Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: P. Alexis.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. M. Farnworth: April is Safe Digging Month in B.C. It’s a time to reinforce the message to call or click before you dig. I’m here to help reinforce that message. Our 21 members from the British Columbia Common Ground Alliance are here today in the precinct and watching question period. Would the House please make them most welcome.

Tributes

GERHARD BLENK

R. Merrifield: It’s with sadness today that I rise to honour the passing of one of Kelowna’s finest businessmen and developers. Gerhard Blenk, the developer who founded Kelowna’s Wilden neighbourhood, has sadly passed away at the age of 81.

Born in Germany, Blenk operated businesses in many different industries, including the oil industry, hunting industry and, on the side, started investing in development. He started in Alberta and moved to western Canada as he discovered the Okanagan Valley, purchasing the piece known as Wilden today in the mid-1990s.

I was just starting in development when his property was going through the planning stages and learned a great deal through the thoughtful approach to the development in Wilden, the largest master-planned community in our city.

Blenk was a pioneer and understood how sustainability could be fostered while providing homes for a growing community. I’ll use his quote. Blenk said: “For me, the challenge is finding the right balance between creativity and beauty on one side and then the regulations and economics on the other. I know, at the end of the day, there will be some financial profit, but the greatest profit will be to look at some beautiful subdivisions surrounded by preserved green space. I’m really looking forward to that day.”

He passed away on March 28, 2022, in his beautiful home in Wilden with his family by his side. He will be missed, but his legacy in Wilden will live on.

Introductions by Members

Hon. H. Bains: Really pleased to welcome a couple of my constituents who are in the gallery, proud residents of Surrey-Newton, Jaspal and Gurpreet Sodhan. They have been great volunteers all their careers and their lives. They raised four beautiful children and put them through B.C. universities. Now they’re employed all around the province, including one of them who works for us as a legislative assistant, Pavan. Please help me and give them a very warm welcome.

D. Coulter: Today I am pleased to have one of my constituents in the House and on the precinct. Her name is Caitlyn Tuytel. She’s a 16-year-old student from Sardis Secondary School, and she’s going to graduate early, which is spectacular.

I got to spend time with her yesterday. She’s really smart and super passionate about agriculture. She’s a dairy farmer. She’s also a barrel racer. She’s really into 4-H cattle as well.

If the House could welcome Caitlyn.

D. Routley: I’d like the House to help me welcome two really good friends and constituents, Sandra Zuccolini-Larocque and Mike Larocque. For Sandra, her history goes back, in Nanaimo, to the coal-mining days. Her family lived in the South End, as does she. She’s been a great volunteer for the fantastic South End Community Association over the years. Mike is a DJ. Yeah.

[10:10 a.m.]

Sandra is also the place where I would place the blame for my pestering of the Environment Minister for funding of the historical Morden Colliery Park in Nanaimo. The blame goes to Sandra for my pestering of the minister, as does the credit for saving that park and earning the investment to it.

Thank you, Sandra and Mike, for your great contributions to our community.

J. Rice: As we are currently in the middle of Emergency Service Dispatchers and 9-1-1 Awareness Week, I’d like to share some thoughts on the people who do very important work every day in our province.

Emergency service call-takers and other personnel involved in this vital public safety role are true unsung heroes who play an integral part in keeping our communities safe. They are the calming voices who take swift action to help people when they call 911 in a moment of personal distress.

I’m pleased to welcome two E-Comm 9-1-1 representatives to the House this morning.

Meghan Taylor has been a 911 police call-taker for more than five years. She began her career at West Shore RCMP before transitioning to E-Comm’s Vancouver Island 911 centre.

Nicole Israel has 20 years of experience in emergency communications, working in both police call-taking and dispatch. Prior to joining E-Comm, Nicole was a telecommunications supervisor at the Saanich police department.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to both Meghan and Nicole this morning.

F. Donnelly: It gives me great pleasure to welcome back to the Legislature one of my political heroes and good friends, John Cashore. John served as MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville between 1986 and 2001. He served in cabinet as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Minister of Labour and Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks. He also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education.

During his time as Minister of Environment, he greatly advanced the NDP’s goal of doubling the amount of parks and protected areas in B.C. to 12 percent. He introduced the zero AOX pulp pollution regulation, and he was instrumental in the creation of the Muskwa-Kechika special management area, some 4.4 million hectares in the Northern Rockies.

Since retiring from political life, John has continued to be a tireless advocate for the environment. I’m lucky to have such a distinguished gentleman as an adviser on such things as Pinecone Provincial Park, which is in my riding.

Prior to politics, John was a United Church minister, serving in many rural and Indigenous communities in B.C. He has 11 grandchildren, enjoys hiking, fishing, canoeing and spending time with his friend Sharie Ford.

Sharie, who also lives in Coquitlam, is an active volunteer with SHARE and the Crossroads Hospice Society. She’s on the council of Como Lake United Church, which is working to provide 75 units of below-market and market rental housing.

John and Sharie are visiting the Legislature today and are here in the gallery. Would the House please join me in welcoming John Cashore and Sharie Ford.

Hon. L. Popham: I’d like to follow the member for Chilliwack and welcome Caitlyn to the chamber.

I met Caitlyn in 2019 at the PNE during a 4-H event, and we hit it off. We’ve been keeping in touch ever since, through social media and texting. I’m really proud of Caitlyn. She participated by rescuing hundreds of animals during the floods in the Fraser Valley, and she did it with so much grace. She is an incredible young woman. She is an incredible farmer and a leader in her own community. I think we probably are looking at a future Minister of Agriculture in our midst.

I’d like to welcome you here. It’s been such an honour for me to spend time with you. We had a sleepover last night, and we went to Pagliacci’s.

Every conversation I have with Caitlyn proves to me that she is such a solid person and a hard worker. Also, as the member mentioned, she’s straight As.

[10:15 a.m.]

The world is open to whatever you want to do. We’re just so happy to have you here. Welcome.

S. Chant: I would like to introduce, virtually — today is organ donation day — a person who has donated over 100 times with blood and also has donated bone marrow, which has managed to make a young woman, a mother of two young children, able to see her children grow, go to school and do a number of other things.

Anyway, I’m always very proud of these folks, and I’m particularly proud of this one. He continues to donate blood on an ongoing basis. He also happens to be my husband, Rick Chant.

Tributes

DIANE NICHOLLS

Hon. K. Conroy: It’s with mixed emotions that I tell the House that Diane Nicholls, the assistant deputy minister and chief forester, is leaving the B.C. public service. As the Minister of Forests, I have often relied on Diane’s wise advice and vast experience on many issues that relate to this ministry, and I will miss her very much.

Diane has been B.C.’s chief forester since 2016 and has had many successes throughout her tenure. Her influence and enthusiastic approach will be difficult to replace. She’s been instrumental in ushering in a new era of forest management planning that includes enhanced benefits for forest communities, First Nations and all British Columbians. Some of Diane’s other accomplishments include building the office of the chief forester, which holds the mantra of caring for B.C.’s forests.

She was also instrumental in bringing the Forest and Range Practices Act amendments to enhance forest management planning and align with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. She’s led successful partnerships with the federal government on initiatives that include the low-carbon economy fund, the forest carbon initiative and the 2 Billion Trees program. She also introduced a collaborative approach to timber supply reviews.

Finally, she helped to bring forest products innovation to the front of the government agenda with the forest bioproduct strategy. Not only is she B.C.’s first female chief forester; she is also the first woman in Canada to hold this position.

Please join me in wishing Diane well in her future endeavours, where she will have the incredible opportunity to pursue her passion in the bioeconomy. I say she leaves big shoes to fill, but maybe I should say big high heels.

Introductions by Members

Hon. S. Malcolmson: In the House today is my uncle Paul Barber. He was a documentary producer for the Journal on the CBC for almost 20 years. Many people will remember that work. He was a staffer in the Schreyer government, a public servant at Queen’s Park under all three parties: NDP, Conservative and Liberal. He’s also the husband of my beloved late aunt Kim Malcolmson. Will the House please make my uncle Paul very welcome.

Statements

MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION FOR
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY PROTECTIVE
SERVICES AND VICTORIA POLICE

Hon. M. Farnworth: I know it has been a long session of introductions today, but I do think that the one I’m about to make is important, and I think all members of this chamber will appreciate it.

Over the last number of weeks, this building and many members have faced challenges from those who want to protest outside the front of the chamber. We have had absolutely incredible work from our legislative protective services, the staff at the Sergeant-at-Arms, Victoria police department, and Chief Del Manak and all the sworn officers who have helped keep this precinct and members safe and allowed legitimate, peaceful protest to take place.

I think we should all, at the end of this week, give them a very hearty thank-you for a job well done.

S. Bond: On behalf of the official opposition, I want to thank the Government House Leader for doing what we need to do more often, and that is to recognize and provide thanks to the people who help us get our work done here.

On behalf of the official opposition, we want to join with the Government House Leader in expressing our heartfelt gratitude. It makes it a lot easier to come to work, knowing that there is an incredible team of people taking care of us and looking after each other as well.

Thank you to the House Leader for raising that today.

[10:20 a.m.]

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL 20 — MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS STATUTES
AMENDMENT ACT, 2022

Hon. N. Cullen presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2022.

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

I’m pleased to introduce Bill 20. This bill amends nine pieces of legislation, including the Auditor General for Local Government Act, the Community Charter, the Local Government Act, the Municipalities Enabling and Validating Act, the Vancouver Charter, the Islands Trust Act, of course the Cultus Lake Park Act, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act.

Bill 20 does five primary things. One, it removes redundant legislation that is no longer required. Secondly, it clarifies a local government’s authority on electronic meetings and subdivision of land that is not agricultural land. It updates legislation to provide gender-neutral language. Fourth, it provides the city of Vancouver the same authority all other local governments have to do energy benchmarking. Lastly, and most importantly, it implements new requirements for local elected officials who are charged with or convicted of criminal offences.

These amendments include repealing the Auditor General for Local Government Act, clarifying that the authority to hold electronic meetings applies to local government bodies, providing certainty on an approving officer’s statutory discretion to permit subdivision of land that is not agricultural land, modernizing the Vancouver Charter by replacing gender-specific language with gender-neutral language, authorizing the city of Vancouver to require energy benchmarking, and changing the timing of when disqualification of local elected officials applies to the time of conviction for an indictable offence and not waiting until sentencing occurs.

It also requires a local elected official who has been charged with a criminal offence to take an immediate leave of absence from their duties.

These changes are what municipal leaders have been calling for. These changes are what the public expects. These are changes that we seek to implement as government.

As the Minister of Municipal Affairs, I’m pleased to table these amendments, which respond to ministry housekeeping needs, specific legislative requests from the city of Vancouver and recommendations from the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

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

Motion approved.

Hon. N. Cullen: 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 20, Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2022, 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)

GREEN SHIRT DAY FOR ORGAN DONOR
AWARENESS AND REGISTRATION

G. Kyllo: Today, April 7, Canadians are recognizing Green Shirt Day. On this day, we remember and honour defenceman Logan Boulet of the Humboldt Broncos, who tragically lost his life in a 2018 bus crash but helped to save and improve the lives of six people through organ donation. Logan’s selfless act has opened up the conversation around organ donation, inspiring thousands of Canadians to register as donors and to carry Logan’s legacy forward.

In Canada, almost 90 percent of Canadians say that they support organ donation, but sadly, only 32 percent have actually registered as donors. Green Shirt Day serves as a reminder that we need to take a few moments to go through the simple process of registration to ensure our choice is recorded and respected.

Although donation rates have improved over the last ten years, there is more to be done, as approximately 250 Canadians die annually awaiting an organ transplant. It’s suggested that every person who registers their intent to donate speak with an average of four others about organ donation. That means that 100,000 new registrants leads to almost 400,000 conversations.

I encourage every member of this House to continue these conversations, to become educated on organ donation and to do their part to register as an organ donor at transplant.bc.ca. Just by registering as a donor, we have the potential to save and improve the lives of those awaiting organ transplant. I can’t express enough the gratitude that we have for those who have already registered.

[10:25 a.m.]

Let’s get B.C. to a place where not a single person dies awaiting an organ transplant.

R. Glumac: I am wearing a green shirt today because today is Green Shirt Day for organ donor awareness. This day highlights the need for registered organ and tissue donors. By recognizing this day, we are encouraging more people to make an important choice to improve access to life-saving and life-transforming transplants.

Our government and B.C. Transplant are committed to raising awareness and sharing information about the need for organs so that more lives can be saved or improved, giving more families the precious gift of time with their loved ones.

After the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Logan Boulet succumbed to his injuries. He was registered as an organ donor, and he gave the gift of life to others. In fact, he saved six lives and inspired thousands of people around the world to register as organ and tissue donors. His family, the Canadian Transplant Association, B.C. Transplant, donor families, transplant recipients and health care providers carry on Logan’s legacy by encouraging everyone to wear green on the anniversary of his donation.

In 2021, in B.C., there were 75 living donors and 150 deceased donors that gave the incredible gift of life. Organ donors give people waiting for a transplant an opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

It’s important to know that there are hundreds of people still waiting for an organ transplant in B.C. I encourage everyone to take two minutes, the time that it takes to watch this speech, to register as an organ donor at www.taketwominutes.ca.

On behalf of the provincial government, I thank all those who have become organ donors and those whose selfless, generous acts have helped others.

VAISAKHI

B. Banman: On the 14th of April, the traditional harvest festival Vaisakhi will be celebrated. As one of the most important dates of the year, it is usually celebrated on either the 13th or 14th of April to commemorate the solar new year.

Vaisakhi is a Sikh and Hindu festival with deep, historic roots that’s celebrated by many communities all around the world. The festival is very important in Sikhism, as it is also a day to celebrate the year 1699, the year when Sikhism was born as a collective faith. Communities hold parades throughout the streets, with lots of singing, hymns, prayers and colourful clothes, known as Nagar Kirtan.

Abbotsford and B.C. have a strong and celebrated Sikh community. Abbotsford is home to the Gur Sikh Temple, a national historic site since 2002 and known as the oldest-existing Sikh temple in North America. It’s more than 100 years old, and it remains as a symbol of the long history of Sikh Canadians in Abbotsford and their service to our community and province.

I am inspired by the work of the Sikh community in B.C., and I truly appreciate all that they do. Their aid throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic shows how incredibly gracious and generous they are.

Both communities’ generous spirit was also incredibly apparent during the devastating floods last November. The Hindu Cultural Society made efforts to send a trailer full of supplies to evacuees from Merritt and Kelowna, and the Sikhs delivered thousands of meals to those that were stranded.

As we all know, COVID has prevented gatherings. We know that this Vaisakhi will be extra special to many.

I would like to thank both the Sikh and the Hindu communities for their constant devotion to the province and to the people of this province. I wish them truly, this year, a very happy Vaisakhi.

BIG BRO’S BARBERSHOP

N. Sharma: There are times in your life when you know you’re in the presence of a truly extraordinary person. Jessie Anderson is one of those people.

In 2015, Jessie Anderson opened Big Bro’s Barbershop with $9,000 in his pocket, raised from crowdfunding. As a young person, he worked with his idol, Jim Deva, at Little Sister’s bookstore and decided to get to work on his own vision to create a trans-inclusive space for his community.

[10:30 a.m.]

With a beautiful barber pole swirling with trans colours of blue, pink and white, this barbershop is dedicated to the wellness of the trans community and owned by a member of the trans community. He created a place where trans people could receive hair services without hassle, purchase gender-affirming products that are rarely available on store shelves and have access to resources that are often difficult to find or afford.

True leaders break down barriers for a better world and create the path for others to follow. Jessie continues to shatter hurdles of running a trans-centred business. He told me some of these barriers. Insurance providers, for example, didn’t have a category for gender-affirming products, so he took on the leadership of educating them to get the proper coverage, changing the system for all that came after.

There are many reasons why people from all over the province come to my riding, and Big Bro’s Barbershop is one of them. People from Kelowna and the Island show up at the doorstep of the barbershop to find community, acceptance and the resources that they need. Jessie wanted a place where all people can feel part of a community. So the next time you need a great haircut and inspiration, stop by Big Bro’s Barbershop, and you’ll receive both.

Jessie and team, thank you for your leadership in making us all better.

INDIGENOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND TSAWOUT PARTNERSHIP

A. Olsen: I rise today in celebration of an economic development venture between my relatives, Tsawout, and Cascadia Seaweed.

November 2019. I was proud to stand in this assembly as part of the unanimous support in the passing of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Articles 3 and 4 of the Declaration Act highlight Indigenous people’s right to self-determination, the right to freely determine their economic development and the right to autonomy in matters relating to their territory and local affairs. Articles 20, 21, 32 and 36 all highlight the right of Indigenous people to make decisions about their territory and economic opportunities.

In February of 1852, my W̱SÁNEĆ ancestors entered into an agreement with James Douglas, the first governor of the colony of British Columbia. Fast-forward to 1989, and the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the Tsawout in the Saanichton Bay Marina case. The court decision was critical in defining our right to fish as formerly, including our right to catch fish and the right to the places that we fish.

The W̱SÁNEĆ right to fish is unqualified, protects us against infringement of our right to carry on our fisheries as formerly and includes the right to travel to and from our fishery. Finally, the court found that generally, the rules, when applied to the treaty, should be given fair, large and liberal construction in favour of the W̱SÁNEĆ.

It is with this understanding that the Tsawout have exercised their right to create a first-of-its-kind marine use law as the foundation of this important economic development partnership. This is exactly what we hoped for when we passed the Declaration Act.

I raise my hands to the Tsawout leadership, Elders and youth who have made this opportunity become a reality.

CHILLIWACK CHILD AND YOUTH COMMITTEE

D. Coulter: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell you about a very important organization in my community and an important milestone they’re having. This month the Chilliwack Child and Youth Committee, or CYC, as it’s known, is having its 30th annual conversation on children and youth. The CYC is also celebrating its 30th anniversary, having been in Chilliwack since 1991.

The Chilliwack Children and Youth Committee represents a variety of community groups — governmental and non-governmental. They provide leadership and advocacy in the delivery of human and social services to children, youth and their families. Their mission is to work collaboratively in liaison with clients in the design, implementation and evaluation of the continuum of services which enhance the well-being of children, youth and their families.

There are 32 organizations in the CYC, including organizations such as the Stó:lō Nation, school district 33 and the Ann Davis Transition Society, to name just a few.

This year’s annual conversation on children and youth is themed “Reconnection, reflection and reconciliation.”

[10:35 a.m.]

Prior to the disruption of the COVID restrictions, the Chilliwack CYC conversation on Chilliwack’s children conference was an important annual gathering of our community’s social, health, education professionals to network and celebrate innovative programs and services and to develop joint action plans to address services and service gaps. The event will take place both virtually and in person, and there will be a variety of workshops and celebration events throughout the week of April 26 to April 29.

Over the last two years, CYC hasn’t been able to facilitate an annual conversation. They are thrilled to create spaces together to reconnect with each other, celebrate the CYC’s 30th anniversary in Chilliwack and take time to learn and grow around our individual and community’s role in reconciliation.

Oral Questions

CRIME IN COMMUNITIES AND
HANDLING OF CASES BY JUSTICE SYSTEM

S. Bond: This week we have raised the serious concerns that British Columbians have about the revolving door of repeat offenders being released, re-offending and being released again. Random assaults, violence and disorder are escalating in communities right across the province, from Surrey to Prince George. In Vancouver, people are facing, on average, four unprovoked stranger assaults every single day.

People are worried. They’re scared, and they have the right to feel safe in their communities.

What is the Attorney General doing to deal with repeat offenders and, even more seriously, the lack of confidence that British Columbians have in their justice system?

Hon. D. Eby: I share the member’s concern, to a point. That concern is about the violence and the crime that some people are seeing in our province and some of the horrific attacks described by the members opposite over the last week. I’m concerned about the victims. I’m concerned about their families and friends. Obviously, everybody in this House needs and wants British Columbians to feel safe in their communities, and these attacks corrode that feeling of safety.

I say to a point, because the members have tried to connect this to provincial government Crown counsel and difficult decisions made every day by Crown counsel in their incredibly important work. I’ve provided them with data and advised them about an area where I share concern. We have seen a decline in the COVID year of the number of approved charges. I’ve asked Crown counsel to look into why we saw that 7 percent decrease.

I can advise the member that the Minister of Public Safety and I have met with the Vancouver police department to specifically canvass their suggestions around prolific offenders in Vancouver. We’re actually meeting with them again today to further that discussion. I would welcome suggestions from the member opposite around — within our provincial authorities, within our provincial jurisdiction — the opportunities that we have to deal with this.

I know, too, that overlying this is a concern that people are seeing in the community — very visibly, people struggling with mental health and addiction issues in the streets. That also increases anxiety. I know that our complex care initiative is going to make a really big difference in that.

The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions…. Five hundred people struggling with serious mental health and addiction issues will be much better supported and will not be using emergency rooms, courthouses, police resources, and so on. That will make a difference.

We’re making progress. There’s more to do, and I welcome suggestions from the opposition, if they have some.

Mr. Speaker: Leader of the Official Opposition, supplemental.

S. Bond: Well, I want to be perfectly clear with the Attorney General. The comments we make and the issues we raise in this House are not a reflection of the people who work in the justice system. They’re about the Attorney General and his responsibility in British Columbia. This is on his watch. This is his responsibility.

In fact, on the minister’s own government website, it says: “British Columbians expect the justice system to keep their communities safe.” Nothing could be further from the truth in British Columbia right now. People need to have confidence. They have to know that their Attorney General is going to stand up for the concerns that they have about feeling safe in their communities. The current approach is simply not working.

[10:40 a.m.]

It was absolutely horrifying to learn that a 67-year-old vulnerable senior in Surrey was stabbed because someone else wanted his seat on the SkyTrain. That is unacceptable, and the Attorney General knows it. It is horrific when seniors cannot feel safe taking transit in our province. British Columbians, who are scared and feel unsafe, have lost their trust in the system and in this minister.

What exactly is he going to do to allow British Columbians the right to feel safe in their communities?

Hon. D. Eby: What a horrific incident on public transit that the member describes. I can’t imagine the anxiety and the concern that the family of this individual feel, and I wish this person the best with recovery from that violent attack. It sounds awful. I heard from the member from Kelowna about a similar horrific attack along a trail in her community — again, random, unprovoked attacks. That’s really frightening for people.

Now, when police investigate these crimes, when they arrest people, when they put that investigation file together and bring it to Crown…. I can assure British Columbians that that will be reviewed by Crown against minimum standards to ensure that when that’s brought to court, there will be a conviction. We will, and have, grappled with decisions like R. v. Jordan, out of the Supreme Court of Canada, that impose very strict timelines on us getting these matters to court and making sure that the files are complete and ready to go so that we get that conviction. They can have confidence in the work of Crown. They can have confidence in the justice system.

With respect to the police investigation, I wish them all the speed and accuracy and enthusiasm they can bring to investigating these things, putting those files together and bringing them to Crown counsel.

If members have any concerns about decisions by Crown on violent attacks like this, come to my office. I do have the ability to direct Crown, if they have a concern about the decisions that are being made by Crown. I have confidence in our independent prosecution service.

T. Halford: People were shocked earlier this year when Miguel Machorro, a tourist from Mexico, was repeatedly stabbed in a Tim Hortons in a random attack. The attacker was wanted after failing to return to the home where he is required to live as a condition of his previous release. He also has an extensive record of prior crimes, including sexual assault in 2019.

To the Attorney General, when will the province address these random attacks that continue to undermine public confidence in the justice system?

Hon. D. Eby: Over the week, I’ve run the members through some important changes that were made at the federal level and an important Supreme Court of Canada decision called R. v. Zora. These relate to the conditions that are imposed on people when they’re accused of having committed an offence. Our courts and our prosecutors are bound by this federal legislation.

I’ll just read a section of Bill C-75, the federal law, so the member understands what the court is interpreting when they make decisions like this. They require a “principle of restraint” for police and courts to ensure that release at the earliest opportunity is favoured over detention. It’s a federal law. In the R. v. Zora decision, the Supreme Court of Canada reinforced that, saying that bail conditions need to be based on the premise that somebody going to court is presumed innocent.

Now, our Crowns work within this context set out by the Supreme Court of Canada and the federal government. I don’t know all the details of the case that the member presents. If he has concerns about decisions by Crown, related to offences, he should come to my office so that we can have those discussions.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Surrey–White Rock, supplemental.

T. Halford: I thank the Attorney General for the quote. I will actually read the Attorney General a quote from the victim so that maybe he can understand what is actually going on in the streets. “I sincerely thought I was going to die. This aggression was without any provocation on my part.”

[10:45 a.m.]

We need our communities to be a safe place for everyone. People don’t feel safe when prolific offenders are released again and again, and random attacks occur on our streets every single day. The Vancouver police have said that in Vancouver four random assaults per day are what they’re finding.

When does the Attorney General plan to start restoring public confidence in our justice system?

Hon. D. Eby: The Minister of Public Safety — his staff intervened in the Vancouver police budget process to ensure that the Vancouver police had the resources they need to investigate these matters and bring people to justice, bring them to the court system for prosecution, which is incredibly important.

When matters come to Crown, I can advise the member they take it very seriously, their responsibility to ensure public safety and to apply the federal Criminal Code and the decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada. Other than ensuring that police have the resources they need, the Crown are applying the law and prosecuting these cases and doing it in a way that results in convictions.

I would welcome suggestions from the member about preventing these kinds of attacks. We’re also engaging with police and with other stakeholders. In fact, I’m meeting today with Vancouver police to discuss exactly these issues.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
AND POLICIES ON LNG DEVELOPMENT

A. Olsen: Yesterday the Globe and Mail indicated that Shell is assessing the financial viability of expanding LNG Canada here in British Columbia. “It raises the urgency for more LNG supply, because Europe and the world desperately need it,” says Wael Sawan, the head of Shell’s integrated gas and renewables division.

The Minister of Energy sees this as an indication of his government’s success. The minister said: “The fact that LNG Canada is eager to move forward is a strong indication that companies see B.C. as a secure jurisdiction to invest in.” Let’s be clear. Shell is trying to spin increased profits as a humanitarian project in a climate emergency.

What does António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, have to say about this type of humanitarianism? “People and the planet are getting clobbered by climate change. Nearly half of humanity is living in the danger zone — now. Many ecosystems are at the point of no return — now. Unchecked carbon pollution is forcing the world’s most vulnerable on a frog march to destruction — now. The facts are undeniable. This abdication of leadership is criminal. The world’s biggest polluters are guilty of arson of our only home.”

My question is to the Minister of Energy. Will the B.C. NDP caucus continue to subsidize the expansion of LNG Canada?

Hon. B. Ralston: I think we all read that report from the IPCC with concern. The chair of the IPCC said: “We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a livable future…. I am encouraged by climate action being taken in many countries. There are policies, regulations and market instruments that are proving effective. If these are scaled up and applied more widely and equitably, they can support deep emissions reductions and stimulate innovation.”

Our approach to LNG development here in British Columbia is, I think, well known, but let me repeat the principles that guide us in our considerations. One is guaranteeing a fair return for B.C.’s resources. Two, jobs and training for British Columbians. Three, respect and partnership with First Nations. And four, protection for B.C.’s air, land and water, including living up to the province’s climate commitments.

We will continue our approach that ensures the project fits within CleanBC. We will not cut corners on the environmental assessments that protect people, land and water, and we will not abandon our climate plan, globally recognized as an innovative solution for industry.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Saanich North and the Islands, supplemental.

[10:50 a.m.]

A. Olsen: B.C. is already failing to meet our sectoral emission targets. We somehow believe that expanding LNG is possible.

In a CBC article this week, the Minister of Environment said: “We’ve made it clear in our Roadmap to 2030 that we’re committed to a 33 to 38 percent reduction in emissions, upstream and downstream, in the oil and gas sector. That is part of our roadmap, and we’ll be judged on that.” That’s true. This government will be judged on that.

Phase 1 of LNG Canada is included in CleanBC models; phase 2 is not. The B.C. Sierra Club is suing our government for failing to provide a detailed plan to achieve emissions targets. The Minister of Energy can say whatever he wants, but we don’t have the information to be able to actually judge them on it.

They say emissions enabled by the LNG Canada terminal at Kitimat alone would make it nearly impossible to meet the targets that these ministers are talking about. Jens Wieting of the Sierra Club said: “The NDP restarted the process of the carbon tax, but both the previous Liberal government and NDP government have supported more fracking and building more LNG terminals, and that’s a key part of the problem.”

My question is to the Minister of Environment. Explain to this assembly how the expansion of LNG Canada can fit into our 2030 emissions targets.

Hon. G. Heyman: Thank you to the member for the question.

Let me simply state, as the member quoted, the CBC interview, what I said. We introduced the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 to spell out for British Columbians, all British Columbians, as well as our colleagues across Canada and across the world, a series of measures we would take across transportation, across buildings in communities, across industry, including the oil and gas sector, as to how we would reduce our emissions. Included in that was a clear commitment to reduce emissions in the oil and gas sector by 33 to 38 percent by 2030.

The focus of emission reduction has to be on reducing emissions. We will work with industry, with nations, with experts — and we’ll introduce regulations if necessary — to demonstrate clearly to British Columbians how we will achieve the commitments that we made. That is what we need to do. That is what we’ll be judged on.

I’ll simply close by quoting one of the British Columbia members, a previous member, of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “I am thrilled with the release of the CleanBC Roadmap that fulfils our original commitment in CleanBC to fully meet our legislated greenhouse gas emissions target for 2030.”

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. G. Heyman: “The roadmap’s comprehensive sectorwide approach to emissions reduction leaves no stone unturned…. It’s a plan that signals to the world that B.C. is going to lead the way in the transition to a low-carbon future.”

Those words come from a climate scientist. That climate scientist is a member of the faculty at the University of Victoria, and his name is Andrew Weaver.

SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR
PERSONS WITH COMPLEX CARE NEEDS

M. Lee: This week we learned that residents at Woodwards Community Housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside are losing an on-site nurse — this at a time when this government should be adding mental health resources in supportive housing, not taking them away.

This nursing position has been funded since 2010 but is now being cut by the NDP. Woodwards resident Angel Gates wants to know why. “During a pandemic and opioid crisis, you’re going to take away our nurse?”

Will the NDP listen to Angel and the other residents of Woodwards and give them back their nurse, who they rely on?

Hon. D. Eby: I saw the same news article that the member did. Obviously, I’m concerned. I understand that Vancouver Coastal Health has made a decision around allocating resources. I can assure the member and the residents of Woodwards that we are looking into it.

[10:55 a.m.]

R. Merrifield: Cutting mental health supports in supportive housing is exactly the opposite of what we need to be doing right now and exactly the opposite of what this NDP government promised.

When the Premier was asked about the tragic slaying of UBCO security guard Harmandeep Kaur, he said: “It is high time that we started building the complex care so that we can house those individuals.” The RCMP say this is the third incident in Kelowna this year where a person was killed related to a mental health issue.

Our city’s promised complex care facility is nowhere close to completion, despite consistent urging by the city of Kelowna for the last three years — even delivering a white paper in 2020 to this government. Instead of urgency, there is no timeline, no budget and no clear difference being made on the ground by this NDP government.

My question is this. How much longer will Kelowna have to wait until shovels are in the ground on complex care?

Hon. S. Malcolmson: Mr. Speaker, I’ll address the member’s question about complex care housing in a minute. It’s an important one.

I will say again, in this chamber, that for any of us to conflate mental health or substance use with violence is not fair. It builds stigma. We have to let the police investigate their work. Driving fear and driving people’s hiding of mental health and substance use challenges is something that drives people away from the health care system. So we need to be very careful about how we speak about these things.

Now speaking to the member’s question about complex care housing. Members will remember that it was in February that we committed, in the Finance Minister’s budget, $164 million to build complex care housing facilities throughout the province and, at its total build-out, to bring services for people with heretofore unmet needs — complex intersections of mental illness, substance use, often living with acquired brain injury — the people for whom supportive housing has not been enough, people who either have been evicted often or at risk of eviction.

In February, we adopted the budget. This week the first citizens — new residents of complex care housing — moved into the first facility in Surrey. That is breakneck speed.

We all feel the urgency. We have announced complex care housing in Kelowna. It’s one of only five communities that has been named. That work is happening with urgency throughout government. I’m honoured to lead that work. I’ll continue to talk with the member about how plans advance in Kelowna, but she can be very pleased that the advocacy of her mayor has resulted in an announcement for Kelowna. They will have complex care for people, in the past, who were left out in the cold.

CRIME IN COMMUNITIES AND
HANDLING OF CASES BY JUSTICE SYSTEM

L. Doerkson: Certainly, I don’t think you could define breakneck speed over a period of five years that you’ve had opportunities to fix some of these problems.

The Attorney General had mentioned canvassing us for suggestions on how to help in this province with respect to what is happening on our streets. I have a suggestion. How about we try to stop releasing these repeat offenders? How about we start there?

Every day in Cariboo-Chilcotin, we see the results of a justice system that is failing to protect the public from repeat offenders. Police this week are looking for a man who entered a 7-11, pepper-sprayed an employee and demanded cash and cigarettes.

On Monday, Britany Methot’s truck was stolen. Also on Monday, in Williams Lake, an RV trailer was stolen from Lakeview Avenue. On Dog Creek Road, a man was shot outside of his residence. Armed robbery, theft and shootings, day after day after day.

Front-line responders, our RCMP, are doing everything that they can to keep our communities safe, but our residents are losing faith in our justice system.

[11:00 a.m.]

When will the Attorney General address this daily violence on our streets?

Hon. D. Eby: It’s important to recognize the role of Crown counsel, which is that they receive the recommendations from police. So when they’re actively investigating something and putting the file together, Crown then receives the file from police.

The members earlier asked questions about people who had been “catch and released.” There was a stabbing in a coffee shop, a horrific incident. As of the most recent information I have, that individual was arrested and charged and remains in custody. There was a Surrey stabbing of a senior on a SkyTrain. The most recent information I have is that that person was charged and remains in custody.

I think Williams Lake is a community that has struggled with crime for a long period of time. In fact, they have really struggled, historically. They were No. 1 for crime, I will note, even before we formed government. The city council and the mayor have worked really hard to bring that down. We’ve had multiple meetings, including as recently as last week, with the mayor from Williams Lake, to identify solutions.

The member can be dismissive of my invitation to the opposition to bring forward suggestions. That’s fine. I also note that sometimes they say that we don’t ask them for suggestions.

If you don’t have suggestions, that’s fine. We’re doing the work over here.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue.

Hon. D. Eby: Well, we can’t release people who haven’t even been arrested, in the examples that he gave. The people need to be arrested by police, brought to Crown, and Crown will do the work according to federal law.

Suggestions about how we interrupt this cycle for people, beyond complex care and beyond other initiatives we’re doing, are always welcome from the other side.

M. Morris: Last month a Surrey police officer working with the Car 67 mental health unit suffered stab wounds when attacked by a woman who was wanted on outstanding arrest warrants. Two weeks ago in Kelowna, a man pulled a knife and stabbed an RCMP member in the face. Just yesterday we learned of another RCMP officer stabbed trying to make an arrest in Keremeos.

Day after day we see violence on our streets as individuals are released and breach bail and probation conditions. People have lost faith in the administration of justice in this province.

When will the Attorney do his job to restore the confidence that has been completely lost?

Hon. D. Eby: We started this session this afternoon by expressing appreciation to law enforcement in this place but also externally — the Victoria police department, who have done work to keep us safe here. I think that it’s an opportunity — the member’s question — to express appreciation to all law enforcement in the province for the work they do to keep us safe.

It’s very difficult work, and the member’s examples that he gives of horrible attacks on police demonstrate that it is risky work. So when family members send off their loved ones to be police officers in the community, I think they all have a little bit of anxiety. I know I would. It’s a very difficult and challenging job. When someone attacks a police officer, when they attack a civilian, when they stab somebody, when they assault somebody, we count on police to do those investigations, to bring those matters forward into our justice system.

I’ll take the member’s point. It is not a perfect system. It is the best system we have, and we are working every day to improve it to make sure that those matters are getting to trial sooner and that we’re meeting the timelines set out by the Supreme Court of Canada so that matters aren’t dismissed for technicalities, to make sure that the files that are brought forward by police are sufficiently robust that we’re actually going to get a conviction so the person serves time for a serious crime. We’re doing all of that work.

I’m happy to provide a briefing to the member about the detail of the work that’s been happening within the Crown prosecution service to achieve those goals, even in a pandemic, even when our justice system was under incredible stress.

E. Ross: We’re listening to the Attorney General’s answers. We know Crown counsel is trying do their job. We know that, and we commend them for that. We know the RCMP are trying to do their job. We understand that. This is about what the Attorney General is not doing. This is about what the B.C. government is not doing.

[11:05 a.m.]

You even look at the B.C. government website. It says: “British Columbians expect the justice system to keep their communities safe.” At the end of that, it says that the B.C. government is transforming justice services in ways that meet these expectations, meaning safety of our communities, our businesses.

The question has been asked repeatedly. We brought examples of attacks, shootings and stabbings happening in our communities. But instead of listening to the concerns of the people of Terrace, who are facing theft and violence on a daily basis, the Attorney General is dismissive.

Momentum is building, as Terrace is getting cities across B.C. to sign on to their letter calling for tougher action on repeat offenders. “Communities, local business owners and workers, the economy as well as the public feel the impacts of repeat offenders who commit property crimes and thefts repeatedly and without consequence.” The letter has found support from Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples, with more and more cities signing on.

My question. How many more cities will have to lobby the Attorney General for action before he finally takes action on repeat offenders?

Hon. D. Eby: It was the mayor of Terrace, not me, in the Terrace Standard who said that we had a very productive meeting, that she felt heard, that she was optimistic that she would see action. I share that view.

I think there is an opportunity for us to work together — not just with the mayor from Terrace. We’re also, I can advise the member, working with the urban mayors on exactly this issue. We’ve been meeting with police, the Minister of Public Safety and I. Again, we have a meeting today with Vancouver police on this very issue.

I can assure the mayor of Duncan, the mayor of Terrace, other mayors that are concerned about this activity — and I’m sure they’re hearing about it, in an election year, from constituents — that we are here to work with them and address these issues. I look forward to doing that.

[End of question period.]

Question of Privilege
(Speaker’s Ruling)

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, the Chair is prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised by the member of Saanich North and the Islands earlier this week, which was taken under advisement.

On March 31, following oral question period, the member for Saanich North and the Islands reserved his right to raise a question of privilege regarding comments made by the Minister of Forests with respect to the spraying of glyphosate in the forest sector.

The member outlined his question of privilege on April 5, making a number of submissions to the Chair, primarily being scientific evidence that was not the subject of debate in this House. The member repeatedly characterized the minister’s remarks as misleading and suggested that the minister intended to mislead the House in making them.

Guidelines for raising a question of privilege are outlined in Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, fifth edition, at pages 399 to 400. One of the essential elements required is “a brief written statement of the matter, which the member reads to the House.” The brief statement of the matter is to inform the House of the facts on which the question of privilege is based. The statement should primarily focus on any applicable parliamentary authorities which may be of assistance to the Chair, not arguments with respect to differences of opinion or fact amongst members.

The Government House Leader submitted that the question of privilege raised by the member for Saanich North and the Islands was not a breach of privilege but was rather a dispute with respect to facts.

The Chair thanks the member for Saanich North and the Islands and the Government House Leader for their submissions, which assisted the Chair’s review of this question of privilege.

The Chair will note that an allegation that a member — and, in particular, a minister — has deliberately or intentionally misled the House is a serious accusation and ought not to be made lightly. I emphasize this, as it is an important reminder to all hon. members given the cut and thrust of debate that can take place in this chamber, where matters may be raised that other members may not agree with.

When such an accusation is made, the role of the Chair is to determine, based on the evidence presented, if the member deliberately misled the House and to determine whether the House was thereby prevented from exercising its duties or was obstructed in doing so, which would amount to contempt.

[11:10 a.m.]

The Chair delivered a ruling on a similar matter a few weeks ago, on February 14. So the Chair encourages members to revisit the Votes and Proceedings of that day to familiarize themselves with the full extent of parliamentary authorities that may guide a presiding officer in adjudicating such a matter.

In short, when deciding on such a matter, the Chair must examine any evidence that proves that the statement was misleading, that establishes that the member — in this case, the minister — making the statement knew at the time that the statement was incorrect and that establishes that the member intended to mislead the House in making the statement.

There’s nothing that the member for Saanich North and the Islands has outlined that would allow the Chair to make that determination. What the member outlined amounts to debate, a debate that should unfold through other avenues in this House, not by raising a question of privilege and making an allegation based on a difference of opinion regarding a statement of facts. The different views that may frequently arise in such a debate are not a matter for the Chair to weigh into.

Furthermore, not only is the dispute with respect to facts something that shouldn’t be raised as a question of privilege, but it is also not something that should even be raised as a point of order, as outlined in Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, fifth edition, on page 133. It is simply inconsistent with the rules of debate that have guided the proceedings of this House for decades.

Having considered the submissions of the member for Saanich North and the Islands and the Government House Leader, it’s the finding of the Chair that there was no intentional or deliberate misleading of the House on the part of the Minister of Forests. It is, therefore, the ruling of the Chair that a prima facie breach of privilege has not occurred.

Motions Without Notice

MEMBERSHIP CHANGE TO
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM COMMITTEE

Hon. M. Farnworth: I seek leave to move two motions regarding committee assignments.

Leave granted.

Hon. M. Farnworth: The first motion. I move:

[That Norm Letnick, MLA replace Stephanie Cadieux, MLA as a Member of the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills.]

Motion approved.

MEMBERSHIP CHANGE TO
HEALTH COMMITTEE

Hon. M. Farnworth: I move:

[That Dan Davies, MLA replace Stephanie Cadieux, MLA as a Member of the Select Standing Committee on Health.]

Motion approved.

Hon. M. Farnworth: I seek leave to move a third committee assignment.

Leave granted.

MEMBERSHIP CHANGE TO
LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES COMMITTEE

Hon. M. Farnworth: I move:

[That Norm Letnick, MLA replace Stephanie Cadieux, MLA as a Member of the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives.]

Motion approved.