Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

EID CELEBRATION

J. Brar: Eid Mubarak.

With the holy month of Ramadan coming to an end, Muslims all over the world have started preparing for the joyous festival of Eid ul-Fitr. I’m really pleased to say that this year we are going to celebrate Eid in this Legislature tomorrow, on May 3, 2022.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

The name of this Islamic festival translates to the “festival of breaking the fast.” It is a celebration marking the end of the month-long fast, signifying the need for a special celebration and gratification. Eid ul-Fitr is actually a three-day-long celebration after the end of Ramadan, every day, dawn to dusk.

Determining Eid ul-Fitr all comes down to a moon sighting. If the crescent moon is not seen, Ramadan will go on for another day. If it is seen, Eid Mubarak. Eid celebration begins at a special Eid prayer in a mosque, surrounded by your family and friends that you typically see during the month of Ramadan. After a prayer, everyone congratulates each other for the ending of this blessed month.

[10:05 a.m.]

Subsequently special foods are prepared, and friends and relatives are invited to share the feast. Gifts and greeting cards are exchanged, and children receive presents. Eid is also a time for remembering those who are less fortunate. It’s a time to count your blessings, our blessings, while also giving charity to those in need. Starting on Monday evening and continuing today, Muslims in British Columbia and around the world will observe Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan — or Ramazan, as it is referred to in South Asia.

On behalf of all British Columbians and members of this House, I wish those who observed the holy month a joyous end to Ramadan. Many people will celebrate Eid ul-Fitr through prayer and acts of service to others. As we continue to navigate this pandemic, remembering and acting on the values of charity and compassion is a great way to connect with our friends and families. Ramadan teaches us the importance of gratitude, while reminding us to be compassionate towards those who are less fortunate.

As traditional prayers, food and well-wishes are exchanged, the universal values of unity, charity and peace are also celebrated on Eid ul-Fitr. These are the values this government shares. Whether through volunteer work, charitable giving or working in local leadership roles, the Muslim community in B.C. has helped build a better province for everyone. Eid is also an opportunity to celebrate our province’s many Muslim communities and the important contributions Muslims make each day to our province.

With recent incidents in Surrey, we should take Eid as a chance to stand in solidarity against anti-Muslim hate, Islamophobia and all forms of hate — once again, we should stand in solidarity against anti-Muslim hate, Islamophobia and all forms of hate — and to foster greater understanding, acceptance and social cohesion among people of diverse faiths in British Columbia. Racism and hate are hurting people in our communities, and it takes all of our collective voices to stand in solidarity against hate in any of its forms.

Our government is committed to tackling race-based and faith-based hatred, as well as discrimination of all kinds, in the province. We will continue working towards building a more welcoming, more equal and more inclusive British Columbia for all people.

Allahu akbar. Eid Mubarak to all of you.

T. Wat: I thank the member opposite for his comments.

It is such an honour to have the opportunity to recognize and honour Eid ul-Fitr, an important time in the Islamic calendar, celebrated by Muslims here in British Columbia, across Canada and around the world. This is an important time for many families who call B.C. home, a time of gathering to celebrate the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan.

I know that the long month of fasting can be difficult for many families, but that is why Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr are such celebrations of community, to honour and celebrate the friends and families who have supported one another as they commemorate Muhammad’s first revelation. This is a coming together of whole communities. I have even heard of restaurants that changed their hours of operation to help accommodate those honouring Ramadan.

[10:10 a.m.]

It’s not just Ramadan and the Eid celebration where we witness such an incredible display of generosity and caring from our province’s Muslim communities. I’ve spoken many times in this House of the many actions and initia­tives of our mosques and Islamic organizations through­out the many challenges of 2020 and 2021.

I personally have had the honour of working closely with organizations like MTO Shahmaghsoudi, who helped provide food, toys, PPE and all forms of support to our hospitals, charities and British Columbians in need throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We saw our Muslim communities translate COVID resources, share information, transition prayers and events to virtual formats and support those in need, any way they could.

We also remember the members of various mosques who cooked and donated thousands of meals to families in need during the devastating flooding last fall. With all the incredible work and support our mosques and Muslim communities have done throughout the fires, floods and ongoing ways of the pandemic, they have exemplified the spirit of hard work, selflessness and community that we pride ourselves on as Canadians.

Recognizing that this is a celebration of community and togetherness, we also recognize how challenging of a time it has been these past two years, when the pandemic has kept so many friends and families apart. But thanks to the strength, initiative and advocacy of B.C.’s Muslim communities, who have encouraged us to practise safe social distancing and to all get vaccinated, we are finally at a place where friends and family can safely come together, like we used to.

We also recognize that we are not completely out of the woods yet, and we would like to thank everyone who continues to take precautions during this time to keep themselves and each other safe.

Meanwhile, while Eid ul-Fitr is a celebration of togetherness and community, we must acknowledge that Muslim British Columbians continue to face racist and discrimi­natory acts that are intended to make them feel unsafe and unwelcome in this province.

Just last week Ramadan worshippers exiting a mosque in Surrey were attacked by motorists who threw substances at the congregation from their car and even threatened to run them over with their vehicle. This is less than a year after Canada was shocked and devastated by the London terror attack which claimed the lives of a young Muslim family. These attacks are nothing short of heinous and have absolutely no place in our society.

Every British Columbian has a personal responsibility to stand up to racism, hate and intolerance, no matter what form it takes. We must stand with Muslim Canadians and show them the support and kindness that they have shown our province and our country.

I wish all Muslims and all British Columbians who observe the joyous end to Ramadan a very healthy Eid ul-Fitr.

Eid Mubarak.

J. Brar: Thanks a lot to the member for Richmond North Centre for her response and words of wisdom for the Muslim community.

We are blessed to live in a diverse province where we get to celebrate a number of major religious festivals during the month of April. Our society and every one of us is richer because of this.

I’ve spoken about the Eid festival earlier. Now I would like to talk about other major religious festivals we celebrate during the month of April.

Happy Easter. Easter commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while reminding us of the enduring values of self-sacrifice and love for one another.

[10:15 a.m.]

As a separate and holy time for people of the Christian community, Easter weekend also brings the first signs of spring. As Christians celebrate Easter, many families today also hold Easter egg hunts for their young children, and all of us look forward to eating all that chocolate.

Happy Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi diyan lakh lakh vadhaiyan. Vaisakhi marks the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh ji in April of 1699.

This was truly the evolution of the Sikh faith by the order of the Khalsa, which cemented the values of equality, fighting for justice and protection of the weak. Vaisakhi is celebrated across Punjab, India, and the world, with large Nagar Kirtans and religious prayers. The largest Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan outside of Punjab is held in my city of Surrey, as well as in the city of Vancouver. A feature of these celebrations is food from the Langar, or communal kitchens, that is distributed freely to all the participants.

Happy Passover. British Columbians also celebrate happy Passover, or chag sameach. Passover is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

Friends and family will gather together on the first night of Passover around the Seder table to commemorate the exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is an opportunity for reflection and renewal, reminding those of Jewish faith of their history and fight for freedom from oppression.

We honour the many contributions of the Jewish community to our province since they established one of the earliest synagogues right here in Victoria in 1862.

Similar to Ramadan and Eid, Easter also marks the end of Lent, a time of fasting and charitable giving, where Christians are called to participate in the redemption of the world through repentance and forgiveness.

I would like to conclude my statement by wishing all British Columbians Eid Mubarak, happy Vaisakhi, happy Passover and happy Easter.

PRIMARY CARE WAIT TIMES

S. Bond: Today I rise to speak about an issue impacting people throughout our province, one that is central to the well-being of all British Columbians.

In every corner of our province, we are seeing the results of an overwhelmed health care system. Health care staff are feeling burned-out, and many are choosing to leave the profession. That means that wait times increase, clinics close, and doctors are making the difficult choice to leave family practice.

We know that people deserve real and timely access to quality primary care, but for many in British Columbia, that is not the reality today. Right now members would know that there are more than 900,000 people in our province who do not have a family doctor or primary care provider, almost one in five people. That is a staggering number.

The lack of family doctors is putting serious pressure on our already overwhelmed health care system. Family doctors, nurse practitioners — in fact, all of our health care workers — are essential to ensuring that our system provides the best possible outcomes. British Columbians want and deserve a relationship with a primary care practitioner. It’s important. Family doctors build lasting relationships with their patients. In fact, many family doctors see their patients for years or even decades. They get to know you, and they get to know your medical history.

As family doctors work with patients throughout the course of their lives, they have the ability to practise preventative medicine, to screen patients for more serious conditions and to catch things before they become a larger problem. The history and relationships help them make accurate diagnoses and help them to monitor our health changes throughout the years.

[10:20 a.m.]

Many studies have shown us that patients want care that is accessible, and they want care that responds to them as people in their unique family and social situations.

When people can’t find a family doctor, they’re forced to rely on walk-in clinics, emergency rooms or urgent primary care centres. This can and does increase wait times, but it also leaves people without access to that effective preventative medicine and longitudinal care which, in turn, puts greater stress on the whole system. An emergency is certainly a valid reason to visit an emergency room, but British Columbians should not have to rely on an emergency room or an urgent care centre as their primary source of health care.

Speaking of the consequences of a lack of preventative and longitudinal care in our system, one emergency room doctor recently commented: “We diagnose metastatic cancer on a regular basis in the ER now, something I didn’t see in the earlier years of my career.” This is a major problem, and it’s happening more frequently. And that’s if someone can get into a walk-in clinic, emergency room or UPCC, which sometimes isn’t possible.

If you look at recent statistics, Vancouver Coastal Health, for example, was predicting wait times of more than seven hours for the emergency room at B.C. Children’s Hospital. Can any of us imagine waiting seven hours for care in a waiting room with our sick child?

Other recent figures from walk-in clinics further confirm the challenges in our health care system. Data from the walk-in clinic wait-time index Medimap showed B.C. to have the worst clinic wait times in our country, with an average wait time of 58 minutes. That is more than twice the national average of 25 minutes. If you live in Ontario, you can see average wait times of only 15 minutes. For people right here in our capital, in Victoria, they wait an average of two hours and 40 minutes at clinics.

Equally troubling, British Columbia is the only province that saw clinic wait times increase over the past number of years, and not by a small margin. Average waits increased by nearly 50 percent between 2019 and 2021. However, every single other province that Medimap tracked saw their wait times decrease in the same time frame. B.C. is an outlier compared to the rest of the country, making it clear that this is more than just a national issue.

Over the last few years, more and more UPCCs have opened around the province. The reasoning was that they would relieve the burden on emergency rooms and clinics and provide primary care to those without a family physician. However, they still do not replace personalized longitudinal care. Any positive impact that they could have is undermined by the fact that they are equally difficult for patients to get into. One morning just last week, nearly every UPCC in Victoria was at capacity and no longer accepting patients by 8:20 a.m.

With circumstances like this, it’s no wonder that people expect us to do our work. There are serious issues impacting our province, and they desperately need solutions. We cannot forget that we are talking about people’s health here — their physical well-being and that of their families. Soon we will see patient outcomes worsen. We have a health care system under immense pressure, and we must take additional targeted steps to improve it.

One place we have to start is by increasing the number of doctors in B.C. who choose the practice of family medicine. According to Doctors of B.C., there are 6,000 family doctors in our province, but only half of them are actually providing longitudinal care in a family practice. Our system, as it currently stands, is actually seeing doctors choose to move out of family practice, and we are certainly not incentivizing new grads to make the choice to open a family practice.

It is time to have a conversation in this province about what we need to do to remedy this situation. We need to sit down and have honest conversations with doctors, listening to their feedback and developing solutions that will lead to lasting change. In the words of Renee Fernandez, executive director of B.C. Family Doctors: “Are we going to be brave enough to have difficult conversations about what we expect and need our health care system to do?”

I, for one, certainly hope so.

[10:25 a.m.]

M. Elmore: I’m very pleased to rise today and respond to the statement from the member for Prince George–​Valemount on primary care.

We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the strain across our whole health care system. Certainly, it’s incredibly difficult on our health care workers and on all British Columbians.

This is an issue that impacts all jurisdictions, not just British Columbia, across Canada and around the world. Certainly, in terms of access to primary care, it’s a priority for this government, and as the member has noted, there’s a real need to ensure that British Columbians have access to timely, quality, person-centred health care.

That’s why our government has launched our primary care strategy. It’s not something that we are able to fix overnight, but it’s something that we’re committed to work efficiently on. It’s revolutionary. It’s transforming and modernizing our health care system. It is moving to a team-based care strategy that has the greatest potential to provide sustainable primary care going forward. We know that, certainly, the previous model, the 20th-century model, was based on family physician clinics. Certainly that remains an important priority, but it’s a part of the team-based care.

We know this issue has not just happened today. It’s not just the pandemic. We know that. It’s inherited over the last 20 years. Previously, in 2003, we had a program — the GP for Me — to provide a general practitioner for every British Columbian, which made some progress but was abandoned after three years, so we know that there’s a need to really address this concern.

Our primary care strategy is a transformational, team-based primary care strategy to fundamentally change the way primary care is delivered, to ensure that British Columbians get the everyday health care they need and to address the issue of longitudinal attachment throughout their lifetimes, and also relationship-based care — a team-based approach. Our plan plans for up to 85 primary care networks to bring together, to integrate physician offices with nurse practitioners, with other allied health care professionals to provide that access to primary care.

Certainly, there are challenges. No question. No doubt. British Columbia leads our country in terms of the addition of over 600 physicians added since 2017. We were tenth in 2017, in terms of nurse practitioners; we’ve doubled that. British Columbia leads in terms of the number of residencies for physicians. UBC is the largest school that offers residency programs in our country. The steps that we’ve taken around ensuring that we allow internationally educated nurses to become integrated is also key towards that strategy.

Moving towards team-based care puts communities on a more sustainable and efficient path. Part of the challenge is moving away from a fee-based system to accommodate physicians who are coming out now and who want to have flexibility in terms of their arrangements, either contractual or other arrangements in terms of how they deliver health services.

We know as well that in terms of our primary care strategy, 85 primary care networks…. The member mentioned 40 urgent and primary care centres — community health centres, as well, that I’m a big proponent of. This is the future of health care. British Columbia is leading our country and the world. We know, previously, that wasn’t necessarily the priority. I had a health care centre where those were cut, but we’re supporting that and moving forward as well, in addition to bringing in First Nations primary care centres.

We have Canada’s record-leading new physicians. Support expansion of over 600 nursing positions to provide for the need that we have. Our urgent and primary centres. An addition of 850 full-time equivalents, with an additional 1,000 staff coming on board as well.

I want to talk as well…. When we talk about transformational, team-based care, the integration of physician clinics, we are working in collaboration with all allied health care professionals and family physician networks across our province — transformational.

[10:30 a.m.]

It’s a challenge. There’s more that needs to be done. Our province and our government are committed to it. We’ve served over one million people who’ve come to these clinics. There’s more to do, and we’re committed to that.

S. Bond: Thank you to the member opposite for sharing her thoughts on this important issue. I can say that we probably don’t see eye to eye about the issues facing our health care system, but having a debate, having a dialogue is absolutely essential to deal with the challenges that we’re facing in British Columbia.

We certainly won’t relieve the burden currently faced in our walk-in clinics, emergency rooms and urgent and primary care centres until we continue to reinvest in quality longitudinal primary care. We have to work harder to train, recruit and, most importantly, retain family doctors, nurse practitioners and nurses here in B.C., and that is something that will not happen until we listen to what B.C.’s doctors are telling us.

One thing that we’ve heard consistently from physicians are the issues around burnout, increased costs, compen­sation and the need for work-life balance. Issues like these are faced by all of our incredible health care workers, and they need to be constructively addressed. As I noted in my statement, it needs to be done with meaningful engagement and a willingness to listen and to learn.

While we need to continue to invest, the focus must be on outcomes, and one of the things we must consider is patient attachment. As we look at the number of health care employees in British Columbia, the latest data from StatsCan shows that there are over 8,000 fewer health care workers in hospitals, and if we look at other provinces, we have seen them increase the number of health care workers by thousands.

Health care workers throughout British Columbia have done so much for us throughout this pandemic, and we need to ensure that we step up and have their backs. We are seeing high levels of burnout, labour shortage and a system that, frankly, is overwhelmed. This lack of primary care providers is just one symptom of a growing problem in our health care system.

We have watched as the opioid crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, paramedic shortages and other factors have put increasing strain on medical professionals and health resources in our province. It is absolutely vital that we work to put the right resources where they are most needed so that we can continue to ensure that British Columbians have that connection to a family doctor.

We need to make sure that it is not a concern for thousands of British Columbians. What we want for the health care system and in our province is that the delivery of an accessible, personalized, high-quality health care system is something that British Columbians should not only be able to expect but that they deserve.

THE POWER OF LANGUAGE:
UNSETTLING STIGMA

G. Lore: The words we use matter. How we talk about each other can impact how we feel about each other and, indeed, change how others feel about themselves. Words and labels also matter to whether and how we show up to support each other. We know that misgendering someone or using a dead name can leave people feeling invalidated and vulnerable and, over time, contributes to a decline in mental health.

We’ve all been reminded over the past few months that Ukraine does not require the article “the” and that using the phrase “the Ukraine” is a reminder of a time that the country did not have its independence from the Soviet Union.

As a government, we’ve moved from a Multiculturalism portfolio to Anti-Racism Initiatives. Our province, and indeed our Legislature, is multicultural, something to be celebrated and promoted regularly. But as a government and as members of this House, we have a responsibility to engage in more action-oriented and proactive efforts to address systemic racism.

Words also matter in how we talk about our neighbours who are unhoused, precariously housed or sleeping rough. Here in Victoria, as in other communities, Indigenous people are dramatically overrepresented in this community, the result of persistent legacies of colonialism, residential school, the Sixties Scoop and ongoing systemic racism and inequality.

[10:35 a.m.]

I want to tell you about the incredible work of the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness, who work to gather, share and mobilize knowledge, to bring people together and, fundamentally, to unsettle stigma using language. The process started when the coalition was looking inward and asking how they themselves might be part of the problem, just another cog in the machine. So they started with the voices of the community they serve. As the executive director told me, when you start with community, you cannot go wrong.

Through 110 surveys with their community, the coalition aimed to disband preconceived ideas and instead gather knowledge and take a research- and evidence-based approach to their work. They learned of the perspectives of the Indigenous street community, about the language commonly used to describe their lived and living experiences. They heard how words and labels fundamentally impact people’s health and the services they access. They learned that language that is person-blaming or suggests permanency of the situation can dehumanize and isolate.

One participant said: “It affects my self-esteem severely. These people are in a place where they can make or break me, and their words mean a lot.”

Seventy percent of participants did not recognize the phrase “street-entrenched,” and 30 percent did not know the label “chronically homeless” or “street-involved.” We cannot work together towards solutions if we are using words to talk about others that they themselves do not know.

The wrong language also contributes to over-policing and becomes self-reinforcing by further creating barriers to housing. And in case anyone is tempted to say I should be spending more time on solutions and less time on words and feelings, narratives can change, dialogues can change, and when they do, the actions we take follow.

Low-income housing, supportive housing, social housing — these are all words and phrases we know. Well, the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness identified the need for culturally supportive housing, and with all their efforts and the services they provide in and with their community, they got a call from B.C. Housing one day. Would they operate, and B.C. Housing used the term, a culturally supportive emergency shelter — housing by and for Indigenous people?

The language is a narrative of connection, not stigma, and it led to solutions that followed suit. The Mason Street shelter offers a safe place, yes, but the dual model of care also means pathways to healing through tradition, belonging and land-based healing.

The coalition also operates SpeqƏȠéutxw House, opened in 2020 for 22 Indigenous women experiencing homelessness, with priority given to women fleeing violence — again, a culturally supportive home with emotional, physical and spiritual care, an auntie position, prayer and traditional cleansing, gardens to grow medicine and food.

Each housing program also includes decolonized harm reduction. Again, the words here matter. Decolonized harm reduction is, as the executive director describes it, “repairing the harm to oneself by strengthening Indigenous identity, having a sense of place, learning traditional skills. It is strength-based, and that strength is knowing who you are. It is knowing your roots.”

Decolonized harm reduction also helped to identify needs not met. While our communities and our province have approached harm reduction largely to address the devastating harm of the toxic drug supply, the coalition and others in the community were noting that the overdoses and health impacts and deaths they were seeing were due mostly to alcohol. Alcohol harm reduction and support were desperately needed.

The coalition, with Island Health and as part of 191 new supportive housing units coming to my community, will be operating a pilot for Indigenous detox, the first of its kind. In addition to nurses, health care professionals, there will be cultural mentors who will be present to support before, during and after detox.

Residents of the new housing on Catherine Street will also have access to other sources of cultural support: an Elder-in-residence, healing reconnections to ancestral lands and family reunification and support, particularly for those with children in care.

This organization is incredible, transformative and cutting edge. It is rooted in tradition and, fundamentally, the voices of the community it serves. I’m incredibly grateful for the work this organization does in my community and for the chance to learn from and with them.

[10:40 a.m.]

I am incredibly proud to be part of a government resourcing their capacity-building and supporting much of the transformative and supportive care here in Victoria–Beacon Hill.

K. Kirkpatrick: Thank you to the member for Victoria–Beacon Hill for her statement.

Language matters. My pronouns are she/her. It can empower people and make them feel they belong or marginalize people and make them feel invisible. Historically the world has described the male gender as default, with our collective identity described as masculine, reinforced by the language we use: mankind, man-made, firemen, policemen. “Hey, guys.”

We’ve also heard language that manifests stereotypes, with people saying: “Don’t cry like a girl.” And the double-standard description — when both men and women behave assertively, men are described as decisive, and women are described as being bossy. And what about calling someone “Karen”? That’s not just because it’s the mispronunciation of my own name, but it is negative and has a misogynistic meaning and is offensive to women.

Language plays a crucial role in shaping culture and attitudes. In many ways, it reflects and creates greater gender inequalities and discrimination. It contributes to toxic male privilege that still exists around the world, whether it’s at home, in an office or in society.

Therefore, using gender-inclusive language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and eradicate gender bias. The first step to using inclusive language is for us all to consider and understand and respect the different gender identities that make up our rich and diverse society.

I had the honour to attend the Proud2Be event this past weekend at Family Services of the North Shore. It was an opportunity to hear a panel talk about how to support the emotional well-being of gender-diverse and gender-questioning children and youth. Respecting and honouring pronouns a young person identifies with is such an important piece of supporting them and supporting their positive mental health.

While there is still a long way to go towards gender equality, we must also acknowledge that the concept of gender is changing. Last week Canada became the first country to collect and publish census data on gender diversity from a national census. Prior to the 2021 census, individuals indicated that they were not able to see themselves in the two responses that were available to them in the current census. But changes have since been made.

Based on that report, one in 300 Canadians aged 15 or older is transgender or non-binary. In B.C., nearly 20,000 people aged 18 and older identify as trans or non-binary, one of the highest proportions of any province or territory in Canada.

Our society is made up of people from a spectrum of gender identities. As society evolves, the language of gender identity is also evolving as we understand, accept and embrace gender classifications that fall outside of the traditional male-female binary.

What does it mean to use gender-inclusive language? It means speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against a particular gender and that does not exhibit gender stereotypes. In fact, Canada amended the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Canadian Criminal Code to protect individuals from discrimination and hate-based crimes based on their gender identification.

That should be reflected in our language every day as well. There are techniques that we can use to make communication more inclusive. Respect a person’s identity by addressing them by the name and pronouns that they choose and use. If you’re unsure what name or pronoun someone uses, then ask. Lastly, be open to changes in gender pronouns, and stay educated.

[10:45 a.m.]

Using gender-inclusive language is about creating a world where people, regardless of their gender, gender identity or gender expression, feel validated and welcome. Language is one of the important tools to empower people around us. Let’s spread the word of the positive impact of using gender-inclusive and affirmative language. Always be mindful, stay informed, and build a more equal world together.

G. Lore: Thank you to my colleague from across the way for her contribution to this and the commitment to learning and sharing what we all need to keep top of mind for inclusion, dignity and respect.

Language is powerful. It has the power to connect. It has the power to humanize. It has the power to dehumanize and isolate. It affects how we see ourselves and each other and how we show up for each other. It can change the services available.

In my community, the Aboriginal coalition’s commitment to starting with the voices of their community not only changed the words we use. Here in Victoria–Beacon Hill, it led to the creation of physical buildings, of garden plots, of lives changed during land-based healing trips. I’m grateful for my opportunity to take the seeds from those grass roots and to plant them here, not to have a top-down approach to language but so that the wisdom of the community can inform the work we do here and how we do it.

When it comes to those in our communities who are unhoused or sleeping rough, stay away from terms that blame people or suggest a permanency. Stay away from labels like “chronically homeless” or “hard to house.” As one of the participants noted, these words feel like: “Someone has no hope. Why help them?” Another participant said: “Because of labelling and stigma, we don’t deserve services.”

Instead, we can use community-based, community-centred and person-first language that draws on strengths. When we use words like “Indigenous street family” or “unhoused community,” it “gives a sense of belonging.” It reflects the connections and care that those in that community experience.

Many here in Victoria have joined with the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness with support and a commitment to learning the language and using it to unsettle stigma — organizations and individuals like the Vic West Community Association, B.C. Housing, Mayor Helps, MP Laurel Collins, the Victoria fire department, the Victoria police, Island Health, TAPS, UVic, the Victoria Foundation. So many.

I hope that my colleagues in this House will join me by also committing to learning from the voices of community, to unsettling stigma and to using language that brings people together and elevates dignity, connectedness and hope.

NEW INITIATIVES TO
ASSIST WITH INFLATION

I. Paton: We’ve heard a lot about how life is becoming more and more unaffordable for people here in British Columbia and beyond. Inflation in B.C. has hit 6 percent and 6.7 percent nationally. That is up from 1.6 percent, which it was in 2017. The consumer price index is a whopping 8.5 percent higher than it was in 2017.

People are struggling to find homes to purchase or rent, as prices continue to skyrocket for both. They’re spending a large percentage of their budget on housing costs, which is more than they feel comfortable with. British Columbians have also noticed their grocery bills have been rising, their fuel costs are going up, and their dreams seem a bit further out of reach.

As anybody in the House recognizes lately, even the things we do day to day, going to Tim Hortons…. I would always get a small coffee to go. Of course, it was always $1.65, and suddenly, it’s $2.10. The ferries that we take over to get here to the Island were always $75. Suddenly, recently, they’re $82 for us to take our vehicle on the ferry. Candy bars, sandwiches at your local deli, the meat in the stores, a load of groceries…. Everything seems to be skyrocketing these days with inflation.

I’m not imagining things. Here are some real costs today versus 2017. Gas is up 70 cents per litre in Vancouver compared to 2017, which equates to about $53 per tank on a Dodge Caravan. The average home in Vancouver costs nearly $600,000 more than it did in 2017.

[10:50 a.m.]

When it comes to some of our regular bills, food is up 16 percent since 2017. Beef and butter, in particular, are up 32 percent. Fresh vegetables are up 24 percent. Housing costs are 18 percent more than in 2017. Internet service is 21 percent more than in 2017. It costs 29 percent more to enjoy video or audio subscription services.

I’ve witnessed, in the farming industry that I’m involved in, that the two daggers that have really, really hurt the farming industry in Canada and British Columbia in the past years are interest rates and inflation. Of course, interest rates…. I always remember that as a full-time farmer — in 1985, I believe — I had about $800,000 borrowed at the bank. Believe it or not, in 1985, we were paying 14 percent interest on the money that I had borrowed. Inflation, of course, in 1991, hit 5.6 percent, which was pretty bad. But now today, in 2022, it’s 6.7 percent.

To sum up, when you’re paying a little bit more here and a little bit more there for almost everything, it all adds up and takes a big toll on people’s finances. In some instances, though, it’s more than just a little bit more.

As the critic for Agriculture, I’m in constant contact with farmers. I have been hearing an earful lately about the rising costs farmers are facing. If people are struggling to fill their car’s or truck’s gas tank these days, imagine filling a tractor or several of them. Imagine you’re a farmer with dozens of tractors and other pieces of large equipment that are necessary for you to use to do your job.

Felix Farms, in Delta, is a great example — the Guichon family. They farm around 1,200 acres between Delta and Abbotsford, and this team uses both diesel and gas. Imagine. They have roughly 25 tractors, four forklifts, 20 trucks, and irrigation units with pumps using fuel. Their total cost for both in 2021 were nearly $264,000 — for fuel in diesel and gas.

We can only imagine what those costs will be this year. Peter Guichon says he’s predicting as much as an 80 percent increase compared to last year if diesel and gas continue to be this expensive. That’s on top of all the other rising costs that farmers are seeing for things like equipment, feed, fertilizer and transportation. Again, in the case of Mr. Guichon and his operation, he believes his annual fertilizer bill will be up about 66 percent higher over last year.

Yes, we can chalk some of this up to inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in the Ukraine, but there have also been measures by the provincial level that have contributed to the growing unaffordability of farming. Between the introduction of the employer health tax, routine increases to British Columbia’s minimum wage, increased carbon taxes with revenue neutrality, rising fuel prices, the higher insurance premiums, it is becoming more and more difficult for farm operations to remain viable.

Shifting the tax burden onto growers all at once does not support a strong agriculture sector. It certainly does not support British Columbians who are grappling with rising food prices at their local grocery stores.

These issues are all connected. If we make it harder and more costly for farmers to do their job and produce the things we want to buy at the store, those costs will inevitably be passed on to the consumer at a time when they are already struggling to pay their bills. We already know we are taking steps to reduce their costs where possible.

In March, Global B.C. shared the findings of a Leger poll, which found nearly three-quarters of B.C. households were spending more on food than last year. Households with children reported the biggest rise, at nearly 80 percent. The poll showed one-third of British Columbians were struggling to pay those higher grocery bills, with the most pain felt by renters, people with incomes below $40,000 a year. On a national scale, a survey by Angus Reid in late February found 80 percent of Canadians were trying to lower their grocery bills, with nearly half switching over to cheaper brands.

People in all corners of this province are doing the best they can, finding small ways to decrease their costs. Whether it’s individuals on fixed incomes who are shell-shocked by their rising grocery bills, parents who have to tell kids they can’t afford the extras on top of the basics, workers who rely on transportation equipment and machinery to do their jobs yet struggle with the incredibly high cost of diesel and gasoline or students — who are already having a hard time juggling high rent and tuition costs — who are suddenly finding themselves food inse­cure, they and others need support from government.

I look forward to hearing from what members on the other side might be doing as government in the near future to provide some desperately needed relief to British Columbians.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

Of course, just to make sure everyone knows, this is private members’ time, not opposition versus government time. It’s private members’ time.

[10:55 a.m.]

N. Sharma: I’d like to thank the member for Delta South for bringing forward this very important issue.

The world has been through significant challenges these past few years with the impacts of the pandemic, multiple climate crises and, most recently, the war in Ukraine. Here in this province, we face these challenges with an incredible amount of solidarity, and government has worked hard to help people through them.

Now the globe is facing rising inflation spurred by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The people of B.C. have continually shown their solidarity with the Ukrainian people as we reel from the devastation of this war. We will continue to do what we can to support those who are fleeing from violence.

The challenges we face in B.C. are big, global challenges. Many people around the world and in B.C. are worried about rising costs for necessities like food and housing. It’s especially hard on people who are already struggling to make ends meet. The Bank of Canada has said that many factors are driving inflation, and many of those are international, like the war in Ukraine and supply chain issues. But we know that they’re having a direct impact on people’s lives here in B.C.

The federal government and Bank of Canada have the tools to combat inflation directly. Canada’s inflation rate was 6.7 percent — most recently noted — Ontario at 7 percent, Quebec at 6.7 percent, and here in B.C., our CPI was 6 percent. Like I mentioned, we know that this has an impact on people’s lives.

While the Bank of Canada has the main legislative and policy tools to set monetary policy to directly reduce inflation — and we expect them to take action — provincial governments should focus on measures to help make life more affordable for people. Government needs to focus on affordability.

Government, at the end of the day, is about choices. We have made choices to invest in people instead of changing the tax regime for the wealthiest among us. We’ve been using that money to help people with costs.

Some of these examples are the child opportunity benefit that provides a tax-free monthly payment to families with children under the age of 18. Families can receive up to $133 a month. The maximum benefit per year is $1,600 for families with a first child, $1,000 for their second and $800 for each subsequent child under the age of 18. These are real supports to help families that need it the most during challenging times.

Also, by transforming ICBC, this has resulted in money back in the pockets of those that are using that insurance, up to an average of $500 a year.

Also, by removing MSP fees, which were paid and a burden to families, now they can access health care which they should have been able to do without a fee.

Another important way — and definitely more needs to be done — is figuring out how to increase wages for people. By lifting the minimum wage in the last four years, government has lifted minimum wage by up to 40 percent. What this does is lift people up, particularly women and front-line service workers. Of those benefiting from the minimum wage, 60 percent are women, 42 percent are university and high school students, and 93 percent are service workers.

The upcoming minimum wage increase to $15.65 an hour is the first to be tied to inflation. This is the type of policy that will make sure that workers are not left behind by rising costs of living.

I also want to talk a little bit about child care. Child care is a significant cost for many families. Families can pay up to $2,000 a month for their child care space. We first started working on child care, a plan, five years ago. We made significant investments in affordability that allowed a groundbreaking agreement with the federal government that will help spur affordability in child care.

Families will see fees reduced by 50 percent by the end of this year if their child is in child care from ages zero to five. This is pretty significant if you think about the costs of a child in child care over a span of four years. That’s tens of thousands of dollars that families are spending. With a 50 percent reduction, that means half of that would be put into child care which is, in fact, life-changing.

We know that the inflation rate is affecting people across the province. The actions on affordability to date show that the government is committed to solving these complex problems for the good of the people. We once again face the global challenge of rising inflation, and the government will continue to look for options and must continue to look for options to reduce costs for people.

[11:00 a.m.]

I. Paton: Thank you to the member for her response.

We’ve seen inflation in B.C. hit 6 percent, and people are noticing the hit to their pocketbooks. Doing some investigation, the four main things driving inflation in this country are fuel, transportation, house prices, cars, equipment and the price of meat and groceries. All four of those are things that government can fix. Many things cannot be fixed by government, but those four main things can be fixed.

People who are already struggling financially are now very stressed for their future. British Columbians just can’t seem to get any relief from rising prices, and I suspect that’s confusing them, because government representatives have repeatedly promised to make life more affordable in this province. However, as I outlined earlier, since 2017, the price of everything has gone up.

Perhaps help is on the way. I will note that about a week and a half ago, the Premier stated that the Minister of Finance “has been directed by me to look at efforts to bring forward initiatives to assist with inflation. We’ll see how that goes.”

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

My question is: how long do we have to wait? To say that we’ll see how it goes doesn’t really suggest there are any concrete timelines in place to provide those solutions that relieve…. I do hope I’ll be proven wrong.

Deputy Speaker: Member, I’d remind you that this is a non-partisan part of the morning.

I. Paton: I just simply used a quote that was used by the Premier.

I’ll even contribute some of my own ideas, in case they’re helpful to the other side. For the agriculture community, I have consistently called for financial incentives and tax relief for farmers, such as carbon tax rebates, tax credits for farmers transitioning to electric farm equipment and technology, the expansion of the food donation tax credit and PST exemptions for many farm products used on farms. I believe that these are prudent measures that would make life more affordable for farmers in the future and help those currently struggling to turn a profit.

When it comes to gas prices, the Premier could make good on his promise to step in and do something to address them. We certainly haven’t seen much movement from that. This government could reconsider the new used-car tax, which promises those looking to buy an affordable used vehicle…. They could adopt our proposed change that would have removed the PST from used vehicles under $20,000.

I could also reconsider…. It is a new tax on online marketplaces and a recent hike on the tax for home heating systems. At a time when life is unaffordable enough, British Columbians don’t need additional burdens placed on them.

Hon. N. Simons: I ask the House to consider proceeding with Motion 11, tabled in the name of my friend and colleague from Nelson-Creston.

Deputy Speaker: Prior to calling upon the member for Nelson-Creston, unanimous consent is required to proceed with Motion 11 without disturbing other items on the order paper.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 11 — YOUTH LEADERS
AND SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

B. Anderson: Today I would like to make a motion.

[Be it resolved that this House recognize youth as leaders in our province and support this Government’s actions to make life better for young people across B.C. now and into the future.]

We know that young people have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. They experienced the highest unemployment rates of any age group and widespread disruptions to post-secondary education during the 2020-2021 school year. During the pandemic, young people have missed out on traditional graduation ceremonies, opportunities to travel during a gap year and had limited occasions to connect in person with their peers and the community at large during such a foundational stage of life. Young people are also disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis and the housing crisis.

The Premier recognized the challenges young people are facing, and I am grateful he appointed me to be his special adviser on youth. I have met with young people and organizations from across the province and am working to ensure that the voices of youth are at the forefront of our government’s decision-making. Often, we talk about young people as future leaders. But through my work, I have seen that young people do not only have the potential to become leaders; they are leaders today.

[11:05 a.m.]

Through my work, I often hear from people who have been inspired by the young people in their lives to embrace diversity, be more inclusive, support innovative solutions and be better stewards of our earth. Young people are at the forefront of the change we need to see in our society and for the planet.

I have also established B.C.’s first StrongerBC Young Leaders Council. The council provides youth from across British Columbia with a platform to engage with government and offer the province a better understanding of the needs and perspectives of young British Columbians on important issues.

The council is comprised of 18 incredible young people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and interests from across British Columbia. We have been meeting virtually, and I have been inspired by their thoughtfulness, collaborative spirit and innovative ideas. These young people not only bring their own experiences and expertise, but they elevate the voices of their peers and communities to our government.

I’m excited to announce that next week, we will hold our first in-person StrongerBC Young Leaders Council meeting here at the Legislature. In the Legislature, council members will have the opportunity to learn how the Legislature functions and meet with the Premier, ministers, MLAs and staff. We will be participating in a blanket exercise, and we will be discussing our government’s CleanBC and StrongerBC plans. Our first in-person meeting will provide the council with an opportunity to dig deeper into the issues that matter most to young people and provide our government with feedback so that we can continue to build a stronger province and a brighter future for everyone.

Members of the StrongerBC Young Leaders Council are champions within their communities on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to, reconciliation; anti-racism; 2SLGBTQ and gender equality; accessibility; mental health, addictions and the poisoned drug supply; athletics; STEM; environment and climate change. We also have at least one entrepreneur on council, and many of the young people are involved in their student governments. These young leaders represent some of the most community-minded young people in our province. Their input will make a difference for their peers and communi­ties, now and into the future.

Our StrongerBC Young Leaders Council supports the B.C. government’s commitment to an inclusive, innovative and sustainable economic recovery for everyone who lives in B.C. I’m really looking forward to hosting these young people in the Legislature, and I hope everyone in this House will help to make the members of the StrongerBC Young Leaders Council feel welcome when they join us here next week.

The council’s work will continue to inform how our government can ensure that B.C. is a great place for young people today and ensure that they have a bright future. Young people are not only future leaders. Young people are leaders today. I look forward to hearing from other members.

R. Merrifield: Once upon a time, I was a young adult. But now and for the last 24 years, I’ve been a mother. Good mothers are protectors, nurturers, teachers, listeners. We are natural empaths for our children. We look out for their needs and hear them.

Right now we have an entire generation struggling. During COVID, our youth were disproportionately impacted by the challenges of the pandemic. Yes, they still worked the front-line jobs in retail, grocery stores, salons, gyms and restaurants, but then they were told to go home — not be with friends.

Many feared bringing COVID back to their families or spreading it to our most vulnerable, so they were forced to separate themselves from their support networks — their friends, families and loved ones. They missed their graduations, their first dances, their parties and their dates. They’ve had disruptions and distortions to their social lives. They’ve lost friends. Their schooling has gone online in some form of Zoomiversity, missing out on the pseudo-social aspects of their first years and what should have been networking, friendships and that lively courtyard debate.

[11:10 a.m.]

Furthermore, this government has failed them. Under this administration, a disproportionate amount of the job losses and evictions and the brunt of the affordability crisis were all faced by our youngest working generation. They were told that if they didn’t screw it up for the rest of society, we would emerge stronger and better. But we didn’t.

The housing market is still so out of reach that 74 percent of British Columbians that don’t currently own a home believe that they never will. UBC professor Paul Kershaw says that when the baby boomers entered young adulthood in the 1970s, it would have taken them five years of full-time work to save up for a 20 percent down payment on a home. The National Bank report estimates now that same home would take 36 years to save for a down payment.

Furthermore, the cost of living has skyrocketed, and our young don’t see their jobs keeping pace. Recently my kids started texting these memes about the cost of living. One was an itty, bitty toy grocery cart that said: “This is what $200 buys today.” They’ve developed a sense of humour because of their lived reality, because they live paycheque to paycheque, and they don’t see themselves getting ahead.

Young women today have been particularly hard hit and don’t see a way through. They don’t see themselves in the job market and still able to have children. Their birth control costs upwards of $30 a month, and if they have any fertility problems, it could be upwards of $100,000.

Then there’s child care. Child care is neither affordable nor accessible because the promise of universal $10-a-day daycare is little more than a pipe dream, and the government has only met a fraction of the promised daycare spaces. Because of this, young couples are thinking of opting out of having children and thinking twice and three times before raising families, out of a fear that the supports they need won’t be there for them.

Then there are the rising mental health challenges among our youth. Research by B.C. Children’s Hospital shows two-thirds of children in B.C. reported mood swings, anxiety or suicidal thoughts during the pandemic, up from just one-third before the arrival of COVID-19. Additionally, 53 percent of British Columbians over the age of 15 had somewhat or much worse mental health during the pandemic. Did we help them? No. We failed them.

What are they asking for? What are young adults begging for today? Opportunity. A chance to get ahead. A chance to find their path and the opportunity to make their way. But government has gotten so in the way that our young people no longer believe that we have answers for them or could even help. We have a generation of hopelessness.

If my kids watch this, I want them to see their mom standing up for them and for all youth, for the truth of what their generation is going through and to make sure that if we really want to make life better for them now and into the future, it must be done so with so much more than just words. Talk is cheap, action is everything. This young adult generation is done with cheap government talk.

H. Yao: I stand today to fully support the member for Nelson-Creston’s motion: “Be it resolved that this House recognize youth as leaders in our province and support this Government’s actions to make life better for young people across B.C. now and into the future.”

Last weekend I had the privilege to be invited to the Richmond Delta Youth Parliament as a guest speaker. Richmond Delta Youth Parliament’s motto is “Youth serving youth,” and the young parliamentarians truly emulate the spirit of the motto.

Although I was the guest of honour, young parliamentarians were truly the stars of the day. Richmond Delta youth parliamentarians utilized a Saturday afternoon debating bills in committees, grilling leadership in question period and exploring ideas of how to make the future a better place for all British Columbians. While the young parliamentarians even grilled me with sharp and insightful questions, I was both challenged and truly inspired.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge Samuel Lee, Premier; Jasmine Ren, Leader of the Opposition; Semiah Marquard, Speaker and sessional director; Abby Head, Deputy Speaker; Zara Herbert, Clerk; Joseph Chien, Clerk Assistant; Karina Valcke-Beckett, Clerk Assistant; Marika Leigh Lopez, Clerk Assistant; Felix Mann, Clerk Assistant, Nathan Chang, Chair; and Wesley Yiu, chief returning officer.

[11:15 a.m.]

I want to thank them for their dedication and hard work to make the fourth Richmond Delta Youth Parliament session a success.

I was also privileged to attend the fourth Music For Love Charity Concert. The concert was presented by students of Ms. Shan Chen and Mrs. Rebecca Cheng. It was also complemented by the performance and support of the Vancouver theatre orchestra and conducted by Maestro Jack Jin Zhang. The charity concert was one of the many projects designed by the students to fundraise for the Taiwan Fund for families and children.

The evening was packed with beautiful performances. The students further complemented the fundraiser with bottle drives, fundraising sales, services for donation and other projects. In total, the students raised over $2,000. I’m deeply moved by the students’ dedication and compassion for the global community.

Now, if you don’t mind, I would like to take a moment to also acknowledge all the students as well: Serena Zhao, grade 4; Jessica Chiang Wa Li, grade 4; Janice Lloyd, grade 10; Allen Wong, grade 8; Andrew Lee, grade 11; Amber Lyn, grade 4; Sophia Den, grade 4; Steven Gu, grade 4; Nancy Lao, grade 6; Lexi Sin Ji Yu, grade 2; Merlyn Lee, grade 4; Isabelle Wing, grade 5; Celine Lee, grade 10; Eileen Kyin, grade 10; Kensi Dye, grade 3; Sophie Lee, grade 6; Alicia Lee, grade 5; and Jenny Yen, university student.

From youth parliamentarians to music performers, I witnessed an exceptional demonstration of leadership, courage and commitment to global citizenship and democracy in just one weekend.

The first week of May is Youth Week, and our provincial government is proud of every single young British Columbian for their resilience, courage and compassion. Our government is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and supportive province for young British Columbians to thrive.

We delivered many important changes and services to support youth in B.C. Our government is committed to removing barriers and undue challenges for youth, empowering young adults in pursuing happiness on their own terms, encouraging young people to change the world for the better and enriching lives to help them find the strength and resources to care for themselves and their loved ones.

As a provincial government, we eliminated the interest on B.C. student loans to help students who have to borrow for their education so that education wouldn’t cost more than necessary. We invested to help thousands of youth, women and underrepresented groups to get apprenticeships and employment in skilled trades. We’re also investing in open education resources, including more open textbooks for students.

We provided funding to expand co-ops and work-integrated learning at post-secondary institutions. We supported access to affordable farmland for young farmers through the B.C. land matching program. We paved the way for new student housing at various post-secondary institutions across B.C. We expanded Foundry centres to give young people across the province access to a one-stop shop to support mental health and wellness.

We also improved B.C.’s Employment Standards Act to better protect children and youth from dangerous work. We provided emergency funding to help students cope with financial pressures caused by COVID-19, and we eliminated post-secondary tuition and provided additional funding for living expenses for former youth in care up to age 27.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

H. Yao: And there is much more work to do.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for the time.

M. Bernier: I’m proud to take my place at this moment, on this specific motion that was brought forward today. I think it’s interesting, when we dissect the motion and we actually look at some of the challenges that we’re facing right now in the province of British Columbia, because things have never been more difficult, especially for our youth.

The private member’s motion starts with: “Be it resolved that this House recognize youth as leaders in our province….” I would say: absolutely. I would say that the future of this province is obviously our youth, and we need to do everything we can to support them, to support them through whatever challenges they’re facing, to support them in the next steps of life, whatever they choose to do.

The latter part of this motion talks about supporting government’s actions to make life better for these people. I would absolutely love to support those, if I actually saw some tangible direction from this province and from this government that was actually helping our youth.

[11:20 a.m.]

As I said, right now the province of British Columbia is so unaffordable. In fact, it’s never been harder for our youth. As a father of five children…. I know that many, many people in this House have children as well. We see that.

The thought that our youth now have to save up for 34 years to get a down payment on a house…. The fact is that the majority of them are stuck renting and for the last two terms have been waiting for that $400 renters rebate from this government that was supposed to help our youth, a majority of youth that are forced to rent.

We’ve also seen the lack of action from this government after the devastating impacts of climate change. I know how that has been so immensely difficult for a lot of our youth, our young families. I mean, a case in point is the member for Fraser-Nicola.

I look around right now, and I look at the heartache of how many young people, how many young families, have been sitting and waiting for any glimmer of hope from this government, after the devastation in Lytton, in getting them back into a home, getting them back into trying to build their communities, getting back to volunteering — all the things that we expect and hope that our youth will do. They’ve been abandoned by this government.

I do find a bit of irony with the last part of this motion to support government’s initiatives, when we’ve seen time and time again, over the last half a decade of this government, so little action to help our youth. It’s great to stand in this House and say that we should support our youth — absolutely, we should — but as government, it’s their job to bring forward policies and initiatives that will tangibly and effectively help those people that we’re talking about.

The last poll that I saw in this province said about 80 percent of our youth and young families have basically written off the concept and the idea of ever owning a home right now in British Columbia, especially in the Lower Mainland, where the price of a house is well over $1 million. The fact is that it has gone up $600,000 since about 2017, just on an average house. Inflation is now at 6 percent.

We could talk about housing. We could talk about gas. We could talk about food, rent. Every single thing that affects our youth in this province has become more and more unaffordable. Of course we want to support our youth. Of course we know they are the future of this province. What’s unfortunate is how government continues to acknowledge that part but not do anything to actually help them.

I support the idea of the motion, but I can’t support the concepts that government is putting forward that are not helping our youth. They’re suffering from anxiety. They’re suffering from depression, mental health issues. We’ve seen the amount of youth that we’ve lost in this province, during the opioid crisis, because of addictions, with no help out there for them, even when they’re crying and screaming for help. This is the next generation, and in so many ways, government is failing them.

We need to step up. Government needs to do their jobs and start fulfilling any of their promises that’ll help youth, because they are the future of our province.

R. Leonard: I’m pleased to rise in support of the motion of the member for Nelson-Creston, who’s also the Premier’s special adviser on youth, regarding our youth as leaders and this government’s actions to make life better for young people across B.C., now and into the future.

I’d like to share the stories of some young people from the Comox Valley and the variety of ways they’ve demonstrated great leadership. I want to talk about Rio Crystal, an 18-year-old who took on an incredible, gruelling goal of going 380 miles from Dawson City to the Arctic Circle in an ultramarathon. Battling 40-below, windy, lonely conditions, he not only completed it and won the marathon, but he did it in less than five days. It normally takes seven days.

[11:25 a.m.]

He’s the youngest person to ever win, and he’s also the only Canadian. You can view his interview with Elizabeth Heinz on Shaw’s Coast Connections — it’s on YouTube — as he recounts his amazing feat. While achieving this goal is inspirational in itself, he also shared some profound lessons he learned on his journey of self-discovery, about love, the joy of sharing and overcoming diversity.

Then there’s leading by engaging in what you love. Glacier View grade 11 student Jay Jamieson returned to his former school at Lake Trail to follow through with a project to create a pop-up free-clothing shop and repair cafe. He picked up where it was left a few years ago. Pre-COVID there had been a lot of conversation around the world about textile waste, and it’s a passion of Jay’s.

He worked with Tina Willard-Stepan, the environmental educator from Comox Strathcona Waste Management, and the Lake Trail leadership students to bring his dream to life. They engaged businesses for donations, solicited donations of clothes, rounded up sewers, marketed the pop-up shop, and everyone came out a winner on Earth Day. I’m wearing my second-hand shirt today.

Next, there’s leading with perseverance. Nalan Goosen, Will Hatch, Ella Oldaker, Mackai Sharp and others started the Comox youth climate action council in 2019 and organized the first student climate action strike. They continue to build an enduring collective voice. Students graduate or move on, but new youth join, keeping their voice alive and strong.

How about leading through art? Student videographer Jaylene Kuo successfully lobbied to update the school district’s dress code and created a poignant video on the need for it to be inclusive, gender-neutral and positive.

The second half of today’s motion is to “support this Government’s actions to make life better for young people across B.C. now and into the future.” Between 2001 and 2012, under the previous government, youth, including my kids, endured the $6-an-hour training wage and the nearly doubling of university tuition. They had smart friends who lost out on opportunities, and we all lost out on seeing more qualified people in the workforce because they couldn’t afford the huge debts they would have built up to attend college or university, when the needs-based grants for students were cut by the previous government.

Today this government’s actions have raised the minimum wage, and it’s set to keep pace with inflation, at $15.65 an hour, starting June 1. Our government reintroduced the B.C. access grant in 2020, supporting 40,000 low- and middle-income students. We’ve introduced interest-free B.C. student loans. We’ve increased the number of student seats in so many critical areas to train more nurses, early childhood educators and health care aides, while providing more flexibility and options like micro-credentials.

Opening doors to those whose futures were far from certain, we’ve helped thousands of youth and others get apprenticeship and employment in the skilled trades. Our government has funded over 2,800 student beds since 2018, outpacing the mere 130 beds of student housing built over 16 years by the previous government. Today inflation is squeezing our pocketbooks, but how much worse would life be if our government had not stepped up, since our first day in office, to address the growing despair of young people, to give them hope and opportunity?

We all know that our youth are our hope for the future. Making life better for our young people gives them the room to grow and prosper. It ensures a stronger B.C. for everyone, now and into the future.

P. Milobar: Well, one thing is very clear: inflation. Everyone in this chamber today has been acknowledging the various conversations, and inflation is running ram­pant. What we’re not hearing from government are actions that they have committed to, to try to actually bring relief to people.

This is directly impacting young people disproportionately, because young people, by virtue of being newer into the workforce, trying to juggle work as well as go to school to get the credentialing they need, are still typically on the lower end of the income scale. A large portion, when we talk about low-income families, are youth in our communities. They’re desperately looking for relief from this government, in a wide range of areas.

[11:30 a.m.]

When they look at trying to fill up their car to be able to go to work, no relief there from this government — in fact, the highest gas taxes, the highest gas prices in North America. Yes, there are transit options for many youth in our province. There are not transit options also, though, for many youth. Many youth, even, that live in the Metro areas and other areas of this province that are well served by transit don’t necessarily have the transit option that gets them to their job, depending where their job is located. They do rely on having a vehicle to get around, to get to work.

They do rely on having a cell phone to make sure that they’re safe and secure as they’re going back and forth to work. The days of the land lines, especially for youth, don’t exist. They have cell phones. That’s their new household phone. What did this government promise to do? They promised…. Well, that was back in 2017. Heck, they sent a member all the way out to Ottawa to address cell phone bills — haven’t seen any action on that front whatsoever.

That is the way that young people do try to communicate, try to get around — no action from this government. Instead, what did we see in this year’s budget, on page 91? We saw a tax action on used cars that will directly hurt low-income families. It says it right in their document — their own budget document. It will impact low-income people the most. Youth are those low-income people. Youth need the used vehicles. Youth are not going out to try to buy a car, en masse, that’s new.

If they are — and it’s their right to do that — it puts them further and further away from trying to enter the housing market, because their borrowing power gets further eroded. For every $400 of a car payment they have, they lose another $100,000 of buying ability for a home. A lot of youth don’t understand that, necessarily, at the time that they get into those contracts to get a vehicle. So a lot, as they become more aware, go to the used-car market.

What is this government’s response to a tax measure that will be punitive to them, when they’re told in their own budget document? It’s to go full steam ahead with it, call them tax cheats, call them tax evaders. They’re simply youth trying to get a safe, reliable vehicle to be able to get to work, to get to school, to be able to socialize with their friends.

Our solution was to bring forward an amendment to remove the PST completely on any used vehicle under $20,000. It would have saved $2,400 to buy a safe, secure, reliable used vehicle — not be treated like a tax cheat, not be called a tax evasion specialist by government but, instead, enabling youth who are buying used vehicles to be able to do that and have a little bit of savings.

When we talk about a housing affordability crisis, a lot of focus goes on the purchase, and that’s absolutely correct. It should. But that also puts pressure on rents — as housing prices go up. Youth are also heavy in the rental market, so they’re getting forced into more and more unsafe, questionable rental options and basement suites and others that haven’t necessarily passed safety standards — no action from this government.

As we see inflation at 6 percent, as we see record gas prices, at $2.07 — I saw it at some pumps yesterday, or $2.079; we’ve become so desensitized that we won’t even call that $2.08 — a litre, and zero action from this government. Yet we see, across jurisdictions, that action has been taken — attempts at trying to do something. What’s the Premier’s response? “Well, the Minister of Finance is looking at things and maybe, sometime in the near future, she may or may not have some options for people to look at for inflation.”

This has been going on for months. We need options now, not months from now. So I do hope that the government will actually take it seriously and properly start trying to support our youth, because by every measure and by their own budget document, on page 91, they’re taking punitive action against low-income people.

J. Sims: It’s a pleasure today to rise and speak on the motion before this House.

I, first of all, want to congratulate the work done by the parliamentary secretary, special adviser on youth, to say that she has been doing amazing outreach and engaging youth in planning for their future. I think that’s something we’ve always got to remember. It’s not what we do for youth; it’s what we do with youth. Our agenda needs to be driven by the needs of youth. So thank you very much for all the work you do.

[11:35 a.m.]

Today I want to focus a little bit on celebrating our youth. I think that often we sell them short on their amazing capabilities and abilities to engage in the democratic process, to engage in social justice work, to work in the area of climate change — and really have a passion for building a more just and inclusive society. I can tell you that both when I was a teacher and now being in this position, my inspiration comes from the youth I interact with. They inspire us all. I’m sure all of you feel the same. They inspire us to be better and to do better, both in this House and when we’re outside.

I’m very proud of the fact that we have a round table with youth that we are consulting with. I’m also proud of the work we’ve done around the tuition fees, interest not having to be paid on loans. A huge help. I had tears in my office when that happened. Basic education now being accessible and not having to pay for it. University housing being built at a good rate.

Child care. We often think of child care. What does that have to do with youth? Young people have babies. Remember, youth is no longer if you’re under 16. The definition of youth tends to go higher and higher. I can tell you that for my granddaughter having the $10-a-day child care available allowed her to work and to continue with her education. All of those things do help.

Today let me now focus on an event and share some of the amazing stories I heard. I was at Surrey’s 12th annual Top 25 Under 25 Awards winners. You know, Madam Speaker, when they were up there, I didn’t think I was looking at people…. They were ages anywhere from ten up to 25. Every one of them, when they stood there and talked about their project and the amazing things they’ve done….

As I got to meet them all one on one, I was just in awe. The work being done around social services, around technology, around helping people through COVID, the amazing work being done with the different ethnic communities to support them through COVID with culturally sensitive support systems, especially in the area of mental health….

You had Mohamed Sheikh Abdir, Pioneer Your Dreams Agency. Arnav Dada, SPARK Foundation. He founded that. Owen Davenport, Young Entrepreneurs of Canada Association, CEO of that association at the age of 23. Emandeep Dhanoya, Voices of Today Foundation and Youth Transforming Society. She’s 20. Manpreet Dhesi, GenConnect, helping people to connect with each other during these very, very difficult times. Karmin Dhindsa, Joe Local Business Connect. Vanessa Fajemisin, Solid State Community Industries. Omer Faraz, Globalizers Philanthropy Club. Amazing, amazing work being done there.

Arsh Gill, SFU Axis Consulting, once again providing incredible support in the academic arena. Daniel Istifanus, CoinPlay. I found that fascinating. Jshandeep Jassal, Solid State Community Industries. Manraj Johal, KidsPlay Youth Foundation. Sanjana, Your Words Matter to Us. Pioneer Your Dreams Agency, Sahil Khaleque. Jesika Kula, Seedling Art Co. By the way, he’s ten. Gurik Mangat, FyreWatch Artificial Intelligence. The work being done there — absolutely in awe.

Natasha Mhuriro, Black in BC Community Support Fund for COVID-19. Maheep Nagra, KidsPlay Youth Foundation.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member. Thank you very much.

J. Sims: You can see, Madam, I hardly got through any of it. Thank you.

C. Oakes: I’m very pleased this morning to speak to the motion of making life better for young people.

I’d like to open my remarks by acknowledging all of the student leadership organizations across this province for the incredible advocacy that they do to members of this House and on behalf of students in British Columbia.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a highly engaged and educated population of young people who are committed to making this province fantastic. We are also privileged to attract thousands of young people every year to the province who come to British Columbia from across Canada and, indeed, the world to better themselves through post-secondary education.

[11:40 a.m.]

We know that in the next ten years, we will face a shortage of workers in this province. It is, in fact, expected that more than one million job openings will become available due to retirement of the baby boomers and our general population growth. In fact, we experience that right now across the province in our communities.

One of the best solutions to addressing this labour shortage, however, is our world-class post-secondary education system. By attracting young people from around the world to British Columbia, we can encourage them to establish their lives here and their careers here. In order to do this, however, the conditions need to be right.

I want to again acknowledge all of the student associations who advocate to each of us every year. One of the things that I hear year in and year out is the concern around international students being able to afford their education here in British Columbia. International students tuition has increased by 39 percent over four years under the NDP government. In 2017, the average international student tuition fee rate forbachelor of arts degrees at UBC was $28,000. By 2021, it had risen to more than $38,000. That’s a $10,000 increase over four years.

The unpredictability of international tuition is only one example of post-secondary education becoming increasingly unaffordable. Students, both domestic and international, are struggling to keep up with the rising rates of inflation and the general affordability across the province.

Full-time students often cannot make enough money through part-time and summer jobs to cover tuition and living expenses. As rent and grocery prices increase, the number of students who experience food insecurity is increasing. Students are three times more likely to experience food insecurity than the general population. This can have long-term effects on students’ lives and their abilities to succeed.

One study at UBCO found that 25 percent of food-insecure students had to reduce their course load to afford tuition and living expenses. Food-insecure students are more likely to have lower grade point averages or to drop out of their studies due to financial reasons.

The affordability challenges do not stop there. Between February 2021 and February 2022, the average rent in Vancouver increased by 23 percent. When the prices of tuition and rent are skyrocketing, it is no wonder that B.C. students are calling for more support.

Despite the fact that this government has the tools available to provide relief, they continue to delay action. The promised renters rebate is still nowhere to be seen, and students are facing annual tuition hikes. In a recent study, it found that 30 percent of new Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 years old are likely to move to another country in the next two years. Nearly a quarter of university-educated new Canadians are likely to move. The top reasons for this are the high cost of living, experiences of discrimination and racism, and the current leadership in government.

Highly skilled young people in British Columbia are feeling hopeless about their prospects. Even if they manage to make it through their post-secondary degrees, their entry-level salaries are not high enough to meet the current cost of living.

If we have any hope of retaining these fantastic young people, we must do better to support them during their studies and after. No student should have to go hungry, withdraw from their studies or move away because of B.C.’s unaffordability crisis.

It’s time we all take action and support the future of our province.

K. Paddon: I am grateful to be able to rise today to offer my support to the motion. I have heard today from others about the youth in their communities who are making a difference, and I’m grateful for them sharing.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with and for youth in Chilliwack-Kent over the past decades, and I know this to be true: the youth in our communities are truly spectacular and inspiring. They are doing amazing things to make our community better. We need only to provide the tools and safe space, and they will create the most amazing things.

[11:45 a.m.]

I count myself as lucky that I have had the opportunity to hear from so many youth in Chilliwack-Kent. It’s great to hear about the passion for equity, diversity, environment and building a stronger future.

Last year I was privileged to be able to offer three incredible youth from Chilliwack-Kent scholarships as they finished high school and started their post-secondary journeys, something I’m looking forward to doing again this year. Zee Goertzen, Nicole Pope and Jelisse Holiday were the recipients of the 2021 scholarships.

The work, dedication and leadership they each showed in our community was inspiring — from taking on leadership challenges in school; diving into agriculture, trades and culinary arts; training; volunteering countless hours for their peers, schools and communities; leading change and development of mental health resources; leading research; participating in clubs; peer mentorship; supporting each other through Queer Cafe and other inclusive groups — all while excelling in classes and, in some cases, working part-time jobs. All three recipients gave to our communities in ways that made us all better while they were growing and transitioning themselves.

It’s important to acknowledge that youth are in transition, and transition is incredibly difficult and challenging in the best of times, let alone when there are additional difficulties layered on this demanding time of life. We know that the past couple of years have been extremely difficult as youth have experienced school and extracurricular activities that have been significantly impacted, social opportunities and connections that have been disrupted, and even things like having a part-time job have become dramatically more complex as a result of the pandemic.

I’ve said it before, and I believe it more than ever. The youth in Chilliwack-Kent today — who have been through the ups and downs and uncertainties, who have now been impacted with three school years that were difficult — are very likely the most agile, innovative, resilient, creative and socially dedicated young people I have ever had the pleasure of working with and for.

It has been hard, which is why I’m so grateful that our government has been hard at work. We’ve been building a better network of mental health supports for these youth, including mental health programs in schools and expanding the number of integrated child and youth teams. These teams in schools are focused on prevention, wellness promotion and early intervention. We’ve also been doubling the number of treatment beds for youth struggling with addictions in B.C.

What about those first jobs that so many youth experience during or shortly after high school right into and beyond post-secondary? Our government has increased the minimum wage and eliminated the serving wage for workers in the hospitality industry. The increases have benefitted close to 400,000 British Columbians over the years, and we know that the majority of those are youth, women and immigrants. And we have improved B.C.’s Employment Standards Act to better protect children and youth from dangerous work and ensure that they are safe.

So many youth are studying and working to be able to continue their education and post-secondary training, which is why changes made by our government are so important to supporting youth in post-secondary — changes like re-establishing needs-based student grants to make post-secondary education and training more affordable for thousands of students and eliminating the interest on B.C. student loans.

As a parent, I am grateful for the community around my youth who help me to support them, and I will be there for them throughout this transition if they need a little bit extra help. But we know that’s not the situation for all youth. When our government announced the additional supports for youth in care during their transition to adulthood, I was overwhelmed thinking how many lives that would change. Now we’ll all be there for these youth and support them as they grow and they reach.

Youth are leaders in Chilliwack-Kent and across British Columbia, and despite some saltiness today, I know that we are all dedicated to ensuring that they reach for their dreams.

To the youth in Chilliwack-Kent and B.C. and to all who support them, thank you for everything you do. Thank you for speaking up. Keep stepping up. I can’t wait to see what you do next.

B. Banman: It is indeed a privilege to get up and speak on this motion.

As an MLA, I think one of the most important aspects of our job is to ensure that, with each and every decision that is made in this House, we consider and strive to improve the lives of future generations. It is one of the tenets, one of the principles, I ran for, as a fact.

[11:50 a.m.]

We have an obligation to make our province better, whether it comes to improving access to mental health resources or being able to find an affordable home or being able to afford transit or seeking a great education where you can get a better standard of life. All of these things are important to the youth in our province but are sorely lacking from this government.

Every youth I speak with, especially in my riding of Abbotsford, is concerned about the lack of access to affordable housing. Whether it is skyrocketing rental prices or being able to get into the housing market, few are finding either goal achievable. In 2021 alone, we saw home prices increase by 38 percent in Abbotsford.

According to the Real Estate Association, the March average MLS residential price in British Columbia was an outstanding $1.1 million, a 15 percent increase from last year. How many young people or families in British Columbia can afford a home at this price?

In fact, according to a National Bank report, it will take them more than three decades to save for a down payment on a typical Vancouver home. It’s no wonder a recent Ipsos-Reid poll said that of those who do not own a home, 63 percent have given up on the hope of ever having one. It’s simply heartbreaking, and it’s just not good enough.

Now, if they’re not able to buy their home, maybe they’ll think of turning to the rental market. But renters are also priced out. Since 2017, the average annualized rent across the province has increased more than $2,800. That’s $2,800 less that B.C. families have for gas, groceries and life’s other necessities, and the promised renters rebate is nowhere to be found.

If that wasn’t bad enough, there continues to be so much competition among renters due to an incredibly low vacancy rate. The provincial vacancy rate sits at 1.4 percent, and it is even lower in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. This makes it incredibly stressful for families and individuals, as they’re competing amongst one another to merely secure a roof over their heads.

How did we get to this point? The government is now finally acknowledging that the single-largest reason, the biggest factor driving these astronomical high prices, is a lack of supply. In responding to this challenge, however, the government is way too slow to act. It is clear they don’t understand the urgency required to address the afforda­bility crisis.

At the end of the day, the facts speak for themselves. This two-term government sat and watched the cost of housing dramatically increase. Instead, they constantly scapegoated foreigners, developers and speculators. It has taken them half a decade to figure out what we’ve known all along — that there’s actually a massive supply challenge. Here we are, six budgets later, with the most expensive housing prices in the history of this province yet not a word of hope from this government’s budget.

Young families aren’t only facing a housing squeeze; they’re also facing significant issues finding affordable child care spaces. Furthermore, B.C. is currently experiencing an early childhood educator worker shortage. Places like Richmond, Burnaby and my own community of Abbotsford have among the highest fees for child care in the country.

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alter­natives, Richmond was among the five cities in Canada with the highest toddler fees, a median space costing a whopping $1,300 a month. That cost is too high for many young families and, critically, women who must now decide between looking after their children or entering the workforce.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Let’s face it. The cost of everything is going up in B.C., not just housing since 2017. Since this government came up to power, gas is up 95 percent; the Internet is up 24 percent; food is up by 16 percent. Even the cost of streaming services like Netflix has gone up 29 percent.

What is clear is that despite all the rhetoric, despite all the posturing, the pontificating and promises from the other side of the House, actual affordability for British Columbians is becoming impossible, and sadly, it will continue to drive young people out of this province.

F. Donnelly: I appreciate the opportunity to rise and speak to the motion that this House recognize youth as leaders in our province and support this government’s actions to make life better for young people across British Columbia now and into the future.

[11:55 a.m.]

I’d also like to thank the member for Nelson-Creston for bringing this motion forward and for being an excellent role model for young people.

Speaker, if I could take a moment to brag a bit about my seatmate. She’s a strong advocate for taking bold action on climate change, a champion for active transportation, small business and for regenerative agriculture.

Before becoming an MLA, she was a city councillor in Nelson. In 2014, she co-founded the Cannabis Conservancy, a company that facilitates environmental certification for the growing cannabis industry. She was also elected LVR’s school prime minister. Today she is the special adviser to the Premier of British Columbia on youth.

A shout-out to her parents Terry and Deb and, of course, Stella.

Speaking today, young people are very aware of issues facing our communities and are stepping up to create real, meaningful change. I recently met with a number of youth leaders in Coquitlam–Burke Mountain who are working hard to improve our community and make B.C. better for everyone. I’d like to highlight two youth groups in Coquitlam who are leading the way in addressing two important and interrelated issues affecting youth in our province — the overdose crisis and youth homelessness.

I met with SFU student Chloe Goodison in December after learning about the work of NaloxHome, a non-profit organization she founded. She was running a clothing drive to keep Coquitlam shelter residents warm over the winter. Chloe came by my office to pick up donations we had gathered and to tell me more about NaloxHome.

Her youth-led organization is based in the Tri-Cities and is committed to helping end the toxic drug supply by educating young people of the signs of an overdose, where to get and how to administer naloxone and helping end the stigma around substance use.

Chloe was only 16 years old when she witnessed her first overdose at a SkyTrain station. A teenager collapsed on her. Chloe called 911. After that experience, Chloe was determined to make a difference about the toxic drug crisis, and she has. Today NaloxHome has 25 dedicated local youth educators, aged 18 to 24, who have reached more than 1,500 students in their first year of operation in 2021.

I recently met with 18 Gleneagle Secondary students in Coquitlam who, on April 21, spent the night sleeping outside in the cold on cardboard boxes to gain insight as to what it’s like to be homeless and to raise money for homeless youth in B.C. The Sleep Out was led by grade 11 student leaders Ruby Charney and Guy Min Jang and grade 12 student leader Izabela Fabbro.

Prior to the Sleep Out, I spoke with the students. We had a thoughtful discussion about youth homelessness and how people can be empowered to make a difference in our community. These 18 students raised more than $3,000 for Covenant House Vancouver, an organization that supports homeless youth by offering shelter, clothing, food and life skills training.

I am in awe of the passion and determination of these young people.

I’d like to thank Chloe and the NaloxHome youth educators, along with the Gleneagle Secondary student leaders, for their tireless efforts. They remind us of the responsibility we have to support, empower and make life better for all young people across British Columbia.

I am confident they will carry this attitude forward with them and continue to make a positive impact and inspire other young people to become leaders of change, just like the member for Nelson-Creston.

F. Donnelly moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. N. Simons moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 p.m. today.

The House adjourned at 12 noon.