Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

SAFE, AFFORDABLE CHILD CARE
FOR FAMILIES

M. Dykeman: It’s wonderful to be here this morning and a true privilege to rise in the House to speak about something that’s so important to our community, something that especially affects young families, single parents. That is safe and affordable child care, something that our government has been working tirelessly to deliver to families across the province.

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

Child care is one of the biggest bills many families face each month. With rising global inflation making life more expensive, people really do need a break with those costs. Cutting child care fees is one of the ways that we’re bringing down costs and shielding families from rising global inflation. We saw recently with the labour market outlook that we will have over one million jobs available over the next ten years. By dramatically reducing child care fees, this gives parents the opportunity, through more time and money back in their pockets, to train for some of these jobs.

People aged 29 or younger who are entering the labour force for the very first time are expected to fill nearly half of all of those job openings — expected to be about 47 percent. Of those million job openings over the next decade, roughly two-thirds will be due to retirements. Health care and tech workers will be in the highest demand, and 80 percent of jobs will require post-secondary education.

As a single mother myself, I remember the challenges of working to further my education, run a business and raise two children. It was very difficult. Programs like these, the ability to access safe and affordable child care, make all of the difference with people who are raising young children and facing challenges.

[10:05 a.m.]

In my community of Langley East, I noticed that we have an incredible amount of young families moving in. People from all over the country, people from all over the world are moving to raise their families in a community that is truly exceptional and has wonderful schools and parks and rec facilities. Those are young families that are often working; both parents are working while raising their children.

When I’m at events, I hear from them what a difference it makes to have access to these child care spaces, many of them attached to schools where children are able to access a complete community, where they start off in the morning and end the day with people that they know and live close by. That makes such a difference for children — it really does — to have people that live in their area where they’re able to spend time in safe spaces, socializing. The truth is that the schools’ days, the start and end times, don’t align with many people’s work schedules.

Families that are at participating facilities right now have already had their fees reduced by up to $350 a month in 2018. Together with the new reduction that we just saw, it’s as much as $550 more. Families are now saving a total of up to $900 a month on their child care bills. All families with children kindergarten and under enrolled at a participating child care facility are automatically able to have the new fee reduction applied to their child care bills.

There are no citizenship requirements or income tests for those fee reductions. That adds up to a potential savings of $10,800 per year per child. I know my community, the families that live in the township of Langley, sure appreciates these savings, because making child care more affordable in B.C. is something that families truly appreciate.

Just a few weeks ago it was announced that nearly 100 more families in Langley are now benefiting from $10-a-day child care spaces, allowing parents to pursue more career and educational opportunities. Donna Gabriel Robins YMCA Child Care and Kids Club in Langley is becoming a $10-a-day site, and that means that 99 child care spaces will have fees dramatically reduced for parents.

We also have three other locations in Langley, which include the Langley Christian School Society, which is the New Generations Early Learning Centre. It has 28 spaces, 12 infant/toddler and 16 that are 2.5 years to kindergarten spaces, and it’s a non-profit. We have Sonshine Street Preschool and Child Care Centre, which has 50 spaces: 12 infant/toddler, 18 that are 2.5 years to kindergarten and 20 preschool spaces. And we have the Fort Langley Childcare Centre, 54 spaces, which has 20 three-year-old to kindergarten age and 34 school age, and it’s a non-profit which is located right on school grounds.

At every event in those communities, I’ve heard from parents about how thrilled they are to be able to have these locations right in their communities for their children to access these spots.

Spaces in the $10-a-day child care program reduce the average cost of child care from $1,000 a month at participating facilities to a maximum of $200. With centres throughout B.C., the total number of spaces in B.C. is now over 12,700. That means that our government has not only met but exceeded the 12,500 spaces that were created since 2018.

In addition to these spaces, the province, with the federal funding support, is helping approximately 71,000 families with the cost of child care centres that are not part of the $10-a-day program through the child care fee reductions of up to $550 per month more per child. These savings, which kicked in on December 1, 2022, are in addition to the $350 per month per child the families have been saving through the child care fee reduction initiative.

Many families ask how much they will be saving, and there’s actually an online tool available to help families estimate it. You can go to mychildcareservices.gov.bc.ca and go to the CCFRI estimator.

The availability of safe and affordable child care is good for the community and good for the economy. Economists estimate that for every dollar spent on early child care education, there is up to a $7 return on investment for at-risk children.

[10:10 a.m.]

We know investments in children and families have countless societal and economic benefits, because an investment in children is an investment in the future.

D. Davies: I’d like to thank the member for Langley East for the statement. Access to affordable, inclusive, high-quality early learning daycare is absolutely vital to start families, for those looking to start families and those who already have young children across the province.

It is one of the key supports that keep more parents in the workforce earning income and not facing setbacks in their chosen career. It employs educators who dedicate themselves to the challenging but rewarding job of caring, teaching and contributing to early learning, which, as we all know, is extremely important to children.

Now more than ever this is essential, as the number of women in the labour force has grown significantly. Women in British Columbia should not have to choose between careers and being able to start a family. While the labour force shortage continues across our province, it is very important that affordable child care is made accessible to anyone who needs it.

It is also worth noting that affordability remains a challenge for so many people in British Columbia right now. We hear this over and over again. Families are trying to cope with skyrocketing rent, high food prices and overall increases in inflation. It is vital that they can find affordable daycare spaces for their little ones and to be able to afford them.

As it stands, families across British Columbia desperately need more affordable child care, with this government even noting that more than 200,000 spaces are needed to meet the demands of families in British Columbia. This will be an increasing challenge, of course, as we see the incredible challenges in our labour market shortages that exist definitely in the childhood education and child care sector.

A November 2022 report on the Evaluation of Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy found that 45 percent of child care employers in British Columbia are losing more staff than they are able to hire. This is forcing some daycares to temporarily close or frequently shorten their hours, all while the $10-a-day program has increased demand in a child care sector that is already plagued by low wages.

I’ve taken the time to speak with constituents in my riding and, most recently, the owner of a daycare in Fort St. John. The major issue that is being expressed is that the wait-lists are getting longer because there are just not enough spaces. At the same time, this demand is continuing to increase. Affordable child care is absolutely a priority. However, it does not provide any relief for families if spaces are not made available to them. While families continue to grow and people want to enter the workforce to help our economy grow, they just can’t if there are no spaces available for their children.

Adam Rayburn is the owner of Wiggles and Giggles Group Daycare in Fort St. John. He noted how requests to be added to his wait-list have over-doubled since September. Unfortunately, they have had no change in their openings since December. One of the many daycares that are facing this issue, Adam wants to provide daycare for these children. However, he is limited by capacity, costs and even fee caps that prevent him from hiring more staff and expanding his own business. Even if Adam wanted to open new spaces to expand capacity of his current business, because his daycare is a private company, he does not qualify for the new spaces fund.

In Fort St. John, there was a daycare that was supposed to be open in September, but they are unable because they have no staff and there are none available to hire. Additionally, many of these licensed child care spaces in town are further limited in hiring new staff because of the fee increase restriction. Currently, there is a 3 percent increase cap per year which limits how these daycares can operate. They are unable to match their wages with inflation, making it even more difficult to hire and to retain staff, who are, indeed, likely struggling with the cost-of-living crisis themselves.

It also means daycares can’t offer more care because they are limited to the number of staff that they can provide. Child care providers will also continue to struggle, because this cap will not cover the inflation that has increased their own costs for food, their hydro bills, even their mortgage interest rate increases.

[10:15 a.m.]

Sadly, this scenario is carrying out across the province. B.C. must do more to expand available spaces to be able to expand our workforce and ensure that we have long prosperity across the province of British Columbia.

M. Dykeman: Thank you to the member opposite for your response. It’s wonderful to hear how all sides of the House, all members in here, value safe, affordable child care — something that we all recognize is so important for our children to have the ability to go to spaces for before- and after-school care in order to invest in their future. That’s something…. As an MLA, I’m so proud to be part of a House that recognizes how important it is to have these spaces available for children.

As I was sitting there listening, I was thinking about my time on school board. When I started as a school board trustee, I guess that would be three…. It feels like forever ago. I can’t even remember. I’m not that old, but it definitely does feel like a long time. It was over ten years ago.

Our community was still growing. I remember, actually, our fastest-growing area was a place where I used to ride my horses on a trail up to a little corner store. They had really great Slurpees. We would ride our horses up this trail and we would get hay off the field, and there was nothing really there except for this store. I don’t even know how it got built. It wasn’t attached to somebody’s house. It was just like a store on the corner. But anyway, you could bring your horse up there because there was really no traffic.

Now, thinking back, right before I finished as a trustee, I was touring a school, the Donna Gabriel Robins Elementary that I was mentioning, and all of the hayfields were all apartments, and dense apartments, because our community is growing so quickly.

People want to move to British Columbia. It’s beautiful. I mean, the weather is not better…. It may rain, but you don’t have to shovel it. I mean, that’s the plus side.

Interjection.

M. Dykeman: Some days. Only when it’s flooding.

It’s beautiful. It’s sunny most of the time. Well, not in the winter, but it’s definitely better than the east coast.

One of the things about it is that people want to live here because of all the advantages that come from living in British Columbia. They want to raise their families here. They want to have their children go to our excellent schools.

With that comes growth that just is so challenging to keep up with. Looking at the numbers, though, that we’ve achieved with the $10 spaces — we had a goal of 12,500 spaces, and we are now at over 12,700 from people working together, recognizing the importance of this investment and the importance of this in our province. That is something we should celebrate and something that I was so thrilled to speak about today.

DECRIMINALIZATION

T. Wat: I rise today to speak on a topic that’s on top of mind for many British Columbians, especially those in my riding of Richmond North Centre. That is the government’s decision to decriminalize small amounts of hard drugs like crystal meth, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine at a time when there is limited access to treatment and recovery.

Over the past few months, I have repeatedly visited neighborhoods like Chinatown in Vancouver, where the overdose crisis has severely impacted the local community. People are deeply troubled by the rise in crime, the lack of housing, where local small businesses are hurting and where those struggling with addiction are left without adequate treatment and care.

It’s not easy to see fellow British Columbians on the streets who have fallen victim to addictive, dangerous and often lethal drugs; 2,272 lives were lost to a toxic drug overdose in 2022, and 11,000 British Columbians have tragically and needlessly lost their lives since the overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency.

[10:20 a.m.]

It has been a year since the B.C. Coroners Service death review panel report was published with a recommended plan. Yet the government has failed to show any urgency to take meaningful steps to address serious gaps in the care system.

I quote B.C.’s chief coroner, who said: “There are people who are dying while they’re waiting for treatment recovery services.” We need compassionate care and treatment immediately, because better is possible. Therefore, the official opposition has taken the time to listen to those with lived experience, learn from experts and focus on results and outcomes. The Leader of the Opposition, my colleagues and I proudly stand by the plan we announced that takes a dramatic turn from the government’s approach, which has only worsened the reality on the ground.

“Better is possible, a true system of care” is a massive plan to both overhaul the delivery of mental health services and build a recovery-oriented system of care for those suffering from addiction. No one, no British Columbian can look around and say that the current approach is working. The government has not followed through on the requirements that should have been met before implementing decriminalization, as the relevant authorities prescribed.

The province has failed to improve access to health services, including ensuring that individuals who desire treatment or other supports can access them when needed. The government has failed to put in place a substance use system of care to meet the unique needs of specific regions and communities, such as those in rural and remote communities.

I know, having spoken to British Columbians, that government must be educating the public as part of a comprehensive public education plan and engaging with communities on the topic of decriminalization. It was even left out of the Speech from the Throne. There must be ample training and resources to front-line police officers in advance of implementation. It has failed to implement a framework for evaluating progress towards objectives, intended outcomes and unintended consequences and risks and risk mitigation strategies.

For almost six years, the government has failed to put in place a comprehensive plan, as the tragic loss of life continues. Better is possible, which is why members on this side of the House propose building on innovative models like the Red Fish Healing Centre, located on the former Riverview lands, in regions across the province so that people with severe and complex needs can get compassionate, 24-7, psychosocial support.

We propose eliminating user fees to publicly funded addiction treatment beds and providing direct government funding for private beds. Money shouldn’t determine whether or not you get well. We propose building regional recovery communities, where people struggling with addiction can stay for up to a year with individualized, holistic treatment support.

Although always a last resort, we suggest implementing involuntary care for adults and youth at risk of harm to themselves or others. Most important is a desire to provide British Columbians with the results they expect and deserve to see. Addiction and substance use should be treated as a critical health care crisis, and ill people should not be criminalized. If properly implemented, decriminalization can be part of the solution, but it needs to be in a continuum of care, with a much greater focus on treatment and recovery.

I join many British Columbians in being skeptical that decriminalization will do much to help solve the crisis, as it reflects what has already been the de facto law enforcement policy in B.C. for years.

[10:25 a.m.]

I look forward to a time when neighbourhoods like Chinatown are once again regarded for their rich cultural history, local businesses and thriving neighbourhoods, not as one of the country’s most notorious places known for crime, toxic drugs and homelessness.

I fear that under the government’s current approach, without adequate support in place for those who truly need them, the situation will not improve anytime soon.

Deputy Speaker: Of course, just as a reminder for today, it is private members’ time.

B. Anderson: I’m really grateful to my colleague that we both agree that decriminalization is part of the solution.

A friend who is a nurse-prescriber for the OAT program gave me a T-shirt. On the front, it says: “Nice people take drugs.” On the back, it says: “Drugs take nice people.” She works with people every day who are struggling with addiction and have reached out for help.

Drug use permeates our society. Stigmatizing people who struggle with addiction has only served to marginalize those most in need of dignity, compassion and health services. People who use drugs are part of our community. They are our neighbours, sisters, brothers, parents, children, co-workers and friends.

People engage in drug use for a variety of reasons. Some will experiment with drugs, and some will continue to use them on occasion. Some will struggle with problematic addiction. The poisoned drug supply has killed far too many people in British Columbia and across North America. These people were members of our communities, and they were loved.

Last year I attended Nelson’s International Overdose Awareness Day, an event at Cottonwood Park in Nelson. The vigil started with ceremonial drumming and singing, led by the Circle of Indigenous Nations Society. Cheryl Dowden, executive director of ANKORS, spoke about the traumatic impact on local people, including workers, who are losing loved ones and clients to this toxic drug crisis.

The community was invited to share their stories. Several brave people spoke about the grief and loss they felt because of their loved one who had died due to the poisoned drugs. There were tears, hugs, words of compassion and kindness. There were educational booths by local service providers and groups, including the Kootenay Boundary Adult Supported Recovery; Axis Family Resources, which is a withdrawal management program; ANKORS; the Rural Empowered Drug Users Network; Nelson Fentanyl Task Force; and Freedom Quest.

I would like to thank all of the people who have been working to address this crisis, including the street outreach team, first responders and health experts. People learned how to administer naloxone to save a life, how to use fentanyl test strips, how to get into detox and withdrawal and about other local substance use services. The community members who attended the event were committed to a compassionate and informed local public health response to the provincial overdose crisis.

Our government has been using every tool available to keep people who use drugs safe and to build a comprehensive response to this crisis, which includes expanding treatment and recovery services, access to harm reduction resources, medication-assisted treatment and decriminalizing adults who possess small amounts of drugs for personal use. There is no magic bullet in the fight against the poisoned drug crisis, but we must use every tool at our disposal to respond to this public health emergency.

Balancing crisis response with prevention and innovation is needed, as we strive to provide enhanced substance use services to all people in need. Drug use and addiction are moralized concepts in our culture. Decriminalization will help to fight the shame and stigma around drug use and addictions. Breaking down these barriers will help more people reach out for the life-saving services and care that they need.

Drug use is a public health matter not a criminal justice one. Criminalization drives people to hide their drug use and often drives people to use alone. Given the increasingly toxic drug supply, using alone can be fatal.

[10:30 a.m.]

Recently I was pleased to see that the all-party Health Committee made up of the B.C. Liberals, Greens and the NDP released a report, and all sides agreed that safer supply and decriminalization are important aspects of addressing the public health emergency.

I ask all members in this House to act with compassion as we work together to keep people safe during this public health emergency.

T. Wat: This is exactly what British Columbians are concerned about. They are worried that this government will continue to defend its approach to mental health and addiction, even though it’s clear that their plan simply isn’t working.

Deputy Speaker: Member, of course, this is private members’ time, not government versus opposition time.

T. Wat: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Eleven thousand lives, 2,200 in the last year alone. These aren’t just numbers and statistics; these are people. These are lives lost to an approach that continues to produce worsening results. Enough is enough. The government needs to change its approach before these numbers keep climbing.

Decriminalization of small amounts of hard drugs is only a small step towards a solution that will not work with our current conditions. Too many people are on waiting lists for care and treatment while the department has no clear plan for safeguarding our families, children and youth.

The province has failed to make clear they will ensure charges are laid against people that violate the laws that remain in place, including trafficking and possessing any amount of drugs in schools and child care facilities. We have also seen a lack of accountability and oversight to ensure publicly supplied addictive drugs are not diverted to children and youth or other vulnerable people, something the province has failed to do with government-sanctioned narcotic vending machines.

What is needed is greater urgency and a coherent, comprehensive approach to treating mental health, addiction and substance use so that people can immediately access the services they need when they need them. We know that while publicly supplied addictive drugs can be a tool, they aren’t the whole toolbox.

The government is clearly focusing too heavily on harm reduction without providing effective treatment and recovery. What we need is an accessible, low-cost, recovery-oriented care system for anyone struggling with addiction. It is a plan that the province dismisses but one the experts praise and stand by. It’s a plan the province….

Deputy Speaker: Member. We’re not going to be par­tisan here, please.

T. Wat: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Deputy Speaker: Please, if you’ve got partisan remarks in your statement, take them out.

T. Wat: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It is a plan that brings positive results and outcomes. It’s a plan that shows better is possible.

COMMEMORATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

A. Singh: Black History Month is a time to honour, celebrate and reflect on the stories, experiences and accomplishments of Black Canadians here in British Columbia and across the country.

This is a province that has been shaped by the contributions of Black Canadians throughout our history. In 1858, the colonial governor, Sir James Douglas sent an invitation to the San Francisco Black community. As a result, an estimated 800 African-American people arrived in what is now British Columbia.

Douglas himself was of Africa-Caribbean heritage. His son, James Douglas, became the first person of Black ancestry to serve in the Legislative Assembly with his election in 1875. Other prominent firsts in this period include John Craven Jones, Saltspring Island’s first schoolteacher; his brother William “Painless” Jones, the province’s first registered dentist; and Grafton Tyler Brown, the first professional artist to work in British Columbia. Brown had his own studio in Victoria.

There were also political trail-blazers: Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, Emery Barnes, the Hon. Rosemary Brown, MLA. They aren’t just in history; they’re contemporary, from amazing intellectuals, political and business leaders to thought-provoking artists and poets. So much of what is beautiful in B.C. comes from the Black community, intellectuals like my very good friend Prof. Wayde Compton from Douglas College in New Westminster.

[10:35 a.m.]

I think I’m going take the rest of the time to read a poem of his. It’s called “Performance Bond.”

The multicultural things apply
as time goes by
when the I itself
will not abide
eternal solipsism.
Everybody’s a migrant.
Every body gyrates
to the global bigbeat.
It’s sun
down in the Empire, and time has done
gone by,
and multiculturalism can’t arrive
by forgetting, but remembering
every hectare taken, every anti-Asian defamation,
because those who don’t remember
repeat.
B.C. is not the sum of its exclusions
or the complexion of its successes.
The cracks are filled
with the bodies of those fallen through;
we walk on them, on through
to the promised land: now.
It’s a crime
to be poor, to be broke, to float, to colour
outside
the lines, to cross, to coast, to confound
the order, the entrance, the ocean, the border, to be
unrestrained,
uncontained.
The history of B.C. is the history of whiteness
performing as the watcher
unaffected by the colour it watches, ignores,
and watches. The history
of colour is the history of B.C.
as it’s watched and created, assimilates
as it changes the watchers in the shadows,
the whiteness. The history
of whiteness is the history of colour
as it changes B.C.
which it watches
and estranges, as it changes
in stages, history performing
as race
in B.C.
is created.
Chinese Columbia,
Haida Columbia,
Punjabi Columbia,
Japanese Columbia,
African Columbia,
Vietnamese Columbia,
Squamish Columbia,
Jewish Columbia,
Salish Columbia,
and
British Columbia,
whose motto
Splendor sine occasu,
with pretense rendered in Latin,
can be translated in myriad ways.
Here I will say:
“Scintillation without perimeter.”
Does Emery Barnes’s body jogging through the streets of Beijing
signify “B.C.” less than W.A.C. anywhere, any time?
The question not so much “What is there?”
as it is “What are you able to see?”:
“Superiority Without Respite.”
The definition of whiteness is invisibility.
It is because it is not;
it is universal because it is without perimeter;
its perimeters are that which is not (non-);
whiteness is the camera;
whiteness is the eye that creates the panorama;
whiteness encompasses;
whiteness, if seen, implodes.
After half a century of visibility,
whiteness has accumulated an epidermis;
as time goes by, the perimeter acquires eyes.
The eye in the sky rings the migrants.
Tracers, flashbacks, and ripples in time ring the screen.
Haida vessels embark down the coast from the centre of the world
into paroxysm of museumization, the pox of proxy representation.
The Komagata Maru moves through law and Latin
to terra sine occasu
back in time / where you came from,
naturalized / where you came from,
narrated / where you came from,
linear, longitudinal, laterally folding backwards.
Epicanthal Japanese vessels in Steveston
confiscated, rechristened, encrusted with ethnicity,
scuttled in the shifting tides of universality.
We move,
unneutrally,
but move, still. Groove
to the rhythm ruthlessly.
Instill our boogie beautifully. Rock
dutifully. Fit in brutally. By any means, we be
seamlessly. Dwell in the sound bites toothlessly.
Our bodies flicker across decades grainily.
Framed achingly. Ancestors forgotten painstakingly,
youth its own ethnicity. Unwittingly,
black music mediates the complicity. We love
in the pop culture shadows; love with no other choice;
love legal, recognized, or not.
Everybody’s last stop.
refuge,
terminus,
lotus land,
Shangri-La,
Canaan,
utopia,
Paradise colonized.
Babylon unbound.
If only being yourself was a simple trick.
But we are dressed in borrowed finery, here in the land of promises.
Africans from America, then Canada, wearing the Caribbean.
Anti-racists attacking anti-racists, clashing.
Bodies breaking against placards, dashing
slogans against the shutter of the camera, wincing
as allies fight allies in utter confusion, fighting over who owns the acting up.
Walk together children,
Walk together children,
Walk together children to the promised land.
Walk across the ocean
Walk across the ocean
from gladiator to graduate, to walk together, children.

I don’t know if I did that justice, but thank you, Wayde Compton, for providing that.

I’ll sit down and let my friend respond.

R. Merrifield: It is my pleasure to rise to respond to the statement but also the poetry that was read by the member for Richmond-Queensborough in what I consider a really significant time of year, Black History Month. It’s commemorated worldwide, and here in British Columbia, every February.

[10:40 a.m.]

Black History Month reminds us of the multitude of incredible contributions to society by Black Canadians in our province. Historically, the significant role of Black Canadians in British Columbian history has been overlooked. Black History Month is just one of the many ways in which we attempt to shine a light on the truth that’s been neglected for far too long.

It’s also a reminder of the racialization, injustice and systemic barriers that people of African descent in Canada have faced and continue to face. It’s an acknowledgment of the long way that we have come as a province but also that there’s much work left to be done. Racism and discrimination still exist today.

This month is also a time to reflect on the many sacrifices made by Black British Columbians to help build a society free of discrimination, racism and hatred. In my role as shadow minister for gender equity, I often have spoken about women that have made strides, paving the way for future generations. I’m reminded of the first Black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada. Not only did Rosemary Brown defy the odds of being a woman and getting elected to the Legislature, but she also did it as a Black woman during a time when those of racialized minorities were facing significant barriers.

Her achievement as a Black woman changed Canadian and British Columbian politics forever. It helped pave the way for Black women by proving that a life of public service is no longer just a dream. Her experiences propelled her work in ensuring that women, the elderly and people with disabilities were given the support they needed to live and improve life.

She went on to found the B.C. Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the United Nations Human Rights Fellowship, the Order of B.C. and the Order of Canada. A member of the Privy Council for Canada as well, Rosemary Brown has left many women inspired and motivated, including myself.

Another amazing Black female in Canadian history is Viola Desmond, a businesswoman and a civil rights activist. In 1946, Viola Desmond refused to leave a whites-only section of a movie theatre in Nova Scotia and was arrested and jailed. This act of defiance sparked a movement for civil rights in Canada and paved the way for legal action against racial segregation.

Desmond’s story is now recognized as a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement in Canada, and she’s honoured as a trailblazer for racial equality and justice. In 2018, Desmond became the first Black Canadian woman to be featured on Canadian currency. Her picture was put on our $10 bill to honour her contribution to Canadian history.

Black history in Canada is a multitude of perspectives, stories and experiences. There was even a time when members of Victoria’s Black community were barred from joining the volunteer fire department. This group went on to form the colony of British Columbia’s first militia unit, called the Pioneer Rifle Corps.

We remember the numerous Black Canadians who have sacrificed their lives defending the freedoms that we enjoy today. We remember the many Black Canadians who have broken barriers, fought injustices and achieved greatness to inspire and empower generations to come.

On behalf of the official opposition, I want to reaffirm our commitment to learning about and raising awareness of the history of Black Canadians in B.C. as we work together to build a more equitable and just province. The work does not stop here.

A. Singh: While we acknowledge the amazing contributions of Black folk to British Columbia, we have to recognize the prevalence of white supremacy and the disproportionate barriers that Black Canadians have faced and continue to face in British Columbia. Our government is committed to addressing racism inequity in B.C.

For too long the experience of Black British Columbians has been marginalized and their histories and contributions to the province little known or celebrated. We’re taking action to deliver lasting change to better support the Black community. As part of the K-to-12 action plan introduced earlier this year, your government has added Black history to B.C.’s K-to-12 curriculum to better educate B.C. students about the rich history of Black people in this province. We’ll also be developing an anti-Black-racism strategy in partnership with Black communities.

These steps are part of our work to make B.C. a more equitable, fair and just province for everyone. Racism can take many forms and is often implicit in our attitudes, behaviours, beliefs and values.

[10:45 a.m.]

Our government has already taken several steps to address racism in British Columbia, including introducing the Anti-Racism Data Act to identify systemic barriers faced by Indigenous and Black people and people of colour when accessing government programs and services; launching our K-to-12 anti-racism action plan to improve learning experiences for racialized students and to equip teachers with tools to better identify and address systemic barriers for students of colour in our education system; and supporting Resilience B.C. Anti-Racism Network to address hate incidents and advance anti-racism initiatives in communities across British Columbia.

We’re also developing a broader anti-racism act, to be introduced next year, that will help make British Columbia a better and more equitable place for everyone. We’re committed to developing an anti-Black-racism strategy in partnership with Black communities in recognition of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent.

We reinstated the Human Rights Commission that was previously dismantled. We work with communities to redesign a new anti-racism program that works for them — as I mentioned, the Resilience B.C. program. We’ve almost doubled funding for the program to provide even more support for communities to work to prevent and respond to racism, supporting and expanding this project to 40 new communities.

B.C. is the only province in Canada with a dedicated integrated hate crimes policing unit. This team provides advice and guidance to police throughout the province investigating hate crimes. The B.C. Prosecution Service is also paying attention to hate activity and has developed a special policy to guide hate crime prosecutions. We formed a cross-ministry anti-hate and anti-racism working group to help find more ways to strengthen hate crime responses, including the AG and PSSG’s policing and security branch.

There’s so much ongoing work. I’m going to run out of time, but I’m going to say a little bit of it.

We’ve been working to reform the Police Act and fighting anti-Indigenous racism in health care. Collection of disaggregated race data. Introducing an anti-racism act, as I mentioned, that’ll commit all future governments to anti-racism work and to bringing an anti-racism lens to all decisions.

FORESTRY

M. Bernier: Good morning. Today it’s a pleasure to rise in this House to talk about the importance of our forestry sector.

I think everybody in this House will know that forestry basically has been a sector that has built this beautiful province of British Columbia. You don’t have to go much further than the rotunda of this amazing building to see the depictions of the resource sector and how it has helped build this province. Whether it’s oil and gas, agriculture, mining or forestry, we have the pictures and the paintings in the building here to remind us of those industries and what they’ve done to build our province.

I think we also need to remember that forestry is still one of B.C.’s number one exports. In fact, about 30 percent of our exports out of this province are from the lumber industry. I think we need to remind ourselves of that. This is not a sector that needs to be ignored, contrary to what some people seem to want to say — that we need to put an end to the forestry sector.

Let me think about this for a moment, with all of us. We hear people saying that we need to end oil and gas extraction. Yet we want to use the products, so they’re going to come from overseas. We hear people saying that they want to end the power generation capacity that we’re trying to build in the province of British Columbia. Yet we want to increase our power supply, so it’s going to come from dirty power generated in other jurisdictions into British Columbia.

Then, in forestry, we hear people saying that they want to put an end to logging. Yet we want to see the province of British Columbia grow. How are we going to grow this province if we’re not going to be doing it with the actual wood that we need to build the homes and the places for our families to live in? If we don’t do it here, we’ll be importing that from other jurisdictions.

To remember the importance of this sector, in 2019 — looking at the stats from that — over 100,000 people, approximately, were working in the forestry sector in the province of British Columbia. That creates $8 billion into our province for wages, for salaries and for benefits and $4 billion additional to that into government coffers. Where do we think the money comes from for building our schools, for building our hospitals, for paving our provincial roads? It comes from resource sectors like the forestry sector. We need to be reminding ourselves of that all the time — the importance these industries have for building our province.

[10:50 a.m.]

Right now I feel the forestry sector is in crisis. Yes, we know that changes are needed, but we also need to be focusing on and talking about what those changes are needing to be and making sure those supports are there.

In the last two months alone, we’ve seen 20 mills in the province of British Columbia go on curtailment, maybe going into indefinite closures and, unfortunately, in numerous cases, permanent shutdowns, with hundreds and hundreds of people losing their jobs.

That reminds me. You know, when we look at forestry, this is not an issue for rural B.C. alone. This is a provincial issue that we need to talk about. But I’ll tell you, it does hit home, I would argue, very quickly for rural B.C. when you have a mill shut down.

Case in point is, in my riding alone, the mill being announced for permanent closure in Chetwynd, a couple hundred jobs permanently lost. We forget about the spinoff jobs that are also affected and created when a mill is closed. In fact, as soon as the mill announced in Chetwynd that it would be shutting down, I drove to Chetwynd, and I started talking to people about the impacts that that would have on this community.

I was quickly reminded by families…. I had one woman that reminded me…. She is a nurse in Chetwynd. Her husband worked for 30 years at the mill. She can get a job anywhere, but he has lost his job, so she is going to probably be leaving that community and taking a very vital role with her — another nurse lost.

I had a teacher that told me she can get a job, fortunately, anywhere in the province, but when her husband lost the job at the mill…. They’re looking at having to move away. Another loss to our community in some of these other spinoff areas that I talked about.

Remember, when we look around the province…. Whether it’s Prince George, Mackenzie, Houston, Chetwynd, Merritt, down here on the Island, so many of our communities were built around the forestry sector. So for people to talk about this being a sunset industry, possibly, or not showing support or understanding the significance that forestry has in the province of British Columbia…. It really needs to be reminded that without this sector, this is a huge loss to the province of British Columbia.

This is not new. This has been looming on the horizon for years — the impact that the forestry sector is seeing themselves in. But we need to again remember that whether you’re in downtown Vancouver or Surrey, or whether you in Port Alberni or in Chetwynd, the forestry sector hits us all. We need to be reminded of that.

I’m appreciative of the time I have in the House here today to bring that awareness, to remind us again that forestry is something that we need to collectively be supporting. It’s something that we need to understand where the impacts are for our communities, understand where the impacts are for our companies that are struggling right now so we can collectively come together with supports, with policies that will continue to see a thriving forestry sector. That’s something that will help continue to build the province of British Columbia.

R. Russell: Thank you to the member opposite. I’m happy to say that I think I agree with almost everything you said.

I was at the Natural Resources Forum in Prince George recently, though, and I did hear a member of this House stand and speak to the fact that her priority was to retain as many natural resource jobs as possible. I disagree with that, and I’m happy to have a reason to disagree with people.

I’m here because I want our rural communities to thrive, as the member previous said. We want them to live up to their own potential. In places like Barriere or Burns Lake…. We know that’s going to look different in different communities, but we want our communities to have a thriving resource sector today and for generations to come. We want those great jobs in communities regardless of how and what those rural residents want to work on.

My priority is thriving rural communities where people get to do the rewarding work they love. Putting community voices and their values at the heart of their economic and social futures is certainly what I hear as a desire from rural communities.

[10:55 a.m.]

Yes, we’ve embraced difficult conversations around fires and beetles and old forests. We’ve done so with a view to long-term sustainability of our forest sector, not attempting to blow out as much corporate revenue as possible today by drawing down tomorrow’s assets but to deliver the best future we can for our rural communities for the decades ahead and for our children’s generations and beyond.

We certainly recognize that the private sector is a key partner in delivering this. That’s why we invest in the bright minds of the sectors and innovators broadly, directly in forestry but also through the ESG Centre of Excellence, the Centre for Agritech Innovation and other supports for the sector.

Similarly, the B.C. Manufacturing Jobs Fund. Recognizing that the private sector sometimes is challenged with that final capitalization push, the government announced $90 million to help support private sector innovation and value-added development so that we can help get more out of each cubic metre of fibre that comes out of the bush.

I’ve got a laundry list of recent investments demonstrating confidence from the private sector in B.C.’s. forest sector, hundreds of millions in acquisitions and investments from the sector, but no time to go through them all here.

It’s also clear that the private sector won’t deliver what British Columbians value without some help. Recent conversations about the path forward with business leaders in Chetwynd, Houston and Prince George show, reiterate, that these communities are full of skilled people with great ideas, but they need help unlocking that potential.

Canfor’s corporate decision-makers made the legally responsible decision to close mills that weren’t economically productive, even after two great years of record profits. That’s part of how they need to make those decisions, but that’s not us here in this place. We can put care for communities and economic sustainability of families front and centre of our decision-making, which is what our government has been doing.

Given that I’m sure that the member is out talking to rural community leaders, he’s heard the vision of these communities to build resilience in their region, to diversify their economies so that they’re more insulated from global volatility and lumber prices or simply to do more proactive planning about what they see as the future of their communities, given the dramatic changes that we’ve all seen in the last few years for rural, social and economic realities.

That’s precisely what B.C.’s rural economic diversification and infrastructure program is designed to do. It delivers that for these communities, as led by their priorities about where they want to go.

Our vision is to support communities with what they want to need, not to tell them what they want to need. Our vision for rural communities, inspired by their capacity, aims to help them build upon their strength and help enable them to reach their full potential.

We also, of course, all realize that private sector confidence and public trust rely on a regulatory and policy framework that works, and we’re making great strides to help try to fix this system. That was framed well by the old-growth strategic review where it says:

“Our strategic review of the management of old forests led us to conclude that despite the good intentions and efforts of many people, including government personnel associated with forest management development and implementation, the overall system of forest management has not supported the effective implementation or achievement of the stated…public objectives for old forests. This has not come about because of any one group or decision but…a pattern of many choices made over several decades within an outdated paradigm.”

There is a lot to fix, so we’re working with industry and communities, moving forward with overdue improvements to the system, such as landscape level planning. This process helps provide more opportunity for forest health and ecosystem health to properly come into the conversation around how we’re delivering our harvesting plans and will help everyone in the sector in the long run.

At the end of the day, the well-being of families is really at the heart of why we’re all in this place, I believe, and we are delivering $185 million over three years to enhance programs and to create more opportunities for them.

M. Bernier: One comment I’ll definitely agree on with the speaker before me is there is a lot that needs to be fixed. One thing for sure that we need to ensure we’re focusing on here, in the province of British Columbia, is certainty. Companies, communities, businesses and families need to understand what the goals are, the objectives are and where forestry fits into this province’s narrative.

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

They feel that that’s not being told right now. That story is not being told. Imagine working for 30 years in the forestry sector, being four or five years away from retirement, and being told that you’re losing your job. The mill is being shut down, but the saviour that’s coming in is: “Don’t worry. You’ll be trained for a different sector, maybe in a different city.” That’s considered what the future of British Columbia is?

[11:00 a.m.]

That is not what families want to hear. What families want to hear is what we are going to do collectively to ensure that we have a thriving forestry sector, one that’s supported by this House and by the province.

Case in point again will be that just last week we heard the President of the United States come out with his Buy American policy. That says that all future federal infrastructure programs built in the United States will be done with American-only wood. And 55 percent of British Columbia’s wood right now is exported, a majority of that to the United States.

It’s a little disappointing that we have a federal government in the United States that comes out with a fairly broad and blanket statement that’s going to negatively affect so many communities, families and jobs in British Columbia and Canada, yet we fail to hear any leaders speak out against it to support our people here. To me, that was a lost opportunity.

If we’re going to be supporting our resource sectors like forestry, then we need to be showing leadership. We need to be sending the message that this is not a sunset industry. We need to be sending the message to our communities — and to the business sector, frankly — that we have their back, that we’re going to create certainty, that we’re going to put policies in place so that they know that British Columbia is the right place to invest.

The reason why we’re seeing closures right now is because they don’t feel that confidence. They don’t feel like we have their back. They don’t feel like British Columbia is the safest place right now to invest in, and our communities and our families are paying the price for that. We need to step up and do better.

Hon. M. Dean: I ask that the House consider proceeding with Motion 3, standing in the name of the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed to Motion 3 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 Nanaimo–​North Cowichan to move the motion.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 3 — COVID-19 RESPONSE
AND PROTESTS

D. Routley: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

[Be it resolved that one year after the anti-vaccine protests in Ottawa and communities including Victoria, South Surrey, Kelowna and Cranbrook, this House denounces the freedom convoy protests and affirms that public health orders, including vaccine requirements, have been an essential tool in B.C.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.]

I would ask that all the members cast their minds back to the beginning of the pandemic, the spring of 2020, and remember the way our communities united, the way our communities came together in support of one another, the way we recognized a threat that we had never yet seen in our lifetimes.

My exposure to the notion of a pandemic was in historical photos and museums in the communities that I represent, such as Ladysmith, where there were influenza houses. Hundreds of people were treated there, and many died.

I’d like all the members to cast their minds back to the sense of purpose and common good that people felt at that time. I would ask them to remember in a sensory way what they felt, what they heard. What I heard were pots and pans every night at 7 p.m. What I heard were statements celebrating public health care workers as heroes, the heroes that they indeed were and still are.

That’s what I remember. Why? It’s because there was a sense that we were all in this together. Why? It’s because we were. In fact, it was through sacrifice and commitment that our communities remained as healthy as they have been and as resilient as they have proven to be coming out of the pandemic.

[11:05 a.m.]

We made sacrifices for one another. Those sacrifices were for seniors. At the beginning of the pandemic, some of the seniors facilities that were struck by COVID-19 had up to a 30 percent mortality rate.

This was a scary time. There were so many unknowns. We were asking ourselves to imagine the future and prepare for a new normal. I think we’d all be surprised if were able to look forward to this day and see how resilient our communities and our economy have been.

It was isolation and trauma. Mental health outcomes were dire for everyone, including students. But what did those students hear? They heard leaders standing together and supporting public health orders that were meant to protect our communities.

But then they started to hear something else. Then they started to hear a resistance and an unwillingness to cooperate with public health orders. Then they witnessed a convoy driving across the country, protesting orders that were meant to protect all of us. Then they saw the occupation of Ottawa.

Many of my friends live and work in Ottawa. One of my friends lives in the apartment building in which a fire was set in the lobby. Many of my friends walked through the city and were harassed because they wore masks or they were a different colour. This protest took on dark undertones from the beginning. There was harassment of health care workers. There were entries into public schools. There were threats made that didn’t sound at all like pots and pans celebrating health care workers.

Even in our own province, we’ve seen the outcomes of this. On February 12, convoy protesters broke through an RCMP barricade with several trucks. The member for Surrey South, then a sergeant with the RCMP, was on the scene that day, and I am grateful to her for the work she and her former colleagues did to keep people safe.

Protesters trapped several officers, surrounding them with what the RCMP described as a hostile mob. The member for Surrey South said that these kinds of acts of aggression and intimidation towards media or any member of the public are simply unacceptable, and she was and is right. That was what we needed to hear from leadership.

Unfortunately, we heard other voices as well, voices even in this House that praised the people who participated in those demonstrations, voices in this House who described those people as strong and good Canadians, even after the steps that had been taken, and that the member for South Surrey condemned, had happened.

I call on all members, all leaders in British Columbia to condemn these acts, to stand with public health orders and public health officers and denounce any voice — particularly in this House — that would challenge those orders and portray those people as good and strong.

T. Halford: I rise today to respond to the motion from the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank the member for Surrey South for her duty that she did. It was actually a chance where I got to meet her, as it was just actually a stone’s throw from my house.

First and foremost, I would like to extend a sincere thanks to everyone who stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic to help our province through this time of crisis. The member’s right: all sides of the House came together to ensure politics were put aside and that the priorities of British Columbians were the focus. That was the right thing to do. And I want to assure members of this House that from public safety to small businesses to health care workers, everyone is to be commended for their efforts.

It is a little bit disappointing, though, that this government is now choosing to focus its attention on events that happened over a year ago, in what certainly feels like an attempt to politicize an important public health issue in an attempt to sow division. Despite the member’s desire to play politics and reignite divisions, I believe there are many pressing topics impacting British Columbians that deserve our attention.

Day after day, we are hearing devastating stories — prior to COVID, during COVID and now — only to be dismissed by this government.

[11:10 a.m.]

Every single day for the last week and a half, I have kept in contact with Fayra Krueger’s parents. Fayra Krueger is a nurse from White Rock who was diagnosed with skin cancer and faced one unacceptable delay after the next because her surgery was delayed in December. It was done with an outdated scan.

Her parents watch this House every single day in the hopes that government will respond to an issue that is life or death to this young woman, to this nurse, to this health care worker that was actually working every day during the pandemic. I was banging pots and pans for her.

But right now, she needs this House. She needs every one of us to champion what she needs. And what she needs: she needs a feeding tube. She needs a feeding tube. A feeding tube, she’s been told, is a four-week delay. She’s losing weight every single day to the point where the doctors don’t know each day if they can continue with her radiation. So when her parents…. She’s watching the House today. I think they’re expecting something a little bit different. I don’t think that they’re alone.

Another British Columbian desperate for hope is Surrey resident Dan. Dan has been battling prostate cancer for over six years. He faced the choice of limited options that exist here in B.C. or going to Ontario to get MRI scans he needs.

To quote Dan: “They say all the right stuff on the news. I’ve heard the health minister bring up over and over again saying: ‘We’re doing this, and we are doing that.’ It’s not being done. There is no way I should have to go to Ontario to get an MRI. They can do an MRI here with a maximum wait of only one month — and the same for a biopsy. It could be a year before I get a biopsy.”

We all know that in times of crisis that we need to come together. Nothing is more evident than supporting our health care workers through that crisis. So I will continue to do that. I will do that every day. I will support people like my wife, who kept open a child care centre serving numerous parents throughout the pandemic, who had kids whose parents were health care workers, police officers, firefighters, because she knew how important it was every single day that those parents were working on the front lines to serve us.

To the nurse back home in White Rock right now who’s waiting for a phone call to say she can come in to get a routine procedure done which is a feeding tube which will ensure that she maintains her weight so that she can continue radiation: I’m going to stand up in this House and talk about it every single day I can.

M. Starchuk: Thank you to the member for Surrey–White Rock for his comments. I just want to try to bring it back to the point of the motion that is before us, and that is to denounce the convoy.

I stand here in the House today in support of the motion from the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan, which reads: “Be it resolved that one year after the anti-vaccine protests in Ottawa and communities including Victoria, South Surrey, Kelowna and Cranbrook, this House denounces the freedom convoy protests and affirms that public health orders, including vaccine requirements, have been an essential tool in B.C.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

These protests weren’t just in Ottawa, where they occupied the grounds of the Parliament. We had our own crowds chanting messages of COVID denialism and anti-vaccine conspiracies in my riding. To be clear, I support the rights of all Canadians to express their opinions in public display or the right to a peaceful protest. The protests at the border crossings in Surrey were anything other than peaceful on that one afternoon.

When you think of some of the common offences the police charge people during a protest, I think of unlawful assembly, when a group of people gather together in a way that makes other people worry the group will harm the people or damage some property.

[11:15 a.m.]

I remember the news footage of families in the cars who were caught up in the protest at the Douglas crossings who were absolutely fearful for their own safety.

I also think of the common offence of causing a disturbance, which is too much noise, loud fighting, swearing or blocking people who just want to get by. This protest at the Douglas border crossing was clearly defined by actions of causing a disturbance.

I want my grandchildren to grow up in a democratic world where they’re free to express their opinions; however, I would never expose my four-year-old grandson to the traumatic events of this type of protest, where violence and foul language would be the memories he’d have for years. This is where the freedom convoy seems to lose sight of the messaging of a vaccine mandate to an excuse to become disobedient to lawmakers.

I spoke with a long-haul truck driver who followed the health orders and was ready to go to work that day — a person who doesn’t get paid if the wheels on his rig don’t go around. He wanted to know why the right to protest and illegally block the roads was more important than his right to earn a wage for his family. How did we get here from the days where we celebrated our front-line heroes? Now we’re here blocking our supply chain drivers from getting to work and getting the supplies to everywhere else.

As the previous speaker, I want to take the time to thank the member for Surrey South, then a sergeant with the RCMP, who was on the scene that day. I’m grateful for her work that she and her former colleagues did in keeping people safe that day. As was repeated, the member for Surrey South said: “These kinds of acts of aggression and intimidation towards media, or any member of the public, are simply unacceptable.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement.

On the same day, protestors hurled racist comments at the member for Surrey South, attacking her for her Ukrainian heritage. I think in this House that I’ve made it very, very clear of what my heritage is as well. Good of her to speak about it but completely unacceptable and unfortunately reflective of messages of hate we frequently saw associated with these protests.

This leads me to some of the rallies that I saw near the north entrance of the Bennett Bridge in Kelowna. These large gatherers of unmasked adults and youth screamed at passing vehicles and intimidated pedestrians in the area. These protestors, with their cell phone video turned on, were trying to incite passers-by, to get their 15 minutes of fame.

What I find disappointing with these weekly intimidating and aggressive gatherings are the inactions of some of the MLAs in the area. Surely, one of the MLAs could have met with the group and provided them with some advice on how to protest in a respectful and peaceful manner.

K. Kirkpatrick: I rise to respond to the motion and note that, as elected officials, we indeed have the responsibility to work together and to uphold essential public health orders so that we can all emerge from the pandemic better, healthier and stronger.

A private member’s motion is meant to be a time for an elected member to make a proposal requesting the government to consider acting on an issue that affects the lives of British Columbians, the lives of British Columbians today.

During the height of the pandemic, both sides of this House worked cooperatively. We all set aside partisan politics, and we did what British Columbians would have expected us to do. In the evenings, we banged pots and showed our support for the health care workers and professionals in an unprecedented time.

As our province continues to face a wide range of challenges, from unaffordable housing and random street crimes to the overdose and health care crisis, the NDP chose this first private member’s motion of this legislative session to talk about a year-old issue rather than putting forward proposals to solve urgent crises faced by British Columbians today.

[11:20 a.m.]

This NDP government is doing its best to be divisive, to divide British Columbians, rather than help us all move forward to tackle the many urgent issues facing us today.

Specifically, housing prices and rents are higher than they’ve ever been. The cost of living is punishing families and making life less affordable every day. The government’s failed catch-and-release system is seeing four people a day randomly attacked in Vancouver alone, and a collapsing health care system sees one in five people without a family doctor.

We need actions and results on all of these issues, but apparently these issues are not the top of mind for this NDP government. The pandemic added insurmountable pressure to B.C.’s already overburdened health system. Public health orders have been enacted to protect people’s health, and there is so much more that this government needs to do to solve the province’s worsening crisis in primary care.

A recent report, 2022 Medimap Walk-in Clinic Wait Time Index, revealed that residents of North Vancouver, where I live and where I represent constituents, waited on average 160 minutes to see a doctor at walk-in clinics in 2022. Now, that’s inexcusable anywhere, but that’s my riding in the North Shore, and it is the longest wait time in Canada.

More than 7,600 people on the North Shore are on wait-lists for a family doctor every month, and that continues to get longer. It’s unacceptable. People on the North Shore are desperate for better access to primary care and can’t afford continued inaction by this government. It’s simply infuriating to watch other NDP members sit idly instead of taking action to deliver desperately needed results while our health care system on the North Shore is far from being the only one that’s suffering.

We B.C. Liberals put forward a 30-day action plan in July 2022, with further solutions a few weeks later, to address the primary care crisis. If the NDP truly cared about British Columbians’ concerns about the need for a family doctor and availability of specialists and services, they need to deliver fewer flashy announcements and provide better results.

Each of us in this House represents British Columbians. We must all remember that, and we must do what’s in the best interests of our constituents and our province. Each community is unique, and Canadians have a protected right to freedom of assembly to express their views in a lawful, peaceful and safe way.

What I support are the people of British Columbia, all the people of British Columbia, coming together to look towards a better future for all of us.

J. Sims: It’s my pleasure today to rise and speak in support of a motion from my colleague. This motion, to me, is about the work of this institution and of our democratic structures and democracy itself. I couldn’t agree more with the last sentence made by my previous colleague from the opposite side about the right to assembly, the right to speak out.

I will tell you this. Since a very young age, I have taken part in many protests. On my recent visit to India, I was shown a picture of when I was four years old sitting on my uncle’s shoulders as they are marching for freedom peacefully. This wasn’t like 500 people. What you could see in the background were thousands and thousands.

In the same way, many of you remember when I was on the doorstep of this Legislature speaking with thousands of people filling the streets of Victoria. That is peaceful demonstration.

[11:25 a.m.]

Absolutely I will defend — all of us would in this House — the right to peacefully gather and speak on issues, to protest. That is fundamental to democracy. Yes, democracy is messy, but someone much smarter than me wrote that democracy, as messy as it is, is much better than anything else that there is around for a form of governance. It behooves every single one of us, no matter where we sit in this House, to protect our democracy and our democratic institutions.

Over the last number of years, when COVID first came out, I saw some magic happening in British Columbia, in this House. I saw people from all sides. I saw people in communities banging pots to support. I saw people in here working together hand in hand to take on an unprecedented pandemic that hit us hard, hit the world. We are still reeling from it.

People were out there protesting. I say, even today, people who do not agree with actions of government have a right to protest, but that right comes with responsibilities, with accountability. That right is for peaceful protest. That right is not to go to a local MLA’s office and spit on the staff. It is happening right here in this province.

That right does not mean hurling racist slurs and hurting people in our communities. The member from South Surrey faced that, and we heard about it. I can tell you that there were people of colour, which is a term that is often used, who told me how scared they were and how they have been targeted by people carrying a flag we are all very proud of. But it has become a symbol for some of something else, a symbol of fear, because what it does is feed hate.

Every single elected official in this House should be able to stand up and, without any hesitation, condemn the behaviours that are violent, that are racist, that degrade others. Not only in this House but unequivocally, they should be able to stand outside, and they should speak out. If we, the elected officials, don’t bring back respectful discourse into disagreements and disagreeable situations, then we put our very democracy at risk — at risk. What we’re then saying is that those kinds of behaviours are acceptable, because we are not speaking out.

I’m going to call not just on the Leader of the Opposition but on every MLA in here to use their voice to condemn these behaviours. We want to protect our democratic institutions for our children and our grandchildren.

M. Lee: I rise in response to this motion, such as it is, before us. As the former Leader of the Official Opposition Andrew Wilkinson stated, we must fight the disease and not each other. This came from a place of recognizing that in the face of such an uncertain challenge as the COVID pandemic, we needed to collaborate with each other in this House and not be divisive.

As members of the Official Opposition, together with all members of this House, we supported compliance with the public health orders and vaccine requirements from the beginning of the pandemic. We also support the right of Canadians to express their views in a lawful, peaceful and safe way.

That’s why it’s so disappointing to see once again from this government this type of divisive motion being tabled this morning for their own political gain. But this is what British Columbians have come to expect from this government.

[11:30 a.m.]

We talk about democracy at risk. After all, with all the uncertainties of the pandemic facing our province and the sacrifices and moral burdens put on our front-line workers throughout British Columbia, the former Premier and this government took this as an opportunity for their own political gain, to break the fixed election laws of our province, their agreement with the Third Party, that spirit of collaboration with members of this House, and call a snap election on the eve of the second wave of the pandemic.

It’s no wonder that under this government’s six years in office as the most secretive government in Canada, British Columbians are losing trust in this government. As set out in the throne speech, there are a lot of challenges facing our province that this government continues to struggle with over their six years. In the face of their struggles, why would we spend this precious hour of private members’ time debating an event from over a year ago, when instead, we should be focusing on the real issues of concern to British Columbians right now?

It was only just last week that the House Leader for the government had a thoughtful discussion, including points made by the House Leaders of the official opposition and the Third Party, as to how we can more effectively use private members’ time on Monday mornings, including to consider private members’ bills. But on the heels of the discussion, this government brings forward this motion to deflect and divide and play politics once again with our time in this House. It’s no wonder that British Columbians are losing trust in this government, which continues to fail on addressing the many pressing issues we face.

British Columbians are rightfully worried about the high costs of living. Prices for housing, fuel, groceries — virtually everything continues to rise, and people are struggling. They’re living paycheque to paycheque and increasingly worried about how they’re going to cover their bills and pay off their debts. They’re losing hope of buying a home. The rental costs have skyrocketed. A promised renters rebate still has not been delivered by this Premier.

Public safety continues to be a serious concern, with an average of four people a day being randomly attacked in Vancouver alone, including in my riding of Vancouver-Langara — repeat offenders who are committing violent offences and property damage, leading people to lose their confidence in our justice system.

Every corner of our province is feeling the impacts of the crisis in health care. We continue to see, with the overdose crisis, that 11,000 British Columbians have lost their lives. One in five British Columbians cannot access a family doctor, and people are dying while waiting for ambulances.

Rising costs, including on the government’s discriminatory CBA regime to build new hospitals, have doubled and tripled as this government produces poorer and poorer outcomes. Hospitals are seeing ER closures and a reduction in services. They continue to be plagued by shortages of health care workers, many of whom feel muzzled, too fearful to speak about concerns for patient safety.

A recent report from Medimap shows that wait times for medical clinics in B.C. have nearly doubled since 2019, and British Columbians have had to wait more than triple the amount of time, 79 minutes, to see a physician at a walk-in clinic compared to residents of Ontario, who wait an average of 25 minutes. The government’s failed UPCC program hasn’t adequately addressed the problems patients are facing.

This House must be debating serious and pressing issues, not an event which happened over a year ago. Constituents in Vancouver-Langara care about how this government will improve life in B.C. We need this government to take responsibility and be accountable for the lack of action. British Columbians need measurable results from this government, not empty rhetoric and divisive motions like this.

A. Walker: It is my honour to join in this conversation here today. It reminds me of conversations I have with my elementary-school daughter when there are vegetables still on her plate, and how we can focus on everything and anything other than the vegetables on her plate.

The member for Vancouver-Langara said that we need to be spending this time to discuss serious and pressing issues for British Columbians. I can’t think….

Interjections.

A. Walker: The members are united in this, always.

[11:35 a.m.]

We’ve gone through this pandemic together. I ran after seeing elected officials stand together behind our provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, Dr. Penny Ballem and our Minister of Health. Hearing from the previous three members, who have affirmed the provincial health orders, I think that there is still unanimity in this House about that. I find that incredibly hopeful.

We have a strong and rich history in British Columbia of protest and civil disobedience. On Vancouver Island here, it was focused on Cumberland, the great Vancouver Island coal strike of 1912, two years on strike. When a miner would go down into a shaft with a helmet with a fish oil lamp on it, they knew they couldn’t put the helmet on the ground, because the gases would kill out the flame, and they definitely couldn’t put the helmet up, because it would ignite the tunnel. Two years on strike for workers’ rights.

The Fraser Mills strike, during the middle of the Depression, was fighting for equal representation and equal pay regardless of your racial background. The Solidarity movement in the ’80s, when the Social Credit government absolutely gutted all of the social services that British Columbians relied on.

These were movements that brought people together. The coal strike — thousands of workers. The Solidarity movement — 25,000 people gathered on the lawn out front. These were protests that were peaceful; they were lawful. They were fighting for not just those in the protest, but for broader British Columbians.

What we have seen over the last couple of years, through some of the protests that not a single member of the other side of this House has denounced…. The member for Kootenay East refers to some of these actions as “just bad apples; boys will be boys.” But when you have….

Interjection.

A. Walker: The member for Kootenay East is denying that he said that there will be a few bad apples. The challenge is that when you have a Remembrance Day ceremony and somebody hijacks the ceremony, yelling and swearing at the crowd when we were there in Kelowna to recognize veterans, that is disgraceful. Not a single member from the other side of this House has done anything to denounce that.

My wife is a nurse. She used to work at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, and the protests that took place at that hospital, berating and harassing staff showing up and leaving work, led to not only the RCMP getting involved but this House, all members, passing legislation to prevent these types of harassment.

Interjection.

A. Walker: All members. We agree, all members. But not a single member on that side of the House has denounced those actions. When a nurse goes to work and is spat at by a protester and nobody on the other side is going to denounce these actions, it’s duplicitous. We stand in this House and say we support health care workers, but when these things take place, they wouldn’t take a stand against it.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members.

A. Walker: I appreciate that this is agitating some of the members on the other side of the House.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members. Members, please come to order.

A. Walker: Again, it’s like my children with vegetables — different topics all over the place. What we’re here to discuss today — the motion is very clear — is that we denounce the actions of these protesters. Not a single member on the other side has done any such thing. The example of the secondary school in the Interior, where parents went into the school…. They had to do a lockdown. Imagine the impact on students going through that — this was filmed on camera — as a student was being berated with racial slurs.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members. Will the members please come to order.

A. Walker: I am hearing lots of chatter. The Chair is obviously enjoying this chatter. What I’m hoping is that some of the members, with their remaining time here today, can denounce some of these actions, can denounce some of these hateful….

Interjections.

A. Walker: None of you have denounced these actions in this House today, which is what this motion is about. To quote the member for Vancouver-Langara: this is not about “political gain.” This is about standing together to support people of British Columbia. I hope that they can join with us for this today.

P. Milobar: As the previous speaker just demonstrated, that is the problem with this government. It is nothing but, frankly, dog-whistle politics at its worst, trying to misconstrue and twist the slightest bit of wording anyone has ever said to fit their narrative.

I want to take this chamber back and the public back to just last week — not a year ago, like the government is trying to do but just a week ago — when the Government House Leader got up in this chamber and talked about making private members’ time a bit more relevant and a bit more productive.

[11:40 a.m.]

“Relevant,” to the average person, would mean “about things that are going on in the here and the now,” not from a year ago. Yet today we have this: a motion that’s sole purpose is to revisit a topic that has absolutely nothing to do with the real problems people are facing today, especially in health care. My colleague from Kamloops–South Thompson and myself have been raising the alarm bells about health care challenges in Kamloops for years — falling on deaf ears of these government members.

Rumours of toxic work environment and a lack of communication from administration — not followed up by this government. Staff shortages due to nurses being so burnt out and unhappy that they were forced to take leaves or exit their profession — not dealt with by this government. Patients facing increasingly long waits for care — not dealt with by this NDP government.

Closures of specialized units and loss of four critical care beds — not dealt with by this NDP government. Less operating capacity, leading to surgeries being cancelled or performed in cities like Kelowna, often by Kamloops surgeons needing to travel there to meet their Kamloops patient to perform a surgery despite having surgical suites in Kamloops sitting empty — not addressed by this NDP government.

On and on it goes. Two in five Kamloopsians without a family doctor. Acute care beds in Royal Inland filled with patients waiting upwards of a year to get into a long-term-care facility. Patients being sent to Salmon Arm for diagnostic tests. Let’s not forget that long promised but never delivered upon cancer centre by this NDP government. Again, I could go on and on if the government members were actually interested in talking about real health care issues, whether they be in Kamloops or across B.C. But, no, they would rather try to talk about events from a year ago that have zero relevance today.

We could spend this hour discussing the government’s lack of action on other issues, like public safety, where we have an average of four people a day randomly assaulted on the streets of Vancouver. We could talk about record high rents and speculate on when the government’s renters rebate — twice promised, never delivered — might be coming. Maybe we should start wagering on which will come first: the renters rebate or the cancer centre in Kamloops.

We could talk about the government’s failure to bring down housing prices, making the dream of home ownership completely unattainable for young people. In fact, now it’s the dream of actually being able to afford to rent a place that’s unattainable under this NDP government’s watch.

Cost-of-living crisis, soaring gas prices, grocery bills that make you do a double take and the fact that nearly half of British Columbians are just $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month. But again, we’re not discussing that in any great detail here today, because of this government.

It’s kind of interesting that this motion would come forward trying to focus on protesters when you consider that the only party in this place whose leader — that being our Premier of British Columbia — literally wrote the book on not just how to protest, but how to inflict maximum disruption to the public and areas to be noticed while walking the tightest line possible to not be arrested. And if you are, in fact, one book was: How to Sue the Police. That’s this government’s leadership that is talking about protest and maximum disruption to the public. The book was literally written by this Premier.

In closing, I agree with the sentiments expressed by the Government House Leader last week. Our Monday morning private members’ time should be spent doing much more productive, much more serious current issues about the failures of this government delivering. This should serve as a productive time to scrutinize things and explore new ideas, not rehash year-old events that have nothing to do with the here and the now.

R. Leonard: I rise today in support of the motion of the member from Nanaimo–North Cowichan that this House denounce the continuing Freedom Convoy protests and affirms that public health orders, including vaccine requirements, are an essential tool in B.C.’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early 2020, we became aware of the global threat that became known as COVID-19. As the weeks and months went by, more was learned about how the virus worked, and advice was refined. Different jurisdictions handled the threat in different ways.

[11:45 a.m.]

Here, in British Columbia, we have the great fortune of having the experience and talent of Dr. Bonnie Henry to guide us. Her credentials with SARS in Toronto, Ebola in Uganda, polio eradication in Pakistan…. All of her expertise inspired confidence. Her public health orders kept us on a path to reduce the impacts of the virus, reducing illness, reducing death and reducing social and economic impacts.

British Columbia fared so much better than many other jurisdictions because of her public health expertise. We fared better, to echo the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant, by paddling together as we all faced a common enemy. We could not afford to be led by political ideology.

The Premier freed the people of B.C. from worrying about political interference by making it clear that the public health officer was the person with the expertise and authority on the public health emergency that was the pandemic. And the Minister of Health welcomed the leadership of other parties to truly work together in a cohesive way. We knew we could not afford to be fractured if we were to conquer COVID-19.

So 2021 became the year of the vaccine, and by 2022 we were really opening up. COVID-19 is still here, as it always will be in all its evolving forms. But we have tools, vaccines and boosters and well-learned practices like handwashing and mask-wearing and staying home when sick, to move forward with greater freedom. But our strongest tool is that we recognize that we are all in this together, which is why it is so important for leaders to stand together today to continue to affirm public health orders and for leaders not to fan the flames of dissent based on misinformation and extremism that threaten the very foundation of our collective success.

Resilience in the face of a pandemic, as we found, requires everyone, including leaders, to come together for everyone’s sake. In this entire House, every member carries the responsibility to support the people of British Columbia and the systems that serve them to build that resilience.

We have seen resistance in the convoy protest built on spreading misinformation and unsupported by science. For instance, Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading US public official, portrayed misinformation that is nonsense and very dangerous, causing unnecessary deaths. Resistance built on misinformation subverts the resilience we need to weather the extreme circumstances and changing dynamics of the common enemy, COVID-19. Leaders who remain silent and those who support such efforts undermine people’s confidence in our public health system and weaken our resilience.

And resistance that is anything but peaceful must be denounced. It’s not just a few bad apples, as one member of the opposition publicly stated when a hostile mob of protesters surrounded the RCMP or swarmed the media. These are not great Canadians, as he called them. Whether it’s harassing a shop owner, obeying public health orders or spitting on people or intimidating others, the innocent people of B.C. should not be seen as collateral damage in any cause.

The former RCMP member, now in official opposition, has been quoted often this day, and I say thank you, when she said at the time that these kinds of acts of aggression and intimidation towards media or any member of the public are simply unacceptable. It’s been a year. In the “better late than never” category, now is a good time for every leader in this House to stand as one in affirming our public health officials’ orders.

It’s sad that we are not still hearing from the opposition today on the matter. It’s time to denounce the dangerous comments, intimidation tactics and illegal actions of the so-called freedom convoy protests that continue to reverberate in our communities today.

S. Bond: I start with a quote: “At this unique time, partisanship has left the building.” I remind the members that the person that actually said that was the former Premier of British Columbia, and apparently he took those sentiments out the door with him, because what we see this morning is absolutely disappointing.

[11:50 a.m.]

When the members opposite stand up in this House and try to imply, for example, that members on this side of the House did not support public health orders…. That is incorrect, and they should actually think about the words they uttered in this House.

Let us be perfectly clear. We believe that Canadians have the right to express their views in a lawful, peaceful and safe way.

The motion this morning, and it’s very frustrating, is unbelievable in the sense that there is only one purpose for this motion, and it is transparent — that is, to further divide and inflame conflict in our province, rather than one that actually seeks to bring people together.

This is from a government whose members have been standing up and talking about the welfare of all British Columbians. This is the government that called an election in the middle of a pandemic. Maybe they should go back and look at what the public health officer thought of that decision.

The members opposite know full well that we supported public health orders during the pandemic. All of us did that in this House, because we knew that we needed to set aside partisan politics. In fact, maybe the members have forgotten this in their memory as well. In what was described as a historic one-day sitting, historic, $5 billion was allocated for pandemic support — which, by the way, was approved unanimously in this Legislature.

Each and every one of us in this House supported the guidelines the public health officer put in place in the interests of keeping people safe. We encouraged people to follow health orders and get vaccinated. Sometimes that even came with great personal cost, including individual members’ safety in their own communities. We stand by that work because it was the right thing to do.

However, as we know, we need to move forward. We need to move into a new chapter. One of the things we need to do, which is why this is so disappointing, is work to heal the wounds that were created during a divisive time in our province. This motion does absolutely nothing to actually give confidence or trust.

We have just come through a multi-year crisis in this province, whether it was emotional, physical or, in many cases, financial impacts. Every single one of us needs to be working to heal those wounds, not stoking the flames.

As part of that journey forward, we can’t spend our time looking backwards, focusing our attention on moments of division. We have to remind ourselves of the good that is done when we actually work together. We need to focus on the things that matter most to British Columbians.

Our time here in the Legislature is absolutely limited, and what are we talking about this morning? Division, politics and a lack of willingness to look at some of the things that matter most to British Columbians.

The members can smile, but I’ll tell you what. There are British Columbians today on wait-lists in this province who may well die there because we don’t have enough doctors. We don’t have ER space. What are we talking about? We’re debating whether or not all of us agree that when Canadians express their views, it should be done in a safe, peaceful and responsible way.

We have so much to do in this province, yet here we are, talking about this motion. It does absolutely nothing to solve the challenges that are facing British Columbians.

We need to get serious about investing in housing, mental health, public safety and health care. It means looking around and ensuring that we are in line with other jurisdictions. And yes, that includes finding a pathway back to work for all British Columbians, like other jurisdictions right across this country have done. It’s time we did that too. We’ve called for that since last June.

Today is a disappointing day in the Legislature, and I’ve been here a long time. It is time for us to set aside those partisan differences and concentrate on what British Columbians care about most: their health, their ability to buy a house in this province and afford their groceries every single day.

B. D’Eith: The members of the opposition talk about division. Well, this this should be a no-brainer, this motion. We should all be voting together on it. That’s what I don’t understand.

[11:55 a.m.]

Instead, they’re talking about anything but the motion. I wonder why. The right to peaceful protest is a very important part to free, democratic society.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Interjection.

B. D’Eith: How about letting me speak, Member.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Shhh, Members.

Members. Members will come to order, please.

Let’s finish it off.

B. D’Eith: As MLAs, we’ve all witnessed many protests in front of the Legislature and in our offices. Many of these protests are peaceful and driven by passionate issues. The so-called Freedom Convoy was something entirely different. This protest presented a threat to public health and affected supply…

Interjections.

B. D’Eith: Hon. Speaker, I can’t even speak…

Mr. Speaker: The member has the floor.

Please continue.

B. D’Eith: …to something that’s very important, something that affected critical supply chains. Beginning in early 2022, protests and blockades were created to protest the vaccine mandates for crossing the U.S. border. The convoy converged in Ottawa. It blocked the capital, and it blocked critical trade routes.

In Ottawa, protesters desecrated public monuments, drinking and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and placing an upside-down Canadian flag on the Terry Fox monument. Some carried Canadian flags with swastikas and Confederate flags.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

B. D’Eith: Ottawa residents described being afraid and feeling trapped in their homes as trucks spilled over into the parliament area surrounding residential areas, around the clock trucks honking and harassing businesses.

Now, that convoy was condemned by the trucking industry and labour groups. The Canadian Trucking Alliance stated that most protesters had no connection to trucking. Officials raised concerns that some of the protesters were involved with far-right extremist groups, including the promotion of violence.

Near the blockade in Coutts, Alberta, multiple weapons were seized and people were charged for conspiracy to commit murder against the RCMP. Officers raised concerns of some of the far-right protesters that were actually calling for the government to be overthrown in Canada.

As protests continued, it became violent in B.C. On February 12, the convoy protesters broke through an RCMP barricade at the B.C.-U.S. border, and several commercial trucks and a military-style vehicle rammed through. The member for Surrey South, then a sergeant for the RCMP, was on the scene. The protesters trapped several officers, surrounding them in what the RCMP described as a hostile mob.

That same day protesters hurled racist comments at the member for Surrey South. Well, I’m grateful for her and the work that she did, and the quotes that she has made have been read out.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, both sides.

B. D’Eith: She is right.

Now, after that clear show of violence and anti–public health and anti-science misinformation, the member for Kootenay East stood in this very House and said that the convoy protesters were great Canadians. He urged the government to listen, bring in and recognize those strong Canadians. In an earlier Freedom Convoy event in Cranbrook, protesters read out a letter of support from the member for Kootenay East. At the height of the illegal protests, the member said to protesters: “Government needs to listen, bring in and recognize these strong Canadians.”

Another member of the opposition, the member for Kelowna-Mission, sought support from the convoy protesters during her leadership, and she called for an immediate end to the vaccine passport rules, despite the public health officer saying the passport was one of the most important tools that we have.

The member for Nechako Lakes, who now sits as an independent, was never called out for his views in the same way.

Is the Leader of the Opposition going to denounce the anti-science and extreme comments from these members and others in his caucus? Or is he still going to have this big tent party that welcomes right-wing extremist views?

Under his leadership, the B. C. Liberals with anti–​public health views appear to be free to spread misinformation. Will he stand today and unequivocally denounce these dangerous comments by his members, or, as we saw today, will the members remain silent for fear of alienating their base?

B. D’Eith moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. M. Dean moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

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

The House adjourned at 12 noon.