Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: D. Coulter.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. G. Heyman: There are some special guests joining us in the gallery today, and it’s my pleasure to introduce them. We have Drew Milne and his family. Drew’s an inspector with the B.C. conservation officer service. He is joined by his wife, Jenna Milne, and mother, Janice Devlin.

Drew is being recognized, and I’ll have the opportunity to do that later today, as the 2021 Conservation Officer of the Year, which is awarded annually to an officer for notably exemplifying the values and hard work of the conservation officer service: integrity, public service and protection of our environment.

Before Drew joined the conservation officer service, he spent six years serving Canada as part of our armed forces. He’s held a number of postings over the years, including in Atlin, the most northern posting in B.C. He also took a time-out from the conservation officer service to join the environmental assessment office as a compliance and enforcement officer, specializing in Aboriginal liaison.

Since that time, Drew has supervised and mentored officers as a sergeant in the Kootenays, helped to train them and sharpened their skills. His leadership experience and his background helped shape the role he’s in today, which is overseeing officers in our south coast region, including the Lower Mainland and the Sea to Sky corridor. It’s a challenging job, as we talked about earlier this week, but Drew inspires the officers he works with to be the best that they can be.

It’s my honour to recognize Drew Milne — he’s deeply deserving of the recognition — and to welcome his family here today. I know this House will join me in giving them a very warm welcome.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Richmond South Centre.

H. Yao: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the accommodation. Today I want to take a moment to introduce the newest addition to my family. MacKinley Yu Yao joined us in early September, and of course, I brought my daughter back, Mackenzie Yi Yao, to join everybody.

I just want everybody to make my two little ones welcome. Thank you, everyone.

Hon. A. Kang: In the gallery today, I have my executive assistant, Jocelyn Fan, and the newest addition to my minister’s office at Advanced Education and Skills Training, Tiffany Mai. They have been a really valuable team in Advanced Education, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to be as smooth and work as well as we can. Not only are they great staff, but they’re also great friends.

Would the House make them feel very welcome.

T. Wat: In the public gallery today, there are three very special guests. I want all of you to listen to my very special guests. It is really a great pleasure for me to introduce them.

They are the Emily Mo, the director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto; Ivy Yue, the deputy director; and my very good friend, and resident in Richmond, Catherine Yuen, the principal consultant of western Canada. They have been instrumental in fostering the relationship between Canada and Hong Kong, with a particular focus on fostering the trade and economic ties.

I wish everybody will join me in welcoming Emily, Ivy and Catherine.

Hon. R. Fleming: It’s a pleasure to introduce a constituent of mine today who’s in the gallery, Annette Toth, who has been a four-term vice-president of the union MoveUP, representing 5,000 members of the ICBC bargaining unit. She, indeed, herself is moving up in the national labour scene now. She was recently made president of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union and now represents 33,000 members from coast to coast.

[10:10 a.m.]

I don’t know if her partner, Al Bieksa, is here. He, of course, is part of this labour power couple as well, a longtime steelworker, Canadian delegate to Pittsburgh and a representative to the United Nations International Labour Organization.

Annette, I want to congratulate you and thank you for coming to the Legislature today. I know the House also wants to give our best wishes to your stepson, Kevin Bieska. We’ve forgiven him for going from the Canucks to the Mighty Ducks and are wishing him well in retirement and his broadcast career.

Would the House make Annette most welcome this morning.

A. Olsen: I rise today to introduce several guests who are joining us in the legislative precinct today.

Calvin Sandborn is the legal director of the UVic Environmental Law Centre, and his wife and close adviser, Margaret Sandborn, is here. Jack Jones is an articled law student at the UVic Environmental Law Centre. Helen Davis and Richard Weir are both registered professional biologists with Artemis Wildlife Consultants, and Katherine MacRae is the executive director of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association. They’re here today to call attention to the important issue of protecting bear den habitat.

Can the house please make them all feel very welcome today.

Hon. K. Conroy: I so rarely get to introduce people. I’m quite excited about this. They’re not from the Kootenays, though. They’re actually from the Quesnel area. Josh Pressey is here. He’s the regional executive director for forests. He’s down here with his wife, Nicole Pressey. Nicole is the regional agrologist for Agriculture. I told the Minister of Agriculture that I’m introducing them on our behalf — both of ours. Nicole is here for her 25-year Long Service Award that she received last night.

Could you please join me in all welcoming both Josh and Nicole to the gallery.

Hon. K. Chen: Today I just want to give my best wishes and wish happy birthday to a dear friend of mine who is also a colleague in this House. She has a long history fighting for social justice issues and climate action. She cares a lot about her community, children and families. Many of you know that she was actually instrumental in building the Childcare B.C. Plan in 2017 and 2018.

One thing I’m so proud of is that I have the ability to work alongside many amazing colleagues in this house with so much diverse experience and background. I think, for the first time in B.C.’s history, we have so many MLAs with young families, children, and also a lot of millennials in this House.

While this birthday girl is just a little older than millennial age, we’ve granted her honourary membership for our millennial caucus. We were going to dance and sing her a song, but we don’t want to get kicked out of the House.

I just want to ask all the members in this House to wish happy birthday to the member for Vancouver-Hastings.

P. Alexis: My daughter is watching today from Abbotsford. She was born in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan 33 years ago, so another birthday. I had to study very, very hard to deliver in Japanese, but the results were wonderful, and I am extremely proud of my daughter, who’s bold, beautiful and brilliant.

Will the house wish her a happy birthday today — Katherine Antigone. Thank you so much.

Hon. G. Chow: I would also like to give a welcome to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Toronto — Director Emily Mo and her delegation. She is hosting a community lunch today, and I look forward to meeting her there to discuss trade as well as cultural exchange, because we do have the Chinese Canadian Museum in Victoria, which I really want to talk to her about.

A lot of the early immigrants hailed from Hong Kong because that was the only port you could come to Canada, in the 1800s. Also, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum is actually staffed by a Canadian who used to be at our Maritime Museum in Vancouver. So I look forward to discussing cultural exchanges.

[10:15 a.m.]

M. Dykeman: Today one of my lovely CAs, Madison Portner, is graduating from university. She has finished her undergraduate degree. I’m super proud of her and very excited about where this will take her for the next step in her journey.

I was wondering if the House could please join me in congratulating her.

C. Oakes: I, too, would like to recognize Josh and Nicole Presley. I had the opportunity a few weeks ago, with Nicole, to attend a 100th anniversary of a ranch in my riding. One of the things…. It’s an opportunity for us to say, with great pride, that the Cariboo is such a rich agricultural part of this province. We look at food security, and we look at all of the hard work, the sweat equity that goes into 100 years of making sure that, for multi generations, we have ranches that we are able to pass on from family to family. It makes me incredibly proud.

Nicole is a big part of that — supporting our constituents — and Josh, you know the forestry side. I just am incredibly proud of the work that this team does.

Of course, may we have many, many more 100th anniversaries of agricultural families, ranchers in this great province of British Columbia.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL 33 — FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE FEE ACT

Hon. R. Kahlon presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Food Delivery Service Fee Act.

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

I’m pleased to introduce Bill 33, the Food Delivery Service Fee Act. This bill will help our restaurants navigate the impacts of the pandemic, global inflation, supply chain disruptions and labour shortages by making permanent the temporary fee cap protections that were implemented under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act. By limiting the amount that food delivery platforms can charge a restaurant for core services, we will continue to help our restaurants gain more certainty about their costs and make it easier for them to plan for the future.

This bill will combine the two fee caps under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act — the 15 percent for delivery fees and the 5 percent cap on additional fees — into a 20 percent cap for core services. This bill will also ensure that driver protections under the CRMA are continued by prohibiting food delivery platforms from reducing driver compensation because of this legislation.

Many small businesses and restaurants operate on small margins. A temporary fee cap provided much-needed relief to restaurants and businesses, bringing some stability and certainty during very uncertain times. By introducing this bill and making this fee cap permanent, we’re continuing our commitment to the restaurant industry to help them recover, to help them continue to grow and to help them serve communities across this beautiful province.

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

Motion approved.

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

Bill 33, Food Delivery Service Fee Act, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

RESOLUTION OF PRIDE CELEBRATION
ISSUE IN WHITE ROCK

T. Halford: I am proud to stand in the House today to speak on a very important matter in my riding.

In April of 2019, the White Rock Pride Society wanted to rent the Star of the Sea Community Centre for a fundraiser that was going to be a dinner and a dance. They were told no because their values did not align with that of the facility.

In 2019, the White Rock Pride Society filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal alleging discrimination. As a result of their actions, the parties met over the course of several months and discussed each other’s perspectives, beliefs and experiences in an open-minded and respectful manner. These discussions were aimed at repairing the relationship between the White Rock Pride and the parish, together with fostering mutual understanding and respect. At the heart of this shared dialogue was an emphasis on respect for the dignity of all people.

[10:20 a.m.]

Now, I’m proud to say a positive resolution was reached in June of 2022, where the parish and archdiocese jointly issued a statement of commitment and apology to the White Rock Pride and LGBTQ+ community, acknowledging and apologizing for those instances where their actions have caused members to feel unwelcomed and excluded.

Now, I want to point somebody out, and that person is Ernie Klassen, who is president of the White Rock Pride Society. Ernie has been an absolute champion for Pride. He has been a champion in our community. I am proud to call him a friend. He stated that this is a huge step forward in creating an inclusive and diverse society.

As a result, both parties are further committed to various actions and consultations in the spirit of reconciliation, growth and collaboration, but I can say how proud I am of not only the White Rock Pride Society but Ernie’s leadership on such an important matter that had ripple effects across this province.

I want to say thank you, Ernie. You are a true leader in our community, and I am absolutely proud to call you a friend.

STIGMA OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND
ADDICTION AND MLA’S EXPERIENCE

A. Singh: Monday, October 10, has been declared by the World Health Organization as World Mental Health Day. I’ll read what the WHO says in its introduction, and I’ll say it’s part of my lived experience and many others here, I think. It’s important for people out there in British Columbia to see that we here are not immune from being afflicted with mental health issues and that that exposure is important to help break through that stigma.

The WHO says: “Stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier to social inclusion and access to the right care.” And that is my own experience. I’ve been sober since August 10 of 2010. In January of 2008, I woke up one night throwing up blood, volumes of blood. I had had what was called an esophageal bleed. My drinking had been so extreme that my liver was failing. Even though my health was in such a tragic state and any normal person would have stopped drinking, it took me another 2½ years of struggle before I was given the tools that allowed me to recover.

The stigma and discrimination that exist with addiction and other diseases like depression, ADHD, amongst many, is so strong that it’s palpable. “Why can’t you just stop? What’s wrong with you? You’re down and depressed? Just get out of bed. Pull yourself up. Don’t be weak. Have a shower. You’ll be okay. You’re just being sensitive. Why can’t you remember to do that task? Are you stupid?” These are not only the things that you hear from the world, but they’re so instilled in us that it’s the internal dialogue that we have with ourselves.

I eventually was able to crawl out of those depths, with the help of amazing people who showed me hope and showed me that this was a disease and that it was not a moral, ethical, spiritual or intellectual failing on my part. Not all are so lucky, and we hear of deaths every day in this province. They had no choice but to self-medicate with the poisoned supply to deal with their disease.

There is help out there, and the more light we shine on the issue of mental health, the more services we provide, the better we will all be as a global community. That’s why I’m so proud of being on this side of the House, the side that recognizes that and has taken unprecedented steps to make life better for the people of British Columbia — critical care services, increased treatment and intervention, amongst others. Let’s continue to be a beacon of light and hope for them and let them know that there are kindred spirits everywhere.

ENACTUS OKANAGAN COLLEGE
NATIONAL COMPETITION WIN

R. Merrifield: Well, this past weekend Enactus Okanagan College travelled to Toronto, Ontario, to compete in the Enactus Canada National Exposition final round. I am so proud to say that this Okanagan team is the first from western Canada to be crowned the national champion, out of more than 60 teams across Canada. At the final round, 65 CEOs and executives judged the five finalist teams on their projects and teams’ entrepreneurial leadership, innovation, business principle application and sustainable, positive impact.

Their winning project is extraordinary. Unusually Good Food Co. was inspired by a local student who noticed that large amounts of apples are wasted each year because they don’t fit the grocery store appearance standard. In response, the Enactus Okanagan College team worked alongside the North Okanagan Valley Gleaners to turn these unusual apples into healthy apple chips that have been distributed to local schools, food banks and even Guatemala and Ukraine this year.

[10:25 a.m.]

Andrew Klingel, one of Enactus’s faculty advisers and a professor with Okanagan College School of Business had this to say about the win: “This award recognizes their resilience and determination to fight food insecurity and climate change. The true winners are the schools, food banks and international organizations that have received more than 120,000 servings of apple chips.”

The team didn’t stop there, as the students began producing not only the chips but juice and other fruit products as well as utilizing their apple pomace by-product to create apple candles. All this hard work led to victory at the nationals, and the team will now represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup, held October 30 to November 2 in Puerto Rico.

SHEILA PITHER

M. Elmore: Today I rise to pay tribute to Sheila Pither, a mother, grandmother, friend, teacher, traveller, activist and beloved community leader who recently passed away peacefully at home, at age 89, in Vancouver.

As the Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long-Term Care, I had the privilege of working with Sheila in her role as the president of the Council of Senior Citizens Organizations of B.C., also known as COSCO, which is an umbrella organization made up of seniors organizations and individual associate members, since 1981.

Under Sheila’s leadership, COSCO actively shared news about our government’s work that was of concern to their members, in a timely manner. She also brought forward to our government’s attention challenges and opportunities facing seniors, families and communities in the 21st century, in times before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, until she retired in December 2021.

Her incredible life was captured in an oral history project she did with the B.C. Labour Heritage Centre in 2019. I was deeply moved and inspired to hear and learn of her lifelong commitment to grassroots activism, including speaking up for women’s rights as human rights, workers’ rights to be treated fairly, children’s rights to play and her conviction that seniors could be mobilized to help seniors. Through her profession and passion to help people, Sheila acquired skills at approaching people who were in crisis. She was a master negotiator.

Her message to us as elected officials was that one day we all grow old, and we would want our society to help us live independently for as long as possible and that we could get the best care in our golden years. She reminded us that we are stronger together. She reminded us that it’s a good investment for government to keep seniors and elders safe and connected to their communities.

Thank you, Sheila, for connecting people around issues that matter to them and instilling in those who crossed paths with you the idea that everyone’s voice and unique life experiences matter. Sheila, you will be dearly missed, and you have inspired countless generations to continue advancing your legacy.

SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN

S. Furstenau: I stand with the people of Iran who are standing up and standing together against decades of oppression and intolerance. I stand with those who are rightly enraged by the senseless death of Mahsa Amini and with those who were killed before her and those who have died after. Mahsa was 22 years old.

On September 28, Nika Shakarami, a 17-year-old student, was also murdered. Mahsa and Nika are among the many who have lost their lives, and their families are continuing to be harassed by the police to give false statements.

In the weeks since Mahsa’s death, people in Iran and around the world have raised their voices, demanding change and calling for justice, for gender equity, for human rights and for freedom. In this movement, people of Iran are not only standing up for women but also for LGBTQ people, Afghans, child labourers, undocumented refugees, migrants, Baháʼí people, Baloch and Kurd alike. Protests against the government in Iran have been led by women and girls, but they are not alone. Men and boys in Iran and people around the world are rising in solidarity.

[10:30 a.m.]

The response from the Iranian security forces has been brutal. According to Iran Human Rights, over 150 protesters, including nine children, have been killed. Many reporters, including the two journalists who reported Mahsa’s death, activists, scientists, teachers and families of mourners have been arrested, tortured or have disappeared.

The tenacity of the people of Iran in the face of violent oppression is extraordinary, but they should not be abandoned in their fight for freedom and human rights. The international community, Canada and B.C. can and must play a role in this fight for justice and equity.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AND SOCIAL INVESTMENTS

R. Russell: In August, I had the opportunity to visit CheckMate, one of the many award-winning — and consecutive 100-point, in this case — wineries in the Okanagan Valley. They told me their story and showed me in their vineyard how their investments in regenerative agriculture — essentially, letting things grow a little unruly under the grapes — was a risk they’d taken that resulted in them not losing nearly as much product in the heat domes of 2021.

People and their businesses across B.C. are making these kinds of investments in environmental and human capital that are returning financial rewards. We’re building a B.C. economy that is strong, stable and sustainable. These past couple of years we’ve seen evidence that a commitment to investing in people can and does result in a thriving economy. I’m tired of the stale narratives tied to an imaginary trade-off between jobs and environment — or that investing in the wealthy will support real people.

Yesterday a group of us met with B.C. Road Builders. We heard about the great partnerships to rebuild B.C. highways last year, but also, there are estimates that a $1 investment in built infrastructure today offsets a $6 to $10 cost tomorrow.

Just as it is with built capital, so it is with investments in human and natural capital. Take child care. Meaningful investments in child care meant that the living wage in Metro Vancouver decreased for the first time recently, bringing more bright minds into the workforce and building a more enabling and supportive economy.

Or, in my whirlwind tour of Richmond-Steveston on Sunday, Ocean Legacy’s operation, investing in removing plastics from our ocean. The passion of those creative minds has resulted in economic energy, coupled with environmental hope and motivation for youth, building an inspired and sustainable economy.

Or our exciting mass timber projects. Or the seven of the Cleantech 100 firms that are based out of B.C. — Ekona, General Fusion, Ionomr, Carbon Engineering, MineSense, Pani, Svante.

This is building a clean economy. Investing in the place and the environment that surrounds and sustains us and investing in people is how we build a bright future. Healthy economies in our communities demand appreciation of the value of those investments. We are building an economy that works for people, not the other way around.

A. Olsen: I seek leave to introduce a bill.

Leave granted.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL M213 — WILDLIFE
AMENDMENT ACT (No. 3), 2022

A. Olsen presented a bill intituled Wildlife Amendment Act (No. 3), 2022.

A. Olsen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to my colleagues. Sorry for the disruption.

I move that a bill intituled the Wildlife Amendment Act (No. 3), of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read a first time now.

For over 20 years, experts have been advocating for laws to protect bear dens in British Columbia. The province continues to lack a comprehensive legal protection for bear dens. Despite legislative protections in Haida Gwaii and the Great Bear Rainforest, much of the province continues to lack these mechanisms to protect these essential habitats. As a result, bear dens have been left to a patchwork of policies by logging companies, which are inconsistent and unenforceable.

Earlier this year the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria and the B.C. Sierra Club published a study recommending provincial legislation that protects bear dens. The act before us today makes these essential changes. It sets out that if a person disturbs, molests, damages or destroys a bear den, they have committed an offence. Further, this protection stands on both Crown and private land, which is an essential component, given the proliferation of private-managed forest lands in pockets of British Columbia.

We are currently living through the sixth mass extinction, caused by human activity. It is more important than ever to protect the biodiversity of our province, and this includes protecting bear dens, where bears hibernate, give birth and raise their young.

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

Motion approved.

A. Olsen: I move that this bill be put on the order papers for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Bill M213, Wildlife Amendment Act (No. 3), 2022, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

[10:35 a.m.]

Oral Questions

AFFORDABILITY ISSUES AND
SALARY INCREASE FOR MLAs

T. Stone: Well, despite lots of empty NDP promises, life has never been more unaffordable in British Columbia. The price of everything from gasoline to groceries to rent — everything has skyrocketed. Yesterday gas prices in Vancouver were 73 cents a litre higher than they were in Toronto. And this cost of living crisis is having its greatest impact on families, families that are struggling to even put food on their tables.

At times like this, British Columbians expect their elected officials, their MLAs, to lead by example. But instead, the NDP cabinet gave themselves a completely undeserved $10,000 retroactive pay raise. Now, under current legislation, every MLA in this chamber from all three parties will receive a pay increase of, likely, up to $10,000 each because MLA wages are tied to CPI, unless this government steps up and supports freezing a pay wage for this year.

The official opposition believes that accepting a pay increase of up to 10 percent would be completely out of line with the expectations that British Columbians have — British Columbians who are struggling, as I’ve said.

The question is a very simple one to the Finance Minister. As families struggle with skyrocketing costs, will this government support the official opposition and put a freeze on MLAs’ salaries for the forthcoming year?

Hon. S. Robinson: Global inflation is certainly a big challenge, not just here for British Columbians but certainly across Canada and around the globe. People are getting squeezed, which is why we have taken significant steps to help British Columbians. In fact, just this week people have started to receive their climate action tax credits, and we’ve been hearing about the impacts that that’s making for average British Columbians.

In fact, we heard just recently, yesterday and today, from a woman named Zoe, who said she’s so grateful for the one-time payment: “It really helps those of us seniors on fixed low incomes. Thank you.” We’ve heard from Denise, who said: “We regularly don’t get much help from government, but we received $387, and it really helps. Thank you.” We heard on Twitter from Nate: “Great way to demonstrate that climate action and affordability agenda can go hand in hand.”

We have been taking action to help British Columbians. There’s going to be more coming, because we have heard from British Columbians how challenging it is.

But I have to say, hearing from the members opposite where affordability…. When they were in government, they gave tax breaks to big corporations. The Leader of the Opposition increased ICBC rates by 11 percent.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. S. Robinson: MSP by 10 percent. Tolls on bridges.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members will come to order.

Hon. S. Robinson: They made it harder for average British Columbians. We’re going to continue to do the work to address what it is that British Columbians need today and well into the future.

T. Stone: This government’s complete and total lack of support for British Columbians struggling in this affordability crisis is breathtaking. Highest rents in the country, highest gas prices in North America — on and on the list goes. And this government’s been missing in action in terms of supporting British Columbians.

Leadership is also about leading by example. Unless we, as legislators, take the necessary step to amend the Members’ Remuneration and Pensions Act to provide for a freeze this forthcoming year, every member in this chamber, every MLA, will receive upwards of a $10,000 pay increase next year — again, against the backdrop of families barely being able to put food on their tables.

I, frankly, can’t believe that while families are having trouble making ends meet, this government isn’t willing to stand up today and just say: “Yes, we are going to lead by example. We will join the official opposition, and we will make a sacrifice here like British Columbians are doing.”

[10:40 a.m.]

Moments ago I provided notice to the Clerk of my intention to introduce a private member’s bill that would freeze MLAs’ salaries, meaning that while families are facing upwards of 8 percent inflation, MLAs won’t see any increase in their paycheques. If the government chooses to introduce their own legislation on this, the government should know they have the full support of every member of the official opposition with that legislation.

I want to be clear about something here. This is about principles. This is about leading by example. This is about understanding that people are making sacrifices. Our former B.C. Liberal government froze MLAs’ salaries for four years, 2010 to 2013, amidst a global economic crisis. Freezing MLAs’ salaries was the right thing to do then. It’s the right thing to do today.

Will the NDP stand up today and do the right thing, recognize that families are struggling and agree with the official opposition and support the official opposition’s call to freeze MLAs’ salaries for the forthcoming year?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Is the question over, or are you still continuing?

Minister of Finance.

Hon. S. Robinson: All I have to say at this point is: “Holy chutzpah, Batman.” To hear from those folks over there about freezing wages…. They froze the minimum wage for years for British Columbians, for the lowest-paid workers. Then of course they had the youth wage — remember that? — for young people so that they could….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, are you interested in the answer or not?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: You’re not? We can end question period right now if you want.

Just show some courtesy, please.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

The Minister of Finance will continue.

Hon. S. Robinson: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, because their chutzpah is on full demonstration here in this House. The chutzpah to suggest that when they were in government, they took care of people…. It’s absolute chutzpah. What they did was they did not allow the lowest-paid workers in this province to get an increase. They would absolutely not increase the minimum wage.

I think we need to remember a couple of things. We, too, froze MLAs’ salaries. We did that just a couple of years ago. We did do that.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Shhh. Shhh.

Hon. S. Robinson: Their chutzpah is getting away on them again.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, that’s enough. Members.

Hon. S. Robinson: If they would be happy to listen, I would be happy to tell them that I am interested in having a conversation with our House Leader and Chair of LAMC to consider the proposal.

P. Milobar: It’s quite shocking, though, that the minister fails to see that the questions have been about personal accountability and responsibility for ministers and the government and the actions they personally take to set an example. It should be a fairly simple yes or no, and one would have hoped that the government and cabinet had already had internal discussions on something like this, but apparently not.

It’s bad enough that it would result in an upwards of $10,000 raise for every single MLA in here, but I’ll remind the minister and the rest of cabinet and the public that it’s actually $15,000 for the cabinet ministers. So it is a significant increase at a time when most people in the public would not be seeing $15,000 added to their pay packet.

In fact, a new survey shows that over half of the people in B.C. say it has become less affordable to feed themselves and their families. Working men and women in our province in record numbers are being forced to go to food banks now to try to be able to provide for their families. This Thanksgiving we will have the most families in the country forced to make changes to their Thanksgiving meals because they can’t afford the cost of food.

[10:45 a.m.]

But the minister can’t give a simple answer whether or not she will decline a $15,000 raise this year. While families have to tighten their belts this Thanksgiving, the gravy train is running along for this government.

We need leadership. Will the minister not consider standing up today, as the head of government finances, and saying they’re not taking the raise and they’re going to suspend it for a year?

Hon. M. Farnworth: It’s not about cleanup; it’s about explaining some facts to you on how it works. And you know how it works. First off….

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member. Opposition leader.

Please continue.

Hon. M. Farnworth: The member may have forgotten, because he has been away from this place. But he also sat on this side of the House when the previous government brought in place an independent body that sets our pay and benefits. That was supported by all members of this House.

The member will also know that when it comes to the increase that takes place at the end of each year, based on the CPI, that takes place not in this chamber but, in fact, takes place at the LAMC meetings, when they do their budgetary proposals for the coming year.

And again, that member is wrong. It does not have to be overridden in this chamber. It can be overridden by LAMC. That is, in fact….

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Do you want to hear the answer, or don’t you want to hear the answer?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: That is exactly what happened the last time the pay was frozen, at the beginning of the pandemic, when we were due for a 2.8 percent increase. We agreed and said that that would not go ahead. That’s exactly how that process….

Interjection.

Hon. M. Farnworth: You know, they come here saying they want to talk about affordability. I’m explaining how the process works — not through stunts, but how it actually works — and, clearly, they’re not interested.

That comes back to LAMC at the end of this fiscal, at the end of this year, when the budgetary process is underway, when we know exactly what the inflationary rate is at that time — because it changes throughout the year — and a decision will be made.

I can also tell you that the Finance Minister has already approached me about that in terms of raising this issue at LAMC to deal with the cost-of-living increase and how we would deal with it, and that’s when and where this will be done.

What’s unfortunate is…. I understand that when they’re bereft of ideas, when they’re bereft of any public policy announcements, they want to try and grandstand, which is what they’ve done. But the reality is that that’s where it will be dealt with. That’s exactly what we’re going to do, and the Finance Minister is indicating that.

TAX POLICIES AND GAS PRICES

P. Milobar: Well, let’s be clear. The Finance Minister was at least permitted to try to answer the question the first two times and didn’t indicate that she had discussed this at all with the Solicitor General. But on answer No. 3, suddenly it has been under discussion by government.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

P. Milobar: What has become very clear today is that the government needs a little more time to come up with their justifications and rationalizations, moving forward.

Let’s look at another way that life has become less unaffordable under this NDP government. B.C. has the highest gas prices, highest gas taxes in North America. We have for quite some time now. Now, I know they don’t seem to be aware of how badly people are hurting.

For the Minister of Energy’s own knowledge, right across from his constituency office, gas is currently $2.40 a litre today and climbing as we head into the long weekend. This is hurting everyday people. Mary Kleiner from Vancouver, who owns a moving business, has already spent $3,000 more on fuel this year, which is raising costs for all of her customers.

[10:50 a.m.]

Statistics Canada has pointed out to the gas relief program as a significant factor in controlling inflation in Alberta. They took action. The University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe says: “The full provincial gas tax cut is…being passed to consumers.”

Instead of cutting taxes temporarily, though, this government wants to keep reaching into people’s pockets again and again.

Why won’t the NDP do what they’ve been asked to do, all year now, and temporarily cut the provincial gas taxes so that people have a bit of affordability heading into long weekends and in trying to get around this province to visit family?

Hon. S. Robinson: Well, again, I have to say it’s always fascinating to hear members opposite talk about affordability for British Columbians, given their track record, when they would give speculators and the top 2 percent earners in this province a tax break. That’s what they did last time, and they have said that they would do it again. What we’ve been doing is really helping British Columbians with their child care costs — in fact, $550 a month.

I can only speak to an event that I was at. I was at a baby shower not too long ago. One of the young women who was just heading back to work, after taking her second maternity leave, came up to me in absolute tears. This young woman, Kate, said: “You don’t understand what this means for me and my family.”

What it means for her is that she will get to keep this extra $1,000 a month. That’s what it means for her. She said what that means for her and for her family is that she will have more time with her children.

It’s because we are delivering on child care — which, I would say, the previous NDP government started. I believe that the minister over here, the Minister of Public Safety, brought it in. And guess who cut that. Guess who cut that program back in 2001. It was the people on the other side.

We are boosting the B.C. family benefit up to $350….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Order, Members.

Members, order.

Hon. S. Robinson: An additional resource, coming to those very families — an additional $350 for a family of two children — will be coming again in the new year. We’re continuing to deliver for British Columbians, because we care about the affordability.

AFFORDABILITY ISSUES
AND PROFITS TO CORPORATIONS

S. Furstenau: Indeed, the cost of living and affordability for British Columbians are top of mind for everybody right now, and people are struggling.

They go to the grocery store, and the basics are far more expensive than they were even weeks or months ago. We know that food is going to get more expensive as climate change progresses. We know that without closing the vacancy control loopholes, rental housing will continue to rise. Rent in Victoria has jumped 18 percent in the last year alone. And we know that without access to affordable transit, people will have no choice but to drive their cars and pay the rising costs of gasoline in this province.

Today we’re hearing proposed concrete steps from the opposition, we’re hearing responses from government, but we’re also hearing a lot of pointing and blaming. I don’t think that’s what British Columbians want to hear right now. They want to hear about what specific solutions are going to be put on the table that will address the growing challenges that they are facing to meet their monthly bills and daily costs. While the people are struggling, corporations are taking home record-breaking profits.

My question is to the Minister of Finance. What concrete steps is she going to take to rein in the profit-taking that is happening and being paid for by the people in British Columbia?

Hon. S. Robinson: I agree with the member; people really are struggling. They really are.

[10:55 a.m.]

That’s why we have already taken some significant actions, whether it’s an ICBC rebate or additional supports through the climate action tax credit, so that we can be efficient and get money into people’s hands. In the B.C. family benefit, there’ll be an additional top-up for those families that are eligible.

It’s why we limited rent increases to only 2 percent. It’s also why we eliminated the previous B.C. Liberal government’s automatic 2 percent plus CPI. We had to change that formula as well. So we’ve taken some significant steps over the last number of years. Again, I want to say…. I hear the member saying: “Well, that was retroactive.” But if we hadn’t done that, then I think 7.4 percent would be the tax increase — if the B. C. Liberals were on this side of the House.

We’re continuing to address those very, very challenging problems, which are not just here in British Columbia. I think the member knows full well that this is around the globe. It’s not unique to British Columbia. There are some significant challenges, and we’re going to continue to work with everybody to address ways that we can help families.

But again, I want to remind the member…. I know that this is important to her — making sure that that child care is affordable. I really have to say….

Interjections.

Hon. S. Robinson: Well, some people seem disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that child care is affordable. But I know that the British Columbians who are now benefiting significantly — paying, perhaps, an average of $20 a day — are saying that this is making a real difference in their lives, and we’re going to continue to drive those costs down, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker: Leader of the Third Party, supplemental.

S. Furstenau: While I appreciate the points that the minister made, none of them spoke to what people can see is happening, and this is this growing profit-taking that is happening by corporations. As people are struggling to just afford to live, companies are claiming record profits.

Loblaws: first-quarter earnings rose by almost 40 percent — first quarter, a 40 percent rise. Cargill reported a 63 percent increase in profits — profits of almost $5 billion. Oil and gas profits are through the roof. Canadian Natural Resources has more than doubled its profits. Petronas, one of the key owners of the destructive Coastal GasLink pipeline, reported $5.1 billion in profits over the summer, more than double their profits last year.

There is a growing inequality, and it is marked. Telus, inserting itself into our public health care system, reported profits of $4.4 billion over the last quarter, an increase of 7.1 percent.

My question again is to the Minister of Finance. While British Columbians struggle, these corporations are raking in record profits. What steps is she going to take to ensure that British Columbians are not suffering from this profit-taking?

Hon. S. Robinson: Well, perhaps the member didn’t hear my previous example of this young woman who is seriously benefiting in a big way from our investment in child care. Perhaps she’s forgotten that we’re delivering free transit for children. This makes a significant difference for families.

I also want to assure the member that we’re committed to ensuring that big corporations pay their fair share. It’s why we’re eliminating the largest fossil fuel subsidy in B.C., the deep-well royalty program. It’s why we’re increasing the minimum oil and gas royalty rate by 66 percent. We increased the tax rate for large corporations in 2018 from 11 percent to 12 percent. What this means is that there is more revenue that allows us to reduce costs for people, strengthen our public service as well as fight climate change.

REVIEW PANEL REPORT ON
DRUG TOXICITY DEATHS AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS

T. Halford: Yesterday, after seven long months, the government quietly released the response to the 2022 coroners service death review panel on illicit drug toxicity deaths. The response was too little, too late.

In 2018, the government accepted all recommendations from that panel, but not this time. Not only has the minister failed to implement the recommendations. She has given absolutely no faith or directions that this government accepts the 23 recommendations put forward. The reality is that under this minister, things have gotten worse. In fact, tragically, since this report was released 211 days ago, over 1,200 British Columbians have lost their lives.

My question is: how many people have to die before this minister actually takes action and understands that this is an urgent situation?

[11:00 a.m.]

Hon. S. Malcolmson: Every day, the loss of life to the toxic drug supply, the voices of people working on the front line — the families and loved ones and community members who have lost team members, co-workers, peers…. Those voices all inform, every day, our government’s response to the toxic drug crisis and the ongoing public health emergency.

As the toxicity of the drugs has increased and the loss of life has deepened, our government continues to evolve its response. That’s why we went from one supervised consumption site, in 2016, to 42 now. That’s why, in the first two weeks of the pandemic, British Columbia introduced the first-in-Canada prescribed safe supply program — to separate people from the toxic drug supply — and why we’ve continued to expand and evolve it. That’s why we’ve added hundreds of new addiction treatment beds. That’s why we introduced new regulations into the treatment and recovery sector, and we’re going to do more across the continuum.

Almost every week there are new announcements of new programs, and we continue to take the advice from people on the front lines about how to save lives at this really terrible time.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON ISSUES
IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
AND ROLE OF HEALTH MINISTER

S. Bond: The disconnect that we hear every day from NDP cabinet ministers and what British Columbians are experiencing in their lives is shocking. Whether it’s crime, whether it’s the cost of living or whether it is health care, under this government’s watch, British Columbians are saying that it is the worst they have ever seen.

Yesterday we learned of yet another horrific example of a health care system that has collapsed. As difficult as it is today to even share this story, families want their government and their minister to hear them, to hear their voices to know the pain and sorrow that they are experiencing.

Sara, a mother in her second trimester, went to the Penticton Regional Hospital ER in excruciating pain. She was left alone for an hour and a half before being told to use the washroom, where she miscarried her son. Sara said — and this is Sara’s voice, not mine: “I went in there and gave birth to my son all by myself, screaming for help…. I was just standing there in the bathroom by the wheelchair…. And we had no help.” Even once she got to her room, Sara says no one checked on her, for hours, and she waited again alone, traumatized and in shock.

I want to be clear. This is not about nurses or doctors. They are overwhelmed. They are demoralized. They are overloaded. This starts at the top, and it starts with a minister who constantly fails to acknowledge the crisis that we have in our province and fails to accept responsibility for the outcomes. We have a health care system that has collapsed. British Columbians like Sara and countless other ones deserve better, and the minister knows it. Something has to change. It is simply not acceptable that a young mom like Sara has to go through that in the province that we love.

I am asking the minister today to acknowledge not only Sara’s pain but the situation that exists in this province. It is time he did the right thing. Something must change; it starts at the top. Will the minister do the honourable thing and resign?

[11:05 a.m.]

Hon. A. Dix: Obviously, in a case such as this, the grief, the sense of loss of individuals is profound. Every time this occurs — every time this occurs — we need to review and make the system better, to respond better, to hear those voices. That’s the reason why we have independent reviews of these processes — to ensure that people get a sense of agency and voice. Those reviews are initiated by people in cases exactly like this.

Our obligation to people, I think, in a public health care system is to deliver a high quality of care everywhere. It’s to respond to the situation we’re facing in front of us. We have been doing it — our doctors, our nurses, our health sciences professionals and our health care workers have been doing it — in an extraordinary way for 2½ years.

We have been in crisis for 2½ years. We’ve been in a public health emergency for 2½ years. When you delay tens of thousands of surgeries, that’s a crisis. When you make a decision to move primary care to virtual, that’s a crisis. When you take actions in long-term care that affect everyone, that’s a crisis.

Our obligation, it seems to me, after 2½ years of that crisis and six years of the public health emergency, the overdose crisis our system is facing, is to continue to build and support health care workers. It’s to add nurses — not to cut them, but to add them — to lead the country in more nurses and then add more, to create circumstances so that people can come to this country and work and provide better care for people.

Our obligation to people, individuals and all people is to provide the best possible care. And as Minister of Health, I’m determined….

Interjection.

Hon. A. Dix: Oh, the Leader of the Opposition chooses to heckle. That’s fine. He chooses to heckle.

There is a contrast here, and I will leave that contrast for another day. But registered nurses were cut when he was Minister of Health. We have led the country….

Interjection.

Hon. A. Dix: Yes, they were. The numbers don’t tell a very distinct story, but that’s not the important question. The important question is right now taking the steps that we are taking to continue to build a health care system that provides high-quality care for everyone, and I remain determined to do so.

[End of question period.]

Tabling Documents

Hon. S. Robinson: I respectfully present the approved guarantees and indemnities report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, in accordance with the Financial Administration Act, section 72(8).