Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: A. Singh.

Mr. Speaker: Members, given that we are having an exercise later in this chamber, we will have some introductions but not all. We will allow a couple of members, if they would like, to introduce their guests.

Introductions by Members

Hon. R. Singh: I have two sets of introductions today.

First, I would like to recognize that the B.C. School Trustees Association is here with us today. I’m so glad to welcome president Carolyn Broady, CEO Suzanne Hoffman and the board chairs and vice-chairs from the 60 school districts of the BCSTA.

I would also like to welcome Elder Frank George from Songhees First Nation, and John Harris from school district 61, from the Indigenous education department. We really want to thank you for all the work that you do.

On behalf of all my colleagues here, welcome to the Legislature. Thank you so much for all that you do.

[10:05 a.m.]

One more. I have some personal friends here today. I have Dr. Kanwalijit Dhillon. She’s a retired professor of Punjabi from Chandigarh, India — an old-time friend. Along with her is a friend who’s joining her, Nalini Rattan. Both are here in the House.

Would the House please make them feel very welcome.

E. Ross: I’d like to introduce somebody that’s no stranger to this place, Primrose Carson. She used to be one of our staffers under the former B.C. Liberals, now the B.C. United party. She’s with us today.

She has a guest that will be our guest today. I’m going to hope I get this right. Her nephew’s mother-in-law, Francisca Iriele, who comes all the way from Aba, Nigeria.

Francisca is a retired high school principal and teacher who worked tirelessly in her career for over 35 years teaching youth in Aba, 14 to 20 years of age. This is her first trip to Canada, and she is very pleased to be able to visit her daughter and son-in-law in Victoria.

So far she’s enjoying seeing the cultural and geographical differences here on the west coast of Canada and is delighted to be here with us today. I had the honour of having lunch with her yesterday and talked about what was happening in Nigeria, which is equally as fascinating.

Would the House please welcome Primrose Carson, as well as Francisca.

Hon. M. Rankin: I’m pleased to introduce to the House Mr. Keerit Jutla, who is the president and CEO of the Association for Mineral Exploration of British Columbia. Keerit is a lawyer, an MBA, and has just assumed new responsibilities for this organization. We agreed that his major claim to fame is that he’s from the same hometown as me: St. Catharines, Ontario.

Mr. Speaker: We’ll take one more introduction.

M. Dykeman: Joining us today in the gallery is my amazing CA, Candy Ashdown. She is an amazing friend, and she keeps me quite organized. It quite frankly surprises me how much work that is. She’s a very patient person who one day likely will be sainted.

I’m wondering if the House could please join me in making her feel very welcome.

Mr. Speaker: Okay, maybe Burnaby North too.

J. Routledge: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for indulging me in introducing just one of the school trustees who are present today.

I’d like to introduce you to the chair of the Burnaby school board, my son, Bill Brassington Jr. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker: All right.

Members, the House will be in recess for us to participate in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut and annual earthquake drill.

I encourage members to remain at their seat if they are comfortable to do so. Those who remain will be briefed by the Sergeant-at-Arms on proper procedures, once we are in recess. Those who choose to depart should return to their office, and we will aim to ring the bells by 10:55 a.m. for the House to resume at 11 a.m.

The House is now in recess.

The House recessed from 10:08 a.m. to 11 a.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Mr. Speaker: The House is now called to order.

Members, are there any further introductions?

R. Merrifield: Well, unfortunately they didn’t stay for our lovely emergency drill, but I did want to give them an introduction.

One of my constituents, Gordie Sandhu, is one of my largest Punjabi cherry farmers. He’s an entrepreneur, he’s an innovator, and he’s an absolute dear friend. He’s here in the House today, as well as his daughter, Maya, who is trying to come to the University of Victoria, fingers crossed, and Roman, his son.

Would the House please join me in welcoming them today.

Hon. N. Sharma: It’s my great honour to introduce and welcome my sister Amy Sharma, who’s somewhere up here. I can’t see her. She’s a year older than me, and some people used to call us twins when we were younger.

She was always smarter than me, more capable and more confident. I was a very awkward, shy kid, so often she would be called upon to protect me from people picking on me. I just wanted to say that, before question period, to the opposition.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

END OF Kamloops This Week
PUBLICATION

P. Milobar: Yesterday when I rose in Introductions and mentioned our councillors that were here and the success of our non-stop Pacific Coastal flight, it was a very good day for Kamloops.

Unfortunately, today, I have the other side of a coin, where I’m on my feet talking about the demise of Kamloops’s last print newspaper. Kamloops This Week announced a few days ago that October 25 will be their last date of publication in Kamloops. We have had a newspaper physically in Kamloops since 1884, so this is a big problematic day in Kamloops on October 25, when we lose those print publications.

Kamloops This Week always, as all media does in Kamloops, punched above their weight for the many, many years that they were in publication. They were actually in publication in that form, as Kamloops This Week, for the last 35 years. Just last year, in fact, they were honoured and recognized and up for a Michener Award, which is the highest award you can receive in journalism in Canada. They went out to Ottawa to try to win that award.

It’s a bittersweet day, for sure. You think of the people, the reporters we deal with on a regular basis, the staff within that publication and even the kids that would help deliver those papers still. All will be looking for other forms of employment.

But more importantly, the community will lose a main conduit for information, for digging into issues that matter to the residents, especially at a local level. The more provincial-wide and national publications, like a Sun or a Province or a Globe and Mail or National Post, just simply can’t dig into those local issues like a Kamloops This Week or other publications in our communities can.

I wish everyone from Kamloops This Week well in their new endeavours. I know the member for Kamloops–South Thompson shares that sentiment as well.

We do hope, although it’s a long shot, that we might see print come back in some form, sometime in the future, but that’s highly doubtful. It’s a very unfortunate day in yet another community to lose print media once again.

APRODICIO LAQUIAN

M. Elmore: On October 7 this year, 2023, Aprodicio Laquian passed away at the age of 88. According to Canadian Filipino Net, he passed away in St. John Hospice at UBC after a long illness.

He was 88 years old, an incredibly accomplished individual, well-known and loved, not only here in Vancouver, British Columbia, but around the world. He was a professor. We also called him Prod — Professor Prod, Tito Prod.

[11:05 a.m.]

He was originally born in Pampanga, Philippines, the son of a tailor. He married a journalist, Eleanor del Rio, and they co-wrote a number of books together. He is survived by two children, George Edwardo and Agnes Helen. Just an incredibly long list of accomplishments.

He grew up in the slums of Manila but was able to graduate from the University of the Philippines. He received a scholarship, got his PhD at MIT and was a consultant for the United Nations. He lectured around the world, authored nearly 20 books, a number with his partner, Eleanor. He was a former director of the UBC Centre for Human Settlement and, also, just contributed so much.

On a personal note, I knew him before I was elected, when I was involved in the community, working and collaborating with him. Certainly, I looked up to him. When I was first elected, he was one of the first people to congratulate me and offer his support. It always meant a lot to me. I considered him a mentor, really a giant of a man who contributed so much for my success and the broader Filipino community and, really, global humanity.

He is missed. He is much loved.

My condolences to his family and friends.

His service will be tomorrow.

TED FARR

R. Merrifield: Today I rise with a sombre heart to recognize a member of my community, a hall of fame broadcaster, a dedicated husband, father and grand­father, Ted Farr. Ted passed away on October 6 after a very short battle with cancer.

His career began in 1969 on the legendary radio station CKLG. Many remember him as the contributing news reader “Tall Ted” on the Doc Harris Show. He transitioned to management, which led him to stops in Winnipeg, twice, Calgary and Saskatoon.

Ted was inducted into the B.C. Country Music Association Hall of Fame in 2011 for his creation of the CKWX Songwriters Competition, which established a link between west coast songwriting talent and Nashville.

He is remembered by his colleagues as a mentor of talent. His true passion was coaching broadcasters to be the best that they could be. After 37 years behind the scenes, he made his on-air return in 2018 as news director and midday news anchor at Kelowna’s AM 1150, a position he still held at the time of his passing.

Ted’s contributions to Canadian broadcasting are immense. He was very proud to have 54 years in the industry that he loved.

Ted’s family and close friends will remember him for the upstanding family man he was. He adored his wife, Terrie, and embraced her Doukhobor heritage as his own. He was a champion of his children: Jonathan, who predeceased him in 2008, and Natalie, who is married to Rob Murphy, who wrote this tribute for his father-in-law. He adored his grandson, Jonathan, and celebrated his passion for lacrosse and football.

To honour Ted Farr, let’s pour a dram of single malt whiskey and flip on some Motown. Let’s all cross our fingers that this is the year the Toronto Maple Leafs win the cup.

B.C. DAY EVENT IN
COQUITLAM–BURKE MOUNTAIN

F. Donnelly: I’m pleased to rise to talk about the B.C. Day celebration we organized in Coquitlam–Burke Mountain this year.

The idea for the event came when my staff and I agreed that our province’s diverse population, dedicated local businesses and amazing natural beauty deserved a special spotlight on B.C. Day. Knowing there were countless reasons to celebrate British Columbia, we set out to do just that.

Coquitlam–Burke Mountain residents were warmly welcomed to my constituency office for a celebration of beautiful British Columbia, highlighting the many local opportunities to live, work and play in our community. Volunteer students and a sea of B.C. flags greeted attendees, setting the stage for a vibrant gathering. The afternoon included colourful performances from local cultural groups, each dance and song a living testament to the rich diversity flourishing in our community and province.

[11:10 a.m.]

The Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce enthusiastically supported our efforts by providing hundreds of cloth gift bags full of coupons, brochures and branded items from local retailers. We added B.C. flags and information from the Legislature, which included bookmarks, stickers and details about services offered by our office. Attendees explored the city’s map, which highlighted local attractions and recreation facilities in Coquitlam.

No celebration is complete without delicious food. We were fortunate to have Soul Bite Food, an amazing plant-based food company, providing tasty vegan treats for our guests. They told us about how they allocate 50 percent of their profits toward food rescue and combatting hunger in our community. Amazing.

Our inaugural B.C. Day was an overwhelming success, and I intend to make it an annual tradition. I ask all members in this House to join us by hosting their own B.C. Day celebration in their respective constituency next year and beyond.

FOOD SECURITY AND
SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAMS

S. Furstenau: In the Cowichan Valley, over 1,000 school children are provided nutritious meals each day by the generous staff and volunteers at Nourish Cowichan.

Co-founded in 2017 by three natural-born activists — Dina Holbrook, Anita Carroll and Fatima da Silva — Nourish Cowichan has rapidly expanded to meet the community’s need for reliable, accessible food. Today more than a dozen schools, three daycares and the maternity clinic at Cowichan District Hospital are served by the donor-funded non-profit, with several others on the wait-list.

Without a universal school food program in B.C., Nourish Cowichan and organizations like it across the province have been filling a critical gap in our social security safety net. In B.C., one out of every three food bank users is a child. Our province needs a universal school food program to ensure that children from all income backgrounds have access to grown- and made-in-B.C. nutritious meals that allow them to thrive within and beyond the class­room.

The Centre for Family Equity has been a strong advocate for this work. Their discussions with parents and caregivers throughout the province showed that, overall, participants feel that a universal school food program would address a range of personal, financial and social needs for their families. However, many express concerns about existing food programs that target children from low-income families, often leading to feelings of shame and stigma that prevent those who are in desperate need of food from accessing it.

B.C. has taken a good step toward a universal food program in schools and can lead the way, ensuring that we achieve a truly universal food program in our schools. I’m asking the House to join me in supporting a universal school food program that benefits our farmers, our families and the next generations of British Columbians.

CYBERSECURITY

M. Babchuk: I rise today to talk about cybersecurity. Every October, Cyber Security Awareness Month is recognized internationally.

In today’s digital world, keeping data safe is a top priority for everyone. At the highest level, cybercriminals have accessed private financial data at global companies, interfered in democratic elections and hacked millions of email accounts, all while operating from hidden locations in countries around the world.

Cybercriminals are increasingly sophisticated, and that requires ongoing vigilance and up-to-date technology to fend off cyberattacks. We have all heard how hackers use phishing scams to access personal information on our devices or use ransomware attacks to wreak havoc in entire networks.

That is why the protection of people’s data is a top priority for our government. British Columbians should have the utmost confidence that their information is protected and secured. That is why the Minister of Citizens’ Services has a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week cybersecurity team dedicated to protecting public data and why, in 2022, our government launched an engagement on the topic of cybersecurity across the public sector to understand what more could be done.

For cybersecurity month, our government is also providing daily cybersecurity challenges to help people raise awareness for cybersecurity skills and learn best practices. For each day of October, British Columbians can participate in a daily online cybersecurity challenge for a chance to win a grand prize with every entry.

[11:15 a.m.]

Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility, and sometimes the strongest ways to stay cybersecure are often the simplest, such as remembering to change your password on a regular basis and making it a more complicated password than 1234 or the word “password.”

The more we learn about staying safe online, the more resilient we’ll be able to be against cyberthreats. British Columbians can learn more about how to become cybersecure at www.gov.bc.ca.

Oral Questions

GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND
PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

P. Milobar: Earlier this week the NDP Finance Minister declared in this House that inflation is “good news for people.” Well, tell that to the families that are facing the NDP’s middle-class squeeze in their households.

The only ones celebrating right now are the NDP’s bloated ranks within government, where the Premier’s office alone has inflated the numbers by nearly 80 percent. Overall, the public sector has grown under the NDP by 36 percent. That’s an astonishing 140,000 new positions in government at an additional cost of over $17 billion to the taxpayers of British Columbia.

When will the Premier end his inflation-driving spending that grows the size of government while delivering horrible results for people and effectively shrinking people’s paycheques at the same time?

Hon. K. Conroy: Well, I really thank the member for this question because it’s really important that we clarify the hiring we’ve been doing and maybe ask the member opposite if his party wouldn’t want to hire the thousands of nurses we’ve been hiring, if they wouldn’t want to hire the thousands of teachers we’ve been hiring.

There was a dearth of people in the public sector that needed to be hired back, and we have been doing that and doing it because people want services. People need those services, and they need the people to provide those services. That’s just what we’ve been doing.

Mr. Speaker: Kamloops–North Thompson, supple­mental.

P. Milobar: Well, you know who could use some nurses? Merritt, so their hospital didn’t keep shutting its ER.

If the minister would like some examples of where they could cut some of their bloated bureaucracy, here are a few. The Office of the Premier, overflowing with consultants — that has ballooned by 80 percent. An entire Crown corporation set up by this NDP to manage their community ripoff agreements.

Let’s not forget the four new VPs at B.C. Ferries, the 70 VPs in health authorities and the NDP government’s communications staff, where numbers have soared by a shocking 37 percent for spin doctors.

No amount of spin doctors can change this fact. Despite record-high spending, British Columbians are seeing record-low results across the board. Results are what actually matter to the taxpayers.

When will the Premier realize that his inflationary spending is driving up costs, expanding government and shrinking people’s paycheques?

Hon. K. Conroy: The member is just wrong. We are investing in people in this province. We’re investing in hiring public service so they can continue to provide the services people in this province want.

The cuts that were made under the former government, we’re still catching up on and people…. Yes, we need more nurses. That’s exactly why we’re hiring more nurses. We need more people working in the social service sector. We need more people working in the education sector, and that’s who we’re hiring.

We’re making sure that we are getting those people to provide the services that people in this province need.

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

P. Milobar: What this government has done…. They’ve bloated the bureaucracy. There are soaring costs for everyday British Columbians, and they’re shrinking those same British Columbians’ paycheques. That is the NDP’s new normal. In just six years, the NDP has doubled the debt and set new records for inflationary deficits in B.C.

Who is really benefiting? Well, the Premier and his cabinet, who awarded themselves an undeserved ten percent pay raise; their political staffers that got a 17 percent pay raise. Meanwhile, over half of British Columbians are less than $200 away from being able to pay their monthly bills, and that number grows every month as does the line at the food banks.

[11:20 a.m.]

When is the Premier going to give British Columbians an actual break instead of padding his own pockets and those of NDP political insiders?

Hon. K. Conroy: We understand that there are challenges in this province right now. I mean, we totally understand that.

We also understand we need to support people to ensure that they can get the supports they need. That’s why we have invested in people. That’s why we’ve invested in our child care program. We are putting $900 back into peoples’ pockets every month.

The MSP was the biggest tax cut in the history of this province. Who did it benefit?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, please.

The minister will continue.

Hon. K. Conroy: Who did the MSP tax cut benefit the most? It benefited seniors, seniors who had to pay that MSP, especially once they retired and didn’t get it through their work anymore. That’s what we hear. We hear that seniors are so grateful for that.

I also want to talk about the B.C. family benefit.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order. Members, please.

Continue.

Hon. K. Conroy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The B.C. family benefit. Yes, the Liberals brought that in and not this party. The Liberals brought that in. They brought it in for kids six and under. We expanded that. We recognize that you need to have that support right until your children leave home at 18.

I would happily expand more on the many supports we’ve given to people.

Mr. Speaker: Thank you.

Hon. K. Conroy: Again, Mr. Speaker, we recognize that people need the supports. Unlike the members opposite, we are not going to cut services.

ICBC SPENDING AND
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

T. Halford: Under this Premier, the ICBC monopoly has become bloated and broken. It’s true.

Internal operating….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, let’s hear the question, please.

T. Halford: Well, we’ll get to it in a second, Mr. Speaker.

Internal operating expenses now exceed over $1 billion. There has been an explosion of high-paid executives cashing in under this Premier, but assistance for accident victims has been slashed by a shocking 30 percent even as collisions have increased. In this NDP’s new normal, 34 cents of every premium dollar go not to helping drivers but to ICBC’s own bloated operating expenses.

Results matter. When will this Premier admit that ICBC is spending more on itself than it provides in benefits, proving yet again that the record-high NDP spending equals record-low results?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I’m happy to talk about ICBC. I’m happy to talk about the move to enhanced care, which resulted in significant savings for the motoring public in this province. On average, $400 a year back into the pockets of motorists in this province.

On top of that, because of the change, moving to enhanced care, we were also able to put back premiums in the form of rebates to the shareholders, the motoring public in the province of British Columbia, to the tune of over $1 billion.

That contrasts with the record that they had with ICBC, where they used the motoring public as a tax gouge so that they could fill the coffers to avoid spending on services in other parts of the province.

Mr. Speaker: Surrey–White Rock, supplemental.

T. Halford: It’s like an NDP dishonest Black Friday sale. What they do is…. They jack the rates up 25 percent, and then they bring the rates down 25 percent.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

T. Halford: Let’s call it what it is. So $200 million in the red, 45 executives and over 1,200 management staff. Under the Premier’s direct watch, the number of employees with six-figure salaries at ICBC has more than doubled, 400 managers at this time.

[11:25 a.m.]

Why doesn’t the Premier cut ICBC’s bloat and inefficiency? It serves as, yet again, another glaring example of how their record-high spending there actually means that they’re getting record-low results.

Hon. M. Farnworth: Only the opposition could possibly say that having lower insurance rates is a failure. Only the opposition…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh, Members. Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: …would object to almost $1 billion going back into the pockets of the motoring public over and above the cheaper insurance rates they’re paying in this province.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Please continue.

Hon. M. Farnworth: The only people being left out in the cold will be that side of the House after the next election, when that party over there becomes the official opposition.

Mr. Speaker: House Leader of the Third Party.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members, we’re wasting time.

Please continue.

CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM AND
CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
MINISTRY ACCOUNTABILITY

A. Olsen: Yesterday we saw another audit of the tragic outcomes in the Ministry of Children and Family Development. This ministry needs to be torn down brick by brick and rebuilt, yet what we have is a minister who is little more than an apologist for the status quo.

Why is this Premier permitting this dereliction of duty under his watch? What is the magic number of so-called heartfelt apologies before this Premier actually addresses the systemic failure of MCFD?

The accountability vacuum at the highest levels in this ministry sends a message to everybody else in the system that there simply is no accountability. These children have been neglected their entire lives. They’re neglected by the system, by the minister, by the senior staff and now by this Premier.

Will the Premier replace the minister and the senior staff with people who have the capacity and the willingness to do the systemic change that’s needed in this ministry?

Hon. M. Dean: Thank you to the member for the question. I absolutely hear his passion and his concern. I agree with it as well.

Having spent time on the front lines and many decades in this sector, I, too, am passionate about making sure that children are loved, that they are well cared for…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. M. Dean: …that they are nurtured, that they’re safeguarded and that they’re supported to thrive and to fulfil their potential.

We know that for far too long Indigenous children and youth have been overrepresented in the child welfare system due to the colonial history and the so-called residential schools and Sixties Scoop. Our government has taken steps to demonstrate our commitment to change that. We’re supporting Indigenous jurisdiction. We’ve harmonized care rates for out of care with foster carers. We increased foster carers rates by 47 percent. We’re seeing the lowest number of children and youth in care.

We still need to make transformations to the system. I am absolutely determined to make sure that we continue to make those improvements to keep all of our children safe.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

A. Olsen: Yesterday in this House, the Minister of Children and Family Development admitted that basic social work policies and procedures were not followed. She essentially admitted to not doing her job.

To my B.C. NDP colleagues who are discomforted by this question…. The nerve that I’m touching here is actually hypocrisy. One set of standards for Stephanie Cadieux and another for themselves. We will see if this Premier actually measures himself against the values he had when he was in opposition.

John Horgan made the same point to former Premier Christy Clark. On October 7, 2015, he was unequivocal. The minister, he said, was responsible. He demanded the minister protect children and not the institution, and he called for new leadership.

Horgan said: “…bring in new eyes and a new vision for protecting the children of British Columbia.” Our current Premier was in the background of that video, nodding in agreement.

There was a culture in responsible governments where ministers who embarrassed the government resigned in order to protect the honour of the office. It appears, from the behaviours of this government, that there is no honour left in this ministry.

[11:30 a.m.]

To the Premier, will he demand a resignation or fire the minister and the senior ministerial staff and restore some honour back to this place?

Hon. M. Dean: Thank you to the member for the question. It is a very, very serious matter that the member is raising, and it is in my head and in my heart every single day that we need to continue to be making improvements and that we need to continue safeguarding children and youth and making sure that every child and youth in the province is safe.

I have directed the ministry staff to make sure that we have made changes and that the changes have been fully implemented and have put measures in that will do exactly that and will safeguard all children and youth around the whole of the province.

We’re also bringing in an independent consultant to review the measures we have taken to make sure that they are being effective. We’re also accelerating the hiring of the Indigenous director of child welfare.

We have taken measures. We’ve put extra layers of accountability in to make sure that those measures are effective, because this kind of tragedy cannot happen again. I am absolutely driven to make sure that this does not happen.

DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ON
FUTURE OF POLICE SERVICES IN SURREY

B. Banman: This NDP government told Surrey voters that the decision on the issue of policing in Surrey would be a decision for the city of Surrey, dependent on the outcome of the municipal election. That clear promise made by the NDP has now been broken by the NDP Premier.

Respectfully, this NDP Premier was appointed to leadership in an internal process that was mired by scandal. British Columbians did not choose this NDP leader to be their Premier. There was no provincial vote. As such, the NDP Premier does not have the democratic mandate to overrule city voters or the city of Surrey.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

The member will continue.

B. Banman: Will this…?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh. Shhh, Members.

Please continue.

B. Banman: Will this NDP Premier commit to restoring the integrity of the democratic process by allowing British Columbians who live in Surrey to make a final decision once and for all on this issue? Will he commit to holding a democratic referendum on the issue of policing in Surrey, yes or no?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I’d like to remind the member from Abbotsford, who crossed the floor after being elected as a member of the B.C. Liberal Party and now wants to sit as a member of the B.C. Conservative Party, that some could question, and sometimes there have been bills in this place from even some of those members, that if you cross the floor to join another party, you should resign and then put your name forward in front of the electorate at the next election.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Let’s continue with….

All right. Shhh.

B. Banman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I did not hear a yes or a no.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

B. Banman: What I heard was deflection, but I did not hear a yes or a no.

Once again to the Premier, why does this NDP Premier believe that his opinion is more important than Surrey taxpayers’, who were told, in no uncertain terms, that their vote would determine the future of policing in Surrey?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I’ll give the same answer to the question around the referendum that I gave a number of months — almost a few years — ago, which is no.

[11:35 a.m.]

There won’t be a referendum. The decision on going back is based on work that needs to be done on the submission of a plan that would ensure safe and effective policing in terms of a transition. We went through all that.

The decision was made, and the decision is now in the form of legislation. What is required now is for the city of Surrey to work with my ministry, the RCMP — provincially and federally — to make the transition happen.

I’ll remind the member that three former Solicitors General in the party he used to sit with said the decision that was made was, in fact, the right decision.

FUNDING FOR NANAIMO REGIONAL
GENERAL HOSPITAL PROJECTS

A. Walker: Let me begin by commending this government’s progress at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Six net new high-intensity and acute beds replace an intensive care unit that opened in 1970. It was my great pleasure to join with the Premier and the Minister of Health to re-announce the cancer centre at the hospital.

This hospital opened its doors in 1963. It has 360 beds but regularly serves more than 400 patients a day. What that means is that it’s now normal for patients to expect care in hallways and converted storage rooms. Even in the basement, the chapel has been converted into a four-room bed. Patients at this hospital deserve better. The staff are delivering incredible results despite this.

We’re waiting for government to come to the table. Island Health has a plan to solve this. They are proposing a new patient tower and a new catheterization lab. Local government has shown significant leadership on this file.

The question I have to the Minister of Health is very simple. Will the B.C. NDP government listen to Island Health? Will they listen to staff? Will they listen to patients? Will the B.C. NDP fund the heart catheterization lab and the patient tower at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital?

Hon. A. Dix: The commitment of the government, as the member suggests, to Nanaimo and to patients in Nanaimo is high. It’s why we made the long-awaited decision to build and open the ICU, why we made the long-awaited decision to build — it will open next year — the high-acuity unit. It’s why later today in Nanaimo I’ll be making a significant announcement about care for residents in Nanaimo, not at the hospital but in the community, which is vital.

Nanaimo’s issues are high-priority issues for us. We’ve made unprecedented investments there. The investments made to date are more than $700 million when we count today. So we’re going to continue to focus to improve care for people in Nanaimo.

Mr. Speaker: Member, supplemental.

A. Walker: I appreciate the minister and this government’s commitment to the people of Nanaimo. The opening of the long-term care centre in Lantzville will provide significant benefit to people, but it doesn’t answer the question at the hospital, which is that it is an overcrowded and under-resourced facility for people in our community.

Cowichan — brand-new hospital. Comox — brand-new hospital. Campbell River — brand-new hospital. West Coast General in Port Alberni and the Tofino Hospital are undergoing significant renovations. So far, we have seen six net new beds at this hospital.

Island Health has a plan. The local government is committed to funding it. The question again to the Minister of Health is: will the B.C. NDP government commit to funding the heart catheterization lab and the patient tower at the Nanaimo General Hospital?

Hon. A. Dix: The member is right. We have the most expansive capital plan for hospitals in the history of the province, in every region and in communities across them — 17 major projects across the province. Some of those major projects include a very significant investment in Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

The member will know that the cancer centre…. We should expect to see the business plan in this calendar year, as we expect to see it in Kamloops. That investment, which will be between $200 million and $300 million, is at the hospital. The high-acuity unit is at the hospital. The ICU is at the hospital.

Our commitment to Nanaimo Regional Hospital has, I think, been demonstrated not by discussion but by action, and it will continue to be.

ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND
ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

S. Bond: Only the NDP could spend more money and get worse results, whether that’s in health care or ICBC.

[11:40 a.m.]

In health care, the NDP employs 70 vice-presidents with six-figure salaries, compared to Alberta, who have seven, yet health care outcomes have never been worse.

Corporate costs have surged by 94 percent, and that totals $1.3 billion of taxpayer money. One vice-president last year alone pocketed $617,000. Most egregiously, nearly $350,000 of taxpayer money was paid to Albert de Villiers, even a full year after his arrest for child sexual assault.

While families in this province are struggling to make ends meet, how can the Premier justify spending more on bureaucracy when the results for patients in this province are getting worse and worse?

Hon. A. Dix: You will know, because we’ve canvassed this in the House before, that there were 64 vice-presidents under the previous government. We have added vice-presidents for Indigenous affairs, something the opposition, when we did it, supported. So that’s the number of vice-presidents we have, exactly the same as was there before.

With respect to administration costs, they have gone down as a share of the budget — we are, I think, second in Canada — and they are below what they were in 2016-17, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

On administration costs, we have been focusing on front-line workers. It’s why the number of registered nurses, which declined…. It actually declined, not in percentage terms, not in share of the budget, but in nominal terms. In actual terms, the number of registered nurses went down from 2009 to 2016. We’ve added 5,221 this year.

S. Bond: Well, the minister might want to actually have a conversation with the people in Merritt, in Elkford, in Penticton, in Smithers about how they’re feeling about the outcomes of health care, in their opinion.

Let’s not forget that the Premier added another layer of bureaucracy when he in fact hired Penny Ballem as a part-time health care advisor. That piles on to the staff that already exists in the Health Minister’s office, including two chiefs of staff.

We have five health authorities, the Provincial Health Services Authority and a Deputy Minister of Health that has 31 staff members. Hospitals are in chaos, ERs are closing across British Columbia, but by all means, let’s keep adding more bureaucrats.

Let’s be clear. Will the Premier stand up and justify the NDP new normal? Let’s add more bureaucracy, let’s spend more money, and all the while, the results for patients in British Columbia are getting worse.

Hon. A. Dix: Last year we led Canada in new nurses. We led Canada in new registered nurses. We led Canada in new LPNs’ rate of growth. We led Canada in nurse practitioners.

The number of nurses increased by 6.7 percent — this is according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information — in B.C. It actually went down in the province of Alberta — that the member was reflecting was her policy, what she was supporting.

This year we’ve had a record year for nurses. Why? Because we’ve increased and improved pathways for internationally educated nurses. We’re training more nurses, and we’ve signed a historic agreement with nurses to support them in every part of British Columbia.

GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND
PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

L. Doerkson: While British Columbians grapple with the Premier’s middle-class squeeze, his record-breaking inflationary deficits deepen the misery. New reports reveal that the NDP have hired 600 undisclosed bureaucrats for “other Budget 2023 priorities.” That is akin to an entire Canadian military regiment, yet the NDP remains mum on who they are, what they’re doing or how much they’re paid.

After seven years and two elections, British Columbia is left with nothing but record-high deficits and record-low results. The taxpayer-funded public sector has swelled by nearly 140,000 people, at a cost of more than $17 billion per year. That’s nearly double the bureaucrats hired by the entire US federal government since 2017.

[11:45 a.m.]

As families struggle to make ends meet, how can the Premier possibly justify such high inflationary deficits with the worst results ever?

Hon. K. Conroy: I just want to clarify a bit of misinformation that the member is sharing.

Interjection.

Hon. K. Conroy: Yes, he asked me to “please do,” so I’m only too happy to suffice.

I need to make it clear to the member that B.C. is actually an economic and fiscal leader in our country. We’ve added over 51,000 jobs in this province so far this year. Our unemployment rate is amongst the lowest in Canada. Last year our job growth was mostly in the private sector.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh, Members. Let the minister finish, please.

Hon. K. Conroy: Our job growth was three times higher than when the BCUP leader was a Finance Minister. In fact, in 2022, there were 62,000, almost 63,000 new jobs in both the private and…. Like 54,000 of that almost 63,000 were in the private sector. In 2012, 17,700 jobs.

Also, something that the members seem to forget, we have the highest credit rating in the country, and business is investing.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Shhh, Members. Members.

Okay, Members.

Interjections.

Hon. K. Conroy: It really….

I want to quote the member opposite.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. K. Conroy: I would love to go on to talk about the businesses that are actually investing in B.C.

We recognize that people are struggling as well. We have brought in significant supports for people, because unlike the members opposite, we are not going to cut services to people while they’re suffering. We are going to ensure people continue to get the services they need in this province.

[End of question period.]

T. Halford: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

T. Halford: Joining us just, I think, moments ago are 32 grade 5 students from Ocean Cliff Elementary, of which I am a proud alumnus.

Give a wave, guys. There you go.

They are led by Ms. Statnyk and eight adult chaperones, which is good.

I look forward to seeing you guys in a couple of minutes. There’s an arcade down the street on Government, so I’m sure you’ll be taken there shortly. But I look forward to chatting with you guys.

Tabling Documents

Hon. N. Sharma: I have the honour to retable the final report of the 2022 Judicial Compensation Commission, with recommendations about compensation matters for provincial court judges and judicial justices for the four fiscal years beginning April 1, 2023.

The Judicial Compensation Commission is a constitutionally required, independent body that is appointed every four years to determine the remuneration, allowances and benefits for provincial court judges and judicial justices. Under the Judicial Compensation Act, the Legislative Assembly has 16 sitting days after today to consider how to respond to the recommendations in the 2022 report. If the Legislative Assembly does not respond by resolution within those 16 days, the judges and judicial justices are entitled to receive the compensation recommended by the commission.

I have another report to table. I have the honour to present the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia’s annual report for 2022-2023.

Hon. R. Kahlon moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

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

The House adjourned at 11:50 a.m.