Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

B. Bailey: Women, life, freedom. Zan, zendegi, azadi. October is Women’s History Month in B.C., and it’s celebrated in October in recognition of the Persons case when, in 1929, women were first acknowledged as persons under law in Canada.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Before I talk about Women’s History Month, I want to speak about women making history at this very moment and the women-led protests that are happening across the world in support of the brave women in Iran who are standing up and fighting, against brutal odds, for their freedom, for their personhood.

Jina Amini, also known as Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian, was detained by the so-called morality police for allegedly leaving some of her hair visible in violation of an Iranian law requiring women to cover their heads. Mahsa Amini was, according to witnesses, severely beaten in a police van and died on September 16 after falling into a coma.

This is state-sanctioned, gender-based violence, and the women of Iran and their supporters have had enough. They’re putting their lives at risk to demonstrate in the streets. They’re burning their head scarves, and they’re cutting their hair.

This weekend I participated in an incredible march in Vancouver that ran from the Art Gallery to the Lions Gate Bridge. Many thousands of Canadian Iranians and their allies raised their voices in unison against the continued state-sanctioned violence against women in Iran. They chanted: “Women, life, freedom” and “Say her name — Mahsa Amini.”

Heartbreakingly, Mahsa is not the first, nor the last, woman to have been killed by the so-called morality police, but her death has galvanized the populace in a way rarely seen. Mahsa is a Kurdish Iranian, and Kurds are discriminated against in Iran. This tragic and senseless death has brought together segments of Iran from many perspectives, all protesting together for change.

Women in Iran, and everywhere in the world, do not need their bodies policed. They need the freedom to live without violence and fear. They deserve to participate fully in society. All women need this. When I hear the chant, “We are all Mahsa,” I believe it’s our common desire for freedom from violence and a desire to live full lives that binds us together.

My colleague the Minister of State for Infrastructure and MLA for North Vancouver–Lonsdale made an important point when we were discussing the protests, which she also attended. She said that many of the Iranian Canadians here in B.C. have close relatives in Iran, and they take a huge risk when they raise their voices publicly against this repressive regime, but we don’t. She’s right, and as such, we are not under threat of retaliation. So I say to my non-Iranian friends and colleagues and, especially, those of us in government: let’s help and add our voices to this important fight.

What else can we do to help our Iranian sisters? At the rally, a protester handed me a slip of paper that had been prepared should any elected officials attend, and I want to raise her voice now. Here is what it said.

“To all democratic governments. Iranians all over the world are protesting the brutality and crimes against humanity of the Islamic regime in Iran. The citizens of Iran have demonstrated that the tyrannical regime is not their legitimate representative, and they want to build a new democracy that is based on human rights.

[10:10 a.m.]

“Our request to you is: close your embassies in Iran and expel your ambassadors of the Islamic regime from your continents; expel the Islamic regime from all international organizations; stop trading with the Islamic regime, and more importantly, stop buying their oil; stop granting visas to those tied to the regime who directly or indirectly participate in the suppression of Iranian citizens and perpetrations of crimes against humanity.

“Be on the right side of history.”

That completes the message handed to me. I read it because it’s one thing to attend a protest, but the people are asking for real action from leaders all around the world.

This is Women’s History Month, and real history is being made by the women of Iran and their supporters and women and allies all over the world who’ve attended protests in more than 150 international cities, including Auckland, New York, Seoul, Zurich. In Brisbane, Australia, thousands from the Iranian diaspora protested under the slogan “Be our voice.” In Tokyo, demonstrators carried photographs of Iranian women burning their headscarves and cutting their hair.

But in Iran itself, protests in over 80 cities have been met with an intensifying crackdown, shuttering of the Internet to decrease protesters’ ability to organize, and estimates are that over 1,200 people have been imprisoned, including more than 20 journalists, and that dozens and dozens of people have been killed.

Artists, filmmakers, athletes, musicians and actors voiced their support for the protests, even as the Iranian football players wore black tracksuits as their national anthem was played before their match in Vienna. They are also likely remembering Sahar Khodayari, a young Iranian woman who in 2019 dressed as a man to sneak into a soccer match to see her beloved team play. In being discovered, she was arrested, and rather than going to jail, she killed herself.

Yesterday reports came out of Sharif University that students and staff were reportedly surrounded by armed guards, shot at and arrested. This is Iran’s MIT, the most prestigious engineering school in Iran and the alma mater of many people I know, many people working in the tech industry here in B.C.

To the women and their allies in Iran, to the students and the professors and to all Iranian Canadians, please know that we see you; we stand with you.

Women, life, freedom.

T. Wat: Thank you to the member opposite for the opportunity to speak on this important topic: Women’s History Month.

Having served nearly ten years as the MLA for Richmond North Centre, I feel a great sense of pride every time I take my place in this House and feel blessed for the opportunity to represent my constituents.

Many years ago there were many fewer women in this chamber and even fewer women of colour and of diverse cultures. I know that my parents were incredibly proud to see what I was able to achieve in my life, first in my career in journalism and next in my career in politics. They made many sacrifices to help make my dreams possible.

My beloved mother, Chee Kuen Lau, passed away one week ago today. She dedicated her life to taking the very best care of me and my late sister. She was an extremely intelligent woman and a real people person.

[10:15 a.m.]

She would have thrived in any career, but she chose to be a full-time wife and mother, which I’ve always been grateful for. Despite her sacrifices, Mom led a very fulfilling and joyful life in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Vancouver.

Her tireless support and care no doubt helped me achieve my goals and dreams and gave me the skills and confidence to pursue the seat I hold in this House today. She inspires me to offer this same support to women in my community and beyond. It’s so important that we lift each other up and help each other succeed.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Women’s History Month, and we celebrate the achievements and contributions of women everywhere. This year’s theme is “She did, so now I can.” I think of this in two ways. In one way, it fits in perfectly with the story I just described of my mother’s selfless sacrifices so that her children could have a better life. In the second way, it also ties into the importance of diversity in our institutions, including this one.

That diversity helps women and members of other historically underrepresented groups to see themselves as viable contenders for elected office. If they see someone in the community do it, perhaps they can as well.

During Women’s History Month, you also honour Canadian women who refused to accept the status quo, who fought hard for the rights we enjoy today. Of course, there’s always more work to be done on issues like equal pay, as B.C. currently has the worst gender pay gap in Canada at 18.6 percent; or issues like gender-based violence, which women, girls, two-spirit, trans and non-binary people are at the highest risk of experiencing.

We need a new, comprehensive action plan to tackle this serious issue, and we need it as soon as possible. These are just a couple of examples of the pressing issues we as legislators must consider and take action on. We know there’s always a lot more to do, and it will take all of us working together to achieve it.

We must all make it a priority to think about how we can advance equality in our province and in our communities and take the action needed so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute, to achieve and to succeed. No one should face exclusion due to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, language or immigration status.

I call on all members of this House to consider how we might work together to further advance the rights of all women, so we can build a more inclusive province for all.

Deputy Speaker: Of course, Member, we send you love during this difficult time for you, and to your family.

B. Bailey: Thank you to the member opposite for her very personal and powerful words.

Women’s History Month in B.C. takes place in October in commemoration of the Persons case. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, Edwards v. AG of Canada, a.k.a. the Persons case, was a constitutional ruling that established the right of women to be appointed to the Senate. The case was initiated by the Famous Five, a group of prominent women activists: Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise Crummy McKinney and Irene Parlby.

[10:20 a.m.]

Never doubt that a small and committed group of people can change history. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.

People who identify as women, people of colour and Indigenous people still make less money than their white male counterparts. People who identify as women still carry an uneven share of domestic work, including child care. Although we are making strides and more women are graduating than ever from college, there are still more men named John as CEOs than the number of female CEOs in total. For LGBTQIA folks, the numbers are tougher still.

We must continue our work to fight sex- and gender-based discrimination, and we must ensure that women’s work is valued properly, that jobs that women often do are paid fair wages. That includes reversing privatization, which drove so many women into minimum-wage jobs. We must continue to properly fund sexual assault centres and support women leaving domestic violence. Supporting the work of organizations helping these folks is paramount. We must continue to lessen the load for LGBTQIA folks by legitimizing their presence and inclusion in society in every way.

I am proud to be a member of a government caucus whose majority is women, but I also know that we live in a time when rights are slipping backwards, not continuing forward, as one might expect. The recent changes in regard to Roe v. Wade in the U.S. and the changing political climate worldwide remind us that hard-won rights can be and are being eroded. We must ensure that women are present in the new economy. I’m particularly worried about research coming out of the U.S. showing the slide backwards of women in tech from 2020 to 2021 by 2.6 percent.

This Women’s History Month, as we all celebrate the successes we’ve gained, let’s all commit to doubling down on what needs to happen, both at home and around the world, to ensure equality for all.

TRANSPARENCY

B. Banman: Without transparency, there cannot be true democracy.

I’m pleased to rise before the House today to discuss the necessity for transparency within British Columbians’ governments and especially for the people’s ability to hold their elected representatives responsible and accountable. Unfortunately, recent changes in this very legislation have slowed and eroded away the transparency that British Columbians enjoyed when engaging the B.C. government.

Today British Columbians are served by a government which, according to the C.D. Howe Institute, has one of the worst ratings of governmental and fiscal transparency in the entire country. The fact is that when it came to fiscal transparency, B.C. did not score well on the metrics of timelines, placement of key metrics, reliability, transparency of numbers or even comparability of numbers. Our province scored a disappointing D grading, a stark decline from the A rating just a few years prior to that.

As more and more people are choosing or being forced to choose between food on the table or gas in the car to drive their kids to school, all while being unable to find a family doctor…. Now more than ever, transparency from government is essential. Hard-working British Columbians have questions. Where does their hard-earned taxpayer money end up going? What is it being spent on? Is it being spent appropriately, and is it being spent where it is most needed?

Unfortunately, according to experts, British Columbians do not have the answers to those questions. Unless you have support from someone with a lot of time to help go through the governmental documents for you, the everyday British Columbian is left in the dark, thanks to the lack of affordable, accessible and easily understandable transparent information from government.

Fiscal transparency aside, transparency with how government intends to solve the issues that people are facing is also instrumental for good governance. Let’s take the Fraser Valley Highway 1 corridor improvement project as an example.

[10:25 a.m.]

People from my riding, in Abbotsford South, share the frustrations of thousands of folks that travel through this congested, outdated, overcapacity and, frankly, dangerous stretch of highway that connects the Lower Mainland to the Fraser Valley.

The long overdue widening from 264 Street to Whatcom Road is a critical length of highway that proved to be utilized heavily during B.C.’s flood. The resource supply system has had no public-facing updates since the public consultation ended over a year ago, in July of 2021.

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, I encourage you to visit the website yourself — Google search it — or even call the office. You will realize very quickly how difficult it is to obtain information from government regardless of whether it is complex fiscal information or even just an update on your region’s transportation infrastructure.

We need transparency on where the project is now, what has happened since the consultation ended over a year ago and, at the very least, whether the people in the Fraser Valley can expect to hear anything about where the project is currently. Transparency, accountability, representation, responsibility — these are all words that are alive and well in B.C. political rhetoric. However, these words will continue to remain nothing but buzzwords for as long as they go unacted upon.

No, transparency doesn’t always mean low grades like the D rating. You can get awards as well. Not really a cause worth celebrating, but the Canadian Association of Journalists awarded government with the Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy award in 2021: “The B.C. government’s bold efforts to significantly walk back transparency legislation has undermined freedom of the press and the public’s ability to monitor the provincial government’s actions.” This is from a board member of the Canadian Association of Journalists. What more evidence do we need to realize that we have a serious problem with transparency in government?

Here’s another one. The B.C. Union of Indian Chiefs has said in an open letter that the introduction of fees for freedom-of-information requests about government activities would disproportionately impact low-income requesters, including First Nations seeking to substantiate land claims and land-related grievances. That’s a reference to the controversial — and I have to say bewildering — $10 fee that was implemented as a barrier to obtaining information from government through the amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Despite all the reasoning given for government’s intent to pass legislation, there remains one undeniable fact. That is: it has only made requesting information from government more costly, more bureaucratic and, overall, more difficult for average British Columbians.

With that, I will take my seat and wait to hear from the member in response.

B. D’Eith: Thanks very much to the member for Abbotsford South for bringing this issue up.

What he’s saying is simply not true. I mean, in fact, B.C. is committed to transparency and openness in regards to government records. The Ministry of Citizens’ Services is actually improving FOI systems so that people can timely access information they need and so the ministry can respond quickly to complex and high-volume requests.

In fact, this past year alone, the ministry processed nearly two million pages of records for response to FOI requests, and one million pages have already been processed this year to date. That’s transparency in action.

The number of proactive disclosures, which means disclosures that come out without any request, has increased by 75 percent since 2017. This means that this information is available to everyone for free. This includes ministerial budget estimate binders. If anyone has seen them, they’re massive. That contains a wealth of detailed information on each ministry budget, line by line, completely open to the public at no charge — significantly more transparent government.

[10:30 a.m.]

In fact, prior to 2017 there were a few transparency issues in this government. That included things like a critical report on ICBC, where pages were actually removed — these might have shone a light on the dumpster fire that was extinguished after 2017 — or the very well known triple-delete scandal that involved deleting emails concerning the Highway of Tears after an FOI request. Under this new legislation, actions like this might be subject to up to a $50,000 fine. These are actual consequences for wilfully hiding information subject to FOI. That improves transparency.

Now, recent amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act permit public bodies to charge an application fee of $10 for general, non-personal requests. This came into effect November 26, 2021.

It’s very important that people requesting their own personal information continue to pay no fee, and unlike what the member on the other side was saying, Indigenous governing entities require no fee. Once again, we’re getting a little bit of misinformation from the other side. The $10 fee is only for non-personal FOI requests. This is in line with other jurisdictions — a nominal fee, and it’s modest. This fee encourages applications, as well, to be specific.

I am sure the member for Abbotsford South would prefer the older fishing-expedition type of regime that happened before 2017, and they would love to continue to search in vain for scandals, but we have made very significant changes to update FOI in this province. Under the previous legislation, people waited far too long. There was a very small number of requesters that really clogged up the system, and we’ve been dealing with that. The government is committed to providing access to information, which people deserve, as quickly as possible.

With this implementation of the fee, the government has seen a reduction in the broad, multi-ministerial requests, so they can better focus on the requests from people that are asking for specific information. There has been no indication so far that this new fee has provided any barrier to people making requests in FOI. However, the ministry is of course looking and monitoring this fee structure to make sure that we have transparent government.

This government is improving services to delivery. It’s transparent and including British Columbians who are waiting for access for their free personal information and improving and increasing proactive disclosure of information. This government is committed to transparency. We’re delivering on that.

I appreciate what the other member is saying. However, I can say that people are getting their freedom-of-information requests faster, and that is exactly what we’re after.

B. Banman: I’d like to thank the member opposite for his comments, and on much of that, we’ll agree to disagree. I’m sure we can agree that government transparency helps engage more British Columbians with a system of governance that has left them feeling unsupported in recent times.

This is not just in British Columbia. I would say that this goes across the country, in fact. Allowing the public easy access to information that is presented in a digestible, truthful and factful manner will only help this House better understand the people it serves. Encouraging discourse, instead of making it more difficult for people, only allows decision-makers to make more informed and consultation-based decisions.

The people of Abbotsford South, for instance, should not have to wait for over a year to hear the next update on their highway-widening project from the government. Neither should the student learning to become an investigative journalist have to pay to request information from their government. We don’t need more barriers. We don’t need more barriers between the government and the people it has sworn to serve.

[10:35 a.m.]

We need these barriers torn down, replaced with more transparency. The D rating for fiscal transparency, the Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy award and the many calls for access to information are things that we should not be proud of. They are things that we should identify as a wrong direction and correct our course.

I encourage the members of this Legislature to live up to the values of transparency, accountability and responsibility. They are expected from us as elected representatives. We should all be in agreement on that.

BUY B.C.

K. Greene: I’d like to talk about Buy B.C. Buy B.C. is awesome. It supports local food producers. It gets fresh, locally made food into the hands of enthusiastic customers such as myself, and it grows our local economy. Our government relaunched Buy B.C. in 2017. Since then, an investment of $10 million has generated over $80 million of sales of good-quality food and beverages across the province.

The Buy B.C. program is great for generating awareness in consumers that they’re choosing an option that supports local businesses and workers. This grows the size of the market and creates a win for producers but also a win for consumers, who can access excellent products in just about every category.

Did you know that over 3,400 products currently use the Buy B.C. logo? That represents hundreds of B.C. companies. The Buy B.C. logo is also free for B.C. companies to use. They get the benefit of provincewide brand recognition, which increases their domestic sales. It’s such a recognizable and desirable brand that grocery stores are happy to partner to promote B.C. products in store. Sobeys, Thrifty Foods, Safeway and Save-On-Foods feature great local food and beverages at over 70 grocery stores in 40 communities. That’s a mighty reach for delicious B.C. products and a great way to help build success and opportunities to scale up.

Strengthening local food systems is also good for people and the economy. It’s also good for climate policy. Shorter supply chains mean less GHGs and more resilience when faced with challenges. We’ve seen a lot of those challenges lately — fires, flooding, pandemic, just to name a few — but supporting local products improves B.C.’s. food security, because we don’t have to rely as much on agricultural products from California or stock up on snacks from the U.S.’s east coast.

Our local food systems are important. That’s why Buy B.C. is also partnering with almost 150 farmers markets and engaging the public with local food literacy activities. Education helps motivate consumers to purchase local products, which grows demand and improves our food security.

Education also encourages business-to-business sales growth, where Buy B.C. connects farmers and processors with retailers, restaurants and distributors to increase the availability and consumption of local products. Industry-led marketing promotions support the ability of B.C. farmers, processors and farmers markets to increase the consumer awareness and sales of the registered local products. With Buy B.C. provincewide advertising campaigns, broad support for local farmers and processors has increased. We’ve created more opportunities for business growth. Buy B.C. is a strong and recognizable brand that promotes consumer confidence and helps identify local food and drink for consumers.

Consumers know that when they buy local, they’re supporting local businesses and their local communities. An incredible 90 percent of consumers feel that Buy B.C. is important to their local community, and 85 percent say that Buy B.C. makes it easier to identify local products in stores across the province. Combined with the visibility of Buy-B.C. advertising in B.C., that has resulted in overwhelming demand from retailers, such as Sobeys, who are looking for opportunities to increase their local food offerings and partner on Buy B.C. retail promotions. Partnering, in all things, is the key to success.

A key component of Buy B.C. is the Buy B.C. partnership program. Every year this $2 million popular program is fully subscribed. It provides eligible businesses with cost-shared funding to deliver local marketing activities using the Buy B.C. logo on their products or promotional materials that helps consumers easily identify their product as a B.C. product.

[10:40 a.m.]

Buy B.C. has helped hundreds of local businesses increase their sales and share local products with British Columbians through the use of the Buy B.C. logo on thousands of B.C. products, combined with funding for over 300 industry-led marketing campaigns and thousands of Buy B.C. signs in 79 grocery stores. The ministry is always looking for new ways to create additional opportunities to help promote and sell more local food.

This past year Buy B.C. initiatives have included retail partnerships with major retailers, like chain grocery stores, which increase the visibility and demand for local products. There’s also an annual networking event called Every Farmer Needs a Chef, Every Chef Needs a Farmer to strengthen that relationship between chefs and farmers so that we can grow the strength of our food system and demonstrate the value of locally sourced food and beverages.

The Buy B.C. chef ambassador initiative promotes the importance of buying local to consumers — again, part of the outreach on the importance and benefits of buying local. Part of looking for new ways to create opportunity for local business is being adaptive to changing conditions. That’s why the Buy B.C. e-commerce program was launched, with $550,000 of one-time funding, in 2020, as part of the COVID-19 response.

This program helped farmers and food and beverage processors pivot their sales model so that they could develop and market online sales. The marketplace is changing, even for food and beverage producers. It’s important to support a digital transition for industries that traditionally rely on in-person sales.

Buy B.C. products are delicious and great for our local economy and food security. I know I’m not the only one who looks for locally produced food and drinks, because I know they’re going to be great and support our community. People get excited about local food. Buy B.C. is a natural partner to help folks find their way to their next great find that they’ll share with their family and friends.

Food brings people together, and Buy B.C. is an important part of helping make that happen with fantastic local products.

I. Paton: It’s a pleasure to rise in the House today on the opening day of the fall sitting to speak on a topic of great personal interest to me — buying local. We all know the economic, social and environmental benefits of doing so. When we spend our hard-earned dollars on local goods, we put those dollars into the hands of our friends and neighbours who have worked equally hard to produce high-quality goods for our enjoyment. Buying local keeps those dollars in our community, producing many spinoff benefits, including job creation and improved public infrastructure.

It also feels good to support local entrepreneurs and business owners, to interact with them personally at a farmers market or in their storefront to learn more about their goods and how they were produced. Many of these operations are family-owned and -operated and have spanned generations.

So for those who are interested in true farm-to-table experiences, who want those high-quality and delicious locally grown products featured in their meals, the Buy B.C. program is a great place to start. You can look for the Buy B.C. symbol in your local grocery store, as it helps to promote a wide range of agriculture, food and beverage products. This free marketing tool also helps B.C. producers and processors get the word out about their exceptional goods.

It’s those people I want to focus on for a moment — the farmers, the ranchers, the growers, the processors and the producers. The ones keeping a constant eye on the weather, on their many expenses, trying to predict how they will fare each season. The ones taking all the risks involved with their planting on time, harvesting on time, weather, frost, heat, disease and livestock health. The ones still recovering from last year’s record-high temperatures, blazing wildfires and an atmospheric river that devastated many farms and ranches. If the rest of us want to keep buying local, we need to ensure these folks are being supported beyond the purchases that we make at the grocery store.

We have seen a tremendous movement towards agritourism and on-farm sales. Let’s take berries, for instance, that used to go to a jam-processing plant. Now we’re seeing farm day trip experiences for city folks, who have an on-farm blueberry sundae, a strawberry milkshake or a raspberry ice cream cone, combining all this with hayrides, petting zoos, live music and direct retail sales of home­grown meats and vegetables.

These on-farm activities should absolutely be encouraged, not frowned upon, by government. It’s imperative that government be there for them, supporting them in their efforts to remain viable, particularly in the most challenging times.

[10:45 a.m.]

Times have been challenging indeed, not just for consumers who find themselves doing a double take at their grocery store as costs for food continue to rise, due to inflation and other factors, but for farmers who are also dealing with skyrocketing costs and the many impacts on their bottom line.

I’ve spoken before in this House about some of their main concerns, whether it’s the employers health tax, routine increases to British Columbia’s minimum wage, increased carbon taxes without revenue neutrality, rising fuel prices or higher insurance premiums. They’re also currently dealing with the rising costs of the three Fs in agriculture: feed, fuel and fertilizer. To help alleviate some of this burden, I have called for financial incentives and tax relief for farmers. I believe there are several measures that would make life more affordable for farmers in the future and help those currently struggling to turn a profit.

We also know the challenges facing farmers aren’t strictly monetary. I have been outspoken about the fact that our province has experienced a veterinarian shortage. Existing veterinarians are experiencing burnout, and newly credentialed veterinarians are not choosing to take their desperately needed skills to rural parts of British Columbia. We need to be innovative in our approach to this shortage. I believe we could start by providing certainty to students attending the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon that the additional spaces allocated to them will continue to be funded past the 2022-23 school year.

These are some ideas to further support the industry so that we can all continue to buy local now and well into the future. We must ensure that these hard-working individuals and families can continue to stay in business and pass on their operations to the next generation. We know how important it is to protect farmers today, but also future generations of farmers. I know that’s a big priority for the Minister of Agriculture, one that I applaud as a third-generation dairy farmer myself.

I thank the member opposite for giving me the opportunity to not only highlight the Buy B.C. program and the many benefits of buying local but also to shine a light on the many affordability challenges farmers are facing, which ultimately get passed on to consumers, as we know. Helping farmers manage their costs in turn helps keep prices affordable for people who do want to buy local in this province.

K. Greene: I want to thank the member for his enthusiasm on local agriculture and local food. I’m always very excited to talk about food. You may have noticed.

Buy B.C. supports over 300 producers, processors, cooperatives, agricultural fairs, farmers markets and associations with marketing activities that generated approximately $80 million in total sales from a total government investment of $10 million. Buy B.C. is a provincewide marketing program led by the Ministry of Agriculture and focused on building greater consumer awareness, demand and sales of local agriculture and food and beverage products within B.C.

Buy B.C. has helped hundreds of local businesses increase their sales and share local products with British Columbians — grateful British Columbians. To date, Buy B.C. has enabled over 750 companies to register for logo use to promote over 3,400 B.C. products, funded over 300 industry-led marketing campaigns and displayed over 10,000 Buy B.C. signs in 79 grocery stores.

Examples of local businesses that Buy B.C. has supported include the Squamish Water Kefir Co., which produces fermented drinks. They used Buy B.C. to promote their business and introduce buyers and consumers to a new product line. This allowed them to create a marketing campaign that they otherwise would not have been able to implement and reach the audience that they needed to reach real growth and success.

Little Creek Dressing produces small-batch artisan salad dressings in Kelowna. It promoted its products by using the Buy B.C. logo on point-of-sale items and promotional materials, along with a very clever online advertising campaign. Sheringham Distillery Ltd., in Sooke, on southern Vancouver Island, incorporated the Buy B.C. logo onto labels of its locally made vodka and gin and delivered print and social media ad campaigns to help identify its product in the B.C. marketplace. Buy B.C. allowed them to free up capital to create new product lines as well as target more territories with added marketing materials.

To find out more information about the program, visit the Buy B.C. website at buybc.gov.bc.ca or follow Buy B.C. on social media at eatdrinkbuybc. Whether you grow apples, make specialty baking or are just hungry, remember: Buy B.C.

[10:50 a.m.]

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

T. Shypitka: I’m grateful to rise today and welcome everybody back after an enjoyable summer, in this first day of the fall session. I rise this morning to speak to an issue of growing concern throughout communities across our province.

As we all know, B.C.’s. health care system continues to deteriorate, with regular hospital closures, understaffed UPCCs, rising wait times, people dying waiting for ambulances and still nearly one million British Columbians without access to a family doctor, including this MLA for Kootenay East. Rural communities are bearing the brunt of this crisis. Every part of our health care system is in crisis, and fixing our primary care system must be a priority. Our communities continue to suffer, with residents feeling as though nothing is being done to address the situation.

Amid this crisis, urgent and primary care centres, or UPCCs, are dubbed as the solution. But unfortunately for British Columbians, UPCCs are also facing major staffing shortages and failing to meet the health care needs of residents in their areas. This is happening while hospitals across British Columbia are undergoing major diversions as they grapple with staffing issues.

There is nowhere in this province, it seems, that is untouched by this issue. Communities are not only struggling with low levels of physicians, nurses and midwives but also finding inadequate patient transport from their communities to larger centres. Emergency rooms are frequently closed as they are overwhelmed and understaffed.

Communities face tremendous problems, calling ambulances for emergencies where they end up facing long waiting times that have now proven to be fatal. Just two weeks ago a resident of New Westminster suffered a stroke. They were forced to wait an hour for an ambulance, despite living just minutes away from the hospital. She is now partially paralyzed.

Paramedic shortages are largely affecting ambulance response times, as smaller teams are now forced to cover an even larger area. This forces ambulances to have to travel large distances between calls, which can create delays when they are so far apart.

Clearwater emergency room, the site of the province’s most frequent closures, has often been operating with half the registered nurses needed for a full shift coverage. Many staff members are coming in early and staying late to ensure they can keep their doors open as much as possible.

Advocates for health care in small communities have said that for far too long, the wants and needs of residents have been ignored. Rural hospitals are particularly vulnerable to shortages, as just one staff member calling in sick is enough to shut down an emergency room entirely.

Now, I will always give credit where credit is due. I do want to bring to attention the recent announcement of some extra paramedics for the city of Sparwood, in my riding of Kootenay East. I give thanks, on behalf of myself and Mayor Wilks, for these extra resources. I’ve been asking for these much-needed resources, along with Mayor Wilks, for many years, and it’s good to finally have the support that we need.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg. Like most other communities, Elkford, a half-hour trip up the road from Sparwood, has some serious issues. This mining community of close to 3,000, which has the largest mines in the province in their backyard and which houses 4,000 workers, is in dire need.

Anniversaries are generally a time to reflect and celebrate. However, in the East Kootenays, on September 29, the thriving community of Elkford had the sad occasion of marking the one-year anniversary of the temporary closure of the Elkford emergency department. One year and counting and a heavy industrial town with no hope in sight. This is unacceptable and continues to create dire situations in our part of the province.

Recently a senior resident fell and severely broke his leg. Calling the ambulance dispatcher, he was told the wait time was at least 30 minutes. Not sure what to do, he called my office, hoping we would be able to provide him with some assistance getting an ambulance. Upon getting in contact with the dispatcher, the timeline had now become an hour wait. The resident simply could not withstand the pain and lengthy wait and decided to drive himself to the hospital with a broken leg.

This elderly citizen having to take himself to the hospital with such a severe injury is indicative of the state of our emergency response crisis. I can’t imagine to tell you the safety issues that this posed, with an elderly citizen with a broken leg driving himself down an industrial neighbourhood, and how that could pose a problem not only to himself but other people on the highway.

It is clear. There is a cascading failure in our health care system. The first responders, who are on the front lines, are sounding the alarm.

[10:55 a.m.]

In many communities where ambulance shortages are so severe, firefighters are now being stretched thin because they are responding to medical calls. They consistently aid in calls that paramedics and ambulances can’t immediately attend to, which ties up their resources even further. Many of the firefighters responding to these calls are also volunteer firefighters, who may not be fully trained or equipped to deal with more complex medical emergencies.

Over the summer, there were two instances in Ashcroft that, due to the extent of the extended ambulance response time, tragically ended with two lost lives. In the most recent situation, after the ambulance was unable to reach the person suffering from a heart attack for at least 30 minutes, firefighters were called. Unfortunately, they were all volunteers and not trained as medical first responders but tried their best to aid the person suffering.

The mayor of Ashcroft highlighted how this is also causing concern. For many rural communities, it is already difficult finding volunteer firefighters. The now added expectation of having to step in for ambulances as an emergency response has the potential to deter people from joining and to force others out.

This crisis is clearly an incredibly layered issue with failures happening on all different levels. Our emergency rooms are understaffed and overrun, struggling to handle capacity and often closed in rural areas with little staff. Our ambulance services are struggling to keep up with demand, covering large areas and working as hard as possible in an impossible situation.

It is time to listen to our communities across the prov­ince and take immediate action to relieve the pressures on our emergency response teams and ensure there’s not a single additional avoidable death.

J. Rice: Thank you to the member for raising this important issue, which is not just relevant to the challenges we’re facing in health care in British Columbia.

Canada-wide and internationally we are experiencing a health care shortage. People are recruiting health care workers from all over, and we’re all in competition with each other to attract and to retain these health care workers.

I, too, come from a rural community and understand the challenges that he’s raised with health care for rural communities.

In 2013, I was appointed by the current Health Minister, the leader of the day, to be the northern and rural health critic. The issues that this member raises have been long standing, since even before my time becoming the Health critic. Of course, that was much more highlighted for me as I carried out my work as the northern and rural health critic. I travelled across the province and visited many rural communities to talk about the challenges, particularly around maternal health, facing rural communities.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

I wanted to acknowledge that the stories that he’s shared…. They’re deeply troubling stories. I’m quite empathetic to the pain and the challenges people face, particularly in those rural communities that he’s mentioned.

These messages of needing more health support are not going unheeded. In fact, just — I don’t know — a week ago, a few days ago, our Minister of Health released our health human resources strategy, which is quite a robust strategy to actually address the issues that he’s just raised.

For example, we’re going to be expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists and paramedics. Pharmacists will now, actually, be able to prescribe certain medications, including providing renewals for up to two years. Particularly for those that don’t have a family doctor, we know how challenging it can be to get a prescription renewal. Sometimes we have to go to the emergency department, which is not a good use of resources. So by expanding their scope of practice and allowing them to fill standard or common prescriptions, this is actually addressing some of the challenges that we’re facing.

We’re also recognizing the credentials of foreign-trained workers. There’s a lot of red tape for foreign-trained health care workers to practise their particular trade or training, not just in British Columbia but in Canada. So we’ve been streamlining that process to make it easier and quicker to get foreign-trained health care workers employed in our community.

[11:00 a.m.]

We’ve got new training programs to actually train health care workers on the job. We have free education for anyone who wants to be a health care assistant — free education. We’re putting in strategies to make health care centres and hospitals much more culturally appropriate and safer.

We’re increasing the doctor training spaces at UBC. For 2023, that’ll be 88 new training positions for physicians. We’re implementing or we’re just undertaking a new strategy to actually create a training program at SFU, or Simon Fraser University.

We are putting together a pool of nurses that can be deployed to rural and remote communities. We’re increasing the access to virtual health care, which is critical for our rural communities, and it has really stepped up the game as far as our ability to get specialized care for those of us that live in these faraway communities.

We’re increasing the support for family doctors. We are assisting doctors right now, for the next few months, on supporting some of their overhead costs for them to actually continue staying in operation for family practice in their clinics. We know the overhead costs are really expensive and with the rising cost of living right now, they’re facing a huge challenge.

These are just some of the things that we’re addressing to combat the challenges we’re facing for health care, emergency response and, particularly, for servicing rural and remote communities.

T. Shypitka: Madam Speaker, access to primary care is essential. However, far too many people do not have family doctors and face absurd wait times for care. British Columbians are tired.

Last month our province was shaken as a worst-case scenario came to reality when an eight-month-old infant from Barriere died from an ambulance that failed to arrive in time. This is an absolute tragedy, one that must be avoided at all costs in the future.

Our province’s ambulance services are majorly understaffed, especially in rural areas, leaving few ambulances to cover significant areas. In this tragic case, the nearest ambulance was dispatched in Kamloops, which is 64 kilometres from Barriere. It’s completely unreasonable to expect one crew to be able to travel such distances and respond to calls in an immediate manner. This expectation has led to firefighters stepping in on calls, when ambulances are too far away to respond, stretching out their resources even more.

Another tragic situation happened to a good friend of mine and his son, and I will read to you what he wrote me.

“Dear Tom,

“On December 26, while visiting my family in Briscoe, my son suffered a head injury during a sledding accident. I rushed him to Invermere and begged them to dispatch a helicopter from Calgary.”

That, if some people don’t know, is probably not even a half-hour of flight time.

“It was explained to me that the bureaucracy between Alberta and B.C. STARS ambulance did not allow for the helicopter to come land. We then transported my son to Cranbrook by ambulance, where, again, a helicopter would not come. Four hours later, he was transported by an airplane that had to come from Kelowna first.

“Unfortunately, my son passed away due to the blood that built up on his brain, despite all efforts to drain and relieve the pressure. There was a physician in Alberta, immediately, that could have taken care of this. I can’t help but think, had the helicopter been dispatched from Calgary hours prior, that there would have been a chance to better serve him and save his life.”

Madam Speaker, this is simply unacceptable. Now the only thing this father has left is a feeling of “what if?” and a $4,600 bill from B.C. Ambulance Service that delayed transport to Calgary.

We must all ensure that the well-being of people in British Columbia is front of mind in this Legislature. We must act swiftly to avoid any further avoidable health care disasters. Until doctors and health care workers are being listened to and real steps are taken to get more people attached to primary care providers, every part of our system will remain under pressure.

[11:05 a.m.]

It’s time for action to train, recruit, properly compensate and retain our health care workers and emergency responders.

Hon. J. Whiteside: Hon. Speaker, I ask that the House consider proceeding with Motion 14, standing in the name of the member for Chilliwack-Kent.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed to Motion 14 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the order paper. If any member is opposed to the request for leave, please indicate now.

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: I recognize the member for Chilliwack-Kent to move the motion.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 14 — RIGHTS AND INCLUSION OF
WOMEN, GIRLS, TRANS, GENDER-DIVERSE
AND TWO-SPIRIT PEOPLE

K. Paddon: I am honoured to rise and move the motion:

[Be it resolved that this House commit to advancing the rights of women, girls, trans, gender diverse and Two Spirit people, and building an inclusive province for all.]

At a moment in time where we see gender-based discrimination, threats and violence across the world, across the border and throughout our own country, there is no excuse for not speaking up and calling out the rhetoric, threats, violence as loudly as those who have been emboldened or even encouraged to spread this gender-based hate and discrimination. Lives are at stake. Livelihoods, safety, education, bodily autonomy, participation, access to services, representation — all at stake.

When we talk about the rights of women, girls, trans, gender-diverse and two-spirit people, more than half of the people in our province are impacted by what is happening right now. This is not niche, and we know it’s not new. But when I speak with people in my community, they describe to me that what does feel new is the growing sense of danger as we collectively witness the entitlement, anger and freedom felt by some to spread hate, to threaten, intimidate, injure, harass and otherwise harm, based on misogynistic and patriarchal systems and beliefs.

A thicker skin and a smile don’t protect against what’s happening right now. What about our next generation? Will women, girls, trans, gender-diverse and two-spirit people feel confident in stepping into roles like journalist, teacher, politician? Will they put their hands up to represent their communities because they feel safe to do so or despite the fear after watching what happens?

It’s questions like this that should crystallize for us how critical it is, not only that we do the work necessary for gender equity in the workforce, but how essential it is that we all focus on ensuring that our kids are learning and developing in an education system that supports their success.

This is why I was so proud last month, in the midst of yet more discriminatory fear and anger-based rhetoric and misinformation, to read the joint statement made by the Minister of Education and Child Care and K-to-12 education partners on support for sexual orientation and gender identity. It’s so important. I will read it now.

“We know that each child expresses themselves in their own unique way, and some have been bullied and ostracized in the past. All of B.C.’s provincial education partners for K-to-12 schools — public and independent — are standing together in solidarity to ensure every school is a place where all students deserve to be welcomed, included and respected in a safe learning environment, while being fully and completely themselves. No student should be excluded or bullied because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

“In 2016, the B.C. human rights code was amended to ensure that gender identity and expression are protected under the code. There is no room for any type of discrimination in our schools. As provincial education partners, we stand together in this commitment. All 60 school districts, independent and First Nations schools have SOGI-inclusive codes of conduct and policies in place, and many are participants in the B.C. SOGI Educator Network. We have joined collaboratively with ARC Foundation and 11 education and community partner groups to form the provincial K-12 SOGI Collaborative, officially committing to creating learning environments that are safe, respectful and welcoming for all B.C. students.

“B.C.’s K-to-12 curriculum includes a focus on valuing diversity and respecting differences as well as human rights and responses to discrimination. Students deserve to have the complete support of teachers, administrators, support staff, trustees, parents, guardians, caregivers and their community, as we work together to create learning environments where all students are free from discrimination so they can thrive and succeed in their school years and beyond.”

Hon. Speaker, I know that our government will continue to do the work on gender equity and look forward to the canvassing of all of these actions in the comments to come.

[11:10 a.m.]

I also look forward to hearing from the opposition — responses to this motion. And not only in correcting the horrible record on women set by the B.C. Liberals, a record of hacking at services for those most vulnerable, cutting funding and wages for women, scrapping the Human Rights Tribunal and a culture that delivered, at best, a confusing, inconsistent and harmful position on gender equity among members. But I also look forward to real commitment to working together to advance the rights of women, not an attempt to justify, not a list of how many women people know.

Thank you, hon. Speaker. I look very forward to the next comments.

R. Merrifield: I’m pleased to rise today to speak on this important topic that the member opposite has brought forward today. It is one I’m sure that all members of this House can wholeheartedly endorse.

We all want to see a more inclusive B.C. We all want to create a more equitable society where people are not discriminated against or disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity. We know that women and gender-diverse people have historically been, and in many ways still continue to be, discriminated against in our province. Yet we’ve made some significant strides over the past century, especially in the last few decades.

The year that I was born was the first year that women could have a credit rating on their own without a man. This was needed in order to qualify for loans, a credit card — without a male signatory. We’ve come a long way in just my lifetime, but we have so much farther to go.

Let’s start with the first step: admit we have a problem. It’s important to admit and acknowledge the fact that we do not live in a truly equitable, inclusive society and that women and gender-diverse British Columbians need action.

Which brings me to my next step: act. To not just talk or promise to make a change but to make it happen, something that this NDP government has failed to show us so far because they’re very stuck in step 1. The members opposite like to style themselves the champions of women and gender-diverse people in B.C., but their actions have not lived up to their lofty rhetoric.

Let’s bring up some more facts. The NDP has promised repeatedly to bring in equal pay legislation. Years later — six years later — under this NDP government, B.C. has become one of the last surviving members of a club we do not want to be in: one of four remaining provinces without pay equity and transparency legislation in this country. Embarrassing.

To make matters worse, we’ve also got the worst gender pay gap in Canada at 18.6 percent. And what has been done by this government? Nothing. Madam Speaker, as a member of the Select Standing Committee on Finance, we heard from multiple organizations representing women begging for action rather than the lip service that they have received over these past six years.

My former colleague, the previous member for Surrey South, introduced pay equity legislation five times in this House, and this NDP government refused to adopt it every single time. The Premier even went so far as to call this much-needed legislation a political stunt. From a government that professes to care about equality and advancing the rights of women, this behaviour is absolutely hypocritical and shameful.

Pay equity is not even the only example that we have of this government making a promise to advance equity and failing to follow through, because we cannot forget that the NDP also promised six years ago to make contraception free for all. Free contraception is a matter of fairness. In fact, one person speaking in favour of the policy said: “For too long, the cost of contraception has fallen disproportionately on the backs of women, trans and non-binary people. It’s time to make contraception free for all.”

It’s a sentiment I absolutely agree with. But it might surprise the members in this House, especially the Minister of State for Child Care because it was her that said it from two full years ago.

[11:15 a.m.]

Where is the free contraception British Columbians were counting on this government to deliver? Where is the Minister of State for Child Care, who repeatedly professed the importance of this policy? Where is the action? If it was important then, it should be even more important now.

British Columbian women and gender-diverse folks are dealing with increased costs of living, having to choose between rent, food or medications. They have worse living conditions now than back then. Yet year after year, budget after budget, there has been no funding for free contraception.

At every turn, the NDP have failed to make good on their promises and, as a result, have failed to make needed progress on the path of having a more inclusive B.C., leaving women and gender-diverse British Columbians in the dark.

Now is the time for action, for tangible steps that make a real difference in the lives of British Columbians.

J. Brar: I stand in this House today to support the motion introduced by the hon. member for Chilliwack-Kent that “this House commit to advancing the rights of women, girls, trans, gender-diverse and Two Spirit people, and building an inclusive province for all.”

Everyone has the right to feel safe, respected and included in their community. Gender equity means that people of all genders and gender expressions are treated fairly and have the same opportunities. Our government is committed to helping people achieve what they need to be successful, every day, in everything we do.

The previous government has completely failed — completely failed to do it. For 16 years, the B.C. Liberals cut programs and services designed to help women facing gender-based bias, violence and discrimination. They scrapped the pay equity legislation and the Human Rights Tribunal and eliminated the Ministry of Women’s Equality. That’s what they did.

They eliminated funding for B.C.’s 37 women’s centres dedicated to help rape and domestic violence victims, and the list goes on. The B.C. Liberals’ cuts to these programs, combined with the couple of years of the pandemic, have impacted the lives of women in this province.

Women were disproportionately affected by the economic challenges of the pandemic and carried a disproportionate amount of responsibility for home-schooling and caregiving when services were interrupted. Indigenous women, women of colour, immigrant women, two-spirit and non-binary people and women with disabilities disproportionately experienced gender-based harassment, violence and discrimination.

According to the Canadian General Social Survey, in 2014, women are seven times more likely to report sexual assaults than men. Indigenous women are 3.5 times more likely than non-Indigenous women to experience violence, and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals are more than two times more likely to be a victim of violence. The list goes on.

Our government is fixing the damage done by the B.C. Liberals. That’s why we’re focusing on removing systemic barriers and taking some of the biggest challenges. Our ongoing recovery from the pandemic and climate-related disaster must be rooted in equity, where opportunities are available to all people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or other parts of their identity.

Our investment in child care will help parents, especially women, build good lives for their families and pursue their careers. More women than ever will have a safe place to go as we move forward with the major investments in transition homes for women and children leaving violence. We are opening doors for women to pursue their dreams and bringing down barriers for women in trade, technology and other non-traditional roles with employment and skills-training programs.

[11:20 a.m.]

We continue to raise the minimum wage to help bring equity and fairness for workers. Sixty percent of these workers are women.

B.C. went from one of the lowest minimum wages in Canada under the B.C. Liberals to the highest among prov­inces under our government, and we are moving forward with plans to introduce pay transparency legislation, a first in B.C. Together, we will use the opportunity before us to advance equity and everyone’s right to live free from discrimination and violence to build a better future for women, girls, two-spirit and non-binary people in British Columbia.

Therefore, I fully support the motion introduced by the hon. member for Chilliwack-Kent.

K. Kirkpatrick: I am pleased to support the member’s motion that this House commit to advancing the rights of women, girls, trans, gender-diverse and two-spirit people and building an inclusive province for all.

I’ve seen, in my own lifetime, advances for women — their economic independence and their ability to choose their own path in life. But more work needs to be done, and it will take generations for women and men to unlearn the expectations that society has historically placed on people due to their gender.

In 1970, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women proposed a national child care plan, stating that the care of children is a responsibility to be shared by the mother, the father and society, and unless this shared responsibility is acknowledged and assumed, women cannot be afforded true equality.

Yet B.C.’s current child care system is far from adequate to deliver the universal child care that the NDP government promised in 2017. Despite receiving money from the federal government, the NDP is hoarding those funds and those surpluses instead of making retroactive payments to all parents with children in licensed child care, like they’re doing in the province of Ontario.

Now, five years, almost six years since the NDP promise, less than 35 percent of families who need child care will see a fee reduction, and just 10 percent of spaces required will be $10-a-day spaces. In fact, child care fees are higher today than when the NDP government came in over five years ago. Toddler fees in Surrey have increased 22 percent. Preschool fees in Richmond are up 30 percent.

Women’s equality can’t become a reality without universal child care. The government has an important role to play in advancing women’s rights and empowering them to be equal participants in the workforce and the economic and social process. NDP delays in implementing universal child care are still holding women back in this province.

Child care, child rearing — we know it primarily falls to women. This is also a significant contributor to the gender equity pay gap. When a woman stays home to be with her child and steps out of the workforce while her counterparts continue to work, she falls further and further behind in pay equity. The B.C. Liberals’ equal reporting act has been introduced five times in this House by former MLA Stephanie Cadieux. It enables pay transparency so both employees and the general public can see where the pay gaps are and ultimately act on that.

Why is the NDP ignoring this proposed legislation over and over? B.C. is one of the only provinces without pay equity and transparency legislation. It has the worst gender pay gap in Canada, at 18.5 percent, according to Statistics Canada; and B.C. received a C grade on providing economic security for women in West Coast LEAF’s gender equality report card, in part due to its lack of pay equity legislation.

[11:25 a.m.]

There have also been increasing rates of domestic violence under the NDP prior to the pandemic, and the pandemic has certainly exacerbated that. The rate of family violence against children has increased 41 percent in 2019, over the previous year. B.C. had the largest provincial increase in Canada, with a 25 percent increase in the rate of family violence.

In 2019, police-reported family violence against seniors increased by 20 percent for the fourth consecutive year. But notwithstanding this, the provincial office of domestic violence no longer exists under the NDP government. It was transferred from the Ministry of Children and Families to Public Safety and Solicitor General in 2018, and then it was dropped altogether from being mentioned in any budget from 2019 onwards.

We need a comprehensive action plan for domestic violence. The #SaySomething campaign against domestic violence was discontinued. So, yes, I support the member’s motion that this House commit to advancing the rights of girls and trans and gender-diverse people and building an inclusive province for all. But we need urgent action on these issues to ensure a safe and inclusive province for all. This government has the tools and should make it happen.

G. Lore: I also rise in support of the motion today — with a number of comments, though. I have to say I’m nearly speechless at some of the accusations and some of the words already shared. As Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, I work across government to make sure that the rights of women and girls to safety, to success, to economic independence and a life of their own choosing are protected.

I work with my colleagues to make sure that two-spirit, trans and non-binary people are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve, something our government is committed to, whether in the environmental assessment office, where we fundamentally changed the process for resource development projects to require a look at the social impacts on community; or in health, where we’ve made it easier to access gender-affirming care; or by moving sexual assault service funding from precarious grants to dedicated funding.

We have work to do. We have work to do after a government that eliminated funding for 37 women’s centres, reduced child care supports for families and slashed legal aid for survivors of domestic violence.

I know that the members opposite have already talked about pay transparency. I’ll remind them that it was their party, when their current leader was Minister for Deregulation, that scrapped pay equity legislation and that we have work to do to consult with employers, with labour, with advocates, with First Nations and with Indigenous leaderships. Those are conversations that we’re having to get this right.

More to the point, I’m waiting for a time when this commitment to addressing the gendered and racialized pay gap transforms into support for raising the minimum wage, scrapping the server wage and ensuring that people — disproportionately, racialized women who work in health care and critical jobs of health, housing and housekeeping — have fair wages and job security.

I’m looking forward to a time when an interest in closing the wage gap becomes support for funding for targeted opportunities in tech and trades, investing in affordable child care and wage enhancements for early childhood educators. I’ll let the members opposite know that that gap is starting to close, because it’s going to take a multi-pronged approach.

But it is pretty easy to get caught in the dance that we do here. Of course, the reason, I know, all of us are here is for the people in our communities — for the people who need us to get it right. This summer and fall I had a chance to hear directly from community.

To a member opposite who insisted that there was no action being taken in Kitimat, I joined the Tamitik Status of Women for groundbreaking on 44 units of housing, 12 transition beds, 12 units of second-stage housing and 20 units of permanent affordable housing. Tamitik told me how desperately this is needed, because they have turned away women staying in unsafe homes.

In Terrace, I visited the Ksan Society, who, with our emergency sexual assault funding, have developed 24-7 response to survivors of sexualized violence in their community — a new service. They attend hospital and police reporting. They provide emotional support, system navigation and much more. That is real action in defence of the rights of women, girls, two-spirit and non-binary people — the rights of all people — to safety.

[11:30 a.m.]

In Prince George, I visited the sexual assault centre funded by our government. They built a police interview room. It means that survivors can make police reports in trauma-informed ways. I visited the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association, which has a new Indigenous victim services program to support survivors navigating the system. In Prince George, 55 new safe and affordable homes, from transition to second-stage to townhome rentals.

I visited the Howe Sound Women’s Centre to learn about their brand-new 24-7 sexual assault support. In addition to being available for emotional support via text and phone, since they started, they’ve supported 12 survivors accessing health care and forensic exams, people who otherwise would not have had access to this service or would have had to do it alone.

These programs, these homes, these supports — they exist because this government believes in a province for everyone, believes in the right to safety and to healing. We believe in the rights of survivors and the value of community care, so we invest in front-line service and community organization. We invest in support. We invest in survivors and families. We invest in their healing. I’ll put this record up against the other side any day.

C. Oakes: I rise today in support of this motion to advance the rights of women, girls, transgender, diverse and two-spirit people to build an inclusive province for everyone.

Safety is one of the most fundamental needs of human existence. Yet every single day the physical, emotional and mental safety of individuals is stripped away in the very places that people should feel the most secure. Gender-based violence is the type of abuse that women, girls, trans, non-binary and two-spirit people are at the highest risk of experiencing. It can take physical and emotional forms and happen in relationships and at work.

Anyone can be abused, but women, girls and gender-diverse are at higher risk due to the additional discrimination and barriers that they face. When we speak about advancing the rights of all individuals in British Columbia, it’s critical that we stand up and not only call out this significant issue in our society, but we need to work together every single day to bring an end to sexualized violence in our communities.

Sexual violence is a systemic issue. While anyone can experience it, individuals from marginalized communities do so at disproportionate rates. A 2019 study from Statistics Canada found that one in ten female students were sexually assaulted in post-secondary settings in that year alone. The study also revealed that more than 70 percent of students at Canadian post-secondary institutions either experience or witness sexualized violence. This is an astonishing number, and it should make all of us stop and think about the true volume of students that that represents.

If anything, this must encourage all of us to do more in sexual assault prevention. It’s clear that a new comprehensive action plan is necessary to tackle the different forms of gender-based violence that our communities face every single day.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen some troubling decisions by this government. Not only have annual reports been neglected, but the provincial office of domestic violence does not even exist anymore. After being transferred to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, it was dropped from even being mentioned in budget documents from 2019 onwards. Women’s transition housing was promised by this NDP government, yet only 10 percent of the promised units are open today, leaving many to wonder how long it will take until the rest are ready.

This is a complex issue — I certainly understand that — and the plan must be in-depth and tackle different areas where people are vulnerable. This includes safe housing, legal aid agencies and other programs, such as educating younger people about on-campus and domestic violence.

[11:35 a.m.]

It’s important to ensure policies are in place that call for increased funding to address sexualized and gender-based violence on campuses. Over the past four years, at UBC alone, visits to their sexual assault support programs have increased by nearly 300 percent. The result is that the school is absolutely stretched to its limits and has even had to ask students for a fee increase to cover these costs.

If we’re going to tackle meaningful action and put in place the types of supports we need in post-secondary institutions, and we know that we’ve seen an increase in sexualized violence during the pandemic, then real steps are going to be needed, and they’re needed now.

I applaud the many organizations that are helping people in community and throughout British Columbia and will continue to be an advocate for the necessary policies to aid them in their work.

We must shine a light and work towards creating change. We must continue to stand up with our communities. We need to listen, and we need to support those in need.

J. Routledge: I rise in favour of the motion: “Be it resolved that this House commit to advancing the rights of women, girls, trans, gender diverse and Two Spirit people, and building an inclusive province for all.”

I represent B.C. on the steering committee of the Canadian branch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, the CWP. I’m going to talk about why it’s so important to democracy that our Legislature is made up of members who mirror the rich diversity of our province, to reflect on the barriers to equity-deserving groups entering politics and characteristics of the political environment that may be driving them out, and to share some of the steps we are taking in B.C. and in other jurisdictions to make legislatures more welcoming to those whose lived experiences may not be considered normal in this environment, who may still feel like outsiders.

To quote from the executive summary of the report on gender and diversity sensitivity at the Legislative Assembly of B.C. commissioned by the CWP in 2020, in the words of the author, Dr. Jeanette Ashe, “Canada is celebrated as one of the most diverse countries in the world,” yet, “Although women were first elected to Canada’s national and provincial legislatures approximately 100 years ago, it took until the 1980s for women’s representation to hit double digits,” and even longer for the first Indigenous, Black or openly lesbian women to secure seats.

Recent elections have created the most diverse legislatures, but these bodies still do not closely mirror Canada’s demographic profile. As the report states:

“Canada’s legisla­tures are overwhelmingly comprised of ‘white male elites’ and their ‘working practices continue to reflect the traditions and preferences of members who have historically populated it.’ With women comprising 29 percent of Members of Parliament, Canada ranks 53rd of 193 countries, placing it well below other established democracies…. When taken as a whole, women hold 34 percent of all provincial and territorial legislative seats.”

“So what,” you may be thinking. “Doesn’t the world have bigger, more existential problems to solve like the climate crisis, like the rise of fascism?” I would argue that that is exactly why we should be addressing gender and diversity representation in this institution.

Studies show that more diverse and inclusive parliaments tend to be more effective and legitimate institutions. Decisions reflect a more expansive set of interests, concerns and issues. Diverse parliaments tend to be more trusted by their electorate. The politics of presence matters for reasons of justice and for legitimacy. The more diverse the legislative body, the more that body is likely to pass legislation that advances the rights of equity-deserving groups and to build an inclusive society for all.

Counting matters. We need diversity data to track changes in who and who is not present. But as I’ve learned, working with Dr. Ashe, substantive representation also matters. Not only do we need to be asking ourselves how many women and other equity-deserving groups are present in the Legislature; we need to be asking if they are proportionally represented in positions that influence outcomes.

[11:40 a.m.]

I’m proud that our Premier created a cabinet that is 50 percent women. So much more needs to be done to adequately assess substantive representation.

Power imbalances can be invisible and subtle. That is why the CWP is embarking on a comprehensive gender sensitivity audit that asks such questions as: are women and other equity-deserving groups proportionately represented in parliamentary leadership positions? Do the standing orders, codes of conduct and dress codes reveal evidence of organized masculinism? What are the informal norms and conventions, and do they tend to be exclusive? Are there formal supports for parents with young families? Does the Legislature have a plan for supporting and protecting legislators who may be vulnerable to violence and abuse because of their identity?

That’s just a small sample of the kinds of questions that go into developing a plan to ensure this environment is welcoming to everyone.

To conclude, critical to committing to the advancement of the rights of women, girls, trans, gender diverse and two-spirit people and building an inclusive province for all, as this motion urges this House to do, is a commitment to taking a hard look at how we operate here.

Democracy may depend on it.

M. Bernier: I know a few people have read this, but I want to start by actually reading back into the record again today the motion brought forward by the member for Chilliwack-Kent: “Be it resolved that this House commit to advancing the rights of women, girls, trans, gender diverse and Two Spirit people, and building an inclusive province for all.”

This morning when I was reading that motion, I thought: “This is a great opportunity.” I was kind of surprised that it was coming up at this portion, but I thought: “This is a great opportunity. This is somewhere where we can all agree.” I’m looking for somebody to put up their hand in this House that said: “I hope I get elected so I can make things worse for people in the province of British Columbia.” I don’t think anybody in this House did that. I sure hope not.

What surprised me with this motion was not so much the wording in the text of that motion itself but the commentary that I’m hearing in the House. I think anybody watching this right now at home would be absolutely just shaking their heads and appalled.

When I heard the member for Chilliwack-Kent — and she did a very good job of putting this forward and bringing forward some of the commentary, working with school districts and the ARC Foundation and others — I thought, “This is great. This is something we can all support. This is something we can all get around collectively, and we can all not politicize such an important issue,” until the very last few words that had to target and politicize it. That is absolutely unfortunate that I’m hearing that in the House here today.

This is an actually….

Interjection.

M. Bernier: Well, now I’m getting heckled. That goes to the interesting point. I did hear the whole thing, and I just…. It’s unfortunate, when it gets to the very end though, that we have to try to politicize on the actions.

I do find this interesting, again, because we’re talking about something where we’ve had an opportunity to collectively work together. Is this an issue? Absolutely. Is it getting worse? Absolutely. Which is why this is a perfect opportunity where all sides of the House can work together to try to solve an issue. Which is why in 2016, the B.C. Liberals — we brought forward and changed the human rights code. Working with the ARC Foundation, the school districts, the independent schools around the province, we were the ones that brought that forward because we recognized that this needed to be dealt with.

Now, it’s unfortunate that the NDP are trying to politicize that, but it was an opportunity, I think, where actually all sides of the House could have agreed that we could work together. There’s been opportunity to have bills in front of this House that I guarantee you would pass unanimously if the NDP brought them forward, because they’d be the right things to do, the right things to help women, the right things to help our youth, the right things to help people in the province of British Columbia.

You know, we look at the promises that this government has made. It’s one thing to make promises. It’s another to deliver on those promises, and I guarantee you that those promises that you’ve made to help people…. If you actually brought forward meaningful actions, they would be supported. That’s what’s needed, not politicizing such an important issue.

[11:45 a.m.]

I want to thank, actually, the NDP members that were around in 2015, ’16 and ’17 when this side of the House brought those bills forward, when we brought those changes forward to help children, to help youth and to help people in the province. Why? Because at that time, they did not politicize it. At that time, they supported it. And I want to thank the NDP because they recognize there are times we can work together to help women and children in the province of British Columbia.

It’s unfortunate today that that seems to have digressed into a political narrative that’s not helping the cause. I think we need to get back to the grass roots of what we’re trying to do in this house. That’s help people. That’s working together to support the issues.

That’s why, when I saw this motion this morning, I was excited to stand up and hopefully not have to politicize an issue. I was hoping to hear how we were going to work together to help the people — the women and people part of our LGBTQ community in the province who right now are struggling, who are being marginalized, who are being victimized. There are opportunities that we can actually work together to help them.

I want to thank the school districts, all the public and private operations in the province that are helping our kids, that brought forward the proper guidance mechanisms to help the students, to help the teachers and to help all of the people in the province. That has gone a long way.

I want to thank the ARC Foundation and others too. They’ve been scrutinized and criticized, but they’ve persevered, and our students are benefiting because of it.

H. Yao: I want to start by thanking and expressing my full support to the MLA for Chilliwack-Kent for introducing the bill that it be “resolved that the House commit to advancing the rights of women, girls, trans, gender diverse and Two Spirit people, and building an inclusive province for all.”

I would like to start my speech on a positive note. Recently my family welcomed a brand-new addition to my family. My son was born in early September this year. His arrival brought joy, and unfortunately stress, to our family. With two under two, my wife and I had have had to replan everything in our life to support both children. It is an overwhelming challenge that taxes every aspect of our lives to the limit.

The reality is that my wife and I are both lucky and privileged. We both have strong careers to pursue and loving, extended families supporting from the sideline. Yet for many other families, it is a herculean effort that demands unwavering sacrifice from at least one of the two parents. Frequently the sacrificial responsibilities fall onto the mother. It is exponentially more difficult for single mothers to balance personal life and child care.

Child care is one of the most challenging barriers for equity today. That’s why I’m thrilled about the Childcare B.C. plan. Since 2018, our government has invested over $2.4 billion to build an affordable, accessible, high-quality child care system to ensure that families, especially women, can participate in the workforce, advance their education, pursue their career and, most of all, define a life balance of options and preferences, not of limitations and inequality due to gender. And as a Richmond child care service recipient, I, too, am deeply grateful for the investment.

Although there’s much more work to do, our provincial government has accomplished much on the child care front. I know many young Richmond South Centre families look forward to affordable, accessible and high-quality child care to provide much-needed relief so they can thrive here in B.C. as well.

Before I was honoured by the constituents of Richmond South Centre to serve as an MLA, I had the privilege to work as the community resource navigator for bc211. However, calls involving individuals trying to flee domestic violence were truly heartbreaking to handle. Callers often experienced multiple forms of abuse — physical, verbal, emotional, sexual and financial — many of which callers endured for an extensive period of time before they found the courage to reach out.

Financial dependency, societal shame, child separation, emotional blackmail, threats of violence and illegal status are all reasons why many individuals tolerate abuse and delay reaching out for help. When a caller finally finds the courage to reach out, the most heartbreaking answer I hate to provide, from time to time, is: “The transition house in your area is full.”

[11:50 a.m.]

I’m glad our provincial government takes gender-based violence seriously. Tens of thousands of people who are experiencing or have experienced gender-based violence are getting counselling and other assistance they need through the over 400 victim services and violence-against-women programs across B.C.

We introduced paid leave for people facing domestic and sexual violence, and job training specifically for survivors of violence and abuse. Also, the Be More than a Bystander campaign to support a violence prevention program and $10 million provided to Ending Violence Association of B. C. to support emergency sexual assault services.

In our 2022 budget, we’re providing core funding to more than 50 sexual assault services, undoing cuts that were made to these critical services in 2002. We put survivors first.

The B.C. women’s transition housing fund provides $734 million over the next ten years to build 1,500 new transition homes for women fleeing violence. There’s more work to do, and our provincial government is committed to end gender-based violence.

On a positive note, we’re working to build a province where everyone can thrive. I’m glad our government is expanding women’s access to education and training in STEM through programs and funding, including a $250,000 grant to the Achieve Anything Foundation.

We’re also expanding opportunities under the new community benefit agreements so that women, youths and Indigenous people will have access to employment, training, apprenticeship opportunities on major infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, closing the gender gap is extremely important, which is why we are moving forward with a commitment to introduce gender pay transparency legislation. Our government is committed to support equality, equity and justice for all British Columbians.

T. Halford: I do stand with pride to support the motion put forward by the member for Chilliwack-Kent. Today, if it’s not failing me, is October 3, and tomorrow is October 4, which is my son Nicholas’s birthday. It wasn’t in my notes, but I just reminded myself that the pride that we had as a family as Nicholas….

We have an organization called Sources, which is throughout the province. Sources have a transition house for women fleeing domestic violence. And on Nicholas’s fifth birthday, he decided that he wanted his birthday funds to go to Sources. So he and his mom and his sister went there, and they presented the money, and he’s got a certificate that proudly sits in his room.

But to this day, there is still a donation called Nicholas’s birthday fund at Sources, which you can go to and donate, which we will be doing as a family, to provide that level of services in our community of Surrey–White Rock. So it was timely that I spoke on this with tomorrow being Nic’s birthday.

But as we reflect on today’s motion of advancing inclusivity, it’s, by its definition, the practice of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might normally be excluded or marginalized. This, we can all agree, must be a priority for all members of this Legislature, which I know it is.

As each one of us today stands together in raising awareness and pledging action, we must work to break barriers for marginalized communities in B.C., especially women, girls, trans, gender-diverse and two-spirit people. Whether it be in the workplace, schools or other institutions in our communities, women and gender-diverse people play a pivotal role in shaping our province and deserve respect and equal opportunity.

It is truly remarkable the impacts that they have made in our province in the face of systemic gender biases. Women in B.C. continue to fight discrimination and challenge stereotypes while paving the way for future generations of leaders. And it brings me to this.

I can’t help but also take a moment today to recognize a new MLA that will be serving in the community next to my own. The new member for Surrey South has been recognized as a champion of human rights and has been an adviser on matters related to gender, sexual orientation equity inclusivity. And in 2019, she even published a book in tribute to her uncle, a victim of Canada’s LGBT purge, with all proceeds going to children in Nunavut and residential school survivors.

I know I’m not the only member today who’s excited to welcome the new MLA for Surrey South and to have her incredible lived experience shared in this Legislature, which will happen later on this afternoon.

[11:55 a.m.]

But while we reflect on the important contributions gender-diverse individuals have made, there is much more to be done. As critic for Mental Health and Addictions, I can’t help but think of the disproportional impact that bullying, harassment and violence has on women and gender-diverse people.

Violence against women is not only a women’s issue; it’s everyone’s issue. It affects entire communities, as the trauma ripples through families, schools, workplaces and homes. We can no longer be bystanders. We must continue to push for actions that will prevent violence against women, such as ensuring employment supports, helping those fleeing violent situations and securing access to health care resources for counselling and mental health services.

Our previous government tabled a report called Addressing Violence Against Women In British Columbia. The report detailed the steps the province needs to take to help prevent violence against women. We need to continue to build on that work to ensure the right supports are available in communities across B.C. Part of taking action is ensuring that the most at-risk groups — such as Indigenous women, women of color, women with disabilities — have the right supports they need, such as culturally relevant education, mental health resources, and so much more.

We all have a role to play in preventing violence before it starts, responding to violence when it happens and rebuilding from its devastating effects and impacts. Violence prevention, though, is perhaps the most challenging. The critical element of the task ahead is one we all need to focus on.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

In closing, let’s work together to ensure that for everyone in British Columbia that needs access to mental health resources, whether it’s a child facing loneliness or women facing domestic violence, there is a system of care in place to help in the moment.

B. Anderson: I would like to enthusiastically speak in favour of this motion.

First of all, as we come back to the House, I really felt the weight and the privilege of being able to voice my thoughts in the Legislature, and I would like to thank the people of Nelson-Creston for the enormous honour and privilege of being elected to serve and represent you here in Victoria.

When the Legislature was built, it was built by men and for men. Between 1891 and 1914, 16 women’s suffrage bills were introduced and defeated in B.C.’s Legislative Assembly. Some women in B.C. had been permitted to vote in municipal elections since 1873, but there was a growing sentiment among many that women’s votes and voices were needed on the provincial stage, both as a matter of justice and also as a means of influencing the policies of the day. What a novel concept.

In 1916, a referendum was held and resulted in 66 percent of the men who voted in favor of extending the rights of women to both vote and hold provincial office. By 1918, a by-election was held in the provincial riding of Vancouver City, and Mary Ellen Smith became the first woman elected to B.C.’s Legislative Assembly.

Many people believed that securing the right to vote and be elected to public office would bring about needed improvements in women’s and children’s social and economic conditions. But in spite of this growing momentum, B.C. suffragists were still predominantly white and middle-class.

In fact, the suffrage movement was marked by its remoteness from other groups in the province, notably First Nations and Asian women. Many suffragists viewed these women as potential beneficiaries of a progressive social agenda rather than political allies and equals. Today I am proud to be part of the most diverse government in B.C.’s history. We have come a long way, but there is still more work to do. Representation matters.

Reflecting on the events of this past week, I think about my rights as a woman, in stark contrast to Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died last month after being detained by the Islamic Republic’s morality police. Over the weekend, we saw people from across the globe demonstrate, rally in solidarity with Iranian protesters. I stand here today in solidarity with them.

I’m so grateful that, as a woman in British Columbia, I have the rights and freedoms that I do, but we have still so much more work to do to cultivate an inclusive province. Gender equity means that people of all genders and gender expressions are treated fairly and have the same opportunities, and we must always use an intersectional lens.

I would like to thank my colleagues the Parliamentary Secretaries for Gender Equity, Anti-Racism Initiatives and Accessibility for the work they do each and every day to build an inclusive province and advance the rights of all British Columbians.

[12:00 p.m.]

Indigenous women, women of colour, immigrant women, two-spirit and non-binary people, transgender people and women with disabilities disproportionately experience gender-based harassment, violence and discrimination. And too many of us in B.C. are still making less than men.

To ensure that government policies, programs and services are working for all British Columbians, we must understand different ways that people experience the world. The gender-based analysis plus is a tool our government uses to help understand how diverse groups of people experience public policy and where changes should be made. GBA+ is making a difference in the choices we’re making.

We’re investing in better wages for people and providing important services such as long-term care and child care. We’re increasing the minimum wage. We’re restoring dedicated funding for emergency sexual assault response services. We’re speeding up investments in Internet connectivity in rural and remote communities. We’re updating language in government regulations and legislation to reduce barriers for people in accessing services and to ensure that more people see themselves reflected. We’re working on pay transparency.

We have also been increasing women’s representation in leadership positions. Women now make up over 49 percent of public sector board membership in British Columbia, up from 41 percent in 2017. Representation matters.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all of the people across the province who have been committed to advancing the rights of women, girls, transgender, gender-diverse and two-spirit people and building an inclusive province for all. Everyone has the right to feel safe, respected and included in their home and community. Our government is committed to helping people achieve what they need to be successful every day in everything we do.

Thank you, Speaker.

B. Anderson moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. J. Whiteside moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

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

The House adjourned at 12:02 p.m.