Nos. 22 and 23 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE Legislative Assembly of British Columbia First Session of the Forty-third Parliament

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Ten o’clock a.m.

Prayers and Reflections by Kristina Loewen.

Order called for “Members’ Statements.”

Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

Pursuant to Order, the House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion “That the Speaker do now leave the Chair” for the House to go into Committee of Supply.

On the motion of David Williams, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 11.53 a.m.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

One-thirty o’clock p.m.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

Pursuant to Order, the House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion “That the Speaker do now leave the Chair” for the House to go into Committee of Supply.

The debate continued.

On the motion of Nina Krieger, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 6.22 p.m.

HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker

NOTICE OF BILLS

Wednesday, March 12

Elenore Sturko to introduce a Bill intituled Mental Health Amendment Act, 2025.

Thursday, March 13

John Rustad to introduce a Bill intituled Interpretation (Uniform Pacific Time Zone) Amendment Act.

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

Wednesday, March 12

9  The Hon. Mike Farnworth to move —

That, for the remainder of the current Session:

GENERAL

1. Certain proceedings of the House may be undertaken in two sections, designated Section A and Section B, to be subject to the rules that follow.

2. Section A sit in such committee room as may be designated from time to time, and Section B sit in the Legislative Chamber.

3. Section A and Section B be authorized to examine all Estimates, and for all purposes be deemed to be the Committee of Supply, and that the Standing Orders relating to the consideration of Estimates in the Committee of Supply and to Committees of the Whole House be applicable to such proceedings, save and except that, during proceedings in Committee of Supply, a Minister may defer to a Deputy Minister to permit such Deputy to reply to a question put to the Minister.

4. Section A and Section B be authorized to consider bills at committee stage after second reading thereof, and for all purposes be deemed to be a Committee of the Whole House, and that the Standing Orders relating to the consideration of bills in a Committee of the Whole House be applicable to such proceedings.

5. Estimates or bills may be considered in the order determined by the Government House Leader and may at any time be subsequently referred to another designated Section, as determined by the Government House Leader in accordance with Standing Order 27 (2).

COMPOSITION

6. The Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole or their designate preside in Section A.

7. Section A consist of 12 Members, not including the Chair, being six Members of the B.C. NDP Caucus, five Members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia Caucus, and one Member of the B.C. Green Party Caucus.

8. The Members of Section A be: the Minister whose Estimates are under examination or who is in charge of the bill under consideration and Rohini Arora, Hon. Ravi Parmar, Janet Routledge, Harwinder Sandhu, Amna Shah, Amelia Boultbee, Gavin Dew, Steve Kooner, Lawrence Mok, David Williams and Rob Botterell.

9. Substitutions for Members of Section A be permitted with the consent of the Member’s Caucus Whip.

10. Section B be composed of all Members of the House.

DIVISIONS

11. When a division is requested in Section A, the division bells shall be rung four times and the division shall proceed in accordance with Standing Order 16.

12. When a division is requested in Section B, the division bells shall be rung three times, at which time proceedings in Section A shall be suspended, and the division shall proceed in accordance with Standing Order 16.

13. If a division is underway in Section A at the time that a division is requested in Section B, the division in Section B be suspended until the completion of the division in Section A.

REPORTING AND COMPLETION

14. At 15 minutes prior to the ordinary time fixed for adjournment of the House, the Chair of Section A shall report to the House.

10  The Hon. Mike Farnworth to move —

That, effective March 31, 2025,

1. Standing Order 2 (1) be amended to provide for the Monday afternoon sitting, Tuesday afternoon sitting, and Wednesday afternoon sitting to be from 1.30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and,

2. Standing Order 3 be amended by striking the words “6:30 p.m. on any Monday and Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday” and replacing them with “9:00 p.m. on any Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday”.

And that this order expire on May 30, 2025.