Orders of the Day

Mr. Speaker: Members, the House will be in recess for five minutes.

The House recessed from 1:41 p.m. to 1:46 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Hon. S. Robinson: Hon. Speaker, I move that this House, at its next sitting, resolve itself for this session into a committee to consider the supply to be granted to Her Majesty.

Motion approved.

Presentation of Estimates

ESTIMATES OF SUMS REQUIRED
FOR THE SERVICE OF THE PROVINCE

Hon. S. Robinson presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: Estimates of Sums Required for the Service of the Province for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, and a supplement to the estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, recommending the same to the Legislative Assembly.

Hon. S. Robinson moved that the said message and the estimates accompanying the same be referred to the Committee of Supply.

Motion approved.

Budget Debate

Hon. S. Robinson: Hon. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon. Premier of British Columbia:

[That the Speaker do now leave the chair for the House to go into Committee of Supply.]

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Lək̓ʷəŋin̓əŋ peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, upon whose territories we are gathered today.

I want to give a warm welcome to everyone joining us, both in person and virtually.

This has been a year unlike any other. Normally, this chamber would be filled with people from communities from right across our province, but today the empty galleries are a reminder of the unique moment that we find ourselves in. I want to recognize the grief of British Col­umbians who lost someone this year. Many people are feeling the effects of the pandemic, and they will for a long time. There is no doubt that COVID-19 is still very much with us, but there are good reasons for hope.

I am honoured to present Budget 2021. This budget is about building today for a better tomorrow. This moment calls for action, and Budget 2021 delivers for the people of British Columbia. It responds to the pandemic and prepares us for future challenges by investing in health care. It strengthens the services that we all depend on, and it builds a bridge to recovery and the better days that are, indeed, ahead.

[1:50 p.m.]

The pandemic will end, and when it does, B.C. will be ready for the opportunities that come with recovery. That is a powerful testament to the incredible resilience that people, that businesses and that communities have shown and continue to show.

A little over a year ago our government tabled its last budget. Within weeks, our world was turned upside down. We were under siege by a then largely unknown opponent, COVID-19. From day one, our government has had peo­ple’s backs, and that will never change. We will continue to protect people’s health and livelihoods until the pandemic has passed.

When COVID-19 hit, British Columbia was in a strong fiscal position. That made it easier to act quickly. In the early days of the pandemic, we used a broad range of tools to provide sweeping support to help people weather the storm.

It began with B.C.’s COVID-19 action plan. More than 640,000 people received $1,000 for the B.C. emergency worker benefit. Businesses saw their taxes deferred or slashed significantly, with rent relief to follow. Additional supports kept schools and child care centres operating safely. A rental supplement helped nearly 88,000 households make ends meet. Rents are and will remain frozen until 2022, offering peace of mind for renters.

Six months later we launched the next phase of our COVID-19 response plan, Stronger B.C. It redoubled our efforts to fight the pandemic together. I’m proud to say that our government is providing more supports per capita for people and businesses than any other province. The numbers show that our approach is working. We have seen month after month of steady job gains, and British Columbia now has the best job recovery rate in Canada. That does not mean all jobs across all sectors have reappeared. But it is reason for cautious optimism.

Vaccines are another reason for hope. Within a year of B.C.’s first case of COVID-19, we launched the largest immunization program in our province’s history. As more people get vaccinated, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We’re not there yet. This year has had its challenges, from vaccine supply delays to the risk of new variants. The pandemic demands much from all of us every single day. Every single day British Columbians rise to meet new challenges with resilience. We are stronger together. We recognize that may require making sacrifices in our own lives so that we can put this pandemic behind us. We have learned that when we are called upon to protect others at risk, we do it.

While we have all experienced some form of loss this year, not everyone has felt the effects of the pandemic equally. First and foremost, to those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19, we offer our condolences. May your loved ones be for a blessing.

There are difficult days for many. I think of people who have been targeted by a troubling rise in racist attacks. I think of opportunities lost, especially for young people, whose plans to attend university or post-secondary education or start a new job were disrupted. I think of people, predominantly women, who stepped up to provide care for their children and aging parents, even when, too often, this meant stepping back from their careers. I think of the hospitality and tourism workers, who, in many cases, saw their jobs disappear overnight, or business owners who face the agonizing prospect of scaling back or shutting down operations to help keep customers and staff safe.

These struggles have given rise to stories of resilience. Even in those early uncertain days, front-line workers continued to do their jobs delivering necessary goods and services.

[1:55 p.m.]

I think of Sarah, a nurse in Surrey, who is taking the place of family by the bedside of critically ill patients. Or Dr. Ahmad and his team on Vancouver Island, who watched the crisis escalating around the world and worked overtime to prepare for its arrival here.

I also think of Cheri, a handyDART driver in Kamloops, who serves as friend, counsellor and listener for many of her passengers, especially these days. Or Angie, an early childhood educator in Kitamaat Village, who led the opening of a new child care centre in her community and showed great leadership during the pandemic. I think of Sydney-Anne in Invermere, who worked hard to keep the shelves stocked at the grocery store she owns and manages.

I also want to recognize the many business that pivoted, sometimes overnight, retooling to save lives and jobs in the fight against COVID-19. For Karrie, a restaurant owner in Victoria, it was amazing to see the local industry come together and share information on everything from ordering plexiglass barriers to navigating support programs. In my own community of Coquitlam, Novo Textiles went from producing dog beds to becoming the first made-in-Canada manufacturer of N95 masks.

Of course, there were countless others who checked in on neighbours, delivered supplies or put their hands to­gether to keep the 7 p.m. cheer alive. It’s thanks to the peo­ple of this province that we have come this far.

Now, our recovery won’t happen overnight, but by choosing to invest in people and building the collective resilience of our province, we will keep moving forward together. Budget 2021 protects people’s health and livelihoods today while building a bridge to economic recovery and better days ahead.

It starts with a strong foundation. The same principles that led our response to COVID-19 will guide our recovery. First, that healthy people, healthy communities and a strong economy are one and the same. Second, that B.C.’s recovery must include everyone. Third, that it’s more important than ever before to maintain the services that people count on.

As the last year has reminded us, there is nothing more important than the health of our loved ones. As my grandfather, my zaide, was fond of telling people: “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” While he certainly wasn’t speaking about a global pandemic, it does certainly hold true.

The pandemic threatens not only our health. It has completely disrupted economies right around the world, in­cluding our own. Our recovery depends on keeping people healthy and safe. Budget 2021 delivers $4 billion over the next three years to help keep people safe from COVID-19 today, while strengthening our health and mental health care system for tomorrow.

This includes $900 million to support testing, contact tracing, personal protective equipment and the largest vaccine rollout in B.C.’s history. Our focus is twofold. First, to reinforce B.C.’s health care system both against the pandemic and to meet the needs of the future. Second, to make real, significant and continued progress toward the mental health system that British Columbians deserve.

For many B.C. seniors, staying safe meant saying goodbye to visits with family members, hugs from grandchildren or just a trip to the post office or grocery store. It has been incredibly difficult and lonely for so many parents and grandparents.

Budget 2021 continues to protect seniors by expanding home health monitoring systems and adding more care aides to assist with daily living at home. Additionally, the health career access program will help build up a compassionate and qualified workforce in the seniors care sector. Launched last fall, the program will recruit, train and employ up to 3,000 people who lost their jobs in some of the hardest-hit sectors.

[2:00 p.m.]

While COVID-19 is top of mind, it's not the only demand on our health care system. Budget 2021 helps to address systemic racism in health care and make sure that Indigenous Peoples have access to culturally appropriate care. Our plan also continues to tackle surgery backlogs that were made worse by the pandemic, and it helps to deliver the diagnostic services that people need more quickly.

We’re also bringing health care closer to home, with more urgent and primary care centres. I’m proud to say that new hospitals are on the way for communities right across B.C. That includes Surrey’s new hospital and cancer centre.

It hasn’t only been our physical health that has suffered over the last year. The pandemic has taken a significant toll on the mental well-being of British Columbians.

It’s not the only health emergency facing our province. We recently marked a sombre five years since B.C.’s overdose emergency was declared. I want to recognize the thousands of people that we have lost to a poisoned drug supply — the parents and siblings, the children and colleagues, the friends and neighbours whose lives were cut short. May their memories be for a blessing.

We are taking action to help end the tragedy playing out in communities around British Columbia. Our plan meets the unprecedented need with a historic response. Budget 2021 delivers $500 million over three years, the largest investment in mental health and addictions services in our province’s history.

We are investing in our youth so that small problems don’t grow larger, with more mental health supports in schools and by continuing to expand Foundry centres, doubling the number by 2024. We are also quadrupling the number of integrated children and youth support teams to provide community-based mental health and substance use services.

Through Budget 2021, we are accelerating and expanding programs put in place to respond to the overdose cri­sis. Our plan delivers a wide spectrum of substance use treatment and recovery services, including more funding for addictions treatment. Many of the emergency measures brought in during the pandemic to help keep people alive are now being made permanent. We are also adding new treatment and recovery beds throughout the province to support people on the path to healing and wellness.

Now, our vision for B.C.’s recovery includes everyone. Budget 2021 enhances care for vulnerable people in our communities. Being able to stay home and stay safe is not an option for those sleeping rough on our streets, moving between shelters or camping in parks. Budget 2021 provides places to stay for people without homes and an opportunity to connect with support services.

At the same time, we continue to invest in new permanent housing for those who need it. The pandemic has been hardest on those who are already struggling to make ends meet. Budget 2021 delivers the largest-ever permanent increase to income assistance and disability assistance rates. In total, this represents a 53 percent increase to income assistance rates since 2017.

For the first time since it started in 1987, we are increasing the seniors supplement. Soon, 80,000 low-income seniors will have a little extra money to pay their bills each month.

Budget 2021 continues our work over the last four years to make life more affordable. Millions of families have received the B.C. recovery benefit, up to $500 for individuals and up to $1,000 for families. I’ve heard from people who put the money toward healthier groceries for the month, others who are using it for perhaps a long-overdue vehicle repair.

Now Budget 2021 adds another way for families to save money, while contributing to a cleaner future. Starting in the fall, those aged 12 and under will be able to ride transit for free. This will bring the next generation of transit users onboard, with the potential to save families hundreds of dollars every year. To be exact, it’s up to $672 per year per child for families in Metro Vancouver, and for families that depend on B.C. Transit, that’s up to $400 per year per child.

Our plan also lays the foundation for the new Surrey-Langley SkyTrain all the way to Langley, and a toll-free crossing to replace the George Massey Tunnel.

[2:05 p.m.]

For too many families, finding an affordable home re­mains a stretch, even with a steady, well-paying job. For businesses, affordable housing is key to attracting and retaining workers.

The HousingHub within B.C. Housing brings government, non-profits, communities and private sector partners to the table, with the shared goal of getting more homes built. Budget 2021 provides up to $2 billion in financing to further support and accelerate these partnerships. This additional lending power will help build ap­proximately 9,000 new homes for middle-income British Columbians. This is on top of the 26,000 homes that are already underway or complete through our $7 billion Homes for B.C. plan, the largest housing investment in B.C.’s history.

We are also building the social infrastructure that families need to navigate the pandemic and come out stronger on the other side. Last March and April saw schools and some child care centres temporarily close their doors. Consequently, women’s participation in the workforce plummeted. It is a stark reminder that when it comes to building a strong recovery, child care is non-negotiable and that investments in child care are investments in a strong economy.

A universal child care system is on the way for British Columbia, and today we take another step forward, with Budget 2021. We are more than doubling the number of $10-a-day spaces across our province. This adds to the thousands of parents who are already saving up to $1,600 a month per child through our Childcare B.C. plan.

I want to take a moment to recognize B.C.’s early childhood educators. This year you went above and beyond to keep child care centres open and keep children safe. Not only do you support B.C. kids, but you are the workforce behind the workforce. We are proud to recognize your role and return the support. For B.C.’s early childhood educators, Budget 2021 doubles the current wage enhancements to $4 per hour. Work is also underway to strengthen the early learning continuum, to bring child care into the Ministry of Education, where it belongs.

We are making record investments in B.C.’s schools to give kids the best possible learning experience. Budget 2021 strengthens our K-to-12 system to enhance mental health supports, create more child care spaces on school grounds and develop an anti-racism framework. This is part of our work to respond to a deeply disturbing rise in hatred and racism since the pandemic began. We are also expanding B.C.’s anti-racism network, developing our province’s first anti-racism law and working with communities on race-based data collection.

Budget 2021 also invests $3½ billion to replace, renovate or expand schools right across British Columbia. Close to 27,000 new school seats have been delivered or are underway, from planning through to construction. From Kamloops to Quesnel, Haida Gwaii to Fernie and Ucluelet to Surrey, we’re working hard to make sure that every child in B.C. gets the start that they deserve.

Now, there’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us all more than a few curveballs. I want to recognize the many B.C. businesses that have adapted safely under difficult circumstances. In the early days of the pandemic, there was uncertainty about how its effects would be felt in different sectors and regions of our province. Now, even as we see signs of recovery, there are still businesses that need help. We are responding with more than $800 million in ongoing supports for businesses, through this year’s budget.

Earlier this month we launched relief grants for the thousands of restaurants, bars, gyms and other local businesses that were most affected by necessary public health restrictions to battle the spring wave of the pandemic. We have also made other changes to keep the hospitality industry afloat, including making wholesale pricing on liquor permanent.

[2:10 p.m.]

Through it all, our commitment to support businesses is unwavering, and our work to try to ensure every business gets through this pandemic is ongoing.

Budget 2021 continues to advance measures laid out in our StrongerBC plan, with more targeted tools to ensure a sustainable, innovative and inclusive recovery. This in­cludes funding for the extended small and medium-sized business grant program, along with tax rebates for businesses that increased wages or hired more people in the last few months of 2020. B.C. businesses are on track to receive half a billion dollars in PST rebates for the purchase of new machinery and equipment.

We also expanded the successful launch online program to help over 5,000 businesses access the digital marketplace.

With most of our world moving online this year, high-​speed Internet has been vital for reaching local, regional and global markets. Since July 2017, we have launched high-speed Internet projects in more than 500 communities, and our StrongerBC plan included record investments in connectivity infrastructure for rural and Indigenous communities.

Now, for the first time, Budget 2021 provides stable base funding that will continue to improve connectivity across the province. Expanding access to the digital economy will set up more people, more communities and more local businesses to succeed in a post-pandemic economy.

We know that with recovery comes new opportunities. Budget 2021 capitalizes on this by delivering $500 million to support the launch of InBC, a new strategic investment fund. This fund will help promising companies scale up, anchor talent and keep jobs and investment at home, here in British Columbia. What’s more, it will also deliver economic, environmental and social returns.

While we invest in the jobs of the future, we must also keep investing in the sectors that have been key to our success all along. Our tourism industry is world renowned, but right now the people who have worked so hard to put B.C. on the map are hurting. Budget 2021 upgrades local infrastructure that tourism communities need today, like rail trails, rest stops and airports. It also reserves $100 million to support tourism recovery, including support for the anchor attractions that bring in visitors and create jobs. When it’s safe to open our doors again, B.C. will be ready to welcome the world back.

Budget 2021 keeps communities strong as we fight COVID-19, while preparing our province for recovery. We are making record investments to build hospitals and schools, transit and roads that our growing province needs. But what does this mean for British Columbians?

It means 15 new and upgraded hospitals, from Terrace to Dawson Creek. It means 23 new urgent and primary care centres that are currently open, with more on the way. It means 146 new, expanded or renovated schools that are also underway. It means thousands of new student housing beds in Kelowna, Salmon Arm, Burnaby, Victoria, Prince George, Cranbrook and more. It means new state-of-the-art post-secondary facilities, like BCIT’s health sciences building and a national centre for Indigenous laws at UVic. It means we are moving forward on major transportation projects, like the Broadway subway in Vancouver and the Quartz Creek Bridge replacement.

Today we are expanding our investment. In this year’s plan, our infrastructure commitment is $3.5 billion higher than in Budget 2020. This is the strongest investment in B.C.’s history. Our plan creates more than 85,000 jobs over the next three years. Our plan builds schools, hospitals and health care centres to bring services for people closer to home. By investing in communities across the province, our plan makes sure that everyone, no matter where they live, feels those benefits.

When we talk about recovery, we are talking about much more than dollars spent and GDP boosted. We’re talking about real and meaningful ways to make life better for people now.

[2:15 p.m.]

Already thousands of people have benefited from skills training programs launched in the fall. For example, a new project with the First Nations Technology Council will connect Indigenous participants with a career in tech. Through in-class and online training, the College of the Rockies is helping people find work as early childhood educators.

Budget 2021 builds on the work underway by equipping more people with the skills needed to find a good job today. We know that British Columbians are ready to roll up their sleeves and be part of our province’s recovery. I think of the thousands of hospitality and tourism workers who are supporting the vaccine rollout.

Team B.C. needs all hands on deck, and Budget 2021 delivers, with targeted opportunities for people to retrain and retool their skills. Thirty new micro-credential courses will help thousands of people quickly shift direction and land jobs in high-demand fields like construction, technology, health care, child care and more.

We know that the pandemic derailed many young peo­ple’s plans to attend post-secondary school or training or to find a summer job. Not only are these major life milestones; they are disruptions that could have long-term consequences for employment down the road. We owe it to young people to recreate some of the opportunities that they lost.

Our StrongerBC future leaders program delivers almost $45 million to help create and expand employment opportunities for youth. More than 5,000 young people will land jobs, internships and co-ops. These skills will last a lifetime, helping young British Columbians move up and move on from the pandemic, from looking after B.C.’s awe-inspiring coastline, parks and trails to launching a career in tech. In partnership with post-secondary institutions, another 3,000 students will benefit from new work-integrated learning placements.

Our commitment to reconciliation guides our work as a government every single day, from investing in language revitalization with Indigenous peoples to the historic commitment to share as much as $3 billion with First Nations over 25 years. Reconciliation is an active and ongoing process, and it will form the foundation of an equitable and inclusive recovery.

Through our recovery plan in Budget 2021, we're working side by side with Indigenous communities and org­anizations to expand skills-training programs. Thousands of Indigenous people will be able to get back into the workforce faster and contribute to recovery efforts across the province.

We are also adding 400 more culturally based child care spaces through the Aboriginal Head Start program. These no-fee spaces are run by Indigenous communities for Indigenous children to help give kids the best possible start.

Meaningful reconciliation means following through on our commitments. Budget 2021 provides dependable funding to support First Nations engagement, stewardship, negotiations and economic development. It also adds new resources to support the implementation of reconciliation agreements and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

COVID-19 may be the greatest challenge of our generation, but our action on climate change will shape the world for generations to come. Our CleanBC plan will help us reach a more sustainable economic future on the other side of the pandemic. It is North America’s most progressive plan to reduce carbon pollution while creating good new jobs.

Budget 2021 brings the total for CleanBC to nearly $2.2 billion over five years. This year’s budget expands clean transportation, builds more energy-efficient buildings and works with industries to reduce their carbon footprint. Budget 2021 will keep us at the cutting edge, with a new centre for innovation and clean energy.

We all have a role to play in achieving a greener fu­ture. Budget 2021 makes it easier for people to choose cleaner transportation options while saving money. As of tomorrow, new purchasers of e-bikes will no longer pay PST. This means $7 million in savings per year for British Columbians.

[2:20 p.m.]

Electric vehicles are also selling in record numbers here in British Columbia. As of last count, there were more than 54,000 electric vehicles on our roads, the high­est rate of sales in North America. We are building on the momentum by helping more people go electric, expanding the charging network and electrifying more school buses and ferries.

We’re also continuing to support other emerging opportunities, like mass timber technology. Mass timber is good for forestry communities because it adds value to timber rather than relying on volume alone. It is good for the environment, because it is sourced from sustainably managed forests that have a lower carbon footprint. In short, it is good for British Columbia.

Forests are the lungs of our province, capturing and storing carbon. We can’t take them for granted. Thousands of tree planters set out last year, despite the pandemic, to replant forests, including those affected by wildfires and pine beetle. The result was an astonishing 300 million seedlings planted, with another 300 million planned for this year.

Our province has great natural wealth, and that goes far beyond our forests. As we tackle climate change and invest in our clean tech future, we know that our mining sector will play an important role. It provides the metals and minerals that will be used here and around the world to create green technologies, from electric vehicles to wind turbines.

Our province’s natural beauty is also a great source of wealth, one that we have all come to rely on as we turn to the great outdoors to recharge in a COVID-safe way. Budget 2021 enhances people’s access to nature by expanding and improving campgrounds and trails, and starting next year, we will be adding up to 100 new campsites throughout the province every single year.

Our plan views B.C.’s recovery as an opportunity to ac­celerate environmental protection and sustainability. The successes we are seeing through CleanBC show how protecting our environment is good for people and is good for the economy. This is true today as we continue our fight against COVID-19, and it will be true once we put the virus behind us.

We have all been through such a great deal. I’m sure every single one of us can point to a moment in the last year when our world just turned upside down, whether it was the closure of schools and offices or the international borders, or with the introduction of new ideas like social distancing, safe bubbles.

For me, it was a familiar feeling, because I experienced a moment like this when my own world changed, after a sudden cancer diagnosis 15 years ago. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the uncertainty that lay ahead for me and my family, a feeling that I think we all understand far too well after this last year. A turning point came when I realized that my family and I were not in our fight alone. This realization came about thanks to an unexpected hero in my life: my neighbour across the street.

After a particularly difficult day, she arrived on my doorstep to check on me, and she brought with her a homemade tiramisu. It was a small gesture of support, but it meant the world to me. I knew it meant that she had my back, and I knew that my family could depend on our community to lift us up when we needed them.

I want every British Columbian to feel the same way. I want them to know that we have their backs, no matter what. We are there for them. There are challenges ahead, but I am confident that by drawing on our shared resilience we will get through these challenges together. Time and time again, British Columbians have proven that we care for one another. We care for our communities, and we care for the province that we call home.

The pandemic will end, but our work to build a better future will not. To all of those listening, B.C. is coming back stronger than ever. Budget 2021 gives us the tools we need to build a bridge to the better days ahead, and I look forward to crossing it together.

[2:25 p.m.]

M. Bernier: It’s my privilege to stand today and deliver an initial response to Budget 2021 on behalf of the official opposition.

As we stand here on another budget day, we recognize the difficult realities of the past year. I want to express my sincere and deep condolences to all those who have lost loved ones this past year. I also want to thank the dedicated and hard-working front-line and essential workers who have kept this province running and cared for during an incredibly challenging time.

Additionally, I would like to take the time to acknowledge the hard work of the Minister of Finance and the ministry staff, who have no doubt spent many hours putting this budget together. I know that we have different opinions on its content, but I sincerely thank you all for the work that you have put into this and appreciate your dedicated service to British Columbians.

I’m glad to be providing a few brief comments on Budget 2021 this afternoon after just hearing the minister’s presentation. As designated speaker, I will be reserving my remaining time for more in-depth remarks at a later date.

Now, it’s impossible to stand here on budget day discussing Budget 2021 without addressing the rather large elephant in the room that’s been addressed, and that, of course, is the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time we listened to a Minister of Finance deliver a budget, we lived in a very different world. If you had told me on that day that we would be here a year from now in a room barely filled with people wearing masks, with over half attending virtually, I don’t think I would have believed you. I’d certainly have a lot of questions on how we got here.

Over the past year, we’ve seen frustration. We have seen anxiety due to daily uncertainty, disruptions in our normal routines, separation from our friends and our loved ones, wondering what next week, what next month, let alone, might be holding for all of us.

Early in the pandemic, we saw all members of this House working together to get money set aside to support British Columbians — measures that I am glad we all took. We also saw that money, given in good faith, used to score cheap political points in preparation for an unnecessary election, putting the health of British Columbians further at risk for the government’s own political agenda.

We know that so many people around the province are feeling the strain of this global pandemic on their relationships, on their mental health and on their wallets. We know how hard it has been for B.C. businesses who have struggled to make ends meet in this very, very unpredictable time — for restaurants, gyms, fitness studios, bookstores, daycares and hair salons.

Businesses that are the backbone of B.C.’s economy. This has been an incredibly difficult year. These businesses, their owners and the employees, have been looking to government for some sign — some sign that they’re going to be okay. They are relying on this government to not only make sure that they have the support they need to stay in business for another week or another month but also to present them with a real plan for long-term recovery.

Now, we know the government has amended its own financial rules twice to delay this budget into late April. We were left with great expectations as to what this delay would achieve. Will businesses and British Columbians find the reassurance they’re looking for in the budget presented today? Does Budget 2021 provide any new relief or a clear plan that will support our province through a recovery and set us up on a clear pathway to a healthy and thriving post-pandemic B.C.?

[2:30 p.m.]

The short answer, Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, is no. It’s government’s job to map out a plan, to give hope, to instil optimism and to make people proud to live in British Columbia, to make people want to stay and invest in this province. But despite the extra time that the minister took to prepare this budget, despite having been in this pandemic for almost a year — actually, more than a year now — and despite the promises made to support British Columbians, this budget does not come close to meeting the needs of the people of B.C.

The people of B.C. need more than just hollow an­nouncements that they have seen from this government. They want more than what this budget is offering.

Once again, the Premier and his government like to make flashy announcements, but they have failed to deliver on almost every single one of them. What’s evident from this budget is that this government is so used to failing and falling short on their promises that they’re actually now budgeting to botch the rollout of their own programs with delays and supports identified in the budget. Now, we know this should not come as any great surprise, given the leadership we’ve seen over the last year — or, should I say, the lack thereof.

As we’ve watched the overdose crisis take more lives than ever before, this Premier called addiction “a choice.” In the middle of a deadly global pandemic, the Premier called an election to “put politics behind us.” When COVID cases were on the rise and a third wave around the corner, what does this Premier say? “Well, we’re on the right track.”

Most recently this Premier repeatedly attacked young people, putting the blame on them for rising COVID cases — young people who form the basis of our economy and occupy many of the front-line and essential jobs that are keeping our province running today. They are also some of the most affected people, who have lost their jobs and been affected by lockdowns and by closures.

Despite being given many opportunities to apologize, to take back his comments, the Premier chose to double down, saying of all of the difficulties these young people are facing: “Well, that’s just part of life.”

Where’s the understanding? Where’s the actual compassion? Where’s the help that people are asking for? With a track record like this, how could we have expected this budget to be any different? We notice that the minister responsible for economic recovery of this province has had his budget cut from what it was in 2020. What message does that send for the recovery of this province? It reflects the continuation of this government’s bungling of supports to small business.

When the cries for help and support are right now, the government continues to delay getting those supports out the door in a quick and efficient manner to businesses that, right now, are just hanging on by a thread. If the NDP continue ahead with what is described in this budget, it’s going to take 18 months from the time programs were announced to actually get them out the door to much-needed and struggling businesses — what they’re asking for right now. That’s simply just not good enough.

We’re looking for a comprehensive jobs plan, one to get people back to work, one to aid economic recovery. What do we see in this budget more than anything? Mostly status quo. We’ve been waiting for this government to introduce a jobs plan since well before the pandemic began. Now, when B.C. needs it more than ever, the only NDP jobs plan seems to be expanding the size of government by almost 60,000 positions. Meanwhile, we have 40,000 British Columbians in the private sector that are still unemployed.

We also know that women and youth have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. However, this government hasn’t made mention — hardly at all — of the steps that they’re going to take to specifically address recovery for women and for youth. They continue to point out that this is a problem area almost all the time but have not shown any solutions on how to fix it.

Where is the plan or the program to ensure that these groups are not going to be left out, that they’re going to be helped through this recovery?

[2:35 p.m.]

You know, every budget, we see this government reiterate their promise of universal $10-a-day child care. Yet again today — something they promised almost five years ago. And every year since then, they have failed to deliver on that promise. They tinker around the edges, adding temporary prototype sites here and there, but that’s a mere drop in the bucket of what they promised the people of British Columbia.

We’re also looking out for investments in mental health and addictions. We’ve seen — we’ve all seen — opioid deaths climb and the mental health of British Columbians worsen substantially over this last year. I want to echo, though, the minister’s comments and extend my sincere condolences to all those who have lost friends and loved ones in the health crisis. This is something that definitely needs to be worked on.

In light of this, I also want to say that we were encouraged to see investments in mental health and addictions funding in this budget for health. But the funding in this budget, again, is only a start of what is needed.

For government to refer to this as historic investment is an overstatement by far, and it ignores the realities that currently exist in the province. But at least after nearly five years of calling for it, we finally are seeing a start and some investment of a plan. We are going to be watching closely, though, to make sure that this money actually goes into expanding services and breaking down barriers to services for those who need it.

I should note, meanwhile, that through this, though, the Premier’s office gets a budget increase. But for the entire fiscal plan, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions continues to be the lowest-funded ministry in government and sees zero increase over the three-year fiscal plan.

What about housing affordability? In the last year, we’ve seen housing prices skyrocket across the province, reaching record-high levels. One of the few areas we’ve seen government revenue increase, actually, in the budget documents is through the property transfer tax, something this government used to chastise and speak against but now are using it to help in their budget. Obviously, they’re acknowledging with that their failure on their housing affordability plan, when they are now budgeting on in­creases in that area.

The government’s also planning and forecasting housing starts to drop, which is going to continue putting pressure on affordability. Every day, young British Columbians watch their dreams of owning a home slip further and further out of reach. Right now it’s estimated it will take up to 34 years for someone to save a down payment for a home, living in Vancouver.

What measures are this government taking to change this? Nothing. In fact, if you look at the budget documents, they are budgeting for it to actually get worse. I guess it’s not much of a surprise that this government doesn’t feel motivated to help young people entering the housing market, since some of their own members have clearly resigned themselves to the fact that they’re the last generation to ever own a home. I guess that highlights why this government is not putting any effort into affordability.

As for renters, I’m sorry to tell them, yet again, they are being left out of this budget. The long-promised $400 renters rebate is missing yet again — another NDP promise that just disappears, hoping people will forget. Not only is this government making it almost impossible for young people to be able to buy a home, they’re doing nothing to make life more affordable for renters, as rents continue to skyrocket, being up almost $2,500 a year under the NDP government. It just shows again that these NDP announcements are slogans.

In response to the growing housing issue, this government has decided to avoid the solutions that will actually make a difference. Not only does this budget not fix the NDP’s broken promise to build 114,000 homes, their failure to even really mention it at all must highlight the fact that they’re walking away from it and know that they’re not going to deliver on yet another promise. There’s nothing to address the strata insurance crisis or reduce red tape to get more housing starts around the province.

[2:40 p.m.]

It’s not only housing the NDP can’t build. It’s also im­portant infrastructure. After four years — it would have been open next year…. The minister mentioned the Massey Tunnel. But guess what. There is no money in the budget. It’s a footnote on almost the last page that they’re going to look at it. That’s it.

As for the Surrey Hospital, well, I’m highly skeptical on the announcement of the Surrey Hospital. We’ll have to see how that progresses, because when you look at the budget, there’s no money this year for the Surrey Hospital. In fact, the government, in their own documents, has highlighted two different possible end dates six, seven, eight years down the road for when the Surrey Hospital could even be open. They can’t even get it right in their own budget documents, which shows there’s been no planning at all.

Is it another broken promise by this government? Well, I know, as of last year, we weren’t going to see any portables in Surrey. This Premier said they’d all be gone, but now we see more portables in Surrey than ever before. So it’s hard to trust any of these announcements that this government is making when they again seem to be flashy slogans with no substance. It’s clear the voters that are south of the Fraser have been yet again left behind by this government.

Speaking of schools, this is an interesting one. It appears the budget for school district funding this year is being cut from where it was last year — right in the middle of school districts talking about deficits and pleading to this government for funding.

How does this budget really reflect the realities of COVID-19? We all know that businesses right now are struggling to get by. We are counting on this government for more support and have been waiting for months, only to see that there’s nothing new. There is nothing new in this budget to help them now or to provide them with any hope for the future.

What about the tourism industry, which has been absolutely decimated by this pandemic and which has been crying for help for over a year? Now we’re going into a second tourism season, and what do we hear? It’s that there is no real funding for them. It’s not really going to be earmarked to help front-line people in tourism, but it’s going to be targeted for something, maybe later. We’ll let you know. How does that give any confidence to anybody in this sector who is hurting, who is trying to figure out how to get through this year?

There is no doubt that this budget has been shaped by COVID-19, and it should be. Of course we want to see government design a budget that is responding to the current state of the province. But that certainly does not give government an excuse to not plan for us to get back on track in the future.

The Minister of Finance continues to talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. What this government has failed to tell anybody is how long that tunnel actually is. We need to ensure that our government is using its finances to help people so that we are set up for a future, for a success. There is a difference, though, between spending widely and spending well.

There is little in this budget to give me confidence that B.C. will be on the right track when this pandemic has passed. In the meantime, we need to have confidence that the government is committed to providing support to those that need it now. But time and time again, we’ve seen government fail on this.

They promised people a cheque by Christmas by direct deposit, but instead, people had to go through a lengthy process. Some had to wait months. In fact, there are people still waiting for what they were promised to receive by Christmas. The website crashed on the first day. These are the struggles that people are facing right now and why they have so much uncertainty on what this government is doing.

This government clawed back money from those on income and disability assistance right in the middle of a pandemic. This is a government that could not even give money away to businesses in need, money that was even set aside for them. Over the past year, we’ve seen this government delay. We’ve seen them struggle to support and get help out the door. We’ve seen them repeatedly take steps to hide from accountability and transparency.

Now, with Budget 2021, they are asking us to trust them yet again with economic recovery. Despite what the Premier says, I have no confidence that we’re on the right track with this budget.

[2:45 p.m.]

It’s hard to trust a government that has failed to follow through with almost every single one of their promises and has bungled almost every file that they have touched. I sincerely hope that this Premier doesn’t blow it for the rest of us. But at this point, it appears that this budget has fallen short of what the people of British Columbia need, and what they deserve.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve time for tomorrow, and I move adjournment of the debate.

M. Bernier moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL 4 — BUDGET MEASURES
IMPLEMENTATION ACT, 2021

Hon. S. Robinson presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2021.

Hon. S. Robinson: I move first reading of Bill 4, Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2021.

The bill amends a number of statutes in order to implement the measures in Budget 2021.

This bill proposes to amend the Provincial Sales Tax Act to address refunds for grey market vehicle purchases. This will address concerns on grey market activity raised in Peter German’s report on money laundering.

This bill also authorizes regulations to be made in order to provide two pieces of PST relief. The first is a provincial sales tax exemption for electric bicycles. The second is a temporary expansion of the time limit that applies to the PST exemption for new residents’ effects. This will provide relief for individuals whose moves to B.C. were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Employer Health Tax Act is proposed to be amend­ed to legislate the increased employment incentive, a one-time COVID-19 recovery measure, that provides a credit for employers who increase their payroll in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The Income Tax Act is proposed to be amended to provide the legislative framework for the B.C. recovery benefit. This benefit provides a one-time tax-free payment for British Columbians and provided important financial support for B.C. families. The Income Tax Act is also proposed to be amended to extend the book publishing tax credit by five years.

The Carbon Tax Act is proposed to be amended effective April 1, 2021, to delay the scheduled carbon tax in­creases by one year, an important COVID-19 action item.

The Motor Fuel Tax Act is proposed to be amended to expand the fuel tax refund for persons with disabilities, to include individuals who reside on a reserve and receive disability assistance or supplement from the government of Canada. It also broadens the eligibility for individuals who receive a disability pension through active service in Her Majesty’s forces.

The Tobacco Tax Act is proposed to be amended, effective July 1, 2021, to increase the tax rate for cigarettes, heated tobacco products and loose tobacco. These amendments will create an added incentive to reduce tobacco consumption.

Finally, a number of statutes are amended to improve tax administration through expanding options for receiving assessment notices, simplifying appeal processes, im­proving information sharing, correcting various technical measures, and to ensure necessary consequential amendments to various statutes as a result of federal harmonization and COVID-19 relief and recovery measures.

The Special Accounts Appropriation and Control Act is proposed to be amended to end the annual allocation of amounts to the British Columbia training and education savings program special account, after the 2020 calendar year. This amendment will ensure that the balance of the special account better reflects the costs of the program. Program eligibility and payments to qualified recipients re­main the same.

Mr. Speaker: Members, you have heard the question. It’s the first reading of Bill 4.

Motion approved.

Hon. S. Robinson: I move that Bill 4 be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 4, Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2021, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Tabling Documents

Hon. S. Robinson: I have the pleasure to rise to table government’s overall strategic plan and the Budget and Fiscal Plan 2021-22–2023-24, which together fulfil the requirements of sections 7, 8, 10 and 12 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

[2:50 p.m.]

I also table, on behalf of the ministers responsible, the service plans, as required under section 13 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

The service plan documents are presented in two binders. The first binder contains service plans for the Office of the Premier and 20 ministries. The second binder contains service plans for 31 service delivery agencies and Crown corporations. The second binder includes a listing of organizations that are exempt from the reporting re­quirements of section 13 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

Hon. M. Farnworth moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 tomorrow afternoon.

The House adjourned at 2:51 p.m.