The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.
Ten o’clock a.m.
Prayers and Reflections by Mr. Stone.
Mr. Falcon advised the House of the death of Gordon F. Gibson, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Order called for “Members’ Statements.”
Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”
The Hon. N. Sharma (Attorney General) tabled the Report on Multiculturalism, 2022/23.
The Hon. B. Bailey (Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation) tabled the InBC Annual Legislative Report, 2022/23.
The Hon. N. Sharma (Attorney General), on behalf of the Hon. G. Heyman (Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy), tabled the Climate Change Accountability Report, 2023.
Mr. Chow presented the Report of the Special Committee to Review Provisions of the Public Service Act, Report on Dismissal Process Reviews by the Merit Commissioner, for the Fourth Session of the Forty-second Parliament, November 2023.
The Report was taken as read and received.
By leave, Mr. Chow moved that the Report be adopted.
A debate arose.
Motion agreed to.
The Hon. R. Chouhan (Speaker) tabled the Legislative Assembly Management Committee Report, 2022–23.
Mr. Stone raised a question of privilege regarding remarks made by the Hon. R. Kahlon with respect to the time allocation motion moved on November 29, 2023, pursuant to Standing Order 81.1 (2).
The Hon. R. Kahlon made representations.
The Speaker stated that he would take the matter under advisement.
Mr. Olsen raised a question of privilege regarding remarks made by the Hon. R. Kahlon with respect to the time allocation motion moved on November 29, 2023, pursuant to Standing Order 81.1 (2).
The Hon. R. Kahlon made representations.
The Speaker stated that he would take the matter under advisement.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
On the motion for third reading of Bill (No. 42) intituled Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 3), 2023, a debate arose.
Bill (No. 42) read a third time and passed.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of the Whole.
Bill (No. 47) intituled Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023, was committed.
On a proposed amendment by Ms. Wat to clause 1 of Bill (No. 47).
The Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered at the next sitting.
(In Committee — Section A)
On clause 1 of Bill (No. 45) as stood down.
Section A of Committee of the Whole reported progress on Bill (No. 45) intituled Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 4), 2023, and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
And then the House adjourned at 11.55 a.m.
One o’clock p.m.
The Speaker delivered his reserved decision as follows:
Honourable Members:
The Chair is prepared to rule on the questions of privilege raised earlier today by the Official Opposition House Leader and the Third Party House Leader, both of which were taken under advisement. While unusual, the crux of the matter outlined in both Members’ grievances in raising their questions of privileges is the same, so the Chair will deliver one ruling. The Chair thanks the Members for following the proper procedure for raising a question of privilege and is grateful to the Official Opposition House Leader and the Third Party House Leader for their thoughtful submissions and to the Government House Leader for his responses. In the interests of time and in an attempt to return to the House with all possible expediency, the Chair’s ruling will be brief.
The Official Opposition House Leader and the Third Party House Leader outlined in their submissions their view that the Government House Leader misled the House in his remarks prior to moving a time allocation motion under Standing Order 81.1 on November 29, 2023. An imputation with respect to a Member misleading this House is a very serious matter that the Chair must approach with utmost care.
In deciding on such a matter, the Chair must examine any evidence that: proves that the statement was misleading; establishes that the Member (in this case, the Government House Leader) making the statement knew at the time that the statement was incorrect; and, proves the Member intended to mislead the House in making the statement.
In reviewing the submissions made to the Chair, the dispute at hand appears to be a matter of disagreement about interpretation about the words spoken by the Government House Leader when he informed the House that a consensus could not be reached amongst the parties. As the Chair noted in a ruling only yesterday, a disagreement or debate between two Members is not a matter for the Chair to weigh into or adjudicate.
As such, it is the ruling of the Chair that a prima facie breach of privilege has not occurred.
Prior to concluding, the Chair will note an awareness of the frustrations that exist around the management of House business — a frustration that is rooted in a genuine desire that all Members have to undertake their parliamentary duties and to fulfill the democratic process.
The Chair acknowledges that the House Leaders have a key role in ensuring the smooth operations of this House. In the coming weeks, the Chair will take it upon himself to work with the House Leaders to find a better and more collaborative way forward prior to the resumption of House sittings in 2024.
HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of the Whole.
Bill (No. 47) intituled Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023, was again committed.
A proposed amendment by Ms. Wat to clause 1 of Bill (No. 47) was defeated on the following division:
| Nays — 45 | |||
| Parmar Coulter Lore Malcolmson Beare Kang Cullen Bains Dean Bailey Mercier Russell |
Routledge Rice Leonard Chow R. Singh Whiteside Farnworth Kahlon Eby Conroy Sharma |
Dix Robinson Fleming Alexis Rankin Ralston Simons Elmore Glumac Routley Donnelly |
Greene Anderson Chant Sandhu Dykeman Paddon Begg Chen A. Singh Rustad Banman |
| Yeas — 24 | |||
| de Jong Doerkson Milobar Stone Bond Ross |
Oakes Bernier Davies Clovechok Morris Kyllo |
Merrifield Lee Wat Stewart Shypitka Ashton |
Sturdy Letnick Tegart Furstenau Olsen Walker |
Clauses 1 through 11 of Bill (No. 47) passed.
Mr. Milobar moved a proposed amendment to clause 12 of Bill (No. 47) which was defeated on the following division:
| Nays — 42 | |||
| Chandra Herbert Parmar Coulter Lore Malcolmson Beare Cullen Bains Dean Bailey Mercier |
Russell Routledge Leonard Chow R. Singh Whiteside Farnworth Kahlon Eby Conroy Sharma |
Dix Robinson Fleming Alexis Rankin Ralston Simons Elmore Glumac Routley |
Donnelly Greene Anderson Chant Sandhu Dykeman Paddon Begg A. Singh Banman |
| Yeas — 22 | |||
| de Jong Doerkson Milobar Stone Bond Ross |
Oakes Bernier Davies Clovechok Morris Kyllo |
Merrifield Wat Stewart Shypitka Ashton |
Sturdy Letnick Furstenau Olsen Walker |
Clauses 12 through 25 and the title of Bill (No. 47) passed.
Bill (No. 47) reported complete without amendment.
On the motion for third reading of Bill (No. 47) the House divided.
Motion agreed to nemine contradicente on the following division:
| Yeas — 65 | |||
| Chandra Herbert Parmar Coulter Lore Malcolmson Beare Kang Cullen Bains Dean Bailey Mercier Russell Routledge Rice Leonard Chow |
R. Singh Whiteside Farnworth Kahlon Eby Conroy Sharma Dix Robinson Fleming Alexis Rankin Ralston Simons Elmore Routley |
Donnelly Greene Anderson Chant Sandhu Dykeman Paddon Begg A. Singh de Jong Doerkson Milobar Stone Bond Oakes Bernier |
Davies Clovechok Morris Kyllo Merrifield Wat Stewart Shypitka Ashton Sturdy Letnick Tegart Furstenau Olsen Banman Walker |
Bill (No. 47) read a third time and passed.
(In Committee — Section A)
On clause 1 of Bill (No. 45) as stood down.
Section A of Committee of the Whole reported progress on Bill (No. 45) intituled Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 4), 2023, and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered later today.
Committee to sit again later today.
Bill (No. 45) intituled Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 4), 2023, was again committed.
Mr. de Jong moved a proposed amendment to clause 1 of Bill (No. 45) which was defeated, on division.
Pursuant to the time allocation motion adopted on November 29, 2023, all necessary questions for the disposal of all remaining stages of Bill (No. 45) were put and deemed to have passed.
Clause 1 of Bill (No. 45) passed, on division.
Clause 2 of Bill (No. 45) passed, on division.
The title of Bill (No. 45) passed.
The motion that the Committee rise and report Bill (No. 45) complete with amendment passed, on division.
Bill (No. 45) reported complete with amendment, read a third time and passed, on division.
The Speaker declared a short recess.
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor having entered the House, and being seated in the Chair —
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, read the titles to the following Acts:
Bill (No. 39) Zero-Emission Vehicles Amendment Act, 2023.
Bill (No. 41) Forests Statutes Amendment Act, 2023.
Bill (No. 42) Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 3), 2023.
Bill (No. 43) Money Judgment Enforcement Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions Act.
Bill (No. 44) Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023.
Bill (No. 45) Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 4), 2023.
Bill (No. 46) Housing Statutes (Development Financing) Amendment Act, 2023.
Bill (No. 47) Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023.
Bill (No. 48) Labour Statutes Amendment Act, 2023.
Her Honour was pleased in His Majesty’s name to give assent to the said Acts.
The said assent was announced by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, in the following words:
“In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth assent to these Acts.”
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor was then pleased to retire.
62 The Hon. R. Kahlon moved —
That the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia be amended
1. at Standing Order 2 (1) to provide for the Thursday afternoon sitting to be from 1 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. instead of 1.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and,
2. at Standing Order 3 by striking the words “6:00 p.m. on Thursday” and replacing them with “5:30 p.m. on Thursday”.
Motion agreed to.
By leave, the Hon. R. Kahlon tabled the 2024 Parliamentary Calendar.
The Hon. R. Kahlon moved —
1. That the House, at its rising, do stand adjourned until it appears to the satisfaction of the Speaker, after consultation with the government, that the public interest requires that the House shall meet, or until the Speaker may be advised by the government that it is desired to prorogue the Fourth Session of the Forty-second Parliament of the Province of British Columbia. The Speaker shall give notice to all Members that he is so satisfied or has been so advised, and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice, and, as the case may be, may transact its business as if it has been duly adjourned to that time and date.
2. That, by agreement of the Speaker and the House Leaders of each recognized caucus, the location of sittings and means of conducting sittings of this House may be altered if required due to an emergency situation or public health measures, and that such agreement constitute the authorization of the House to proceed in the manner agreed to. The Speaker shall give notice to all Members of the agreement and shall table it for it to be printed in the Votes and Proceedings of the House at the next sitting.
3. That, in the event of the Speaker being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, the Deputy Speaker shall act in his stead for the purpose of this order; in the event that the Deputy Speaker being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, the Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole shall act in his stead for the purpose of this order; and in the event that the Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, another Member designated collectively by the House Leaders of each recognized caucus shall act in her stead for the purpose of this order.
Motion agreed to.
And then the House adjourned at 4.44 p.m.
HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker
Monday, December 4
63 Mr. Milobar to move —
Be it resolved that this House endorses the economic analysis of the Business Council of British Columbia of the Government’s own data which finds that the CleanBC plan is a CostBC scheme that would shrink the economy by $28 billion, at a cost of $11,000 per household and over 200,000 jobs.
64 Ms. Bond to move —
Be it resolved that this House agrees that cancer patients in B.C. should not be forced to travel to the United States just to receive adequate and timely treatment.
65 Mr. Halford to move —
Be it resolved that this House believes concrete results, not words, are needed to address the skyrocketing cost of living in British Columbia.
66 Mr. Shypitka to move —
Be it resolved that this House believes that all crimes, including property crimes, deserve fair prosecution and punishment.
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