The House met at 10:03 a.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers and reflections: Heather Maahs.

Tributes

Hon. David Eby: I’m looking up in the gallery, and I see a special guest who’s here with us today.

Teresa Scambler has worked for government in one way or another since 1992, and tomorrow is her last day in the Legislature. She has been a public servant. She worked for many ministries — Ministry of Forests, the then Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs. She was in the Premier’s office. She has been working for the NDP caucus since 2007, through many, many opposition years.

[10:05 a.m.]

My office was directly across from her desk, and on day one, she reminded me of my obligation to keep my door open so that she had good air flow. I knew immediately who was running the office.

She has dedicated her professional career to the people of British Columbia. I want to thank her, and her family for sharing her with us. She has, for the last few years, been running events for the Deputy Speaker’s office through the Legislative Assembly — many, many different community groups coming through, getting access to MLAs. We would not be where we are today without her incredible efforts.

Would the House please join me in thanking Teresa for working for the people of British Columbia for so long, so effectively, and wish her luck in retirement.

Introductions by Members

Harman Bhangu: We have a special someone here in the gallery today: my daughter, Audriana. It’s her fifth birthday. She was born five years ago, right when the whole pandemic was starting, and she’s been a shining light for me and my family.

I know a lot of you, on the other side, when you get home, you see the little ones with the big smiles. It just warms up your heart. It doesn’t matter what the day is, how down you are. It just brightens up your day. I would like you to give her a warm welcome and wish her a happy birthday.

Hon. Josie Osborne: Joining us in the House today is Mike Lowe, the director of partner engagement at the Vancouver Island Health Authority. A lot of Mike’s work involves dealing with constituency offices around the Vancouver Island Health Authority region, and he makes sure that people have the information and resources needed to support their constituents. I want to thank him for his work and support.

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

Gavin Dew: I would like to welcome to the House an old friend, Parksville City Councillor Joel Grenz, who I met 20 years ago when both of us were way cooler. I was in an indie rock band and he was playing guitar in a rock band called A Sheep at the Wheel.

Alongside Joel is Councillor Sean Wood, who sits on the regional district of Nanaimo board in addition to his duties in Parksville.

Please make them both feel very welcome.

Hon. Laanas / Tamara Davidson: I’m grateful to have several members of the B.C. Parks Foundation joining us today in the gallery. We have Ross Beaty, board chair; Andrew Day, CEO; Jennie McCaffrey, vice-president, health and education; Kate LeSouef, vice-president of programs; Kaaren Lewis, vice-president, conservation; Cohen Bradley, director of Indigenous initiatives; and Sid Venkatesh, community projects manager.

I’m excited that we will be joining them for lunch later today and look forward to talking about the great work that they do to protect and conserve our beautiful province, making sure everyone can enjoy our wonderful B.C. parks and protected areas now and into the future.

Can the House please make them feel welcome.

Misty Van Popta: In the House today is my fiancé, Lawrence, the best man I know. Now he’s here from California, and to quote the Premier at the Invictus Games: “Our countries are having a moment.” But rest assured, in our House, things are very peaceful, if not full of interesting conversations and perspectives.

So if you see him in the precinct today, if you can be extra kind, extra hospitable, extra Canadian. In September, I would like to import him tariff-free.

Nina Krieger: Joining us in the gallery today are representatives from the Victoria Brain Injury Society, executive director Pam Prewett and marketing and communications specialist Anthony Wheeler. The society does incredible work to increase community awareness and reduce harmful stigma, providing support, education, advocacy and housing assistance to brain injury survivors and their families.

The Minister of Forests and I had the opportunity to attend their annual gala recently, where they raised an incredible $128,000 to support their vital mission.

Please join me in making them feel very welcome.

[10:10 a.m.]

Trevor Halford: I just want to echo the introduction done by the Minister of Parks.

We had a great breakfast this morning with the fine folks at the B.C. Parks Foundation, so I want to give them a warm welcome and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.

Statements

Victoria Royals Hockey Team

Darlene Rotchford: I just wanted to give a shout-out in the House. The Victoria Royals, our WHL team, have made it on to the second round of playoffs. As a past billet mom and as many billet parents within my riding of Esquimalt-Colwood, I want to thank the people who support these young men to get where they need to be every day and wish them good luck against Spokane on this upcoming Sunday.

Introductions by Members

Susie Chant: Well, somewhere on the precinct, but not quite here, is a group of grade 11 students and their teacher, Bryan, from the Performance learning program at Seycove Secondary School in North Vancouver. In this innovative and rigorous program, students and teachers strive to connect classroom studies with experiences beyond the school walls.

The group that is with us today has come to Victoria for study and dialogue related to their learning about reconciliation with Indigenous people in B.C.

I ask that this House make them feel very welcome indeed, and I’ll be waving vigorously when they get here.

Stephanie Higginson: I’m going to echo the introduction by the member from Kelowna-Mission — the two councillors in the House from the city of Parksville, which is actually in my riding, Sean Wood and Joel Grenz, who I met during the campaign. Actually, before the campaign, soon after I was nominated, the city of Parksville councillors showed their great service to their community by introducing themselves to me within days of getting the nomination and finding out how I was going to make things better for the city of Parksville.

They will be in the House and around the precinct today. Please, if you see them, thank them for their service. It’s a very, very tough job to be a local government council member.

Would the members please help me make them feel welcome today.

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: Well, it is, of course, Tourism Week. We can also make it tourism month, tourism year, tourism decade, but I get ahead of myself.

I’m excited to introduce to the House the chair of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C., J.J. Belanger, also the general manager for the beautiful Crystal Cove in Tofino, and Paula Amos with Indigenous Tourism B.C. She’s the chief marketing officer and the development officer.

They are in the House. They’re joining us for Tourism Week, and I would ask the House to please make them very, very welcome.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

Bill M209 — Tax Relief and Tariff Defence Act

Dallas Brodie presented a bill intituled Tax Relief and Tariff Defence Act.

Dallas Brodie: I move that a bill intituled Tax Reduction and Tariff Defence Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read a first time now.

This is a critical moment in British Columbia’s history. We are a great province, built by hard-working people. Our abundant natural resources are the envy of the world. But the world is changing. These are perilous times. Tariffs, duties and trade disputes are increasing costs and uncertainty. Individuals and businesses need their government to defend them now. This bill will do just that.

This bill protects British Columbia from the effects of tariffs, disputes with adversarial jurisdictions and other economic challenges by, one, providing immediate and significant income tax relief to every British Columbian and, two, addressing procedural obstacles to the development of natural resources, the building of public infrastructure and economic advancement within British Columbia.

I urge the members of this House to vote in favour of the introduction of this bill.

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

Motion approved.

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

Motion approved.

[10:15 a.m.]

Bill M210 — Korean Heritage Month Act

Paul Choi presented a bill intituled Korean Heritage Month Act.

Paul Choi: I move that a bill intuited the Korean Heritage Month Act, of which notice has been given in my name on the order paper, be introduced and read for a first time now.

This bill will establish the month of October as Korean heritage month in British Columbia.

The Korean community has had a significant impact on our province. There are more than 72,000 people of Korean descent in B.C.

In 1998, with the opening of Hannam Supermarket, the area now known as Korea-town began to take shape along North Road in Burquitlam. It is now a thriving centre for business, culture and community.

October is chosen as Korean heritage month because October 3 marks National Foundation Day. This day celebrates the legendary formation of the first Korean state, Gojoseon. It is traditionally considered the date of the creation of the modern Korean state.

Today, B.C. and Korea enjoy a strong relationship and extensive business connections. In 2023, the Premier signed an enhanced action plan agreement with our sister province, Gyeonggi province, to strengthen cooperation on clean tech and clean energy to address climate change.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Asia-Pacific Trade, I recognize that it is now more important than ever that we nurture these relationships. This bill would provide all British Columbians with an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Korean Canadians and strengthen the bond of friendship between B.C. and Korea.

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

Motion approved.

Paul Choi: I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the first sitting of the House after today.

Motion approved.

Members’ Statements

Chilliwack Youth Health Centre

Á’a:líya Warbus: I rise today to celebrate and talk about the incredible mental health services offered by the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre. The centre has been serving the community of Chilliwack for over ten years, providing free counselling, medical appointments and social services to youth aged 12 to 26. The organization is a pillar of hope and support for our children, province and future. In 2023, the centre served 3,750 youth, with 22 percent identifying as Indigenous.

The Chilliwack Youth Health Centre offers key experience as a learning centre for interns ranging from the certificate level to the doctorate level, earning them recognition from the Health Standards Organization for their impactful, intern-led supervision model.

The centre meets youth where they are at, with three locations in Chilliwack working in conjunction with partner organizations Ann Davis Transition services, the YMCA and B.C. Schizophrenia, as well as counsellors working in six different locations. The Chilliwack Youth Health Centre is wide reaching. I’m so proud of their hard work, dedication and compassion.

It’s important that our youth know we care about them and that we are all here to support them. The Chilliwack Youth Health Centre has been operating on a shoestring budget, and they have dreams of expanding their critical work.

Unfortunately, they find themselves in a difficult position. The amount they need is the difference between maintaining operations at their current level or forcing them to scale down the services that many youth in our province rely on. Potentially, they face the risk of closure.

It is my hope that others in this assembly recognize the important work taking place by the Chilliwack Youth Health Centre and will join me in finding a meaningful solution for all of the young people in Chilliwack.

Passover

Nina Krieger: As the sun sets this Saturday, Jewish communities in British Columbia and around the world will gather around the Seder table in observance of Passover. During this special meal that includes symbolic foods, prayer and song, families and friends will tell the story of the Israelites journey from slavery to freedom, in Egypt. The Haggadah, the book used to guide the Seder, contains the directive that in every generation, a person is obligated to see themselves as if they left Egypt.

[10:20 a.m.]

This powerful idea is explored by writer Dara Horn — best known for her volume of essays, People Love Dead Jews — in her newest book, a graphic novel with another provocative title, One Little Goat: a Passover Catastrophe. A young boy escapes a seemingly endless Passover Seder in the company of a talking goat, who takes him through space and time to seder tables of historically iconic Jews, including Sigmund Freud, the 16th century philanthropist Dona Nasi, and the Talmudic tag team known as Rav and Shmuel.

Horne captures something profound felt at Passover: the understanding that the same retelling of Exodus is being carried out by Jews across the world and that this retelling has taken place year after year across millennia.

Current events inevitably shape discussions about freedom that take place around the Seder table, often late into the night. It is impossible to avoid the history of the persecution of Jewish people, which continues to this day.

But this is only part of the Passover story, which at its heart is about how Jews lived and how they survived. It is a story of remarkable resilience and of enduring tradition and values passed from generation to generation.

I wish all those who observe a happy and meaningful Passover. Chag Pesach sameach.

Giving Hearts Gala and Langley
Community Health Foundation

Harman Bhangu: Hon. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary event that continues to make a lasting impact on health care in the community of Langley: the Giving Hearts Gala. This year marked the sixth annual gala, held on April 4, at the Mirage Banquet Hall, organized by the Langley Community Health Foundation. The event brought together over 250 generous attendees and community-minded individuals, raising an incredible $331,000 in a single night.

These funds support the newly established Guru Nanak Endowment Fund, which aims to raise $1 million over the next five years to meet urgent needs at Langley Memorial Hospital. Inspired by the spirit of selfless service, this fund will provide long-term, reliable resources to improve critical care for patients in our growing region.

Since the inception of 2019, the Giving Hearts Gala has now raised over $1.8 million, a truly remarkable contribution. The generosity has helped fund projects like the Martini Family Emergency Centre, mobility equipment for seniors and specialized bassinets for newborns.

I would also like to thank Peter Fassbender and Heather Scott from the Langley Community Health Foundation — they do some incredible work — and also Balraj Mann and Mangit Gill, who serve on the board for the Giving Hearts Gala.

As MLA for Langley-Abbotsford, I am proud to acknowledge their outstanding contributions, which will benefit residents across our riding for generations to come.

Indigenous Nurses Day

Debra Toporowski / Qwulti’stunaat: Today is Indigenous Nursing Day and a day for us to acknowledge and honour and celebrate Indigenous nurses for their incredible contributions to health care and their tireless dedication to the people they care for.

We recognize the unique knowledge, experience and determination of generations of Indigenous nurses who have advanced Indigenous health care. Indigenous nurses are a critical part of our health care system, providing culturally safe and appropriate care to people in communities across the province. The invaluable contributions they make are essential to the further development of improving the quality of life and well-being and healthy outcomes for Indigenous peoples in B.C.

This day is an opportunity to recognize the work we’re doing to dismantle harmful colonial practices and systems. We continue to move forward on commitment to provide Indigenous-specific, culturally safe, trauma-informed practices, anti-racism in our health care system, holding with the In Plain Sight report and B.C.’s health human resources strategies. It is with deep gratitude that we celebrate the achievements and contributions of Indigenous nurses.

I want to stop to shout out to my niece Rebecca White, who is in her fourth year, in a practicum, and will be placed next week.

This is a day for Indigenous nurses and their allies to come together and to preserve the cultural integrity and traditional knowledge they hold and recognize their tenacity, courage and activism to meet the health care needs of Indigenous peoples.

[10:25 a.m.]

Thank you to all the Indigenous nurses for their amazing work and for ensuring access to integral, trauma-informed, culturally safe health care for all.

Importance of History and
Values in Reconciliation

Rob Botterell: Before I begin I want to acknowledge that we’re meeting today on the ancestral, traditional and stolen territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking peoples.

On the first day of this legislative session, Elder Mary Ann Thomas opened this house in a good way, also with some uncomfortable truths about our shared history. On that day, Mary Ann Thomas relayed how she was sent to residential school. She said her long hair was cut short, she was hit, and her head was put in a toilet bowl. She said she shares these stories because: “I’m speaking for the ones that don’t have a voice.”

We don’t record and study history because it’s pleasant. We keep history alive because it helps us understand each other. As members of this Legislative Assembly, it is our responsibility to be leaders and ambassadors for the right way of doing things, to demonstrate through our words and our actions, ʔiisaak, one of Huu-ay-aht First Nations’ sacred principles, which means: “conducting yourself with utmost respect.”

This big House in which we do our work has meaning collectively because we give it meaning. Every day, we uphold a shared set of values. Every day, we stand against racism, discrimination, denialism and the re-victimization of residential school survivors. Our symbols and traditions give this place power and a presence in the lives of all British Columbians. It is this responsibility of every single one of us that we hold each other accountable to uphold our shared values every single day of every year.

Upper Room Mission
Fundraiser and Work
in North Okanagan

Harwinder Sandhu: I rise today with a full heart to shine a light on a truly special event happening in Vernon: An Evening in Paris, the Upper Room Mission’s annual spring fundraising gala taking place this Saturday at our beloved Coldstream Hall, which our government proudly funded along with 84 child care spaces.

This isn’t just a night of elegance and charm; it’s a celebration of compassion, dignity and community. It is an opportunity for us to come together, not just to enjoy the romance of the evening, but also to uplift the lives of those who need the most.

Since 1980, the Upper Room Mission has stood as a pillar of hope for Vernon and North Okanagan. Whether it’s a hot meal, a clean shower, warm clothing or a listening ear, the Mission meets people where they are without judgment, with open hearts. Their work reminds us that kindness is not just a gesture, but it is a lifeline.

Beyond the essential services, Upper Room Mission Boutique Thrift Store beautifully weaves in sustainability with generosity, proving that even a small purchase can be an act of profound giving. I have had the small privilege to support the Mission in small ways like dropping off water and electrolyte drinks during the scorching hot summers, connecting with remarkable team, staff and volunteers and witnessing the strength and courage of those they serve. Those moments have left a lasting impact on me, reminding me that true community is built not just by what we say, but by how we show up for one another.

To Jacco de Vin, the executive director, and every single team member and volunteer: thank you. Your passion and perseverance are changing lives. To the donors who make this work possible: your generosity echoes far beyond what you can see.

I invite you to be a part of this movement. Visit upperroommission.ca and join us this Saturday, April 12, at An Evening in Paris. Let’s celebrate, let’s give, and let’s continue to lift each other.

[10:30 a.m.]

Susie Chant: I seek leave to make a reintroduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

Susie Chant: The grade 11 students that I referenced earlier are now in the gallery, from Seycove School, and I would like the House to make them very welcome.

Oral Questions

FIFA World Cup Tickets
and MLAs

Trevor Halford: Will the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport please name the MLAs that he was referring to when he stated that he was asked directly for World Cup tickets?

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: Well, conversations happen in the hallways with new members, and I don’t have any intent of sharing their names and embarrassing them in front of the House. You know, at that stage, it’s done.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Trevor Halford: What the minister said on April 8 was a serious allegation. We have talked to all members on our side of this House regarding the Minister of Tourism stating that he was asked directly for World Cup tickets. He said on April 8: “I know not everybody on that side maybe supports soccer, but I do know some of the members were asking me for tickets. I don’t have any tickets to give you, Members. You’ll have to buy them, like the general public, when they become available.”

That leads us to two conclusions. Either this minister has chosen to mislead the House, or those ticket requests are coming from his own caucus. Which is it?

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh. Members.

Please continue.

Trevor Halford: Or the minister can get up in this House and name the MLAs that have asked him directly for World Cup tickets.

Hon. Spencer Chandra Herbert: I have private conversations with members from all parties, but I don’t want to expose the new members — on that side, I would say. Maybe the other option that the member didn’t consider is that his caucus members haven’t been telling him the full truth.

Government Action on Antisemitism
and Response to Issues

Claire Rattée: Antisemitism is not a joke. Racism is never acceptable, and it must never be normalized. A newly elected Vancouver councillor has made deeply troubling statements, including invoking antisemitic tropes and mocking Jewish identity by referring to a secret cabal of Jews. In response to someone saying they wanted the destruction of both Israel and Canada, he replied: “Me too, son. Me too.”

Will the Premier finally step up as a leader and repudiate Sean Orr for these vile antisemitic statements?

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: I want to thank the member for the question as well as the statement that was made yesterday in this House.

We know that the comments…. I’m hearing from people directly that the comments made by this new councillor have caused real hurt and pain for many within the Jewish community. The community has been feeling a lot of fear over the last few years, in particular with the rise of antisemitism-related incidents.

We, of course, stand against hate and racism and antisemitism. We’ve said that many times. The member will perhaps not know, but we created an independent Human Rights Commission in British Columbia to address that very core question. We work closely with the Jewish community on that.

Interjections.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon: I don’t know why this needs to be heckled. This is an important topic.

We’re going to continue to work with the community. Of course, this councillor will have to respond and address the harms that his comments have made, but I’ll leave it to that councillor to do that.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Claire Rattée: With all due respect, my question was for the Premier, and my question was about repudiating those specific comments.

Sean Orr isn’t the only person who has an antisemitism problem. As we learned from former NDP cabinet minister Selina Robinson, the NDP and the B.C. public service have a systemic antisemitism problem. Members of the British Columbia Jewish community should not be singled out for hate by their government or their elected representatives.

What actions is this Premier taking to root out systemic antisemitism, identified by his former minister, besides just setting up a hotline?

[10:35 a.m.]

Hon. Niki Sharma: We have stood up, in unprecedented ways, to stop the rise of antisemitism and hate in this province. That goes as far as putting direct resources to community members, setting up safe zones around schools, launching a racist incident helpline, which has received more than 600 calls, where people can call and receive resources and referrals when they’re experiencing hate.

We all have to stand together to condemn the rise of antisemitism in this province and in the world. We stand with the Jewish people in fighting against antisemitism. I’ll continue to do everything I can as Attorney General to make sure our systems are tooled up to respond, and I continue to meet with the community to make sure that we are responding to their needs.

This is a very serious issue, and it is something we take very seriously.

Sheldon Clare: This year British Columbia received….

The Speaker: Sorry, Member. I skipped again.

Third Party House Leader.

Mental Health Crisis
Response Services

Rob Botterell: The report on reforming the Police Act recommended improving the province’s response to mental health emergencies. When a crisis occurs, we must use an appropriate response. A mental health crisis does not often fit into the existing options of police, fire or ambulance. Adding a mental health option to 911, as recommended by the Police Act Committee and the Canadian Mental Health Association, would vastly improve well-being and safety of British Columbians.

To the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General: will you create a fourth option to 911 that is dedicated to responding to mental health calls with the appropriate level of response?

Hon. Garry Begg: Thank you to the member opposite for his question. He is correct. The Committee on Reforming the Police Act has examined at length an option when you call 911 for mental health to be identified. That is something that currently is underway. In the near future, I expect that there will be a determination made that will satisfy his question.

The Speaker: Member, supplemental.

Rob Botterell: Since the year 2000, there have been more than 800 deaths in Canada due to police use of force. Black and Indigenous people comprise less than 9 percent of Canada’s population but account for over 27 percent of police-involved shooting deaths. Many of these victims were experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of their death. These deaths were preventable.

Peer-assisted care teams have had a demonstrable impact in the communities where they are operational, showing that there is a path forward for non-police emergency response.

To the Minister of Public Safety: when will your government modernize emergency mental health response by expanding peer-assisted care teams across the province?

Hon. Garry Begg: The member opposite raises an important question about policing and how it is enacted in this province. On the Committee on Reforming the Police Act, one of the things we looked at was various responses that are not police-related, things that very clearly from the outset do not have their base in criminal activity.

You will be pleased to know, Member, that the conditions that govern police as they relate to responding to persons with mental illnesses have been adjusted all across the country so that one of the things they consider first is whether or not at base is a mental health issue.

Now, various jurisdictions across the country, including in British Columbia, have made allowances, and we do have, today, peer-assisted teams at work throughout the province.

[10:40 a.m.]

Taylor Bridge Replacement
And Government Policy on
Infrastructure Tolling Revenues

Jordan Kealy: My fellow MLA did quite the little ditty on Tuesday in regard to our failing infrastructure system, and it rang true. He sang about the Taylor Bridge falling down. The actual name of this bridge is the Peace River Bridge. Did you know the original bridge did fall down in 1957?

Massive payloads go over this bridge every day as we move our vast resources to support the large wealth and revenue of British Columbia. We need this critical bridge to be replaced with a new one that is capable of handling British Columbia’s essential trade goods.

The people of my region have been promised a new bridge for over 20 years, and still we have holes in the bridge decking over and over. The bridge has been fixed so many times that it is probably more weld repair than original steel.

Can the minister finally give a deadline for the constituents of Peace region of when the construction of a new four-lane bridge will begin before history repeats itself? Then it could be named “The Farny Bridge is Falling Down.”

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I thank the member for the question. I can tell him that we recognize, obviously, the importance of the Taylor Bridge, in terms of its importance to his region of the province, but indeed the province’s transportation system as a whole.

I can tell him that there is work underway in terms of what the long-term options are around the bridge. There is significant work, in terms of looking at three phases, in terms of the structural assessment around the current bridge. There will be additional work being done later this year.

I have met with the member from Peace River South, for example, who has also come to see me to talk about the importance of the bridge. The previous MLA from Peace River North had also been working with me in the past, in terms of how this bridge needs to be replaced.

What we are ensuring is that it continues to be safe and is inspected on a regular basis, but the work that is required so that we can get to the point of deciding what the best option, in terms of replacing it is and what we should look at, is currently underway.

The Speaker: Member, before the member asks a supplemental question, just a reminder: no names to be said in the question.

Member, supplemental.

Jordan Kealy: My apologies, Mr. Speaker.

I think when it comes to the song that I would pick, it would probably be Garth Brooks’s I have “Friends in Low Places” because taxpayers are being driven into poverty.

We need to actually start doing the major infrastructure upgrades necessary for our province to flourish and become self-sufficient and get rid of the trade barriers across Canada. This has to be done for B.C. to go forward, not focus on pulling Kentucky bourbon off of the shelves.

Will the Premier commit that if tolls, fees and levies are applied, that the money will be used to pay for critical and vital infrastructure upgrades across British Columbia and not just be used as a slush fund of broken promises to British Columbians?

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I can tell the hon. member that when it comes to infrastructure in this province, this government is currently in the minus more than $15 billion in terms of transportation infrastructure across British Columbia.

The member talks about the Peace River. We recognize the importance of that. More than $188 million has been invested since we have been in power, and $29 million has gone into ensuring that the planning work and work that needs to take place around the Taylor Bridge has been underway. There will be further announcements on that in the not too distant future — in the near future, Prince George–Mackenzie, in fact.

We know the importance of the Taylor Bridge to British Columbia. It will need to be replaced. What I can tell you right now is that we are starting the work to ensure that when it’s replaced, it meets the needs of a growing province, it meets the needs of a province that wants to diversify trade, and it meets the needs of not just British Columbia but ten provinces and three territories. That’s what this government is committed to doing.

[10:45 a.m.]

Government Action on
Poverty Reduction

The Speaker: Member for Prince George–North Cariboo.

Sheldon Clare: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Glad to be back again.

This year British Columbia received an F for poverty, an F for housing and an F for government support from Food Banks Canada.

Why does the Minister of Poverty Reduction continue to claim progress when every independent measure shows her ministry is failing across the board?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: We are very concerned about the impacts of global inflation and now the extra threat of uncertainty created by tariffs and the impacts on people. We all hear and feel the pressures on people every day.

What I will say, though, is that there was no poverty reduction strategy until this government came into place. The social assistance rates were frozen for a decade when the Leader of the Opposition was sitting at the cabinet table. We’ve increased rates five times. We’ve increased minimum wage seven times after that. When the Leader of the Opposition was in government, his Minister of Social Development removed the disability bus pass from people with disabilities. We returned it. And the list goes on.

We have got a lot more work to do, but I’ll hold our record up against the Leader of the Opposition’s any day.

Ian Paton: After 32 years in his home, Ken, an 86-year-old south Delta constituent of mine, was evicted, given five minutes to gather what he could and left to sleep in his car. He was denied income assistance because he owned the vehicle he was forced to sleep in. This is how B.C. treats its seniors after a lifetime of work and contributing to this economy.

How does the Social Development Minister justify a system that punishes struggling seniors and abandons them completely?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: That sounds like a terrible story, and I hope that the member will bring that directly to my office so we can find out what happened.

After the age of 65, income supports are delivered by the federal government, not the provincial government, but nevertheless, we are very concerned about seniors’ poverty. We did double the seniors….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Shhh, Members.

Interjection.

The Speaker: Member, Member.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: Excellent. I’m hearing the member yell that he has sent it to my office, and I will get back to him this afternoon with what we found.

Again, I’ll say we have targeted poverty reduction, and we’ve been pushing the federal government to add income supports. When the federal government supports for seniors are inadequate, then we are doing our best to provide emergency supports for seniors.

If any members have got challenges, please do bring them to my office, and we’ll work together.

Kristina Loewen: Low-income British Columbians are struggling to make ends meet, and the actions of this NDP government are only making things worse. Income assistance in B.C. is $935 a month. Rentals.ca reported this morning that the average rent for a one-bedroom in Vancouver is over $2,500.

How does this Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction expect anyone to survive when government support doesn’t even cover half the rent?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: We all feel, in every community, the impact of global inflation and, absolutely, the impact of housing costs on people across every income level. That’s why we’ve been investing so much, both in building out affordable housing and also just, for example, this week with the support of the Green Party, expanding the SAFER and RAP grants to be able to apply rent relief to people in particularly high markets.

We have increased the shelter rate twice already under this government for exactly that reason. Importantly, although we’ve increased income assistance rates five times, where the Leader of the Opposition’s government had frozen rates for a decade, we also recognize that income assistance alone is not enough for people to live on.

[10:50 a.m.]

That’s why we’ve been working so hard to increase the earnings threshold, so that people can add employment income, and through the work of our WorkBC centres and partners across the province, supporting people who have been alienated from the workforce so that they can earn employment income along with income assistance.

Korky Neufeld: Rather than supporting people living with disabilities, this NDP government is actively holding them back. The income cutoff for disability assistance is a mere $19,440 for a household per year — two people expected to survive on less than $1,620 a month during an affordability crisis.

Does the Minister of Social Development seriously believe that’s enough for two people with disabilities to live on in British Columbia with dignity?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: Absolutely, the work that we have been doing as a government to build supports for people living with disabilities has been at the centre of our work.

That’s why we brought in British Columbia’s first accessibility legislation. That’s why we have increased rates for people with disabilities again, which the previous B.C. Liberal government, the Leader of the Opposition, froze. Well, that’s why we have made five increases to disability rates since 2017, the largest by any government in British Columbia ever.

Since 2017, the rate for a single person is up 74 percent from where we found it when we formed government. This year, our budget invests another $1.6 billion over three years to support expanded income disability assistance. There is more for us to do, but our record of investing in people is clear, and we will continue to do that work.

Reann Gasper: Children deserve our love, our support and our protection. But in British Columbia, while children make up just 15 percent of the population, they are 30 percent of food bank users.

Can this Social Development Minister explain how a government that claims to care about kids allows one in three food bank users to be a hungry child?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: What we hear is a deep need for people to have access to nutritious, affordable food wherever they are. We absolutely have front-ended our investments into making sure that children get their very best start.

Our work that we funded directly through the United Way to establish food hubs in communities in all corners of the province has been a very important part of that work, knitting together community response.

Especially encouraging is when I see the work of my ministry linking into the work of the Ministry of Education and Child Care, for the first time, for our province to have invested in school food programs, so that kids start their day with a good meal.

It’s foundational. It’s work that has never been funded at this rate by any provincial government in B.C., and the need has never been deeper.

Scott McInnis: The CEO at Community Living B.C. gets a $12,000 vehicle allowance on top of a $300,000 salary. All the while, families across B.C. are $200 away from not being able to pay their bills every month.

Why is the Poverty Reduction Minister supporting luxury lifestyles while food banks across this province are maxed out?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: Which way to take the member’s question…?

The investments that we have made in expanding supports for adults with developmental disabilities who are served by the Crown agency Community Living B.C. expanded again this year, because people with disabilities are living longer. That is a good-news story, but the caseload has increased.

The focus, absolutely…. Ninety-seven percent of the budget goes directly to people that need supports, and we hear from families and adults with developmental disabilities that they need more support.

[10:55 a.m.]

That’s why, again, this year’s budget has expanded by an additional $380 million over three years to support the increase in clients supported by Community Living B.C. We will continue to do that work.

Jody Toor: Sixty-seven percent of youth aging out of care go to bed hungry; 90 percent can’t afford three meals a day.

How does this Social Development Minister explain a system that lets young people enter adulthood starving and in debt after growing up in government care?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: The problem that the member names is exactly why British Columbia’s first homelessness strategy invested very first in young people leaving foster care. I remember so clearly the words of Premier Horgan saying that if children were removed from their families, it’s our government’s responsibility to set them up in the very best way.

That’s why we’ve extended the age of majority for children to age 26. I’m looking at the minister. That’s exactly so that we can bridge in those ways so that young people have the very best start. They have $600 more every month to go towards rent. This is the SAJE program. That gives us an opportunity for kids leaving foster care to get connected with the nutritious food, with the income supports, with free tuition that we’ve made available at every college and university.

This is all work to have young people exiting care be on their very best step and make life more affordable for them.

Donegal Wilson: Indigenous people in B.C. face poverty rates nearly twice the provincial average. It’s even higher for children in our rural communities.

When will this Minister of Poverty Reduction start providing the basic supports Indigenous families need to survive?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: When we asked people across British Columbia, as we rebuilt our poverty reduction strategy, which was tabled in this House this year, we heard from people all across the province, 70 percent of whom had direct lived experience with poverty. A significant number were Indigenous people, and we did a completely separate Indigenous stream. The advice that we got is built directly into our poverty reduction strategy.

We’re working with partners, meeting with leaders from across nations, from every First Nation, to talk about how, between federal income support delivery and off-reserve, off-Nation income support delivery, which comes from the province, we can work together to get the very best connection.

We’re absolutely concerned, and working together with First Nations leadership, about how we can build systems that are culturally informed and helping people change their lives for the better.

Á’a:líya Warbus: I heard the minister reflect that they’ve launched a poverty reduction strategy in 2019. But this government has had eight years, three mandates, two Premiers, and all we’ve seen is a record number of food bank users across the province of British Columbia.

We’re talking about a ministry that gives a CEO a $12,000 car allowance when I have a constituent, Mary Jean — I hope that you’re watching — who suffered a stroke at 53 and was forced to return to work in excruciating pain just to survive. She lives with her adult disabled son who cannot work, and together they rely on two next-to-nothing disability cheques — very careful, of course, for her hours as to not suffer clawbacks on her limited income.

Since then, we’ve seen — all of the members on this side, and I’m sure the House could agree — that food insecurity and housing has become unaffordable.

The Speaker: Question, Member.

[11:00 a.m.]

Á’a:líya Warbus: My question is the same question that Mary Jean came to ask me in my office, and that is: what is the purpose of government if it cannot support its most vulnerable? Do she and her son have the human right to live?

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: The people that are at the heart of this work, just as the member cites…. This is exactly why we’re in government: to build the systems that combat the impacts….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Member.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: They’re heckling. I haven’t even said three words already.

This is exactly what motivates our government. We see across the globe the impacts of global inflation. We see people in every corner of the province, in every corner of….

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members, let her conclude.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: Shall I wait for the members to stop heckling?

Interjections.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: For goodness sakes. Okay, the member says we haven’t taken action. We’ve increased minimum wage seven times. We have increased income assistance 74 percent.

Interjections.

The Speaker: Members.

Hon. Sheila Malcolmson: We have decreased….

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

[The Speaker rose.]

The Speaker: Obviously, the opposition is not interested in listening to answers, so let’s end the question period.

[End of question period.]

Question of Privilege
(Speaker’s Ruling)

The Speaker: Hon. Members, on Monday, April 7, the member for Kamloops Centre raised a question of privilege respecting the ability of the official opposition to scrutinize the 2025-26 budget and main estimates before the House, particularly following the enactment of Bill 8, intituled Carbon Tax Amendment Act, 2025, last week.

The Minister of Finance requested an opportunity to make representations to the Chair on the matter and did so in the House on Tuesday, April 8.

The Chair thanks the member for Kamloops Centre and the Minister of Finance for their submissions. The Chair is now prepared to rule on the matter.

It is the role of the Chair to examine submissions made under a question of privilege and to determine on the evidence presented whether a prima facie breach of privilege has occurred. As acknowledged by the member for Kamloops Centre, in considering a question of privilege, the Chair must first assess if the initial criterion has been met, being whether the question was raised at the earliest opportunity. This strict requirement and the inability of the Chair to relax it is canvassed in detail in Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, 5th edition, at pages 401 to 403.

In order to satisfy the earliest opportunity criterion, it is the view of the Chair that the member for Kamloops Centre had a reasonable opportunity to, at minimum, reserve his right to raise a question of privilege on this matter while he prepared his submission. On this basis, the Chair concludes that this criterion has not been met, and it is the ruling of the Chair that a prima facie breach of privilege has not occurred.

However, the Chair wishes to take this opportunity to provide guidance to the House as it relates to some of the matters at hand. The Committee of Supply is tasked with examining requested annual appropriations for each ministry, social office or other purpose. A final supply act enacted by the Legislature thereafter serves as the legal mechanism by which those appropriations are assessed by the government from the consolidated revenue fund.

While fiscal forecasts can change, the Chair accepts that the decisions before the House and the Committee of Supply in terms of main estimates appropriations being requested by the government have not changed. Expenditures by the government cannot exceed individual vote totals without additional legislative authority.

[11:05 a.m.]

Having reviewed the written submissions, the member for Kamloops Centre and the Minister of Finance disagree with respect to the interpretation of relevant statutory provisions. While that is not a matter for the Chair to adjudicate, the Chair can appreciate the arguments made by the member for Kamloops Centre and the frustration that members of the House may feel when they are being asked to consider budgetary measures in an ever-changing fiscal environment.

The Chair trusts and expects that the House and the role in the financial life of the province will be fully respected and that the government will fulfil its statutory obligations to provide timely updates throughout the fiscal year.

Question of Privilege
(Reservation of Right)

Trevor Halford: I rise to reserve my right to raise a question of privilege related to comments made earlier today in question period.

Hon. Brittny Anderson: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

Hon. Brittny Anderson: Today I would like to welcome members of the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Ktunaxa Confederacy, Roger Finley, Steven Carson, Marty Repp, Margaret Rosling and Shelly Boyd to the Legislature. If all members could please make them feel very welcome.

Orders of the Day

Motions Without Notice

Hon. Mike Farnworth: I move that notwithstanding Standing Order 2 (2)(b), when the House next adjourns, it stands adjourned until 10 a.m. on Monday, April 14. This is to correct a discrepancy that exists in the standing orders regarding what used to be a two-week break and is currently a one-week break when we get it.

Motion approved.

Hon. Mike Farnworth: In this chamber, I call continued debate for the estimates of the Ministry of Health, and in the Douglas Fir Room, Section A, continued debate and the estimates of the Ministry of Forests.

The House in Committee, Section B.

The committee met at 11:13 a.m.

[Lorne Doerkson in the chair.]

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Ministry of Health
(continued)

The Chair: Good morning, Members. We’ll call this House back to order, and we will call on the minister to move the vote.

On Vote 32: ministry operations, $34,996,928,000 (continued).

The Chair: Continued questions on the Ministry of Health.

Jeremy Valeriote: Thank you to the minister and her team for graciously extending Health estimates by a day. I believe I have until we adjourn at around noon. If that’s incorrect, please let me know. I’ll carry on.

The change to witnessed consumption for prescribed safer supply is predicted to disconnect many people. We’ve heard how difficult it can be to show up at a pharmacy, often several times per day, to receive the medications they need.

The provincial health officer and the office of the chief coroner of B.C. have both recommended to reduce barriers to accessing OAT and other life-saving interventions, but the witnessed consumption model seems to increase barriers. This could push many people to return to a reliance on the toxic street supply.

How will the ministry reduce people’s reliance on the poison drug supply and connect them to regulated alternatives?

[11:15 a.m.]

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you to the member for the question.

[11:20 a.m.]

I’ll start off by stating that the prescribed alternatives program is an important tool in tackling the impacts of the toxic drug crisis that we are facing. It is one of the tools in the suite of harm reduction approaches, in addition to others, and is important to help keep people alive — people who are facing addictions to this increasingly toxic illicit drug supply.

The prescribed alternatives program during COVID…. We knew that in order to keep people in access…. To have access to these medications that are helping to keep them alive, it was important to move to a model that was more flexible so that people could access these medications.

We also know, though, that prescribed medications of any kind need to be used by the people for whom they are intended to be used. They needed to be consumed by the people who need them and who are prescribed these alternatives. That’s why we’ve made the decision to move into a witnessed program where consumption is witnessed by a health professional. That is part of decreasing the risk of prescribed alternatives going into the wrong hands, places where we don’t want to see that take place.

We also know that bringing people into close contact with prescribers is an option for them to continue the work in this health care relationship and an opportunity for prescribers to work with their clients, their patients, in helping to titrate or move people away from prescribed alternatives as it is safe to do and into opioid agonist therapy, for example.

The most commonly used prescribed alternative medication is hydromorphone, and we know that this is not meeting the needs of all people, and that we need, collectively, as a health care community, to be looking at better ways to serve people. Again, as the toxic drug supply changes, as street fentanyl becomes more and more dangerous, we need to be able to adapt and change.

We are working with the BCCSU and with clinicians to develop guidance to assist prescribers in this work. Again, this is about finding the right medications to ensure that people’s needs are being met. It’s about balancing two very important priorities in public health. One, that we keep people alive as we help them access the treatment and recovery services that they need, and the second, that we ensure that prescribed alternatives are used by the people for whom they are intended and that we do everything we can to reduce and mitigate the risk of them being diverted into hands that we do not want to see them in.

We’re going to continue this work. The witnessed consumption currently applies to all new clients while we do this important work with the BCCSU and clinicians to develop this guidance and move people who are currently using prescribed alternatives into a witnessed consumption model.

Jeremy Valeriote: Thank you to the minister for that answer. Will the minister work towards evaluating an expanded scope of prescribed alternatives? What work has been done to evaluate the options listed in the provincial health officer’s 2024 report, Alternatives to Unregulated Drugs: Another Step in Saving Lives?

[11:25 a.m.-11:30 a.m.]

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you, again, to the member for the question and in referencing the report that the public health officer and her office, Dr. Henry, provided. I want to first acknowledge the importance of that. Government continues to review that and consider the recommendations and has already implemented some of the recommendations from that report, including even just the language that we use.

Describing and calling this program, as it should be, as “prescribed alternatives” rather than the former name of “safer supply” truly indicates that this is about a clinical and appropriate medical response to a health issue and that prescribed alternatives are truly medications, as I described in my previous answer, that help keep people alive while they can work with their health care providers and clinicians to change into other forms of therapy, like opioid agonist therapy, and most importantly, as well, maintain those human relationships so that they can be connected to treatment and repercovery services that are so important.

There are a variety of medications already available in the prescribed alternatives program. This is a very new area of clinical work, and we have to continue to do everything that we can to support clinicians and prescribers. Part of that is collecting and understanding and analyzing the clinical evidence that is out there that will help inform the policy decisions that we are making.

To that end, working again with the BCCSU and clinicians in developing ongoing and updated clinical guidelines, but also the importance of the work of independent evaluations, an independent evaluation by a person who is not wedded to the program and who is able to undertake the kind of thorough and objective analysis that needs to happen…. It is done across the range of approaches to treating people with different diseases, for example.

Now, there is a provincial evaluation of the implementation of prescribed alternatives that’s underway right now. It is being led by Dr. Bernie Pauly. This work is being done with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. It will allow for, again, a fuller understanding of the impacts of the program, including the unintended impacts of diversion, as well as the benefits for people who are on this program.

That work takes time, so we don’t expect it to be finished until 2026, because again, this is a new area, and it is about following people through time on this program and then undertaking this evaluation. So we’re going to continue to do this. We are committed to evidence-based approaches in helping people who are experiencing severe substance use and substance use issues.

Again, as we’ve canvassed in estimates, our government’s commitment is to building out the full spectrum of supports for people, so beyond harm reduction programs like prescribed alternatives and harm reduction programs of providing the take-home-naloxone program. For example, drug checking, overdose prevention services but also backing up into the prevention work, the work we continue to do with youth and with adults around supporting mental health issues and crises that people experience, and then, of course, the treatment, recovery and aftercare, as we’ve canvassed throughout estimates.

This government has invested more funding into this critical area to address the toxic drug crisis than ever before. We remain committed. There is $500 million of new funding in this year’s budget to sustain and expand the programs to support people, and we will continue to move forward with that.

I also would love to offer the B.C. Greens a detailed briefing around the prescribed alternatives program, and really pleased to offer that and ensure that you stay up to date with the developments as they occur. I really appreciate your compassion and your sincere interest in this and your support for people who…. Sorry. Through you, Chair. I really appreciate their support.

[11:35 a.m.]

Jeremy Valeriote: A couple of questions about vaccines…. Can the minister tell us how much funding is allocated towards vaccines for shingles, RSV and whooping cough in this budget?

Hon. Josie Osborne: I’ll start off by saying that our government believes in vaccine science and listens to experts when it comes to saving people’s lives, and that includes from vaccine-preventable illnesses.

The member has asked around funding towards vaccines. I’ll talk largely, and then I’ll go into some of the specific examples that he’s mentioned.

First of all, for fiscal year ‘25-26, we are forecasting to spend approximately $35.1 million on infant, early childhood and school-based immunization programs, writ large. This includes the vaccine to prevent whooping cough, or pertussis, and that vaccine, pertussis, is part of the publicly funded immunization program and is valued at $6.1 million.

Because I know so many British Columbians are watching, I want to make sure that people understand that this is a vaccine that is given routinely for free at ages two months, four months, six months and 18 months, at ages four to six years and again at ages 14 to 16. One dose of pertussis vaccine is also provided for free in pregnancy to protect newborns who are too young to be immunized themselves.

Now I’ll talk more about RSV and shingles. The shingles and RSV vaccines aren’t currently part of B.C.’s publicly funded immunization program, but we do regularly review these programs to consider changes and additions.

One population that does receive assistance are First Nations Elders, aged 60 years or older. Through the First Nations Health Authority, they are offered the Shingrix vaccination for shingles.

[11:40 a.m.]

There are new RSV vaccines from several different companies that have been approved by Health Canada and recently reviewed by Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Now when a new vaccine is approved for use by Health Canada, we look to this committee and our provincial public health and immunization

Now, when a new vaccine is approved for use by Health Canada, we look to this committee and our provincial public health and immunization experts to assess and advise whether it should be added to our publicly funded immunization program in B.C. These groups consider a real range of different factors when developing these recommendations. That includes factors like the burden of illness, vaccine efficacy, safety, cost effectiveness, implementation feasibility, ethics and equity. The ministry then reviews these recommendations in the context of all of our health system priorities.

I’ll also mention that there is a program…. Right now, further on RSV prevention, there is a program for high-risk infants. Now, it’s not a vaccine per se. It’s a slightly different program, but it’s to prevent RSV. It’s available through a program that’s managed by the Provincial Health Services Authority. It’s run by the B.C. Children’s Hospital. Again, this is one way of providing this kind of health care for high-risk infants in particular.

Jeremy Valeriote: The HPV vaccine has proven to prevent cervical cancer and can be effective at preventing multiple types of cancer at any age. However, public funding for vaccinations only covers those under the age of 18. Why are those who are unable to receive the vaccine in school not allowed access to free HPV vaccination after the age of 18?

[11:45 a.m.]

Hon. Josie Osborne: Thank you again to the member for the question, specifically around HPV vaccination.

I’ll start off by saying that B.C. truly is a world leader in preventing cervical cancer and by continuing the efforts that we are making in increasing opportunities for human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccinations. This is part of our ten-year cancer action plan. The most effective way to help prevent cervical cancer is by being vaccinated against HPV, and the vaccine is offered for free, as the member indicated, in schools. It’s offered for free starting with any students in grade 6 through school-based immunization clinics. In addition, it is also offered in schools to students in grades 7, 8 and 9 who might have missed their grade 6 immunization, and it provides an additional opportunity for youth to be vaccinated.

In fall 2023, a year and a half ago, to further broaden protection from HPV and the cancers that it can cause, we further expanded the eligibility to include males born in 2005. This means that beyond school-based immunization groups, B.C. has now moved to a publicly funded HPV immunization program for anybody, anybody aged 9 to 18, and for special populations aged 19 to 26, like people who are HIV positive or living with HIV, two-spirit, transgender and non-binary, and cisgender men who have sex with men or who are street-involved.

It is important always that we review the program itself, and so we are currently reviewing changes to the publicly funded HPV vaccine schedule and the eligibility for people. Again, this is in alignment with recommendations that come forward from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization and with our own provincial immunization and public health experts.

We’re going to continue to review international and national recommendations as they relate to HPV vaccine use and eligibility. We want to make sure, again, that B.C. is staying current with evidence-informed best practices. For anybody who is out there listening to this, beyond us in the room here, it’s really important. You can always speak with your primary care provider about your own eligibility for this vaccine. We’ll continue to review and monitor this program. I appreciate the question from the member.

Jeremy Valeriote: The Society for Advocacy for Gender-Affirming Healthcare is calling on the government to do more to offer comprehensive gender-affirming care for the trans and non-binary people of British Columbia. Many trans and non-binary people in B.C. are often faced with unequal access to the health care services they need, which can increase issues with mental health. Equitable access to gender-affirming care has been shown to reduce the risk of suicide among trans people, yet the majority of gender-affirming care services are not covered under our public health care.

MSP coverage for a critical gender-affirming care procedure for trans women is limited to: “genetic females only.” Last September the government announced that it will be covering hormonal replacement therapy medications to treat symptoms of menopause, which many trans women also use for gender-affirming care. Unfortunately, the majority of hormone replacement therapy medications are still not covered. Will the minister explain if they intend to increase access to HRT medications for gender-affirming care?

[11:50 a.m.]

Hon. Josie Osborne: First of all, I just want to say that I really appreciate the question.

I want to acknowledge that there are gaps to address in health care services that are experienced by women, trans and non-binary people, and our government is fully committed to continuing to do everything that we can to fill those gaps.

I will mention two brief points. In December 2023, the ministry approved changes in coverage of medications, including transdermal estrogen and transdermal testosterone, to enable more equitable and accessible coverage of gender-affirming pharmacotherapies.

Also, we are actively working to address calls to action to directly address these gaps that I’m speaking about on gender-affirming care for children and youth. That call to action has come from the Representative for Children and Youth in their report in June 2023.

Noting the time, what I would do is offer a briefing on this subject and the opportunity to meet with ministry staff, for the members opposite, and discuss this further. I really appreciate the question.

Jeremy Valeriote: May I have permission to ask one more question and then ask for a written response, given that I understand we’re short on time? I had one last question.

The Chair: Please do.

Jeremy Valeriote: Here in B.C., we have a company based in Port Coquitlam, Vitacore, that is making world-class N95 and N99 respirators. This company is also leading with technology and capacity to recycle personal protective equipment, making it possible to significantly reduce hospital and health care waste.

Currently Vitacore is collecting PPE for recycling from some hospitals in B.C., diverting a significant amount of waste from landfills and creating the basic materials for recycled products.

Can the minister provide an update on a timeline for the expansion of the Vitacore PPE recycling program in hospitals in B.C.?

And with that, I will thank the minister and the House.

Hon. Josie Osborne: Yes, I accept the question. We’ll take it on notice and provide a response to the member.

I know that we are coming to the close. I just want to take a brief moment to express my gratitude to all the members who asked questions throughout the last 26 or 27 hours of estimates of the Ministry of Health.

[11:55 a.m.]

In particular, I want to thank the staff who have supported me, many different members of the public service who are professional, dedicated people who are so committed to increasing and strengthening B.C.’s health care system and serving the people of British Columbia. That includes the public servants behind me and in the Maple Room behind this room and my staff from the minister’s office who’ve joined us in the gallery today. I want to express my deep appreciation for everybody for a successful round of estimates.

The Chair: Seeing no further questions or speakers, the question before this House is vote 32, of course.

Vote 32: ministry operations, $34,996,928,000 — approved.

The Chair: Thank you very much, Members.

Hon. Josie Osborne: I move that the committee rise and report resolution of the estimates of the Ministry of Health and ask leave to sit again.

Motion approved.

The Chair: This committee will stand adjourned.

The committee rose at 11:55 a.m.

The House resumed at 11:56 a.m.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Lorne Doerkson: Committee of Supply, Section B, reports resolution and completion of the estimates of the Ministry of Health and asks leave to sit again.

Leave granted.

Jessie Sunner: Committee of Supply, Section A, reports progress on the estimates of the Ministry of Forests and asks leave to sit again.

Leave granted.

Hon. Brenda Bailey: Before the House adjourns, I’d like to clarify for the benefit of members that the motion adopted earlier this morning that the House stand adjourned until Monday, April 14, takes effect later today at daily adjournment, as Standing Order 2(2)(b) references the week of Good Friday.

Hon. Brenda Bailey moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

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

The House adjourned at 11:57 a.m.