The House met at 1:33 p.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Hon. Mike Farnworth: In the gallery today, visiting us here in Victoria, is His Excellency Can Dizdar, the Ambassador of Türkiye to Canada. He’s accompanied by Mr. Hüseyin Emrah Kurt, consul general from the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Vancouver, and Mrs. Ilgin Su Çatalkaya Üstörk, the second secretary of the embassy.

Would the House please make these distinguished guests most welcome to our beautiful province.

The Speaker: Member for Surrey-Panorama. No? Sorry. Kamloops–North Thompson.

You look like the identical brother of Surrey-Panorama.

Ward Stamer: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do believe that the hon. member is my brother, so thank you very much for that.

I have a couple of people I’d like to recognize — I know there are a few others that will be as well — from the realtors group that was here. First up, I have Kadin Rainville, from Kamloops. He’s current vice-president of the board of directors for the Association of Interior Realtors. We also have Chelsea Mann here, who is past president and currently on the board of directors.

Will the House please make them welcome.

[1:35 p.m.]

Hon. Bowinn Ma: My family had a terrible scare this weekend when my daughter’s hand was sucked into the edge between an elevator door and the elevator door frame. All four fingers were caught there. When we finally managed to get her out, screaming and in pain, and all her fingers were all blue, the first place we took her was the urgent and primary care centre across the street.

I just wanted to thank, so much, the incredible staff over at the James Bay Urgent and Primary Care Centre for helping us in our moment of need. She's okay, but boy, could it have been a heck of a lot worse. I know that the health authorities monitor these question periods, so I hope that they'll be able to send my personal gratitude to the team there.

Would the House please help me thank all of the incredible health care workers that help families like mine each and every day.

Mandeep Dhaliwal: I would like to introduce Sarbat Da Bhala Aid, from Surrey. They are dedicated to helping those in need. Sarbat da bhala means “well-being” to our community. Sarbat Da Bhala Free Aid Society has been providing food and clothing to those in need. For the past five years, four days a week, they have served, for 18 days each month.

Thank you to Harjit Gill, Baljinder Sangha, Upkar Basra, Gurdeep Singh Kailay, Santokh Singh Chandi, Manjit Singh Dhillon, Malkit Singh Purewal, Balraj Singh Sanghera, Shingara Singh Dhaliwal, Ravinder Singh Padda and Gurkirat Singh Soch. Thank you to everybody.

Hon. Christine Boyle: Joining us in the gallery here today is a group from the ʔiiḥatisatḥ First Nation, Chief Simon John and Councillor Chrissie John; as well as Domenico Iannidinardo, CEO and vice-chair of Strategic Natural Resource Consultants; Rod Visser, lead negotiator; James Tate; legal counsel; and other members of their team as well.

They're in Victoria today for meetings with government and their community. ʔiiḥatisatḥ is located in the Zeballos Inlet, which is on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. It’s lovely to get to meet with them and to work alongside them in the really important work that they're doing.

Will the House please join me in making them very welcome.

Pete Davis: It's my honour to introduce Kaytee Sharun from Cranbrook, my hometown. I'm not sure where she's sitting here, but she's here with the realtors. Kaytee is the president of the Association of Interior Realtors, representing 2,600 members. She works with Royal LePage East Kootenay Realty and the Wheeldon Group. She has been a dedicated realtor in my riding since 2012.

Please join me in welcoming Kaytee to the House.

Kristina Loewen: It's a privilege for me, as a realtor from Kelowna and from the Okanagan, to welcome some more realtors to this House. On top of the list, I want to welcome Kim Heizmann, who’s the current director of BCREA. As well, she was president and vice-president of AIR, as we like to call the Association of Interior Realtors, when I started.

I also want to welcome Seth Scott — I have two notepapers — from BCREA advocacy; Mohamed Ladak, CEO of AIR; as well as Ryan Mayne, on the board of directors for AIR; and Daniel Kreines, government relations and policy. Please join me in welcoming them. Thank you so much.

Peter Milobar: We have several members from the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association of B.C. here today. We have Rebecca Casey, Carla Giles, Sabeena Bubber, Jeff Brown, Julie Sheremeto, Christine Buemann and Dave Teixeira.

Will the House please make them all welcome.

[1:40 p.m.]

Lynne Block: I also would like to welcome people from the B.C. Real Estate Association, specifically Leon Prescesky, Taylor Biggar, Tore Jacobson, Ray Harris and, particularly, Lisa Morris, who is from my riding, West Vancouver–Capilano. I really enjoyed their discussion this morning because I learned a lot from their expertise and experiences, which we can really, really utilize, moving forward.

Scott McInnis: I have three members of my family here today: first of all, from beautiful Fort Steele, British Columbia, my mother-in-law, Ellen Dearden; my wife, Diana, is back again from Kimberley; my son, Luke, who turns 15 in a few days, made the ultimate sacrifice to take his ski boots off for a few days and come out and watch us work.

Would you please welcome them to the House.

Korky Neufeld: We also had a great meeting with the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board this morning, so I just want to give them a shout-out. Thank you for their partnership and ongoing contributions that they do in the city of Abbotsford. Thank you so much.

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I also have another introduction to make. We have some amazing companies in our province, and one of them is Terra Remote Sensing. They do a lot of work with lidar, and their company has mapped more than 10 percent of our province in projects for their various clients.

With us today from Terra Remote Sensing is Taylor Davis and David Mostyn. Would the House please make them most welcome.

John Rustad: Although he's already been introduced, I want to take an opportunity, once again, to welcome Harjit Gill here from Sher-e-Punjab. I remember when I was first doing some work with them, I was on his radio show numerous times, and he is a great broadcaster.

Will the House please make him welcome.

Members’ Statements

Jubiel (Jube) Wickheim

Dana Lajeunesse: Today I would like to honour the remarkable life of an extraordinary figure from my riding, Jubiel "Jube" Wickheim, a master of log-rolling who passed away February 17 at the age of 90.

Jube's journey began as the son of a Norwegian couple who homesteaded near Sooke. Alongside his brothers, Maywell and Ardy, he honed his skills working the log booms in Sooke Basin, earning pocket money and laying the foundation for his future success.

Jube was not only a world champion log-roller but also a dedicated husband, father and grandfather. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to start several businesses, including a gravel company, a tree-falling business and a farm in Shawnigan Lake. His strong work ethic and commitment to his family were evident in every aspect of his life.

Jube's achievements in log-rolling are unparalleled. He won ten world championships — a record that remains unbeaten — and claimed multiple titles in the U.S. open, Canadian championship, Vancouver Island championship. He holds the title for the most successful log-roller in Canadian history — a testament to his skill and determination.

His influence extended far beyond Canada. Through Wickheim Timber Shows, Jube and his brother Ardy showcased their talents to audiences worldwide from Sweden to Japan, South America to North America, including a notable performance at Expo 67. Jube's contributions to logger sports were pioneering, and he was a founding member of CanLog, serving on its executive committee for years.

Despite his unconventional style, Jube's mental toughness and persistence made him a fierce competitor. He set the Guinness World Record for the longest log-rolling match, lasting two hours and 40 minutes, in 1956 at the Albany Timber Carnival.

[1:45 p.m.]

Yet, more than his personal achievements, Jube valued sharing the history and tradition of log-rolling, introducing it to new audiences and ensuring its legacy. Many of Wickheim's notes and artifacts have been donated to the B.C. forestry museum in Duncan, and several trophies and photos are in the Sooke Region Museum where Wickheim's sister and the last remaining sibling, Elida Peers, now 93, is the historian.

Jube was a humble storyteller who enjoyed sharing his knowledge and experiences. He didn't boast about his accomplishments but took pride in the influence and legacy he left behind. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mavis, their three children, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The Speaker: Members, keep your statements within the two-minute allotment, please.

Senior Link Society
and Support for Seniors’ Services

Hon Chan: This past Saturday I had the honour of attending the 25th anniversary celebration of the Richmond Senior Link Society. This is a remarkable milestone, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the past and present board members, volunteers, community supporters who have contributed to this organization's success.

For 25 years, Richmond Senior Link Society has been a pillar in our community, dedicated to improving the well-being of seniors through wellness programs, social activities and outreach services. This organization has made a real difference in the lives of so many. Their work ensures that seniors remain connected, supported and empowered to live fulfilling lives.

A society is measured by how well it cares for its elders. In Chinese, we have an old saying, [Cantonese was spoken], which means “having a senior in the family is like having a treasure in a house.” Seniors have spent their lives building our community, raising families and contributing in countless ways. It is only right that we ensure they continue to live with dignity, respect and the support they deserve.

Richmond is not only a diverse and vibrant city, but it is also home to the highest life expectancy in Canada. According to the Statistics Canada report, Richmond residents live an average of 85.7 years — more than four years longer than the national average. However, we know that life expectancy can vary by as much as 30 years across Metro Vancouver, showing that there is still work to be done to ensure our seniors receive the care they need.

As our senior population continues to grow, the work of Richmond's Senior Link Society will become even more essential. I have no doubt that they will continue to be leaders in senior care and community support. I look forward to working alongside organizations like this to ensure that Richmond remains a great place to age with dignity.

Burial Sites at Residential
Schools and Support for
Survivors and Families

Amshen / Joan Phillip: I want to thank the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking people through SXIMEȽEȽ and T'Sou-ke for the opportunity to do this work here today.

I'd like to talk about the residential schools. As I understand, there has been some misinformation being spread by members of this House.

After the findings on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops, I got a call from a friend of mine saying her dad called her crying. He told her, "I know where the bodies are buried," because they made the older children bury the young kids.

Racism should never be a partisan issue. We all need to come together to work towards a better future for everyone, and that starts with listening to communities and believing them when they tell you they've been harmed. Indigenous peoples across Canada have been harmed by colonialism and racism, both of which continue to this day.

[1:50 p.m.]

So I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for using their voices to correct this harmful misinformation. Because it is not okay, and it's never been okay. Speaking out requires courage, and I lift my hands up to you for using your voices responsibly.

Denying the history and pain of the survivors retraumatizes the very people we need to be standing up for. I hope that, going forward, we remember that we all have a responsibility to support all our constituents. No one should stay silent on racism. Truth and reconciliation matter more than political gains.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. huy ch q'u siem.

Queensborough Community Support
for Track and Turf Field Initiative

Steve Kooner: It's an honour to speak about the Queensborough community today and their community advocacy work for a track and turf field in recent years.

Queensborough is in New Westminster, part of my constituency, and Queensborough residents have come together to do something great for youth, seniors and the whole community. In recent years, local community groups — such as the parent advisory councils at the Queensborough Elementary and Middle Schools, the Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar and the New Westminster Soccer Club, amongst others — have advocated for a track and turf field in Queensborough.

The parents in this community have been facing some hardship in driving their children to organized sports clubs in uptown New Westminster, and organized sports clubs have been unwilling to come to Queensborough, as they complain that the playing fields in Queensborough are unsuitable due to grass and soil conditions turning muddy from late fall to early spring. Moreover, many seniors have faced safety issues around walking along neighbourhood ditches and roads without adequate sidewalks to walk on.

I’m happy to report that the Queensborough community has been active and has taken action on their community's concerns. The Queensborough community attended and spoke at a New Westminster city council meeting in support of the track and turf field back in 2023.

Recently, now in 2025, the city of New Westminster had a consultation meeting with the Queensborough residents about the track and turf field. I really commend the community for not giving up on their track and turf field community dream and for their continued community advocacy for youth, seniors and neighbours.

I will continue to support this community's track and turf field initiative, and I hope all members of this House can also support this great community initiative as well.

Selkirk College Technology Access
Centre (STAC) Lab

Steve Morissette: Today I am excited to shine the light on the Selkirk College Technology Access Centre, or STAC lab. Rural colleges are economic drivers throughout the province, and they provide the programming that fits the needs of their region.

The STAC lab, located in Trail, is an exciting place that trains people for jobs that will lead to a new and diversified economy. This lab uses scanners, 3-D printers, water jet cutters, CNC-operated machines and robotics to design and fabricate all manner of parts and pieces, as well as robotic arms to do various tasks.

Our STAC lab is the only applied research facility in our region and one of three technology access centres in B.C., along with Camosun, which works in advanced manufacturing, and Okanagan College, working in researching wine and spirit development.

Our STAC lab is second in B.C. for colleges' applied research, behind only BCIT, third in Canada for paid student researchers and first in industry research income growth. STAC’s leader, Jason Taylor, the passionate department head and researcher, was invited to participate in the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research last year.

But the STAC lab isn't just research. They produce parts for local industry that are simply not available to purchase anywhere else. Our dams, smelter, pulp mill and battery recyclers all use their unique services.

[1:55 p.m.]

Our local colleges are key to rural and B.C. economies, and research labs like STAC are leading us to new jobs.

Thank you to all British Columbia colleges for being the leaders we need to develop and diversify our economy for a new world.

Mark Ponting

Brennan Day: Today I rise to honour the life of Mark Ponting, a pillar of the north Island forestry industry, a devoted husband and a loving father. Mark was a man of resilience, skill and unwavering determination, whose impact on our community will not be forgotten. His life, however, was not without challenges, but he met each one head-on.

On May 17, 2024, Mark and his family lost their float camp to a fire, a devastating blow, but they pressed on. Then, only months later, on December 27, they faced an even greater heartbreak when Mark's son-in-law Jared Cook, a forester himself, passed away suddenly. Still, Mark carried on.

But tragedy stuck again on January 4, 2025, when he suffered a severe accident while working on his dock on Cortes Island, where he ended up in the water and was rescued by a fellow employee. It took five hours to get him off the island, and after initial surgery in Campbell River, he was transferred to Victoria General for a gruelling nine-hour operation — five plates placed: two in his leg, one in his hip and two in his right arm. He was transferred back to the valley, and despite the odds, Mark fought with the same strength and perseverance that defined him. On February 24, surrounded by excellent care, he passed away in hospital.

To Nancy and all who loved Mark, our hearts are with you. You are not alone. The north Island stands with you in mourning and in gratitude for a man whose legacy will live on in the forests he worked, the people he mentored and the family he cherished.

Oral Questions

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and
Carbon Tax Policy

John Rustad: The NDP's carbon tax makes life more unaffordable for everyone in British Columbia. It also makes our companies less competitive at a time when we are already facing huge challenges in British Columbia. The newly elected leader of the federal Liberal Party is committed to getting rid of the consumer tax, but of course the right answer is that the federal Conservative Party wants to eliminate the tax entirely.

Will this Premier commit to not just eliminating the consumer carbon tax but also to eliminate the tax increase coming on April 1, or will he continue with his April Fools’ joke on people in British Columbia?

Hon. David Eby: We've committed to British Columbians that if the federal government removes the carbon price backstop, that we'll remove the consumer carbon tax here in British Columbia. We're still going to make the big polluters pay, to encourage them to reduce their carbon pollution here in the province. Climate change is a serious issue for people right across the country and around the world, and British Columbia is going to do our part to encourage reducing those emissions and moving to those technologies that’ll ensure a sustainable economy for generations to come.

The Speaker: Leader of the Official Opposition, supplemental.

John Rustad: The reality is this. Getting rid of the consumer tax and cranking up the business tax is only going to make us less competitive. It will damage it, and ultimately it's just going to be passed on to consumers in British Columbia anyway, hiding this NDP carbon tax. This is a job-killer. There's no question it will hurt our economy. It’ll make us less competitive. Businesses have already expressed their concern associated with this.

So on April 1, the most important issue is: will this Premier actually give the taxpayers in British Columbia a break and stop with the increase in the carbon tax? Because, clearly, it's going to be eliminated in terms of the consumer tax. And will he do this without increasing the job-killing NDP carbon tax on businesses?

Hon. David Eby: The member knows the April 1 increase is a federally mandated increase. If they get rid of the backstop that requires us to do that, we will absolutely get rid of not just the increase, but also the consumer carbon tax entirely.

[2:00 p.m.]

The member, though, forgets his own history. I’m going to quote the member for Kamloops Centre, who sits right there with the Leader of the Opposition, who said about the Leader of the Opposition: "The carbon tax, the same tax that — checks notes — the opposition leader voted for seven times and spoke to in the Legislature as well."

And then the member for Kelowna-Mission talked about the carbon tax and said: “We are seeing increasing recognition across the world that carbon pricing is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We’re proud that the B.C. Liberal government introduced North America’s first and most comprehensive carbon tax.”

Carbon pricing for big companies, making big polluters pay, helps encourage them to make decisions to reduce their emissions. We’ve grown our economy the fastest in the country last year with the carbon tax, but we’re going to make sure that consumers are protected with the cost-of-living expenses that they’re facing. We recognize that.

If the feds remove the carbon tax for them, we’ll do that, but we’re going to still make sure that those big companies face that pressure to adopt technologies to reduce pollution.

Peter Milobar: Since the Premier prompted me, I might as well get up and ask a question about carbon tax as well.

It’s interesting. On April 1st, the carbon tax goes up 12 percent. Yet in this budget, it goes up 20 percent in revenue. In other words, emissions keep rising under this government, and the carbon tax has turned into nothing but a cash cow.

Given that emissions continue to rise under this government, given that they now have a $3 billion revenue source in their budget and they will not be clear what exactly they classify as a big polluter versus a consumer, is the Premier now suggesting that the $3 billion will be put over onto industry like forestry, which is struggling right now, mining and other industries like that that are begging for actual non-existent relief in this current budget?

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: Thank you to the member across the way for the question.

British Columbians are seeing firsthand the threat of climate change, including extremely low snowpack and the worst forest fire season on record. It’s no surprise that people and businesses want to protect this extraordinary place that we call home.

We are going to be getting rid of the carbon tax for consumers, but we will be holding strong on protecting our environment and making sure that we're building a place that everyone in B.C. wants to live in.

The Speaker: Kamloops Centre, supplemental.

Peter Milobar: Again, this government, propped up by Green Party, is actually budgeting for emissions to rise, and that’s how they make more money for general revenue: $3 billion this year, a 20 percent increase in carbon tax revenues, despite the carbon tax going up 12 percent on April 1st.

Again, the question was actually about the $3 billion and whether or not this Premier intended to heap all $3 billion onto industries like forestry, mining and other natural resource sectors that are begging for relief from this government, not a $3 billion tax bill.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: Thank you, again, to the member for this important question.

I think that we really have to remember that this is just fearmongering. We don’t want to be looking at things that are going to be hurting our environment. Big business….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Members. Members, come to order.

Minister will continue.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: A lot of people in B.C. want to just do development. They want to do business at any cost. But we believe that we can do environment with the economy and we can build a strong economy.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Impact of Fracking on Environment
and Oversight of
Oil and Gas Industry

Jeremy Valeriote: On the south coast, many of us have had earthquakes on our mind these past few weeks, always wary of the possibility of the big earthquake.

However, in B.C.’s northeast, residents have been shaken by the largest number of earthquakes ever recorded, all related to fracking for methane gas in the Montney region. Local residents are sounding the alarm, and for good reason. Fracking-induced earthquakes come with serious public safety, infrastructure and environmental risks, and they will increase in magnitude and frequency with more and more gas extraction for export.

My question is for the Premier. Will the province implement no-fracking buffer zones around critical infrastructure to reduce the risk of damage caused by fracking-induced earthquakes?

[2:05 p.m.]

Hon. Adrian Dix: The member knows that the B.C. Energy Regulator regulates hydraulic fracturing to protect groundwater and to address issues of setback distances and in casing requirements.

We’ve asked the scientific panel to look at hydraulic fracturing, and indeed they have, including how it relates to seismic events, impacts on water quality as well as quantity and fugitive methane emissions. They held 40 separate sessions, as the member will know.

As he knows, it's important to take these issues seriously and — with more than 60 experts from industry, from academia, from First Nations and others — to address these questions. We're going to continue to take this issue seriously to ensure that people in the northwest and their interests are supported and protected, everyone who lives there, and that we have an industry that works for everyone in the province.

That's exactly what I think the B.C. Energy Regulator is trying to do.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Jeremy Valeriote: Thank you to the minister for the answer.

The B.C. Energy Regulator, formerly the Oil and Gas Commission, the agency responsible for managing the fossil fuel industry and other energy activities in our province, is failing to hold oil and gas companies accountable when they violate regulations.

A recent investigation identified more than 1,000 instances when inspectors documented apparent infractions yet gave the sites in question a passing grade. B.C., to our chagrin with this caucus, is on the cusp of significantly expanding fracked gas production for export, yet there are only 17 enforcement officers, three technical advisers and seven supervisors responsible for the entire province.

My question is for the minister. How is this government strengthening oversight in preparation for the planned increase in fracked gas for export?

Hon. Adrian Dix: Our government has taken action, as the member knows, to strengthen the way we regulate oil and gas development in B.C.

We created a new process to make sure oil and gas dams have the right permits. We brought in new regulations, he knows, to regulate orphan wells, unanimously supported in the Legislature; improved monitoring of fugitive emissions; enhanced groundwater monitoring; eliminated the deep-well royalty credit.

We’ll continue to ensure that the development of our natural gas resources, so important to the province, is done in a way that is responsible while creating revenues to support services and good jobs for people throughout B.C.

Government Action on
Homelessness and Community Safety
in Downtown Eastside

Elenore Sturko: On Saturday, I was in the Downtown Eastside, and I was filming a documentary with CNA Singapore about fentanyl and about the NDP's failed policies. I said it was too dangerous to walk on the sidewalk in the area, but I did agree to stand on the sidewalk and answer some questions.

We were on the corner of East Hastings and Dunleavy when shouting erupted about 30 feet away. Two men wielding large chef's knives, fighting, trying to stab each other. I thought I was going to be witnessing a homicide. I called 911, and thankfully, VPD arrested one of the men. I don't know if the other was ever arrested. All of this was captured on video. The world is watching.

When will the Premier do as he promised in 2022, take ownership and end the chaos, crime and death in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

She raises an important question about the Downtown Eastside, which has been for a number of years a source of concern for us. We, as the member knows, have invested many dollars into the Downtown Eastside…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. Garry Begg: …into drug interdiction so that those on the Downtown Eastside can fight the problems that they face. That's something we will continue to do.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Elenore Sturko: In 2007, the Premier warned the United Nations that there wasn't enough housing for the homeless. He protested the expenditures for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and he argued that the money would be better spent addressing homelessness, mental health and addictions.

[2:10 p.m.]

Now the Premier is the one in charge, and he's spending $3 billion to host FIFA 2026. All this as the city of Vancouver conducts a $5 million police operation, a sweep, that doesn't include any new housing for the homeless and no services for mental health and addiction.

How can the Premier look himself in the mirror, knowing that he promised to take ownership of the Downtown Eastside and things have only gotten worse?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: We have been investing millions of dollars to build hundreds of housing opportunities in the Downtown Eastside. The member is not correct. The member is not correct that there's been no new housing in the Downtown Eastside.

I appreciate the member likes to go down there to film videos of homeless people. But on this side of the House, we're making investments. We're working with people on the ground to actually help those people, to actually find ways to get them out.

It's easy to go down there…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh, Members.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: …to make movies, film them to get some hits. It's easy for the Leader of the Opposition to go down there for campaign stops, to have homeless people in his backdrop.

That is not helping the vulnerable people that you say that you want to help. The way you do it is: you sit down with community, with local government, with your partners. You make investments which haven't been made for a long time, and you get people into housing. That's what we're doing on this side of the House.

Budget Provisions for Security
at FIFA World Cup Event

Bruce Banman: During the Vancouver Olympics, the then protester, now Premier, was busy making a name for himself in the Downtown Eastside by actively handing out a handbook on how to sue the police and security guards. Yet in a classic case of flip-flopping, with FIFA now coming to town, I can't help but notice, the Premier has become a huge supporter of this event.

Would the Premier like to share with this House what the budget now is to prevent the very same activator, activists and protesters from campaigning against FIFA?

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: Well, I'm looking forward to the World Cup. In fact, it's such a positive experience for B.C. that we're expecting over $1 billion in visitor spending from 2023 through 2026. We like soccer. We like football. Whatever you want to call it, it's good for the province.

I would ask the member, because I seem to remember he made a name for himself….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, Members.

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: He made a name for himself.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Conclude.

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: It would be interesting. He says now that he cares about homeless people. Well, he certainly didn't when he instructed his staff to dump manure on homeless camps in Abbotsford when he served as mayor.

Community Safety in Chilliwack

Á’a:líya Warbus: Personal security and body cameras shouldn't be necessary.

At a convenience store that I frequent with my family, my constituent was assaulted, requiring facial reconstructive surgery before he could return to work — a place where he says, and I quote: "I try to have people leave the store happier than they were when they came in." He is now fearful to return to work.

My question: how bad do things need to get before this government takes public safety seriously? How many people can we expect to be dropped off in the downtown core in my city of Chilliwack?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Every British Columbian deserves to feel safe everywhere in this province. That is why we've enacted legislation, for example, the repeat violent offender program.

[2:15 p.m.]

That is aimed and targeted at those people who have a propensity to commit crimes in the downtown core or anywhere in British Columbia.

A former client in Prince George has told us how his contact with ReVOII has changed his life. That's what we want to do. We want to make all of the communities safe throughout British Columbia.

Crime in Communities
and Action on Community Safety

Reann Gasper: This government can exaggerate all it wants about taking action, but the fact is: sexual assault has doubled in my riding of Abbotsford-Mission. All across British Columbia, people aren't safe at stores, they aren't safe in the streets, and they aren't even safe in their homes.

What is it going to take for this government to do something? The Solicitor General used to be an RCMP officer. When will he act like it and make B.C. safe again?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

She draws on my past experience as a police officer to help her with the crimes that she is witnessing now. I was a very proud member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and I am today. What we did then is what we are doing now. We are trying to get to the core of the problem.

It's nice to talk about. It's nice to have a plan. This is a government that does things about it. That's important. That's what we need to continue to do.

Community Safety in Kelowna

Gavin Dew: Firearm offences are up threefold in Kelowna. Sexual assaults are up threefold too. Robberies are up 50 percent. My constituents in Rutland, in particular, are sick of dealing with drug-induced chaos on their streets.

Will the Premier himself stand up and show up and tell the people at the Rutland Residents Association and the Uptown Rutland Business Association why he has thrown their community to the wolves?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

It's important that we understand that these types of attacks that you see in communities and upon people are the exception rather than the rule.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, members.

Members. Shhh.

Hon. Garry Begg: People want to feel safe in their communities, and we want people to feel safe in their communities.

We have expanded, for example, Car programs to communities, one in Kelowna, allowing mental health care nurses to pair with police to tackle problems at the root of the crime.

As a matter of fact, a psychiatric nurse in Abbotsford, for example, says: “We're helping to bring a sense of calm to the situation, helping people get the care they need instead of escalating the crisis.”

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, let him finish.

Hon. Garry Begg: We are proactive with public safety, and we always will be.

Crime in Communities
and Action on Community Safety

Steve Kooner: People are being assaulted, robbed and threatened with guns and knives. Total Criminal Code violations are up 37 percent. B.C. has turned into a post-apocalyptic hellscape.

Why has this government left British Columbians to fend for themselves on B.C.'s unsafe streets?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

I think it's important that we bring some clarity to what you see as an emerging problem in your community.

Crime rates, you say, are up, but crime rates, in fact, are down. It's safer to be in, for example, Kelowna today than it was a year ago. Kelowna decreased for the second year in a row…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, Members.

Members, let’s hear the answer.

Hon. Garry Begg: …and it's down from its high-water mark ever. This is happening all across the province. It's alarmist of you to pick examples like you've used to paint a community. We're doing better, and we will continue to do so.

[2:20 p.m.]

Mental Health and Addiction Issues
and Action on Community Safety

Brennan Day: Public disorder and violent crime driven by untreated mental health and addictions are surging across Vancouver Island: 1,187 assaults in Nanaimo, nearly three a day; 3,014 in Victoria, nearly eight a day; and rising concerns in my hometown of Courtenay-Comox and small communities across the Island.

While communities struggle, why does this Premier continue to ignore the crisis his government has enabled, and why was funding for real treatment options and substantive justice reform largely absent in the most recent budget?

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you to the member for Courtenay-Comox for the question. He raises really important points around community safety, but the need to balance that with the help that people need. That's why our government is going to continue to make record investments in mental health and substance use health supports for people.

We are working hard to build out the full continuum from detox and withdrawal to treatment and recovery and aftercare to help get people the help that they need. We're going to continue this work. There are already over 3,000 treatment beds in this province. We've added 700 more over the past years, and we're going to continue this work.

Our Budget 2025 sees a $500 million lift for mental health and substance use. We're going to continue this work.

Government Action on Repeat
Offenders and Crime in Communities

Linda Hepner: Across this province, this soft-on-crime government has done little to stem B.C.'s crime wave. Break and enters, stabbings, robberies, sexual assaults, cops slashed and their firearms grabbed. This is not the peace and order the people deserve.

Why can't this government realize that whether it's their disgraced decriminalization program, their safe supply scandal or how they've ruined B.C.'s cities, that it's their entire ideological approach that has made B.C. the unsafe haven for crime and violence that it has certainly become?

Hon. Niki Sharma: This side of the House takes safety very seriously. We're putting in the resources and the boots on the ground to keep communities across this province safer.

You know what, Mr. Speaker? I think it's important to put on the record that when the Leader of the Opposition was on this side of the House, they cut funding to sexual assault centres. Over 30 sexual assault centres in this province were left without supports for victims of sexual assault.

They say they care for victims; I don't believe it.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Shhh.

Hon. Niki Sharma: Let's talk about gun laws. When the Leader of the Opposition was campaigning to be Premier, he said that he would instruct police to stop enforcing semi-automatic gun laws in this province.

I can't understand how that's going to keep people safer in this province. What that is…

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members. Shhh.

Hon. Niki Sharma: …is American-style gun laws in our province. What we're going to do is hold the line on safety and put in the resources on the ground to make communities safer across this province.

Kiel Giddens: Businesses are tired of the constant property crime in downtown Prince George. It's the prolific offenders that keep coming up time and time again. Last year I attended a community safety town hall in Prince George, and the RCMP had nothing to say but that the catch-and-release justice system was completely at fault for this problem in Prince George.

When is the Premier going to give up the catch-and-release justice system and actually do something to support these property owners and businesses in Prince George?

Interjection.

The Speaker: Member.

Please start.

Hon. Niki Sharma: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We take bail reform very seriously on this side. We led the country. B.C. led the country in asking the federal government for stricter bail laws to keep repeat violent offenders off the streets. I made sure that the Minister of Justice federally knew that we need tougher rules when it comes to long knives and machetes on the street.

[2:25 p.m.]

We're asking for more changes, and we're going to keep asking for more changes. But we are not stopping there. We're investing in the resources that we need on the ground right now with twelve repeat violent offender hubs across this province circled around 400 of the most prolific violent offenders to keep them off the street.

More boots are on the ground with the highest investment in police officers in the history of this province. We are seized with this matter, and we’ll continue to make improvements.

Involuntary Care for
Mental Health and Addiction Issues

Trevor Halford: Two weeks ago, in the middle of the night, a senior in my riding is awakened. Door kicked in. Savagely attacked. Bloodied, he flees to his neighbour for help. A short time after that, a suspect goes to the hospital, tries to disarm the police officer and has to be restrained by the physician that’s attending him.

This Premier, in the October campaign, tried desperately to talk tough on crime. Today, desperately, they try to talk tough on crime. The problem with this all is that everybody here has a story about how this government is failing on crime every single day.

My question is this: in 2020, when this government called a snap election, one of the reasons was involuntary care. This Premier got up, campaign stop after campaign stop, and he talked about involuntary care. This government has failed every single day to protect British Columbians, because they don’t have the stomach, they don’t have the budget and they don’t have the resources to actually do what they say they’re going to do and make sure they are doing and getting involuntary care done in this province.

When will this Premier stand up and walk the walk and actually do as he’s going to say and fulfil one campaign commitment and get this done?

Hon. Josie Osborne: We’re launching secure care facilities in this province, with the first one in Surrey opening later this month. The second one will open in May.

[End of question period.]

Point of Order

Bruce Banman: I stand on a point of order. Today in this House, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport misled the House with a statement he made. I would ask that you ask him to retract and apologize, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker: Thank you, Member. Your question is taken under consideration, and we’ll respond to that, unless the minister wants to respond now.

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: Thank you, hon. Speaker. If the way I stated my response was not completely accurate, as the member is suggesting here, of course I would withdraw that statement. But I would like to check the historical record. I certainly would be willing to withdraw that statement.

The Speaker: Thank you.

Orders of the Day

Hon. Mike Farnworth: In this House, I call continued debate on the budget.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Budget Debate
(continued)

Deputy Speaker: Thank you very much, Members. We’ll call this House back to order. We’re going to have continued debate on the budget this afternoon, and today we’re going to recognize the Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals.

[2:30 p.m.]

Hon. Jagrup Brar: I would like to continue my speech where I finished last week. I was at the right spot, talking about Surrey. You know that Surrey is the fastest-growing city in the province, probably in the country. We welcome roughly about 1,500 people every month, and that has been going on for almost 20 years. Of course, our entire system…. The education system, health care system and transportation system are all under pressure.

Budget 2025. We are making significant investments to build the infrastructure to meet the needs of this fast-growing city. To address the health care needs throughout the province, we have $15.5 billion in capital funding that will be provided over this fiscal plan to help and upgrade hospitals, long-term care facilities and cancer centres. Similarly, the budget also invests $4.6 billion over the fiscal plan in capital funding to build and upgrade schools moving forward.

In Surrey, we are building the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain to move people faster and safely. This project will expand the SkyTrain line by 16 kilometres, primarily along the Fraser Highway from King George station in Surrey to 203 Street in the city of Langley. It will improve regional transportation connections and provide fast, frequent and reliable transit services to the people of the region. The project includes eight new stations and three new transit exchanges.

I'm really pleased to inform the people of Surrey-Fleetwood that three of the eight stations will be located in the Surrey-Fleetwood area to provide easy access to transit services to the people of Surrey-Fleetwood. The station will be located at the corner of Fraser Highway and 152nd, Fraser Highway and 160th and Fraser Highway and 166th. SkyTrain is scheduled to start providing services in 2029.

We are also replacing the old and unsafe Pattullo Bridge with a brand-new bridge. That’s the bridge that the B.C. Liberals completely refused to build when they were in power for 16 years. The new toll-free bridge will provide important improvements for everyone using the bridge, including a safer crossing for all bridge users with modern, wider lanes separated by a central median barrier, and dedicated walking and cycling lanes separated from traffic by a barrier on both sides of the bridge. The new bridge is scheduled to open this year, in 2025.

The state-of-the-art second Surrey hospital is also under construction to improve health care services in the region so that everyone gets the timely and high-quality health care they need. The second hospital in Surrey will provide 168 more hospital beds and a second emergency department for the community with 55 treatment spaces. The new hospital is scheduled to open in 2029.

[2:35 p.m.]

We are also committed to investing in Surrey schools so that we have the classrooms needed for students. Over the last seven years, we have built and opened over 9,000 new student spaces, and 6,800 more are on the way. This includes seven new schools. If we combine the new school and the extension, it will be equivalent to almost 20 elementary schools. That's what we have built in Surrey.

Our capital investment in new schools, replacements and upgrades is stronger than ever. Budget 2025 invests $4.6 billion over three years in K-to-12 schools across the province. This means more seismic replacements and upgrades and more classrooms for schools in growing communities.

Since last year, ten new major school projects worth $1.1 billion have been approved to build good neighbourhood schools for our kids, including new elementary schools for Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby; new middle schools for Coquitlam and Langley; new secondary schools for Langley, Mission, Pitt Meadows and Prince Rupert; and an expansion for Surrey’s Fleetwood Park Secondary.

Now, the difference when it comes to budget is…. We compared with the previous administration. They refused to build the SkyTrain, and we are building the SkyTrain. They refused to build a second Surrey hospital — they actually sold the land — but we are building a second, state-of-the-art new hospital. They refused to replace the old and unsafe Pattullo Bridge. We are replacing the unsafe and old Pattullo Bridge as we speak.

They built only one school, from 2013 to 2017, in their budget. We have, as I said to you, built seven new schools and extensions since we took over, altogether, roughly, about 20 elementary schools. They refused to build a new medical school, and we are building a new medical school in the city of Surrey.

I would like to talk, keeping in mind the time, about my ministry, the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals. Mining provides 40,000 good, family-supporting jobs for people in communities throughout the province and supplies the minerals critical for our low-carbon economy.

Budget 2025 is good for the mining sector. The new mine announced in Budget 2025 will greatly help businesses and the people that work within the sector. This is a tax incentive that reduces the amount of taxes owed on the development of new mines and expansion of existing mines. This budget will extend the new mine allowance by regulation for five years until December 31, 2030.

On budget day, Jack Middleton, vice-president of AME, said: "Budget 2025 maintains a strong fiscal framework for investing in mineral exploration. They renewed the new mine tax credit until 2030, a really positive move.”

Mineral exploration and the mining sector are a foundational part of British Columbia's economy, with mineral exploration expenditure in 2024 amounting to $552.1 million, the fourth-highest amount on record. Mining production value is forecasted at around $16.5 billion.

Those are strong numbers, even in the face of global economic headwinds. We remain firmly committed to supporting and meeting the needs of the industry and our partners. That's why the Premier has created a stand-alone Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals.

B.C. is geologically rich and is already responsibly producing some of the critical minerals and metals that are essential to fight climate change and ensure economic security. In fact, we are Canada's largest producer of copper and only producer of molybdenum.

[2:40 p.m.]

In total, B.C. hosts at least 19 of the critical minerals identified on Canada's critical minerals list. In 2023, we exported approximately $3.6 billion worth of copper and $1.2 billion worth of aluminum and $1 billion worth of zinc. These critical minerals are vital for low-carbon technology, electronics and key components for military applications, including aircraft and vehicles.

The smelter in Trail is a major contributor to the world's germanium supply, a key mineral for microchip manufacturing, and is the primary supplier to the United States. Trump tariffs could impact this smelter operation significantly in the situation. That's why it's important for us to diversify our trade to other nations and other markets.

With the current geopolitical situation with China, we see B.C. as an important partner with our ally, globally, to be a key supplier of these critical minerals. So we have three significant mine expansions that will come forward this year, and I look forward to sharing the news on those with you as it comes to reality.

There are also 17 critical mineral projects at varying stages of readiness that could help B.C. realize our critical minerals potential. If successful, these projects could represent a projected impact of around $40 billion in capital investment in the province of British Columbia and around 10,000 direct jobs by 2040.

Last year the Premier announced B.C.'s critical minerals strategy, demonstrating our commitment to supply critical minerals and products globally. B.C.'s strong trade links with North America, Asia Pacific and Europe underpin the success of this strategy. As an early step under this strategy, we created the critical minerals office to help advance projects, overcome barriers and make the permitting processes more efficient.

True success is coming through meaningful partnership and collaboration. That's why we are developing a long-term outreach strategy with First Nations, industry, unions and other stakeholders to create new opportunities. We have already partnered with Canada to invest $195 million to upgrade Highways 37 and 51 in northwest B.C., making travel safer and improving access for industry in a mineral-rich region. We will continue to work closely with the federal government, First Nations and international partners to promote and enable projects throughout the province.

Keeping in mind the time, we have taken great strides when it comes to improving permitting efficiency, reducing major mine application review timelines by over 35 percent since 2019 and reducing our regional permitting backlog by 52 percent since spring 2022.

The Premier has given me clear directions to work with industry to improve permitting timelines and dramatically reduce the grant wait times and work with industry and First Nations to establish fixed timelines. This means more predictability and certainty for investments and operations.

Combine this with our province's natural business advantage; extensive road, rail, port, power and other infrastructure; a diverse, skilled workforce; and world-class geoscience data, and you can see why our mining and critical minerals sector has so much potential, moving forward, to provide good jobs to the people of British Columbia and grow the economy.

[2:45 p.m.]

That's why we are supporting a strong, responsible and competitive mining sector that creates good jobs for the people of British Columbia and provides the minerals we need to develop a low-carbon economy, moving forward, for the people of British Columbia.

Gavin Dew: This is both a budget response and a maiden speech. As I begin, I hope you will indulge me as I take a trip down memory lane to acknowledge the long, winding and unlikely road that led me to this place and to express my gratitude for the people and experiences that have shaped my reasons for being here, my motivation to build a better B.C. for people and families, and my frustration with the actions and inactions of this government in their almost eight years in power.

Let's start at the very beginning. Some people want to be Prime Minister when they're ten. I did not. And I had no rational reason to believe that the role I now fill was within reach or something that I would ever do. My family never talked about politics at the dinner table, and I didn't know how my parents voted.

I was born in Vancouver as the son of a teacher and an engineer, both immigrants who came here to build a better life and met in the main library of UBC. Mining put food on our table. As the son of a hydrotechnical engineer, my first unofficial job was filing and photocopying at the downtown office where my father worked. The fact that we are still opening mines that I remember the names of from 30 years ago in a file room says a lot about the state of mining in our province.

My first official job was at Petcetera in Richmond. I eventually moved up to bagging fish and running cash. But it was my time mopping up other people's abandoned dog poo that really prepared me for a life in politics — that, and my time delivering pizza — which prepared me well for door-knocking on campaigns. When you don't control the pizza recipe and you don't control the traffic, how you connect at a stranger's door makes a big difference.

People who know me only as a reasonably clean-cut business guy and dad would be surprised to know that I spent my teenage years playing in industrial metal and punk bands, raging hard against the machine. With that came experiences that shaped my perspective on the world. It was the meaning and belonging and purpose that came from my love of rugby and heavy metal that took me in a different direction in grade 10 or 11 when my best friend became a meth addict living on the street. And I didn't.

I believe that with the chances and choices that gave me the opportunity for a different life came an obligation to make sure others have the opportunity for recovery and rehabilitation and transition — the chance to build a better and more productive life.

It was also that love of music that introduced me to both leadership and business, when as a UBC student in my early 20s, I had the opportunity to turn around Arts County Fair, a 15,000-person, student-run charity rock concert with a massive structural deficit. That in turn led me into an executive role at UBC's student government, where I was elected in 2005 to represent tens of thousands of students and to stabilize and turn around an organization that had been led off a cliff by radicals.

It was in that role that I first learned the importance of having a seat at the table, not just yelling in the hallways. I learned the importance of shaping policy based not on what is desirable in an imaginary world but what is possible in a world of scarce resources and hard decisions.

For example, our team of early-20s student leaders wrestled with tuition hikes, which were the end result of the NDP government of the 1990s freezing tuition but failing to account for a little thing called inflation. That resulted in a systematic, real dollar defunding of our post-secondary institutions by the same people who claimed to be standing up for students. In fairness, they probably earnestly believed they were, just as the members opposite earnestly and sincerely feel that they are doing what is right for B.C. But it turns out math doesn't care about our feelings.

After years of tension between tuition skyrocketing to catch up with rising costs and deferred maintenance, with left-wing groups fighting for tuition freezes, I still remember our successful advocacy in 2005 to fix tuition increases at 2 percent a year so that future generations of students would have predictability and stability instead of uncertainty and sudden changes. That policy hasn't been perfect, but it's still in place 20 years later through multiple different governments.

[2:50 p.m.]

As we wrestle with today's complex and challenging times, I’m thankful for the formative opportunity at a young age to wrestle with the real-world implications of policy and politics, and to come to the strong belief that elected officials, stakeholders and political advocates must look for stable and durable policy solutions that address underlying issues and not just short-term political fixes.

I'm also deeply thankful for a core memory in a bar in the UBC Student Union Building, on the last day of my time as a student leader, almost 20 years ago. We were reflecting on lessons learned, and a friend named Ryan asked me, based on my experience, where I thought I sat on the political spectrum. I told him with absolute conviction that I was pretty left-wing.

He told me that he'd been watching me get stuff done for the people I represented for two years and it was time for me to come to terms with the reality that I was a centre-right pragmatist. Twenty years later, here I am, sitting on the side of the House that is focused on common sense, pragmatism and getting things done.

Now, I hope this is the most I'll ever have to talk about myself in this House, but I know I would not be here today without these formative experiences, and I would not be here without the direct help and support of a huge number of people.

I'm thankful for the employers and clients who gave me opportunity after opportunity in the private sector, which in turn gave me the opportunity to learn about different industries and institutions and small businesses that make up this complex and amazing province, from universities, to housing, to oil and gas, gaming, child care, agriculture and technology.

I'm thankful for the challenges that have given me the opportunity to suffer, to lose, to face hardship and to learn and grow as a result. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to lose a by-election in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant in 2016, for all the people who helped me in that uphill battle and for the surprisingly positive relationships that I built with my Green and NDP opponents in that race: city councillor Pete Fry and former MLA Melanie Mark.

I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to lose a B.C. Liberal leadership race in 2021. I’m thankful that in the process, I had the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount about the breadth of this province, about its evolving voter coalitions and about the wants and needs and aspirations of everyday people and families in all different parts of B.C. There will never be enough thanks that I can extend to the Dew Crew, the people that believed with me and that got me through a seemingly endless campaign that overlapped with the many challenges and complexity of COVID.

I am thankful to the people of Abbotsford, many of whom I worked with closely for four years in my last private sector role as chief strategy officer for Abbotsford tech district, a multi-billion-dollar private sector agricultural technology hub. And while it pained me immensely to see that proposal hit a wall in the summer of 2024, I’m deeply thankful for the experience. I'm thankful that it gave me the unexpected opportunity to run in this election, and I'm thankful, above all else, that it added jet fuel to my motivation to make British Columbia a place that thinks big and gets things done again.

Most recently, I'm thankful for the opportunity I had to run and be elected by the amazing people of Kelowna-Mission. For years, Kelowna was our family's home away from home, where we quietly went to get away from business and politics. But in the span of two years, we moved there full-time, started our kids in school, launched a new business and I had the honour of being elected to this House.

Having stepped away from partisan politics almost entirely at that point, it was a short ten weeks from the day I decided to run to election day. That incredible sprint of hard work would not have been possible without the generous help of not only my campaign team, but both leaders and everyday people throughout Kelowna who gave me the opportunity to earn their support.

In these complicated political days, people in Kelowna need to know that their elected officials are there for them, showing up for them with the door always open to them. And I will never stop doing that work.

As elected officials, we can never, ever take the people for granted — most importantly, our constituents. That's why I'm so thankful to have a strong constituency association, with representation from throughout my riding and a strong office team in Jarrod Stocker and Sonia Sandhu, who do an amazing job of keeping up with my ridiculous schedule and my desire to take every single meeting I am physically capable of taking.

Above all else, I am thankful for my family, who are both my motivation and my support structure. I would not be the man I am without the influence of my mother, Martha.

[2:55 p.m.]

I would not be a father — my most important job — without my amazing wife, Erin. We met on the campaign trail in 2014, and we have taken turns supporting each other in a total of five campaigns. That includes an independent, families-focused campaign for Vancouver city council that Erin waged in 2018, while nursing a three-month-old in the parking lot between debates. As Erin is fond of reminding me, it took me more than a decade to catch up with her and to actually win an election.

My six-year-old daughter, Abby, and my four-year-old son are my why. I know that I'm not alone in this House in struggling with the balance of work and family, especially during long periods away from home. But when my daughter proudly tells people that her daddy's job is helping people and making better laws and when she asks me when I get home, "Daddy, how many problems did you solve at work today?" it reminds me exactly why I'm here. I know the same goes for my colleagues on both sides of this House.

And the line here says, "I'm thankful I got through that part without crying,” but I didn't.

Now that I've done a lot of personal reflection and gratitude, it's time to talk about economics. Before we talk about the budget itself, it's crucial that we talk about the context in which this budget arrives. This NDP government and their federal friends have brought us into this tariff war in an incredibly weak position. Now they are trying to blame their failures on external forces. On this side of the House, we will not let them get away with that.

Let's talk about where things really stand, starting at the national level. Canada has had the third-weakest GDP-per-capita growth out of the 38 OECD countries over the last decade. In fact, the OECD projects Canada will have the slowest per-capita economic growth among advanced economies for 2020 to 2030 and 2030 to 2060. That's not good news.

Government spending per person has grown by 11 percent since 2014, nearly three times the rate of household spending, which was 4 percent. Exports per person have shrunk by 3 percent, and business capital investment has fallen by 23 percent since 2014.

Monthly food bank visits in Canada reached 2.1 million in March 2024, which was a 90 percent increase from 2019 and which has continued to grow. Right here in B.C., food bank visits hit 226,000 in March of 2024 — an 81 percent increase from 2019.

This Saturday night I was proud to be at a fundraiser for the Central Okanagan Food Bank, and the stories were incredibly emotional and touching, especially recognizing that the growing cohort visiting food banks are stable families with two parents, two jobs and kids.

Let's talk about B.C. B.C.'s GDP growth has been below its long-term average but has still outperformed other provinces primarily due to major capital projects that this NDP government fought, like Trans Mountain and Site C.

But the hopper of major capital projects has been running dry, and the NDP's efforts to pick winners and losers does not actually create long-term, stable, predictable conditions for investment where people will start thinking about the next tranche of major projects and major investments in this province.

Private sector hiring has stagnated since 2019, remaining at 1.8 million employees, while overall public sector employment has increased by 36 percent to 600,000. In 2017, when this NDP government came to power, there were 34,367 full-time-equivalent positions across the B.C. government and government agencies.

This year, the NDP are forecasting 48,386 full-time staff. That's a cumulative increase of 41 percent. That means that you have a bigger and bigger public sector perched on the back of an anemic economy that has been stunted and prevented from growing by the policies of this government.

Those policies include the highest combined marginal effective tax rate on investment in Canada at 25.6 percent, compared to the national average of 15.6 percent and Alberta's 12.1 percent. No wonder people are leaving.

Eighty-one percent of machinery and equipment spending is taxed under B.C.'s PST, compared to only 7 percent in HST provinces. B.C.'s top marginal personal income tax rate is 53.5 percent. That is the fourth-highest among 60 Canadian provinces and U.S. states. Those aren't foundations for success for economic growth. Not at all.

[3:00 p.m.]

Now let's talk about the budget itself. The Eby NDP's latest budget fails British Columbians on every front: higher taxes, a record-breaking deficit and no plan to address the biggest challenges facing our economy.

Despite promising relief, they cancelled the grocery rebate, leaving families struggling with rising food prices. Instead of helping people get ahead, they're hiking the carbon tax by 19 percent on April 1, driving up the cost of gas, groceries and home heating at a time when affordability is already a crisis.

This is a government that takes more and delivers less. After years of reckless spending and economic mismanagement, B.C. is now facing a $10.9 billion deficit. The province's debt is projected to hit $208 billion, a record high that will cost taxpayers $5 billion a year in interest alone. That's money that could have gone into health care, education or wildfire prevention. But instead, it will be spent paying down the NDP's financial mismanagement.

Corporate tax revenue has plunged 24.8 percent, a clear sign that businesses are losing confidence in B.C.'s economy. In fact, we have the lowest business confidence by far across every single province in Canada, according to the CFIB Business Barometer. That's nothing to be proud of.

At the same time, housing starts have dropped 9.2 percent after the NDP's full-court press on housing, making the affordability crisis even worse. This budget does virtually nothing to address these serious economic challenges, leaving British Columbians and their children and grandchildren paying the price for the NDP's failure.

This NDP's budget also breaks key promises they made when they were pandering to voters in Kelowna Centre. Unfortunately for them, I am proud to be joined in this House by my colleague, the Conservative member for Kelowna Centre. Unfortunately for the people of Kelowna, this NDP government has a habit of breaking its promises when they find it inconvenient.

So we will be watching for them to deliver on key city of Kelowna priorities, like a new transit operations centre, support for the Highway 33 Clement multimodal corridor and a regional Red Fish Healing Centre offering compassionate mandatory care.

People in neighbourhoods all over Kelowna are bearing the burden of this government's failed approach to mental health and addictions. But nobody is bearing a heavier burden than the proud people of Rutland, good folks that I am proud to represent. They are sick and tired of being thrown under the bus and thrown to the wolves by this government.

This Premier and this government need to show up and answer to groups like the Rutland Residents Association and the Uptown Rutland Business Association, people who have been calling for better policies and better solutions for years. It's time for a change, and it's time to put the hope back in Rutland.

Throughout the election, local NDP candidates in Kelowna promised a made-in-Kelowna solution to short-term rentals, because this government’s sledgehammer policies have made things worse for a tourism sector and a winery sector that are already on their knees.

NDP candidates like my Kelowna-Mission opponent, Harpreet Badohal, who is a good man, who offered himself in the spirit of seva, and the NDP candidate in Kelowna Centre, Loyal Wooldridge, who continues to serve as a city councillor, both know that the NDP's heavy-handed policies on short-term rentals weren't working in Kelowna, especially in purpose-built short-term rental buildings that had been developed, built and sold for short-term rental. They knew it, and they said it over and over again on the record.

But it appears that this Premier ignored them completely after he finished using them as cannon fodder. The NDP talked a big game during the campaign, but now that the election is over, many of their commitments to Kelowna have seemingly been abandoned. We will not let them get away with that.

At the same time, B.C. faces another record-breaking wildfire season. Yet this budget fails to make proactive investments in prevention and response, like supporting a wildfire lab at UBC Okanagan. Wildfire response and recovery costs continue to skyrocket. Historically, we have spent 9 to 1 on wildfire response versus prevention. But instead of investing materially in mitigation strategies, community protections and better emergency response, the NDP is once again waiting until disaster strikes before acting.

British Columbians shouldn't have to beg for help after losing their homes.

[3:05 p.m.]

Strong leadership would help prevent these crises in the first place.

More broadly, this government also shows that the NDP has little or no serious plan to protect B.C. businesses from U.S. tariffs. With B.C.'s exports to the U.S. already down 5.5 percent, this government should be aggressively defending our industries. Instead, there is no serious funding, no strategy and no action to deal with trade threats that will cost B.C. workers their jobs — just a bunch of political posturing and American wedge politics.

The NDP's inaction on trade, combined with their years of failure to expand into provincial markets or grow key sectors like agriculture, proves that they're not serious about building a stronger economy.

Let's listen to what some other folks had to say about this budget. According to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade: “While the government has talked openly about the need to grow the economy and attract private sector investment, we await the transition from words to action.” Words to action — that says it all. What we've gotten so far is a lot of lip service from a government that has devastated our economy and that now wants credit for waking up and realizing that the economy exists.

We need to see serious action, a serious change, and it needs to be sustained, not just a short-term pivot because politics call for it.

The Business Council of British Columbia says: “This budget missed an opportunity to improve conditions for private sector investment and hiring in the face of the Trump administration's threat to B.C.'s industrial base. Now that U.S. tariffs are going ahead, we will be looking to the government to quickly follow up with bold action to improve our competitiveness and strengthen our economy.” Not just words, action.

According to the Surrey Board of Trade: “This budget needed to support the economy, but it missed the mark. We were hoping to see tangible investments to help businesses pivot in the face of tariffs implemented by the United States President.” They were absent from this budget, according to Jasroop Gosal, spokesperson for the Surrey Board of Trade.

Well, it's not just business organizations that think this budget is empty, vacuous words. Let's listen to our friends from the Greens. Let's listen to MLA, whose riding I can't remember right now…. What riding is Mr. Botterell from?

Interjections.

Gavin Dew: Thank you very much, Saanich North and the Islands. Let's listen to what the B.C. Greens have to say about the budget: “But what happens in a year when these short-term fixes run out and the debt has grown another $10.9 billion? There isn't an action plan here for a 21st-century, innovation-driven economy that builds resilience in our society, protects our environment and tackles climate change.”

No wonder the Greens are frustrated about this because the last CASA signed in 2017 obligated this NDP government to create an innovation commission and a future economy task force. There's been no follow-up on the future economy task force.

The last innovation commissioner left this government in the spring of last year. They haven’t replaced that innovation commissioner. So they've actually abandoned the long-term commitments that they made under the 2017 CASA that would have been opportunities to think actively about the future of our economy.

Let's see how long it takes until they betray both the letter and the spirit of their current agreement with the Greens.

Let's go closer to home, and let's talk about what our friends at the BCGEU had to say about this budget. You would think that these would be the most stalwart supporters of this government, given the dramatic growth in the public sector workforce. And yet, what did president Paul Finch have to say? He said that “B.C. needs an economic development plan,” which is absolutely critical to workers in the province. Mr. Finch is correct.

So folks, in closing, a few final facts to drive home. This budget uses the same forecast for economic growth as the one contained in the September ‘24 economic outlook and financial forecast. That matters because it means that the Premier lied about his $1,000 per household grocery rebate. The Premier was creative in his language…

[3:10 p.m.]

Deputy Speaker: Member. Member.

Gavin Dew: …around the $1,000 per household grocery rebate, $2 billion in tax relief in 2025 for B.C. families.

Now, with the exact same forecast for the B.C. economy, the Premier has cancelled the rebate. I know the members opposite are upset about the language, but that is also the mathematical reality.

Deputy Speaker: Member, just one moment, please.

Minister of Forests.

Hon. Ravi Parmar: The member across the way knows what he said, and I would welcome the opportunity to hear him retract his comment.

Gavin Dew: I'll withdraw.

Despite the tax grabs, this budget runs a record deficit. The forecast deficit for 2025 to 2026, as you know, is $10.9 billion, the largest in history. One year ago the NDP deficit forecast for this year was $7.7 billion. Next year the deficit is forecast to be $10.2 billion. These numbers are absolutely staggering, and generations will be paying for them.

As I mentioned before, by 2028, the total debt is expected to hit $208.8 billion. This NDP government inherited total debt of $64.9 billion when they took office in 2017. Over the next three years, they're forecasting debt to increase by $75.8 billion. That's more than all the debt accumulated since British Columbia joined Confederation 153 years ago. That is absolutely devastating. That will be paid for by generations upon generations of British Columbians. That is absolutely irresponsible.

It is a result of this government's fundamental economic mismanagement and fundamental economic illiteracy that has left our economy in a very broken place. There is incredibly difficult work ahead in order to rebuild, and it will require much more than lip service from a government that has suddenly awoken to the existence of the economy and has spent all of their time fixated on political posturing at the expense of practical solutions.

In closing, British Columbians deserve better. Instead of hiking taxes, piling on more debt and blaming their failures on everyone else, we need a government that will prioritize affordability, protect jobs and deliver on its promises. On this side of the House, the B.C. Conservatives will continue to push for real solutions — lowering taxes, strengthening our economy and putting British Columbians first. We look forward to doing that as soon as possible.

Deputy Speaker: Just a reminder that there should be no insinuation that members are misleading this House. Also, the use of names of members is not permitted here in this chamber.

Stephanie Higginson: I would like to start by recognizing that I am giving my first response ever to the budget on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən people, of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and that I am grateful to them for their stewardship of this land since time immemorial.

I rise today to speak in support of Budget 2025, entitled “Standing strong for British Columbia,” and what this budget offers to support the people of British Columbia and, in particular, my riding of Ladysmith-Oceanside through these unprecedented times.

I want to express my appreciation to the Minister of Finance and to her dedicated team, who have delivered a budget under very difficult circumstances.

I was part of a provincial response team for education during COVID. The member for West Vancouver–Capilano will remember our times in the trenches together during that time. During that time, we used the term “unprecedented” a lot as well. But somehow, in reflection, that time feels more stable than what we are experiencing right now. During that time, provincial health had experts in population medicine that had education, training and experience in pandemic response. Public health had guiding principles that are designed for use during a public health emergency that helped guide the decisions that we had to make.

[3:15 p.m.]

We had previous pandemics to look back on and learn from. My dad was a child during the polio epidemic. Both he and my uncle contracted polio, and both spent months in iron lungs. My dad consistently reminded me, during that time, that we had done this before and that we would do it again. We had precedents for navigating pandemics, but this current threat, the one that has us once again using this term “unprecedented,” is giving new meaning to the term.

I want to point out that during both of these unprecedented times, it was the NDP that was in government. That can make for a rocky road, an unprecedented one if you will, from which to govern. Most importantly, these worldwide, global events impact any government’s ability to fulfil their campaign promises and their government mandates.

As a parent, I am very glad that during these times, it was the NDP government, which puts people first and protects the services that people need, that was in power during these worldwide, gut-punching crises.

I say thank you to the Minister of Finance and her team for their thoughtful approach to finding a balance between protecting the services people rely on and being able to respond to these times and to stand up for and protect British Columbians.

I want to start by addressing some of the whiplash that I’m feeling at the moment. Many of you may think that the whiplash is a result of the constantly changing goalposts, of President Trump changing his mind on tariffs so many times.

That would be a safe assumption, but this whiplash is actually felt as a result of listening to some of the responses to this budget given by the members opposite. Let’s start with the continual criticism regarding the size and cost of the public sector, often provided by the member for Kamloops Centre.

Before I dive into the partisan critique and what my mom has started calling the political theatrics of this chamber, I first would like to actually compliment the member for Kamloops Centre for his dignity and his integrity over the last couple of weeks in standing up for the Tk’emlúps Nation and all residential school survivors and the families of those that did not make it home.

Integrity matters in these chambers. No matter what side of the aisle we are from, we must stand united to reject residential-school denialism. When you are fortunate enough to be elected to these chambers, you represent everyone in your constituency, not just the folks that share your personal experiences and your beliefs or that look like you and sound like you.

I raise my hands to the member for Kamloops Centre for his integrity and representation during these unfortunate and difficult circumstances. I also tip my hat to the member for Courtenay-Comox for some of his social media this weekend, for his courage and integrity.

Now back to my comments about whiplash. The members opposite have spent significant time criticizing this government and the growing size of the public sector, even quoting the size of the public sector in 2017 versus today, but it is no secret that the population of British Columbia has grown incredibly in size since 2017.

Let’s just take a quick look at some of those numbers. In 2017, the population of British Columbia was just under 4.8 million people. At the end of 2024, the population of British Columbia was just under 5.7 million people. That’s almost a million more people in the province in seven years. This means we need more teachers, more doctors, more nurses, more health care aides.

[3:20 p.m.]

Yes, it means the public sector will grow to meet the demands of providing even the most mundane but important services, such as renewing your driver’s licence, getting your hunting licence — an important one for members of my family — providing a birth certificate and even a death certificate.

Let’s look at some of those numbers. So 14,212 new nurses registered since January 2023, bringing the total nurses registered in all categories in British Columbia to over 72,000, the second-quickest overall nursing workforce growth in Canada behind Prince Edward Island. More than 38,000 new health employee union health care workers hired since 2017.

In 2023, B.C. had 13,800 full-time-equivalent education assistants, 4,400 more than in 2016 and 2017. We had 37,000 full-time-equivalent teachers. That's 4,560 more than in 2016-17.

I stand proudly behind the growth of the public sector and the critical work they do for British Columbians each and every day. In addition to the important services that our public sector provides, the constant criticism of the public service is counterintuitive to the members opposite’s desire regarding a strong economy, because public sector jobs provide good and reliable salaries. Public servants spend their money in their communities. They support local businesses.

There is nothing to be ashamed of in providing the people necessary to support British Columbia's growing population in accessing the services and supports that they need. This budget does just that. It protects the services the people of British Columbia need, and it ensures that those services will be provided to people when they need them, where they need them most.

My whiplash is made worse — and I've actually suffered from whiplash before; it's terrible — when I hear the members opposite argue for more public services, more staff for ERs, more doctors for essential medical services, more paramedics for rural and remote communities, more teachers for classrooms in growing communities, more addiction services beds. All are things we agree need to be addressed, positions we are working relentlessly to fill.

But at the same time as asking for these positions and these services, the members opposite criticize us for a growing public sector. I ask: how do we provide these critical services if not by hiring actual people into the public service to fill these positions? Our budget is focused on building stronger services that support British Columbians, and we believe that the people providing these critical services should be employed by the province.

There are a few highlights in this budget for me that I would like to address. Truth and reconciliation is important to Ladysmith-Oceanside, and this budget continues our government's commitment to meaningful and lasting truth and reconciliation. Of critical importance is the revitalization of Indigenous languages across the province. For generations, First Nations people have been clinging to the responsibility and bearing the burden of keeping these languages alive.

Since 2017, this government has committed tens of millions of dollars to language revitalization, and this budget continues that important work. Budget 2025 nearly doubles previous investments in language and culture programming with stable funding of $15 million per year to advance the work of the First Peoples Cultural Council, and these investments are working.

Hul'q'umi'num' is one of the languages of the lands upon which Ladysmith-Oceanside is situated. When I started as a school trustee in 2014 in school district No. 68, there were two fully fluent Hul'q'umi'num' speakers in the district. Today that number has risen to six, and it continues to grow. Six fully fluent Hul'q'umi'num speakers work for school district 68, and I’m tremendously proud of this.

[3:25 p.m.]

As a school trustee, people questioned why we were supporting the development of a lost language. That was a term people used all the time. What’s the point? What good will it do? And my answer was clear: Hul'q'umi'num is the language of the lands upon which the schools of school district 68 sit. If we don’t stand up for the language with actual financial investments as well as good intentions, who will?

That same saying applies now that I am an MLA in British Columbia. These languages are the languages of the lands upon which we govern. They have been spoken since time immemorial. If we don’t support the reincarnation of these languages, who will? This budget does just that.

In the riding of Ladysmith-Oceanside, I heard clearly about two particular health care priorities: access to family health care practitioners and rebuilding and expanding the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital so that people in the central Island region can have access to the critical health care they need, when they need it, where they live.

This budget continues to prioritize strengthening health care, with actions underway to expand access to family doctors and nurse practitioners and to recruit and train more health care practitioners. This includes $443 million over the fiscal plan to support our primary care strategy, to continue progress on connecting people with a family doctor or a nurse practitioner and to deliver quality primary care services.

We are finally starting to see those results in Ladysmith-Oceanside. In Oceanside alone, over 3,400 people have been attached to a primary health care practitioner in the last 12 months. Every day I’m getting emails from constituents who are getting attached to family health care practitioners thanking us for the work we are doing trying to solve this problem.

This budget continues to fund critical upgrades to the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital to the tune of half a billion dollars. It includes construction on a new cancer care centre at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, a new ICU, a new high-acuity wing, which means that the ICU in Nanaimo will go from eight beds in 2017 to 24 beds when it opens this summer.

I know many folks in the central Island region were watching with bated breath for the funding commitment to the much-needed hospital tower at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. I can tell you that our government is working closely with the local hospital board to help move this project forward.

On budget day, the chair of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital district board was my guest in the gallery. My fellow central MLAs from Nanaimo–Gabriola Island and Nanaimo-Lantzville met with the Minister of Infrastructure to discuss next steps in this project. The hospital board is a willing, creative and collaborative partner, and we are all working hard to move this project forward.

Making sure people can find good quality housing that they can afford is always going to be one of our top priorities. Ladysmith-Oceanside has benefited from numerous investments in the riding in affordable and supportive housing.

One such example is the purchase of Moilliet Manor by the B.C. Rent Bank last summer. Over half the residents in that building are over 75. Thanks to the investment from this government, these folks now have long-term, stable housing. Without this investment, the building would have been sold, most likely torn down, made room for condos, displacing these residents.

The budget continues to prioritize access to affordable housing across the spectrum. Budget 2025 injects an additional $318 million over three years to BC Builds as part of the province’s goal of delivering thousands of rental homes for middle-income people.

We’re making sure that people, not speculators, can find affordable housing by increasing the speculation and vacancy tax to 3 percent for foreign and untaxed worldwide owners and 1 percent for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. All of that money is being invested back into the housing in the regions where the tax is applied. More than 99 percent of property owners who live in B.C. are exempt from the tax.

[3:30 p.m.]

This remains a top priority for the residents of Ladysmith-Oceanside. We know that the expansion of the speculation and vacancy tax areas will help ensure that the families that work and support our communities can live in those communities. Since the introduction of the speculation and vacancy tax, we have seen so many homes that used to be short-term rentals switched over to long-term, stable housing for the families of Ladysmith-Oceanside.

During the campaign, I had one woman walk right out onto the doorstep and point to houses on the street and say to me: “That used to be short-term rental. That used to be short-term rental. That used to be short-term rental.” They're now all filled, either purchased or have long-term renters in them, families who live and work in the community.

Another family that told me a story about being displaced by a fire when they were looking for a place to live…. All the rentals were short-term rentals. Now that the rules have changed, when they look online, they see those same rentals being advertised for long-term rent for families who live in the communities.

The tax is working, and it’s time to do more.

The speculation and vacancy tax recently expanded into my own community this year, and I’d like to say that the process for declaring the exemption was actually very quick and easy. There are 59 communities in B.C. that this tax applies to, including 13 declaring for the first time in 2025. The rate increase is expected to bring $47 million in 2026-27.

Speculation tax is playing a critical role in turning empty units into homes for people in communities across the province. I myself am renting an apartment here in Victoria, as an MLA, that used to be a short-term rental and is now available for long-term rentals because of the change of rules.

When you have rural areas in your riding, you become familiar with the tangled jurisdictional web of encampments. The rise in encampments is directly related to the affordability crisis that we are facing. With these encampments, people experiencing homelessness are living in unsafe conditions in encampments throughout multiple communities in British Columbia. It is such a complex issue, because the people who have encampments outside their properties also deserve to feel safe in their communities.

In my riding of Ladysmith-Oceanside, we have large rural networks, and these encampments can often be found right outside people’s driveways, on the edge of their properties, straddling roadways, creating a maze of jurisdictional hot potatoes.

It’s a complex problem to solve the root cause of this. You can’t just say, "Tow away the vehicles," because people are living in these vehicles. If you tow away the vehicles, you displace people, and the problem just continues.

We’re working very hard to address these challenges. B.C. Housing is working with partners to provide people living outdoors and in encampments with better access to a range of support services, new shelters and housing options through new programs funded by the province under the belonging in B.C. homelessness plan.

With compassion at the centre of solving this issue, this budget has $90 million to get people out of encampments and off the streets by providing more services, shelters and homes through the HEART and HEARTH programs: Homelessness Encampment Action Response Team, HEART, and Homelessness Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing, HEARTH. I witnessed it firsthand last week, as I attended a multi-jurisdictional response team planning meeting regarding one of the growing encampments in my riding.

As a small business owner, paying close attention to finances is important to me. On the previously mentioned theme of whiplash, I consistently hear the members opposite using their question period to simultaneously demand more services while criticizing the provincial deficit. This budget demonstrates that we are focusing on supporting and growing the economy and carefully managing our finances to protect the services people rely on today. While we have work to do, we do have one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the country.

But it’s more important than ever to strengthen the province’s fiscal position so that the government can respond to changing needs in these uncertain times. Despite these unstable times, government is taking the first steps to building a path to balance our budget over the long term, reviewing all government programs to ensure that every dollar we are spending is delivering results for British Columbians. We’ve put a temporary pause on hiring in the B.C. public service, separate from the public sector, with the exception of critical roles.

[3:35 p.m.]

Budget 2025 also includes expenditure management targets around cutting administration costs as part of a multi-year approach to balance budgets over time by growing the economy and carefully managing our spending.

In conclusion, during these very challenging times, I am grateful to the Minister of Finance and her team for delivering a budget that protects British Columbians, protects the core services that we all rely on and supports our businesses through investments in trade diversification at a time when we need it most.

I thank the hon. Speaker for allowing me to speak in support of Budget 2025: Standing Strong for B.C. that is focused on building a stronger economy that works for all British Columbians, not just some, that strengthens health care and the services people rely on and builds B.C.'s critical infrastructure.

I want to end with a message I received recently from a constituent who is not a traditional NDP supporter, but I managed to kind of convince them during this campaign to vote for me. They said: “I’m impressed with the Premier — thoughtful, emotional, realistic and rightly untrusting of Trump, even channelling a bit of John Horgan. I am confident that B.C. is in capable hands.”

Harman Bhangu: I rise today in this chamber with immense gratitude, knowing that I stand here because of the incredible volunteers who believe in the Conservative vision for British Columbia. This election was historic, not just for Langley-Abbotsford but for the entire province, and it was made possible by the dedication of those who gave their time, energy and determination to bring real change.

I'm a trucker. My family came here for a better life to this country. My mom and dad worked tirelessly to provide that life. I lost my father eight years ago, but not a day goes by that I don't think of him, and I know he's watching me down in this chamber here today.

I'd also like to thank my wife, who's been instrumental in even letting me pursue this journey. Having two young kids at home, I know how hard it is for all the members here, the hardships we face with our families and everything else, the sacrifices that they make for us to take part in this.

I also want to thank my campaign manager André Roberge, Joe Latam, and there are several others — Richa Nair, a good friend of mine from high school — that all stepped up to the plate and helped me achieve this. And without my wife, Courtney, it would be really impossible. I want to thank her again. She's been a rock for me.

I also want to thank my friend Brittany Foote, who hopped in a car, made the travel across in a ferry, drove down to Langley-Abbotsford and a bunch of ridings to help us achieve this mission.

To the door-knockers who braved the elements to have conversations that mattered: you made a difference. You listened to the concerns of our neighbours, shared our message and showed that Conservative movement is about people first.

To those who helped me put up signs, rain or shine: thank you. Every sign was a symbol of hope for those who wanted a better future. You worked tirelessly, early mornings, late nights, ensuring that every street, every neighbourhood saw that there was a choice on election day.

To the drivers who made sure the volunteers could reach every part of our riding and to those who spent hours making phone calls, connecting with voters, answering questions and encouraging people to get out there and vote: your efforts did not go unnoticed.

This victory was not mine alone. It belongs to every person who gave their time to make sure Langley-Abbotsford's voice was heard, and I promise that as your representative, I will fight every day to ensure that your hard work was not in vain.

The great Township of Langley is one of British Columbia's most historic places. In 1824, renowned explorer James McMillan was sent by the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company to explore the lower Fraser River. He and his party portaged their canoes through what is now called Langley Township to avoid the rapids near Kanaka Creek. He recommended establishment of a fort on the banks of the river there. The rest is history.

[3:40 p.m.]

Today giant greenhouse operations are located on the site of the original Hudson's Bay Farm. The reconstructed fort can be found at the national historic site of Fort Langley. It was there in 1858 that Gov. James Douglas proclaimed the creation of the colony of British Columbia.

The Township of Langley was the first district municipality incorporated in British Columbia, on April 26, 1873 — the same day that Chilliwack was incorporated as a city. Only two cities in British Columbia are older than the township: New Westminster and Victoria, whose incorporation predates the entry of British Columbia into the confederation in 1871.

The Abbotsford portion of our riding has rich history, deeply rooted in both Indigenous heritage and the contributions of European settlers. The name Matsqui comes from the Halq’eméylem language, meaning easy portage or easy travelling, reflecting on the region's historical significance for the Stó:lō people who lived along the Fraser River for thousands of years.

Scandinavian settlers later shaped Matsqui village, leaving their mark with institutions like Matsqui Lutheran Church, built in 1903. Matsqui was incorporated as a district in 1892 and later merged with Abbotsford in 1995.

One of Matsqui’s well-known political figures, Harry De Jong, was a dedicated public servant who served as mayor from 1975 to 1987, both representing the area as an MLA and serving as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Just west of Matsqui lies Bradner, a community founded in 1895 by Thomas Bradner, who is celebrated for his deep agricultural roots. Since 1928, the Bradner flower show has been a cherished tradition, showcasing over 400 daffodil varieties each spring. This year's show, themed “Springtime in Paris,” will be held in April, continuing the legacy of a community built on hard work, culture and connection to the land.

I stand on the shoulders of giants, some of the most constructive, influential political leaders in British Columbian history. Rich Coleman led a team of volunteers who built Aldergrove-Kinsman Community Centre in the 1980s with their own donated materials and labour. He went on to represent the township in the Legislature for 24 years, during which time he served as opposition Whip, as interim leader of the Official Opposition, and in government as Minister of Public Safety, Minister of Forests, Minister of Housing, Minister of Energy and Mines, Minister of Natural Gas Development and Deputy Premier of British Columbia.

This NDP government can be thankful to Rich Coleman when they examine the revenue side of their terrible deficit-ridden budget. Were it not for his work developing our natural resources, their enormous deficit would be even larger.

Before Rich Coleman, Bob McClelland was one of the key ministers in the Social Credit government of Bill Bennett, serving 14 years in this place representing Langley. At the time, he served as Minister of Health; Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources; Minister of Labour; and Minister of Industry and Small Business. Bob McClelland was a visionary decades before his time. As a health minister, he led a drive to provide involuntary care for heroin addicts. His pioneering legislation for involuntary care was struck down by progressive judges, just like we're seeing today.

In a way, these progressive judges were instrumental in thousands and thousands of untimely, unnecessarily drug-caused overdose deaths. We can only hope that our current Premier is successful in fulfilling McClelland's vision of over 40 years ago and begins to bring an end to the death and the suffering.

I can't forget to honour the contributions of local leaders who helped make the township the great place it is today. The township has one of the few 50-metre Olympic swimming pools in the region, built at a cost of just $14 million in the 1990s by legendary mayor of the day, John Scholtens. Several talented young Langley swimmers have gone on to compete in the Olympics and world juniors, and the pool hosts one of the top swimming programs in Canada.

Mayor Scholtens brought clean drinking water to Aldergrove. He brought flower baskets and beauty to Aldergrove's downtown core, and he did it all while paying off every single penny of the township's outstanding debt.

[3:45 p.m.]

We hold up John and Fannie as they mourn the loss of their eldest son, Geoff, who travelled the world as a missionary and lost his life much too young in a plane crash in Merritt last summer.

We also remember Lt. Col. Dean Drysdale, who started off in public life as the president of the student council at D.W. Poppy Secondary, in my riding. We lost him too soon to ALS, likely from exposure to toxic materials in Iraq during the first Gulf War.

He was the commanding officer of the 16th Field Artillery Regiment, served as deputy mayor of the township, earned an MBA and a PhD in Europe, taught business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, served in the Prime Minister's Office and started several successful companies.

The son of a heavy-equipment operator, much like myself, Dean showed young people in Langley what is possible when you dream big, work hard. A library in Langley bears his name, and his inspiration is on my heart today.

I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to mention my late friend and mentor, Peter Wall, a man whose impact will be felt for generations. Peter's roots were in Abbotsford, where his family settled after immigrating from Ukraine in 1948. From humble beginnings, he built an incredible legacy as co-founder of Wall and Redekop Corporation, later Wall Financial.

He reshaped Vancouver's skyline, but his influence expanded far beyond real estate. His developments reached across the Fraser Valley, including Langley and Abbotsford, helping shape the communities we know today.

Peter believed in lifting people up, those with drive and ambition, no matter their background. I was one of those people. I learned a lot of business in my conversations with Peter, more than I would have taking any course.

He saw potential, gave opportunities and changed lives. His generosity was unmatched. His $15 million donation to UBC in 1991 was the university's largest at the time, just one of many contributions to health care and community initiatives.

People like Peter simply don't leave us. His presence is etched into the communities, in the lives he changed and in the spirit of those he inspired. His legacy will live on forever.

I stand in this historic chamber. I am reminded of the immense responsibility that comes with being elected to serve the people of Langley-Abbotsford. This is not a job to be taken lightly, nor is it a title to be worn without duty. It's a calling, a commitment, and for me, it's a deeply personal mission.

I did not get into politics for prestige. I did not step forward when the path was easy, nor did I seek the safe route. When I ran first, under the Conservative banner in Surrey South, our party barely registered in the polls. People told me, "You're wasting your time," that British Columbians weren't ready for a real Conservative alternative. But I knew better.

I knew that the people, especially in the communities like Langley-Abbotsford, were tired — tired of broken promises, tired of being ignored and tired of watching their hard work go unrewarded.

So I put my name on the ballot, and we fought. We didn't just show up. We made an impact. We took a party polling under 2 percent and proved that the change was possible. We sent a clear message. Conservatives weren't here to play petty politics. We were here to fight for the future of this province.

That fight led me here, today, representing the people of Langley-Abbotsford. Langley-Abbotsford is home to hard-working families, small business owners and tradespeople who wake up every morning, work long hours and sacrifice to build a better life.

My father was a trucker, a provider, a hard worker, a man who never backed down from a challenge. He worked long hours, made sacrifices and taught me the values of integrity and perseverance. He taught me that no matter how tough things get, you don't give up. You stand up. You push forward.

This is exactly what I bring to the chamber. I am here to fight for families in Langley-Abbotsford who work tirelessly just to keep up with the rising cost of living. I am here to fight for truckers, farmers and small business owners who keep this community and this province moving — people who are ignored by this government, a government that only seems to care when it's politically convenient. I am here to fight for everyday British Columbians who have been left behind by a government who chooses ideology over common sense.

[3:50 p.m.]

I did not come to warm a seat. I came here to fight. And let me be clear, I will not stand by while this province and my riding continues down a path where families can't afford their homes, businesses can't afford to stay open and our children can't seem to see a future for themselves here. This is not the British Columbia I believe in. This is not the British Columbia that Langley-Abbotsford and my constituents deserve.

Langley-Abbotsford is more than just a riding. It's a thriving economic, agricultural powerhouse that represents the best of British Columbia. It is home to families, farmers, business owners and workers who believe in hard work, innovation and community. Agriculture is the backbone of our region. Our world-class berry farms, greenhouses and agricultural businesses not only feed British Columbians but also contribute to our economy. Farms like Tamara Jansen's greenhouse exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that drives our province forward.

Speaking of farms and agriculture, I would like to congratulate Sukhman Gill, a young man who grew up on a berry farm in the township of Langley, on winning his federal nomination for Abbotsford–South Langley. Sukhman's dedication to our community and commitment to conservative values is truly commendable. He understands the challenges we're facing in our region and is ready to bring a strong voice for the residents. I look forward to working alongside him to build a stronger future for British Columbia and Canada. I wish him great success in his journey ahead.

I'd also like to give a thanks to Jessy Sahota stepping up in Delta. I know in the Sikh community we've had a lot of people say we need people that can articulate things, and it's good to see the next generation of Sikhs stepping up to the plate. I'm really proud of them.

Langley-Abbotsford is not just a centre for agriculture. It is also a hub of connectivity and movement. As a key transportation corridor, 16th Avenue serves commuters, truckers and businesses moving goods across the region. The Langley Regional Airport is another economic driver, training pilots, supporting local enterprises and keeping our economy strong.

The riding is also rich in a history of culture: the Annand/Rowlatt Farmstead, dating back to the 1880s and the Lochiel schoolhouse, a one-room school built in 1924. After a glimpse into our agricultural heritage, these landmarks connect us to the pioneers who built this region and remind us of the importance of preserving our history and giving credit to the ones that paved the path for us today.

Transportation remains vital to our economy. The Southern Railway of British Columbia, operating since 1897, has evolved into a critical freight link, moving 69,000 railcars annually and transporting everything from automotive products to building goods and grain.

Langley-Abbotsford is also home to Thunderbird Show Park, a world-class equestrian facility that attracts top riders from around the globe. As a cornerstone of our local economy, it drives tourism, creates jobs and inspires the next generation of athletes. Supporting venues like Thunderbird is essential to sustaining economic growth and promoting excellence in Canadian sport, and it also happens to be the favourite place my daughter Audriana likes to visit. She hopes to ride there one day as well.

Beyond industry and commerce, Langley-Abbotsford is also about natural beauty, quality of life. Campbell Valley Regional Park, with its 1,352 acres of forest, grasslands and wetlands, is a sanctuary for wildlife and place for families to connect with nature. Whether it's hiking the Little River Loop trail, horseback riding on Shaggy Mane trail, enjoying a peaceful walk, this park showcases the best of our province's natural treasures.

Langley-Abbotsford is a riding of opportunity, history and progress. From our farms to our businesses, from our transport networks to our natural spaces, we must continue to support and strengthen foundations that make this community thrive. We must ensure that Langley-Abbotsford receives the investment it deserves, not just roads and transit but in education, health care, public safety.

Families in our riding want safe streets, strong schools and opportunities for their children to thrive. Small business owners want fewer barriers, not more red tape. Farmers want policies that support their hard work, not policies that make it harder to compete.

[3:55 p.m.]

I will not let Langley-Abbotsford be an afterthought in this chamber. I will fight every day to make sure that our families, our workers and our businesses get the support they need to succeed.

Langley-Abbotsford is the beating heart of British Columbia, not just in words but in the people who work hard every single day to keep it moving forward. They deserve a government that fights for them as they fight for their families, and that is exactly what I intend to do.

The recently tabled 2025 British Columbia budget made it clear: Langley-Abbotsford is not a priority to this NDP government. One of the most glaring omissions was the lack of funding for the much-needed patient care tower at Langley Memorial Hospital. This project is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Our community is growing rapidly, and our health care system is already struggling to keep up.

This expansion would have provided enhanced surgical facilities, increased patient capacity and modernized health care services to better serve the people of Langley-Abbotsford. Instead of delivering on this vital investment, what has the government chosen to do? To delay it, citing economic uncertainties and external factors like the U.S. tariffs. Yet, what is more uncertain than a patient waiting for critical surgery in an outdated operating room? What is more uncertain than a family wondering if their loved one will get a hospital bed in an overcrowded facility?

In a letter dated September 7, 2024, local surgeons pleaded for this expansion, calling its current significant infrastructure dilapidated and unfit for modern medical care. No major capital investments have been made to Langley Memorial's surgical facilities in over 35 years. Meanwhile, our population continues to grow, the new residential developments adding thousands of new residents to the area. Langley's health care needs are increasingly urgent, and yet, when Langley's representation shifted to the Conservative side, the promises for a new patient care tower went unmet, with no immediate funding allocated.

Meanwhile, Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, represented by an NDP MLA, has received significant improvements, including the completion of Paul Myers Tower. This is a stark contrast to Langley's situation and is how a lot of people south of the river feel. The people of Langley-Abbotsford don't need more excuses. They need action. They deserve the same level of commitment to health care and infrastructure as other communities across the province.

The failures of this government don't stop at health care. The long-promised expansion of Highway 1 continues to be riddled with delays, cost overruns and mismanagement, all at the expense of people in my riding who are stuck in worsening congestion every single day. Highway 1 is the backbone of our regional economy. It connects commuters to work, businesses to customers and goods to the market.

For years, residents of Langley-Abbotsford have been forced to sit in traffic, losing valuable times with their families because this government refuses to get the job done. The expansion project was supposed to alleviate congestion, improve safety and accommodate our growing population. Instead we have delay after delay, with costs skyrocketing beyond the initial budget, and yet there is still no clear timeline for completion.

The reality is, for far too many families in Langley-Abbotsford, what should be a 20-minute drive turns into an hour-long crawl. Small business owners struggle with delays. Truckers, like my father once was, are forced to waste precious hours sitting in gridlock instead of doing what they do best, keeping our economy going. And who pays the price? Hard-working British Columbians who are simply trying to travel, to get to work, to get their kids to school, to live their lives.

The people of Langley-Abbotsford deserve better. They deserve infrastructure projects that are completed on time and on budget. They deserve a government that prioritizes reducing congestion, not making promises that never materialize.

[4:00 p.m.]

British Columbia was once a province of opportunity, a place where many young people dream of owning a home, where families could build a secure future, where businesses could grow and thrive. But under this Premier's NDP, that dream is slipping away.

This budget is not just about numbers on a page. It's about the real, everyday struggles of British Columbians. It's about the single mother who has to work two jobs to put food on the table. It's about the family that watched their mortgages double in the last two years with no sign of relief. It's about the young couple, both with good jobs, wondering if they will ever afford a home in the province they grew up in. More and more, it's about the thousands of people who are leaving B.C. altogether, packing up, selling their homes, heading to Alberta, Saskatchewan and beyond because they can no longer afford to stay here.

British Columbians are tired of broken promises. They’re tired of watching their tax dollars wasted on government mismanagement. They’re tired of a Premier who refuses to take responsibility for the damage he has done.

This budget should have been a chance to fix those mistakes. Instead, it's proof that this government has no plan to make life better for British Columbians. The NDP's reckless spending has created an economic crisis, one that they refuse to acknowledge. Every year, they promise British Columbians responsible budgeting, and every year, they fail to deliver.

Let's take a look at the numbers. In 2017, the actual government expenditure was $49 billion — reasonable, sustainable and within expectations. But since the NDP took office, spending has spiralled out of control. By 2020, their projected spending was $51.6 billion. But actual spending shot up to nearly $58 billion – a full $6 billion more than expected.

Then came the pandemic. And yes, governments had to spend. But under the NDP, that spending never stopped. By 2022, spending had ballooned to $68 billion, a massive jump from the $61 billion they originally projected. And it didn't stop there.

In 2023, they told British Columbians they would spend $63½ billion. Then they quietly revised that to $71 billion. The actual number — almost $80 billion. The NDP originally projected that they would spend $68.9 billion this year. Then they raised it to $81 billion. The actual number — $84.6 billion and climbing. Next year, their budget calls for $95 billion in spending.

Can British Columbians trust that number? I know I can't. Based on their record, it will be much, much higher. What do British Columbians have to show for this spending spree? A collapsing health care system that ships its patients to the United States because their hospitals can't handle them. Skyrocketing housing costs that have made home ownership a fantasy for most young people. Record-high gas prices. Yet another tax hike coming April 1. Businesses shutting down with corporate tax revenues falling because companies are making less money.

This NDP government has broken the social contract with British Columbians. They take more of your money, pile on more debt and yet deliver worse services year after year. This is not a sustainable path.

When the Premier stood in front of British Columbians last year and promised $1,000 per household rebate, people believed him. They counted on that relief. Why wouldn't they? Food prices are at a record high. Families are being forced to make impossible choices — whether to cut back on groceries, skip meals or delay paying bills to afford just the basics.

But now, with the exact same economic forecast as before, the Premier has cancelled the rebate, just like that. He claims it's due to the tariffs, but he offered no apology. Just another broken promise from a government that has made an art of misleading the public.

[4:05 p.m.]

Instead of helping struggling families, this NDP government is raising the cost of living even further. On April 1, gas prices will rise another 3.3 cents per litre, thanks to the Premier's 19 percent hike on carbon tax.

This isn't just about paying more at the pump. It's about higher costs for everything. Every trucker that delivers food, every farmer that produces crops, every small business trying to stay afloat — they will pay more, due to this NDP government.

British Columbians are already feeling the pain. B.C. has the highest gas prices in North America. The cost of groceries has risen by more than 20 percent in the past three years. Families are now paying $800 more for groceries than they were in 2021. Yet instead, offering no relief, this NDP government is doubling down on policies that make life even harder.

Despite these tax hikes, this budget forecast a $10.9 billion deficit, the largest in B.C. history. To put that in perspective, one year ago, the B.C. NDP said the deficit would be $7.7 billion. That number has exploded, and next year's deficit is expected to hit $10.2 billion, nearly double what the NDP forecasted.

As mentioned, the B.C. NDP inherited a provincial debt of $64.9 billion in 2017, but by 2028, this is expected to rise to $208.8 billion. That is more new debt in just ten years than British Columbia has accumulated in the previous 153 years combined.

What does this mean for British Columbians? It means every single person in this province is on the hook for thousands of dollars in government debt. In 2018….

Deputy Speaker: Member, thank you very much.

The Chair will recognize the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.

Hon. Christine Boyle: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and good afternoon.

It's my pleasure and honour to speak today in response to Budget 2025, here on the territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən people, the Songhees and SXIMEȽEȽ Nations, both as Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and MLA for Vancouver–Little Mountain, in the territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ Nations.

Budget 2025-26 is about standing strong for B.C. and making sure public services are there when we need them, including supports for Indigenous people. Now is the time to focus on what really matters to our communities and the people of our province. We know we must continue the important work of reconciliation and continue to take action on commitments developed in partnership with Indigenous people.

In response to the throne speech, I spoke about how reconciliation is about finding solutions to the challenges of our time together. Resilience comes from working together, not pulling apart. We are on the cusp of the greatest economic threat we have seen as British Columbians in generations, and we will be able to navigate the challenges ahead and respond faster because of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and because of our solid and evolving relationships and partnerships with Indigenous people.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission defined reconciliation as a process, an ongoing process of establishing respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. This includes acknowledging past harms, apologizing and taking action to address ongoing legacies of colonization. Budget 2025 delivers on government commitments to Indigenous peoples and takes action to address the legacy of colonialism.

We're committed to continuing to lead the way, continuing to lead the work to implement the Declaration Act, in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous people, and address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. We're doing so in significant and important ways. Reconciliation is a thread that runs through all of government's work. It remains a foundational priority and is woven into everything that we do.

[4:10 p.m.]

Budget 2025 advances reconciliation with $45 million over three years in new, stable and ongoing funding for the First Peoples Cultural Council. This will help the organization continue supporting First Nations in their efforts to revitalize their languages and cultures, while also creating good jobs and economic benefits. Budget 2025 delivers on our commitment to provide stable, ongoing funding to modern treaty Nations to collaborate on resource management.

It also includes an important next step to address and reverse the impact of discriminatory property ownership laws. Most people take the ability to own property for granted. First Nations governments have long asked any level of government to address the hurdles so that they could acquire, hold and register property in their own names, so that people have opportunities to live equally in British Columbia and no one faces discriminatory barriers. We took that action last year by passing Bill 13, the Land Title and Property Law Amendment Act, which came into effect May 21, 2024.

We also recognize that First Nations should not face financial hurdles to transfer property from proxies into their own names. So in Budget 2025, the province is now eliminating the property transfer tax on these transfers. This is about fulfilling the intent of updating the Property Law Act and the Land Title Act. First Nations can now transfer property they hold, through proxies, corporations or other business arrangements to their direct ownership, without worrying about that added cost.

These changes help advance meaningful reconciliation by enabling First Nations to have more flexibility and self-determination in how they acquire, hold and register property. Our new budget also includes property tax changes for both modern treaty Nations and for First Nations which hold land outside of reserve land. These measures further support government’s commitments to reconciliation.

As part of this, the province is exempting First Nations from paying rural and school property taxes on certain types of land. Exempt properties will include provincial Crown lands, former provincial properties and land purchased with help from the province, as long as it’s vacant or used for cultural or community purposes. Separately, modern treaty Nations and their public institutions will be exempt from property tax within their treaty-designated foreshore areas.

Another important point: we’re working with modern treaty Nations to integrate shared knowledge, experiences and supports into how we collectively co-manage the land and resources in the province. A new co-developed funding model will provide a stable foundation for a new fiscal relationship in land and resource governance.

Together we’re creating new pathways for modern treaty Nations to meaningfully exercise their rights and responsibilities to care for their people and their land. Improving collaboration on decision-making and land- and resource-based activities will help bring certainty and benefits to all.

For the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Budget 2025-26 provides dedicated funding to advance reconciliation and the ongoing process of establishing and maintaining respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples.

It supports agreements like the Haida land title agreement to formally recognize Haida Aboriginal title throughout Haida Gwaii. It supports the initialling of three modern treaties with K’ómoks, Kitsumkalum and Kitselas that, if ratified, will recognize Indigenous jurisdiction and support self-determination.

I just want to pause to congratulate the K’ómoks First Nation on a very successful voter turnout and outcome of their membership treaty ratification vote Saturday, two days ago — a huge accomplishment after decades of work from the community.

Budget 2025-26 also supports land transfers. It supports economic development and work with Métis Nation B.C. It supports the Declaration Act secretariat in their important work to guide and assist the province to ensure that provincial laws align with the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples and are developed in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples.

[4:15 p.m.]

Like all provincial budgets, the numbers on their own don’t convey the scope of the work underway or the quality of the relationships with First Nations, Métis and Indigenous people as a whole. Budget 2025 will allow the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to meet our current and ongoing obligations under treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements; to work in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous people; and to effectively deliver the ministry’s and the Declaration Act secretariat’s mandates.

I am particularly pleased to be able to continue to support and invest in First Nations languages, as well as arts and cultural heritage revitalization. Revitalization of First Nations languages, arts and cultural heritage is foundational to First Nations identity. B.C. has incredible language diversity and is home to 36 First Nations languages, which make up more than half of all First Nations languages in Canada. These are the original languages of this land and contribute to the unique diversity of the cultures of B.C.

The cultures and languages of Indigenous people were interrupted by the residential school system and other forms of colonization and cultural genocide. I’d like to recognize the many First Nations people who have made it their life’s work to protect and revitalize their arts, language and cultural heritage.

I think of and thank Kwitelut Carla George, the chair of the First Peoples Cultural Council. She shared her story with us as part of the budget speech. Carla grew up hearing stories about her mother and auntie whispering in Kwak̓wala at residential school to keep their language alive. Kwitelut is now studying two languages, and her one-year-old grand-nephew can already beat the drum and sing the songs of his Sḵwx̱wú7mesh ancestors.

She says she does this work with “nch'ú7mut sḵ wálwen,” which means “one heart, one mind,” in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh. This spirit of shared purpose is exactly what we need right now. It’s with one heart and one mind that we will secure a brighter future for all.

Since 2018, our government has committed $136 million to support First Nations art, cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and languages. As mentioned earlier, Budget 2025-26 will see $45 million over three years in new, stable funding for the First Peoples Cultural Council. Recent research shows that people are benefiting from provincial investments in cultural revitalization, which supports B.C.’s economic commitments to build a sustainable economy with good-paying jobs.

Whether it’s families sharing stories around the kitchen table or children immersed in learning language with their Elders, these community-led efforts are making a real difference in people’s lives. There are more language learners than ever. According to the most recent data, there are more than 17,000 First Nations language learners in the province. Communities are developing language revitalization plans, have trained staff and are implementing programs that make a difference by documenting the language and supporting new speakers.

In Bella Bella, with funding support through the First Peoples Cultural Council, Haíłzaqv language revitalization programs have grown from one staff member to over 50. Haíłzaqv programming now includes immersion learning through a preschool language nest, adult language classes, mentor-apprentice opportunities and curriculum development.

The Haíłzaqv language is being documented through recordings, archiving and digitization. Some language learners are now teachers with careers in language revitalization in their own remote communities. Language and culture make us all stronger. This is healing work.

[4:20 p.m.]

We remain committed to supporting First Nations across B.C. to fully exercise their distinct rights related to cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and languages. I hope to share many more experiences like these with the House as this great work continues. I want to speak a bit about tariff response, as well, because deepening partnerships with First Nations will help the province respond to the significant challenges in front of all of us.

The uncertainty around our relations and trade with our biggest trade partner, the United States, has made discussions with First Nations leaders even more urgent. The B.C. First Nations Leadership Council, B.C. Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit, and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs are a part of the B.C. trade and economic security task force.

This task force includes Premier Eby, ministers and a variety of business and union representatives. As Premier Eby has said, the provinces, First Nations, and the federal government….

Deputy Speaker: Minister, I’ll just warn against using names, please.

Hon. Christine Boyle: Oh yes. I apologize. Thank you, as I learn this specific rule.

As the Premier has said, the provinces, First Nations and the federal government need to be aligned and stick together to defend jobs and economic activity at this time. It's important that First Nations governments be at the table as we build our collective response and that nations know how tariffs will impact Indigenous interests so they can provide input and develop positions as the situation evolves.

These are uncertain times, and there will be challenges, but I'm confident that we will get through them. We know that a healthy, sustainable economy requires meaningful involvement and equitable opportunity for First Nations. Budget 2025 measures build on ongoing work, such as B.C. Hydro's most recent call for power, which will require a minimum 25 percent equity ownership by First Nations, and the Budget 2024 announcement of a First Nations equity financing framework to support First Nations participation in major industrial projects.

As part of implementing the UN declaration, the province has been working toward a future where First Nations can fulfil their responsibilities, care for their people and manage their territories in ways that reflect their values — values I am proud that we share, values that respect the human rights of Indigenous people, that advance reconciliation and that protect our environment and our economy.

Budget 2025 forecasts that more than $680 million over three years will be shared with First Nations through natural resource revenue sharing, as the benefits of economic activity are returned directly to the community. First Nations are also expected to receive $300 million through gaming revenue to support self-government and self-determination; strong, healthy communities and services that make life better for families.

We're working with First Nations and the business sector to develop strong economic partnerships through the development of a provincial First Nations equity financing framework. Our vision is one where First Nations are not just engaged during the environmental assessment process, which is both important and necessary, but they also have the opportunity to participate as partners in projects in terms of being investors in projects in their own territory.

The main focus of the equity financing framework is to support First Nations' equity participation in new or expanded projects in their territories in energy, natural resources and other related sectors. These are projects that bring economic growth, jobs, new revenue and other benefits to both First Nations and all British Columbians. This framework is helping to support immediate capacity needs for those First Nations actively considering equity participation in priority projects.

The Ministry of Finance worked with First Nations organizations, industry and the federal government regarding its recently announced national Indigenous loan guarantee program, and we are close to finalizing the program. I look forward to sharing more about it. In the meantime, work is already underway to assess eligibility of some potential large projects.

[4:25 p.m.]

Government mandate letters have a clear focus: to bring tangible improvements to the quality of life for people across British Columbia, including for Indigenous people, First Nations and Métis. My focus as Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and minister responsible for the Declaration Act secretariat is to work in partnership to create tangible benefits for Indigenous people by continuing to implement the Declaration Act, by reviewing the Declaration Act action plan, by working with the Attorney General to continue to align new and existing laws with the UN declaration and working with Jessie Sunner, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, to address anti-Indigenous racism in B.C.

We will also continue implementing treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements that make life better for everyone. This includes working with my colleague the Minister of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship to accelerate existing land transfers. I’m dedicated to bringing local governments, agencies, interest holders and the public along on the reconciliation journey. Coming from local government into this position, I know the importance of bringing them and other stakeholders into the conversation as we move this work forward across our province.

At the end of four years, we want to know that people living in Indigenous communities have experienced an improvement in their quality of life. We can do this by advancing reconciliation, implementing the Declaration Act and working in partnership with Indigenous people, creating meaningful and lasting reconciliation, which is everyone's responsibility. I believe we can move forward together in all areas of Indigenous relations to build clarity and predictability and a better province for all of us.

On November 29, 2019, British Columbia became the first province in Canada to affirm the human rights of Indigenous people in provincial law. It was survivors and intergenerational survivors of the residential school system who, during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, called on all levels of government to embrace the United Nations declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples as the minimum standard for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous people.

That's what the Declaration Act legislation does. The Declaration Act has set a strong foundation for the province and set an example for the country and the world. We may have been the first jurisdiction in Canada to affirm the application of the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples, but I'm proud to say that we have certainly not been the last.

We're still leading the way, making tangible changes that align with the Declaration Act action plan, which are tracked and shared with the public every year in the Declaration Act annual report. Through the Declaration Act secretariat, B.C. is at the forefront of jurisdictions undertaking the systemic work to align new and existing laws with the rights of Indigenous people and support a whole-of-government effort to align provincial laws, policies and regulations with the UN declaration.

[Mable Elmore in the chair.]

We are eliminating laws and policies that deny equal opportunity for Indigenous people and introducing new legislation to address racism in public policies and services.

In April 2023, the province announced the $200 million Declaration Act engagement fund, a direct response to calls from First Nations for support to increase participation in the development and alignment of provincial laws, including an implementation of the Declaration Act action plan. This one-time, four-year funding is creating flexibility for First Nations to engage with the province on areas of interest in ways that respond to their unique needs and priorities.

As of January 2025, 95 percent of eligible First Nations in B.C. have been approved for funding through the fund in its second year.

[4:30 p.m.]

Last year government released detailed reporting for 60 of the 89 actions found within the Declaration Act action plan. This includes actions on housing and infrastructure, economic development and job creation and new ways of achieving certainty, especially related to the sustainable development of natural resources, as well as the ongoing work across government to align provincial laws with the UN declaration.

We are fundamentally shifting our approach to how we both develop and implement provincial laws, which is resulting in an increased number of legislative reforms — acts that support Indigenous people in exercising their jurisdiction over child and family services through the Child, Family and Community Services Act; acts that uphold First Nations jurisdiction over education, which include enabling First Nations to certify and regulate teachers in their own schools; and acts that added Indigenous identity as a protected ground under the B.C. human rights code, which will help us all to combat anti-Indigenous racism and protect Indigenous people from discrimination.

Details in the annual report show that reconciliation is truly a cross-government priority. It reflects the tremendous efforts being made to put our collective words into action. B.C. has made great progress in a short amount of time. Together with Indigenous people, we are working to undo 150 years of colonial harms that continue to be felt today.

I look forward to sharing more information on the review of the Declaration Act action plan in the near future.

Before I am out of time, I also want to speak about the impact of this budget on my constituents in Vancouver–Little Mountain.

Making sure constituents in Vancouver–Little Mountain can find good-quality housing that they can afford is always going to be one of my priorities. This includes actions such as the development of the Little Mountain lands into affordable housing, after years of inaction by the B.C. Liberals during a growing housing crisis, and an announcement last year, in partnership with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səlilwətaɬ, which will see approximately 2,600 homes being built, allowing thousands of homebuyers an opportunity to purchase a home below market value.

Budget 2025-26 builds on these incredible investments, with an additional $318 million over three years to BC Builds to develop thousands of rental homes for middle-income people. Since 2017, Vancouver–Little Mountain has welcomed 516 new total units as part of the Homes for People action plan.

Thanks to our government's commitments, we are investing in education more than ever before in K to 12 so that our kids are set up for success. For example, students at Edith Cavell Elementary and Eric Hamber Secondary in Little Mountain are benefiting from seismic upgrades.

Budget 2025-2026 commits $4.6 billion in investments to improve and expand classrooms, including at Olympic Village elementary, benefiting 630 students, a new child care centre and a neighbourhood learning centre.

Ensuring constituents in Vancouver–Little Mountain and across the province have access to the health care they need when they need it continues to be a priority of our government. In addition to launching our B.C. health workforce strategy, the B.C. cancer care action plan and a new payment model for physicians, we are continuing to build our health care system to ensure people can access the care they need.

Budget 2025 builds on this work to invest $4.2 billion to respond to the growing demand. This includes a $15.5 billion increase in health care capital to continue to help build and upgrade hospitals, long-term-care facilities and cancer care centres. For example, near Vancouver–Little Mountain, constituents will benefit from services such as those at the centre for children and youth living with health complexity, where dedicated services provided by B.C. Children's Hospital are provided and supported by this budget.

I am proud to say B.C. has deeply and fundamentally changed our relationship with Indigenous people. This is generational work. It's work that must continue. The province has made education about the history and legacy of the residential school system a key priority.

[4:35 p.m.]

September 30, 2023, marked the first year that the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was observed as a provincial statutory day in British Columbia. This provides an opportunity to engage and educate more British Columbians about the history of colonialism and its continued impact on Indigenous people today.

The province, with the support of Charlene Belleau in her role as First Nations liaison, continues to support all caretaker First Nations who wish to investigate the sites of former Indian residential schools and Indian hospitals across the province. The province has provided funding to support First Nations-led investigations at all 18 Indian residential school sites and three Indian hospitals across B.C. This is a direct response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action 72-76.

Last June, for the first time, all British Columbia students graduating with a Dogwood diploma did so after taking mandatory coursework to learn the truths about Indigenous culture and history. I believe we will start to see a better future. Future MLAs will be better equipped to understand our shared history and the imperative of reconciliation in British Columbia and Canada.

As Murray Sinclair, chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said: “Education got us into this mess, and education will get us out of it.”

I'm proud of the work of the secretariat, the ministry and the whole of government to advance reconciliation. Through our actions, we are demonstrating a deep and resolute commitment to shared economic prosperity and to progress through partnership.

In 2019, this House passed, with unanimous support from all sides, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. I'm proud that we have changed the course of history, moving from if we reconcile with Indigenous people to how we reconcile with Indigenous people. That's important work for all of us, and we will continue to lead it.

Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Columbia River–Revelstoke.

Scott McInnis: Thank you, hon. Speaker. Well, thank you for that warm introduction, everybody. Congratulations, Madam Speaker, again on your appointment. I know it's been said before, but you seem like a very fair and honest person and, I just think, very well suited for this role. So congratulations once again. Thank you, fellow members.

For a guy that has lived in small towns for most of my life, I can’t really begin to describe what a tremendous honour it is to sit here in this beautiful building and to speak with you today.

I want just to take a moment to congratulate all the members of the House who were also elected to represent your individual constituents. So congratulations to all of you.

This victory for me is not mine alone. It belongs to every single person who knocked on doors, made the phone calls, put up signs and shared our message of hope and hard work. To my incredible campaign team, your dedication, very, very long hours and relentless spirit made this moment possible for all of us. I truly could not have done this without you.

To my wife and son, Diana and Luke, this campaign has not been easy on our family. The long days and the late nights and the many sacrifices you have made mean more to me than you'll ever know. Thank you for standing by my side through all of it, and I love you both very much.

Thank you very much to the young social media crew, former students of mine, who helped me cement a following online throughout my campaign: Daven McMurray, Chris DeHart and the man, Adrian Moody.

Also thanks to Angela Symes from Kimberley, who will actually be in the House tomorrow, for your unwavering support throughout the campaign, coming to all the events, no matter what, putting your life on hold to be my No. 1 volunteer supporter. I couldn't thank you enough.

To my amazing CAs, Sioban Staplin in Kimberley and Chelsea Meulendyk in Revelstoke, you guys are rock stars. You keep the ship afloat for Columbia River–Revelstoke, especially when I'm here in Victoria. I thank you both, and I know you're both watching today.

For everybody in all the communities throughout my riding — which is bigger than Switzerland, it takes about six hours to drive from one end to the other at highway speeds — thank you for all your work, especially for those of you who put up signs and knocked on doors.

[4:40 p.m.]

There are way too many of you to thank individually, and I don't want to miss anybody. So please know that I'm extremely grateful for your support throughout the campaign.

I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the Conservative Party of British Columbia and my fellow caucus members for welcoming me with open arms. Your support and belief in me reaffirmed my commitment to stand up for the values we collectively share: hard work, accountability and a deep love for this province.

To Doug Clovechok, former member for Columbia River–Revelstoke, your guidance, wisdom and unwavering support for me from day one of this campaign, tumultuous at times, meant the world to me. You've been in my corner through thick and thin, and I will do everything I can to honour your legacy of the service you've put into this riding and into this House. Thank you.

Also, another big thank-you to a very well-known retired member of this House, former cabinet member Bill Bennett, from Kootenay East, who also guided me with advice along the way. So, Bill, thank you very much.

Lastly, big thanks to my sister Amy, who was my financial agent and did an amazing job, and to my father, Rob, who was the Kimberley sign captain. I really appreciate your help. Thanks to my mom, who’s my biggest fan, and to my brothers Jason and Dan and my wonderful nieces and nephews.

Thank you to the great Legislature staff. You guys look after us in a very first-class way. I'm very grateful for you, and I really appreciate your support in making us feel very comfortable here in this wonderful chamber.

I cannot support this budget. I'm here solely to represent my riding and my home in rural B.C. This budget offers nothing in the way of support in the East Kootenays. People in my riding feel forgotten in this province. I'm the fifth consecutive serving term member in opposition from my riding, and we feel neglected from Revelstoke to New Lake.

My conservative values are deeply rooted in smart fiscal management, and this budget certainly leaves me terrified for my son's generation. Today I stand in firm opposition to the 2025 budget put forward by this NDP government. This budget is not just disappointing; I feel it's downright irresponsible. The numbers speak for themselves: an $11 billion deficit, more debt piled onto future generations. And for what? Not for rural B.C. That's for sure. Once again our communities have been left behind. There's no meaningful investment in rural health care, infrastructure or economic development, issues that matter very deeply to the people I'm here to represent.

Instead of targeted funding and new programs to support growth and opportunity, we see more of the same: reckless spending with no accountability, no new initiatives to strengthen our resource industries, no real solutions for rural health care shortages, no action on the affordability crisis hammering families in every corner of this province.

Yet, disappointingly, rather than take responsibility for their financial disaster they've created, this NDP points fingers at the United States, at global trends, at anyone but themselves. This deficit, this debt, this mess is the result of eight years of NDP mismanagement of the finances.

British Columbians deserve better. They deserve a government that plans for the future, not mortgages it. I cannot and will not support this budget.

As much as we celebrate our natural wonders and tourism economy in Columbia River–Revelstoke, we must also recognize the challenges we faced in the eastern corner of this province. Housing shortages continue to make it difficult for families and workers to put down long-term roots. Our health care system is under tremendous strain, with too many residents struggling to access care that they desperately need. Employee retention remains a challenge as we grapple with staffing shortages in a region where affordability is a growing concern. And year after year, we are reminded of the ever-present risk of devastating wildfires threatening our homes, our forests and our way of life.

[4:45 p.m.]

These are not easy problems to solve, but I stand before you today committed to addressing them. As the MLA for Columbia River–Revelstoke, I feel incredibly fortunate to represent the hard-working, passionate and resilient people of my riding. Every day I’m inspired by the determination of our communities, and I’m committed to ensuring that our voices are heard loud and clear right here in Victoria.

I live in one of the most beautiful and unique places in the world, but beauty alone will not sustain us. We need real solutions to our housing crisis, stronger health care services and support for our small businesses and employees. My vision is one of growth, opportunity and prosperity for everyone who calls this region home. Together we can create a future where Columbia River–Revelstoke remains not only a world-class destination but a thriving, sustainable place to live, work and raise a family. I campaigned on standing up for rural B.C., and I fully intend on doing that.

The health care crisis in Columbia River–Revelstoke is growing worse by the day. Our hospitals are above capacity, our communities are underserved, and residents are being forced to travel long distances just to receive basic medical care. This is unacceptable.

One of the most critical tools we have to address this crisis is the provincial rural retention incentive, a program designed to keep health care workers in rural communities like ours. But right now, it's not being used effectively. Without strong incentives, health care professionals are choosing to leave for larger centres where wages are higher and, sometimes, workloads are lighter. We cannot afford to keep losing medical professionals. The province must properly fund and expand the PRRI to make rural health care a viable and attractive career choice.

Compounding this crisis is the complete lack of reliable transportation to regional hospitals. When emergencies strike, residents must travel to Kelowna or Cranbrook, yet there’s no public system in place to get them there. How can we expect seniors, families or those in medical distress to make these long journeys without proper support?

And let's not forget the massive influx of tourists that our region welcomes every single year. They come for adventure, but when they get injured or fall ill, they turn to our already overburdened hospitals. This puts local residents at risk and stretches our resources past the breaking point.

We need action, we need investment, and we need a government that prioritizes the health and safety of rural British Columbians, especially in Columbia River–Revelstoke. I won't stop fighting until we get it.

Disappointingly, there were no funds in the budget allocated for meaningful wildlife management and conservation. Once again this shows that the NDP's priorities are not aligned at all with rural B.C. when it comes to this budget.

We have a growing threat to our wildlife, our economy and our way of life in the East Kootenays: chronic wasting disease. CWD is a deadly and incurable neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. This disease has already devastated wildlife populations in other parts of North America, and if it takes hold here, the consequences will be far-reaching and extremely severe.

Our region is known for its abundant and diverse wildlife. Mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, moose and much more are not only iconic species but also crucial components of our ecosystems. If CWD spreads here, we could see catastrophic population declines, threatening the balance of our forests and grasslands. Predators that rely on these animals for food will be impacted severely, and the overall health of our wilderness will decline.

But the impact of CWD is not limited to wildlife alone. It poses a serious economic threat to the East Kootenays. Hunting is a way of life for many of us. It is not only a time-honoured tradition but also a key contributor to our local economy. Every year hunters travel from across Canada and the United States to experience the world-class hunting opportunities our region has to offer. They spend money on accommodations, food, fuel, guide-outfitters and local businesses. If CWD takes hold, hunting regulations will tighten, herd numbers will plummet, and our rural communities will feel the economic strain.

We must act now to get ahead of CWD by adding rapid testing sites and continued monitoring and targeted removal in urban settings.

[4:50 p.m.]

In addition to CWD, another pressing threat to our environment is whirling disease, which has recently been detected in Kootenay Lake. Whirling disease affects trout and other salmonid species, particularly targeting young fish. It is caused by a parasite that attacks the cartilage of the fish, leading to deformities, erratic swimming patterns — hence the name “whirling” — and, ultimately, high mortality rates.

Sensitive trout species, such as native cutthroat and bull trout, are at particular risk, which could significantly impact our fisheries. The loss of these fish populations would be devastating, not only to our natural ecosystems but also to recreational fishing and the local economy. Anglers travel from across North America to fish in our pristine waters, and without intervention, we could see a dramatic decline in fish stocks, leading to stricter regulations and reduced opportunities for both residents and visitors.

To protect our waters, we must be vigilant. This includes mandatory boat inspections, proper cleaning and drying of watercraft and strong regulation to prevent mussels from entering our lakes and rivers also. Public awareness and proactive measures are key to keeping our waterways healthy and free from these invasive species.

But we have no money. What can we do? We must be proactive in monitoring and preventing the spread of these invasive species. But this costs money, something the government was very short on in this budget.

The East Kootenays is a special place, rich in natural beauty and outdoor opportunities. If we do not act now, we risk losing what makes our home so incredible. Once the horse is out of the barn with these issues, it'll be next to impossible to put it back.

The people of Columbia River–Revelstoke know all too well the growing threat of devastating wildfires. Each and every community within my riding is susceptible to a wildfire that would utterly destroy these towns and cities. Every year, evacuation alerts and orders are a reality of at least one of our resort municipalities.

Our forests, so vital to our economy and our way of life, are left scorched and forever changed. Golden, Revelstoke, Invermere, Kimberley and every rural area in between face this reality with increasing severity, and we cannot afford to sit back and continue with the status quo.

For too long wildfire response has been reactive. Fire suppression dominates the conversation. The B.C. Wildfire Service does an incredible job with the resources they have. We are asking them to fight a losing battle. Their capacity is stretched far beyond its limits and each season brings new record-breaking fires. Simply put, we cannot outfight fire. We must out-think it. The solution must be fire mitigation first, fire suppression second.

We must invest in community forests, which I'm happy to see the Minister of Forests had in his mandate letter as a priority. By enhancing active forest management strategies, selective logging, fuel reduction and prescribed burns, we can lower the intensity of wildfires before they reach our towns.

We must empower local forestry professionals and Indigenous leaders to manage our forests with fire resilience as a priority. We must plant more fire-resilient trees and build fire guards around these communities before it's too late. Forests filled with coniferous trees burn like matchsticks in extreme conditions. We need to prioritize planting more deciduous trees like aspen and birch, which are far less flammable and act as natural firebreaks.

We also must fund proactive mitigation over reactive suppression. For every dollar spent on fire suppression, we could have spent a fraction of that on preventing fires in the first place. Investing in forest-thinning, controlled burns and fire-smart land management saves money, homes and lives in the long run.

Before I speak about reconciliation, I would like to acknowledge Chief Don Sam and counsel at the ?Akisq'nuk First Nation in Windermere, as well as Chief Barb Cote and counsel at the Shuswap First Nation in Invermere. Lastly, I want to recognize my friend, Debra Fisher, region 4 director at the Métis Nation of British Columbia. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know these leaders very well during my campaign and beyond. I look forward to supporting your communities in my role as MLA.

With all the noise that's gone on the last couple of weeks, politically, regarding reconciliation, I made a stop at St. Eugene Mission Residential School, the former site of the residential school, this past Friday on my way home.

[4:55 p.m.]

I had a great opportunity to reflect on the conversations I've had with people who survived that residential school. I've had the honour of being a school teacher for the past 15 years. I've taught grandkids and great-grandkids of those survivors. And what I can tell you is that intergenerational trauma is real. Kids who have a hard time coming to school, it's not because they don't want to. It's because their grandparents and their parents have suffered from residential schools. We must do better for these kids moving forward.

I'd also like to discuss the most complex and pressing issue in our province which is the challenges surrounding Indigenous rights, title and reconciliation generally in British Columbia. These issues affect not only Indigenous communities but also every British Columbian, from ranchers, loggers, miners, outdoor enthusiasts and countless others.

As the opposition critic for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, I'm committed to ensuring that reconciliation is a process that is fair, transparent and works for every person in this province. We must acknowledge the difficult road ahead and be willing to work together — government, First Nations and non-Indigenous communities alike — to find solutions that create true, lasting reconciliation.

One of the greatest challenges, in addition, facing British Columbians is the legal landscape surrounding Indigenous rights and title. While Supreme Court decisions have affirmed Indigenous land rights and title, the practical implementation of these rulings remains a challenge. The lack of clear frameworks for land ownership and shared decision-making continues to create conflict between First Nations, government agencies, industry stakeholders and private citizens.

Another significant challenge is the overlap of traditional territories between different nations. British Columbia is home to over 200 very distinct First Nations, many of which have competing claims to the same land. This has led to disputes over governance, access to resources and decision-making authority. When governments and industries attempt to negotiate agreements, they often face the difficult task of determining which nation has the final say over a given area. This creates delays, expensive legal battles and uncertainty that can stall projects, increase costs and erode trust in the reconciliation process.

Access to Crown land is a critical issue for many rural communities. Whether it be for resource development, recreation or ranching, hunting and etc., Crown land is an essential part of British Columbia's economy and way of life. However, as Indigenous title and rights are increasingly recognized, there are growing concerns about what this means for public access to these lands. I feel the government has done a very poor job in explaining this reality to all British Columbians.

Unfettered, free access to Crown land for recreation is essential in B.C. If the government decides to change the playing field and creates uncertainty around Crown land access for all British Columbians, this will without a doubt create friction between government, First Nations and the public. I cannot stress this point strongly enough. In rural B.C., this access is a way of life and must be respected.

Balancing the rights of Indigenous communities with the needs of other land users is no easy task. We must ensure that reconciliation does not mean exclusion. Instead, we need a framework that allows Indigenous leadership and non-Indigenous communities to work together in a spirit of cooperation and mutual benefit. I will be unapologetic about my support and advocacy for the free, unrestricted use of Crown land for all British Columbians.

Across British Columbia, there are examples of successful partnerships between First Nations, government and industry that have created economic opportunities and strengthened many communities. These proven solutions must be examined and, where appropriate, scaled to serve as a foundation for broader reconciliation efforts.

[5:00 p.m.]

While every First Nation is unique, there are commonalities, successful governance models, sustainable resource management strategies and cooperative economic ventures that can be adapted and applied provincewide. By building on what works and fostering collaboration, we can create a reconciliation framework that respects Indigenous rights while promoting economic growth and stability for all British Columbians.

Reconciliation must not be about creating winners and losers. It must be about working together to build a future that includes and benefits all British Columbians. This requires a government willing to listen to all sides, to create clear and fair rules and to ensure that reconciliation does not come at the cost of economic stability and community well-being. Despite these challenges, I firmly believe that solutions exist. Reconciliation is not a zero-sum game. It must be a process that works for Indigenous and non-Indigenous British Columbians alike.

This is why I am calling on the government to take a more collaborative approach, one that acknowledges the real struggles and uncertainties people face on all sides of these issues. As the opposition critic, I am ready and willing to work with the minister and all partners to find these workable solutions. We must address traditional territory overlaps in a manner that fosters unity rather than division. We must guarantee that access to Crown land remains fair and sustainable for all who depend on it.

British Columbia is at a crossroads. We have an opportunity to get this right, to create a path forward that honours Indigenous rights while also protecting the livelihoods and traditions of all British Columbians. The road will not be easy, but with thoughtful leadership, genuine collaboration and a commitment to fairness, I believe we can achieve reconciliation that works for everybody. Let us work together to build a future that is just, prosperous and inclusive for all.

I'd like to take a minute to talk about language with the United States, our neighbour to the south. What we say in this process over tariffs really matters, for three reasons, in the riding which I represent. We welcome many American tourists each and every year. Without their dollars, either in hunting, guide-outfitting, skiing, golfing or other recreational opportunities, our businesses would suffer.

It's more than just goods that are travelling across the border. We are trying to attract American doctors who live in mountain towns in the United States but aren't happy, necessarily, with the situation they have with the health care where they are.

This is about people. It's extremely important we do not vilify the people of the United States. The American administration and its tactics aside, Americans are our brothers, our sisters and our friends, and we have to remember that in this process.

The last piece is that there's a very, very important document which is in the process of being worked. I know the member opposite, the Minister of Energy, is very familiar with this. That’s the Columbia River treaty, which is extremely important to all British Columbians. I fear that if the rhetoric gets too strong, the American administration will rip that up and start over. That would be devastating for British Columbia.

Words matter, folks. In these coming weeks and months, I just want to remember and remind us all that they do matter, and friendships with Americans are important.

In closing, I want to stress the importance of collaboration in this House. B.C. faces a lot of challenges, which it is our responsibility, collectively, to address as elected officials. Regardless of our individual caucus roles, let us not forget that we are here to represent the individuals who placed their trust in us making their lives better. With that, I look forward to getting to work with you all.

Sunita Dhir: I'm grateful to stand in the House today on the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking people, the Songhees and SXIMEȽEȽ Nations.

It's an honour to speak in support of Budget 2025 as the Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials for the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

[5:05 p.m.]

Budget 2025 is about making sure that we are defending B.C. against the impact of U.S. tariffs and protecting jobs and services people rely on, while growing the economy, improving health care and education, delivering more homes that people can afford and improving public safety.

B.C. is a beautiful and diverse place to live and work, with great opportunities. It’s no surprise that we have seen a rapid population growth in recent years. This year’s throne speech outlined our government’s plan to secure a stronger future for the province and to defend British Columbians from the economic impacts of the U.S. administration. We will take the steps necessary to grow a more self-reliant economy here at home, one that delivers good-paying jobs.

As our population and our economy grow, we need workers in all sectors to secure this stronger future. Over the next decade, we expect over one million job openings in British Columbia. Of these openings, 60 percent represent people leaving the workforce, mostly through retirement. With an aging population, we need the skills and contributions of newcomers to fill gaps in the labour market and to help grow B.C.’s workforce.

We need skilled professionals, including doctors, nurses, veterinarians, engineers, teachers, technology specialists and many other talented professionals. New immigrants are projected to supply 46 percent of the workforce from 2024 to 2034.

Given the tight labour market, it’s certain that we will need the skills and contributions of international professionals. From my previous experience, I know that international professionals are eager to work and willing to contribute to a better and stronger B.C. We want to provide not only job opportunities, but a genuine sense of belonging, where the skills and contributions of newcomers are valued and appreciated. For our government, it’s a question of fairness. Our goal is to support skilled professionals in continuing their chosen careers here in B.C.

Before I move on to discussing my parliamentary secretary portfolio, I would like to acknowledge an important investment this budget has made for my community. The population in Vancouver is aging. As I mentioned before, we need skilled immigrants to fill the positions of our residents that are retiring.

That said, we also need to have available housing and supports for our seniors. St. Vincent’s Langara has served my community of Vancouver-Langara for over 30 years and has provided necessary care for seniors and adult mental health clients. While St. Vincent’s Langara has almost 200 beds for seniors, with a rising aging population, my community needs more supports.

In Budget 2025, the government recognized this need and has set aside an investment for building a new seniors care home located just outside of my riding. This investment will bring over 240 beds in Vancouver to provide the caregiving and supports our seniors need. Our government is committed to delivering affordable housing projects for both adults and seniors. This is just one of the examples.

To deliver these housing solutions, we need skilled professionals to ensure the safety and quality of the housing being built. I look forward to working closely with my colleague the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to continue the important work and to continue to develop innovative solutions for fair credential recognition.

We want to create a province where everyone feels safe, valued and supported, and we will create a province where that security, value and support leads to people earning higher wages, developing the workforce and making our province stronger.

[5:10 p.m.]

B.C. has a long history of welcoming people, and it is important to keep this tradition alive. With immigrants making up about 30 percent of our population, we are the most diverse province in Canada. The recent changes to immigration by the federal government have negatively influenced our B.C. brand. That’s why we will be working on restoring our province’s reputation in the world, to make sure people know that B.C. is a welcoming place for all.

Newcomers bring different perspectives and creative solutions. Some of the advantages of those perspectives and solutions include opening the doors to new business and trade opportunities around the world; contributing to economic growth and filling critical labour demands; supporting entrepreneurship and contributing to innovation; strengthening communities through social integration and supportive networks; bringing a wide range of skills and knowledge that can help meet the demand in various sectors, including health care, technology and education; and balancing the aging population with a sustainable workforce that will protect and strengthen benefits like old age security and the Canada Pension Plan for generations to come.

For many years, B.C. has been successful in attracting international professionals to work and settle here through the B.C. provincial nominee program, also known as B.C. PNP. The B.C. PNP provides a pathway for international workers and entrepreneurs to become permanent residents, build their lives and contribute to B.C.’s economy.

Through the B.C. PNP, we are helping to build more homes faster by focusing on jobs that are crucial for the construction industry. We are improving health care and other essential services by selecting workers in areas like health care, child care and veterinary care that B.C. residents rely on. We are building a stronger, more sustainable economy by choosing workers for jobs where there aren’t enough people in B.C. to fill the demand.

We are laser-focused on building the best workforce in the world. In 2023, the B.C. PNP nominated a record 8,200 people for permanent residency. This includes 779 new health care workers, an increase of 160 percent compared to 2022, and 842 new early childhood educators, a 97 percent increase from the previous year. Here in B.C., more than 90 percent of people nominated through this program are already here in the province, doing the work.

In November 2023, our government added construction as a priority sector to address the growing need for housing and infrastructure in B.C. The B.C. PNP program has helped many internationally trained professionals find jobs in their areas of expertise and create the life they want to live in our province.

However, the federal government’s recent decision to reduce immigration targets and restrict study permits for international students undermines our workforce development efforts. The lower immigration targets and international student cap will have a significant impact on both the post-secondary education sector and skilled workforce.

We know that these are challenging times. The province is acting quickly to address these changes and mitigate the impacts of federal policies on our post-secondary education and training system. We will continue to advocate for B.C.’s priorities and work together with universities, colleges, institutes, industries and Indigenous partners to steer through these headwinds.

[5:15 p.m.]

I understand firsthand the challenges and barriers of moving to a new country and building a life. Professionals trained in other countries often end up working in unrelated, lower-wage jobs while their skills are wasted and critical jobs remain unfilled.

Many internationally trained professionals face significant challenges in having their qualifications recognized in Canada. For too long, the credential recognition process has been long and difficult, and international professionals take years to have their credentials recognized. Due to the lengthy credential recognition process, many of them become frustrated and often choose to return to their home country, feeling that they were misled by Canada's promise and that they were not given the opportunity to build the life they dreamed of in B.C.

This reminds me of a story of a teacher who, after a lengthy process, had her credentials recognized in New Brunswick. After working there for a short time, she was relocated to B.C., and once in B.C., she realized that the New Brunswick certificate could not be transferred to B.C. Due to the complexity of the process and length of the assessment, she decided not to go ahead with another recognition. This is unacceptable.

I'm glad that ministers are working with their national counterparts to see that this doesn't happen in our country. While there is no interprovincial recognition yet for teachers in B.C., the International Credentials Recognition Act, ICRA, is the first step towards eliminating stories like this one and making sure that internationally trained professionals can be recognized in B.C.

We don't want to lose international talent in fields that are in demand here. Many of these professionals are highly qualified, with years of professional experience and advanced backgrounds. Losing these professionals means losing valuable talent that could contribute significantly to our communities and economy. We want to keep these professionals and will keep these professionals by making the international credential recognition process fairer, easier and faster.

That's why, in 2024, we passed the International Credentials Recognition Act. This new legislation removes unfair barriers, increases transparency and makes international credential recognition faster and easier for 18 professions and 29 occupations. These occupations align with B.C.'s economic priorities and have a direct impact on high-demand sectors like health care, education, construction and housing.

So many professionals could fill the gaps in these sectors and play a key role in making life better in B.C. These people are the ones who build roads, housing and public spaces, creating thriving and well-connected communities, the ones who will take care of our loved ones, reducing waiting times for medical treatment throughout the province.

We need teachers, child care educators, veterinarians, architects, engineers and health professionals to join our workforce and grow our economy. People deserve to work in the careers they choose if their skills meet or exceed the requirements of their fields here. And the new act will help these professionals have the life they want in B.C.

[5:20 p.m.]

Let's talk about some of the practical ways the act will help. Many international professionals who came to B.C. before the new legislation were required to have domestic work experience before they could start working. This created a terrible cycle of gatekeeping. They couldn't gain experience without credentials, but to get the credentials, they needed experience.

The new legislation will eliminate that. This change comes into effect in July 2025. Most regulators have replaced this requirement with more commonsense frameworks to assess international credentials, such as competency-based evaluations so internationally trained professionals will be able to start working faster in some fields.

We are also eliminating redundant English language testing requirements. To start working in B.C., international professionals meet English language requirements through official language tests. However, in the past, they were required to retake the English language test, even if they had already passed it. Now we are prohibiting regulators from requiring applicants to produce numerous English language tests if they have already submitted valid results.

In addition, the fees to get the credentials assessed were significantly higher for international professionals compared to domestic applicants. With the new act, we are requiring regulators to charge similar fees to both international and domestic applicants.

The new act will also help ensure transparency. Regulators are required to publish all information about their credential assessment processes online. By doing this, the applicants will have the information they need to obtain professional certification and training required to start working, ensuring that determinations are made within a reasonable time frame.

We also introduced new reporting requirements to promote international credential recognition, oversee regulatory authority performance and enforce compliance with the new legislation. We are taking action to make credential recognition smoother and fairer, so people can get to work faster, fill in-demand jobs and provide important services to people in B.C. Individuals facing delays in the credential recognition process, as well as those who apply in the future, will experience shorter processing times.

I'm confident that with the right support, internationally trained professionals can continue to grow in their careers and make valuable contributions to our economy and community. Those professionals can bring experience, fresh ideas and help address the skilled labour shortage while contributing to a more diverse and stronger B.C.

We are excited about what we have accomplished and look forward to making even more improvements. Apart from the International Credentials Recognition Act, the ministry also has other initiatives to support internationally trained professionals. This includes the credential assessment improvement fund. The fund supports projects led by professional regulatory authorities to improve the fairness, efficiency and transparency of regulatory processes for assessing international credentials. The province allocates $1 million every year to this fund.

Since 2019, the province has invested $2.96 million towards 23 projects that reduce or remove unnecessary barriers for international applicants in regulated occupations. These projects include introducing various online functions such as self-assessment tools, web application systems, classes about Canadian law and online training.

[5:25 p.m.]

On top of that, our government also supports internationally trained professionals through the Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants program. The province invests $5.8 million every year in the Career Paths program. Through this program, we have been able to help approximately 1,600 newcomers to B.C. find employment that matches their pre-arrival skills, education and experience.

Career Paths offers consultation services to help recent permanent residents get their credentials assessed, navigate recredentialing processes and upgrade their skills. By improving the recognition of international credentials, we are not just helping individuals. We know that the benefits are extended to their families and their communities.

When these professionals can apply their expertise and training, they can provide better opportunities for people today and for the next generation and contribute to a more equitable society. With a fairer, faster and easier process, international professionals can get to work faster, fill in-demand jobs and provide important services to people in B.C.

Employers will have more workers to fill the gaps in labour demands. We will have more health care professionals, early childhood educators and construction workers to serve our community. For example, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, we have been able to create more pathways for internationally trained physicians to enter the B.C. workforce. So 1,031 international medical graduates have registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and more physicians have been hired by health authorities and Providence Health Care.

And 12,054 internationally educated nurses have entered the streamlined registration pathway as of May 2024, which includes international educated nurses that have registered with the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives and the ones that have referred to additional education through the B.C. health human resources strategy.

These internationally trained nurses have also registered as health care assistants with B.C.'s care aide and community health worker registry, and 373 internationally educated Allied Health professionals have signed return of service agreements for work in B.C.'s public sector as of May 31, 2024.

Under the B.C. health human resources strategy, internationally educated professionals who receive funding for licensing exams, education and registration may need to sign a return of service agreement, committing them to work in B.C. for a specified duration. This includes physiotherapists, medical lab technologists and occupational therapists. Essentially, it means that professionals give back to the community or health care system in exchange for the support they're receiving from us.

By expanding the practice-ready assessment B.C. program, we can support more international medical graduates to practice here in the province. The province also funds programs like the post-secondary medical education, international medical graduate program at UBC which allows international medical graduates to complete residency and practice as a physician in B.C.

With a larger skilled workforce, we can better meet the province’s priorities and strengthen B.C.'s economy. We hear from people and organizations about how the International Credentials Recognition Act will positively impact people in B.C.

[5:30 p.m.]

The CEO of MOSAIC B.C., Olga Stachova, said: "The immigrant communities in B.C. are eagerly awaiting the International Credentials Recognition Act coming into effect in July. Creating a more transparent, efficient and fair credential recognition process will allow B.C. to better benefit from the rich skillset and global experience newcomers bring and will significantly improve the quality of lives and sense of belonging experienced by immigrant professionals.”

CEO of DIVERSEcity, Neelam Sahota, echoes this by saying: “It is time to do a reset of how we envision an inclusive and prosperous economy that benefits everyone. The International Credentials Recognition Act is an important milestone for our province as it seeks to further eliminate barriers in various past models through thoughtful consultations and provides a renewed optimism. When we work collectively together, we can indeed forge a path forward for the betterment of all British Columbians.”

We are optimistic that the positive effects of this legislation will continue to benefit the people of British Columbia. I'm looking forward to working with my fellow ministers and continuing the great work that has been done to help B.C. grow.

To conclude, I would like to recognize the progress we have made so far and acknowledge that there is a lot of work ahead. Budget 2025 aims to improve the quality of life of everyone in British Columbia, creating a brighter and more inclusive future for all. We will continue supporting international professionals in settling here and building the life they want in B.C. We want them to succeed while strengthening our communities and improving the lives of all British Columbians.

Doctors, nurses, engineers, educators and skilled workers from all around the world are ready to contribute and work together to address the challenges we face in British Columbia. By recognizing their skills and supporting their integration, we can strengthen our workforce and improve public services, ensuring that everyone benefits more quickly and more effectively.

Working together with my fellow ministers, post-secondary institutions, industry leaders and Indigenous partners, I am committed to addressing the priorities of our province and contributing to the growth of a stronger, more prosperous B.C.

Finally, let's remember that all the effort we put in today will shape a better future for everyone, for our students, our communities and all of British Columbia. We are building a province where everyone feels included, has the opportunity to succeed, and no one is left behind.

Claire Rattée: It's an honour today to rise in this House as the elected representative for the people of Skeena and as the official opposition critic for mental health and addictions. Representing my community in this chamber is a privilege that I do not take lightly. It is my responsibility to ensure that the voices of my constituents, working families, small business owners, seniors and those struggling with mental health and addictions are heard loud and clear.

A budget is more than just numbers and projections. It is a statement of priorities, a declaration of a government's values and a demonstration of its commitment, or lack thereof, to the people it serves. British Columbians deserve a government that recognizes their struggles, that respects the hard work they put in every single day and that delivers meaningful policies to make life better. Unfortunately, this budget fails to do that.

I had the opportunity to respond to the throne speech, and I approached that response with hope. Hope that in the face of undeniable hardship, this government would finally listen. Hope that they would offer relief to British Columbians facing an affordability crisis, that they would act on the worsening mental health and addictions emergency and that they would take real steps to support the industries that have long been the backbone of our economy.

[5:35 p.m.]

Instead, I was met with disappointment, disappointment that has only deepened as I stand here today to respond to a budget that not only ignores the urgent needs of British Columbians but actively makes things worse.

British Columbians are at a breaking point, whether it's a family struggling to keep up with skyrocketing grocery and gas prices, a senior on a fixed income watching their pension stretch thinner each month, a small business owner trying to navigate endless layers of red tape and increasing costs or a worker in a resource industry seeing opportunities disappear. People across this province are working harder than ever and falling further behind.

The cost of living crisis has only worsened under this government's policies, and instead of providing relief, they've chosen to double down on tax increases, reckless spending and misplaced priorities.

This budget was an opportunity to put British Columbians first, to make life more affordable, to support economic growth and to invest in the services and infrastructure that our communities desperately need. It was an opportunity to take meaningful action on the addiction crisis, the housing crisis, the health care crisis and the crisis facing our job-creating industries.

But this government has failed to seize that opportunity. Budgets are also about choices. They reveal what a government values, who they fight for, and just as importantly, who they leave behind.

This budget was an opportunity to provide real relief to struggling families, to invest in industries that create jobs, to ensure responsible government spending so that future generations are not burdened with unsustainable debt. It was a chance to prioritize economic growth, support working-class British Columbians and provide relief to businesses that are struggling under the weight of rising costs.

Instead, the government has chosen to impose further financial burdens on families, making it harder for them to get ahead. Instead, this government has delivered a projected deficit of $11 billion for 2025-26, the largest in B.C. history.

Debt is expected to reach $208.8 billion by 2028, more than triple what it was when the NDP took office in 2017. They have chosen record-breaking debt over fiscal responsibility, adding $75.8 billion in new debt over the next three years, more than all the debt accumulated in B.C.'s history prior to 2017. They have chosen higher taxes over relief for working families. They have chosen bureaucracy over investment in the private sector.

Instead of offering relief, the government is making things worse. On April 1, the government will increase the carbon tax by 19 percent, raising gas prices by another 3.3 cents per litre. That means higher transportation costs for commuters, for families getting their kids to school and for businesses that rely on deliveries and freight.

It means more expensive groceries, as farmers, truckers and retailers all struggle to absorb rising costs. It means higher heating bills, making it even harder for British Columbians to stay warm in the winter.

The carbon tax is a tax on everything, and it is hammering working families, small businesses and seniors alike. It's particularly hammering my communities up north. Northern communities and Indigenous communities are some of the most disproportionately affected by this tax.

Even as other provinces like Alberta eliminate taxes and lower costs for their residents, B.C. is doubling down on making life more expensive. The result? More and more British Columbians are fleeing the province in search of opportunity elsewhere. Interprovincial migration is now at a net negative, with thousands of residents moving to lower-cost regions. Families are leaving, businesses are closing, and investment is drying up.

Now even Mark Carney, the global champion of carbon pricing, has admitted that the carbon tax is a failure and vowed to scrap it federally. If the father of the carbon tax is ready to admit it isn't working, why is the Premier still refusing to listen? Why is he continuing to punish British Columbians while the rest of the country moves on?

The Premier must immediately scrap this failed tax before B.C. becomes the only province in Canada still suffering under its weight. But instead of providing real relief, the NDP is already signalling that they may try to shift the burden, scrapping the tax on consumers while increasing costs on industry.

Let's be clear, raising the so-called industrial carbon tax isn't a solution; it's just another way to make life more expensive. I'm a business owner, and I know when businesses are hit with higher costs, those costs don't just disappear. They get passed down to consumers, or those businesses are forced to close. That means higher prices at the grocery store, the gas pump and on home heating bills. It means making it even harder for families to afford basic necessities.

British Columbians won't be fooled. Hidden taxes are still taxes, and as the Leader of the Official Opposition has made clear, a Conservative government would scrap the carbon tax completely on consumers, on businesses and on industry — no tricks, gimmicks, no shifting the burden.

Enough is enough. The people of British Columbia cannot afford this tax. They need real relief, not more excuses.

[5:40 p.m.]

This is a government that boasts about fiscal management while running the largest deficit in B.C. history, talks about affordability while making everything more expensive and promises to prioritize key industries yet abandons forestry, agriculture, small businesses and trades. This is not a budget for prosperity. This is a budget for higher costs, more bureaucracy and fewer opportunities for British Columbians.

Let's talk about one of the most devastating crises facing British Columbia today. Every day, families in B.C. are burying their loved ones. Communities in northern B.C. are watching their friends and neighbours fall through the cracks. In 2023 alone, at least 458 unhoused people died in British Columbia, a 23 percent increase from the previous year and nearly three times the number recorded in 2020. Between 2016 and 2023, a staggering 1,940 people experiencing homelessness lost their lives in our province.

This is not just a crisis; it is a failure of government. Every day this government pats itself on the back and tells British Columbians it is investing in solutions. But let's look at the facts.

On page 9 of the budget, the government proudly states: "Government continues to support the ongoing operations of over 3,600 treatment and recovery beds at over 300 health authority and community care facilities. Budget 2025 provides more than $500 million over the fiscal plan to support and sustain addictions treatment and recovery programs established through previous budgets.” Notice “support and sustain…established through previous budgets.” Let's be clear. This budget does not add a single new treatment bed, not a single one. How is that acceptable?

Of the 458 deaths recorded among unhoused individuals in 2023, 86 percent were due to accidental drug toxicity. Nearly half of those who died were unsheltered men. The government claims to be addressing this crisis, yet there is no expansion of treatment beds and no funding for long-term recovery programs. Their failure to act is costing lives.

This year alone B.C. is set to spend $30 million on homeless encampment response teams, double the amount allocated for small business tax relief. The government is prioritizing bureaucracy over economic recovery while ignoring the root causes of homelessness and addiction.

In Terrace, we have one of the highest overdose rates in the province, and Indigenous people in the North are nearly six times more likely to die from an overdose. Yet this government continues to say that they're going to keep doing what they're doing because it's working, according to them. It is not enough. When you send someone to detox and then release them back into the same environment with no stable housing, no mental health support and no treatment plan, you are setting them up to fail.

Just this past weekend I met a woman on Pandora that is unhoused and struggles with addiction, and her story was very impactful because she wanted to go to treatment. She wanted a better life for herself. She had to go through detox first. She had to lie and say that she was an opiate user or an alcoholic just to be able to access detox, because they won't allow people that smoke crack cocaine in there because they consider it as something that is not detox-able. She was told to lie so that she could get into detox.

Then, after getting into detox, she was dropped back on the streets again because they didn't have a bed available for her at treatment, and she overdosed that day. She went to go smoke crack; it was actually fentanyl, a new one that that apparently looks like crack to confuse people. She's very allergic to opiates, and she overdosed.

It took the other people around her…. They had to go through nine different naloxone kits that were clipped up on the blue fencing to be able to find a full kit, to be able to put it together and save her life. Because addicts are using the syringes in them. They're using the medical supplies in them. Every single one you find, if you open it up, the only thing that's left is the ampules. And yet still this government hasn't followed through with nasal naloxone.

This poor woman went through an overdose. She ended up in the hospital, after having gone to detox, which is exactly what I've been saying in this House. If we do not have continuous care, it's not going to work and people are going to die. We need a treatment-first approach, but this government refuses to invest in recovery.

Housing is a critical part of this equation. B.C. Housing projects are consistently over budget and behind schedule. Yet homelessness continues to rise. Housing starts dropped by 9.2 percent last year, making it even harder for families to find affordable places to live. Young people who want to buy their first home are being priced out, while seniors struggle to find suitable housing options as they age. Assisted living and long-term-care facilities remain underfunded, forcing families to make impossible decisions about the well-being of their loved ones.

[5:45 p.m.]

The reality is that we cannot solve homelessness, crime or the overdose crisis without addressing addiction at its root. Harm reduction alone is not enough. People need real pathways to recovery. That means fully funded long-term treatment programs that provide not just detox but the essential aftercare needed for sustained sobriety. It means job-training programs to help recovering addicts reintegrate into society and contribute to their communities. It means ensuring that people who are struggling have access to mental health professionals who can address the underlying causes of their addictions. Without this, we are merely managing a crisis rather than solving it.

The B.C. Conservatives would take real action. We would increase housing supply by cutting red tape and fast-tracking permits for new developments, invest in long-term solutions for homelessness rather than just funding short-term shelters, expand treatment options to include wraparound services that address addiction, mental health and stable housing; ensure that seniors have access to appropriate housing and care so they are not forced to leave their communities in search of support; expand detox and long-term treatment programs, funding new treatment centres in northern B.C., where there is almost no access to care; implement involuntary treatment options for those at immediate risk of death; ensure that treatment facilities offer true recovery-focused programs rather than just harm-reduction strategies with no exit plan.

Because it is not enough to talk about solutions. You have to deliver them. That means recognizing that homelessness and addiction are not separate crises but interconnected issues requiring a coordinated response. It means building more than just temporary shelters. It means investing in long-term housing solutions and ensuring that every community has access to treatment and recovery services. It means ensuring that no one who wants help has to wait weeks or months to access a treatment bed.

Without decisive action, more lives will be lost and more families will be shattered by preventable tragedies. That means ensuring mental health and addiction services are accessible in every region, not just urban centres. It means investing in mobile crisis response teams, expanding community-based recovery programs and integrating mental health support into primary care.

It also means increasing funding for trained professionals, ensuring long-term treatment facilities are available and removing bureaucratic barriers that prevent people from getting help when they need it. Without decisive action, this crisis will only worsen.

Meanwhile, crime is rising in business districts, making it even harder for small businesses to operate safely. Shoplifting, break-ins and property damage are rampant, yet there is little support for law enforcement or meaningful consequences for repeat offenders. The hard-working people of this province, store owners, workers and residents are paying the price for a government that refuses to take public safety seriously.

Since this soft-on-crime government came to power eight years ago, crime across British Columbia has increased by 15 percent. Businesses are being forced to install extra security cameras, reinforce their storefronts and absorb thousands of dollars in losses due to theft and vandalism, all while trying to survive under rising taxes and inflation.

Meanwhile, police officers are repeatedly arresting the same offenders, only to see them released within hours, free to reoffend with no deterrence or accountability. People have to decide between reporting broken windows and increasing their insurance premiums or absorbing the cost of replacement themselves.

Violent crime is also on the rise, with assaults, carjackings and random attacks becoming far too common in communities that were once considered safe. British Columbians walking in their own neighbourhoods, taking public transit or simply going about their daily lives now have to worry about their safety.

What has this government done in response? Instead of addressing the revolving door of justice that allows repeat offenders to cycle through the system with little to no consequences, they have doubled down on failed policies that put criminals before victims. The NDP’s approach to crime has emboldened offenders while failing the very people they claim to protect.

Another big issue for my riding is forestry — and for much of the province. Forestry has long been the backbone of our economy in Skeena and across British Columbia. Generations of hard-working families have relied on this industry to provide good-paying jobs, support our communities and contribute to our province’s economic strength.

Yet this government has stood idly by as mills close, jobs disappear and communities are left struggling. High taxes, overregulation and government inaction are driving investment out of British Columbia. Businesses are shutting their doors, and workers are being left without opportunities. Corporate tax revenue has dropped by 25 percent this year, a sign that businesses are struggling to survive.

The forestry sector is not just an industry, it is a way of life for thousands of British Columbians. It provides good-paying jobs, supports small business and keeps rural communities alive. The failure to secure a softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. has left the industry vulnerable to tariffs and instability.

[5:50 p.m.]

Instead of taking proactive steps to negotiate fair trade agreements and reduce barriers to production, this government has chosen to increase red tape, making it even harder for companies to operate. Workers in forestry are being forced to leave their hometowns in search of jobs elsewhere, while their families and communities suffer the economic consequences.

The 2025 budget cuts the Ministry of Forests budget by nearly $500 million at a time when the industry is in crisis. Instead of taking responsibility for their mismanagement, they blame everything from the mountain pine beetle to forest fires, ignoring their own failure to negotiate a new softwood lumber agreement and the endless red tape that is driving companies out of business.

British Columbia should be a world leader in forestry, leveraging our abundant natural resources, sustainable logging practices and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Instead, the government is cutting the Ministry of Forests budget at a time when mills are closing and forestry-dependent communities are struggling.

B.C. Timber Sales plans to double its timber auctions this year, yet the government’s own fiscal plan expects lower overall harvest volumes, further highlighting the mismanagement of this critical industry. Instead, this government is letting the industry collapse through overregulation, failure to secure the softwood lumber agreement and policies that drive investment away.

To rebuild the sector, we need streamlined permitting, tax incentives for value-added wood production and aggressive trade negotiations to secure fair market access for our exports. With the right leadership, B.C. can regain its position as a global leader in forestry while ensuring sustainability for future generations.

This government claims to care about education, but the reality for students, teachers and families in Skeena tells a different story. Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School in Kitimat is partially condemned. Many classrooms in my riding don’t even have windows. Especially in a place where we struggle so much with mental health issues, particularly around seasonal affective disorder…. Seismic upgrades that have been flagged for years still haven’t been funded. Teachers are forced to hold classes in libraries because there’s no space.

The only new school project funded in the North in this budget is a middle school in Prince Rupert. That’s it. Where’s the funding for critical infrastructure projects in the North? If this government truly valued education, they would be prioritizing school infrastructure, supporting special needs students and ensuring every child in British Columbia, no matter where they live, has access to the resources they need to succeed.

The lack of funding for new schools in northern B.C. is a glaring oversight. Kitimat’s Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School remains in a state of disrepair and partially condemned, while classrooms across the entire province remain overcrowded.

The government claims to support inclusive education, yet funding for education assistance falls short of what is needed to meet student demand. Parents of children with disabilities are forced to fight for the bare minimum of support, often waiting months or even years to secure assessments and individualized learning plans. Our students and teachers deserve better than this neglect.

The health care crisis in British Columbia is also getting worse, not better. ER closures are so frequent that they’ve become expected in many communities. People in rural areas are waiting months or even years to see a specialist. The health care budget has increased by 85.6 percent since 2017, yet service levels continue to decline. Residents have been left with fewer options for critical care. Despite record health spending, there are no new plans to reduce wait times or improve access to family doctors.

The issue isn’t just hiring more doctors; it’s keeping them where they are needed most. Rural and underserved areas are facing chronic physician shortages, forcing residents to travel long distances for basic care. Doctors are burning out due to excessive workloads and lack of support, with many leaving for provinces offering better conditions. If we want real solutions, we must prioritize physician retention and regional placement.

The Minister of Health says everyone in B.C. will have a primary care provider by 2025. But the government’s own service plan has a target of attaching 250,000 people per year, and they fell short of this goal in 2024. With just months left until their self-imposed deadline, does the minister truly believe this is achievable when they failed to meet even last year’s targets?

This budget throws billions at a failing system, but without new doctors, new nurses and new solutions, nothing will change. We need to implement targeted recruitment strategies to attract health care professionals to underserved regions, increase funding for medical training programs and expand the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants to improve accessibility.

Additionally, investing in telemedicine and mobile health care units can bridge gaps in rural areas, ensuring patients receive timely care. Without these proactive measures, the crisis in our health care system will persist.

LNG Canada is the single largest private sector investment in Canadian history. It represents jobs for thousands of British Columbians, billions in economic benefits for our province and an opportunity to reduce global emissions by replacing coal-fired power in Asia. But this government has often done everything in its power to slow down resource development.

[5:55 p.m.]

LNG Canada phase 2 has not received a final investment decision because of regulatory delays and government inaction. Cedar LNG, a major Indigenous-led project, is still waiting for certainty from this government. Instead of supporting responsible resource development, which includes streamlining permitting processes, incentivizing Indigenous-led projects and ensuring environmental standards without excessive bureaucracy, this government is more focused on appeasing their urban activist base.

LNG Canada’s phase 2 remains stalled due to regulatory uncertainty, and there’s no funding in the budget for the northwest transmission line, an essential project for expanding clean energy capacity in northern B.C. By failing to provide certainty for major projects, delaying approvals and layering on new regulations, they are driving investment out of British Columbia and sending jobs elsewhere.

Responsible resource development should mean creating a stable regulatory framework, supporting innovation in clean energy and emissions reduction and fostering partnerships with local communities to ensure long-term economic benefits. British Columbians are resilient, hard-working and innovative, but they are being failed by a government that has no plan for prosperity. This budget is a missed opportunity.

We need a government that will cut taxes by reducing the carbon tax burden on families and businesses, lowering small business tax rates and eliminating unnecessary fees that drive up costs; balance the budget through responsible spending cuts, reducing government waste and prioritizing essential services over bureaucracy; invest in real solutions for health care by expanding rural health care infrastructure, incentivizing medical professionals to work in underserved areas and implementing innovative telehealth programs; support housing development by cutting red tape on new home construction, incentivizing private sector investment and prioritizing affordable housing projects in high-need communities; and strengthen economic growth by investing in infrastructure that supports resource development, reducing business regulations and ensuring fair trade agreements that benefit B.C. industries.

British Columbians deserve better.

Instead of a plan to balance the budget, this government is offering nothing to address the impact of U.S. tariffs on B.C. exports, despite our exports to the U.S. already declining by 5½ percent last year.

Infrastructure projects that could boost economic growth are delayed or over budget. Northern B.C., in particular, is being ignored when it comes to much-needed investments in roads, highways and transit. Poor infrastructure planning increases costs, slows down business development and discourages new investments.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

This government claims to support economic growth, but their lack of action tells a different story. The forestry sector has been left without support, agricultural producers are seeing increased costs without relief, and small businesses are struggling under the weight of government inaction.

Interprovincial migration is now at a net negative, with over 5,000 people leaving B.C. for more affordable provinces last year, a number expected to nearly triple in 2025. The government should be doing everything in its power to reverse this trend by lowering taxes, reducing costs and making B.C. a place where people want to live, work and raise a family.

They have no meaningful strategy for reversing B.C.’s net loss of 5,030 residents to other provinces, a number expected to nearly triple in 2025. And while corporate tax revenues have plummeted by 25 percent, they continue to hike taxes and drive investment out of B.C.

Instead of creating opportunities, this government is pushing businesses and families out. Instead of providing solutions, they are creating roadblocks, and instead of taking responsibility, they blame everyone but themselves. British Columbians deserve leadership that delivers results, not excuses. I will not stop fighting until we have a government that puts British Columbians first.

The Speaker: Would the member like to adjourn the debate, please?

Claire Rattée: Yeah, I will move adjournment of the debate.

Claire Rattée moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Second Reading of Bills

Bill M204 — Perinatal and Postnatal
Mental Health Strategy Act

The Speaker: Members, earlier today, during private members’ time, a division was requested on second reading of Bill M204, the Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act. Pursuant to Standing Order 25, the deferred division will take place now.

[6:00-6:10 p.m.]

I would like to remind those members participating remotely to please turn your cameras’ audio and video on.

Members, the question before the House is second reading of Bill M204, Perinatal and Postnatal Mental Health Strategy Act.

Motion approved unanimously on a division. [See Votes and Proceedings.]

The Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 84A(1), the bill stands committed to the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills.

Hon. Mike Farnworth moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The House adjourned at 6:11 p.m.