Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

RURAL HEALTH CARE

L. Doerkson: I rise today to bring attention to an issue which has, for certain, gone unaddressed in countless B.C. communities for far too long. It’s no secret that our province is experiencing a health care crisis. We’ve all heard the health care horror stories, but here are the facts.

Walk-in wait times are the worst in the country. They’re getting worse every year, increasing from 41 minutes in 2019 to an alarming 93 minutes. And if you have to be or happen to be in rural British Columbia, we can achieve times of as much as ten hours.

Accessing specialist care has also become increasingly difficult, with the duration from referral to appointment growing from 12 weeks to 14. One in five British Columbians don’t have a family doctor. Chronic understaffing persists, with Interior Health in my region reporting an increase in the vacancy rate from 5.1 to 13.7 in 2023, yet there’s no end in sight for these issues.

[10:05 a.m.]

[J. Tegart in the chair.]

Forty percent of B.C.’s family doctors are expected to retire in the next decade. B.C. also has the lowest ratio of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education seats in Canada, meaning that we are not training enough new doctors to replace the ones we’re going to lose.

But these issues are even more acute in rural communities, where the voices of everyday realities of residents continue to be overlooked. As a representative of rural constituents, I understand the harsh realities faced by both patients and health care professionals in British Columbia.

First, let’s talk about service interruptions.

Recent years have seen overnight ER closures in isolated and rural communities like Clearwater, Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Merritt, Oliver, Mackenzie, Prince Rupert, Kiti­mat and so many, many more. Imagine showing up in need of emergency attention, only to hear that you will have to travel another hour or more to receive care and then, of course, face those long waits in an ER. Think about that for a moment. It literally could be the difference between life and death.

Interior Health has had 18 service interruptions so far in 2024 alone.

Northern Health has experienced a shocking 68 service interruptions during the same period, and this number continues to climb. It’s been 68 times that essential health care services were closed, and we aren’t even halfway through the year yet.

Prince Rupert, for example, has recorded 13 service interruptions so far this year, including overnight closures for five consecutive days in March.

Chetwynd has had 11 service interruptions and has had closure announcements every day for a week since May 4.

Cariboo Memorial Hospital in my constituency had a sign posted outside their door in October of 2023 that read: “The emergency room is closed unless a patient is imminently dying.”

In the summer of 2023, nurses at the Bulkley Valley District Hospital were instructed to call 911 if their patients were in medical distress because of a lack of doctors to staff the ER.

These service interruptions are a result of chronic understaffing and a failure to recruit and retain health care workers in rural communities. In rural B.C., if even one physician calls in sick, it can result in a closure and the need to divert patients elsewhere. Health care workers are facing severe burnout. They desperately need more support and additional staff and better resources.

There are also issues in recruitment of rural health professionals, given the lack of education and training programs within rural communities.

In the Cariboo region alone, there are 6,000 residents on the waiting list for family doctors, and thousands more who are waiting but haven’t even been registered.

Almost half of the residents in our region are currently left without a family doctor. Our communities are lacking the health care infrastructure and professionals necessary to provide adequate service, yet nothing seems to be coming forth with clarity.

In addition to staffing challenges, rural residents face issues surrounding health care–related transportation that people in urban centres simply do not face. The government’s travel assistance program is inadequate, with most folks paying significant out-of-pocket expenses to travel to urban centres to access care, all while in some rural areas, ambulance wait times are up to 40 minutes.

We know that that has been much longer in Cariboo-Chilcotin and other rural areas. In 2022, an infant died in Barriere waiting for an ambulance. In the same year, a man and a woman in Ashcroft died from cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance. And, of course, in my riding, a 14-year-old lost his life due to cardiac arrest while waiting for an ambulance. It’s unacceptable.

These issues affect certain groups more than others. For example, rural seniors often bear the brunt of these harms, whether it’s access to a family physician, adult acute care hospital services, diagnostics and laboratory medical specialists, long-term-care beds, home care or ambulance services. Seniors in rural B.C. have less access than their urban counterparts. Rural B.C. has, proportionately, a larger, faster-growing seniors population than urban B.C., yet it has less infrastructure and resources to support the aging population.

[10:10 a.m.]

All of these facts that I have shared today paint a grim reality for rural British Columbians. Too often, we have ignored these issues that are facing rural residents. It is time to hear less empty words and increase spending to solve some of these health care issues in rural British Columbia.

J. Rice: Thank you to the member opposite for his remarks in regard to rural and remote health care and generally touching on the health human resources challenge that we’re facing in British Columbia and not just in rural B.C. but all of B.C. and all of Canada — around the world, in fact. We have the shortages that he’s mentioned with various health care providers — not just family doctors but nurse practitioners, nurses and the allied health professionals.

That’s why we have a 70-point health human resources strategy to help address a lot of the shortages that we are facing and, I will acknowledge, that we are particularly feeling in rural communities. As the member said, if you have one physician off, unavailable or ill, that can have a chain reaction in the services that are available in a small community.

I would just like to push back a little bit on the fact that the member concluded his remarks with a need to spend more money and a lack of investment in rural B.C. While I feel like we could never spend enough money on the priorities that are important to us, we have spent a tremendous amount of money. As I said, we are up against a global health human resources challenge. It feels like perhaps the progress is too incremental or too slow, but it’s not for the lack thereof.

In fact, in the health care workers that he’s speaking of, we have continuously invested into rural and remote recruitment incentives, such as housing for three months in some communities, for a physician to come to assess the community if they want to set up shop and permanently serve that community. We also have free child care. We’ve given them all sorts of incentives — financial incentive bonuses, signing bonuses, training opportunities.

However, despite all those efforts — and in certain communities where it’s particularly hard felt, in some of those rural communities, there are additional incentives provided by the health authorities — we are still facing the challenge of successfully recruiting and retaining people. In this day and age, I’d like to argue that it’s not about money or, as the member suggested, needing to invest more money. It’s actually the fact that we have a younger, wider demographic of health care providers that want more of a work-life balance.

Essentially, when one physician retires these days, we need to replace that physician with 1½ physicians. There simply are just not enough people in the world. But we are trying. We have all sorts of programs to try and recruit these health care providers to communities.

The travel assistance program. We have invested $10 million into the B.C. Cancer Agency and for Hope Air to completely fund any sort of cancer treatment that anyone in British Columbia would need. That would be their hotels, their flights, their taxis, their food. We’ve actually invested in Hope Air. They have a philosophy of “no one left behind.” There are programs, and there are investments into the travel assistance program.

Could we do more? There’s always more to do. As the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, that is something that I care deeply and passionately about and that I’ve been working on. I have experienced these challenges as a rural resident myself.

As far as not having enough people or not training enough, well, we’ve opened 602 nursing seats and 322 new allied health–related seats. We’ve increased midwifery seats. We’re building the first new medical school in western Canada in 50 years, to help train more doctors around the province. We’ve added more undergraduate medical seats and more residency seats.

[10:15 a.m.]

We have a new agreement with doctors, bringing in more doctors with a different payment model. We’ve had successful agreements with the BCNU, the B.C. Nurses Union. We’ve hired 7,000 people into the new HCAP program, which is the health care access program. We have laddering programs for nurses, for PNs to become RNs and for health care aides to become nurses. There’s a lot that we’re doing.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Cariboo-​Chilcotin to close.

L. Doerkson: Well, thank you very much, Madam Speaker. I appreciate the comments made by the member opposite.

Certainly I would suggest that the investments that I was referring to are part of an equation that includes everything else that we just talked about — training and retention and all those different things. I can appreciate that money is not all that we need here. There are many, many things that will solve this. But I will say this: results matter. The results that we’re seeing in Cariboo-Chilcotin, for certain, and rural B.C. are challenging, to say the least.

I want to re-emphasize the deadly seriousness of the health care crisis faced by residents in rural B.C. Throughout my statement, I deliberately avoided individual horror stories and stuck to the facts as I know them — just a wealth of factual evidence and statistics to paint a bit of a picture for this government to understand what is happening in rural B.C. I’d like to conclude my remarks today, but I’m going to remind us all that these facts are not just numbers. They represent real people, real consequences. Some of these people are my own constituents.

Lee Butler — I’ve raised the issue in question period already this session and written to the minister twice about my now-deceased constituent, Lee, whose experience constitutes a horror story of severe neglect and deplorable conditions. Lee Butler was left to lie in a hospital bed with his feet and legs hanging over the rails of the bed to avoid lying in his own filth and soiled sheets. It’s absolutely unacceptable.

What about Hank Krynen, a 90-year-old man from Williams Lake who sought care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital? He suffered similar indignities of being left hours alone, covered by his own jacket, on a stretcher in a children’s playroom.

Or Wyn Parry, whom we learned about last week, who suffered similar situations?

These examples are amongst a litany of examples that the opposition has been raising for years in this Legislature. How many more stories of neglect and deplorable conditions in hospitals throughout rural B.C. — like those of Lee, Hank or Wyn — do we need to hear before something changes, before the results change, in this province?

It is definitely time to take real action to help real people and to improve access and results in health care throughout the rural areas of this province. Rural British Columbians deserve so much better.

D. Routley: Excuse me, Members. I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

D. Routley: I’d like to welcome, on behalf of the MLA for North Island, the students from Phoenix Middle School and their teacher, Leah Wilson.

We’re very proud to have you in the House. We’re having statements, where members exchange ideas. Please enjoy your stay. I know your MLA would like to be here, but she’s in a meeting.

Private Members’ Statements

INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST
HOMOPHOBIA, BIPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA

S. Chandra Herbert: I rise today to speak about the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. It is the Rainbow Week of Action, and that day is Friday, May 17. I thought we’d get the week started off right.

Now, I was a little bit nervous about approaching this statement. I guess I think about the social media backlash I’m going to get, of people calling me all sorts of names. I think about the people who will say: “Why do you talk about gay stuff so much? You should just be happy being yourself. Don’t flaunt it.” I think about that internalized homophobia that I’ve taken on to say that I should hide myself, make myself invisible so that I don’t get beaten up.

[10:20 a.m.]

It’s something that I learned in high school. I’ve tried to unlearn it. I’ve been working on it and been pretty good most days. But there are those days where you look at the phone or you deal with somebody shouting at you on the street, and you want to crawl into your shell a little bit.

I’m not used to being one to crawl into my shell, but I’ve done that more often than not it feels like a little bit lately. I want to come out again, because I think it’s important that we show signs of strength, that we be visible. My mother would always say that the best way to teach lessons is to be a role model. The best way to learn is by looking at those around you and learning from them and how they live.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is created to show that visibility, to say: “You don’t have to hide from hatred; you don’t have to. We need to unite together to stop the hatred and make people safe, make our communities safer.”

In B.C., we’ve been marking this day for I don’t know how long, but it’s been growing. We’ve now been spreading this word around acceptance in communities all across this province. I’ve got to say that it feels really good to be where we’re at. However, I’ve got to say that it also feels really bad to look at those trying to tear down those freedoms, those trying to push people back into feelings of shame and invisibility.

There are those in communities all across this province. I don’t post where I’m going to be with my mobile community office on the street in the West End anymore because people will use that post to alert their friends so that they can come and shout at me. It was the worst when I became a new dad. I had people chasing me through the West End who would come in, not from the West End, simply to spread their homophobia. This is in this day and age. I still get that today. I don’t post those things because I’ve been advised that I will not be safe if people know where I am so they can come and target me.

My office has been attacked by a man who was homophobic, assaulting my assistant and punching a hole in my door. This is real. It’s not a: “Why do you complain all the time?” It’s a: “This is what people are going through in our streets.” I’ve got it easy. I’ve got to say that in my position, most people don’t want to mess with me. But young people in our schools, people in our communities, vulnerable people, don’t have it so easy all the time.

My first recollection of the word “gay” is: I got in trouble. I was in elementary school. I was in kindergarten. A neighbour friend had said: “Well, why don’t you guys go” — me and my twin brother — “call those people over there ‘gay’? It’s a funny word.” So we did, because it’s one of the first days in school, and you do what your older neighbour tells you to do. We thought: “Oh, this will be hilarious.” Didn’t turn out so much, because that kid was hurt. I don’t think he knew what it meant either, but he was taught to know that it was a bad thing.

We got called up. A teacher pulled us out — a teacher by the name of Mrs. Van Dyke, very wonderful woman; and she said: “Well, gay means happy. Gay means joyous. But you still have to go to the principal’s office.” We were left very confused. Why, if we called somebody joyous and happy, would we get in trouble, going to the principal’s office? We didn’t learn at the principal’s office what it meant, either. We just knew we should never say that word again, because it was not something you should call people.

I was, early on in life, already being told there was something you shouldn’t talk about. It wasn’t until I guess it was grade 8, maybe grade 7, when I started to realize: “Okay, maybe I am a little different from what people say you should be.” I tried my darndest to love Cindy Crawford and all the other models out there. Boy, I would show my friends the pictures. “Oh, I’ve got the latest pinup. Oh boy.” In my locker and the rest…. I, for some reason, couldn’t quite convince them. That was pretty hard.

I think, like many who don’t feel that they’re part of a community because they’ve been made to feel other, you feel lonely, and you feel invisible. You might think of suicide, as I did at one point. It’s horrible. It’s not something anybody should ever face.

[10:25 a.m.]

When I hear people go on about SOGI, which stands for sexual orientation and gender identity, policies in our schools, they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. All we’re saying is: “Make kids safe in schools.” If you’ve got a group of kids that are getting punched 75 percent more of the time than another group of kids that aren’t, you’re going to bring specialized policies in to deal with and support those kids who are being assaulted.

You’re not just going to go say: “Oh, everybody should be safe, but we’re going to look over here while this group gets pummeled.” But that’s the education policy some people are promoting in this day and age. Let’s go back to: “Everybody’s equal, except some are more equal than others, and some will get pummeled more than others.”

So I say SOGI policy in schools is nothing more than saying we’re standing up for the human rights of all kids, just like when we brought in anti-racism policies in our schools to make sure that kids weren’t being targeted for their race, religion or disability. It’s about standing up for the human rights code.

I’ve got to acknowledge my colleague from Peace River South, when he was Education Minister, for working to bring this policy into all schools in our province. Boy, I beat on that door for a long time as an MLA, and we had students coming here pleading because they needed that support.

I’ll have more to say in a moment. Thank you.

K. Kirkpatrick: I’d like to really thank the member for Vancouver–West End. I’ve always appreciated his thoughtful comments.

I think that standing and sharing a story that’s personal in a position that he has, as Deputy Speaker…. It’s important for young people to be able to see that and to really appreciate that as a community, we need to hold people up. Differences are fabulous. It’s something that we must celebrate.

I’ll quote the famous poet e e cummings: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” You think about that. You think: “Well, maybe sometimes it shouldn’t have to take that much courage.” As the member got up and shared, we need to be aware of the kinds of things that happen in the community and the kind of hate that is shown towards people who should be loved and supported.

May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. I think when I was first elected four years ago, this was the first topic I spoke about when I stood in this House on a two-minute statement. Today is probably the last time I stand in this House on a statement, so I think it’s apt that we’re bookending this.

It should be a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities. It is celebrated in more than 130 countries and even many of those that are still criminalizing the LGBTQ community. The theme this year is “No one left behind: equality, freedom and justice for all.” Now, I was going to talk about how, thankfully, this year actually feels a bit more positive than it has in previous years, but the member has reminded me that there’s still so much that we have to do.

Many places in the world have started to shift away from criminalizing LGBTQ+ peoples and instead are beginning to codify and safeguard their rights. In 2019, 11 countries legalized marriage equality, and, since 2017, 13 countries have removed laws criminalizing LGBTQ+ sexuality. I will say that when it happened in British Columbia, when it happened in Canada, I was very, very proud to be in a community, in a province, in a country that felt it was necessary to protect and support and recognize marriage between all people.

Growing up is stressful. It’s confusing at the best of times. Trying to figure out who you are and how you fit in is part of becoming the person that you are. But imagine if you don’t feel that, if you don’t feel, in a way, that you’re in the right body. You just don’t feel like you can have the Cindy Crawford picture up in the locker and have the credibility of your buddies who you’re showing it to.

[10:30 a.m.]

LGBTQ children are often isolated, anxious and confused about why they feel the way they do. Sometimes there are parents and friends who are supportive and understand, but all too often they don’t. Often with parents, it’s not that they don’t support their child, that they don’t still love their child, but truly, they don’t understand, and they want to keep their child from having the experiences that we know do happen. They want to keep them safe. It is important that we help parents understand how they can best love and support their children.

Walk in the shoes of someone who has walked through their life being told that those around them in the images they’re seeing…. That being gay, bi, lesbian or pan, being non-binary, gender non-conforming or trans is being different and that that is being wrong. Hostility and discrimination against others who are different from us is often a reaction of ignorance.

I’m going to just end with a quote, because as you know, I always run out of time here. I’ll end with a quote from Barbara Gittings. She was an early activist in the 60s and 70s for LGBTQ equality. She says: “Equality means more than passing laws. The struggle is really one in the hearts and minds of the community, where it really counts.”

I think we all need to think that and put our arms around all those around us who we love.

S. Chandra Herbert: I thank the member for West Vancouver–Capilano for her commitment to equality and for raising her voice, because again, we can’t do this unless we’re all doing this together. I think that’s where building bridges and solidarity amongst colleagues and friends and neighbours and so on is so important.

So yes, I think we’ve come a long, long way. We now have policy in all our schools. But we should remember that that can go away in an instant. Governments can come; governments can go. We’ve seen groups organized to bang on the windows of schools and scare kids because of homophobia and transphobia. We’ve seen those groups target school board elections, target elected people. It’s real. They’re out there, and they’re organizing.

Let’s not pretend that that’s not happening. Let’s make sure that we all take that pledge to stand up for equality, to stand up for rainbow equality, to stand up for our communities, to say no to hate. We know that there are places down south of us where saying the word “gay” in a school could get you in trouble, where saying the word “trans” in a school could get you in trouble — could get you fired if you were a teacher.

I want to thank some people who’ve educated me a lot.

My husband, first off, Romi Chandra, Romi Chandra Herbert now. He started the first gay-straight alliance in a B.C. school, back in Maple Ridge in 1997, I believe. That meant that he got followed home from school. He had to get friends to get him home safely. That meant that that school became an unsafe place for him to be, but his call was also taken up by the BCTF, the teachers federation at the time, some school trustees. Slowly, over time, more parents, more students and others got on board.

As I say, that was in 1997, and it wasn’t until, really, 2016 that we actually finally had every public school pledging to make it safer for kids who are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex, questioning, two-spirit.

I want to thank Elders like Sempúlyan Gonzales, who’ve educated me around two-spirit issues.

Jim Deva.

Janine Fuller.

Julie Stines.

Don Hann.

ted northe.

Tim Stevenson, who was here, a Deputy Speaker in this place.

Ellen Woodsworth.

Murray and Peter Corren.

Pat Hogan.

The list is so long of so many folks who…. Many, we’ll never know their names. Don’t forget that at those first protests, you had to wear paper bags over your face. Otherwise, the media would expose who you were. You’d lose your job, and you could potentially lose your family or lose your loved ones. It’s a fight that has gone, often, without names, with just that broad support, building and helping each other until people like me could stand up and be very visible and not have that same fear that so many earlier people had.

There’s more to do. I thank those raising their voices and looking after each other. Let’s stand up for LGBTQ equality.

Happy International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

[10:35 a.m.]

NATURAL RESOURCE SECTOR

C. Oakes: Today I rise to recognize the hard-working people in the natural resource sector.

I want every person in our natural resource sector to know, on behalf of the official opposition, that we see your hard work. We are proud of your contributions. We are grateful for everything that you are doing, and we are going to fight for you.

During the last seven years under this government, the natural resource sector has been overlooked and neglected.

Deputy Speaker: Member.

C. Oakes: One glaring example of this….

Deputy Speaker: Member, I’d remind you it’s non-partisan in this first hour.

C. Oakes: Yeah. Thank you, hon. Speaker.

Well, we have a mill closure in northern British Columbia. Canfor’s statement on its closure is that government policies have caused massive uncertainty and made it unstable to invest here in the future. The official opposition stands with the 700 workers, their families and their communities who have received this deeply upsetting news and now face an uncertain future, on top of the nearly 300 jobs that would have been part of the new mill in Houston, which is no longer proceeding. This also impacts our logging contractors, small businesses and our suppliers, and the list goes on and on.

A new state-of-the-art sawmill in Houston that the government bragged about, citing Canfor’s planned reinvestment in the mill as an important step forward…. Clearly, policies have failed to match the government’s words, and now we see the project cancelled.

These closures are a chilling signal of the broader trend, where forestry reinvestment is being forced out of British Columbia. The government is facilitating the collapse of an industry that has long been the backbone of our provincial economy and has supported B.C. families and workers for generations.

The uncertainty created by a chaotic and ever-changing policy environment has destroyed investor confidence in British Columbia, and now workers are paying the price. It will be the entire province paying the price, as shutting down mills that produce the lumber and plywood will drive up housing costs even more.

My passion for community comes from my upbringing. Last Friday, May 10, marked an important anniversary for my family. In 1933, my family moved to the Cariboo, to Moose Heights, on that day. They farmed, built a school, started a post office and later built a community hall.

Our family has seen the slow demise of these communities. In 1950, 17 percent of the population lived on a farm. Now it is less than 1 percent. Under the current government, that number is set to go even lower if this government implements its CleanBC plan. CleanBC’s plan is projected to shrink B.C.’s economy by $28 billion by 2030, additionally leading to the loss of 200,000 jobs, nearly $3 billion in revenue loss.

We are facing an affordability crisis and should prioritize growing jobs, not cutting them. British Columbians deserve better. We must take bold action to invest in clean power projects, transmission and electrification of British Columbia. We must expedite project reviews and permitting processes, cutting through red tape, which delays permits, progress and opportunity in the natural resource sector.

We must stop carbon tax increases and market B.C.’s economy as a low-carbon global leader to help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. B.C. is full of sustainability, producing LNG, critical minerals and metals that can help transition our world in a clean future.

This province has the potential to be a clean energy leader. The global demand for electricity and critical minerals is growing. We have the potential to extract these minerals in a responsible way, to help meet the world’s demand to keep clean energy sources going and, in the process, lower global emissions.

I am proud of the workers in British Columbia who are already paving the way towards this promising future. Because of these individuals, B.C. has the safest mining practices and sets the highest environmental standards in the world. Please know your hard work does not go unnoticed.

[10:40 a.m.]

As the world transitions to a cleaner, more sustainable future, this government cannot continue to fall behind. Instead, we must tap into our potential and harness British Columbia’s natural resources to fuel economic growth and generate employment in the natural resource sector.

To all of those tirelessly contributing to the natural resource sector, your hard work does not go unnoticed. From workers in mining to agriculture to natural gas to forestry to sawmills and beyond, your work is appreciated.

In closing, I have had the privilege of growing up in a small rural community and have met so many incredible individuals who work tirelessly in the resource sector. It is difficult work. Our communities and our province should stand up and support these workers — not do everything in its power to make sure these communities are hollowed out, are abandoned, that jobs are lost and workers left without paycheques to put food on their table.

H. Sandhu: May I seek leave to make an introduction, please?

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

H. Sandhu: Who does not love Girl Guide cookies? You can try all the decadent cookies from around the world, but nothing beats the taste of those delicious Girl Guide cookies, and most importantly, as we know, the money raised serves a greater cause, which inspires us all.

Today I am absolutely thrilled that I get to welcome Girl Guides from our Monashee district, who I had the pleasure to meet with earlier. I would like to make an introduction.

Girl Guides joining us in the gallery today are Halle, Piper, Thalia, Zoe, Aria, Merida, Keeley, Lucy, Emily, Lauren, Ginny, Joy, Bianca, Marin, Willow, Charlotte, Anaya, Maeva. Lakelyn couldn’t be with us. Volunteer guides joining them are Alex, Reena, Kaylee, Alicia, Krista and, of course, last but not the least, the amazing bus driver, Geryd, who helped to bring them here.

Would the House please join me to make them feel very welcomed and thank them. They’re the future leaders.

N. Simons: I’d just ask the House to give me leave to make an introduction, a short introduction.

Leave granted.

N. Simons: I’d just like to welcome students from Phoenix Middle School, the second group who are here.

Unfortunately, the MLA for North Island is in another meeting, but she wanted to make sure that we all welcome you and your teacher Mrs. Wilson, and your chaperones.

Thank you for being here, and I hope you enjoy this.

Debate Continued

R. Russell: Thanks to the member opposite for the opportunity. I know we share a passion for many things, including agriculture, the natural resource sector and rural places, so she can probably appreciate the cuts and scrapes and cracked rib that I’m here with today after building a couple kilometres of cattle fencing over the last few days. Anyway, thank you for the opportunity.

I just came out of meetings in my constituency with farmers that have been devastated by massive crop losses tied to erratic and unpredictable climates. At the same time, last week, I had the honour to represent government at the B.C. Economic Development Association conference and meet with people across B.C. that are dedicated to helping communities large and small live up to their potential and thrive in terms of jobs and economic activity.

A great deal of that conversation revolved around supporting communities impacted by decades of short-sighted management of our forests.

[10:45 a.m.]

I think these kinds of challenges make it clear that we have a choice here in Victoria. We could continue down this path of supporting individual corporate profit at the heart of why we do what we do here, or we can recognize the limitations of individual self-gain and manage our natural resource system with people and the things they care about at the heart of why we do what we do.

If you ran a company, hon. Speaker, and I asked you to make that successful, you would be right to ask me whether success meant short-term immediate profit or managing that to be something of value for you to pass on to your grandchildren. Communities like Princeton and Grand Forks, in my riding, or Lytton or Kelowna or Fraser Valley or Fort Nelson know all too clearly the massive personal and collective costs of the damage we’ve done to our climate by short-sighted management. Farmers across the Similkameen and South Okanagan are hurting right now because of erratic weather.

We can and will continue to support communities through disasters and recovery, and we will continue to find ways to support farmers, such as the $70 million extended replant program for those growers. We’ll continue to support those people and places, but I’m tired of British Columbians shouldering the costs of corporate greed, whether that’s damage to our environment or the durability of our local and provincial economies.

So what else do we need to do? We need to figure out ways to support our natural resource sector so they can continue to exist as a key source of high-quality jobs for generations to come in our communities. This means investing in the private sector through tools like the B.C. manufacturing job fund, whether that’s investing in opportunities like the Harrop-Procter community forest and their mill upgrades or last week’s announcement of $8 million to Tolko’s engineered wood program, securing 250 jobs and adding more.

It means supporting a $36 billion Hydro capital plan that looks towards creating over 10,000 jobs a year, or their 2024 call for power that is expected to deliver 2,000 more new jobs.

It means fixing a gunky permitting system and investing $77 million in budget, recently, to speed up that permitting, showing results already.

It means investing in operations like Copper Mountain mine, in my riding, to help them reduce their impacts on emissions to produce low-carbon copper that the world wants and needs. This was done with millions of dollars to provide electrification of their haul trucks and their drilling equipment, for example, things that those people are rightly proud of.

It means investing in support centres like the ESG Centre of Excellence to attract a bigger share of the trillions of dollars of assets under management around the world looking to be invested into places like B.C. with sound practices and great natural assets, bringing better ROI to the companies who do this work.

It means supporting modernization of our forest sector to put stewardship and sustainability, reconciliation and community engagement at the heart of what we’re doing for generations to come.

It means supporting Osisko’s mine in the member’s riding, near Wells, the first to receive its environmental assessment certificate under the new Environmental Assessment Act. That will support 500 people and their families.

It means making sure we get the most value out of every tree we cut and the minerals we mine, doing a little more here in B.C., as opposed to sending our raw materials to others to add value to. It means investing and developing an industrial green strategy. It means a critical mineral strategy that works for our community. It means a critical minerals project advancement office. All of these things to help lead us into the economy of tomorrow. Or creating a regenerative agriculture strategy or the B.C. centre for agritech excellence or a mass timber action plan — to do the same for agriculture and forestry.

This is the kind of work that we are doing to help support the natural resource sector, not just for today but for generations to come. The cost of inaction is enormous on our physical and mental health, our people, climatic disasters for our communities. The cost is simply far too great to ignore. We cannot afford to carry on down that path.

B.C., as the member pointed out, is a global leader in sustainable resource development, and the roots of most of our rural communities are deep in natural resource. British Columbians are proud of our future vision for the natural resource sector that helps us all win for our generation and the next and the next.

C. Oakes: Well, one thing that the hon. member opposite failed to talk about in their plans was the CleanBC plan. You know, that plan that the government has put forward that is projected to shrink B.C.’s economy by $28 billion by 2030, which will have an impact on real per-capita incomes, expected to shrink by $11,000 per household by 2030. Or additionally, that the CleanBC plan is set to lead to the loss of 200,000 jobs, nearly $3 billion in revenue loss.

[10:50 a.m.]

Look, those are jobs lost in agriculture, those are jobs lost in mining, those are jobs lost in forestry, and the list goes on and on. The member can stand and do victory laps about all of this investment happening, but if results aren’t delivered on the ground and people lose their jobs and are not able to take paycheques home and put food on their table, then the government shouldn’t be taking a victory lap.

It is unacceptable how often rural British Columbia is given the short end of the stick by this government. The affordability crisis affects people across British Columbia, but its impact is particularly severe in rural areas. Red-tape bureaucracy is continuing to create real-life consequences for workers in rural B.C.

Consider Peter, a miner currently out of work because a mining permit from Victoria is delayed. Now, Peter is struggling to provide for his family and keep the lights on while, similarly, Wendy, a forestry worker, got sent home, alongside 400 other workers in the spring, due to permit delays.

These stories highlight very real-life consequences of bureaucratic delays in this province. There is a disconnect with how CleanBC contributes to job losses, particularly in rural B.C. Many British Columbians have deep roots in the natural resource sector and cherish their lives in these parts of the province. They do not want to move to urban centres to search for work. They deserve to have work where they have built their livelihoods and have set down roots.

I envision a rural B.C. where families thrive, the economy flourishes and communities are supported. That’s why its disheartening to witness the neglect of the natural resource industries and the financial struggles workers in B.C. are facing.

HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY

H. Sandhu: I rise in this House today to ask all members of this House to support our government’s continued efforts to address housing and affordability challenges, while we continue to make….

Deputy Speaker: I would just remind the member that this is non-partisan.

H. Sandhu: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s all non-partisan, just asking everybody’s support to support these initiatives and investments to help many more people in need.

We know that global inflation and high interest rates have caused financial pressures. I want to let people know that we acknowledge the challenges you’re facing, and we are committed to support you all through this. Therefore, we’re making historic investments and will continue to find ways to support you.

I want to highlight some of the work we’ve done and are continuing to do. I want to share how some of these initiatives are helping many people across our province as well as in our community.

Under housing: a three-point housing plan by making the largest investment in B.C.’s history with more than $7 billion over ten years so people in this beautiful province can have an affordable place they can call home. We now have ten times more housing units being built or underway right now within the last six years, compared to the previous 16 years before 2017. B.C. is building — $950 million invested in a new housing fund in Budget 2024. That’s in addition to $7 billion.

I am excited to share that you can see progress in my community, Vernon and area. Our government has helped to build over 700 affordable supportive housing units, including building 20 affordable homes for seniors in Lumby and the second phase at McCulloch Court — 48 units for low-income seniors in Vernon, which we opened up, and seniors are living there as we speak.

Our government is also building more than 8,000….

Deputy Speaker: I would remind you that this is a non-partisan part of the morning.

H. Sandhu: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am not contraindicating or mentioning any…. I have taken an account, and it’s not written to say anything about others.

Deputy Speaker: It is partisan.

H. Sandhu: I haven’t mentioned any party’s name. I haven’t mentioned any government. I’m not even mentioning our government’s party.

Deputy Speaker: When you say “our government….”

[10:55 a.m.]

H. Sandhu: We are building more than 8,000 new on-campus student housing units, which include Vernon’s first-ever student housing in history — 100 units at the Okanagan College, including 44 child care spaces on campus.

We are seeing hundreds of child care spaces being brought into Vernon-Monashee, including three brand-new child care centres built already — two in Vernon, one in Coldstream, and a fourth one is being built in Lumby, which is saving a reduction to child care fees, also saving parents close to $1,000 per child, per month.

And $10-a-day child care spaces are helping to reduce costs for families and further develop access to high-quality, affordable child care initiatives. Moms like Emily and many others share how their family is saving approximately $920 per month, per child.

And jobs. In the face of high interest rates, the slower growth in the world global economy, B.C. remains strong. As of last week’s report, we gained 23,400 jobs in April, which is a gain of 93,000 jobs since this time last year. B.C.’s private sector also gained 23,100 jobs in April, which is the largest among provinces. Compared to this time last year, our private sector employment is up by 22,700 — the second-largest increase among provinces over this period.

Our unemployment rate is now the lowest in the country at 5 percent, down from last month and below the national average of 6.1 percent. Women’s employment is up due to direct investments in child care. We are pleased that ICBC also announced that an additional $110 rebate to people will be provided to commercial drivers, while keeping basic rates low until March 31, 2026. This marks the sixth year in a row with no increase.

Through B.C.’s manufacturing jobs, we have invested more than $180 million in high-value manufacturing jobs. Last week the contribution of $8 million will benefit directly my community and our region, $8 million to help Tolko Industries to construct a new facility which will house the new Heffley Creek engineering wood division.

This announcement is welcomed by Mr. Brad Thorlakson, president and CEO of Tolko Industries Ltd., who welcomes this news: “Today’s announcement is testament to our government’s commitment to innovation and the forest products industry, and we’re thankful for that.”

Other affordability measures we are taking: ICBC rebates, eliminating the largest tax — MSP premiums — which people in the province were paying. We have eliminated that, which is saving hundreds of dollars to families.

Interjection.

H. Sandhu: We acknowledge…. That’s why I stand here today to ask everybody’s support. What we’re doing is not enough, and we’ll continue to do so. So no need to heckle, Member.

B.C. Hydro credit. B.C. Hydro customers have been notified that they are saving money. And B.C. family credit. Other big tax through the employer health tax budget cut, which answered the calls to give a break to all small- and medium-sized businesses by increasing the threshold from half a million to $1 million. With this change, 90 percent of businesses will be exempt from the tax, estimated to save more than $100 million.

Rental credits, which started in 2024…. When people will file their taxes, they will see up to $400 back to their pocket. Climate action tax credit. And school breakfast programs are helping students. Free transit to all kids in B.C. under 12 years of age. Our government brought back the B.C. student access grant, which was eliminated. We froze post-secondary tuition fees at a maximum 2 percent.

There are so many measures we’re taking, and I will be continuing to share some of the measures we’re taking, how we can continue to move forward, in my three-minute response.

M. Bernier: Thank you for the applause just before I’m getting up. I also appreciate the fact that it’s the non-partisan time, so I guess I won’t mention: “NDP, NDP, NDP.” I’ll just mention, “our government,” as they’re talking about.

[11:00 a.m.]

I will say that one of the issues and the progress that they can be very, very proud of since 2017 is the fact that we’ve made British Columbia the most unaffordable place in North America.

If we’re going to talk about affordability and what we’ve done, maybe we should start talking about the facts, because I know my inbox and everybody on this side of the House’s inboxes are full almost every day from people who are complaining about how unaffordable things are in British Columbia. How the crisis that we talk about, whether it’s in the housing crisis, the health care crisis, the affordability crisis in general — that’s what we continue hearing about.

It’s unfortunate that the members opposite, I guess, either maybe don’t read their emails or want to just ignore them, because I’m sure they’re hearing the same things that we are.

Interjections.

M. Bernier: Oh, I haven’t mentioned the NDP, so it’s technically not partisan. As the member was heckling earlier, as long as we’re talking about facts, it’s not partisan. What I’m talking about is facts. Actually….

Interjection.

Deputy Speaker: Member, Peace River South has the floor.

M. Bernier: I don’t usually write scripts, unlike members who usually have somebody in the basement on the NDP who write it for them. We actually talk about things that we’re hearing from people in our community.

We all know that British Columbia has become….

Interjections.

M. Bernier: Well, now I’m being heckled from the member for Maple Ridge–Mission, who’s heckling me, whose job was to lower cell phone bills. I didn’t hear that happening either.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Peace River South has the floor.

M. Bernier: If we’re going to talk about facts, Vancouver is now ranked as the least affordable city in North America. Fact. Rents have gone up over $5,000 a year since 2017. Fact. A $400 rebate to help those people — well, that’s a fact. It never happened either.

We have to talk about the fact that the affordability crisis, whether it’s housing, whether it’s child care or whether it’s anything else, is hitting people in our communities right across British Columbia, in every single corner. The amount of people lining up for food banks now — unprecedented. Food prices at our grocery stores with prices through the roof — unprecedented. Thirty-two new or increased taxes affecting the affordability crisis that we have here in the province of British Columbia.

The members can talk about trying to get everybody on board with their directive. But they’ve had seven years. We have not seen anything that’s helped. In fact, in almost every time we talk about an issue, it’s now a crisis. All we hear is: “Yes, there’s more to do.” There’s always more to do if you don’t do anything, because then there’s always more to do from there.

Again, if we want to talk about trying to help people, look just last week — Canfor’s announcement. Almost 700 jobs are either lost or are now indefinitely lost in communities in rural British Columbia. Those are people who are now going to be at the lineups complaining about the affordability that they are going to be struggling with, with no supports on the horizon to help those people. That is what we’re trying to talk about here. Every corner of this province, people are struggling and they need supports.

Now, I know, coming from a rural riding myself…. I see the impacts very directly, when you have small communities and you see the people in the grocery stores. You see the people on the streets that are struggling. You hear those heartfelt stories. Somebody who has maybe a situation where they need life-saving health services who can’t afford to leave a small community because those supports aren’t there for them because they’re struggling financially, and they have to figure out how they will get to Prince George or to Vancouver or, in some cases now, down to the United States, if they have cancer. Those are people who are struggling because of the problems in the province of British Columbia.

If we’re going to talk about facts, let’s get our heads out of the sand and actually talk about how we’re going to be helping those people who are struggling. Because whether it’s housing, whether it’s the affordability crisis in general…. The member before me who brought this forward was trying to tout things in her riding. Fair enough. Maybe we should be seeing it all around the province, because we’re not.

This is what’s really important: that we actually talk about the facts that people are struggling, and they need supports, and they’re not getting them.

H. Sandhu: Thanks to the member for his response.

I want to clarify that I mostly write my own speeches, because when I deliver something, I don’t feel like it’s me speaking. I finished my speech at midnight last night. It may not be perfect, but it certainly wants to highlight a very important topic. That’s why I’m standing here.

[11:05 a.m.]

[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.]

In addition to what I mentioned, also, another big cost-saving measure we’ve implemented, which also brings equality and equity, is free contraceptives, saving money for many more.

For example, I got a heartfelt message from Savannah: “Hey, Harwinder. No idea if you’ll ever see or read this” — it was a message on my social media — “but I wanted to say thank you for being a part of a progressive team that cares about women’s reproductive rights.” She then sent a picture of her prescription slip and wrote: “Saving $373 really helps me and my family while I get the freedom to choose a path that works best.”

We’ve also increased the minimum wage and tied it with inflation, which was frozen for ten years. The future-ready skills grant is another way to empower people, by providing them the choice to choose up to 400 courses, which they can finish within weeks and months, so they can have decent-paying jobs.

Also, B.C. drivers, as I mentioned, are saving $2,000 on average from ICBC premiums with the rate reduction. Poverty reduction measures — we finally have the poverty reduction strategy. We are investing in seniors, and we increased the seniors supplement for the first time since 1987. School breakfast programs are helping many families.

There is medical travel assistance being provided in rural communities. Coming from rural communities and having to use that, and not have any, I know how it feels. I certainly understand the challenges in the forest sector. My family, we worked there, in Mackenzie. In 2003, we had to move to Terrace because of the mill closures and job losses. We moved to Terrace, and those mills shut down.

That’s why the work we’re doing…. This is not new, the challenges we’re facing, but we can work together.

Today a family of four receiving $890 over the course of this year will see their payments increase to $1,008 under the family benefit starting in July 2024. Individuals receiving $447 this year will collect $504 a year. Approximately 65 percent of people in B.C. receive money back through these tax credits. Again, there are two types of taxes: regressive and progressive. What we’re doing is we are taking care of families by cutting family and individual taxes.

We can imagine where we would be if we didn’t have these measures in place, and I hope the House will continue to support these measures.

Hon. A. Dix: I ask that the House consider proceeding with Motion 32 standing in the name of the member for Surrey–White Rock.

Deputy Speaker: Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed to Motion 32 without disturbing the priorities of the motions preceding it on the order paper.

Leave granted.

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 32 — GOVERNMENT ACTION
FOR BRITISH COLUMBIANS

T. Halford: I rise today to move the motion:

[Be it resolved that this House agrees that British Columbians deserve better than what they have received over the last seven years of neglect.]

If there is one thing we can count on from this NDP government, it’s that the problems they promised to fix…. If you’re going to get upset, you’re going to get upset, really, in about two or three minutes, so just hold tight for me if you can.

If there’s one thing that we can count on from this NDP government, it’s that the problems they promised to fix have only worsened over the last seven years. Overpromise and underdeliver — that’s what we’ve seen time and time again.

Whether it’s health care, cost of living, toxic drugs, child care or housing, we continue to see some of the worst, if not the worst, outcomes in the country, affecting all British Columbians. The NDP government’s failure to address affordability is impacting everyone, with more than half being about $200 away from being unable to pay next month’s bills. I know the cost of living in crisis is undoubtedly felt hard in my community of Surrey–White Rock.

In my community of Surrey–White Rock, I have learned from local food banks — the Surrey Food Bank, Sources White Rock, South Surrey Food Bank — that they have seen a dramatic increase with families struggling to put food on the table.

[11:10 a.m.]

Under the NDP, grocery costs have soared 30 percent since 2017. Food bank usage has gone up 60 percent, and nearly 200,000 visits were recorded in March 2023 alone. The saddest part of that stat: over 60,000 of those visits involve kids. That’s the record of this government.

In Surrey, the average rent has risen by over $540 a month since 2017, making it increasingly difficult for renters to find affordable housing, while the average price of a home in B.C. has skyrocketed to over $1 million, and $2 million in Vancouver. The NDP has literally taken hope away from future generations.

Last year for the first year since 2012, B.C. experienced a net interprovincial migration deficit of over 8,000 people. More than 67,000 people left B.C., and over 37,000 moved to Alberta, searching for a better life than what this government has been able to deliver in seven years of power. Now, in my constituency, I’ve met countless residents that have looked for other provinces in order to raise their families in a more affordable way.

Another overpromise and underdeliver: the NDP prom­ised 114,000 affordable homes in 2017. They deli­vered less than 16,000 units with keys in the door. Have they stopped building these promised affordable homes because British Columbians now can finally afford the housing market? No.

Since 2017, the NDP has now introduced 32 new and increased taxes. Budget 2024 features the largest inflationary deficit in B.C. history, at a whopping $8 billion, which kids and grandkids will be on the hook for, for generations to come. Meanwhile, the carbon tax is facing a 23 percent increase, and none of it will be returned to the people who need it the most.

The NDP continues to grow government instead of the economy, creating four public sector jobs for every one private sector job. So in math here, that means this government will create four government jobs to one private sector job. That is the record of this NDP government. I think that British Columbians have…. To say they’ve been disappointed would be an understatement — by this government.

A. Singh: Leave for an introduction?

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: Please proceed.

Introductions by Members

A. Singh: I’d like the House to welcome 39 grade 10 students and their teacher, Mr. Kroeker, from H.J. Cambie Secondary School.

Hey, everybody. Sorry I couldn’t meet you outside. I’m going to try and meet you afterwards.

Debate Continued

M. Dykeman: It’s an absolute pleasure to rise and speak to the motion brought forward by the member opposite today, to talk about the fact that, yes, British Columbians do deserve better. That’s what our government is doing each and every day. The contrast to what happened with the 16 years with opposition in power…

Interjection.

M. Dykeman: Oh, I’m so glad that you finally have that through your head.

…is really stark. Let’s talk about, for instance, education, something that every single family relies on. We have growing communities in British Columbia. We have students that are moving into a community, excited to start their educational journey. We have invested in that, which is a major contrast to the 12 years that we saw with the B.C. Liberals, where they closed 197 schools.

[11:15 a.m.]

At the same time, though, the most amazing part of it was that while they were closing 197 schools, they were fighting with the teachers to increase class size and then acted surprised when they lost, leaving school boards, and I remember as chair of the Langley board of education at that time, scrambling to clean up the mess. It was atrocious, virtually freezing education funding and underfunding schools by $100 million that year.

The B.C. Teachers Federation president at the time, Susan Lambert, was quoted as saying: “This means $100 million in cuts to public schools next year alone…. A whole generation of students have grown up in school in larger classes without adequate support, and now we’re looking at another three years of ongoing cuts and increasing demands on teachers to fill gaps and meet students’ needs.” It was indeed quite bleak. I remember all the years I was on the board.

That is why, over the past six years, our government has continued to invest significantly in new and expanded schools in Langley, with more than $239 million to create 1,835 new student seats so far, instead of closing them.

That includes a new 12-classroom addition to R.E. Mountain Secondary School, which was just announced; Richard Bulpitt Elementary receiving a six-classroom modular expansion that will make space for 150 more students; northeast Latimer getting a new 555-seat elementary school; Langley Secondary, which got 300 more seats for students; Peter Ewart Middle School, which got 275 more student spaces; and a new high school and middle school coming for the Smith neighbourhood. And there’s more to come.

That doesn’t just come with school spaces. Let’s also talk about our child care investments. In my community of Langley East alone, there’s been over $45 million in child care spaces. That means that parents have saved, through fee reductions, $23,988,702, and total new licensed spaces funded through ChildCareBC as of March 2023 was 374. Those types of investments make a difference in communities. That’s the type of investment that people deserve. We are doing that each and every day, doing more for people to build a stronger British Columbia.

Let’s talk about mental health. As Health Minister in 2009, the Leader of the Opposition forced health authorities to absorb $360 million in cuts, resulting in the reduction of thousands of MRIs, surgeries, cuts to programs. That was just in the health area. In mental health, we saw a complete defunding of that. The supports just weren’t there for people that relied on them.

In our community…. Our government is investing throughout the province. But what we’re seeing where I represent, in Langley East, is $150,000 for enhanced counselling services for Ishtar. We’ve seen an $800,000 grant for the Seniors Services Society to provide the SHINE program to help seniors access mental health. Langley opened its Foundry centre in 2022. VisionQuest Recovery and Wagner Hills received funding to boost residential addictions treatment. Langley also received funding for the community overdose crisis innovation fund. We saw a 15-bed hospice residence open in May 2022. And that’s just a little piece of it.

People deserve better every single day, and that’s what our government is doing and will continue to do.

R. Merrifield: I rise today to support the motion put forward by my colleague from Surrey–White Rock. He pointed out how, for seven years, the NDP government has failed British Columbians in addressing the cost-of-living crisis. A cost-of-living crisis means families and children suffer. The sad state of child care in B.C., after seven years of mismanagement by this government, shows us yet another cornerstone of affordability that they’ve neglected.

Since taking power in 2017, the NDP government has promised affordable, accessible child care for every family. In fact, the slogan was “Universal $10-a-day day care.” But seven years later the reality is starkly different.

[11:20 a.m.]

Since 2019, the number of children in child care has decreased by 10,600. I have met with and continue to meet with families, parents and grandparents in Kelowna-Mission who are feeling the impact of this decline, with too many unable to find suitable child care options.

It’s no surprise to hear from my colleague that record amounts of British Columbians are leaving. Under this government, living here only gets tougher. The Representative for Children and Youth has highlighted that virtually all B.C. families struggle to find child care, especially those with children who have disabilities.

Since this government loves to go back in time instead of focusing on today and the future, here’s a reminder. In 2019, 46.5 percent of families reported difficulty finding child care. In 2023, this soared to just under 60 percent. Are these worse results, which showcase the government’s incompetence, what they’re so proud of?

Despite promising $10-a-day child care for everyone, less than 10 percent of all of the spaces that people have today are available at this rate. It’s like winning the lottery.

The Early Childhood Educators of B.C. reported that 75 percent of children in B.C. don’t have access to a licensed child care program. In fact, UBC researchers found that only 17 low-income single mothers could access the advertised $10-a-day child care spots after six months of attempting to interview eligible participants. It is becoming increasingly evident that this government will say absolutely anything to grab votes yet do nothing about it once in power.

It’s not just Kelowna that’s facing this NDP government’s unprecedented child care and cost-of-living crisis. The NDP paid the city of Vancouver $33 million for child care spaces, and even then, the city remained short by 15,000 spaces. Rampant spending and no results continue to be a recurring theme.

Meanwhile, in my community of Kelowna-Mission, the NDP’s lack of investment in child care infrastructure has left families without access to affordable care, and working families are struggling. Despite its rapid growth, as we heard from the member previous, Langley township has lost over 600 child care spaces in the last four years, while the child population has increased by 1,000.

The numbers don’t lie. Sixty-four percent of young children live in child care deserts across B.C., where there aren’t enough spaces to meet demand. The government’s failure to deliver on its child care promises has created a child care crisis, leaving parents desperate and children without the care that they need.

While this government may be happy with its efforts to make life in B.C. worse, the B.C. United caucus is ready. It has a track record and has bold ideas that will deliver real results.

Our plans not only make life more affordable for all British Columbians but also ensure that every family has access to high-quality, affordable child care. We will build a British Columbia where the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators, with better wages and training opportunities, is a reality, not just a promise, where living, working and playing here is not only for NDP friends and bureaucrats but for all to afford.

The NDP government has neglected families for seven years, leaving parents in despair and children without adequate care. This government has failed families by promising one thing and delivering another. This pattern of neglect must not continue. Instead, we will commit to building a province where no family is left behind.

My community and I are proud to support this motion. United, we will fix it.

K. Paddon: B.C. is an amazing place to live, but it has not always been easy. Over the last few years, we’ve kept our economy strong through unprecedented crises like the pandemic, like global inflation and like climate-related fires, floods and drought.

I spoke with a man named Dale. He described to me that we have, together, faced such a combination of challenges in the past few years. It seems…. “It wouldn’t even be believable in a Hollywood blockbuster that we have come out of this on the other side.”

[11:25 a.m.]

We know we aren’t quite on the other side. Our economy is still being impacted by global inflation. Our communities are impacted by climate events. People we love have been lost to the toxic drug supply. There is so much more to do.

When I was chatting with Dale and his wife and shared that we aren’t done yet, he said: “Imagine where we’d be if we didn’t have this government who cares about people first. It has been impossible, but it’s terrifying to think about what would have been abandoned if it was still the other guys.”

This motion talks about what British Columbians de­serve and years of neglect, the opposition’s framing of which I disagree with in part. The neglect that the members opposite refer to…. I believe they got the time frame wrong. When I hear from folks about their struggles pre-​2017…. B.C. is very clear as to when the neglect and damage occurred.

British Columbians do deserve better, though. I agree with that. Every day we are all working for the better of every­one. Continuous quality improvement. Continuous growth. We all deserve this. British Columbians deserve a government that is fighting against inflation and rising interest rates by easing everyday costs, by building housing that people can afford and by strengthening health care. A government that will think outside of the box and mobilize every option available to us to move us forward together every single day.

While some think we should respond by cutting services or leaving people behind to defend for themselves, our government is focused on helping everyone to build a good life here. In this session alone, we have taken significant action to tackle the housing crisis by implementing short-term rental rules, protecting renters and preserving affordable rental housing, introducing a property flipping tax, expanding the first-time-homebuyers program, fast-tracking the building of more affordable middle-class homes, launching the secondary suite incentive program.

We’ve taken action on health care. This is one of the areas that I hear about, I think, the most in Chilliwack-Kent. One of the areas — I am so happy to be hearing from people in my community — that is having a real impact on those people right on the ground.

We’ve taken action to strengthen health care by building on B.C.’s ten-year cancer plan and by connecting more people to family doctors and nurse practitioners faster through the new digital platform. This is one area where we’re starting to feel the impact. I know that the need is great, but the action taken by our government has been great as well. We are starting to feel…. We’ve added over 700 new family doctors in 2023.

In Chilliwack-Kent, we’ve also had investments like the Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural Primary Care Centre, which is a great way to access, and, most recently, improved access to team-based urgent and primary care in the evenings and on weekends through our urgent and primary care centre.

We’re seeing the difference that’s being made by thinking outside of the box. We’re building up and supporting the health care workforce and establishing minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. We’re strengthening supports that will improve the lives of seniors. We’re supporting people on the path to parenthood with access to a first free round of IVF, and that’s after we made contraception free. We’re increasing access through our partnerships with pharmacists so that people can access the care they need and the help they need for mild ailments.

We took action to lower everyday costs. No increase to ICBC basic rates for six years. That is a big deal for people who have been paying ICBC rates for six years. And a new $110 rebate for drivers. The B.C. family benefit bonus, the B.C. electricity affordability credit. We’re helping to lower costs for small business through a higher employer health tax exemption threshold.

We have and continue to work for people, taking action every day on the issues that matter the most. We’re committed to continuing with the hard work ahead. We understand what is at stake. It’s not just about repetitive alliterations during question period or trying to differentiate between the options of racing to the bottom of the right. We’re investing in people, in our communities and in our future together.

K. Kirkpatrick: We know that British Columbia is in a housing crisis, and it’s only getting worse. It’s such a difficult time for people here in British Columbia now.

I don’t know who my colleagues on the other side of the House are speaking to. Everyone I talk to…. Every door you knock on, people are angry. They’re mad about what is happening in this province, and they want change.

[11:30 a.m.]

Now, when we’re talking about housing…. There has been a storm of legislation brought in by this government, but it has all been done in a time leading up to an election. I’m wondering where this panic and urgency was prior to that, for seven years. Much of that time the current Premier was the Minister of Housing.

What I call this flurry of NDP housing legislation and whatever they want the plan to be called…. It’s everything everywhere all at once. But I doubt that the NDP will be winning an Academy Award for this.

This past week now we began to see municipalities reporting on their six-month progress reports on the housing targets that were imposed on municipalities as part of the NDP’s housing plan. We already know that the city of Vancouver is going to come up short. And if you think about that, it has significantly more resources than other municipalities in British Columbia, and resources are really one of the big challenges for municipalities trying to figure out how to make all of this new housing legislation fit together.

In fact, of the first ten municipalities to meet their targets, only one has — only the city of Victoria. Now, unless this B.C. government can control interest rates, although we know that they can certainly impact them with their debt, and available labour, available land, the housing market, developers’ timelines and all the other factors that impact housing and the construction sector, a six-month plan as an indicator of success towards a larger housing plan makes no sense.

I am also hearing from developers and realtors that there is so much confusion about all this new legislation. It has actually put projects on hold. Let’s not forget that the NDP plays a role in this as well. One of the biggest complaints that I hear from developers is that it takes two years to get a B.C. Hydro approval. Blaming municipalities for a housing crisis and not taking responsibility, by this government which is really causing it, is just simply hypocritical.

Now, according to the NDP, when these housing targets were given out, if communities didn’t meet these targets within six months, the province is going to appoint an independent adviser to help them make progress. If that doesn’t work, the province is just simply going to come in and overrule the municipality with the power to just rezone neighbourhoods. I hope the NDP have hired a lot of independent advisers, because I’m sure that will really speed things up.

This is a prime example of a government that makes policy by news releases and polls and does not consider the impact or the ability for programs to be implemented. I also have to question the lack of focus on affordable housing for families, when at least 60 percent of these targets are geared towards studio suites and one-bedrooms. It’s the single parents and the families that I’m hearing from that are having the most challenge in finding housing.

When we talk about a storm of housing policies, I told the minister — we talked about this in the last session — that this was going to be a challenge. We’ve got municipalities now that are not even accepting applications for permitting or building permits because they’re too busy redrafting all of their zoning bylaws to meet the June 2024 requirement for doing that. There’s just simply not enough capacity.

We’ve also seen failures in supportive housing where residents aren’t getting…. You know, they’re being left to fend for themselves, without adequate supports for vulnerable people. But we’ll look at the results here, and the results speak for themselves. We have the highest housing costs in all of Canada. We have the worst homelessness in all of Canada. It’s up 32 percent in Vancouver, 62 percent in Surrey. I mean, this is appalling.

For the members on the other side of the House to say, “Gee, look, we’re doing such a fabulous job,” it just simply is not borne out by the facts. This government has utterly failed in the last seven years on housing.

[11:35 a.m.]

M. Elmore: I’m pleased to rise and talk about the improvements and the investments that British Colum­bians have seen over the last seven years, in particular to talk about on-the-ground projects that have benefited folks in Vancouver-Kensington.

We know in British Columbia we’ve been facing challenges shared across the country and around the world in terms of the challenges of coming through COVID-19, the impacts of climate change — wildfires, floods, heat waves — and, as well, just really impacted by global inflation and high interest rates impacting the cost of living across the board, from groceries to housing.

Nevertheless, our government has been taking steps and action to address affordability, invest in services and really ensure that British Columbians are well situated for opportunities to be successful in the future.

I can speak with some personal experience in terms of the last seven years. Let’s just…. Before I get into what are the concrete experiences on the ground in Vancouver-Kensington…. Just in terms of the B.C. United, what’s their record, and what have they stood on? And what are we looking at with the B.C. United? We know that their track record is to pay for big tax breaks for the top 1 percent. How did they pay for that? They cut taxes for the top 1 percent, and everybody else paid. Ninety-nine percent paid for that.

Then they cut services, and that fell on British Columbians to pay. Everyone knows that MSP, ICBC rates, B.C. Hydro rates went up. That is the record of B.C. United and also the leader of the B.C. Conservatives. We know that coming out of 16 years of the previous government, housing prices soared, vacancy rates hit historic lows, and rental rates became unaffordable. That is the legacy.

As well, in education. We had a generation of children go through the education system in overcrowded and underfunded classrooms. As well, in terms of underfunding in health care, making it difficult to access services that British Columbians needed. That’s the record.

I want to talk about what our government has been doing to address these challenges in British Columbia. We are taking action to address affordability. We know, for example, all drivers across British Columbia through ICBC will be getting a $110 rebate. We have also, to address the housing crisis, brought in a secondary-suite grant, $40,000 so homeowners can provide below-market rents for a minimum of five years. We’ve implemented a number of initiatives.

I want to talk about folks in Vancouver-Kensington. What do they see, and how do they access services? Well, if they need health care, there’s the new Southeast Urgent and Primary Care Centre on Victoria Drive, really expanding that network to access and provide health care. We know that the family physician compensation model, to attract and retain family physicians, has more than 4,000 physicians signed up, as well as the expansion of nurse practitioners.

When we look at the issue of affordability and access to education, we have the seismically remodelled Sir Fleming School, which also expanded spaces for child care, really providing those services. In terms of housing and providing those services on the ground, we have the new 411 Seniors Centre, which has a new centre and accompanied by affordable rental housing for seniors.

These are the investments on the ground in Vancouver-Kensington that people can see, that people can access, that are helping, that are supporting folks in terms of the investments that our government is making every day, not only in Vancouver-Kensington but across our province.

As well, putting money back into pockets. I think the clear contrast — the previous government taking money out of the pockets of British Columbians to pay for tax cuts for the top 1 percent. We are boosting the B.C. family benefit so that eligible families with kids will receive up to more than $3,500 a year. Making child care more affordable — families with kids under five are saving as much as $900 every month.

Our government is taking action to address affordability, to invest in services, to provide opportunities for British Columbians under times of great challenge, and I’m very proud of that record.

[11:40 a.m.]

T. Wat: For the past seven years, we have witnessed a troubling deterioration in public safety across British Columbia. Many families do not feel safe walking down the street due to random, violent attacks from repeat offenders. But we didn’t get there just overnight.

For five years, the former Attorney General, now Premier, implemented his soft-on-crime policy that has seen a 37 percent increase in violent crimes, while overall crime has surged by nearly 10 percent. This situation is the direct consequence of the Premier’s failed catch-and-release justice system, which has repeatedly failed to keep violent criminals from reoffending.

Additionally, we have seen an alarming 11 percent rise in youth crime rates over just the last year. Under this government, not only are our youth more exposed to addiction, thanks to drug diversion under this government’s watch, but also crime. These issues have not only persisted but have worsened significantly.

The Premier has had seven years to address these problems, yet the situation continues to deteriorate. One of the most glaring examples of the Premier’s failure to provide safety is his reckless decriminalization experiment. For over 15 months, this policy has allowed open drug use to spread chaos throughout B.C. communities, with the government providing little or no — zero — support for those affected.

In my community of Richmond, we have seen firsthand how this government will ignore concerns and then backtrack. When the proposal for a safe consumption site in a hospital was put forward, the community’s strong opposition was initially disregarded by this government. In fact, on the day when Richmond city council discussed the proposed safe consumption site, the B.C. Minister of Health expressed his support for the injection site, despite the Premier stating the following day that it did not appear to be immediately needed in Richmond.

It wasn’t until the government was faced with a petition of more than 22,000 signatures that they began to pay attention.

Through all of this, I was the only MLA from Richmond present at the city council meeting, actively listening to and addressing the concern of our community members. Where were the Richmond MLAs from that side of the House? Hon. Speaker, through you to my government colleagues from Richmond, your community needed you, and you abandoned them.

The announcement on May 7 that B.C. will be rolling back public drug use further highlights their failures. Nowhere did they accept accountability for the chaos that they have caused, nor have they planned to increase services.

Our B.C. United caucus is prepared to tackle these challenges. Through our Better is Possible plan, we will build a truly recovery-oriented system of care that prioritizes free treatment over free drugs. We will do this by eliminating user fees and publicly fund addiction treatment beds and provide direct government funding for private beds so that we can ensure no one faces financial barriers. Our commitment to build at least five regional recovery communities will offer comprehensive addiction treatment programs, where individuals can reside for up to a year, receiving continued support. We will significantly enhance our efforts in prevention and awareness, particularly among youth, so that they are educated on the dangers associated with drug use.

While Better is Possible ensures people have the services they need to get better, our Safer B.C. plan will restore safety and security in every community. We will scrap the reckless decriminalization pilot that has led to skyrocketing public drug use. The B.C. United caucus will treat all crimes seriously, even minor ones like shoplifting, bike theft and vandalism, and expand community services that require options for sentencing for minor offences. Not every offence requires jail time, but all crimes will have consequences.

For those facing sentences, we propose an innovative approach, offering individuals a choice between traditional incarceration and secure treatment options. This initiative will integrate mental health and addiction services within B.C. correctional institutions, aiming to treat underlying issues and prevent future offences.

We need big ideas and bold leadership to help get B.C. back on track. And the Leader of the Official Opposition is exactly that.

[11:45 a.m.]

Unlike the NDP government’s record, after seven years and no result, it’s time to restore accountability in the B.C. justice system…

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

T. Wat: … and provide compassionate, comprehensive care for those who need it.

United, we’ll fix it.

A. Walker: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Deputy Speaker: Please proceed.

Introductions by Members

A. Walker: I hope the House will make the grades 5, 6 and 7 students from Arrowsmith Independent School feel very welcome, along with their teachers Leslie Bremner and Michaela Miller.

If you could all give them a great welcome.

Deputy Speaker: Welcome.

Debate Continued

N. Simons: Welcome to the students from up-Island.

I represent Powell River–Sunshine Coast. You can see it from where you live.

Today we’re talking about a motion that members of the opposition brought forward, saying that government hasn’t done enough or that they’ve neglected the people of the province, so they’re going back and forth. The opposition says one thing, and the government members reply by saying a lot of the good things that government is doing.

That’s what you’re going to be hearing for the next few minutes.

I would take issue with the statements made by almost every speaker, almost every statement they’ve made. Very negative. It ignores some basic facts. It seems to be not a very useful motion, quite frankly, and I’ve been here 19 years. I’ve seen…. We’ve had some good, interesting debates that have actually led to people understanding the system better. But this one sounds like it’s just one big blanket complaint about…. Well, I think they’re hoping to become more relevant by talking just negatively without any solutions, any suggestions on how things can be done better.

Because we have…. Obviously, everybody knows this — that our government brought in a child care program that previously had not existed. The previous government, who are now in opposition, did not invest in programs that would allow parents to work outside the home. They did not invest in child care, which was really something that we, as legislators here, think was really important. Our government has invested very high amounts of money into child care programs all across the province, including in the riding of Powell River–Sunshine Coast and including in Parksville, where many of you probably go.

I would say quite simply that the complaints we’re hearing without any solutions seem to be like yelling into the wind. Really, what we need to do is remind people that we’ve gone through some challenging times. In fact, many places across Canada and other parts of the world are struggling with inflation — so costs go up — and struggling with not enough housing, because we should have been starting that 20 years ago, and nothing really was done. So we’re catching up. We’re trying to build houses really fast, and we’re doing things that are really important now that should have been started a long time ago.

Then one of the members talked about the crime in our country. But, as you know — because you’re in grade 5, I think — crime in the Criminal Code is a federal responsibility, the responsibility of the government in Ottawa. Yeah, we don’t like it when people get victimized from crime. I’ve had family members who’ve been victims of crime. We always want to make sure that we’re doing the right things to make sure that people who commit offences get the help they need so they don’t do it again.

I have to say that some of the things that we’ve done to focus on helping people help themselves, I think, are really important. We’ve increased the number of places for people to go if they’re struggling with alcohol or addiction. That’s an important thing to do. We’ve increased the number of places for people to live. If they have a place to live, they’re more secure, and they’re more likely to help themselves if they’ve got a place to live.

I think that the members of the opposition could probably be more helpful in providing solutions that are logical and workable instead of just complaining. But it’s partly their job as opposition members to complain about government. So that’s what they’re doing.

[11:50 a.m.]

We’re responding by saying that we understand that we have a lot of work to do, but we’ve taken some really, really big steps in terms of building housing, building a child care program and making sure that supports exist for families. We took away some taxes that families had to pay, like the Medical Services Plan. That saved families a lot of money. We’ve increased the family benefit. That gives money to families that the province can redistribute.

I think that it’s important to know, as young people, that in our system, we have people who make the laws, and we have people who challenge government. That’s their job. It’s important that they do that job, and it’s important that government explain, and explain well, that the things they’re doing are helpful.

Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Speaker.

P. Milobar: It’s interesting. The member opposite must not have his listening ears on today, because we’ve actually been talking about our plans on Better Is Possible, which is addiction- and recovery-focused treatment. We’ve mentioned our housing plan, our Safer B.C. plan, which would have consequences to people breaking laws.

What we’ve heard back from government is: “20 years ago, 20 years ago,” or “Oh, well, that’s the federal government’s fault, or problem” or “Oh, actually it’s a global problem that’s happening right now.” No actual acknowledgment of the total disarray that has been created over the last seven years that this government has been in office. That is the reality that people are faced with every day.

We look at things like their CleanBC plan — which, as we see with the BCBC review of a government-commissioned report and findings, is really a cost-to-B.C. plan. That’s what it’s going to do. It’s going to cost British Columbians, at a time when we see emissions in B.C. rising, actually worse than they are across Canada, based on the latest information from the federal government.

Because this NDP government didn’t like the result of that reporting, it suddenly became a flawed federal government report, according to this NDP government. Once again, they don’t want to be held accountable for their own lack of action and results on a wide range of issues.

When it comes to CleanBC, this is the government, this is the Premier, that has insisted that regardless of what happens federally with the price of carbon, B.C. will go to a $170 carbon tax. At a time when all the other Premiers are calling for a minimum of freezing, if not outright removal of, carbon tax, this Premier has said it’s going to $170. Now that includes NDP Premiers, it includes NDP opposition leaders across this country that have recognized that people simply can’t afford a tax that’s not actually delivering the result it was supposed to do, which is to drop emissions.

Now the government will say: “Well, you brought in the tax.” Yes we did. When we were B.C. Liberals, back in the day, we brought in the tax. Emissions were dropping. It was revenue-neutral, and it was capped at $30. This government came into office, and they immediately spiked it to $50, all while watching emissions rise. They removed its being revenue-neutral. Then they cheerleaded going to $170, and now they insist they will be the only jurisdiction in the country with a $170 carbon tax, if the rest of the country drops it.

B.C. United has made it clear: if the federal carbon tax drops to zero, B.C. drops to zero. That’s a very clear statement of what would we do differently, to the member opposite, if he’s wondering what we would do different. We’d stand up for people and make sure they get treated the same as Atlantic Canada as it relates to the fuel they’re heating their homes with — where that has now been exempted from carbon tax federally for the next three years. This government, this Premier, refuses to stand up for British Columbians and demand to be treated on an equal footing, like the rest of the country is demanding.

Back to cost B.C. It’s a plan that this government’s own commissioned report very clearly shows, by 2030, a $28 billion annual hit to our GDP, driving our economy back to 2013 levels and costing households $11,000 a year in income. Yes, that’s right. It shows that incomes will drop by $11,000 a year in their households — hardly making British Columbia affordable for families to live. Another 200,000 or so jobs will be lost, according to the modelling. The best this government can do is say: “Oh no, that modelling is not real. We don’t believe it. Yeah, you shouldn’t look at that.”

[11:55 a.m.]

Except they commissioned it; they asked for it. They just didn’t like the actual answer. What the answer actually said was: “The only way for this government to meet their emissions targets is to shut down the resource sector in British Columbia.” We just saw that this weekend up in the North, unfortunately, with the Canfor decision. This government…. Actually, that fits their CleanBC plan: keep shutting down mills; keep shutting down natural resource to drive down their emissions.

Now, remember, I started off by pointing out that emissions are actually going up in British Columbia, based on the latest data points that we have, generated by the federal government. This government can try to dismiss their own internal reports all they want, but the bottom line is that emissions are going up. People are being taxed out of their grocery list to have to go to food banks now, and this government’s not responding. B.C. United has a clear plan on how we will respond when it comes to those types of taxation.

D. Routley: I’m proud to stand in the House and repre­sent Nanaimo–North Cowichan once again.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

I empathize with the member opposite who moved the motion, because he’s a new member here, but in fact he’s been here as a staff member for a longer time, so he should have a memory of how their government, in its time, privatized services, cut services in order to pay for tax breaks for the most wealthy British Columbians.

The speakers opposite, from the opposition, should know that 550,000 people have been added to the MSP rolls in the past three years. That’s hardly a net outflow of people.

In the constituency of Nanaimo–North Cowichan, over 2,000 supportive housing units have been built. In the entire time that I spent in opposition, in 12 years, a total of 24 shelter beds were built in the riding that I represented.

We have brought in rental controls that keep rent to a maximum of 2 percent. The opposition proposed the inflation rate plus 2 percent, which would have embedded that inflation into rent prices permanently.

In child care, we have invested billions. In Nanaimo–​North Cowichan, there has been $50 million invested — half of that, $25 million, going into facilities and half of that, $25 million, going into the pockets of parents — which has liberated parents, particularly women, to participate more fully in the economy.

ICBC is a contrast. Rates went up. With us, we’re now entering our sixth year of freezing rates, a total of $500 in rebates and a total of $500 in reduced basic-premium policies.

In Nanaimo–North Cowichan and the Cowichan Valley, we’re building a new high school. I was a school trustee. I spent all my time fighting school closures and cuts to services. I was a custodian in schools, and when our jobs were threatened with privatization, I looked for a tool to organize, to defend those jobs. It was the union that I represented.

When the cuts meant that the areas the custodians were cleaning were going to get bigger, I had to deliver that news to those people. I remember a woman in her 50s crying, not because her workload was increasing but because she wouldn’t be able to clean the desks of the kindergarten and grade 1 students every night. She was worried about the wee ones getting sick.

These are people who care about their jobs, and they were treated very poorly by the opposition. We’re investing in supporting those people. We’re investing in new teacher-librarians, which were cut by the previous government.

We’ve frozen tuitions. We’ve given tuition-free education to all people who were, in their youth, in the care of the province. We got rid of interest on student loans. We’ve reinstituted grants for students.

In the Cowichan Valley, we’re building a new hospital. In Nanaimo, the new ICU. Billions have been invested, compared to mere millions when the B.C. Liberals were in power. We have new doctors — over 700 new doctors and over 6,000 new nurses in the last year alone. Most of those doctors have come to our Vancouver Island. That will help people.

The community benefits agreement that’s building that hospital means that 18 percent of the workers on that job are Indigenous workers. That’s five times the provincial average. And 9 percent of those workers are women. That’s double the provincial average. That’s good for the people I represent.

[12:00 p.m.]

We took big money out of politics, banning union and corporate donations, limiting personal donations. When that government was in power, it was referred to as the wild west, when anyone could put in any amount of money. That took power away from people.

We brought back the Human Rights Commissioner that the previous government had cut. That’s important to people. We’re putting people first. We saw people be put last in the previous government. We’ve reduced child poverty by more than 50 percent. We’ve reduced poverty levels overall by more than 45 percent.

This is why we are sitting on this side of the House. Because people recognized that by electing us into government, they would have a government that stood with them, that partnered with them, that believed in them, would invest in them and have the faith that doing that would make our economy thrive. And it is.

We have the lowest unemployment rate in the country. We have the highest wage growth and highest minimum wage. We’ve cut taxes to small businesses. That’s why we’re sitting here. That’s why they’re in opposition.

The Speaker: Noting the hour, Member.

D. Routley: I am noting the hour and thanking the Speaker for the privilege of speaking, and I would move adjournment of the debate.

D. Routley moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

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

Interjection.

The Speaker: Oh sorry, we have to adjourn the motion.

Hon. A. Dix: Hon. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn. I know you’re anxious. I hear you.

Hon. A. Dix moved adjournment of the House.

The Speaker: Members, before I take the vote, I also would like to remind the members that we will be cele­brating freedom of the press day downstairs in a few minutes. Please, all of you are invited. Come and join us.

Now on the motion to adjourn the House.

Motion approved.

The Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 1:30 now.

The House adjourned at 12:01 p.m.