ORDERS OF THE DAY — Continued
No. 61 — Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — 10 a.m.
1 Korky Neufeld to ask the Hon. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills the following questions: —
1. Will the Minister reveal the findings of the internal investigation regarding the ongoing student union issues at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Langara College?
2. Will the Minister commit to discussing the ongoing student union issues at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Langara College with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Citizens’ Services?
3. What is the Minister’s plan to double the apprenticeship seats?
4. What is the per-seat funding lift?
5. Are capital dollars attached?
6. How does this square with no new college capital “replacing”?
7. Why are 20 percent of new seats allocated to BC Building Trades?
8. What accountability measures ensure quality and outcomes?
9. Does BC Building Trades have the same obligation as the public post-secondary institutes?
10. Will colleges meaningfully benefit, or is this primarily a research university investment?
11. How does this differ from existing graduate program funding?
12. How will the $30 million funding be distributed geographically and institutionally?
13. Graduate satisfaction is currently at 86.6 percent; the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills (PSFS) service plan has a target of 90 percent. Given financial strain and staffing reductions, how realistic is achieving a three-point increase?
14. How will this be accomplished?
15. Employment outcomes after skills training baseline are at 67 percent, but forecast is at 71 percent; is this ambitious enough in a labour-constrained environment?
16. Do immediate college graduate rates differ from university graduates?
17. Is it correct that 19 out of 25 public post-secondary institutions will file an annual deficit?
18. What does the Minister attribute that to?
19. Do nine of these 25 public institutions have an accumulated operating deficit?
20. Can the Minister name those institutions?
21. Does the Minister know the amount of an accumulative deficit for each institution? Please supply the list.
22. The PSFS transfer to educational institutions and organizations remains flat at $3.24 billion over three years. How is a flat operating envelope consistent with rising inflation, wage settlements, utilities and benefit costs?
23. What is the real (inflation-adjusted) decline in institutional operating funding?
24. Is the Ministry assuming institutions will absorb cost increases through reductions?
25. How does this align with the service plan goal 2 commitment to a “sustainable” system in the PSFS service plan?
26. What reduction target is expected for colleges and universities FTEs?
27. How does this align with expanding trades seats?
28. How will service levels be protected?
29. The mandate letter suggests the Minister will work with institutions to evaluate and advocate federally in relation to funding challenges caused by federal changes related to international students. What modelling has been done on system-wide revenue loss due to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) caps? Where is that reflected in the service plan financial projections?
30. The public post-secondary institutions financial summary shows a total revenue in 2025/2026 to be $9.149 billion and in 2026/2027 to $9.161 billion. This implies a very modest growth despite international volatility. What if permit reductions persist for longer than projected?
31. Does the Ministry view the IRCC reduction as temporary volatility or structural contraction?
32. If structural, why does the service plan not include system restructuring metrics?
33. Where are targets related to institutional mergers, program rationalization or administrative consolidation?
34. The government often emphasizes “student choice.” How is student choice preserved if public institutions are exclusively supported?
35. Does the Ministry believe that students in private institutions are less deserving of support than those in public institutions?
36. Is there a principled policy rationale for differentiating support between students based solely on institutional governance structure?
37. Has the Ministry evaluated the systemic risk to B.C.’s post-secondary ecosystem if private institutions were to close?
38. What would be the economic impact on communities where private institutions operate and employ local residents?
39. Does the Ministry view private post-secondary institutions as partners in fiscal efficiency, given that they operate without core operating grants?
40. B.C. faces a growing deficit. Would it not be fiscally prudent to leverage private sector training capacity rather than duplicating it through public capital expansion?
41. How does excluding private institutions from policy consideration align with the province’s stated commitment to economic productivity and workforce readiness?
42. Would the Minister consider a formal review of the role of private post-secondary institutions within B.C.’s broader fiscal and workforce strategy?
43. If the government were to support only public post-secondary institutions, what is the Ministry’s plan to replace lost private sector capacity?
44. If the government were to support only public post-secondary institutions, what is the Ministry’s plan to avoid increased taxpayer burden?
45. If the government were to support only public post-secondary institutions, what is the Ministry’s plan to prevent disruption to domestic students currently enrolled in private programs?
46. What was the government’s provincial attestation letter (PAL) distribution logic?
47. Why is there a lack of priority alignment?
48. Were there plans to take program labour market alignment into consideration when allocating or reallocating PALs?
49. By allocating with labour market considerations, will this not eliminate more bad actor schools?
50. What is the Minister doing to fix this mess?
51. How will this government meet its own goals of skilled training in order to build our economy, when institutions public and private are telling us they are in decline in staffing and programming?
52. Could the Don Avison review of post-secondary sustainability lead to further privatization?
53. Will this review lead to consolidation of services?
54. Will the Minister reaffirm the province’s commitment to the 2 percent tuition cap?
55. What measures in this budget show the province is properly funding higher education?
56. What will this Minister do to strengthen the tuition limit policy to keep education affordable and stop institutions from bypassing it with new or repackaged ancillary fees?
57. How will the new review determine gaps in government funding?
58. Will the Minister increase provincial funding by developing a funding model that reduces reliance on student fees, accounts for inflation and provides long-term financial stability for institutions?
59. Will this Minister take urgent action to reinvest in post-secondary education and protect the future of education in our province? What is this Minister’s plan to accomplish this?
60. Can the Minister describe the extent and the nature of the Ministry’s engagement with the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA)?
61. Can the Minister explain how their insights have informed their own skill development program?
62. Has the Minister done any cost-benefit analysis to per-pupil cost?
63. Given Look West, the Strategic Investment Fund, trades and highly qualified professionals and provincial nominee program (PNP) alignment, how does this service plan structurally reposition the post-secondary system to support B.C.’s industrial strategy, beyond incremental program adjustments?
64. If international enrollment drops 30 percent longer-term, what is plan B?
65. Is government prepared for institutions insolvency?
66. Are there triggers for emergency stabilization funding?
67. Would government permit tuition increases?
68. Are colleges disproportionately exposed to international student volatility?
69. Are micro-credentials sufficiently funded to scale?
70. Is the Ministry implicitly expecting cross-subsidization from trades funding?
71. How does the Minister reconcile flat base funding with the expectation of system transformation?
72. Are we looking at a structurally smaller international sector?
73. What are the early warning indicators of institutional distress?
74. Will trades funding be permanent base funding or time-limited?
2 Lynne Block to ask the Hon. Minister of Education and Child Care the following questions: —
Overview and Fiscal Landscape
1. If costs exceed budgeted amounts, will school districts be required to absorb the difference, and what modelling has been done on the impact?
2. Can the Minister guarantee the agreement between the B.C. government/B.C. Public School Employer’s Association (BCPSEA) and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) will be fully funded with no downloading onto districts or reductions to classroom supports?
Per-Pupil Operating Grant
3. Given negotiated wage settlements, slow enrolment growth, rising fixed costs, aging infrastructure and increasing student support needs, why has the base per-pupil grant not been adjusted to reflect these cumulative pressures?
Staffing, Recruitment and Retention
4. With one in seven teachers reporting they may leave within two years, what funding is earmarked in 2026 to improve working conditions?
5. Does the 2026 budget provide release time for teachers to collaborate on professional development (PD)? If so, how is it distributed?
6. What percentage of PD funding is dedicated to training general classroom teachers for inclusive education and individualized student supports?
Classroom Enhancement Fund
7. The classroom enhancement fund (CEF) previously funded 5,746 teacher FTEs. How much of the 2026/27 CEF is being used for new hires versus “Remedies” paid out because districts cannot find staff to meet class size/composition ratios?
8. Was the full $322.9 million of the 2024/25 CEF fully expended, and if not, how much remains unspent and for what purposes?
9. Where can the public access detailed, school-district-level reporting on the 2024/25 CEF expenditures to verify that the funding directly supported class size reductions and enhanced classroom supports as intended?
10. Of the approximately $167 million in new CEF funding in Budget 2026, how much is projected to support the hiring of additional teachers, special education teachers, psychologists and counsellors? And what percentage is consumed by salary/benefit lifts versus actually hiring new frontline staff?
11. How many FTE positions does the $16 million investment represent, broken down by role and/or by school district?
12. Will the $167 million result in net new staffing positions province-wide, or will any portion be used to offset existing salary, benefit or step-increment pressures?
13. What measurable reductions in class size or improvements in class composition ratios does the Ministry expect as a direct result of this $167 million investment?
14. How will the Ministry publicly report on the outcomes of this funding to ensure it is achieving its intended purpose of enhancing classroom supports?
Indigenous Education
15. What specific amount is allocated in 2026/27 to implement the Indigenous-Specific Racism Review findings, and how will those funds be tracked to ensure accountability? Please identify where these amounts are found in the Ministry of Education and Child Care expenditure plans or service plan.
16. Within the 2026/27 budget and Ministry of Education and Child Care service plan, what funding is allocated for recruitment and retention of Indigenous educators? Please specify whether the budget identifies dedicated incentives or programs for Indigenous teacher recruitment and how that compares to overall recruitment or workforce planning funds.
Education Assistants
17. Can the Minister commit to a dedicated education assistant (EA) in every K-3 classroom?
18. What amount of the $370 million allocated in last year’s budget to support K-12 education went to increasing the number of dedicated EAs in every K-3 classroom?
19. How much of this $370 million has been spent and specifically, where has it been spent?
20. For the 20 percent of K-3 classrooms that do not have a dedicated EA, how much of the $634 million in this year’s budget will be used or allocated to support hiring more EAs in 2026 so that there will be a full-time EA in every K-3 classroom?
Feeding Futures Program
21. If Feeding Futures is continuing, what is the specific amount allocated for this program and over what specific amount of time?
22. Considering the huge increase in families using food banks, does this Minister consider that there is a growing need for the expansion of the Feeding Futures program — and with it, accompanying increases in funding?
23. What process or framework, does the Minister have working with school districts to check and monitor those growing needs?
Student/Teacher Support Services
24. What dollar allocation in 2026 specifically fulfills the mandate of having a full-time counsellor or psychologist in every B.C. school? Does this budget, which has provided $634 million in new K-12 funding over three years to support hiring more teachers, also include a counsellor or psychologist in each school?
Literacy Screening and Outcomes
25. How will the Minister ensure that every K-3 teacher is trained and proficient in administering these assessments?
26. How will the results be compiled?
27. When will they be available to the public?
28. For those students who are identified as needing support, what measures is this government taking to ensure they get the support they need?
29. Where would we find the results or data from the kindergarten literacy screenings and how have parents been notified of how their child is doing?
30. Of the $30 million for the early intervention program, how much is left, if any? How was it spent?
31. How much, if any, of the $30 million literacy investment is allocated to the Pathways program and/or dyslexia-focused interventions?
32. How many students have been screened in 2025/26 K-3 literacy screening, what percentage were flagged and what outcome measures are used to evaluate reading improvements?
Proficiency Scale and Letter Grades
33. Given declining foundation skills assessment (FSA) and programme for international student assessment (PISA) results, has the Ministry considered whether reintroducing letter grades alongside the proficiency scale could provide clearer feedback for students and parents, and if so, what evidence or conditions would guide such a decision?
34. How does the Ministry plan to ensure that the proficiency scale provides meaningful and actionable information for students and parents if FSA and PISA scores continue to decline, and what benchmarks would trigger a review or adjustment of the reporting system?
BC Learning Pathways
35. What public metrics will demonstrate BC Learning Pathways’ impact on literacy and numeracy?
36. The 2025/26 budget allocated $30 million over three years for literacy; how much of the remaining 2026/27 portion is dedicated to hiring specialist teachers versus possible Pathways administrative software?
Autism Funding
37. How does the government justify reallocating approximately $5,000 per child to finance expansion to 21,000 additional students, and can it demonstrate that this redistribution does not come at the expense of those with the most intensive needs?
38. Of the announced $475 million investment over three years, how much represents genuine new funding, and how much reflects savings generated through reduced per-child allocations and the introduction of income testing on the $6,000 supplement?
39. With eligibility expanding from 27,000 to 48,000 children, what fiscal safeguards are in place to prevent dilution of individualized supports, particularly for higher-income families with high-needs children who may now receive less under the capped $17,000 maximum?
40. Given the 192 percent increase in autism designations since 2015, how will the 2026/27 budget ensure that school districts — not just families — receive adequate, stable funding to meet rising demand, especially as the Ministry of Children and Family Development restructures how disability supports are allocated?
41. With the shift to the “Needs-Based” model for disability funding, will the Level 1, 2 and 3 supplemental grants to school districts be increased in 2026/27 to match the $17,000 functional benefit families are receiving?
ERASE (Expect Respect and a Safe Education)
42. Will the Ministry commit to publishing annual provincial data on ERASE submissions, response timelines, district-level handling, and outcomes, and what resources in the 2026/27 budget are allocated to support that reporting?
43. Of the $634 million in new K-12 funding, how much is specifically allocated to safe-school coordination, counselling and student safety infrastructure that supports ERASE implementation, and how is effectiveness measured?
Rural Adjustment Fund
44. How much of the $14.6 million recruitment plan is left for 2026/27, and what is the specific budget for housing stipends in rural districts?
Cybersecurity, Technology and Literacy
45. What, if any, proportion of the overall education budget is currently allocated to cybersecurity and technology upgrades, and how is this expected to grow in the 2026/27 fiscal year?
46. Does the Ministry track and publish detailed figures on how much each individual school district spends annually on cybersecurity, infrastructure modernization and/or AI-related initiatives?
47. Are there specific funds allocated for provincial AI/digital literacy PD following the “Considerations for Using AI Tools” guidelines?
48. What is in the 2026/27 budget for the third-party audit and procurement process regarding a replacement for MyEdBC which is intended to reduce teacher administrative workload?
BC Training and Education Savings Program Special Account
49. Did the whole amount of $30,001,000 get distributed? Does the Minister ensure that it is spent each year, and if so, did 25,000 families take advantage of this special account?
50. If not, what was left over and does it roll over to be added to each year’s total?
51. Does the Ministry have a list of the number of recipient families? Does the Ministry track the children?
52. What are the requirements to receive this money?
Transfers to Other Partners
53. Could the Minister please state where this increase is focused in Transfers to Other Partners in this budget?
54. Given that the UBC HELP “Early Years Disrupted” report — funded in part by this Ministry — identifies a record-high 35.8 percent vulnerability rate among kindergarteners, how does the 2026/27 budget specifically shift resources to address the 14 percent surge in children facing “multiple vulnerabilities” who will require intensive, long-term classroom supports?
55. How might multiple vulnerabilities impact long-term mental health and outcomes?
56. Which developmental domains saw the sharpest rise in student vulnerability?
Teachers Act Special Account
57. How has the total balance in the Teachers Act Special Account grown over time, and what explains increases in revenue or retained funds beyond the actual cost of regulation?
58. If one divides the $9,174,000 budgeted for 2026/27 by the roughly 69,000 certified educators in B.C., it amounts to about $133 per educator; why is the annual practice fee set at $95, and what justifies the difference between fees collected and total operating?
3 Reann Gasper to ask the Hon. Minister of Children and Family Development the following questions: —
1. How will the new funding model ensure that children who are currently working with trusted providers can maintain those relationships, rather than experiencing disruptions in care? Particularly regarding those who will not receive the Benefit or Supplement, or receive a minimal amount not sufficient to pay a provider.
2. What are the specific evidence-based curriculums/service models being provided in the community programming? What steps will be taken to ensure individualized services/support to clients and families?
3. If an individual/family is receiving individualized therapy services under the current Autism Funding model, how will the Minister ensure the continuity of individualized services under a reduced funding/community-based model?
4. If a family is receiving individualized therapy services under the current Autism Funding model (e.g., parent coaching, family support services), how will the Minister ensure the continuity of individualized services under a reduced funding/community-based model?
5. The Minister has stated that the community-based services will be neuroaffirming. What steps are being taken to ensure this? What research has been reviewed and what professionals have been consulted in preparing for neuroaffirming support?
6. Why was it decided to end the Autism Funding Unit (AFU) on March. 31, 2027, but not provide families with their Supplement until July 2027? How are families supposed to continue therapies without funds? How are service providers supposed to work without payment guarantee for three months?
7. If 85 percent of the service providers surveyed (currently 308 have completed a service provider impact survey), showed that they were not confident they would be open past March 31, 2027, who will be supporting the children should the parents wish to use their supplements for continued therapy?
8. What ownership/responsibility does the NDP government take over the potential reality of an estimated 85 percent of independent providers/small businesses shutting down as a result of this model being introduced?
9. It has been projected that services for youth will not be established for up to three more years from now. How does the government plan to provide for youth and their families during this time if they do not qualify for individualized funding/do not receive sufficient funds to continue with providers?
10. What research was consulted regarding:
a. Level 1/2 autism and suicide/suicidal ideation/self-harm
b. Level 1/2 autism and mental health co-morbidities (e.g., anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout)
c. Level 1/2 autism and risk for abuse (e.g., sexual, physical, emotional, substance)
d. Level 1/2 autism and need for gender-affirming care
e. Parent experience (e.g., burnout, trauma, risk factors)
f. Please state specific research reviewed.
11. With the three-year delay in youth services, how will they be supported into their adult transition (e.g., job skills training)?
12. If the child’s supplement is divided between two parents when a child is in shared custody, how does the government expect the parents to make decisions in the child’s best interest when it comes to how to use the supplement? Will parent mediation services be included in navigation? If one parent was the signatory for AFU why is one parent not receiving the supplement to make medical decisions with the funds?
13. Will there be grants or similar funding options available to private service providers/therapy agencies to allow them to continue to work with their ‘Level 1/2’ client base in collaboration with the community-based programming?
14. Why were various professional groups/frontline workers not consulted in this development? Who were the professionals/groups consulted in the development of this model (names/role requested)?
15. What research was reviewed with respect to therapeutic horseback riding that stated that it did not have therapeutic value? Please provide research.
16. With respect to an estimated 10-15 percent of children/youth with autism and existing services to lose all funds, what is the statement/demonstration of ownership from the NDP government for going back on their word to families?
17. How will the community-based programming provide hours/access to families that cannot attend Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and require full service care on early mornings, evenings, weekends and statutory holidays?
18. How will community-based programming provide flexibility in service location to meet the needs of families?
19. What duration of time (e.g., months, years) was data collected on the efficacy or inefficacy of the current AFU model as well as the ‘goodness of fit’ of a community-based model such as the piloted hubs? Specific dates requested. Additionally, what data sources were reviewed to come to these conclusions? Specific sources requested.
20. As the reduction/removal of access to trusted, continued care from existing providers poses a serious risk of crisis for individuals with autism and their families, what has been prepared in anticipation of mental health/behavioural crisis, specifically:
a. Access to 24/7 crisis ‘help-line’ to contact qualified professionals who can assist in de-escalation and crisis management
b. Access to mental health services (e.g., Child Youth Mental Health) without extensive waitlists
c. Accessibility to be re-assessed for ‘need’ under the Benefit to gain funding and access more private support
d. Guarantee of qualified professionals to support individuals and families through crisis (not students, brand new professionals, assistants, etc.)
e. Increased resources for schools/hospitals to buffer increased demand on their systems in response to urgent crises.
21. Why is it not an option to have some form of individualized funding like the AFU for all children/youth with Autism? Why is it acceptable to have up to 15 percent losing all funding and an even larger percentage not receiving enough to support a beneficial therapy team?
4 Reann Gasper to ask the Hon. Minister of Education and Child Care the following questions: —
1. Why is autism funding being cut before expanding community services?
2. Why are outdated levels being used for autism? Why is it not a direct pathway?
3. Why are some individuals admitted on diagnosis alone but others are not? Is this being criticized by the Autism Funding Unit (AFU) since diagnosis was needed?
4. Why not simply expand individualized funding to all children with disabilities?
5. Why is early intervention funding being cut or outright eliminated for children under 6?
5 Brennan Day to ask the Hon. Minister of Health the following questions: —
1. What is the number of long-term care beds the Ministry projects will be required in British Columbia by 2030?
2. What is the number of long-term care beds currently planned to be built by 2030?
3. What is the projected shortfall in long-term care beds in British Columbia by 2030?
4. What is the number of long-term care beds currently short in British Columbia?
5. What is the number of long-term care beds permanently closed in each of the past three fiscal years?
6. Of those beds, what is the number that have been replaced?
7. Can the Minister provide any analysis, briefing notes or reports regarding the risk of service reductions or closures among long-term care operators resulting from funding changes, labour restructuring or Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) transition?
8. What is the number of seniors currently waiting in hospital more than six months for long-term care placement?
9. What is the number of seniors who died in the past fiscal year while waiting for long-term care placement?
10. What is the number of seniors waiting for long-term care placement five years ago and the number waiting today?
11. What is the number of publicly-funded assisted living units in British Columbia today and five years ago?
12. What is the number and percentage of rural physician positions currently vacant in British Columbia, broken down by health authority?
13. What is the total number of hours rural emergency departments were closed in the previous fiscal year and year-to-date, broken down by community and health authority?
14. What is the current average ambulance response time in British Columbia, with a breakdown between rural and urban areas?
15. What is the number of BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) ambulance shifts that went unfilled in the previous fiscal year, broken down by region?
16. What is the average time required to transport rural patients to hospitals capable of providing necessary care, and the number of transfers exceeding two hours?
17. What is the number of nursing vacancies in British Columbia, broken down by health authority and classification, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, psychiatric nurses and nurse practitioners?
18. What is the number of those vacancies that are full-time equivalent positions versus casual or part-time positions?
19. What is the number of individuals currently registered on the Health Connect Registry, broken down by health authority?
20. What is the number of individuals attached to a primary care provider through the Health Connect Registry in each of the past three years?
21. What is the number of individuals who became unattached to a primary care provider in each of the past three years?
22. What is the net change in the number of attached patients in each of the past three fiscal years?
23. What are the average, median and maximum wait times for attachment through the Health Connect Registry, broken down by health authority?
24. Can the Minister provide any analysis, reports or briefing materials regarding attachment rates and primary care access in British Columbia?
25. What is the number of family physicians practising in British Columbia in each of the past five years, broken down by health authority?
26. What is the number of family physicians who ceased practising in British Columbia in each of the past five years?
27. Can the Minister provide any records regarding recruitment and retention of family physicians, including attrition rates and projected workforce gaps?
28. What is the number of U.S.-trained healthcare workers who have applied to practise in British Columbia in the past two years?
29. What is the number of U.S.-trained healthcare workers who have accepted job offers in British Columbia in the past two years?
30. What number of those individuals are currently practising in British Columbia?
31. What is the average time required for internationally trained healthcare workers to move from application to active practice?
32. Can the Minister provide any records, reports or performance metrics tracking recruitment conversion rates from application to active practice?
33. Can the Minister provide any records regarding healthcare worker attrition in British Columbia, including retirements, resignations and out-of-province migration?
34. What are the current median and 90th percentile wait times for patients admitted through emergency departments in British Columbia, broken down by health authority and hospital?
35. What is the amount of the health care budget allocated to executive compensation and the number of executives earning more than $300,000 annually, broken down by organization?
36. What is the total amount spent on health administration in British Columbia and any reconciliation between Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)-reported administrative costs and health authority financial statements?
37. What is the number of specialist vacancies in British Columbia, broken down by specialty?
38. Can the Minister provide any records regarding the tracking of specialist wait times, including average, median and maximum wait times by specialty and health authority?
39. What is the current status of the Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases review and the expected timeline for completion?
40. Can the Minister provide any records regarding the release or non-release of the 2021 Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases report, including briefing notes, correspondence and recommendations?
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