Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: Hon. S. Malcolmson.

[10:05 a.m.]

Introductions by Members

N. Simons: I would like to wish a colleague of mine a happy birthday today. I don’t know why I’m choking up. It’s not my birthday.

I’ve known him since May 17, 2005. We’ve been friends since then, and we’ll be friends for life — my colleague and everyone’s friend, the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan.

Happy birthday, Doug.

M. Dykeman: Speaking of birthdays, today is a very special day. Twenty-one years ago, on this day, I became a mom for the first time. I gave birth to an adorable 6-pound-7-ounce bundle of joy. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I am the luckiest parent on the planet.

I’m now the mother of a 6 foot 9, 240-pound boy with size 17 shoes. I look at him, and there’s no resemblance, but he is the kindest, sweetest, most amazing human. I’ve learned far more from him than he’s learned from me.

I’m wondering if the House could please join me in wishing him a very happy 21st birthday.

Happy birthday, A.J.

Hon. G. Lore: I’m joined today by students from Vic High and their teacher Mr. Bradley. I had the chance to go to Vic High with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and talk to some of the incredible student leaders there and have a conversation. I wanted to provide an opportunity, as we’re in the capital, to come to this place to see how this works. The parliamentary secre­tary for youth, some version of that title, and I are going to have lunch with them today. It’s just such an honour to be joined in this space by youth who are interested and engaged, and have an opportunity to have that conversation.

I’m also joined today by my constituency advisers, Erin Willis and Adriana Thom.

I know all members of this House know what it means to have your folks on the ground and in community to support the work and connect.

Will the House please help me make these students, Mr. Bradley and my CAs welcome.

D. Davies: I’m delighted to welcome a very good friend of mine to the House today, Bobbi Wisdahl. She lived down here, and then she moved to Fort St. John for a number of years, and now she’s back down here. It’s really great that she took the time to come down and visit with all of us and watch the happenings. I believe it’s her first time watching question period, at least live.

Will the House please make Bobbi feel welcome.

R. Leonard: Today is the birthday of the first child born of all of my friends and relatives of my generation. She works in the Premier’s office. She is the mother of an amazing little boy that I get to call “the Big O.” He calls me Auntie Rae, and he sometimes visits the House.

Would the House please wish Kate Van Meer-Mass a very happy birthday.

Hon. M. Dean: Tomorrow is Child Care Provider Appre­ciation Day. Please take the opportunity to reach out to child care professionals in your community. In celebration of that, we have some in the House here today from the Cridge Centre. The Cridge Centre is a non-profit community social service organization that has been serving the community of Victoria for over 150 years.

Who do we have today? We have Timothy Latour, the school-age-care preschool coordinator; Danielle Robbins, the infant-toddler coordinator; Jennifer Hunter, the daycare coordinator; Angela Brunwald, ECE daycare; Tanya Kuhn, ECE preschool; and Christine Wosilius, the manager.

Would you please make them very welcome and show you appreciation for their work.

[10:10 a.m.]

Hon. R. Fleming: I am so pleased to see a group of high school students and their teacher joining us in the gallery today. Mr. Brad Cunningham and 13 or 14 senior students from Reynolds Secondary School are here. They are part of what is called the flex studies program, which is an incredible program that teaches kids about government, social issues, business, commerce and navigating the ways of society.

It is a great group of students. They are no strangers here to the Legislature. In fact, I think, thanks to Mr. Cunningham, we have probably tripled the number of senior high school students that actually come to the Legislative Assembly.

I would ask all members of the House to make the most welcome here today.

F. Donnelly: I’d like to introduce one of my constituency advisers, Justin Smith, who is here with us today. Justin works in my constituency office, along with the fabulous Linda Asgeirsson, the dynamic Melody Mohebkhah and the connector, Perisa Chan. They are an amazing team, and I’m so lucky to have such a talented staff.

Justin is super psyched to watch question period today. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the chamber floor in the future. Justin got a taste of politics when he ran for council in the last municipal election. He says he’s learned a lot since then and is looking forward to future opportunities.

I wish him the best of luck, and would the House please make him welcome.

N. Simons: Even after 19 years, I’ve never had the oppor­tunity to wish two people a happy birthday on the same day. In fact, it’s the first birthday of my youngest nephew, Auguste, who was born a year ago today.

I want to wish him a happy birthday.

Statements

HEALTH CARE AUXILIARY DAY
AND DELTA HOSPITAL AUXILIARY

I. Paton: It just came to my mind that tomorrow is Health Care Auxiliary Day. I just want to shout out to…. There are many hospital auxiliaries across the province, but the best one is the Delta Hospital Auxiliary. My mom, who’s going to be 97 in August, still goes one day a week to volunteer at the Delta Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop in Ladner.

Interjection.

I. Paton: I’m third. She’s first, Pam is second, and I’m third.

The Delta Hospital Auxiliary is donating $3 million to the new extended care ward that we’re going to get built and $700,000 this year to new equipment at Delta Hospital.

So a big shout-out to everyone involved in volunteering for your hospital auxiliaries across B.C.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL M221 — FAMILY COMPENSATION
AMENDMENT ACT, 2024

M. Bernier presented a bill intituled Family Compen­sation Amendment Act, 2024.

M. Bernier: I move that the bill intituled the Family Compensation Amendment Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read for the first time now.

Logan Power was a vibrant young man in Dawson Creek attending secondary school in 2016. But tragically, his life was cut short by a suspected drunk driver. Despite their profound loss, Logan’s family received no compensation, simply because Logan did not meet the narrow economic criteria recognized under the discriminatory existing laws.

This is, unfortunately, not an isolated case in British Columbia. Under the B.C. Family Compensation Act, the lives of children, seniors, those with disabilities and those without dependents are actually considered worthless when they are killed.

British Columbia stands as an outlier. Many other prov­inces have modernized their laws to reflect a more comprehensive understanding of loss and accountability of wrongful deaths. Our laws have not been updated in alignment with these changes, leaving many British Columbians unprotected and their families, like the Powers, without recourse.

Logan’s law proposes to correct these injustices by expanding eligibility for claims and adjusting compensation levels to align more closely with the realities of wrongful deaths. This includes allowing parents, siblings or dependents to claim compensation in the event of a wrong­ful death. This compensation will help families cover expenses, medical and funeral costs, travel, accommo­dation and other costs incurred while caring for the injured person before their death.

[10:15 a.m.]

It also helps align British Columbia with other prov­inces, which have already updated their laws to address the consequences of wrongful deaths more comprehensively.

The bill introduces necessary changes that were recommended by the Ministry of Attorney General back in 2010, addressing critical gaps that have allowed these injustices to persist. It will ensure that all families, regardless of the economic status of their loved ones, can seek and obtain justice.

People are increasingly aware of these issues and demand that we take decisive action to reform our wrongful death compensation laws, and it’s time for us to ensure that this justice is accessible for every family touched by this tragedy.

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

Motion approved.

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

Bill M221, Family Compensation Amendment Act, 2024, 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)

PROJECT HOPE AND
SUPPORT FOR ALS RESEARCH

S. Bond: On April 26, both the Minister of Health and I attended a remarkable event at the UBC Centre for Brain Health. Project Hope has been driven by ALS patients, their families, caregivers, the ALS Society of B.C. and successive governments.

Project Hope has been described as a beacon of light in the fight against ALS, and I could not agree more. Under the leadership of neurologist and ALS researcher Dr. Erik Pioro, a world-class ALS clinical care team will be assembled. They will be the cornerstone of Project Hope and will allow ALS patients to participate in groundbreaking clinical trials and research endeavours, all with the goal of finding a cure for ALS.

The ALS Society describes Project Hope as more than a project. Rather, it is a movement towards understanding, treating and ultimately defeating ALS. It is a bold and ambitious plan and journey.

Attending the event was Dr. Andrew Eisen, who founded the ALS Society of British Columbia. He is a distinguished ALS physician-scientist. There were ALS board members and, perhaps most importantly, some who have been impacted directly by ALS, and families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives to ALS. It was an emotional day for all of us.

Yes, we are inspired by the hope that this work brings, but our hearts hurt for those who will not see the direct benefits of the incredible work that will be done by Dr. Pioro and his team. We also want to recognize the tireless efforts of Wendy Toyer. She was a significant part of reaching this milestone.

It has been a dream of many to bring an end to ALS through creating a world-class ALS centre at UBC. After listening to Dr. Pioro share his vision and passion, I have every confidence that British Columbia, fuelled by hope and driven by science, will play a pivotal role in making a difference in the lives of those affected by this devastating disease.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK

R. Leonard: This week is Emergency Preparedness Week, and since technology sure plays a part in all of our lives, this year’s theme is “Using technology before, during and after emergencies.”

You never know how you will react when the adrenaline rush hits, and being ready beforehand will help keep you safe.

With wildfire season coming up, it’s a good time to get to know the hazards in your community, make your emergency plan and build an emergency kit and grab-and-go bag. And hot off the presses, you can get started with our brand-new online emergency-ready planner at preparedbc.ca/emergencyready. It’ll help make it faster and easier to create an emergency and evacuation plan that’s tailored to you and your family.

The planner helps people identify emergency meeting places and document important contact, medical and insurance information. It recommends supplies for your emergency kits and grab-and-go bags, as well as FireSmart steps to protect your home from wildfire. Make a date with your loved ones to play with the planner, so when you hear the B.C. emergency alert on your cell phone or radio or on television, like you received on Wednesday morning at 10:55, you’ll all be ready.

B.C. is forecasted to have an active wildfire season, and places like Vancouver Island are not immune to the risk. You can access the B.C. Wildfire app to keep abreast of wildfire conditions, fire bans, evacuation alerts and orders.

[10:20 a.m.]

Our government also has a new online portal to help emergency responders find commercial accommodation for evacuees. These new and improved tools are released by our government as part of Emergency Preparedness Week to help keep people safe through wildfires, droughts, floods and earthquakes.

There’s no time like the present to do your part to get prepared for the unexpected.

CHILD AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH DAY

K. Kirkpatrick: May 7 was National Child and Youth Mental Health Day. It’s really meant as a time for us to come together and to recognize that there are significant mental health challenges that are faced by our children and our youth. It’s really a time for us to pledge to help and support.

It’s a really different time than it was when most of us in the House here were younger and were going to school. There’s social media now. Social media has its good and bad pieces, but for many young people, it can be…. It’s an opportunity to be bullied.

There are all kinds of things there that are challenging and concerning — climate change. These young people…. I don’t think we realize enough how much climate change weighs on their shoulders every day and causes a lot of anxiety.

I was speaking to one of our interns last week. She’s 22, and she was talking about the fact that we all walk around with AirPods on now, right? And we can sit…. You know, you go into a room, and there are people around, and you sit there, and you just don’t have conversations anymore. So for young people, our technology has started to disconnect them from people.

She said something that really made me think about this. I hope she doesn’t mind, because I didn’t know I was going to talk about this until just now. It’s that we went from having a large social circle as a young person, and now it’s really limited, and a lot of it is because of the AirPods and the not talking to people. Everything is done via text. That can be quite concerning, because we need to have those supports as a young person.

We heard from Take a Hike the other day that, really, we don’t have enough mental health supports in schools for young people. We owe them that. They are our future, and we need to make sure that we’re holding them up and treating them well and giving them the supports that they need. They need early support and resources in schools.

Together, let’s help our young people, lift them up and give them the support they need.

CAREGIVER MONTH
AND SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS

H. Sandhu: I rise in this House to recognize May being Caregiver Month and to honour all the hard work and dedication that caregivers offer around the clock in our province and around the world.

Caregivers are some of the most caring people in this world. They always think about the well-being of people in their care, and they can sometimes forget their own needs. We cannot imagine the world and care without caregivers.

Often what we see about their sacrifices, dedication and hard work is just the tip of the iceberg. It takes lots of patience, kindness, care, hard work and dedication to become a caregiver. While we recognize caregivers today to honour them, we also need to reflect on and create awareness about caregiver burnout. Their work includes many sleepless nights and countless hours spent supporting their loved ones. I want to acknowledge this and let people know that supports are available around the province.

Our government has invested in, in Budget 2024, the expansion of the family and friend caregivers support program. This program provides support for caregiver assistance, navigating the health care system as well as learning how to take care of your own well-being while caring for someone close to you. We also continue to expand culturally appropriate adult day programs in the province. These programs not only improve the lives and socialization of seniors but also benefit caregivers.

If you are a caregiver or know a caregiver, please help to support them and increase awareness of family and friend caregivers. Family Caregivers of B.C. is also a great resource. They offer supports to caregivers by telephone or online, in-person or virtual meetings and providing resources. I urge you to go to www.familycaregiversbc.ca.

Please join me in recognizing family and friend caregivers in our province and across the country for the selfless, tireless, exceptional care they provide and honouring their role in so many people’s lives.

[10:25 a.m.]

PARLIAMENTARY MACE
AND POWER IN DEMOCRACY

A. Olsen: For the past year, I’ve been doing this work as an MLA, and I’ve also been doing graduate studies in leadership at Royal Roads University. I wrote a paper recently focused on power and our relationship as MLAs to power.

Think of all the ways that you intersect with power. It was a profound experience for me to think on this, and the ceremonial mace was a central feature of the work that I did. How many of us have thought about the mace, the type of power that’s symbolized in that mace? Each day it arrives, carried by our Sergeant-at-Arms, leading a procession of the Speaker and Clerks. Ever wondered why?

The mace, also known as a bludgeon, is a modified club, often reinforced with stone, bone, bronze or iron. It’s from the Dark Ages, and our silver one here was made in the 1950s. There is no law or decree that started the Speaker’s procession or giving the ceremonial mace its power. The power comes from what happens when you get blud­geoned by a mace.

In the 14th to 15th century, mayors of British towns had sergeants-at-arms who carried a mace and for protection for arrests. It was also the sergeant’s standard weapon of choice at the time. In 1414, Henry V appointed Nicholas Maudit the Sergeant-at-Arms for Westminster, and like the mayors he had seen around, he brought with him his mace. Interesting.

The Speaker at the time was simply just the mouthpiece of the Commons.

I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker.

When the Speaker got the protection of the Sergeant and the mace, its power in the mace transferred to the Speaker. And centuries later, in this Speaker’s precinct, what the Speaker says goes.

Power moves in mysterious ways, and the power represented in the mace is a brutish, thuggish, primitive sort of power. Is that the expression of power that we want our democracy represented by?

ADHD AWARENESS

J. Rice: Today I rise to talk about an often-not-talked-about issue of ADHD. ADHD is often classified or diagnosed as a mental health disorder, but in fact it’s a neurological development disorder, meaning that the brain is formed not neurotypically, so it’s something that you have from birth. It was misunderstood for a long time as a behavioural disorder, which we know it is not.

Unfortunately, because some of the symptoms seem like they are very easy to treat by neurotypical people, it’s led to kids with ADHD having heard 20,000 times more negative comments or input than a neurotypical child. So by age 12, if you have ADHD, you have heard 20,000 more negative comments.

They can be really benign. A parent could think this is the right thing to do. Why have you forgotten your homework again? How could you lose your keys again? Why can’t you just sit still? While we think these are normal parenting comments, they are in fact quite harmful.

An ADHD brain looks differentl it’s formed differently. A main key factor is the fact that the dopamine receptors — there’s a dysregulation with that. Twenty-eight percent of people who are referred to a mood disorders clinic for depression or anxiety…. Twenty-eight percent actually have untreated ADHD. Physicians and doctors, very informed on prescribing medications such as SSRIs for depression and anxiety — however, not educated enough on ADHD.

I wanted to conclude with this saying, which is very relatable. I think of Melanie Mark, who when she departed here, talked about her invisible disability of ADHD. It’s like how could someone’s ADHD go undiagnosed for so long because they are a high-functioning, overachieving woman, constantly bordering on burnout but seen as fine. Because as long as that woman didn’t burn out, no one really noticed. Functioning, but not fine.

[10:30 a.m.]

I think that is something we all need to know if you’re neurotypical. That is something that non-neurotypicals are struggling with every single day.

Oral Questions

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

K. Falcon: Shocking new data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reveals that last year less than one in ten mortgages in our province were issued to first-time homebuyers. B.C. has the lowest rate in the entire country. Our kids are losing hope as their dream of ever owning a home vanished under this NDP Premier and his total failure to deliver results on his promise of housing afford­ability for our kids.

B.C. United has a plan to fix it by turning rent payments into down payments with our rent-to-own plan.

My question to the Premier: when will this Premier finally deliver results by adopting B.C. United’s rent-to-own plan and bring back hope that our kids can one day purchase a home, raise a family, and build a future right here in British Columbia?

Hon. R. Kahlon: No doubt we can agree in this House that people across this province, across this country need to be able to have a place either to rent at an affordable rate, or those that rent have the ability to move into home ownership. We, I think, all support that notion.

What’s needed to do that are reforms. The housing system, as it is now, is not working for too many people in our province. We have young families, young people who don’t see an opportunity or a pathway to get into home ownership. That’s why the measures that we put in, with our Homes for People strategy, addresses all those levers.

The member shared some data. I can share with the member that B.C. is building 2.5 times more housing than Ontario, adjusted for their size. In fact, our government is seeing 150 percent more units per resident than the PC government in Ontario.

The measures we’re doing, putting in place and allowing three- to four-unit single-family lots, allowing for housing to be built near transit, reforming our system so that people can have an opportunity to stay in our communities, grow in our communities, are something we’re committed to, and we’re leading the country in that work.

K. Falcon: There in that answer lies the problem, for all the folks that are here listening, because they believe that government is the solution to every problem, when they don’t realize that government is the problem. The fact of the matter is the result they’re getting in British Columbia is that we have the highest, most unaffordable housing prices in North America, the highest average rents in Canada. That’s the result that their government-first approach is getting us.

Eighteen months ago the Premier promised results that people could touch, see and experience — 18 months ago. What parents are experiencing across British Columbia is watching their children have to leave B.C. in search of affordability, a fact that was highlighted by the Alberta government ads, last night on the Canucks hockey game, enticing more young British Columbians to move to Alberta, the land increasingly seen as opportunity.

Last year alone — I hear the snickering over on that side of the House — 70,000 young British Columbians moved to Alberta. Why? It’s because Alberta has lower taxes. Alberta has affordable housing. Alberta offers the kind of opportunity that used to exist here in British Columbia. We need to give our kids hope again, which is why our B.C. United plan is about turning rent payments into down payments…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

K. Falcon: …and helping young people get back into housing and believe they’ve got a future in B.C.

Again, when will the Premier finally deliver results — not announcements, results — so they can adopt an option that will work: B.C. United’s plan, our rent-to-own plan to turn rent payments into down payments and help our young people have an opportunity to own a home, raise a family and build a future right here in British Columbia?

[10:35 a.m.]

Hon. R. Kahlon: Again, I think all members of this House can agree that people that are renting should have an opportunity to buy a home. That’s why, when we brought the legislation in place last fall to allow three or four units on single-family lots, they opposed it. They opposed it. They didn’t want to see those types of opportunities being created, opportunities for multi-generational families to be able to live on one parcel of land.

Now, the member talks about people and moving to different provinces. We have 10,000 people coming to B.C., net, every 37 days — 10,000.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: The Leader of the B.C. United says, “Oh, they’re coming internationally.” People are coming to British Columbia for opportunity. It’s one of the strongest economies in the country. People are coming here for opportunities.

Now, the leader of the BCU party here says: “You know what? We’re going to do what we did before.” He’s going to dust off the old playbook. Hon. Speaker, you can go to Vancouver and visit a place called Little Mountain, and you can see the legacy of this member here and his colleagues in full action. People of British Columbia cannot afford to head back in that direction again.

R. Merrifield: Well, news flash to the minister: we actually have the third-worst economy in all of Canada right now. Yeah, a bummer about that one.

Today the Bank of Canada is warning of a steep jump in mortgage payments due to rising interest costs. Who’s to blame? Well, Scotiabank confirmed that the majority of interest rate hikes are the direct result of provincial inflationary deficits like the record-setting ones created by this NDP.

It’s no wonder why nearly 70,000 of our children, youth and young professionals left for Alberta last year. They can’t afford a mortgage or rent. B.C. United’s rent-to-own plan through new homes frees up rental apartments and takes pressure off the housing market.

When will the Premier finally deliver results by adopting B.C. United’s rent-to-own plan and bring back hope that our kids desperately need to one day purchase their own home and raise their own families right here in B.C.?

Hon. R. Kahlon: We share that commitment of wanting to see young people be able to stay in our province, to be able to raise their families in communities that they grew up in. That’s why we brought such bold action into the Legislature last fall.

They opposed many of those initiatives. They opposed most of those initiatives, and it was a shame, because now those very initiatives that we have as part of our Homes for People strategy are being adopted across the country. In fact, the federal government has said, “We’re going to tie infrastructure funding, if you do the work that B.C. is doing,” in communities throughout the province.

I’ll share another interesting fact for them. They say people are going to Alberta. You know who’s coming from Alberta? Doctors, nurses. You look at the data. I’m happy to share it with the member across the way.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Thank you.

Hon. R. Kahlon: We are seeing doctors and nurses coming to British Columbia.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I’ll end with this, hon. Speaker. The member mentions Scotiabank.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I can share with the member that the CEO of Scotiabank was an author of a report on how to address the housing crisis in Ontario. We have adopted all the policies that the CEO suggested, and they’re looking to B.C. as a leader in the country when it comes to reforms needed to ensure there’s housing available for people in British Columbia.

The Speaker: Member for Kelowna-Mission, supplemental.

R. Merrifield: I think that the minister needs to get outside of the echo chamber, because the very initiatives that he’s mentioning are creating housing chaos within our municipalities. How do we know? Housing starts in Q1 are down in B.C. High taxes, high fees and high rents are causing our kids to give up and move to Alberta.

[10:40 a.m.]

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., the average two-bedroom rental will soon reach $2,800 in Metro Vancouver, up $1,000 a month from 2021. But the best that the NDP Premier and this Housing Minister can offer is a BC Builds plan adding less than 1 percent of the 700,000 homes that CMHC says are needed to restore affordability.

Why won’t the Premier adopt the B.C. United plan to turn rent payments into down payments and give young people hope again?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Again, everyone in this place…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Members.

Hon. R. Kahlon: …supports the idea of somebody renting getting into home ownership. In fact, the federal Liberals, in their platform, committed to a program similar to what they’ve announced. They’ve had challenges rolling it out. They’ve had challenges rolling it out because they know that it’s a very difficult proposal to move forward. But that being said, the principle is something we support as well.

What I’ll say to the member…. She mentioned CMHC data. CMHC says we’re building 2½ times more housing than Ontario — 2½ times. CMHC’s March 2024 monthly housing reports has this information. I’m happy to share with the member.

We know that the system that we have for housing is not working for too many people. For too many years, we had governments — in fact, the former B.C. Liberal Party, governments like them — who decided: “You know what? We’re not going to invest in the affordable housing that people need. We’re going to just stay out of the way and, somehow, this is going to solve itself.”

We’ve seen that failed policy and the outcomes that come from that. I think British Columbians are ready for the actions that we’re taking. In fact, I know they are, because we’re getting messages from people and leaders across the country who are saying: “We would like to replicate the initiatives that you are taking on to ensure that our communities have housing that they need as well.”

TAX POLICIES AND WEALTH INEQUALITY

S. Furstenau: With close to half a billion dollars being earmarked for seven FIFA games, it is important to ask: “Who benefits from government spending?” FIFA is not designed for most British Columbians. While the wealthiest will enjoy the fanfare, the majority of people will be footing the bill while we watch from our living rooms.

Meanwhile, B.C. has the lowest taxes on people who earn $150,000 or more, making a mockery of our progressive taxation system and eliminating that most Canadian value: fairness. British Columbians are struggling to get by, struggling to afford housing, struggling to buy their groceries, and programs like SAFER, disability supports and the Canada-B.C. rental benefit don’t provide enough of a safety net.

My question is to the Premier. Will his government commit to tackling income inequality head-on by adjusting our highest tax rate brackets to fall in line with other provinces so that the highest earners pay their fair share?

Hon. R. Kahlon: Here we have it. One party says that we have taxes too high, another party confirming that we actually have some of the lowest taxes for people earning less than $150,000 a year.

The member asks about FIFA. I’ll say this.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I’ll say this about FIFA. We are going to be welcoming the world to British Columbia. This is one of the premier events in the world. The member says: “Who is going to benefit?” It’s going to benefit our communities. It’s going to benefit our local economies. We’re going to welcome people. It’s going to support our tourism economy.

We have partners — xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7­mesh, səlilwətaɬ — who are excited because it means economic opportunities for those nations. Everyone is going to find benefits from this.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. R. Kahlon: I certainly hope that all members in this place are able to use this to also promote sports and promote physical activity amongst our youth. There are so many valuable things that come from promoting sport. I believe in it strongly. My colleagues believe in it strongly.

But at the same time, we are also increasing funding for SAFER. We are increasing programs for people. We can do both, and that’s what we are committed to on this side of the House.

The Speaker: Leader of the Third Party, supplemental.

S. Furstenau: My question was about income tax brackets for the highest earners in British Columbia. Inequality has gotten so bad that we now casually talk about the cost of living, the cost of just meeting basic needs to stay alive.

[10:45 a.m.]

This government’s failure to address wealth inequality is evident not only in its willingness to fund FIFA but not to ensure that everybody in B.C. has housing. While people struggle, the oil and gas sector keeps taking record profits. The federal government’s failure to bring in a windfall profit tax means that $4.6 billion in revenues, that could help all of these people who need it across this country and in this province, was just left off the table. Instead of meeting the basic needs of people in B.C., this government has subsidized the dirtiest industry in the world.

My question again is to the Premier. Will the Premier commit to advocating for a windfall profit tax on the oil and gas sector?

Hon. R. Kahlon: There were many comments made in that question. I’ll start with housing. There is no government in this country that is investing at the levels we are into affordable housing. We are the only province that’s funding housing for Indigenous people on and off reserve. We have funding available for communities throughout the province. We have projects opening everywhere.

The member talks about inequality. I can assure the member that every one of my colleagues got into politics to address inequality. We want to make sure that our neighbours have the same opportunities that we want for our own families, for our own kids. That’s why we’ve taken measures to reduce taxes for working people, people making below $150,000 a year. We took those steps because we understand that working people need supports.

We have many more initiatives that we’re going to be doing in the future, but we are committed, I can assure that member, to addressing inequality in all of our work that we do.

GOVERNMENT POLICIES
AND REHIRING OF HEALTH CARE STAFF

B. Banman: This Premier’s NDP are radical activists out to shape British Columbia for their own extreme image.

This Premier and his government stand for taking away the rights of women to be safe and treated fairly, taking away the rights of parents to be involved in their children’s education, taking away the rights of landowners who are following local zoning, taking away the rights of communities by overriding official community plans, taking away the rights of people who voice opinions over housing decisions, taking away the rights of people to choose what kind of vehicle to own, taking away the rights of people to access Crown land and private property, taking away the rights of nurses and health care workers to be employed and taking away the rights of people to access health care in a timely manner.

The list goes on and on and on. It seems like this NDP Premier hasn’t found any private rights that he respects. And he’s gambling with B.C.’s future by running the largest deficits in B.C.’s history, not just last year or this year but for the foreseeable future.

My question to the Premier: will this Premier start giving rights back to everyday, hard-working people instead of taking them away? He can start by hiring our health care workers.

Hon. A. Dix: Obviously, I disagree with the member’s characterization. In British Columbia, we believed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in supporting people in health care, that we needed to support people in long-term care, that we needed to support health care workers. We did so in an unprecedented way, I might add with the unanimous support, for most of that period, of this Legislature. I’m very proud of that.

We continue to act. We talked about doctors and nurses earlier. We continue to act, consistent with the Public Health Act, to support our public health professionals in B.C., who have done an outstanding job, a world-leading job in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

We believe, indeed, in expanding rights for people in B.C. We believe, for example, that women have rights over their own bodies. We’ve expanded….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Thank you, Members.

Let’s continue.

Hon. A. Dix: And we believe that children have the right to go to school without being harassed.

The Speaker: House Leader of the Fourth Party, supplemental.

[10:50 a.m.]

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND
GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES

B. Banman: GDP growth in British Columbia before the NDP took power was around 2.5 percent. Over the last painful seven years, B.C.’s GDP growth has averaged around 1.5 percent. Now, with this NDP’s reckless policies, B.C.’s GDP growth is estimated to be as low as 0.4 percent by 2030. For regular people, this means smaller pay­cheques and bigger bills.

B.C. is facing a crisis in everything that matters. Most importantly, we have an economy that’s going off a cliff and a Premier who is asleep at the wheel. This is a recipe for economic ruin, which will destroy the future of families in British Columbia. Young people are struggling to move out on their own because housing is either not available or unaffordable. Food inflation is going through the roof.

The Speaker: Question, Member.

B. Banman: Private sector job growth is virtually non-existent. Wages are not going up.

The Speaker: Let’s have a question, Member.

B. Banman: More and more people are making the heartbreaking decision to leave B.C., as it is the only option for them to be able to build a future.

The Speaker: Member, let’s have a question, please.

B. Banman: My question. When will this Premier change course and bring in policies to promote economic growth and start fighting for people who are trying to build a life here in B.C. instead of standing with radical activist extremists who want to tear down B.C., destroy everything we’ve built…

The Speaker: Thank you, Member.

B. Banman: …and think it’s wrong to call ourselves British Columbians?

The Speaker: We heard the question. Thank you.

Hon. B. Bailey: What I would say to the member op­pos­ite is never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Boy.

Our GDP has increased since 2017 by 16.9 percent. B.C. continues to be an economic driver in Canada.

The member opposite made many false statements, including a claim that we have a low average income. In fact, we lead the country with the highest average income of $34.68. We’ve also done incredible work to make sure that the minimum wage has been raised for the average British Columbian.

We continue to grow our economy, driving diversification, to ensure that we have a strong economy to go forward. We’re seeing incredible investments coming into our economy from E-One Moli of $1 billion, incredible investments coming into our life sciences sector and many, many more.

Our economy continues to do well. We’re leading the country.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON ANTISEMITISM
AND RESPONSE TO ISSUES

S. Robinson: Antisemitism is on the rise in Canada. In 2023, there were over 5,000 documented acts of violence, harassment and vandalism aimed at Jews, more than twice the documented incidents in 2022.

I have a letter here from Premier John Horgan written to Nico Slobinsky, senior director with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. The letter is dated June 14, 2022. In the letter, Premier Horgan notes that the province of British Columbia fully supports the federal government’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism and rejects all forms of discrimination, as outlined in Canada’s anti-racism strategy.

That was Premier Horgan’s commitment: to use the IHRA definition of antisemitism when addressing this hatred.

Does our current Premier continue to support this commitment to use the IHRA definition of antisemitism?

Hon. N. Sharma: I want to thank the member for the question.

Clearly, we all stand in solidarity in this House against the disturbing rise of antisemitism in this province. I know the member has been very vocal in what the community is facing. Hate in all its forms is unacceptable in this province. We had a good discussion about our approach to responding to hate through the Anti-Racism Act that’s before this bill.

I understand that for many Jewish people in this prov­ince…. The IHRA definition of antisemitism is an important tool to help government understand what antisemitism is showing up in the province. We’ve taken the approach, through our bills and legislation, to not adopt specific definitions in legislation.

[10:55 a.m.]

Those things change over time. The way communities are experiencing hate and the way communities tell us what they’re experiencing changes over time. What we need to do is continually meet with communities, understand what’s happening to them in time and then respond.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

S. Robinson: I’m going to hear that as a no, they’re not adopting the IHRA definition. This wasn’t a question about legislation. It was a question that was…. The former Premier said that we would use that definition as a working definition, but clearly, that seems to no longer be the case.

On Yom HaShoah, the Premier committed to stand up to antisemitism. We have seen what happens when leaders are silent.

On the very same day, on Yom HaShoah, we heard the member for Richmond-Queensborough suggest that the antisemitism we are seeing on campus is somehow justified because of what he experienced in India as a Sikh individual. Therefore, the hate we see on campus is not targeted at Jews. It is just criticizing a state. His subsequent apology is for his lack of clarity, not an apology for tokenism or for the deep hurt that he has caused.

The lived experience of UBC Jewish students, faculty and staff is that they are not welcome on campus because they believe in the right to self-determination. They are being targeted because they are Jews.

This is not the first time this member has had to make an apology for his antisemitism, which consistently turn out to be non-apologies. He’s also not the only New Democrat who has made antisemitic comments. Clearly, the government caucus is not interested or does not understand what antisemitism is and how it looks.

I’m going to ask if this government is interested in doing any antisemitism training to make sure that they don’t step into it yet again.

Hon. R. Kahlon: All members of this House had an all-party committee. Part of the recommendations that came from the all-party committee was that there be anti-racism and anti-hate training to address challenges in society but also to enrich our knowledge and understanding of how different communities face racism. We, on our side, have committed…. We will ensure, when the Legislature comes back, that everyone has that training.

We had a great discussion yesterday, the member and I, on the important steps that we have to do with communities as we move forward to address hate in our communities. Now, the member made a comment yesterday, in fact…. There are some Jewish communities we should be listening to, and the other ones are fringe. The member said “fringe,” specifically.

We don’t take that approach. We believe that all Jewish members of our community have their own lived experience. We want to hear from all of them.

Part of the work that we’ll be doing, with the anti-racism strategy, is taking the next steps, hopefully with the unanimous support of this House, and engaging with communities to ensure that their understanding of what racism is and how they feel it are reflected in the work we do as we go forward.

CHILD CARE PLAN
AND ACCESS TO SERVICES

K. Kirkpatrick: Eighteen months ago the Premier promised “results that people can feel, touch and experience in their lives.” For mothers like Alisha Ludlow, these promises mean nothing, and she is losing hope.

Alisha can’t find child care, limiting her to part-time work and putting her on the brink of homelessness. She struggles to pay the bills because she can only work four hours a day due to the lack of child care. This is seven years after this NDP government promised universal $10-a-day child care.

After seven years and despite running the largest inflationary deficit in B.C.’s history, why has the Premier utterly failed to deliver on his promise to Alisha and thousands of other parents?

Hon. M. Dean: We know that child care is a really important core service to so many families in British Columbia. It is one of the largest expenses that families face.

Seven years ago it was a real patchwork. It was left to market forces, and it was very difficult for families to find child care and to be able to afford child care.

We have been working on our ChildCareBC plan. We now have 15,000 $10-a-day spaces in British Columbia. That’s not all.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. M. Dean: With our affordable child care benefit, over 35,000 children and their families are supported monthly. Low and middle-income families save up to $1,250 per month per child.

[11:00 a.m.]

Over 140,000 families are being supported by at least one of our programs, and we are increasing the number of spaces in the province by thousands.

The Speaker: Thank you.

Hon. M. Dean: We’re making a real difference, and I hear from families that this is life-changing. We cannot afford to go back to the situation where child care was not accessible and not affordable for British Columbians.

PROTECTION OF INFORMATION AND
GOVERNMENT CYBERSECURITY POLICIES

T. Stone: This Premier continues to display why this NDP government won the award for being the most secretive government in all of Canada. The Premier concealed a massive cyberattack on the provincial government for eight days.

I don’t know why members opposite are smiling, but eight days this cyberattack was concealed, only for the Premier to issue a quiet statement while everyone was busy watching last night’s Canucks game.

British Columbians are rightly worried about their sensitive information, wondering if their information has been compromised by a foreign-state-sponsored cyberattack.

The question to the Premier is this. Will the Premier say today who was responsible for this attack, how much sensitive personal information was compromised and why the Premier would have waited eight days to issue a quiet statement during a Canucks game to disclose this very serious breach to British Columbians?

Hon. M. Farnworth: I appreciate the question from the member.

What I’ll tell the member is this. Nothing was hidden at all.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh.

Hon. M. Farnworth: You know, hon. Speaker, now I understand the triple-delete scandal with that kind of nonsense.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Member, you asked a question. A question was asked. Are you interested in listening to the answer or not?

Hon. M. Farnworth: Thank you, hon. Speaker.

Here’s not indignation. Here’s fact. The fact is this.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Why people are interrupting, I don’t understand. Please.

Interjection.

The Speaker: He’s got the floor, Member. Don’t argue with me.

Hon. M. Farnworth: He asked what I believe, or what the public believes, to be a serious question about their information. I’m trying to tell the hon. member that when an incident like this happens, the first thing that happens is the protection of the system, the protection of the information. That’s done by technical experts, who work on the advice of the Canadian cybersecurity system.

The reason they do that is because if you go out and give information before that’s done, you actually end up compromising people’s information, potentially.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: The priority is to ensure that the system is protected and that information is protected.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Farnworth: That is why we are able to say that there is no evidence that there was any compromising of sensitive information.

We take our advice from the technical security experts in this facility. We take our advice from the Canadian cybersecurity service, who deal with these kinds of things on an ongoing basis, along with the agencies who do the investigations.

That’s who we will take the advice on in terms of protecting public information every single time. We will never take advice from an opposition that…. All they ever want to do is play politics.

[End of question period.]

R. Parmar: I rise to present a petition.

The Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

R. Parmar: I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of John Bruzas and a number of people from my community, calling on the government to amend the Trespass Act to include a statement on rainforest trees.

[11:05 a.m.]

Reports from Committees

SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO REVIEW
PASSENGER DIRECTED VEHICLES

M. Elmore: I am pleased to present the report of the Special Committee to Review Passenger Directed Vehicles.

I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved.

M. Elmore: I ask leave of the House to move a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

The Speaker: Proceed.

M. Elmore: I move that the report be adopted and, in doing so, would like to make some brief comments.

Our committee makes 34 recommendations to improve service provision and ensure an effective regulatory environment for passenger-directed vehicles. Our recommen­dations were informed by a very robust series of infor­mational briefings from a number of public bodies and, as well, a very well-attended public consultation. During our public consultation, the committee heard from taxi and ride-hailing drivers and companies as well as individuals, communities and groups involved in this sector.

Committee members developed our recommendations based on a number of key principles that we agreed on. These include equity, affordability, safety, accessibility, integration and efficiency, a rural lens and data-driven and transparent decision-making. We agreed and reached consensus to highlight improvements to accessible services of priority.

We know, all members in the House know, that serving people with disabilities is a matter of respecting human rights. Throughout our consultations, we heard just a lot of stories from British Columbians with disabilities about the significant challenges they experience in trying to access passenger-directed vehicles.

Our committee, and I know our House, shares the perspective that British Columbians of all abilities should be treated with dignity and respect and have equitable and timely access to service. On behalf of all committee members, I would like to sincerely thank the individuals with disabilities who took the time to share their very personal experiences with us.

The committee also heard about the unique challenges faced by B.C.’s small, rural and remote communities when it comes to transportation. Going forward, we hope to see a holistic approach adopted to improve transportation connectivity.

Throughout the course of our work, we also heard about the need for more data in all aspects of the transportation sector. The committee supports evidence-based decision-making using quality data that’s easily accessible. Ongoing data collection and analysis will be key to inform future regulatory and policy development.

I’d like to acknowledge staff in the Parliamentary Committees Office who supported our review, including Karan Riarh, Lisa Hill, Danielle Migeon, Jonathon Hamilton, Sean Morgado and Mary Newell.

Thank you, as well, to Amanda Heffelfinger, Dwight Schmidt and Danielle Suter from Hansard Services for their assistance with our work.

Finally, I’d like to express my appreciation to all committee members. We’re at the end of our deliberations, and I appreciate your efforts.

I want to recognize the member for West Vancouver–​Sea to Sky, the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan, the member for Burnaby North and the member for Richmond-Steveston for their dedication.

Particularly, I also recognize the support of our very capable Deputy Chair, the member for Prince George–​Valemount.

S. Bond: I very much appreciate the remarks of our Chair, the member for Vancouver-Kensington. I appre­ciated the work that she did, making sure that our committee got its work done. We went through some challenging discussions, but very much appreciated that.

I certainly want to echo the comments of the Chair of our committee. Committees work because British Columbians speak up and take the time and effort to actually contribute to the work that’s being done by committees. One of the things that I think moved all of us, as committee members, were the stories that we heard from persons with disabilities. In fact, we heard stories where British Columbians with disabilities face discrimination and, quite frankly, poor transportation services.

We know how absolutely essential it is for there to be accessible transportation in British Columbia. Persons with disabilities want to engage fully in their communities. Whether they’re going to work or school, accessing services, transportation is critical to that participation.

Particularly, people with visual disabilities — very difficult to hear their stories. Imagine what it would be like to be dropped off not knowing where you were. Imagine being denied a ride because you have a service animal. Those things actually happen in British Columbia on a regular basis.

[11:10 a.m.]

Our committee was very moved by the stories that we heard. In fact, it had a significant impact on the recommendations that we present today.

As someone who lives and represents rural and smaller communities, there are very unique transportation issues. MLAs who serve those parts of the province hear those concerns all the time. Together we need to focus on addressing the gaps that exist in transportation networks in these communities and across the province.

Like my colleague and the Chair of our committee, we want to acknowledge the contributions of the committee members and also recognize her work as our Chair.

Most importantly, we want to thank the Parliamentary Committees Office and Hansard. We spent a lot of very late evenings working together, spending time together.

Hansard — they were often, I’m sure, wondering about some of the discussions we had, but we’re very grateful.

And I, too, want to express our thanks to Karan Riarh, Lisa, Jonathon, Danielle and Sean in particular.

I really appreciate the opportunity to add to the comments made by our Chair.

The Speaker: Members, the question is adoption of the report.

Motion approved.

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

Leave granted.

The Speaker: Please proceed.

Introductions by Members

T. Halford: We have two classes from my riding. From Star of the Sea School, we have grade 5 classes led by Mr. Dennis Pasta. They were in here for question period, and they are now outside. And now we have the grade 5 class from Ms. Wynne’s class.

I hope the House makes them welcome. I’m going to go talk to them in a couple of minutes.

Thanks for coming, guys.

I know they’re tired from the Canucks game last night, so well rested today. I appreciate them being here today.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Can I seek leave to make a quick introduction?

The Speaker: Absolutely.

Hon. R. Kahlon: Thank you.

Because my friend just made the introduction, I also see Coun. Jennifer Johal, a city councillor of Delta, here with the group. I guess one of Jennifer’s children goes to the school. I want to welcome Coun. Jennifer Johal to this House.