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From YouTube: NOVEMBER 20 2019 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
41st Parliament
NOVEMBER 20 2019 Question Period
C
Thank
You
mr.
speaker
today
marks
the
20th
day
of
job
action,
the
Metro
Vancouver
transit
system.
This
job
action
has
already
affected
the
1.4
million
rides
per
day
close
to
a
million
people
using
the
system
to
get
to
work
to
get
to
school,
to
get
to
their
appointments.
It's
critically
important
to
the
people
of
Metro
Vancouver,
it's
already
being
a
source
of
frustration
to
the
people
who
live
in
Metro
Vancouver,
and
we
have
seen
absolutely
no
action
whatsoever
from
the
government.
C
The
Union
announced
that
it
now
plans
to
conduct
a
full-scale
system
shutdown
next
Wednesday
through
Friday,
and
this
will
bring
Metro
Vancouver,
basically
to
a
standstill
as
the
7,000
people
who
work
at
Bank
for
General
Hospital
can't
get
to
work
for
instance,
so
this
is
critical
and
sadly,
we
have
seen
no
sign
of
any
activity
whatsoever
from
the
government
benches.
We
have
no
sign
of
any
activity
from
the
premier
and
the
Minister
of
Labour
is
so
totally
invisible
on
this
file
that
no
one
even
knows
his
name.
C
D
Thank
you
on
with
speaker.
Yes,
obviously
it
is
a
very
difficult
news
for
all
those
who
use
transit
on
daily
basis
in
Lower
Mainland,
and
no
one
wants
disruption
of
services
that
we
all
depend
on
it
hurt
families
hurt
workers,
that's
why
we
are
urging
both
sides
to
get
back
to
the
bargaining
table.
Mr
Speaker
I
must
make
this
clear.
They
are
in
no
position
to
give
any
lessons
to
anybody
when
it
comes
to
collective
bargaining.
D
E
D
Speaker,
it's
a
matter
between
the
Coast
Mountain
bus
company
and
the
Union.
They
have
negotiated
successfully
numerous
collective
agreement
without
any
help
from
anybody.
So
that's
why
I'm
asking
them
to
get
back
to
the
table
and
that's
where
the
solutions
and
the
fair
deal
is
can
be
found
and
Mr
Speaker
I
expect
that
they
will
be
back
at
the
correct
at
the
at
the
bargaining
table
and
negotiate
a
collective
agreement
that
they
can
both
live
with.
C
C
Calls
for
patience
while
there
are
different
kind
of
patience,
aren't
going
to
have
any
visitors
they're
not
going
to
have
any
nurses
they're
going
to
be
no
LPN
to
take
care
of
them.
There'll
be
no
lab
technicians
to
take
their
blood
and
measure
it.
What
does
this
minister
think
is
going
to
happen
when
the
transit
system
shuts
down
entirely
next
Wednesday
through
Friday,
and
he
sits
in
his
office
here
in
Victoria
and
takes
his
car
to
Surrey
and
says
I?
Guess:
that's
tough!
C
D
You
on
the
speaker,
mr.
speaker,
as
I
said,
we
are
looking
for
a
speedy
conclusion
to
deliver
disruptions
in
Metro
Vancouver,
but
the
free
and
fair
negotiator
agreement.
Mr.
speaker,
the
opposition
would
like
you
to
believe
that
somehow
they
pretend
to
care
about
the
ridership,
the
people
who
ride
the
transit
mr.
speaker,
but
they
didn't
care
about
the
transit
riders
when
the
mayor's
came
to
them
for
help.
They
said
suck
it
up.
D
D
So,
mr.
speaker,
all
they
care
about
how
to
take
a
political
advantage
over
liver
disputes.
We're
not
doing
that.
Mr.
speaker,
they
didn't
care
about
the
writing.
Mr.
speaker,
when
they
eliminated
disability
pass
mr.
speaker,
we
all
remember
that
mr.
speaker,
members
speaker,
they
know
if
they
ever
look
in
the
mirror.
If
they
ever
talk
to
anybody
who
have
done
any
collective
bargaining,
they
know
that
the
best
collective
agreement
comes
at
the
bargaining
table.
Bargain
table.
E
Thank
You
mr.
speaker,
the
Metro
Vancouver
transit
system
looks
completely
different
from
eighteen
years
ago,
when
the
last
reich
took
place
under
the
previous
andp
government.
Today
there
are
58
additional
bus
routes,
520
additional
buses,
1,400
additional
bus
operators
and
annual
ridership
is
increased
by
206
million
boardings
a
year.
It's
an
essential
service.
Mr.
speaker,
current
contract
talks
could
not
be
more
stalled
and
it's
time
for
both
sides
to
work
towards
our
resolution.
The
strike
is
now
dragged
on
for
three
weeks.
Mr.
speaker
boy,
the
minister
of
labor,
for
point,
a
mediator.
E
Mr.
speaker,
this
is
an
essential
service.
The
member
of
North
Penn
lands
done
Landstown
has
been
missing
in
action
on
this
issue.
The
Minister
of
Labour
has
entered
some
sort
of
NDP
witness
protection
program.
He
has
not
been
heard
from
for
people
of
Vancouver,
so
I
asked
once
again
remember
to
strike.
Remember
his
strike
has
dragged
on
for
three
weeks.
Mr.
speaker,
why
has
the
Minister
of
Labour
not
appointed
a
mediator.
D
D
B
D
Speaker
when
the
the
leader
of
the
opposition
was
going
through
his
leadership
campaign,
he
said
that
the
BC
liberal
was
sitting
30
thousand
feet
up
out
of
touch
with
the
reality.
Mr.
speaker
been
their
actions
and
what
they
have
done
in
the
last
two
years.
They
haven't
come
down
an
inch.
Mr.
speaker.
D
E
You,
mr.
speaker,
mr.
speaker,
the
transit
system
exists
today,
it's
more
essential
to
people's
lives
than
ever
before
people
use
transit
to
go
to
work
go
to
school.
They
have
no
other
choice
when
it
comes
to
transportation
options.
Mr.
speaker,
both
sides
not
negotiating,
holds
the
public
hostage.
Over
the
last
three
weeks,
their
premier
and
his
labor
minister
have
shown
zero
leadership.
So
I'm
going
to
ask
the
same
question
again
and
I
hope
he
can
answer
that
question
on
behalf
of
people,
British
Columbia
and
the
residents
of
Vancouver.
D
B
B
D
D
C
D
F
42
percent
of
the
global
population
of
this
species
lives
in
BC,
but
since
the
species
was
listed
as
endangered,
more
than
nineteen
thousand
cubic
meters
of
the
trees
have
been
logged
in
2013,
Lake,
Louise
ski
resort
in
Alberta
logged
a
patch
of
trees
that
included
just
a
few
dozen
whitebark
pine.
The
company
was
fined
2.1
million
dollars
for
what
the
judge
called
reckless
behavior,
but
in
BC,
no
fines,
no
restrictions,
no
guidelines
for
companies
to
avoid
logging
and
endangered
species
and
nineteen
thousand
cubic
meters
logged.
G
Thank
thank
you,
honorable,
speaker
and
I
appreciate
the
question
from
the
member
and
I
believe
she
has
two
aspects
to
that
too
question
one
around
public
lands
and
one
around
private
lands
and,
first
of
all,
on
public
lands.
Our
government
is
committed
to
conserving
BC's,
diverse
biology,
and
that
includes
the
whitebark
pine.
It's
a
species
that
grows
in
upper
subalpine
elevations.
It
grows
above
the
treeline,
it
has
limited
commercial
value
and
provincial
practices
specify
this
species
is
not
to
be
long.
G
We
are
working
with
the
federal
government
for
the
implementation
of
a
recovery
plan,
including
rust
resistance
screening
program,
because
the
major
threat
to
whitebark
pine
is
a
blister
rust,
so
we're
planting
seedlings
that
are
resistant
to
that
we're
working
with
the
data
Conservation
Center
on
Pine
mapping
technology
as
well.
However,
her
question
also
brought
up
concerns
I
believe
around
logging
on
private
managed
forest
lands
and
that
Act
has
not
been
reviewed
since
it
was
first
established
in
2003.
G
We
heard
concerns
about
activities
on
private
managed
forest
lands
and
that
program,
and
so
we
initiated
a
review
if
that
review
was
was
launched.
It's
now
complete.
We
had
27
in-person
sessions,
received
over
1200
submissions
and
we'll
be
releasing
of
what
we
heard
report
honorable
speaker
was
released
earlier
this
month,
we'll
be
engaging
with
local
governments
and
First
Nations
to
get
more
feedback
on
that
report
and
implementing
and
our
final
report
and
recommendations
from
that
in
in
the
new
year,
and
that
has
to
do
again
with
whitebark
pine.
F
You
honorable
speaker
and
thank
you
to
the
Minister
for
a
thorough
answer
to
things,
I
didn't
quite
ask.
I
did
note
the
report
I
did
review
it
recently
and
one
of
the
things
that
stood
out
was
the
the
predominance
amongst
stakeholders,
citizens,
interest
groups,
First
Nations,
local
governments,
about
the
lack
of
conservation
and
protection
of
ecosystems
on
private
managed
forest
lands.
I
British
Columbia
invests
less
in
the
protection
of
wildlife
per
person
or
per
hectare
than
any
other
state
or
province
in
the
Pacific
Northwest.
F
The
discrepancy
is
startling,
with
Washington
State,
for
example,
spending
23
times
more
per
square
kilometre
to
protect
wildlife.
Earlier
this
year
the
BC
Wildlife
Federation
released
a
report
noting
the
following
quote:
while
the
human
population,
resource
extraction
and
threats
to
habitats
and
Wildlife
have
increased
significantly,
the
funding
and
capacity
to
support
natural
resource
management
have
declined.
F
This
is
the
opposite
of
other
jurisdictions
and
the
opposite
of
what
British
Columbia
is
Colombians,
expect
I
note
the
very
powerful
statement
given
by
the
member
for
Fraser
Nicola
about
the
decline
of
steelhead
as
an
example
of
what
we
are
seeing
right
now
with
in
respect
to
endangered
species.
Around
this
province,
my
questions
for
you,
honorable
speakers
to
the
Minister
of
Environment
and
climate
change
strategy.
H
Thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
the
question.
One
of
the
reasons
that
species
at
risk
legislation
is
included
in
my
mandate
letter
and
the
reason
that
I
have
assured
the
member
in
the
past
and
the
public
that
we
are
working
on
it
and
that
we
intend
to
bring
it
in
in
this
mandate
is
what
we
inherited
after
16
years
of
failed
promises
from
the
former
government.
H
The
failure,
the
failure
by
the
former
government
to
take
any
meaningful
action,
as
meant
that
it's
become
harder
to
protect
BC's
ecosystems
and
species,
and
we've
created
instability
for
indigenous
communities
in
industry.
We
have,
for
the
last
two
years,
been
consulting
broadly
with
communities
with
indigenous
nations
over
a
hundred
and
twenty
indigenous
nations
in
22
regional
sessions
to
work
together
with
communities,
industry,
stakeholders,
indigenous
people
and
environmental
scientists
to
find
a
path
forward
to
protect
species
species
at
risks
in
a
way
that
works
for
everyone.
H
We
take
that
seriously
we're
continuing
to
work
on
that,
but
we
have
and
will
continue
to
take
action
in
the
meantime.
As
we
try
to
get
the
legislation
right,
we
did,
for
instance,
sign
an
agreement
with
Canada
and
the
sighs
Okanagan
nation
to
establish
a
national
park
in
the
South
Okanagan
Samil
kameen.
I
So
Mr
Speaker
I
sat
in
this
chamber
with
former
Social
Credit
Labor
ministers,
I,
have
sat
here
and
listened
and
debated
with
a
number
of
NDP
labor
ministers.
I
have
obviously
worked
with
labour
ministers
that
were
BC
Liberals.
It's
one
of
them.
I
have
never
ever
heard
a
labor
minister
of
any
political
stripe,
dismissed
the
suggestion
of
the
appointment
of
a
mediator
as
being
stupid.
I
D
Labour
Thank
You
honorable
speaker
on
the
speaker
and
I
said
this
before
that:
no
one
like
to
see
disruptions
of
services
that
we
all
depend
on
because
of
hurt
families,
it
hurt
workers
and
there
are
so
many
people
in
Lower
Mainland
who
depend
on
transit
to
go
to
work
or
comply
with
their
responsibilities.
That's
why,
mr.
speaker,
we're
asking
both
sides
to
get
back
to
the
table
because
that's
where
the
best
negotiated
agreement
will
come
from
mr.
speaker,
but
we
will
stand.
D
We
will
stand
for
a
fair
and
free
collective
bargaining
process
and
that's
what
I'm
encouraging
both
parties
to
use
and
utilize
they're,
both
mature
when
it
comes
to
collective
bargaining,
both
have
a
history
of
collecting
or
of
having
a
collective
collective
bargaining
and
concluding
collective
agreements
numerous
times
without
any
outside
help.
Mr.
speaker,
and
that's
where
the
best
collective
agree
will
come
from
at
the
bargaining
table,
not
in
this
chamber,
not
in
the
media.
D
I
I
He
has
just
dismissed
as
stupid
use
of
one
of
the
basic
tools
that
governments
and
labor
ministers
have
utilized
for
decades.
He
has
dismissed
it
as
a
stupid
idea,
so
he
sits
here
mr.
speaker,
and
he
says
to
the
opposition
and
others
join
with
us
when
a
suggestion
is
made
to
him
when
a
legitimate
question
is
put
to
him
on
behalf
of
the
British
Columbians
that
are
going
to
be
inconvenienced.
Will
he
appoint
a
mediator?
He
says
to
the
questioner
you're
being
stupid.
Mr.
D
D
And
I
am
I
will
remind
the
house.
It
was
that
side
when
they
were
on
this
side
of
the
house.
They
were
actually
engage
in
provoking
strikes.
Mr.
speaker,
there
were,
they
were
engaged
in
provoking
strikes
by
curing
a
collective
agreement,
throwing
10,000
the
workers
on
the
street.
Mr.
speaker
collect
hearing
a
collector
Bergin.
That
was
that
that
was
a
legally
negotiated
for
decades
by
these
workers.
Mr.
speaker,
so
they
are
not
in
a
very
good
position,
suggest
anything
when
it
comes
to
collective
bargaining.
We
are
mr.
B
B
J
Thank
you
very
much.
Mr.
speaker.
Yesterday
we
learned
about
a
confidential
briefing
that
was
provided
to
the
government
earlier
this
year
regarding
the
proposed
union
benefits
agreements.
Here's
what
the
briefing
note
said
about
the
agreements
and
I
quote
high
risk
and
incompatible
with
fixed
price
and
fixed
scheduled
contracts.
Can
the
minister
stand
up
today
and
tell
British
Columbians
specifically
what
she
and
the
government
were
told
about
the
possible
consequences
of
moving
forward
with
a
proposal
to
look
at
Union
benefit
agreements.
A
Thank
you
very
much,
mr.
speaker.
Mr.
speaker,
we
have
the
utmost
confidence
in
our
community
benefits
agreements.
That's
why
we're
proceeding
with
them
on
projects
are
not
in
the
transportation
sector
and
be
looking
them
for
other
infrastructure
projects.
Mr.
speaker,
because
we
believe
that
when
we
build
BC
when
we
build
the
infrastructure
of
BC,
we
need
to
invest
in
the
people
of
BC.
Mr.
speaker,
this
is
something
that.
A
The
Opposition
in
16
years
of
government
never
realized
that
you
have
to
invest
in
people.
They
have
left
us
with
a
huge
skill
shortage,
a
huge
skills
gap
that
we
are
addressing
through
community
benefits
agreements,
mr.
speaker,
because
we're
going
to
be
making
sure
that
people
get
trained
and
ensure
that
they
get
to
be
able
to
complete
their
Red
Seal
apprentices
so
we're
very
comfortable
with
moving
ahead
with
community
benefits
agreements.
We've
been
very
clear
with
people
about
it
and
we
will
continue
to
proceed
with
our
community
benefits
agreements.
J
Thank
You
mr.
speaker,
well
I
think
it's
up
to
British
Columbians
to
decide
about
whether
or
not
the
the
union
benefits
agreement
are
actually
a
good
thing
or
not,
and
what's
critical
to
that
is
actually
this
Minister
standing
up
and
answering
a
straight-up,
simple
question.
We
asked
the
minister
what
advice
did
this
Minister
this
government
this
premier
receive
about
potential
consequences?
Let
me
help
her
out
because
here's
what
the
briefing
note
said.
J
According
according
to
the
briefing
note,
the
government
was
warned
that
if
the
premier
insisted
on
a
backroom
deal,
it
would
result
in
fewer
bidders
and
higher
costs.
I
think
British
Columbians
deserve
to
know
that
this
government
got
advice
that
the
cost
of
those
projects
would
go
up.
There
would
be
higher
risks
related
to
scheduling
and
completion
dates.
Can
the
Minister
for
once
just
once
stand
up
in
this
legislature
and
tell
British
Columbians?
J
A
B
A
A
We
are
very
confident
the
community
benefits
agreements
are
going
to
be
serving
the
people
of
British
Columbia
very
well.
We
have
seen
the
outcome.
We've
seen
your
position
when
they
were
government,
as
well
as
having
massive
cost
overruns
on
infrastructure
projects.
Use
this
same
use
the
same
model,
mr.
speaker,
mr.
speaker.
They
use
the
same
model
on
if
I
might
go
through
them,
brilliant
and
revel
state
unit.
Five
members:
we
need
to
do
an
expansion-
mr.
speaker,
2015
mighty
unit
15,
my
key
unit,
six
number
six
and
the
johnhart
generating
station.
Mr.
A
K
Well
from
that
answer,
it
appears
that
perhaps
the
minister
has
not
even
seen
the
briefing
note.
So
let
me
remind
the
minister
what
this
briefing
note
said
about
her
community
benefits
agreements
that
are
really
Union
benefits,
that
the
community
benefit
agreements
have
risks
staying
on
time
and
on
budget
and
risk
cost
overruns,
because
all
of
these
union
rules
are
more
expensive.
K
What
that
means,
mr.
speaker,
is
that
the
Premier's
friends
and
insiders
deal
means
workers
are
denied
opportunities,
BC
contractors
lose
work,
taxpayers
pay
more
and
the
public
gets
less
now.
Apparently,
this
Minister
is
denying
that
this
briefing
note
exists
and
I
quote
a
game
high
risk,
fewer
bidders
and
higher
costs.
B
B
B
L
Thank
you.
Honorable
speaker,
I'd,
listened
with
interest
to
the
questions
from
the
from
the
opposition
and
and
what's
been
really
interesting.
If
they
go,
you
know,
have
you
heard?
Have
you
heard
well,
honorable
speaker,
we
heard
loud
and
clear
from
families
and
parents
across
this
province
who
want
more
opportunities
for
their
kids
than
they
ever.
L
L
They
want
to
know
that
when
public
money
is
being
spent,
it
benefits
British,
Columbians
first,
honourable
speaker,
not
from
vested
interests.
It
provides
opportunities
for
communities,
large
and
small
families.
Reddick
loves
his
funds
from
Thunder,
w
AC
fen
were
built
onto
the
speaker.
That's
what
we're
doing
to
build
opportunity
for
the
future
of
young
people
in
the
process.