Housing, is going to support the construction and operational budgets for this project. The 40-space shelter would replace the temporary portal shelter on Yale Road, which is downtown here in Chilliwack and is desperately needing to be replaced. The building is in a bit of disrepair.

While we’re talking about housing, I’d like to talk about another important housing announcement in Chilliwack. The Attorney General today answered questions in question period. We were talking about rental housing. I can tell you that we built some rental housing here in Chilliwack recently that is going to help people immensely.

There are 24 new affordable rental homes coming to Chilliwack for people with low to moderate incomes, provided by the Building B.C.: community housing fund. These new affordable rental homes are part of 16 projects, which will deliver a total of 634 new homes across the province.

Ever since the former B.C. Liberal government refused to take action on B.C.’s housing crisis, we’ve seen more people move to my community in search of secure and affordable housing. I’m proud to be part of a government that is taking strong steps to tackle the housing crisis and deliver affordable housing where people need it. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. I know these homes will improve the lives of people in my community and the community as a whole.

These new affordable homes for Indigenous families will be built in partnership with Tzeachten Nation, one of the local First Nations here. Construction is expected to begin in March 2021. It’s a very exciting project and, I thought, appropriate to bring up at this time, given the short memory that the B.C. Liberal caucus has when it comes to their support for rental housing. It was almost comical this morning. I just about had tears coming down my face. I found it so funny.

I’d really also like to thank the Chilliwack Economic Recovery Network, or CERN. CERN’s makeup, which includes some of the organizations I was talking about earlier, includes the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corp., Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce, downtown business improvement association, Stó:lō Community Futures, Tourism Chilliwack and Community Futures South Fraser self-employment program. I’m thanking them not only for their support but for working hard to get out the word about our supports for business.

[4:15 p.m.]

When we created a program at record speed to support businesses that were adversely affected by the circuit breaker restrictions, which are very necessary, CERN got out the word through their network — Facebook and their member organization networks. So all those organizations I just read out now got the word out to their networks as well. They also got the word out about the small and medium business recovery grant, supporting people and businesses through the pandemic. Recovery is a top priority for this government, as mentioned in the throne speech, which I fully support.

The small and medium business recovery grant provides up to $30,000 for businesses affected by the pandemic. Then tourism businesses are eligible for a further $15,000 if they qualify.

I’m super proud of the work that the Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation is doing to support business. I can’t be more proud to be part of a caucus with such a strong leader as the Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. He took feedback from business and the community to continually improve the program’s rollout. That was just great.

CERN also helped get the word out about the launch online grant. The grant pays up to 75 percent of eligible expenses to a maximum of $7,500 per business, including website and e-commerce development, content development, which can include copywriting, hiring a photographer, stock photography purchase, e-commerce platform fees up to a year’s worth, online advertising up to one year’s worth and advertising, creative, banner ads, etc., search engine optimization and staff training.

CERN — that’s the Chilliwack Economic Recovery Network — also, at the moment, has a local campaign on right now to support our local businesses and, in particular, to support those affected by the circuit breaker restrictions. It’s called “Love local.” It’s a week-long challenge that focuses on actions each day that help local businesses.

Day 1 is to buy lunch for your staff. Day 2 is to get a coffee to go. Day 3 is to get baked goods from a local business for a friend. Day 4 is to go to a happy hour on a patio. Day 5 is to purchase some local gift cards. Day 6 is to dine on a patio. Day 7 is to purchase a pay-it-forward lunch.

The campaign is in its fourth day. I’m only on the third day of the campaign. I got a late start. This isn’t a challenge that is only limited to Chilliwack or even to this week or to that seven days. I encourage all my colleagues to take the challenge and support the local businesses in their ridings.

I’d also like to thank — I’ve had meetings with them recently — the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre and Stó:lō Nation. Both organizations applied for and got some of our multiculturalism grant funding. I even was able to get the Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism to come and visit with the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre and a member of the youth that is pushing that project forward. It was a great meeting.

I’m also very, very proud to be in a caucus with the Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism. I’m really excited that in the throne speech we mentioned developing B.C.’s first antiracism law. I’m really excited about that.

Multiculturalism grant funding will help local organizations fight systemic racism throughout the Chilliwack area. This year priority was given to projects addressing anti-Indigenous, anti-Asian and anti-Black racism. We know that Indigenous, Black and people of colour in Canada experience pervasive and systemic racism, and we must all do what we can to stop it.

[4:20 p.m.]

Funding programs in communities that educate and provide culturally sensitive supports is one step our government is taking to combat the racism experienced in British Columbia. Multiculturalism grant funding is provided to non-profit and charitable organizations with projects that build intercultural interaction, trust and understanding or that challenge racism, hate and systemic barriers.

I told you a little bit about the projects but maybe in more detail here. The Chilliwack Youth Health Centre will be getting $5,000. That’s to help the trans youth alliance group enhancement project. The goals of this project are to improve the quality of care for trans youth through enhancing existing services and to serve more LGBTQ2S+ youth in need through raising awareness of program availability at the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre.

And then to the Stó:lō Nation — in particular, the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre. They got $10,000. The program is called “Learning to Live Together in a Good Way: A Special Cultural Experience Series Addressing Indigenous-Settler Relations in S’ólh Téméxw.” Oh, I should tell you what that word means. It means “our world.” This will emphasize the collaborative relationship between the Stó:lō Service Agency and the University of the Fraser Valley. The anti-Indigenous-racism series shares Stó:lō knowledge with local and world communities and encourages all people to live well together.

For 2020-2021, the province is providing almost $1 million in antiracism initiatives through StrongerBC, B.C.’s economic recovery plan. What an amazing thing to do — not only building back for the recovery but building back for the recovery stronger and more resilient and more inclusive. This is just one program that the B.C. NDP government is working on to subvert systemic racism and to protect human rights.

I wanted to talk a little bit about — very briefly, just a snippet — my motivation, why I ran. I ran in this election…. Well, I guess maybe I should tell you just one thing about myself. I’m a working-class person. My parents worked. My dad worked with his hands. My mom worked in a hospital. My grandparents were the same way. We don’t come from the moneyed class, if you will. So I’ve always kind of had a real connection with working people.

One of the things that started to get me really motivated or thinking about politics and the difference it makes in peoples’ lives was in the early 2000s, when the B.C. Liberals first took over. My mother, like I said, worked in a hospital. She was a member of the Hospital Employees Union. Their contract was essentially ripped up, their wages were reduced by 15 percent, and then they were asked to pay back those wages from when the contract was first signed. I mean, I can’t think of a more egregious thing to do to the collective bargaining process. It boggles the mind.

Then, as I got a little older, I got elected to the school board. I was on the school board for four years under a B.C. Liberal government. We couldn’t build schools. We were constantly having our budgets reduced.

[4:25 p.m.]

I remember one time we had what they call — I don’t know if anyone here remembers — low-hanging fruit. We had the low-hanging fruit removed from our budget. Then, of course, we couldn’t pay for busing for kids anymore.

What happened was all the MLAs in ruralish areas, where students rely on busing to get to school, obviously got lots of angry correspondence and emails and things. So the B.C. Liberal government decided: “Okay. Well, we’ll give it back to them, but we’ll tell them that they have to spend it on busing and that that pot of money will never rise with either per-student funding or even with inflation.” It was a really egregious thing to do.

I lived through four years of things like this as a school trustee. So frustrated, having to cut school budgets every year, having to cut support time for some of the most in need of students to help them through their education. Then the B.C. NDP government was elected. It was like a ray of sunshine coming into my life. I can’t even overstate it. It was so wonderful.

We instantly started getting projects approved. We got an addition up at one elementary school. We’ve had another high school that has been approved. We have yet another high school in this direction. I guess I’m pointing around in Chilliwack, here, for you. Of course, you can’t see. Another high school over there. Another business case for another extension on an elementary school. Another one on another high school.

Most recently the ministry has announced a 240 seat addition to Vedder Elementary in Chilliwack. Just amazing. This thing will cost $15.4 million, and it will help to keep kids out of portables. Believe it or not, here in Chilliwack, we had the most portable-to-student ratio in the province, even higher than Surrey.

We were in desperate need of capital projects, which we weren’t getting under the B.C. Liberal government. Now that we have a B.C. NDP government, we’re getting all sorts of projects that we desperately need. These projects are being built by the B.C. NDP government. It’s terrific. It’s great.

This sort of leadership that I saw from the B.C. NDP government and the lack of leadership, innovation and downright callousness and meanness of a B.C. Liberal government…. That’s really what motivated me to run under the B.C. NDP banner. I’m glad I did. I’m glad I’m elected. I’m glad that we have a strong, stable majority and that we’re able to go to work for the people of British Columbia to get us through this pandemic and into a strong recovery for everyone.

I just can’t say enough about how proud I am to represent the people of Chilliwack under the B.C. NDP banner and to be part of a B.C. NDP government. For those reasons, I’m obviously going to support the Speech from the Throne. It is full of hope. It’s going to help people immensely when we do these things. We already are doing these things, and that’s what’s really amazing about this speech.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

I guess I’ll probably wrap it up there, just to say that I hope that my colleagues across the aisle choose to support the throne speech. It’s really good, and it will say something good about them if they do support it.

[4:30 p.m.]

M. Lee: I’m honoured to rise to respond to the throne speech.

I think it’s important to first speak about and recognize some of the significant challenges that we are facing as a society. I wish to recognize the 1,524 British Columbians who have lost their lives to this pandemic, and their families and loved ones, as well as all those who have suffered the effects of this virus on their physical and mental health.

I also want to recognize the sacrifices of front-line workers, first responders, health care workers, teachers, transit workers, workers in our stores, restaurants, warehouses, on our roads and on the shores of our great province. Many of us did not appreciate that these were essential workers until the pandemic. I would like to thank them all for their service and sacrifice.

Now British Columbians recognize, certainly, all the people who are essential to our daily lives and to whom we are forever grateful. We have all pulled together and tried to keep each other safe, to be responsible and supportive of others through the pandemic.

In my constituency of Vancouver-Langara, that has included the efforts of the South Vancouver Seniors Network, which has helped to keep caregivers and the elderly in touch and supporting each other, also the volunteers with the Jewish Family Service, South Vancouver Neighbourhood House and the Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole Policing Centre — all of whom have been helping with food distribution, including to isolated seniors.

Staying apart continues to take its toll on all of us, but we ought to be encouraged by so many in British Columbia who have come together safely to help those in need. Yet there are those who seek to take advantage of this societal crisis, to sow seeds of division and hatred.

We have seen the disturbing rise in racism and hate crimes in our communities. In the Vancouver-Langara community that I represent, we recently had two incidents of racism: one at a c̓əsnaʔəm, an ancient Musqueam village and burial ground that was vandalized, and the second at Riverview Park, where eight trees were defaced with anti-Semitic symbols — swastikas and the words “white power.” This sickened me. I stand with the many people from all parts of the community who spoke out against these terrible acts.

Similarly, there has been growing anti-Asian sentiment, with the Vancouver police department reporting a staggering 717 percent increase in anti-Asian hate crime incidents in 2020. That’s just in reported incidents. There are many people who do not feel safe in our community, on our streets and in our neighbourhoods.

There is another epidemic emerging in this province. That is an epidemic of distrust and hate. Over the past years, we have seen a stark increase in hate crimes and overt acts of racism in our province. Acts of violence, in the form of verbal and physical assaults, and other hate crimes have all increased dramatically since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This growing racism is something we all need to address together, because to do nothing is to allow division and distrust to flourish. With division and distrust, our social fabric begins to fray and fall apart, as evidenced by the incidents in Vancouver-Langara last month and at the Chabad centre in Victoria.

There are further steps we also need to take specifically to address anti-Semitism in our province. Canada and On­tario have adopted the International Holocaust Remem­brance Alliance, IHRA, definition of anti-Semitism as part of their antiracism strategies. I personally believe that this government should do the same here in British Columbia, with the antiracism law it intends to bring forward, as referred to in the throne speech.

The IHRA definition would definitely strengthen the tools that we have to fight racism. In speaking at the Yom HaShoah ceremony hosted by the Premier last week, I was struck that both Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, of Temple Sholom, and Robert Krell, as a Holocaust survivor, used the solemn occasion to speak out and urge this government to adopt the use of the IHRA definition for anti-Semitism.

[4:35 p.m.]

In the throne speech, remarkably, there is but one mention of the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples — one. That one reference mentions the passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, but not any subsequent action. This is astonishing, given the significance of this important new act and that it was passed unanimously in this House. I hope there is meaningful progress being made by this government on the action plan which the former Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation indicated would only take a matter of months to develop. Well, it has been 18 months.

We are in a time of great uncertainty here in B.C. This throne speech does nothing to address that. In fact, it feels a lot like a rehashed version of the Premier’s stump speech during the unnecessary pandemic election he called — the faint empty promises of better times ahead, perhaps even rays of sunshine. When British Columbians are most vulnerable and may have nothing more to give, we deserve more than a government simply concerned with keeping power and avoiding the hard questions.

Where is the relief for our struggling small businesses? Our small businesses are drowning, with little support from this government. What little support they could get was delayed due to the unnecessary election. To date, less than a third of the small business funding support has been rolled out, despite being 14 months into this pandemic. This is not only too little, too late; it is also a poorly planned and mismanaged rollout, with many small businesses finding the supports too difficult to access.

Where is the affordable housing? This government promised 114,000 new units in ten years, and to date, only 3,246 have been built. At this rate, it will take this government over 100 years to meet their housing promise. Where is that $400 renters rebate promised by this government? After nearly four years of this government, housing prices in B.C. are at their highest levels, and new home construction has significantly slowed, with the housing supply at its lowest levels in 21 years.

Where is the tax relief and support for individuals? This pandemic, as we know, has disproportionately affected women and the marginalized. We have seen no real support for individuals from this government. Instead, they are focused on their efforts — on an election cheque that was used to buy votes. That was it.

Where are the promised child care spaces? This government has failed to deliver on their promised 24,000 new child care spaces, with just 3,500 affordable spaces having been opened. With this government’s new cost regulations, many private child care operators are being pushed out of business.

Where are the desperately needed mental health supports for youth? Average wait times for children and youth for their first visit for clinical or psychiatric mental health services reached 55 days in May, 2020. This is particularly concerning with the 30 to 35 percent increase in children and youth suffering from some form of mental health challenge due to the pandemic.

Our province needs real leadership, not empty and broken promises — certainly not delay after delay. I think how you govern matters. Integrity matters. This government is empowered today only because the Premier chose to put our province through an unnecessary pandemic election. Even worse, this government saw the results of that election as consent from the people of this province, the people they are supposed to serve, as a blank cheque. Now we are all paying the price for the Premier’s decision.

[4:40 p.m.]

The government’s lack of fiscal transparency and ac­countability, including fiscal updates, is not good enough for British Columbians who are struggling through this pandemic. This government has been challenged to provide a budget, which is two months delayed, in the meantime getting a $12 billion blank cheque in the December sitting of this assembly.

British Columbians need a government that would put its head down and rebuild our province. Instead, what we got was a government that wanted power so badly that they called a risky unnecessary election, taking their eye off the ball in the midst of the fight or the war against the pandemic.

Since then, this government has proceeded to drop the ball on every single big promise that it has made. This government continues to demonstrate that it does not understand the economy. It does not understand the pressures of meeting a payroll or the fundamentals of the businesses and the industries that create the family-supporting jobs they like to talk about.

What about the issues they claim to be focused on? Looking at housing affordability, the opioid crisis, mental health supports and homelessness. How is this government doing on these very important critical matters? By every measure, these issues are worse than they were four years ago. The throne speech does nothing to change that.

We all share in the responsibility to address the ongoing opioid crisis. So 1,724 people died of overdoses in 2020, and 320 people have died in the first two months of this year. Yesterday in this chamber, we all marked the fifth anniversary of this provincial emergency. Still, this government has no answers. This government needs to do more by adequately establishing the continuum of care for those living with addiction, and funding all four pillars of harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and enforcement.

This government and this Premier are good at one thing though, and that’s the blame game. He blames the former government. He blames the pandemic itself, and yes, he even blames young people. When will this Premier take responsibility for the actions of his government?

After an incredibly difficult year, British Columbians were expecting more from their government. They were expecting to see real and concrete plans to address this third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, to encourage economic recovery, to build new homes and infrastructure and to meet some of their many failed promises to British Columbians.

Unfortunately, that’s not what we’ve heard in the throne speech. What we heard is that individuals, families and businesses waiting for this government to provide relief will have to continue to wait. This, at a time when over half of all British Columbians are less than $200 away from not being able to pay their monthly bills and their debt payments, according to a recent MNP consumer debt index.

This government’s inability to get supports to those who need them most and its failure to put forward any economic recovery plan is putting the future prosperity of this province at risk.

Let me just add that despite the Minister of Jobs’ claims, B.C. actually ranks amongst the lowest in Canada for government spending supports for business. Based on StatsCan figures, B.C. is eighth in Canada, behind all provinces, except for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick at $196 per capita, compared to Ontario and Alberta, which are 2.5 times that amount, at $507 and $485, respectively.

We all know that this pandemic has been particularly hard on small businesses. They’ve had to cope with closures, adapt to new ways of operating, and most have seen massive decreases in revenue. There are approximately 40,000 less full-time jobs in B.C. than before the pandemic.

[4:45 p.m.]

With no plan for economic recovery, how will this government get our economy moving again and continue to attract increased trade and investment in our province, particularly in light of the increased tax burden and the costs of dealing with the 23 new or increased taxes that this government has introduced over the past four years?

Clearly this government’s programs for support have also missed the mark. Their small and medium-sized business grants have been frustrating since they were first announced, with eligibility requirements that have kept many businesses in need from being able to apply and get help. This government struggled to get money in the hands of those who need it.

Thirteen months after the first $5 billion COVID recovery fund was approved by the members of this Legislative Assembly, only $100 million of the $345 million allocated to the small and medium-sized business recovery grant has been distributed. Making matters worse, this year the government applied their speculation and vacancy tax to the air above buildings, putting increased strain on small businesses that are already struggling with the impacts of COVID-19, particularly local restaurants.

Instead of helping businesses cope with the fallout from the pandemic and supporting the rebuilding effort, they are taxing the air above their buildings — taxing the air. This is part of an issue that small businesses, art groups and not-for-profit organizations have been dealing with for years under this government, a government that has refused to take steps that will actually relieve this unfair tax burden, even during a global pandemic.

In the Vancouver-Langara constituency that I represent, there are so many businesses suffering the real consequences of this tax on the air that they breathe. This government says it introduced legislation to address this issue. But how effective was that? So effective that not a single one of B.C.’s municipalities has adopted it.

Even though this fact has not clearly escaped their notice, the government has refused to adopt legislation that will actually solve the problem, like the split assessment bill my colleague from Kamloops–South Thompson has introduced three times in this chamber.

A similar situation has unfolded with the strata crisis. We’re still seeing so many people being affected by skyrocketing strata insurance fees. Yet this government has avoided providing relief to those who desperately need it, instead choosing to introduce legislation that won’t make a difference for years into the future.

Let me now turn to parts of the throne speech relating to transportation infrastructure, as the official opposition critic for this area. It has been incredibly disappointing to see this government place such little emphasis on the importance of having a transportation plan, of the role that infrastructure development could play in economic recovery.

This government had the audacity to say that the George Massey Tunnel replacement will continue to be a priority when they have done next to nothing to move it forward over the past four years. They have sat on a business case for over four months while commuters endure the worst bottleneck in B.C., pumping tailpipe emissions into the air as they wait to go through an aging and seismically unsafe tunnel.

This government, over 1,300 days ago, cancelled the replacement which would have been completed next year, and they have done nothing but delay on moving forward with a replacement ever since. At this point, we will be waiting ten more years for a replacement. That is the sum total of the response to the people of the communities south of the Fraser River, who put their faith in this government.

If this is how they treat a priority, it makes sense why they have continued to struggle to meet any of their promises. It’s not just the Massey Tunnel replacement that they have struggled to move forward.

I must say, it was a challenge to decide which of the many transportation infrastructure projects that have seen repeated delays from this government to fit in my response to the throne speech. Just ten days ago this government announced that there would be a delay of a year on the Pattullo Bridge replacement, pushing it back to 2024.

[4:50 p.m.]

Again, I would ask the government: is this how you repay the trust the people who live south of the Fraser put in you during the needless pandemic election? This is just another example of how this government cannot get anything built. This government’s approach to transportation infrastructure development just seems to be delay and pay and pay with taxpayer dollars.

At the end of the day, the responsibility falls on this government to deliver on their promises to British Columbians. It’s this government’s job to ensure things go ahead as planned, and right now it looks like they’re failing on that. There is no shortage of other transportation infrastructure projects in need of real priority from this government, including the replacement of the Taylor Bridge crossing the Peace River, the transportation access challenges to the Royal Columbian Hospital and the improvements to the Brunette Highway 1 interchange in New Westminster, which has also been stagnant under this government.

Fraser River residents have been waiting years for the much-needed widening of Highway 1 between Langley and Abbotsford, only to see that project stop 500 metres short of the 264 Street exit for Langley, as pointed out by my colleague the member for Abbotsford South in his response speech.

Each of these projects could be creating good family-supporting jobs and economic stimulus. Instead, this government is just creating more delays and increased costs. Why? Because this government has unilaterally decided that only certain of its friends in the labour union movement should be eligible to work on these projects. Yes, I’m talking about the so-called community benefit agreements. These agreements are not only costly to British Columbians, but they are also discriminatory.

Under a CBA, only workers from a small group of government-approved unions can work on certain transportation or infrastructure projects. This means that 85 percent of B.C. workers are being discriminated against and cannot take part in CBA projects. This leads to delays, reduced scope and rapidly increased costs.

Here are just a few examples. As outlined by the member from Okanagan, Shuswap, in his response, the Illecillewaet four-laning project was reduced in scope from 2.5 kilometres to 2.1 kilometres with a $50 million increase. This represented a 250 percent increase in costs. Kicking Horse Canyon will run $150 million over budget, with B.C.’s portion of costs increasing by 27 percent. The Highway 1 expansion just past Kamloops from Hoffman’s Bluff to Jade Mountain has had its scope reduced with at least one fewer full-access interchange for $65 million over the original budget. This project is now 3½ years behind schedule.

I mentioned earlier the Pattullo Bridge replacement. Well, I imagine that people were shocked to find out that this government wants to replace an already over capacity four-lane bridge with just another four-lane bridge — with at least $100 million in extra costs, much of which is going into the pockets of the Premier’s union friends, insiders. Integrity matters in government. This huge handout to the Premier’s friends is an insult to British Columbians who are struggling to pay every tax dollar demanded of them during this pandemic.

Now this Pattullo Bridge replacement project has been delayed by another year. Other CBA projects have seen delays, increased costs and reduction of scope. We’ve seen now two out of the three with the Pattullo replacement. CBAs aren’t good for the British Columbians that depend on this infrastructure, and they aren’t good for the 85 percent of the workers that cannot be involved in the projects.

This government has failed to put a priority on building infrastructure. That is an insult to the thousands of hard-working British Columbians who are forced to spend hours in the worst traffic bottlenecks in British Columbia, particularly in the communities south of the Fraser River that have put their faith and trust in this government.

[4:55 p.m.]

Even more than that, the few mentions of infrastructure in the throne speech outline the low priority that this government places on it, when, really, they could be valuing the role it could be playing in our future recovery. Not only are healthy and viable transportation networks essential to the continued movement of people and goods around our province; they’re vital to B.C.’s economic recovery.

Investing in our infrastructure will also directly create jobs and stimulate the economy, something that B.C. needs right now. Rural roads throughout British Columbia are deteriorating and in need of significant repair, including damage from flooding and landslides. This is the time of year when this government should be expediting these road projects to capitalize on the window of opportunity to get work done in the north and other areas where construction cannot take place for much of the year.

This is particularly the case for rural roads like the Dog Creek Road near Williams Lake and the Quesnel-Hydraulic Road, which the member for Cariboo-Chilcotin and the member for Cariboo North have been advocating for, for so long, along with many other needed road replacements in the region. Many of these rural roads include resource road and culvert structures which need to be replaced, repaired, repaved or rebuilt. They certainly need more, further attention following flooding and landslides.

Rural roads throughout the province, and so many others, are all desperately in need of infrastructure projects that have been delayed, cancelled or seen little progress under this government.

This government needs to provide a real vision for transportation, including in Metro Vancouver where the population is expected to grow by one million over the next three decades. British Columbia needs a plan from this government which will ensure the long-term viability of our critical transportation and trade routes. This government needs to advocate effectively for B.C.’s fair share of federal funding for well-targeted infrastructure projects. From commuting and daily life, critical care access and facilitating trade to eventually bringing visitors back to our province, we need safe, efficient and reliable transportation networks.

Just as importantly, we need this government to commit to a comprehensive transportation and infrastructure plan, one that invests in our transportation services and infrastructure that have kept B.C. running during COVID and that ensures they will be able to continue to serve British Columbians for years to come. But this government hasn’t done that. They have no plan for transportation infrastructure in this province. In fact, they have no plan at all.

It’s time that this Premier and this government take responsibility for choosing selfish gain over what is best for the health and economic future of this province. It’s time that this province stops blaming case counts on youth and young people who are working in the front-line jobs that are keeping our province running and, overall, doing a great job wearing masks and social distancing.

It’s clear that this throne speech was not what British Columbians wanted and certainly not what they needed. But what disturbs me most about this government’s actions is the blatant lack of integrity with which they treat British Columbians.

K. Greene: It is such an honour to be able to speak to the Speech from the Throne today.

I come from the traditional unceded territories of the Musqueam and Coast Salish peoples.

I want to take a few minutes to express my gratitude to my family, whose support is essential to be able to serve the people of Richmond-Steveston. My children are six, nine and 11 and are endlessly understanding about mommy going to another meeting. They bring me so much joy and motivation to keep going, even when the going gets tough.

I’m fortunate beyond belief to have my parents nearby, supporting our family with child care and even meals when the days are really long — as I’m sure all members in this House know, the days can be very, very long — and my husband, whose belief in me and unconditional support can bring me to tears. I am so very glad that I registered for all those economics classes at UBC 21 years ago.

[5:00 p.m.]

I’d also like to take the time to introduce my constituency assistants, who are caring and immensely capable individuals. Carven Li and Karen Fisher-Hagel are my dynamic duo who keep me on track and help constituents with all kinds of issues. I’m looking forward to working with them for years to come.

This past year has been a defining time in British Columbia’s history. Over the last year, British Columbians’ lives have indelibly been shaped by the pandemic. There have been heartbreaking stories of loss, and I grieve for all the families who have lost a loved one in this difficult time.

There have also been stories of indomitable love and courage and, in particular, of the nurses, doctors, hospital staff, care workers and all front-line staff who are caring for us. They’ve cared for those sickened from COVID-19 but also for people who’ve suffered from strokes, accidents, cancer and other illnesses.

We should also recognize the generosity of friends and neighbours supporting each other when times are tough. Those generous people are also volunteers in organizations that help the most vulnerable, those isolated, those who are elders, those who have low incomes. Thank you.

I feel such lightness when I think of the over one million British Columbians who have gotten a first dose of vaccine. They’re protected from the virus, but more vaccines protect our communities too. British Columbians are tired, but they’re not quitters. British Columbians are committed to holding the line while vaccines roll out.

We’re wearing a mask. We wash our hands with soap and water or sanitizer. We’re keeping two metres distant. We’re staying home if we’re even slightly sick. People are working from home whenever possible. People are cancelling and postponing travel because they know that now is not the time to go. British Columbians care about what happens to people we’ve never met. It matters to us. This is the definition of community. We’re all pulling together. Strengthening communities is how we sustain our communities during the pandemic and prosper in the times beyond.

Investment in communities is so important. In Richmond, that means the George Massey replacement project. Our government listened to communities and to the mayors in the region and will ensure that we deliver the right project. Instead of disrespecting the needs of the communities by jamming a mega-bridge into the integrated road network of Metro Vancouver, we listened. The re­placement will mean better connectivity and safer conditions. It will help businesses attract and retain talent and get goods to market. It will also help people. People will be able to get safely to and from work and get to the amenities at the north end of the Steveston Highway.

In Richmond, a replaced Steveston Highway and Highway 99 interchange, which is part of the project, means that people can access their homes. They can access the SilverCity theatre, Watermania, ice rinks, bowling and restaurants. I personally know a lot of moms who are going to be thrilled to be able to get through that intersection for the after-school run to swimming lessons and hockey practice.

It also means targeted investments in health care. Health care investments are a long-term commitment to the well-being of the community. We recently opened the urgent primary care centre, UPCC, in Richmond. At this temporary location, residents can access primary care on evenings and weekends, when it’s the most difficult for people to find health care outside of hospitals.

My experience with children has certainly been that they need a doctor at the most awkward times: that late-night high fever or a bad fall on the weekend. Instead of tying up emergency resources at the hospital, residents can now access health care when they need it, and it’s conveniently located in the city centre area.

Foundry is another project that is an important investment in Richmond’s community. Foundry centres provide a one-stop shop for young people, ages 12 to 24, to access mental health care, substance use services, primary care, social services, and youth and family peer supports. I can’t think of a better investment in our community than an investment in our children, our future.

Investing in Richmond’s community and health care is so important for all our residents. Building the Richmond Hospital replacement tower will support our community for years to come. Whenever I go to community events, one of the first things that people ask about is the Richmond Hospital, and I’m so proud that we’re going to be bringing that project to fruition. At the annual gala for the Richmond Hospital project, we often find that people are enthused beyond belief to be able to support the project and want to know how they can do more.

[5:05 p.m.]

At the beginning of the pandemic, when we were experiencing a worldwide shortage of ventilators, community group after community group and resident after resident came forward and said: “How can we help?” The foundation turned on a dime and was able to source equipment that was needed — not just ventilators but other equipment as well — and that the doctors and nurses had said was a priority for them to be able to care for people during the pandemic and beyond.

When we have the replacement tower, we’re going to be having expanded resources for our community. It doesn’t sound very impressive. It’s a tower. But it’s a lot more than that. It’s bigger operating rooms. It’s being able to have individual units within the building, instead of having large, shared wards. It means being able to get through the doorway of the washroom when you’re having a lot of equipment attached to you. It’s small things like that that are actually really, really big and really impact the outcomes and the care that people are able to receive.

It’s really important for our staff in the hospitals as well. Our nurses and doctors are doing an exceptional job of delivering absolutely outstanding care, which I personally received as well as members of my family. They shouldn’t have to overcome the deficiencies of the building. I’m really excited that we’re going to be in a place where the operating rooms are the right size, where all the equipment fits, where the units are single-bed units instead of large wards. That’s going to make everybody’s life much, much better.

It’s not just investing in health care. It’s also investing in the future of our families. Families tend to need child care. I know that I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to be supported by my parents, who live nearby. Not everybody is that fortunate. Not everybody has that ability. So child care is an important investment.

I know that we’ve had a number of the pilot project child care spaces open up in Richmond and, in particular, in Steveston. I’ve talked to a few of the parents from the pilot project in Steveston. How transformative it is for families to be able to have quality child care at an affordable rate. That affordable rate is life-changing.

One of the things that we hear from providers is that when child care is more affordable, one of the first things that improves for a family is the quality of their food. When you think about that, that’s so fundamental — having good quality food on the table, having the nutrition that you need to get through your day, especially as a child, as a young person.

It’s almost overwhelming to think of how big of a change that is. It’s also a big change for the parents and, in particular, for women, who often have the overwhelming burden of child care. One of the moms at the program is able to go back to school. She’s able to have a higher education, and it’s because child care is available for her.

We are opening up more seats. We are partnering with the city of Richmond to ensure that we’re able to bring the city’s child care program, which has been evaluated with money that was generously granted by the UBCM, to fruition, that we’re able to target the deficiencies in the city and to make sure that throughout the city people are having access to the resources that they need to support their growing families. When we have gender equity in the workplace, we have, actually, better economic outcomes.

Some of the research showing the effect of gender equitable leadership in companies, both at the director and executive level, is very fascinating. I highly recommend it for anybody who’s interested in that kind of research. Your business is likely to do significantly better.

It pays our economy to make sure that we’re supporting women and families to be part of that workforce. Also, we want to make sure that we’re supporting small businesses. That means being able to pivot and support businesses in ways that mean something to the business.

[5:10 p.m.]

One of the programs that I’m very excited about is the help with the online e-commerce sites. E-commerce sounds very intimidating, particularly if you’re a small business owner. You’re probably an absolute expert in your field. You know everything upside and inside out in your business. That’s your forte. E-commerce might be something that is a little bit intimidating for you, and you might not know where to start.

The e-commerce program is very helpful for businesses that need that extra help. The grant money is there for them to develop and launch their e-commerce platform. I know that is definitely not just here, now, in the pandemic, but something that is going to help for years to come. The transition to e-commerce was already underway when the pandemic came. It just has accelerated that process, and it is here to stay.

For example, the other day my children were flying a kite, and it hit the ground. There was nothing left. It was unsalvageable. We needed another kite. So hopping online and being able to find the local retailer that sells kites, I ordered a kite online, and five minutes later I’ve got a text message that my kite is ready to pick up. Hopping down into Steveston village and picking up that kite, we’re back in action, in time for no more tears.

E-commerce, I think, is definitely the way of the future. It’s a grant program that was so well received by the business community that it had an additional extension to add more to that program so that more businesses can access that service and so that they can be successful now, when we are really relying on online services, but also in years to come.

I think it’s really important, too, that we consider the effect of diversity not only in our businesses but also here in the Legislature. I just want to highlight the fact that this B.C. NDP caucus is gender-balanced. The diversity that we have in the B.C. Legislature is the most that we’ve ever had, and I think that that’s something to be really proud of.

Representation matters. It matters to see somebody like you in a position of power so that you feel not only em­powered to be part of the process but so that if something goes wrong or you need something changed, you feel like you could come forward and be listened to and respected during that process. Also, it inspires. It inspires the next generation of leadership.

Personally, I was quite taken aback, after I was elected to city council, the first time that I was approached by young women. They were in high school. They said: “Thank you so much for coming to speak to us. It’s really inspirational. You’re a role model.” Being called a role model for the first time, I was almost, shamefully, a bit dismissive because I don’t see myself that way. That’s not how I see myself, but I am a role model.

It’s important for me to be here and to speak up. It’s important for people of all diverse backgrounds to be here, to be participating and to be seen so that everybody feels that they can achieve and be part of the process of government. It is important that when we have policies, we have diversity at the table so that we can consider other life experiences. I know that my life experience is completely different from somebody with a different background. I value that difference.

Representation matters for our youth. It also matters because of the way that we talk about climate. It is changing. It’s changing with young people. Not only is our caucus more diverse, but it’s also more diverse in age. We have more young people.

[5:15 p.m.]

Young people are talking about, even across the political spectrum, how important it is for us to tackle climate change. It’s not up for negotiation. Climate is not going to negotiate with us. That’s why we have such strong climate action in the CleanBC program. In CleanBC, we are tackling climate change. It is real. It is coming. We have to take action. We are recognizing where there are gaps, admittedly, with the change in the way that emissions are calculated. There’s more work to be done to make up the difference.

For climate change, which is a really important thing for me…. One of the important things in climate change is that transportation is about 40 percent of our emissions. It’s big. So we’re tackling climate change by ensuring that we have options to electrify vehicles. It’s not a silver bullet — for every single person to just convert their gas car into an electric car. We do need to make investments in public transportation, which we are doing.

We are building an incredible amount of rapid transit solutions, both with SkyTrain extensions and with buses. Buses are an absolute workhorse of our transportation system. We are electrifying our buses. I’m really excited to see the pilot buses being rolled out on that route. I was absolutely floored when I learned that the electric buses could charge in five minutes. I still can’t wrap my head around that. That’s the technology of the future. That’s the technology that we are supporting here in British Columbia.

Part of CleanBC is supporting innovation. Our strength in B.C. is our innovators. We have an incredible pool of talent in British Columbia that has brought innovation to a global scale. I was recently at an opening for a product that was developed in British Columbia by a Richmond resident to trap and capture waste heat. When the water goes down the drain and it’s hot water, you’re literally flushing energy down the drain. Energy is money.

This system captures the heat from the wastewater at a laundry facility and brings it back into the laundry facility to heat the new water. And get ready for this. It’s 400 percent efficient. For every dollar of energy that it takes to run the system, you get $4 worth of energy out. It’s a money saver for the business in a very profound way, particularly with a laundry business, which uses a lot of hot water for sanitary purposes, obviously. This is also a huge innovator for reducing energy consumption. You’re not depending on massive amounts of natural gas to heat boilers.

Richmond has also used this technology in other areas. In the larger scale, it’s called district heat. Sometimes it’s district heat and cooling, which is really neat. So you don’t need to have a heater and an air conditioner. You’re on district energy, and you’re good to go.

For the Olympic oval area, there is a district heat system that’s actually going to be commissioned very soon. It’s connected to the Gilbert Road sanitary main. The sanitary main that’s leaving Richmond to the wastewater treatment has a lot of heat in it. The system pulls the heat out of that and reuses that heat for the rest of the housing units. Thousands of housing units are attached to this district heat. Instead of using copious amounts of energy to heat those homes, we’re literally using waste heat from our sewer main to be able to heat those buildings.

[5:20 p.m.]

Don’t worry; the two systems are completely separate. There is no transference of sewer gas or anything like that. Never the twain shall meet. But it’s a fantastic system. When we use innovation like that, we are going to be able to make the difference that matters. And it really….

Not just climate change, but also for the youth who are active in the climate movement, I just want to say that I see you. I was so proud to see climate youth outside of Richmond city hall the last time that there was a Future Fridays.

I’m really pleased to see the local engagement of Richmond youth. I think that this is a really important key step in ensuring that the people who are making decisions know that it matters in Richmond. What often happens in Richmond is that the events that are being held — not just environment, but other events — are being held in Vancouver, and they’re big. You’d want to go. But having that really very local event with Richmond youth is just so powerful. It says: “I care about my community. I care about my community here, and my community leaders need to hear me.”

I hear you. Thank you. Please keep advocating.

I also appreciated the feedback that you gave us on plastics. That’s another important area for us to worry about in the environment. So there is the aspect of climate change, but there’s also environmental degradation. When you hear that there’s going to be more plastic than fish in the ocean within a few decades, it sinks your heart. You think: “Man. How bad do you have to screw up to have more plastic in the ocean than fish?” But the provincial government is sponsoring shoreline cleanups. They’re sponsoring grant money for pulling derelict vessels out, collecting used fishing gear — things like that that will reduce the amount of plastic waste in the ocean.

We also are going to have a plastics plan. We’re not just going to reduce and eliminate a lot of single-use plastics but also find local-made solutions for remanufacturing and recycling, in a true sense, the plastic that is already out there and that is inevitable, in some cases. So finding a place where we can use our home-grown innovation and grow those manufacturing facilities to make sure that we’re dealing with plastic waste is incredibly important. We don’t want that ending up in the ocean. We don’t want it in our waterways. We don’t want it contaminating our food chain.

Microplastics…. Plastic doesn’t really break down. It breaks into little pieces. Those pieces get smaller and smaller, and they’re pulverized by the elements. Then pretty soon they’re small enough to look like food to animals. They ingest it, and then we eat the animals. We eat the fish. We eat the plants. We eat the things that are contaminated by plastic. It’s incredibly important that we continue to make movement on both environmental and climate change.

I’d just like to conclude by saying that in British Columbia, our strength and resilience is in our people. When we invest in our people, we are investing in British Columbia’s future. This government will continue to put people first, and when we centre all of our decisions on people, we are investing in British Columbia’s future.

[5:25 p.m.]

We are in an excellent position to be able to recover from this pandemic in a way that I’m very excited about. It feels like it’s been the long, dark tea-time of the soul — to quote the title of a book that some of you may know. With the advent of spring and the advent of vaccinations that have been rolling out at an incredible speed….

I thank the ministry for their work on getting that organized. I thank all of the workers at all of those hundreds of sites across the province for doing such a good job of ensuring that we’re kept safe, that we’re being calm, that we’re doing everything we can in a very orderly but very quick rollout and that we’re getting vaccinated. I’m hoping for an amazing summer where we can maybe take a collective breath and, as Bonnie Henry says, be outside — be distant and safe, but be outside — and know that our better days are ahead of us. The better days are ahead of us. We’re putting people first. I’m very excited to see the next years ahead.

E. Ross: I’d like to say it’s with great pleasure I rise to speak to the throne speech, but it’s actually quite not. It’s not a pleasure, because there’s really not much in it. But in terms of the introduction to the throne speech, I can’t believe this NDP government is still trying to convince the people of B.C. that there is a new relationship between the B.C. government and First Nations people.

They’re basing that on Bill 41, better known as UNDRIP, or the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. They’re not based on that. They’re based on land acknowledgments, a virtue signalling term full of rhetoric but no substance. Yet since the passing of Bill 41, UNDRIP, the NDP have reneged on some of the biggest promises they made to First Nations in that bill in the first place — and then some.

The NDP promised to consult First Nations rights and title holders in all new legislation. Well, right away, with the first piece of legislation that came into this Legislature, they broke that promise. They did not consult with rights and title holders.

They also said that they were going to align all the laws in B.C. with rights and title, and they were going to do that under consultation with rights and title holders. They didn’t do that. There’s no proof that any of this was done. In fact, if anything, the answers that we got were that they actually consulted with political organizations like the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs or the Assembly of First Nations or the leadership council.

I’ve said it before. These organizations are not rights and title holders. Rights and title holders are actually held on behalf of a community. That’s who the true rights and title holders are. It only stands to reason that whoever represents that community actually has the right to speak on these rights and title issues.

We brought this issue up on every single piece of legislation that was actually tabled in the Legislature. We brought this up. Probably the worst answer I ever heard coming out of the NDP government was the idea that the government made up its mind on certain legislation, that they felt they didn’t need to consult on some of the legislation because it didn’t affect rights and title.

Well, that’s not what your UNDRIP bill says. That’s not what it says. In fact, if anything, this NDP government went back to the old ways, the colonial ways, of the idea that government actually knows better than First Nations, so: “We’re going to make that decision for you. We’re not even going tell you that we’re not going to consult you because we’ve already made that decision on our own. We’re not going to notify the 203 bands in B.C. that actually hold rights and title. We’ll do that for you.”

Yet since 2004, the First Nations in B.C., maybe even across Canada, have done incredible work to chip away at that paternalistic attitude that came from the Indian Act only to find out that that attitude is now coming from the provincial government of B.C.

[5:30 p.m.]

You’ve taken us 20 years back. In fact, if we even go back further than that, you’ve taken us back before 1982, when rights and title were first recognized in the Constitution of Canada, in section 35. I made mention of this when we were debating the bill — that there is no real mention of the case law that was established in the courts of Canada and B.C. that breathes life into section 35.

That matters. It was a definition that actually laid out the rules for all three parties seated at a table that wanted to do something that infringed on rights and title. It laid out rules for the honour of the Crown. It laid out rules for Aboriginals. It laid out rules for third parties that wanted to do some type of project in a particular territory.

It was fair. It wasn’t weighted in anybody’s favour. Once everybody got an understanding of these principles, we began to see peace in the forest in terms of logging. The government saw the rights and title and created what we know, back to 12 years ago, as the forest and range agreement.

Not only did it provide revenue-sharing to First Nations, but it also provided volumes of timber for First Nations to log. So they could create their own jobs. So they could create their own revenues. So they could, then, turn around and build their own programs and address their own issues on their own terms. This is some of the great work that you are undoing.

It’s not only in terms of resource projects. It’s not only in terms of on-the-ground consultations. Some of the things that I’m reading now, in terms of what this NDP government thinks of First Nations issues, are offensive. We were one of the most progressive provinces in supplementing what First Nations were doing, in terms of their goals to reach independence. We were on a good track. Why did you want to stop that? I don’t understand it.

The latest one was the Nuchatlaht people, who got fed up with negotiating the treaty, like every band’s right — and this is included in the contract that First Nations signed with B.C. and Canada — suspended negotiations and took their chances in court to define their title to their lands. This is what happened in Tŝilhqot’in, and Tŝilhqot’in won. Tŝilhqot’in is the only one, the only First Nation in B.C. that defined their title through the courts. They’re the only one.

Nuchatlaht is trying to follow this road. And what is one of the things this NDP government does in court? It tries to get the Nuchatlaht to admit that the Nuchatlaht have given up their rights and title to their territory. That is offensive.

You’re telling a group of people that were here long before Canada was established, long before B.C. was established, that they’ve got to come clean and admit they gave up their rights and title. And how do you cover this up? You come into the Legislature, and then you preach about land acknowledgments. That’s not right. You’re taking a colonial attitude, back out of the ’60s, and you’re bringing it into the 21st century.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

If anybody knows the reality of what it means to be in negotiations — to not only prove title but to actually improve the well-being and the future of First Nations — it’s First Nations people. We were progressing. We were getting there, right up until 2017.

Even the lawyer Jack Woodward, who represents the Nuchatlaht people in their title case, knows this. He knows what UNDRIP is all about. He’s the one who actually helped write section 35 of the constitution. He’s the lawyer that represented the Tŝilhqot’in in their Tŝilhqot’in title case. On the day that UNDRIP was approved in the B.C. Legislature, he took that document to the court and told B.C.: “Look. You’re breaking your own law.”

[5:35 p.m.]

It’s not just us, as the official opposition, that can see this — that’s seeing that the NDP are saying one thing, in terms of their legislation, but actually doing another thing and then covering it up with land acknowledgments and praising how much they’ve learned under the guidance and the knowledge of the Aboriginal people.

Not once have I ever heard anybody talk about, on that side of the House, how a First Nation has engaged so fully in environmental assessments, so fully in the economy that they now can see a day when they can say no to the Indian Act funding. Not once. In fact, I haven’t heard another word about the LNG projects that, actually, First Nations put together in partnership with the federal and provincial governments. We have one project, out of 20 projects that every First Nation worked on for the last 15 years…. We only have one that made it to an FID.

When you see the results of this…. When you come to a community like mine and you find a council that’s no longer begging for money, when you see the younger generation all has a job…. They’re getting mortgages, they’re buying trucks, and they’re going on vacation. Why do you want to stop this? Why do you want to stall it?

I understand the attitudes of some NDP members, when you’re talking about how evil a chief and council are, even though they’re democratically elected. I understand that. I understand the opinions of people when they see Aboriginal people vying to be an MLA. I understand that. I understand what it means to not understand what it means to have an Aboriginal nickname in a community. I understand that. What we’re talking about here is much, much bigger. It’s much bigger.

It’s not right that Aboriginals are misled by this idea of UNDRIP with broad, general, vague language. It’s not even going to be followed in terms of consultative legislation, anyway.

I was asked, in this House, by one of the ministers if I could come in and actually give him some advice or help them along with this UNDRIP bill. It’s not my bill. It’s your bill. If you had every intention of not following your bill…. You’ve got to look inwardly. You’ve got to look at yourselves, especially when you’re talking about one of the most disadvantaged people in Canada.

I mean, great with your land acknowledgments. Good for you. Man, I really applaud you. But not once have I ever heard anybody talk, on that side of the House, about the high levels of incarceration of Indigenous people, the high levels of suicide, the high levels of substance abuse, the high levels of Aboriginal kids still going into government care. Not once.

In fact, elected chief and councils are not evil. Elected chief and councils are trying to raise their revenues so they could put a stop to this, so they could slow it down. For those people in the House that claim Aboriginal ancestry or claim to have a close working relationship with Aboriginal leaders and people, you should know this.

Why are you not even following your own legislation? Why are you not telling the Aboriginals the truth about UNDRIP? I don’t see anything coming out of this that is actually going to improve the standard of life, which, in turn, mind you, will raise the standard of living for every British Columbian.

That’s been proven here in B.C. That’s been proven here in Kitimat with LNG. It has lifted everybody’s boat. It has made B.C. stronger. A $40 billion project that was actually developed by First Nations, the corporations and the government previous to 2017. No mention of that. We still see no mention of their sister project, Chevron’s KLNG project. No mention of that. How we get our land acknowledgments.

Noting the hour, I reserve my right to continue and move adjournment of the debate.

E. Ross moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. A. Kang moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. on April 19.

The House adjourned at 5:40 p.m.