Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: N. Letnick.

Introductions by Members

Hon. A. Dix: Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to acknowledge members of the Armenian-Canadian community in B.C., who are joining us, virtually, this morning.

This year April 24 marks the 106th anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide, an event that obviously affected every member of the Armenian-Canadian community and that profoundly affected the world in the 20th century. On April 24, 1915, 2,400 Armenian community leaders and intellectuals were rounded up in what was then the Ottoman Empire and killed. In the eight years that followed, 1.5 million Armenians were killed because of who they were — an event that was made worse, if that seems possible, by decades of denial by the Ottoman and successive governments that the genocide had even occurred.

In April 2006, members on both sides of the House unanimously passed a motion recognizing the Armenian genocide as a crime against humanity and designating April 24 as a day of remembrance. The Armenian community has joined other groups to promote understanding of the Armenian genocide and to educate the community on the ongoing need to oppose crimes against humanity everywhere. A crime against humanity that occurs on our planet is a crime against humanity, against all of us. We must take action, and the Armenian community, in the midst of ongoing grief, has been a leader around the world in doing just that. I am so honoured that they’re with us today.

Tomorrow I will be joined by the Leader of the Opposition and other members of the House, with the Armenian community, for a virtual event to commemorate the Armenian genocide. This year especially, in light of events in Armenia and in Artsakh, it is important to show our solidarity with the Armenian people. I welcome everyone to join us tomorrow at 4:30.

H. Yao: I’d like to take a moment and ask the House to help me celebrate the belated birthday for one of my constituency assistants. For us to be MLAs and to be able to serve in this House, we definitely need a staff to represent us, to serve our constituents, to represent our government and our interests, to help in supporting our population.

Please join in wishing David Yang, my constituency assistant, a belated happy birthday.

Hon. H. Bains: It gives me a great deal of pleasure to wish a happy birthday to my executive assistant Jasmeet Sangha.

I have worked with my staff since 2005, and I’ll tell you that she comes to work every day full of energy, full of advice. She gives everything she has in order to make me look good, and she does a really good job in the community, helping those who have issues with our ministry.

So to Jasmeet — as her birthday is tomorrow, it’s early — I say happy birthday. Enjoy the day tomorrow. You can actually take a day off tomorrow.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL M201 — ASSESSMENT
(SPLIT ASSESSMENT CLASSIFICATION)
AMENDMENT ACT, 2021

T. Stone presented a bill intituled Assessment (Split Assessment Classification) Amendment Act, 2021.

T. Stone: I move that the bill intituled the Assessment (Split Assessment Classification) Amendment Act, 2021, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced an read a first time now.

I’m pleased to introduce this bill today for the fourth time. While businesses are struggling to stay alive amid the third wave of the pandemic, they are also being hit hard with dramatically increasing property taxes on the airspace over their heads. Adding insult to injury, this is the last straw for many small businesses as they make the painful decision to lay off employees and close their doors permanently. Mom-and-pop cafés, restaurants and retailers in communities such as Vancouver, Surrey and Coquitlam, to name a few, are disappearing, changing our neighbourhoods forever.

[10:10 a.m.]

A number of years ago a working group, including Vancouver, Burnaby, North Van, Richmond, Surrey, West Van and Coquitlam, among others, came up with a solution to this problem. These local governments are supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including arts, cultural, neighbourhood and small business organizations, as well as the UBCM and the B.C. chamber.

The solution proposed includes two parts: the creation of a new commercial subclass for the airspace above small businesses and other affected organizations, and maximum flexibility for local governments to set the property tax rate on this new subclass as they see fit, from zero dollars to just below the existing commercial property tax rate.

This bill provides for the exact solution that local governments and small business organizations have asked for, an optional tool that they can choose to use or not at a rate that they determine makes the most sense for each unique situation they’re trying to address. It will also eliminate the nonsensical application of the speculation tax on the airspace over the heads of the same struggling small businesses, unlike the government’s interim permissive tax exemption tool that, one year since implementation, has not been used by a single one of the 162 municipalities in B.C.

We urge the government to call our bill for debate so a lifeline can be thrown to small businesses hit hard with skyrocketing property taxes now.

Mr. Speaker: Members, the question is first reading of the bill.

Motion approved.

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

Bill M201, Assessment (Split Assessment Classifica­tion) Amendment 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.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

WEST VANCOUVER
STREAMKEEPER SOCIETY

K. Kirkpatrick: I’m honoured to address the House today, on Earth Day 2021, to speak about a group doing great work in my riding of West Vancouver–Capilano, although the work that they do extends far beyond the borders of our riding.

The West Vancouver Streamkeeper Society is a voluntary-based organization, with its members actively engaged in streamkeeping projects to work on programs in the 22 creeks and tributaries in the district of West Vancouver. The society manages a fish hatchery producing approximately 180,000 coho and chum fry each year, which they then stock in the local streams.

Streamkeeper targets the community at large with a broad range of engagement and education programs. Their goal is to raise awareness of the importance of local creeks for salmon spawning and rearing and of the hazards that threaten those creeks. Several programs that they do…. They’ve got an adopt-a-fish program, a community day, and many of you may have heard of our Coho Festival, which attracts people from across the Lower Mainland. These events are all designed to raise awareness of the sensitivity of our streams and fish stocks, as well as to encourage active participation and conservation through education.

The society manages the Nelson Creek hatchery and as­sembles a large team for fry releases. Just to clarify, these aren’t the kinds of fries that you have beside your burger. When salmon have developed to the point when they can feed themselves, they are called fry.

Other undertakings are the monitoring and gathering of data on the number of returning adult salmon and surveys on spawning salmon and emerging fry. This information is imperative for us to understand how to keep our creeks healthy and safe. As well as being a traditional food source, Pacific salmon plays an important role in providing nutrients to our forests.

I’d like to extend my appreciation to Mike Perley, Keith Pelletier and John Barker, to the 250 society members and to hundreds of volunteers.

COMMUNITY SAVINGS CREDIT UNION

J. Routledge: Community Savings Credit Union has been serving working people in British Columbia since 1944. There’s a branch in Burnaby North on Hastings Street. It was created by members of the IWA, and its founding mission was “to serve those neglected by big banks.”

[10:15 a.m.]

The New Westminster credit union, as it was known then, lent my father-in-law the $400 he needed to buy the lot in Coquitlam on which he built the family home. In 1978, it took over the Federal Civil Servants Credit Union, where my father banked in Ontario, and it’s where I opened an account when I moved to B.C.

Today Community Savings continues to lead the way in ensuring that the B.C. economy works for working people. For example, concerned about the looming skills gap, Community Savings conducted a study about community benefits agreements. It was able to confirm that CBAs are an effective way to upskill the underrepresented workforce. Groups such as women, Indigenous people, youth and local residents already account for 46 percent of employment so far at CBA sites.

Community Savings launched the 7:01 movement last summer to ask those who banged pots for our health care workers at 7 p.m. to sign a petition at 7:01 p.m. to support fair and equal pay for all health care workers. It was the first financial institution to offer an interest-free emergency line of credit to laid-off workers, months before the federal pandemic stimulus packages were initiated. It also set a standard by providing paid leave to its own staff if they need to self-isolate or get their COVID-19 vaccines.

I want to thank them for all they’ve done to support generations of working families, as well as the ones they will be supporting in the future.

MARK DEELEY AND STUDENT PROJECTS AT
TUMBLER RIDGE SECONDARY SCHOOL

M. Bernier: We can all remember that one teacher who make an impact in our lives, the one that inspired us to reach for our goals or maybe think outside the box while we’re reaching for the stars. We’re lucky to have one of those teachers at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School: Mark Deeley. Every year Mark gets creative and looks for ways to inspire his students by bringing unique, hands-on programs into the classroom.

For the last few years, Mark has started up a fish farm in the school, using large tanks and assigning different duties to every student, from feeding to cleaning to testing the water, changing the water, investigating why a fish might have died or monitoring the growth progress for other fish. The main lesson was that every student had a job, but if one person neglected that job, hundreds of fish would die and you would let your class down.

This year the idea came to try something a little bit different, with the idea of working together continuing for classroom success. Mark and his students have created their own broadcasting show — a radio show similar to the ones that we’ve seen in the ’40s and the ’50s. They’ve named it That Little Bit ExTRa. Again, in order to be successful, everyone has a job, from being an interviewer to being the set-up tech, the recorder or the mixer to sound effects or producing. This creates positive peer pressure and absolute teamwork to be successful.

Last week I was lucky enough to be interviewed for one of their radio shows, and what I saw was that students are now learning about things that they never thought they would be a part of — an opportunity to show students a variety of what’s possible.

I want to thank those students — Destiny, Taylor, Vincent, Kyra, Nick, Brady, Zaina and Kokoa — for welcoming me to their classroom last week and for the chance to be interviewed. And a special thanks to their amazing teacher Mark, a teacher that students will always remember.

PHYSICIANS AND
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

H. Yao: May 1 is National Physicians Day in Canada. More than ever, we are reminded of the dedication, sacrifice and contributions of the physicians and all health care professionals who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting the largest vaccine rollout in B.C.’s history alongside our government and the public. This pandemic has been a stark reminder of the dangers and uncertainties physicians and health care professionals place themselves in to perform their professional skills and care for our neighbours, our friends and our loved ones.

Thanks to our robust health care system in B.C., we often walk into a physician’s office and receive top-notch services without a second thought. For example, on a weekly basis, I go visit my family doctor, whom I consider as just a general practitioner, to get my allergy shots. However, thanks to my conversation with Dr. Matthew Chow, president of Doctors of B.C., I’ve developed a deeper appreciation of family doctors.

[10:20 a.m.]

As technology improves in the medical field, physicians and health care professionals are also forced to keep up and adapt to all the new challenges and advancements. Due to the ever-increased complexity, expanded protocols and advancing knowledge that family doctors must keep up with, we should no longer consider them just as general practitioners. Instead, let us all acknowledge that family doctors today are primary care specialists.

Let us, as the recipients of their great care and commitment, continue to modernize our health care system and express our appreciation and gratitude for physicians and health care professionals.

Finally, I hope that all my colleagues in this House can find their own unique ways to say thank you to our physicians and health care professionals on May 1, National Physicians Day in Canada. I know I will express my sincere gratitude to my primary care specialist at my appointment this Friday.

VOLUNTEERS

S. Furstenau: Where do we find identity, meaning and purpose, a sense of autonomy, pride and utility? The answer, according to British writer and philosopher George Monbiot, is in volunteering. Monbiot came to this conclusion after spending time serving in Britain’s National Health Service. He found that there are two national health systems, as he puts it — the official one, performing daily miracles, and the voluntary network that supports it.

I’m sure many of you will recognize the same structure in your own communities as I can in mine. We have two social support networks — the official one, performing daily miracles, and the volunteer network that supports it.

I can recall no other year when volunteers rose to the enormous and risky challenge of providing services to our community. Last year, within minutes of the province imposing restrictions to mitigate COVID, the volunteer Cowichan networks went to work. They partnered with service providers to create a task force that organized food hamper delivery, elder care and housing for the most vulnerable, among countless other acts of kindness that kept our community members safe, connected and well.

Volunteers are quiet heroes who put service above self, and they contribute enormously to all of our communities. Yet our economic framework doesn’t measure the positive value that unpaid work has on society. However, when we apply genuine progress indicators where social and environmental impacts are included in measuring economic success, volunteerism is recognized and valued as an essential component, improving the quality of life for the community as a whole and the individual volunteer.

Monbiot suggests we turn on its head the idea that work defines us and volunteering is something we do on the side. He says: “I would love to hear people reply, when asked what they do: ‘I volunteer at the food bank…. In my time off, I work for money.’”

The volunteers in Cowichan inspire me to want to see their work valued and recognized as essential. All of our lives are made better for it.

EARTH DAY AND
ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

B. Anderson: Today is Earth Day. The theme this year for Earth Day is “Restore our Earth.” I find this call to action both necessary and hopeful. According to scientists, we’re currently in the sixth mass extinction. Wildlife is dying due to habitat destruction and climate change. We also know that COVID-19, which has caused the global pandemic, jumped into the human population via the wildlife trade.

We know that environmental destruction has serious economic and social consequences, but ultimately, the cause of all of these factors is overconsumption, especially by the wealthy. That is us. We are the problem, not as individuals but as a collective. That is why it is critically important that we work aggressively to reduce our GHG emissions while we work on adaptation efforts.

The time is now — not tomorrow, not next year or next decade. The time is now. I am hearing this clearly from scientists and from young people — young people who are desperately worried about their future. But despite all of that, I have hope, and I draw my hope from the young people of this province that are standing up and demanding ambitious action on climate change.

We have seen groups, like Fridays for Future, who held the largest rally I have ever seen in my life in Nelson. We also have the youth climate corps that is working on wildfire risk reduction, food security and riparian restoration.

[10:25 a.m.]

We used to talk about sustainability. We cannot just sustain what we currently have. We need to regenerate — regenerative farming, regenerative forestry. We need to regenerate our fish stocks as we phase out fossil fuels. Recycling or saying no to plastic straws is not going to cut it. We need each sector to achieve their GHG emission reduction targets as we phase out fossil fuels.

With CleanBC, we have the most ambitious climate action plan in North America. It is going to take all of us, across every ministry and every business and every NGO, to ensure we are ambitiously working to make the changes we need to make on climate action in this province. We must do this work. We owe it to today’s youth and to the generations to come.

Happy Earth Day.

Mr. Speaker: I recognize the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to make a ministerial state­ment.

Ministerial Statements

EARTH DAY AND TRANSITION
TO CLEAN ECONOMY

Hon. G. Heyman: Today we join with people across British Columbia and around the world to celebrate Earth Day 2021. While this year’s celebrations reflect the requirement that we all have to stay apart due to COVID-19, today is a day to recommit to the work ahead, tackling the threats of climate change and unlocking the twin benefits of cleaner communities and clean energy economies that will determine the future of our planet.

As world leaders commit to further action on climate change, we, in British Columbia, remain more committed than ever to protecting and enhancing our environment and building a cleaner, better future for everyone.

This past year has seen remarkable changes in the clean economy, despite the global pandemic. Major automakers have increased their commitments to produce electric vehicles, pledging to phase out fossil fuel cars. Global investors are moving trillions of dollars to build a net-zero economy, and more than 110 countries have already pledged to meet net-zero emissions.

In B.C., our government continues our significant investments in our CleanBC plan to build a cleaner, stron­ger economic recovery and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. We’re expanding clean transportation options that are affordable and convenient. We’re helping people, businesses and communities build energy-efficient homes, buildings and schools. We’re working with B.C. industry and clean tech companies to reduce emissions, support good jobs and build on our advantages for the clean economy of the future.

COVID-19 has highlighted just how interconnected we all are, both within and beyond our borders. It has also shown how much can be accomplished when we work together to achieve a common purpose. These are important lessons in our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a better future for our kids and our grandkids.

Climate change knows no borders. By working to­gether, we can help make sure we’re ready for the enormous opportunities ahead as the world makes the necessary transition to a cleaner economy that supports the biodiversity and healthy ecosystems we need to survive and to thrive.

Happy Earth Day 2021.

E. Ross: I am the official opposition critic for Environment and Climate Change Strategy. I rise to commemorate the 51st annual celebration of Earth Day, an opportunity to celebrate the natural beauty of the wonders of this great planet and a chance to reaffirm our commitment to protecting that for future generations to cherish and enjoy.

That commitment is something that all parties in this House uphold. Today, billions of people in 193 countries around the world now participate in Earth Day, in activities all shared by everybody, recognizing the collective responsibility we all have to this planet, our shared heritage and bond to the pale blue dot that we call Earth.

In 2009, April 22 was also proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as International Mother Earth Day. After a year of people all around the world staying home and not travelling, those of us who call British Columbia home have more reasons than ever to be thankful to Mother Earth and to live in this great province, one of the most beautiful places on earth. We all recognize the importance of combatting climate change, reducing emissions and working to secure a clean future for our children and grandchildren.

[10:30 a.m.]

As the MLA for Skeena, representing one of the most stunning areas of the planet, my constituents and I care deeply for the environment. And as former chief councillor of the Haisla people, my people have a deep reverence for the natural world. We know what it means to be stewards of the land in the 21st century and how to work towards balancing economic development with environmental protection. We are practical and know that progress isn’t measured in terms of months when it comes to humanity’s relationship with nature. Progress takes time, but stewardship is a lifelong commitment.

Taking care of the land we call home is our collective responsibility, no matter your race, religion, gender or ethnicity. We can practise environmentally friendly habits, not just today but every day. Even small acts of conservation can add up to big impacts over time and support initiatives to reduce emissions, including supporting and encouraging innovation and research into lessening our carbon footprint. Together, we can make a difference.

Many of us on both sides of the House started in local government because we wanted to make a difference and find common solutions to make life better for everyone. I believe, in spite of the past year that we’ve all experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and perhaps even because of it, we’ve grown to appreciate what really matters and how vital it is that we find those common solutions at the international level as well as the local level.

Since 2004, I’ve come to see the sincerity and good work that B.C. has done to mitigate and remediate our impacts to our lands, and we should be sharing our best practices with the world and vice versa to make progress on a worldwide scale, step by step, to continue protecting our environment for the future while achieving prosperity for all. That should be the goal we all seek: to be united to safeguard this planet for the next generation and to bring prosperity to our loved ones and neighbours who call this planet home.

This is the fight that I joined in on in 2003 as an elected councillor in Kitamaat Village, and I am proud to be able to continue that fight every single day in this House. I know British Columbians will, as they have in the past, rise up to this fight again.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and happy Earth Day, B.C.

A. Olsen: Today on Earth Day national governments are meeting to announce new climate targets. They ac­knowledge that a certain amount of global warming is already locked in. This is already having devastating effects, especially for less wealthy nations experiencing increased events like flooding, droughts and storms. Here in Canada, we’re warming at twice the natural average. But we have already had climate targets for decades.

Canada remains the only G7 nation that has increased emissions since signing the Paris climate agreement, lar­gely because of our continued expansion of the fossil fuel sector. Here in B.C., our emissions are growing as well. This is simply incompatible with halting global warming and the devastating impacts that go along with it. We need to seize the moment to build a clean economy and embrace a just transition that takes care of every community.

Today we join people around the world in recognizing this amazing planet we call home, which gives us every­thing we need. As I reflect on the importance of this day to focus our attention on the global effort, I return back closer to home to the W̱SÁNEĆ teachings about how we relate to each other, how we relate to our planet and to all other species that live here, big and small.

Last week I shared a core W̱SÁNEĆ teaching describing the responsibility that we have to look after each other. I have in the past and will continue to in the future demand that we do better. We cannot take refuge in rhetoric. What’s missing here is action.

As my ancestors well knew, everything here on earth is interconnected, creating a beautifully diverse web of life. It’s that biodiversity that this government promised, with their words, to protect in legislation — now, silence. So what will future generations say about their ancestors?

As we celebrate Earth Day, let’s remember that the people elected to sit in this chamber — the policy-makers, the decision-makers, the lawmakers who make the decisions — will shape our future. We must, with urgency, make better decisions that preserve our natural ecosystems.

HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM. Thank you.

[10:35 a.m.]

Oral Questions

COVID-19 TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
AND ENFORCEMENT

P. Milobar: The Premier has completely failed to explain the basic elements of his travel ban since his botched announcement on Monday.

Yesterday 11 legal and First Nations groups wrote to express their outrage — groups like the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, B.C. First Nations Justice Council, British Columbia Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit society and Pivot Legal Society, to name a few. I quote from the letter: “The lack of information and details about the order has raised many alarm bells, especially in the middle of a global and local reckoning about systemic racism in policing and policing powers.”

Can the Premier explain exactly what he announced four days ago, or does the Premier still not know?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I appreciate the question from the member. As the member knows, there is a pandemic going on, and one of the issues around the transmission of the virus has been travel. What was indicated on Monday is that we would be needing to bring in travel restrictions. We have made it clear that there would be information coming out later this week, which will be tomorrow.

The opposition has already been informed that they will be being briefed on the proposed changes that are taking place. We are very mindful of the issues that have been raised in that letter and by others, and I note that many of those concerns have been raised at earlier points in the pandemic when government has had to put in place health orders.

We will be doing everything that we need to do to ensure that not only are those concerns addressed, but we’ve already made it clear that there will be…. And I note that the opposition, when the measure of the need for travel restrictions came out, automatically jumped the gun and said: “Oh, they’re going to be preventing people from going about their business, going to work.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

As I’ve said, we will have more details coming out on Friday, and the opposition has already been scheduled for a fulsome briefing on the issues involved.

Mr. Speaker: The Opposition House Leader on a supplemental.

P. Milobar: The letter points out exactly what concerns many in the province have been expressing this week, including many constituents, to our office, because an announcement on Monday about measures that will take effect on Friday — but no information till Friday — leads to confusion.

Again, this letter from the 11 legal societies as well as First Nations groups points out that announcing orders to regulate the movement of people should have the consent of First Nations. But, once again, this Premier has completely ignored UNDRIP. This is what the letter from those 11 groups has to say: “It is concerning to us that the government would make two public announcements…in such a vague way and with no accompanying details.” The comments of the Premier and the Solicitor General “are different from one another, which adds to the confusion.”

Again, can the Premier tell British Columbians why there are conflicting comments and total confusion coming from him and his government?

Hon. M. Farnworth: There are no conflicting comments coming from the Solicitor General or from the Premier or from this government. What has been made clear right from the very beginning is that there are health orders that need to be in place to deal with the spread of the virus. That means limiting travel between health authorities as one of the most effective ways to do that. That’s what has been announced. What was also made clear….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, a question was asked. Let’s listen to the answer.

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

I think that illustration of not wanting to hear the answer just confirms, in fact, what took place on Monday, when the opposition went out right away on Twitter to say: “Oh, the government intends to prevent people from being able to go to work.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

[10:40 a.m.]

They’re clearly not really interested in wanting to try and control a pandemic when they make statements like that.

We have made it clear (1) that they will be briefed tomorrow and (2) that that will be before the order goes out. But most importantly, there is a need to be able to control transmission, and that means recognizing that travel restrictions have to be put in place.

We have also made it clear that essential travel will still take place, and this will also be coming out on Friday. But use some common sense on the other side of the House. That does not mean preventing people from being able to go to work. That does not mean preventing people from going and getting groceries, for example.

What it means is asking people to do what we are already asking them to do, which is to stay in their own health authority, stay local. That’s what the travel restrictions are about. The details will be announced on Friday. The Premier, on Monday, as myself, foreshadowed what is to come. It’s been made clear that that’s what’s taking place. It’s unfortunate that the opposition is choosing to play politics on such a serious and important matter.

M. Bernier: I mean, the messaging coming from this minister and the Premier and this government is about as clear as mud. I mean, there is endless flip-flopping that has taken place from the Premier on travel restrictions.

First he said he needed legal advice. Then he said he couldn’t do it. Then he let skiers travel here from all across the continent to go skiing. Then two weeks ago, he shrugged and said: “Well, what are we going to do? Arrest them?”

Now the flip-flopping Premier is at it again, announcing essential travel only, with police-enforced travel bans, with no details. But worse, he caught the police completely off guard, and they knew nothing about this. It’s no wonder every time the Premier opens up his mouth, everybody in the province gets confused with his comments.

Can the Premier define easily today: what does he mean by essential travel?

Hon. M. Farnworth: Well, I must admit the only flip-flopping is coming from that side of the House. Clearly, they’ve decided they’re not really interested in working with this side of the House or the House together in terms of dealing with the pandemic. That’s what….

Interjections.

Hon. M. Farnworth: I can inform….

Mr. Speaker: It’s important that we hear the question….

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

I can also inform the member that he is factually wrong on one of his statements in his question. That is, we have been working very closely with police in terms of how an order on travel between health authorities could be enforced. That work has been ongoing.

Like I said, you’re being briefed tomorrow. You knew you were being briefed tomorrow. So it’s unfortunate…. But I guess it’s to their advantage, in a way, to say, “Oh well, we don’t know any details, so we’ll go in there and play politics,” as opposed to waiting until the scheduled briefing they’re supposed to be getting tomorrow.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Okay. One question at a time.

The member for Peace River South.

M. Bernier: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The confusion starts because of the flip-flopping that has taken place on that side of the House. The confusion starts every time the Premier opens up his mouth. We asked for a briefing, an explanation, starting Monday. Instead, they wait until a few minutes before question period today. “Don’t worry. We’ll brief you tomorrow as we’re making the public announcements to the province.”

Here’s the confusion the government is causing. Last Friday the Minister of Health claimed that there would be no travel restrictions in British Columbia. Then on Monday the Premier announced full travel ban, complete with police checkpoints. He said: “These will be conducted through random audits, not unlike any roadside checks.”

Ever since then, this Solicitor General has been trying to clean up the Premier’s mess with different messaging yet again, adding more confusion for the people of British Columbia who are trying to understand the direction this province is trying to go.

[10:45 a.m.]

Can the Premier let the people of B.C. know who is right? Is it the Minister of Health, is it the Solicitor General, or is it the Premier? Who should they be listening to?

Hon. M. Farnworth: As the members on that side of the House well know, the pandemic creates a very fluid situation. We respond to the needs that happen as that pandemic is evolving and that pandemic is changing. We listen to the advice of the provincial health officer.

It has become clear that what needs to be in place are travel restrictions. We have indicated that that is what is going to take place. That work on how that will happen has been underway. It has involved police agencies, for example, on how something could take place. What tools are required? It’s involved working with B.C. Ferries, for example. Again, that work has been taking place.

I want to again correct the member across the way. They were informed yesterday — not a few minutes before question period today — that you would be getting briefed, and we will brief you when there’s information in place.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: You were told yesterday, and your opposition leader asked me. She said: “I’ve written you a letter, and I want to have a briefing.” I said: “We are setting one up for you.” Your critic was also informed. Once again, they proved that they’re only interested in playing politics.

Interjections.

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

Members, that part of the question-and-answer is over, please. Let’s continue with the next question.

BUDGET PROVISIONS FOR
PROTECTION OF OLD-GROWTH FORESTS

A. Olsen: The Premier promised during the recent snap election to implement all the old growth review panel’s recommendations, including immediate protections for at-risk old growth and a paradigm shift with fully funded transition plans for communities.

As the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and conservation groups have made extremely clear, a shift away from old-growth logging simply will not happen without adequate funding, including conservation financing and funding for Indigenous-led protected areas. Yet there is nothing in this budget. The Wilderness Committee called this lack of funding “a recipe to increase division and conflict over old-growth forests in this province.”

My question is to the Minister of Finance, who ultimately is responsible for what is and what is not in the budget. Where is the funding needed to support the promises made to protect old growth and support communities through a shift in our forestry sector?

Hon. S. Robinson: I want to thank the member for the question.

Our government is committed and dedicated to implementing the recommendations of the independent panel on old growth. You will see in the budget that we have increased forestry’s budget by $44 million this year, over the previous budget.

Again, I want to say that this important work has already begun. The important work of engaging with all interested parties is absolutely critical. We want to have a solution that works for everybody. And making sure that we engage with Indigenous governments across the regions is absolutely critical to making sure that we can do this important work.

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

A. Olsen: The Minister of Finance, when pressed by the media on how they would fund enhanced old-growth protection, said it would come from within FLNRO’s budget. This morning the Finance Minister, on CBC, said the forestry budget was increased but just not highlighted. But the Finance Minister knows that the FLNRO budget is actually decreasing $41 million this year, $30 million next year.

As Andrea Inness from the Ancient Forest Alliance said: “Despite promising a complete paradigm shift in the way B.C. forests are managed, the NDP government’s 2021 budget is bereft of meaningful solutions to make it happen.” This budget confirms what many have been worried about: that the B.C. NDP’s promises to do things differently on land use, on forestry and on old-growth protection are just empty words.

My question is actually Andrea’s question, from their press release yesterday. Again to the Minister of Finance, who is responsible for these decisions: “How does the province expect to protect ancient forest ecosystems, support communities and overhaul its forest management regime with less funding than it had before?”

[10:50 a.m.]

Hon. S. Robinson: Again, I want to point out just how important that work is and that the work has already begun. The Forests Minister is diligently engaging with all interested parties. We have increased the forestry budget by $44 million this year over last year. It is in the budget.

I also want to point out that we did provide — and perhaps this might be helpful to the discussion — emergency funding for an additional $85 million last year in the midst of the pandemic, because it was a pandemic. I do want to point out that we do have a significant pandemic and recovery contingency should we need to continue to support the forestry sector as part of the pandemic and as part of our recovery.

COVID-19 TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
AND ENFORCEMENT

R. Merrifield: The Premier has flipped, flopped and bungled when it comes to travel restrictions for B.C. The Solicitor General, the Health Minister and the public health officer have all provided advice to the public that directly contradicts him. But the Premier just keeps blowing it.

People are wondering: “Can we go to work? Can we visit ailing parents? What if I have a medical appointment?” How are people expected to provide evidence that their travel is essential? Will people have to produce sensitive personal information at these checkstops?

Hon. M. Farnworth: No.

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

R. Merrifield: Well, that’s the first straight answer we’ve received.

This is what the Premier said on Monday: “Everybody who goes by will be asked where they’re going and where they came from.” The words of the Premier. But according to the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, they say: “Police do not have the legal authority to ask questions like: ‘Where are you going? Where are you coming from? For what purpose?’”

Can the Premier explain what specific powers, then, the police will have to enforce this order at a checkpoint?

Hon. M. Farnworth: As has been made clear on Monday, this is about restricting travel to deal with the pandemic and the spread of the virus, and in particular, what we’ve seen over the last while, which is the increase in variants in this province. Now, the opposition is all of a sudden opposed to dealing with that? Let the public of British Columbia know.

If the opposition doesn’t believe that the government should be doing everything it can to deal with this virus and the spread of this virus…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, the Chair would like to listen to the answer, please.

Hon. M. Farnworth: …by keeping British Columbians safe, let the public know now.

T. Stone: What the public is looking for, what British Columbians are looking for, is clarity and honesty, not a bungling Premier and a blustering Solicitor General.

This is what the Premier said on Monday: “The Minister of Public Safety will be using the Emergency Program Act to restrict people’s ability to move from one health authority to another. It will be done in a way that includes everyone, and there will be consequences if you are outside of your area on non-essential business.”

Since the Premier winged it on Monday, our constituency offices have been flooded with calls from frustrated and confused constituents. British Columbians want to know what the Premier actually meant, but we don’t know what to tell them.

The question is this. Can the Premier explain why, four days later, he still can’t explain what’s happening with checkpoints and travel restrictions?

Hon. M. Farnworth: It’d be nice if the opposition would be honest with its constituents when they call in, because the provincial health officer has already said a travel advisory is in place, which is: “Stay in your own community.” If you have to ask about going somewhere else, don’t do it.

If that’s the kind of misinformation that they’re giving their constituents when they phone their office, then I say shame on them. The travel restrictions…

Interjections.

[10:55 a.m.]

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: …that we have been talking about, that we have indicated, need to be put in place. We’ve made clear those will be announced on Friday.

What the Premier did, appropriately, was to foreshadow that we are having to take this step. We don’t want…. You know, he would rather not have to take this step, but the virus and the variants are spreading through this province. Travel is one of the ways in which they are transmitted, and one of the most effective ways to deal with that is to bring in travel restrictions.

The provincial health officer has indicated that between health authorities is the most effective way to do that. That will ensure that in the Lower Mainland, you stay in the Lower Mainland. If you’re in the Interior and Northern Health, that’s where you need to stay. It is not about….

Interjections.

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

Hon. M. Farnworth: It has been clear it is not going to impact on essential travel, such as medical appointments and going to work or commuting, you know, between Burnaby and Vancouver.

It is unfortunate that, once again, they’re not interested in working together. They’re more interested in playing politics.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Kamloops–South Thomp­son on a supplemental.

T. Stone: I would say the definition of playing politics is calling an election in the middle of a pandemic. That’s on all of you. I would also say to the Solicitor General that I know it must be frustrating that the Premier’s press conferences these days can basically be summed up as: show up and screw up. He shows up, and then he puts stuff out there and leaves it to the Solicitor General to come in behind and clean up the Premier’s mess.

I understand that that must be frustrating, but it’s also frustrating for British Columbians to have no idea what the Premier meant when he said, again: “The Minister of Public Safety will be using the Emergency Program Act to restrict people’s ability to move from one health authority to another.” That’s the Premier’s quote. That’s not something that we said, and we also know that that’s not something that the Solicitor General said.

Does the Premier think it’s essential for people to get to their jobs that cross a boundary that he’s drawn? Does the Premier think it’s essential for people to take care of their frail elderly parents in another health authority? The Premier can’t define “essential.” He can’t explain the consequences, and he can’t explain why there’s one set of rules in the Lower Mainland and, apparently, another set of rules in other parts of British Columbia.

Again, the question to the Premier is this. Will the Premier tell British Columbians more about these checkpoints that they can expect, and what they can and can’t do when it comes to travel within British Columbia?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I’ll resist the temptation to say that if you want to talk about screwups, let’s just consider the former member’s record when it came to….

Interjections.

Hon. M. Farnworth: The Premier and the health officer have been very clear. People need to stay local. They need to stay in their own community. At the same time, right from the get-go with this pandemic, there has been put in place what is essential, what is essential travel, and there is a long and exhaustive list. That is still in place. That has not changed, and it’s not going to change.

I wish the opposition would just stop this fearmongering and get on with the fact that we are working as hard as we can to keep British Columbians safe. That is the job of this side of the House, and we will continue to do that.

[11:00 a.m.]

B. Banman: In spite of what we’ve just heard in this House a few minutes ago, the police are not pleased with the Premier’s bungling and lack of consultation. These officers are in the middle of fighting a deadly and escalating gang war. But what does this Premier do? He tells the police to divert their focus from fighting crime to fighting campers.

This is what the National Police Federation says: “Participating in enforcement roadblocks puts even greater pressure on limited resources.”

To the Premier, how many police resources will be diverted away from stopping this dangerous gang war in the Lower Mainland?

Hon. M. Farnworth: None.

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

B. Banman: So the Premier was mistaken, then. This Premier has no idea what he’s doing.

Just yesterday there was a targeted shooting on the front steps of an ice rink in Langley, right next to families and children who were using the play area inside. To make matters worse, most of the officers enforcing the Premier’s checkpoints have not been vaccinated yet. The New Westminster Police Officers Association says, “We would certainly ask that the government make us a priority for vaccination before they start asking us” to enforce their public health orders.

Question to the Premier, how many unvaccinated police officers will be put at risk on the front lines of the Premier’s checkpoints?

Hon. M. Farnworth: If any question wanted to show that this opposition is not even interested in the facts or working with people, it is that kind of approach that we are just seeing right now.

We have been working with police in terms of how travel restrictions could be put in place and what would be the most effective way to ensure that they work. We have been engaged with ferries to ensure how that would work at terminals, for example. We have been engaged with the tourism industry in terms of dealing with bookings and how that would work. We have been working with the people who actually know what needs to happen and what needs to take place.

What the Premier has said is that there will be travel restrictions coming and that we need to have them. We need to have them to control the virus. We need to have them to help keep British Columbians safe. That’s what we are doing. That’s what we’re going to continue to do. They will be briefed tomorrow, and there will be further announcements on what exactly will be taking place tomorrow.

S. Cadieux: Since the Premier surprised the province with his police checkpoints, people are worried that Black, Indigenous and people of colour will be racially profiled. The head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, Harsha Walia, has raised concerns. “The concern is that BIPOC people will face more questioning, more interrogation, have to produce more proof and will be more likely to face fines in this process.”

That’s the problem. Absolutely no one knows what the Premier was thinking, including the Solicitor General and the Minister of Health. That leaves everybody wondering which BIPOC organizations were consulted on this measure and which ones signed off on the Premier’s checkpoints.

These groups want to know who has been consulted. Will the Premier answer their very legitimate questions?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I thank the member for the question. I understand very much the concerns of the BIPOC community. As a matter of fact, after question period, I will be meeting with a number of groups and organizations, in terms of hearing from them on the issues around the implementation of travel restrictions.

G. Kyllo: It appears that no one in government understands what the Premier meant to say, including him. The Solicitor General had to try and walk back his comments. Both Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Health Minister have given different advice.

[11:05 a.m.]

The police have no idea what the Premier is talking about. Now we have the Vancouver police objecting to enforcing the checkpoints they’ve been told they will be running: “The VPD is not conducting random checks for compliance with travel restrictions. We have not seen specific details of these pending restrictions.” British Columbians who want to do the right thing are confused.

It is the Premier who has created this mass confusion. Will the Premier stand up and apologize to British Columbians for creating this unnecessary stress and anxiety?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I think that opposition needs to stand up and apologize. Stand up and apologize to British Columbians for some of the most fearmongering questions that we have seen. What has been made clear right from the beginning is that this is about ensuring the safety of British Columbians by limiting the spread of the virus.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Order.

Hon. M. Farnworth: It is not about checkpoints in downtown Vancouver. Nobody has told the VPD that they will be doing checkpoints at any point. To suggest that they have is simply wrong.

What has also been clear…. This opposition knows full well that they were going to be briefed tomorrow. They were told yesterday that they were going to be briefed. The bottom line is this.

Interjections.

Hon. M. Farnworth: You most certainly were. Your leader said to me: “I’ve written you a letter.” I said: “What’s it about?” “I want a briefing,” she said. I said: “Don’t worry. It’s in the works. You’re going to be briefed. My office contacted your critic.” You were told yesterday.

Mr. Speaker: Through the Chair.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order. Order, Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Hon. Speaker, this is about public safety. This is about keeping British Columbians healthy and safe and stopping the virus. They may not want to do that. We will. We are going to do it right.

[End of question period.]

Mr. Speaker: The member for Saanich North and the Islands is seeking leave to present a petition. Is leave granted?

Leave granted.

Mr. Speaker: Please proceed.

Petitions

A. Olsen: I’ve got a petition of 180 signatures, I believe, with respect to a situation on Saltspring Island, on Beddis Road. Residents of the neighbourhood are requesting the Ministry of Transportation to address a long-standing issue with respect to the road and road ownership. This has been going on for a long, long period of time. This is the neighbourhood asking MOTI to step in and assist the neighbourhood.

Tabling Documents

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to table a report pursuant to the COVID-19 Related Measures Act.