Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Hon. P. Alexis: It’s a pleasure to have someone come from home to witness what goes on in the House. Today it’s my absolute pleasure to introduce my dear friend Jim Hinds. Jim and I sat together on council between 2014 and 2018. Now Jim fills his time at the Mission food bank and for the Mission Rotary Club, but he has a long history of volunteerism in the community. I call him, in addition to a good friend, volunteer extraordinaire.

Would the entire House please give Jim a warm, warm welcome from Mission.

Hon. M. Farnworth: As most members of this House have learned over the years, I’m incredibly proud of my community of Port Coquitlam, which, this coming Saturday, celebrates its 100th continuous May Day community parade.

At the head of that parade, though, will be a very special individual. He used to work for me. He’s probably the only other person who has as much love for his community as I do. He’s joined here today by his wife, Blaire, and his two sons, Owen, age two, and Liam, who is age six.

The individual that I am talking about was elected as one of the youngest city councillors in the history of Port Coquitlam. He beat my record by six months. He was elected as one of the youngest mayors in the history of Port Coquitlam and certainly has made a name for himself throughout this province.

Would the chamber please give a very big welcome to one of the best mayors in this province, Mayor Brad West.

K. Falcon: Today in the gallery, we’re joined by a longtime former colleague of many of us, the former cabinet minister under the Premiers Glen Clark, Dan Miller and Ujjal Dosanjh, a longtime fighter for….

Interjections.

K. Falcon: Oh, he’s on the floor, of course. Now allowed to sit on the floor of the Legislature, of course, is a former MLA and a longtime fighter for rural issues and labour issues and, by the way, the latest member of B.C. United.

Will we welcome Harry Lali with us here today.

[10:20 a.m.]

Hon. K. Conroy: It gives me a great deal of pleasure to introduce a couple of people in the gallery, Jessie and Justine Sutherland.

Jessie’s here in Victoria this week to receive a B.C. Community Achievement Award. She’s a founder of the organization Intercultural Strategies. She helps leaders and groups build cultures of belonging to create change in an inclusive and positive way. She works with organizations and communities to encourage diversity, build belonging and ignite intercultural collaboration.

Her work has actually been delivered in over eight languages and taken her across Canada and around the world to support communities in their efforts to address challenging issues, including poverty, homelessness, the overdose crisis, elder abuse, reconciliation, youth engagement, bullying, workplace inclusion and more.

Of course, Justine is Jessie’s daughter. She is a grade 6 student who is passionate about developing her circus skills and taking care of the environment.

Would everyone please join me and welcome them to the chamber.

S. Furstenau: I have a few introductions.

Here today in the gallery is Viveca Ellis, the executive director of the Centre for Family Equity, formerly the Single Mothers Alliance. I want to congratulate Viveca and the Centre for their transition to a new name and thank them for all of the work they do on behalf of people in British Columbia.

I ask that the members make Viveca most welcome today.

It’s the last day of session. It’s the last day with our interns. We haven’t introduced them yet this session, so I’m just going to take a moment to introduce our two interns, Kayla Brent and Jacob Schoeber.

Kayla has taken every task thrown at her and not only done it well but done it with grace and confidence. She needs to write a book about her last six years. She has spent time in every part of the Green universe — the constituency office, the riding association, the party, and now the caucus. She’s done the tour de Green, all before her mid-twenties, and after seeing all four options, she’s picking a career in winemaking. She’s conquered politics, and she’s off to conquer the wine industry.

We are going to miss Kayla’s quick mind and her ability to take on anything. We know she will continue to change the world for the better. As Kayla well knows, the B.C. Greens are indeed Hotel California, so we expect to see her back.

Jacob refers to himself as the other intern, but he is certainly not secondary. Jacob has charmed us with his candour, a record speed meme-maker and an excellent source on electoral information. He’s a lover of free food, public health and healthy democracy. Our staff will remember him fondly for his quirks, including the time where he raved about a show about a guy who faked his way into a law firm, to which they all replied, “You mean Suits?”

Jacob is turning his attention to the world of law school next. We have no doubt he will continue to blaze a trail forward for good governance, transparency and accountability.

We are very grateful to Jacob and Kayla for their hard work and contributions to this place, and we wish them the very best in their next chapters.

Hon. J. Whiteside: I’m really pleased today to be able to welcome to the gallery the staff who work in my ministry office: Isabella Lee, Jada Smith, Thomas Jin and Erica Greenup. Not in the chamber but surely watching is my chief of staff, Seamus Wolfe. I am very grateful to all of them for their support over the course of the session and for all of the work they do on an ongoing basis.

It’s a bit bittersweet today, though, because we are losing Erica at the end of the session. She is moving on to a position in the public service as a policy analyst where she is going to bring her infectious energy, her sharp analysis and her extraordinary talent, so we will be very lucky to continue to benefit from her work.

Thank you very much for all of your service, Erica.

Would the House please join me in making them very welcome today.

I. Paton: Today we have some special guests in the House that are related to our great Sergeant-at-Arms, Ray Robitaille.

I want to say, first of all, a thank-you to Mr. Robitaille and the great security people that keep us safe here. I’ve certainly noticed more staffing now at our doors in the last six months or a year, and it’s great to see the job that Ray’s doing.

I want to say that Ray’s wife Carol is with us today, and his daughter Anna Robitaille and her boyfriend Braydon Newfelt are here today. I believe they’re from Calgary. They’re sort of related to my wife and I’s best friends in Ladner, but that gets very complicated.

[10:25 a.m.]

Anyways, thank you, Ray, for all your good work.

Please welcome Ray’s family up above.

K. Falcon: I want to take a moment. This is less an introduction but more a thanks, on behalf of, I’m sure, both sides of the House.

To all the security staff, all the staff that work in these buildings to make it possible for us to do the work we do here every day on behalf of the people: thank you for the work you do. It’s appreciated.

I know, Mr. Speaker, that you would very much echo those sentiments, but I’m saying them, hopefully, channelling you through me.

A. Singh: June 21 is International Day of Yoga. We celebrate physical and spiritual well-being. I encourage all members of this House to get out on that day and do some yoga.

I also wanted to say hello to Jessie Sutherland, one of my constituents who the Minister of Finance announced ear­lier.

A. Olsen: Today is the last opportunity for my colleague and I to raise our hands in gratitude to someone who’s played an integral role in our team, in the policy work that we’ve…. The work that we’re able to accomplish in here is, in large part, due to the incredible work of Hailey May.

It’s with sadness that we say that Hailey is going to be leaving the B.C. Green caucus and moving on to do other work in the B.C. government. We’re very pleased she will continue to work on behalf of the people of British Columbia because we’ve known Hailey to be one of the best and supports my colleague from Cowichan Valley and I in a way that few have been able to. Hailey has been the policy lead for our health work, our work in Indigenous relations and reconciliation, public safety, mental health and addictions.

One of the things about the policy team in the B.C. Green caucus is that you usually carry a very, very heavy workload, and Hailey has done so with grace and with incredible work on our behalf. So we just want to raise our hands in gratitude to Hailey, thanking her for everything that she’s done to support us, and also on behalf of British Columbians, to raise these important issues. We’re sad to see her go but excited for the next steps in her career.

H. Yao: Today I want to take a moment to express our gratitude to Hang Fong Tsang. He’s turning 100 on May 28. I know we don’t sit on May 28. That’s the reason I want to take today to actually wish him a happy birthday.

I’m asking all the members and calling the House to wish him a happy birthday, for turning 100 is definitely a miraculous act. Thank you, everyone.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL M225 — FRASER VALLEY
TRANSIT SERVICES ACT, 2023

T. Halford presented a bill intituled Fraser Valley Transit Services Act, 2023.

T. Halford: I move the bill entitled the Fraser Valley Transit Services Act, 2023, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read for a first time.

Now, as the Fraser Valley transit strike continues well into its second month, it’s imperative we ensure vulnerable people who can’t otherwise get around are finally prior­itized. For too long, people with disabilities have been left out without transit options in the Fraser Valley and have had to turn to costly, unsustainable and sometimes nonexistent options.

With non-resolution in sight, it’s clear that emergency measures need to be taken to ensure those most vulnerable aren’t paying the price any longer.

People like Sarah Pringle, who, as someone who’s been dependent on the handyDART services for years due to a degenerative back condition, was no longer able to get transportation, as it was not considered an emergency service under handyDART. It is unacceptable to leave people like Sarah abandoned any longer.

Today I introduce the Fraser Valley Transit Services Act, 2023, that, if implemented, would ensure handyDART vehicles get back on the road as soon as possible to help people with disabilities that have been disproportionately impacted by the transit strike.

I will add Trevor Klassen as one of those people as well. Trevor has not been able to get to his appointments. He’s been dependent on handyDART services in the Fraser Valley. That has been nonexistent. He is now relying on friends and family and other costly means.

[10:30 a.m.]

We also talked about a brain injury victim. I canvassed this with the minister in estimates. I think he agreed with me wholeheartedly that these were essential services. I look forward to his support.

With that, I think that this bill is very important, and I look forward to the dialogue ahead.

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

Motion approved.

T. Halford: I move the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Bill M225, Fraser Valley Transit Services Act, 2023, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

MOOSE HIDE ANTI-VIOLENCE CAMPAIGN

D. Clovechok: It’s an honour today to rise in this House to share a story and the message of Moose Hide Campaign Day.

It’s a day grounded in ceremony, a call to join in reconciliation and demand the end of gender-based violence in British Columbia and Canada. In 2011, a father and a daughter were hunting moose in northern B.C. together, which is kind of cool, because I have hunted with my own daughter. They felt a connection to their surroundings within their Carrier territory along with the Highway of Tears, a 725-kilometre corridor of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert where so many women have gone missing or have been murdered.

They were inspired to use the hide of the moose they harvested to create 25,000 pins as symbols of this anti-violence movement. Wearing the pin signifies your commitment to honour, to respect and protect the women and children in our lives and speak out against gender-based and domestic violence.

Today over three million pins are being worn across Canada as a symbol of this commitment. The small square of moose hide stays pinned to my lapel 365 days a year. It has opened so many interesting conversations for me and others about how we must fight for a safer province and country for women and for children.

As a husband, as a father of boys and girls, it’s a difficult topic to discuss, but it needs our attention, and it needs our continuing commitment. Women and children are counting on us to amplify their voices, name the issue and work towards change.

Shockingly, Stats Canada reports that one in three women will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. The devastating impact of these experiences can’t be overstated. The heartache and the trauma left behind by these experiences can affect every aspect of daily life, tearing apart the world of the survivor and their families.

I end with some thoughts. If you witness violence, say something. We must focus on educating each other and our children that violence is not the way. It’s not okay. Let’s do this for ourselves, our wives, our daughters and our sisters, our nieces, our mothers and our friends.

It is by standing up for the rights of women and girls that we truly measure up as men. So please wear your moose hide patch with the purpose and intent it was created for.

SURREY CRIME PREVENTION SOCIETY
YOUTH VOLUNTEERS

J. Sims: Last week Surrey Crime Prevention Society celebrated 486 volunteers, the majority youth who, in one year, have given 22,943 hours to delivering community safety programs in Surrey.

Karen Reid Sidhu, executive director since 2012, is proud of the work SCPS does, of the strong community partners and of her directors and her staff. But her true passion comes through when she talks about the volunteers, her volunteers.

In the past ten years, 4,600 SCPS volunteers have given 275,000 hours to improving safety in the community. Most of these volunteer hours are not glamorous. They are spent patrolling various Surrey communities in all types of weather, as late as 2 a.m., removing graffiti, standing by the side of the road registering speed, etc.

Every year the volunteers are thanked for their excellence, their personal and professional growth and their dedication to the community. This year Arshpreet Dhillon, Arjun Gill, Michael Peeters, Dante Negrin, Ayush Prasad, Adam Omar, Rajan Bhandal, Amandeep Brar, Sandeep Kaur and Gursharn Khattra were given awards for their outstanding commitment.

I would also like to congratulate Eshaun Brar, a Sullivan Heights student in my riding who received the Pursuit of Excellence award.

[10:35 a.m.]

Finally, congratulations to Adithya Sujatha Moncy, Vol­unteer of the Year winner, who has donated 1,400 volunteer hours in one year.

Thank you to Surrey Crime Prevention Society for providing a platform for young people to develop skills, engage with their communities and explore potential careers.

Thank you to the 486 volunteers who find time in their busy schedules to make a difference.

MEMORIAL CUP HOCKEY TOURNAMENT
IN KAMLOOPS

T. Stone: Well, as much fun as we’ve had together over the past number of months in this place, I think everyone in this House is eager for the spring sitting to come to an end so that we can head back to our ridings and engage with our constituents over the coming months, attending a number of exciting community events and enjoying some moments of free time with our loved ones as well.

For myself and the member for Kamloops–North Thompson, we’re also really eager to return home for this year’s Memorial Cup. Now, Kamloops is proud to be hosting this exciting event from May 26 to June 4 at the Sandman Centre. Despite our beloved Kamloops Blazers coming oh so close in their recent west division championship finals with the Seattle Thunderbirds, as the host team — and after another amazing season, I might add — the Kamloops Blazers will have a place in the Memorial Cup tournament alongside the winners of the WHL, the OHL and the QMJHL playoffs.

Regardless of who you cheer for, there is much fun to be had off the ice, as well, during Memorial Cup week, whether it’s the Molson Canadian Hockey House, the Fan Zone at the Sandman Centre, the youth day ball hockey tournament downtown or the many other festivities that are planned for residents and visitors.

I want to thank, as the member for Kamloops–North Thompson does as well, the organizers, the sponsors and the volunteers who are all working so hard to make this event a raging success. You are truly upholding Kamloops’ reputation as Canada’s tournament capital.

Of course, I want to end by wishing our host team, the Kamloops Blazers, the best of luck as they seek the ultimate victory, the Memorial Cup.

After a nearly 30-year hiatus, we are ready to welcome everyone in Kamloops again.

MICHAEL SATHER AND
DEMENTIA AWARENESS

N. Simons: Today I’d like to talk about an old friend and colleague, Michael Sather, who served in this House as the MLA for Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows from 2005 to 2013.

Michael grew up on a small farm in Alberta. He became a wildlife biologist, a teacher, a wilderness guide and a mental health counsellor before getting elected. He brought his broad knowledge and skills with him to this place.

He always spoke his mind and stuck to his principles, no matter what the consequences. He was a man of great integrity. While in politics, he raised important issues such as mental health, homelessness, the protection of farmland and the importance of biodiversity, among other issues.

The story that always got people talking was his story about encountering a grizzly. Back in the late ’70s, Michael and his biologist partner were attacked by a grizzly sow who was protecting her two cubs. Both biologists were hospitalized after the mauling. Michael’s scar on his head was a permanent reminder of that encounter.

Years later Michael and former MLA Guy Gentner used to hike a lot together. My guess is that Gentner was there to scare away the bears. They were in a bookstore in Canmore after a hike, and Guy noticed the book Bear Attacks and saw that it included the account of Michael’s mauling. He told the shopkeeper. Michael had no idea that his story had been published. Before you knew it, he was happily autographing books and maybe showing off his scar to the tourists.

Well, Michael was recently diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a rare form of dementia characterized by difficulty in word-finding which could lead to the grad­ual loss of the ability to speak, read, write or understand what others are saying. In fact, Michael diagnosed himself. He knows the disease, and he understands the impact this will have on others. He also knows how important it is to remain social and active, how important it is for families to be supported and how crucial it is for us to continue to search for a cure.

The Purple Angel dementia group can offer support. The Alzheimer Society provides information, and CLEAR stands for Canadians for Leading-Edge Alzheimer’s Re­search, to which all donations are tax deductible.

Michael lives with his spouse, writer and conservationist Annette LeBox. She has two children, Christian and Sara, and four grandchildren.

[10:40 a.m.]

TRANSIT FOR TEENS CAMPAIGN

S. Furstenau: I am delighted to talk about Transit for Teens, a campaign led by the Centre for Family Equity. The Transit for Teens campaign advocates for the province to allow free transit for kids up to age 18 in every transit system in B.C.

Mobility is a basic human right, and access to transpor­tation is essential for people to participate fully in society. For youth, in particular, the ability to access school, extracurricular activities and employment opportunities is critical to their development and future success. Unfortunately, for many families, the cost of transit is a significant barrier to accessing these essential services.

We can’t afford to leave our most valuable resource, our youth, out. We need to recognize that youth age 13 to 18 are equally deserving of universal access to basic mobility and must be included in this important program. They are at a crucial development stage, and providing them with free transit is essential to their physical, mental and social well-being.

Extending free transit to all youth is a matter of equity and social justice. Many families, particularly those from marginalized communities, struggle to afford necessities such as food, housing and health care. By providing free transit to all youth, we can end mobility poverty and level the playing field to ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities and services.

Extending free transit to all youth up to age 18 has the potential to create a more sustainable society and promote transportation options crucial to addressing climate change. By removing the cost barrier to transit, we can destigmatize the use of public transportation and reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. It is a win-win solution, Hon. Speaker.

We have an opportunity to create a new culture of green transportation rooted in generations to come, while promoting active transportation among youth. Transit for Teens is the answer.

YOUTH POETRY AND
CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERNS

R. Glumac: Over the last couple weeks, I have had the pleasure of reading poetry from two Port Moody Secondary students during our morning reflections.

I put a call out for poetry a few months ago. I wanted to give young people a chance to speak directly to us, the leaders, the ones working to address the big challenges we face together as a society. The poems that I received were creative and reflective. A lot of them also conveyed concern for the future.

As we look around the world today, we do see things that are causing concern. We see wildfires burning out of control in our neighbouring province in May. We see temperatures of 31 degrees a few days ago in the Northwest Territories, beating the previous record by four degrees. Across the ocean in Vietnam, we see temperatures of 44.2 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded in that country. The last eight years have been the eight hottest years on record globally, and more records are going to be broken each and every year. This is the world that our young people are growing up in.

“A better future sees change,” writes Emma Durmishaj. “We can all arrange a world that’s better for us all,” writes Sreenithya Mankala. And we can.

Despite the great work that we’re doing here in this House, temperatures continue to rise. We can do even more in this House and in Houses like this all around the world.

Let’s all build a better future for the next generation.

Oral Questions

REPORTS ON
MANAGEMENT OF B.C. HOUSING

K. Falcon: Another day, another new revelation in the Premier’s B.C. Housing scandal. On multiple occasions yesterday during question period, and then when I questioned him during the Premier’s estimates, this Premier fervently denied the existence of a third Ernst and Young report. His exact words were: “I’m not aware of a third report.”

[10:45 a.m.]

Then all of a sudden, ten minutes later, a miracle. His memory was refreshed. Isn’t that remarkable? Usually it takes the Premier 24 hours before he refreshes his memory, as he did when he denied knowing about the earlier very damning BDO report on B.C. Housing. This previously unknown third Ernst and Young report, which has never seen the light of day, remains hidden behind a web of non-disclosure agreements that this Premier, while Housing Minister, forced on the former board members of B.C. Housing.

My question to the Premier. With the total mismanagement that has happened under his watch, while he was the Housing Minister and responsible for B.C. Housing…. Will he release this third report immediately and finally allow British Columbians to understand the whole scope and scale of this B.C. Housing scandal?

Hon. D. Eby: When I was appointed Housing Minister, it was apparent to me that we needed an external team to come in and do a review of B.C. Housing to make sure that controls were in place. Ernst and Young was the firm that was retained after I directed the public service to do that. They came in. They did an extensive review of B.C. Housing. Their report was published.

During that work, individuals from B.C. Housing came forward with very serious allegations, with information, to the review team, about systematic efforts by the then CEO to avoid the conflict-of-interest agreement that was meant to regulate his relationship with his partner, who was the CEO of Atira. They were supposed to stay clear of that conflict of interest. What they found was that wasn’t happening.

They provided the information to me. That was a profound concern. It was provided through the public service. It caused the former Finance Minister and myself to approach the comptroller general. Specifically, Ernst and Young said that they had preliminary findings but that they weren’t done to a forensic standard, that they wanted to be able to continue the work, that they needed the scope in their instructions to be able to continue that work.

The comptroller general retained Ernst and Young to continue that work and to do it to a forensic standard so it could be released. If the member is looking for the information, he has it in the report that was released, for the first time in 30 years in this Legislature, under a public interest provision.

The reason why we were able to do that is because we followed all of the necessary steps, all of the legal advice, all of the advice of the auditors to do this properly at every step, to tell British Columbians, to tell the opposition and every member of this House so that they know what happened and what we’re doing about it.

K. Falcon: Well, the problem is, Premier, that nobody believes that explanation. The fact of the matter is that for over five years, you sat on top of another damning BDO report on B.C. Housing and never acknowledged its existence until it was leaked.

The Premier, through B.C. Housing, issued a very misleading statement saying: “Oh no. Those issues were all addressed.”

When I raised the issue in this House, he professed to not know about the BDO report. Then 24 hours later he suddenly refreshed his memory, and he acknowledged that there was a report.

Now we’ve got a third report that the Premier has had in his possession the entire time and that he has refused to make public.

The question we are asking in the midst of this B.C. Housing scandal, where the public is demanding answers: why won’t this Premier release that report and give the public the opportunity to see the full scale of the disaster that you oversaw while you were the minister?

Mr. Speaker: Through the Chair, Member.

K. Falcon: Mr. Speaker, apart from the fact that we are seeing these terrible results and outcomes in all of the housing programs that this government has brought forward thus far…. We’re seeing record homelessness in virtually every community in this province. We still have to recognize this Premier, the then minister responsible, and his abject failure as the Housing Minister, while he sat on top of numerous scathing reports, while the drumbeat and alarms were going off about all the challenges at B.C. Housing and Atira.

How can anyone trust this Premier if he continues to refuse to release information that should be in the public realm?

Mr. Speaker: All comments through the Chair, Members.

Hon. D. Eby: I think the most bizarre part of the Leader of the Opposition’s theory is that I received a report from BDO about mismanagement that took place under the watch of the B.C. Liberals and that I hid that report. It’s bizarre. It doesn’t make any sense.

[10:50 a.m.]

It is part of a pattern, though. There were a number of reports that were commissioned by the B.C. Liberals when they were in government that they did not release. There was a report about money laundering. There was a report about ICBC where pages were literally ripped out and were not released, and there was this BDO report that nobody knew about.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

Hon. D. Eby: The opposition apparently knew about issues with Atira to the point that they actually retained this firm to do this work and commissioned this report.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

Hon. D. Eby: I can assure you that would have been helpful information.

As soon as I identified an issue, because that information was brought to me by E&Y, we took action. A team was literally flown at public expense from Toronto — forensic investigators to mirror devices, to secure databases, to collect the information and to do the investigation to a forensic standard so we could release it to this place.

There is one point that the member and I do agree on, though, and that is that we are in a housing crisis, and we need to act quickly. We need to build housing for people, and we’re doing that work. I am astonished that every time we bring forward an initiative to build more housing for people, the opposition votes against it.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Members will come to order.

Hon. D. Eby: The member says it doesn’t work. We have more than ten times the housing underway than they had when they were in government, affordable housing initiatives. Purpose-built rental construction up 650 percent on our watch compared to them. Housing starts up 70 percent on our watch compared to theirs. Just imagine where we would be if they had done that work when they were on this side of the House, instead of us having to clean up their mess.

MANAGEMENT OF B.C. HOUSING AND
SAFETY ISSUES AT ATIRA PROPERTIES

P. Milobar: BDO gave their report to the government and B.C. Housing in 2018, when they were in government, so a nice try from the Premier trying to say we were hiding some report.

The reason these answers don’t stack up and the people don’t believe the Premier is because daily there’s a new wrinkle to what’s going on with his B.C. Housing scandal.

We now know Atira-based housing makes up a quarter of all issues listed in the city of Vancouver’s building safety database of infractions. Over the last year, there were 75 fires — in the last year alone — at Atira properties, displacing over 360 people. In fact, the devastating fire at the Winters Hotel, while this Premier was the Housing Minister, resulted in two fatalities when the Atira-managed building burned to the ground without working sprinklers and proper fire extinguishers.

Despite all the warning signs and all the reports de­tailing financial mismanagement of taxpayer dollars and the lack of proper maintenance of critical fire safety equipment, why have there been zero consequences and zero accountability for this Premier and his B.C. Housing scandal?

Hon. R. Kahlon: I think everyone in this House understands that whenever someone loses their life in any inci­dents, it hits us close to home. Certainly, the two people who passed away from the Winters Hotel is devastating. It’s devastating for the community. It’s devastating for all of us in this chamber. The member knows that right now they have a court case. They’re in front of the courts with legal action against Atira, so I can’t comment on that.

I can say that risk due to fire is a major concern. It’s a major concern for us. We have a lot of SROs built throughout the province that are 70, 80 years old, and the investments that were needed to keep them up and to keep them at a high standard just weren’t made. Decades behind when it comes to the investments that are needed, not only to maintain the existing stock but to also build additional units.

Now, the member talks about accountability. Accountability is when you see something, to take action and make sure that when the report is available, to make it public.

The member laughs. Maybe the Leader of the Opposition thinks this is funny. This is not funny. This is a very serious issue.

I think it’s fair for the public to say: “Why were issues raised in 2012, and nothing was done?”

[10:55 a.m.]

Why was, in 2015, a note sent to the opposition, when they were in government, saying: “Something is definitely not right here, and despite past notifications to various parties of potential for the CEO to be in direct conflict of interest, these infractions are still occurring”? Nothing was done, and I think it’s fair for the public to be frustrated.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I can share with the members that when the Premier saw an issue, he took action. We re­leased the report without redactions. It’s vitally important that we do that, because we want the public to know that when we see recommendations, we’re going to take them seriously, because at the end of the day, our goal is to make sure that we are providing housing for the most vulnerable people. We’re going to continue to do that work.

Mr. Speaker: Member for Kamloops–North Thompson, supplemental.

P. Milobar: Well, this Premier’s fingerprints are all over this B.C. Housing scandal.

This is just a short recap: suppression of the damning 2018 BDO report, the false press release from B.C. Housing claiming the problems were fixed, the highly critical Ernst and Young report released during the Canada Day long weekend, the buildings that the Premier announced now on the evidence list of the same forensic investigation, buildings in major disrepair and now a third report that the Premier refuses to release.

What is the Premier’s response to this mounting list when he was the minister responsible? “Let’s more than triple the funding to the same agency that’s in the centre of all of those.”

You wonder why. Well, maybe it’s because in that same time frame, the head of Atira was openly bragging about how they were pressuring and manipulating the government to get whatever they wanted out of them. At the same time, this Premier was tripling their funding.

Again, when will there be any accountability for this Premier’s role in the B.C. Housing scandal, and when will there be actual consequences?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Again, so many facts that are incorrect there. I don’t know which one to start on, but I’ll take a crack at a couple of them.

First off, when the Premier saw an issue, he took action right away. He called for an investigation.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: He saw information that he thought deemed an investigation, brought in an outside team, and a forensic investigation was done. The report was made public.

Now, the members talk about additional dollars going to Atira. They failed to mention in their remarks that, in fact, Atira’s funding went up 800 percent when they were in government as well — 800 percent.

It’s convenient for them to talk about the period of the pandemic. I think it’s important to note that during the pandemic, yes, we made historic-level investments to support the most vulnerable people in our province. We are proud of the supports we provided to people to support them during that very, very challenging time.

We know that the most vulnerable were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We made funding available to B.C. Housing. I think we can all agree that funding is important.

What happened, though, and what the report highlights, is the CEO of B.C. Housing, the former CEO, used those dollars and had staff direct them, direct awards….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

Please conclude.

Hon. R. Kahlon: What happened…. I think what the issue…. At the core of the issue is…. It’s not that the funding increased for B.C. Housing to support the most vulnerable people. At the core of the issue here is that the former CEO used his means, his power within B.C. Housing to help direct awards to the CEO of Atira. That, I think, is the core of the issue. That’s why we felt the report needed to be made public.

HEATWAVE RESPONSE AND
SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE PERSONS

S. Furstenau: I appreciate the Minister for Housing talking about supporting the most vulnerable. I think that is the role of government.

We’re staring down a summer of more wildfires and potential extreme heat. In a couple of days, we’re expecting 35 degree days in the middle of May. This government has had six years, three record-setting wildfire seasons, a devastating heat dome and unprecedented floods to understand just how serious climate disasters are.

Warning people that it’s hot won’t help when people have nowhere to go. It’s this government’s job to protect the lives and, in particular, as the minister says, support the most vulnerable.

My question is to the Premier. Where can people go to get out of the heat, and how does he expect the most vulnerable, including the elderly and people with disabilities, to get there?

[11:00 a.m.]

Hon. R. Kahlon: I really appreciate the member’s question. It is certainly top of mind for us, given that we are seeing warmer temperatures.

I can share with the member that just a couple of weeks ago I met with doctors from across the province to talk about how we can collectively help the most vulnerable people and make sure we have policies in place, not only in the short term but also long-term policies to support people through what will be, I suspect, warmer temperatures as we move forward.

I can share with the member part of the conversations. We talked about enhanced education supports for operators to check on vulnerable residents. We have a plan right now around distribution of cooling supplies like fans and ACs. We have specific cooling rooms at sites within buildings, and work is being done right now adding window films and external shading and retrofitting for some sites with heat pumps.

We also, I think, talked about what we should be doing over the long term. I can share with the member that we talked about updates to B.C. Housing’s design guidelines, construction standards to integrate passive and active cooling measures to better support ventilation and filtration systems.

I agree with the member. A lot of work has to happen. We have been doing that work and will continue to do it.

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

HEATWAVE RESPONSE AND
PROVISION OF AIR CONDITIONERS

S. Furstenau: I appreciate the response from the minister.

As he knows, and we all know, this weekend a heatwave is coming, and 619 people died in the 2021 heat dome. Last year the chief coroner recommended giving air conditioners to the most vulnerable, the elderly, those with disabilities, those who can’t move with ease.

This government has missed the deadline to review that request and has done very little that’s new to save lives, with the heat that we’re about to receive. I appreciate the minister’s comments on what is coming, but we are two years since the heat dome and the recommendations that came out of that, and we’ve missed that deadline to review.

My question again is to the Premier. He went on a spending spree earlier this year. Why did that not include air conditioners for those who are most at risk of heat-related death?

Hon. A. Dix: In fact, as members of the House will know, substantial action was taken in addition to all the steps referred to by the Minister of Housing. With respect to emergency response, there was very significant support for all our dispatch services of all kinds, including those passed in supplementary estimates in this House.

We’ve added, in 2021, to BCEHS, 539 permanent regular full-time paramedic positions, a further 222 in November of 2022. New ambulances, new air ambulances. A new system of heat alert and response called B.C. HARS was put in place in June of 2022 in advance of that season’s hot days. In fact, there were six alerts last year.

We’ve put in place the health effects of anomalous temperatures coordinating committee, which does this work through the BCCDC and health authorities and other leaders, including the First Nations Health Authority.

We’ve added significant cooling capacity across our long-term care system using our own supports and supports from the federal government. We continue to work to improve things.

We know that the effects of climate change on people’s health, at all seasons of the year but particularly in summer, can be profound. That’s why we are taking action on every front to deal with it.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
FOOTBALL PROGRAM

T. Halford: When it comes to standing up for SFU football, this government has been MIA. The minister even stood in this House and dismissed the successful 57-year-old program as “fledgling.”

This is a provincial university, and it falls under the provincial government, which, at the very least, should be standing up to support these student athletes and its alumni.

When will this Premier finally show some leadership and actually stand up for these student athletes and call for the reinstatement of SFU football?

[11:05 a.m.]

Hon. S. Robinson: I appreciate the member’s question across the way. The members know full well that post-secondary institutions, as independent institutions, determine their programming as best they see fit with their board and their administration. I will say, however, that SFU has hired a special adviser that will be working with the football alumni association, with the student athletes and with the administration around steps to go forward.

I have been hearing from student athletes as well as coaches and others from the football community, and there is certainly frustration. The member acknowledged and I acknowledge that this has been a team that has been around for a very, very long time. There has been, certainly, disappointment around this decision that the institution has made.

They are listening to the various component parts of all of this challenging time. I will say that SFU has been paying particular attention to the student athletes, supporting them with their commitment, making sure their needs are met around providing counselling services and other supports.

Again, SFU is taking leadership. They’ve hired a special adviser that is going to be working with all the component parts of the situation in order to resolve what’s going on.

ACCESS TO OBSTETRICS AND
PRENATAL CARE IN KAMLOOPS

T. Stone: The Thompson Region Family Obstetrics Clinic, which delivers 60 percent of all babies born each month in Kamloops, has announced that they’re not taking any new patients after July 31, effectively implementing a permanent closure. This is a dire situation, and you know it is, when over half of the pregnant women in Kamloops, a city of 110,000, cannot access the prenatal care and the obstetrics care they need.

This crisis is further complicated by the fact that two in five Kamloopsians, or 50,000 people, do not have access to a family doctor.

It’s unacceptable that these women are told to go to the overcrowded ER for even the most basic tests. It’s unac­ceptable that many are left to scramble, trying to access prenatal care from as far away as Prince George and Abbotsford. It’s unacceptable that many of these women and their partners are having to face the decision of possibly moving out of Kamloops, leaving their jobs, in order to access basic care that should be available in Kamloops.

We raised this question three months ago in this House, and characteristic of this government, the response was: “We’re having meetings; we’re in discussions.” Well, since then, this crisis has gotten worse and worse, and expectant moms are increasingly filled with stress, fear and anxiety.

I want to quote just one. Jenna Nickle Duclos interacts with many pregnant women in her role as the director of community services at the YMCA in Kamloops. She hears every day the struggles of these expectant moms.

“I’ve met multiple moms who have no care and have had to schedule Telus Health virtual doctor’s appointments to get referrals for blood tests and ultrasounds. These same women have no idea, on a weekly or monthly basis, how they’re measuring, if a baby is growing appropriately or if they are missing important tests. They have no one to talk to, to ask these basic questions.

“One mom told me she has visited emergency nine times because of worries about her baby. The inability to have proper care is causing an increase in prenatal anxiety, which will likely cause an increase in postpartum anxiety and depression.”

My question is this. How many more expectant moms in Kamloops and the region have to suffer and struggle to receive the basic care that they need before this Premier actually steps up with action to fix this prenatal care crisis in Kamloops today?

Hon. A. Dix: The way I think you resolve issues and you work to improve services is you work with the peo­ple who deliver those services. That’s precisely what we’re doing in Kamloops.

The member will know that the fee-for-service model has proven itself to be ineffective. When I became Minister of Health, our system was overwhelmingly fee-for-service. He will know that more than 3,000 doctors across B.C., including 480 who didn’t previously provide family practice, have joined the new payment model. Why was that successful? Because we worked with doctors.

We have led Canada in the recruitment and the hiring of new nurses, a contrary record to the record of the previous government. We’ve done that by working with nurses and nurse practitioners and the B.C. Nurses Union and the communities.

[11:10 a.m.]

In the case of Kamloops, we are working with doctors — you bet we are — to find and to put in place a permanent solution that provides maternity care in Kamloops. We’re going to continue to do this work. I’m confident that we’ll be able to resolve this issue.

DRUG TOXICITY CRISIS
AND MANAGEMENT OF SAFE SUPPLY

E. Sturko: Under this Premier’s so-called safe supply program, free drugs like hydromorphone are being in­creasingly resold on the black market under the street named dillies. Dillies are five times more powerful than heroin and carry significant risk of addiction, sedation, respiratory depression and overdose death. Yet this government has failed to track new onset opioid use disorder among youths and the general population resulting from their policy of prescribed and diverted prescription opioids.

The fact is that the rapid access addiction clinic at St. Paul’s Hospital stopped prescribing hydromorphone last February because they see more kids getting addicted. But this government hasn’t told anyone about the risks and keeps recklessly plunging ahead.

Despite the mounting evidence and growing concern from doctors about the consequences of diversion, the Premier keeps stubbornly pushing ahead recklessly to expand a free public supply of addictive drugs.

Why is the Premier careening our province down a path and flooding the market with publicly supplied addictive drugs five times more powerful than heroin without any guardrails?

Hon. J. Whiteside: Thank you to the member for the question. To situate this issue in the context of the un­relenting toxic drug crisis we are dealing with, our public health officials, our front-line addiction specialists, health authorities have come forward with a prescribed safer supply model, really in order to try and do everything we can to separate people from the toxic drug supply. That work is being closely monitored and evaluated by clinical staff across our health care system and by Health Canada.

When it comes to the issue of the need to save lives by separating people from the toxic drug supply by providing prescribed alternatives, I would note the support for those measures across our health care system and across this House as well. In fact, yesterday in the House, support for prescribed alternatives was stated by the Leader of the Opposition.

Again, we have a situation where there is an attempt to try to…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Members.

Hon. J. Whiteside: …obfuscate the issue here.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Please.

The minster will continue.

Hon. J. Whiteside: The issue here is that we are doing everything that we can to save lives in the context of an unrelenting toxic drug crisis. We are going to continue to do that under the guidance of our public health officials, of addictions medicine specialists, of our health authorities. It’s best, really, if we all work on that problem together, frankly.

REGULATION OF ILLICIT DRUG
USE IN PUBLIC SPACES

S. Bond: The minister can continue to mischaracterize our position. Here’s what it is. There were guardrails that were expected to be in place, and this government has failed abysmally to put them in place.

That’s not the only place that British Columbians are feeling increasingly frustrated and, in fact, shocked by this Premier’s stubborn refusal to do something that many families are asking him to do, and that is to ban the use of dangerous drugs like fentanyl in public places, including parks, playgrounds and beaches.

And not just families. Last week 30 local governments from across the Lower Mainland passed a resolution calling on this Premier to take action and put in place a ban on the open use of drugs and substances like heroin, meth and fentanyl — where?— in public spaces.

Very soon, and the Premier knows this, school is going to be out for summer. As he knows, children aren’t going to be in school. They’re going to be on their local playgrounds, using the swings. They’re going to be in the water parks, and they’re going to be on beaches. The last thing families want to do is have their child bring home a pack of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, which has actually happened under this Premier’s watch.

[11:15 a.m.]

Parents want to know. They want this Premier to dem­onstrate an ounce of leadership, and he could do it today — not wait, not talk, not dodge, not weave. It is time for him to do the right thing, and he should do that right now.

Will he get up and put in place a ban on drugs like heroin, meth and fentanyl from public spaces that include children’s playgrounds, beaches and parks? Will he do it today?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. You have already asked the question. It is now the turn of the Premier to answer. Please.

Hon. D. Eby: The issue of the toxic drug supply is a major challenge for government, absolutely, and certainly for the families who have lost loved ones, and a lot of those loved ones are kids.

The member is right. This is killing kids. There are kids who are taking what they think is a party drug at high school, and they’re dying of an overdose. This is a really serious issue.

Our government is treating it seriously, with a commitment, through everything we do, to work with partners to address any unintended consequences, to do the research that’s needed to make sure this policy is resulting in what we need.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, please.

Hon. D. Eby: I am happy to commit to the members on the other side, to all the members of this House, to British Columbians, to parents of kids that our government will work with local government partners to make sure that those protections are in place. Nobody wants this activity affecting our kids, and we will do something.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. D. Eby: The members are shouting.

The part that I regret about this discussion — it’s hap­pened a few times during the session — is the members on the other side want to have it both ways. I don’t know where they stand on this issue. They voted at the all-party committee. There is a member of this House….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Members will come to order now.

Members, take a deep breath. It’s not the end of the world. Take a deep breath, please. Please.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: No argument with the Chair.

The Premier will continue.

Hon. D. Eby: When the all-party committee came to­gether to tackle this in a serious way, in a non-partisan way and they all voted in favour of important and challenging measures, there was one member of this assembly….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. D. Eby: I don’t agree with him, but at least I know where the leader of the Conservative Party stands on this issue. On the other side of the House, they vote for it one day; they’re opposed to it the next day.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. D. Eby: In estimates, the Leader of the Oppos­ition championed prescription medication. Today they opposed it.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, how many times does the Chair have to ask you to be quiet?

Members, please. It’s almost over.

The Premier will conclude.

Hon. D. Eby: Thank you, hon. Speaker. And thank you for your work through the session.

The fact is that we stand for results for British Columbians, and it doesn’t matter what the issue is.

On health care, we have 482 more family doctors in the province because of our deal with family doctors. We have 2,800 internationally trained workers ready to go to work in B.C., working with the College of Nurses.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. D. Eby: We have free prescription contraception for British Columbians, thanks to our budget.

Interjections.

Hon. D. Eby: I know the members don’t want to hear about these results.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members of the opposition, please. The public is watching you all, okay?

Hon. D. Eby: You can tell it’s the last day of session, hon. Chair.

Mr. Speaker: The Premier will conclude.

Hon. D. Eby: We froze ICBC rates for two years.

We deployed a new housing action plan to build housing for British Columbians in every corner of this province.

Our economy is leading Canada in economic growth. One of the lowest unemployment rates. We are setting records on trade. Twenty thousand new jobs this session alone.

[11:20 a.m.]

We are getting results for British Columbians on those issues, we will get results for British Columbians on this issue, and we can’t wait to continue the work.

[End of question period.]

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

Minister, hold it.

Member for Columbia River–Revelstoke, no personal comments, please.

Attorney General.

Tabling Documents

Hon. N. Sharma: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table the final report of the 2022 Judicial Compensation Commission with recommendations to the Attorney General and the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court.

The Judicial Compensation Commission is a constitutionally required independent body that is appointed every four years to determine the remuneration allowances and benefits of the provincial court judges and judicial justices.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

The minister will continue.

Hon. N. Sharma: The 2022 commissioners were the Hon. Lynn Smith, OC, KC and chair; Vern Blair; Lisa Castle; Eric Gottardi, KC; and Robert Lapper, KC. The government will consider recommendations in accordance with the Judicial Compensation Act.

Petitions

J. Tegart: I have a petition on behalf of the people of Merritt and the travelling public demanding 24-7 access to the Nicola Valley Hospital emergency room and no more closures.

P. Milobar: I have an updated petition with another 1,100 signatures about further dysfunction in IHA related to the family obstetrics clinics’ pending closure in July, demanding that the government actually take action.