►
From YouTube: MARCH 11 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
B
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
the
premier
spoke
eloquently
in
his
remarks
just
moments
ago
about
the
arrival
of
vaccine
in
british
columbia
and
the
hope
that
it
brings,
and
we
certainly
agree
with
that.
The
astrazeneca
vaccine
has
arrived
in
british
columbia
and
we
all
know
that
it
comes
with
an
expiry
date.
B
D
Honorable
premier,
thank
you
honorable
speaker,
and
I
I
thank
the
leader
of
the
opposition
for
her
question,
and
it
is
absolutely
true
that
the
first
tranche
of
the
first
round
of
astrazeneca
does
have
a
best
before
date
of
april,
2nd,
dr
henry
and
her
team,
dr
balam
and
the
immunization
team
are
looking
carefully
at
where
we
can
best
deploy
that
precious
resource
to
meet
the
needs
of
frontline
workers
and
a
whole
host
of
others.
D
The
member
talked
about
a
range
of
workers
who
are
concerned
about
their
place
in
the
queue
I
have
to
say,
and
I'm
sure
that
the
members
in
this
house
have
received
the
same
amount
of
correspondence
that
I
have
from
firefighters,
nurses,
nurse
practitioners,
the
range
of
front
line
workers,
paramedics.
The
list
is
long.
The
the
male
is
about
two
and
a
half
inches
thick.
Every
argument,
a
valid
argument:
everyone
carefully
considered
by
the
public
health
office,
dr
henry,
will
be
deploying
the
resource
as
she
best
sees
fit
to
contain
outbreaks
we've
heard
of.
D
D
I
know
that
I
should
say
expect
further
questions
on
this
I'll
leave
it
to
the
minister
of
health
to
go
into
more
precision
on
how
dr
henry
plans
to
deploy
this,
but
I
want
to
assure
the
member
and
all
members
of
the
house,
and
indeed
all
british
columbians,
that
we
are
going
to
use
what
is
now
a
precious
resource,
that's
coming
in
increasing
abundance,
which
is
fundamentally
important
to
us
getting
out
of
this
we're
going
to
deploy
that
resource
as
we
see
best
fit
to
protect
the
most
vulnerable
in
our
communities.
B
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
and
I
appreciate
the
premier's
response.
I
think
british
columbians,
and
certainly
members
on
this
side
of
the
house
do
have
some
very
specific
questions
about
the
timelines
for
providing
the
information.
We
all
recognize
that
the
pandemic,
and
in
fact
we
just
talked
about
that
in
very
poignant
terms,
and
and-
and
we
recognize
the
year
that
it
has
been
for
british
columbia
in
the
world,
so
the
pandemic
has
been
here
for
a
year
and
we
have
celebrated
and
honored
and
respected
frontline
workers.
B
When
we
think
about
that
group
and
and
the
premier's
accurate,
there
is
a
long
list,
teachers
first
responders,
dentists,
agricultural
workers,
transit
workers,
these
groups
are
waiting
and
they
have
been
patient
and
resilient
and
hardworking.
They
deserve
to
know
where
they
fit
in
the
on
the
priority
list.
We
know
that
it's
important
they're,
critical
frontline
workers
and
they
are
facing
risks
every
single
day.
So
with
the
deadline
that
is
attached
to
astrazeneca,
could
the
premier
at
least
indicate
the
prior,
the
prioritization
which
workers
can
expect
to
get
a
vaccination
and
when.
D
Premier
well,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
again,
dr
henry
is
the
expert
in
this
area
she's
working
with
the
immunization
team,
to
make
sure
that
we
don't
leave
one
drop
of
vaccine
underutilized
over
the
next
number
of
weeks
and
months.
I
I
want
to
pause,
though,
and
speak
a
little
bit
more
comprehensively
on
on
the
context
for
the
the
members
question
and
we
we've
all
agreed
and
acknowledged
that
there
are
no
shortage
of
people
deserving
of
immediate
immunization.
D
But
our
challenge
is
not
with
this
federal
government,
not
even
with
the
last
federal
government,
successive
federal
governments
going
back
25
years
that
let
our
ability
to
immunize
ourselves
atrophy,
I'm
not
blaming
anyone.
When
I
say
that
honorable
speaker,
I'm
just
stating
the
facts,
our
ability
to
do
what
other
pro
jurisdictions
are
doing
has
been
compromised,
and
we
now
acknowledge
that
and
thank
goodness
the
life
sciences
sector
here
in
british
columbia
is
well
placed
to
lead
the
renewal
of
that
that
ability
here
in
bc.
D
Having
said
all
of
that
were
dependent
on
offshore
supplies,
we
saw
a
very
disappointing
drop
in
delivery
in
early
february
that
took
a
little
bit
of
the
wind
out
of
all
of
our
sails.
We
were
absolutely
enthusiastic
about
the
prospect
of
mass
immunization,
starting
with
the
most
vulnerable,
making
sure
that
we
could
target
the
populations
that
the
member
and
I
agree
on-
are
critical
to
the
well-being
of
our
our
communities,
but
again
with
a
limited
supply.
D
We're
leaving
it
up
to
dr
henry
to
give
us
the
advice
that
we
believe
will
best
allow
us
to
meet
the
needs
of
everyone.
Every
vaccination
delivered
makes
us
a
little
bit
safer,
whether
we're
front
line
workers,
whether
we're
elected
representatives,
whether
we're
family
members
in
the
dis,
the
various
component
parts
of
our
beautiful
province.
So
I
I
again
will
allow
the
minister
of
health,
I'm
sure
in
subsequent
questions,
to
get
into
more
precision
on
this.
E
E
F
Thank
you
very
much,
thank
you
to
the
honourable
member
for
her
question
and
I'm
going
to
say
express
my
appreciation
to
the
leader
of
the
opposition
to
the
former
leader
of
the
opposition,
the
member
for
vancouver,
koscienna,
the
health
critic,
the
former
health
critic,
the
member
for
kelowna
lake
country
and
the
leader
of
the
green
party
for
all
of
their
questions,
but
also
their
support
and
contribution
and
acts
of
personal
generosity
over
the
past
year,
which
I
deeply
appreciate.
F
With
respect
to
the
booking
system
for
club
19
vaccinations,
as
members
will
know
starting
at
noon
today,
we
are
advancing
to
the
next
group
of
british
columbians
in
our
age
base
effort
those
born
in
1936
or
before
between
the
ages
of
85
to
89.
over
the
last
number
of
days
as
of
nine
o'clock.
Today,
41
661
people
have
booked
their
appointments
and
I
wanted
to
acknowledge
the
excellent
work
in
the
last
number
of
days
of
telus
and
of
health
authorities
and
improving
systems
and
responses
to
people
such
that
in
health
authorities.
F
Today,
there
is
a
one-minute
wait
time
on
average
this
morning
for
calls
that
we've
received.
So
all
of
that
is
good,
as
you
know,
for
the
75
to
79
category,
starting
with
that
and
then
throughout.
After
that,
in
the
pandemic,
there
will
also
be
an
addition
to
call
centers
and
online
platform
at
that
time.
This
was
part
of
the
presentation
that
was
made
to
the
opposition
and
everyone
else
a
week
ago,
last
monday,
and
we
should
see
that
soon.
E
Thank
you,
and
thanks
for
that
answer,
and
based
on
that,
we
only
have
about
7.4
million
more
bookings
to
go.
The
province
of
quebec
opened
online
registrations
over
two
weeks
ago.
They
registered
a
hundred
thousand
people
on
day.
One
lori
dahlgren
is
one
of
thousands
of
frustrated
british
columbians
and
she
says-
and
I
quote,
they've
known
this
has
been
coming
for
a
long
time.
They've
had
plenty
of
time
to
get
ready
and
it's
unacceptable.
E
F
Honorable
speaker,
in
the
first
phase
of
the
pandemic,
public
health,
organized
1390
clinics
across
bc,
delivering
full
immunizations
in
long-term
care
and
assisted
living
to
many
frontline
health
care
workers,
of
course,
to
and
to
many
other
vulnerable
people,
including
people
in
rural
and
remote
indigenous
communities.
As
vaccine
came,
that
vaccine
was
delivered
into
people's
arms
in
an
efficient
way
representing,
I
think,
an
extraordinary
collective
effort
by
everybody
in
public
health
care,
and
that
is
what
we're
continuing
to
do.
F
The
main
limitation
is
the
member
will
known,
as
the
premier
noted,
is
the
amount
of
vaccine
we
have
and
we
have
organized
based
on
very
important
principles.
Those
principles,
most
importantly,
are
to
protect
those
who
have
the
highest
vulnerability
to
covet
19.
First,
that's
the
reason
we
we
started
with
long-term
care
and
we've
seen
the
effectiveness
of
the
vaccine
in
that
venue,
and
now
we're
working
through
based
on
age,
the
general
population
we'll
also
be
using
the
astrazeneca
resource
there
are.
F
We
have
received,
as
the
leader
of
the
opposition
noted,
68
000
doses
of
astrazeneca,
have
now
arrived,
we'll
be
receiving
in
late
april,
a
further
136
thousand
and
in
late
may
a
further
68
000
doses
of
astrazeneca
the
priority
right
now,
as
the
premier
has
said,
and
as
dr
henry
has
said,
is
dealing
with
outbreaks
and
exposures
in
workplaces
right
now
in
the
most
high
risk
industries
to
covet
19..
F
That
is
happening
now
will
happen
with
the
first
doses
of
covet
19
41
000
of
of
which
of
the
68
000
will
expire
on
april,
2nd.
So
that
is
the
approach
being
taken
there
and
then
next
week
we'll
be
presenting
the
plan
for
the
for
the
following
204
000
doses
in
the
next
two
rounds.
So
this
effort,
I
think
the
our
immunization
effort
in
bc,
has
been
highly
organized.
F
G
Thank
you
honorable
speaker
today
marks
six
months
since
the
ndp
government
really
released
the
old
growth
strategic
review
panel
report,
although
to
be
clear,
this
government
had,
the
report
has
had
the
report
nearly
a
year.
They
received
it
in
april
2020,
but
chose
not
to
share
it
with
the
public
until
september.
G
The
report
called
for
a
paradigm
shift
in
our
approach
to
forestry
in
british
columbia,
especially
our
ongoing
gross
mismanagement
of
oil
growth.
One
of
the
key
recommendations
is
to
immediately
defer
logging
of
the
most
at-risk
old
growth
to
prevent
loss
of
rare
and
the
report
specified.
This
must
happen
within
six
months
here
we
are,
and
this
government
still
has
not
taken
any
meaningful
action
to
protect
these
forests.
Instead,
we
are
losing
critical
or
growth
stands.
As
the
old
strategy
of
talk
and
log
continues.
G
My
question
to
you,
honourable
speaker,
is
to
the
minister
of
forest
lands
natural
resource
operations.
It's
now
been
six
months
since
government
released
this
report
and
many
months
into
her
tenure
as
minister,
where
is
the
action
that
was
promised
to
protect
our
most
endangered
old
growth,
forests.
H
Those
who
are
calling
for
a
return
to
the
status
quo
or
are
are
putting
bc's
majestic
old
growth
and
vital
biodiversity
at
risk,
and
those
who
are
calling
for
an
immediate
moratorium
are
ignoring
the
needs
of
thousands
of
workers
and
families
in
forest
dependent
communities
right
across
our
province.
We
want
old
growth
forest
to
be
appreciated
by
people
today
and
in
years
to
come.
It's
also
a
priority
for
our
government
to
support
good
jobs
for
people
in
bc's
forestry
sector.
G
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and,
let's
just
go
through
that
answer
a
little
bit.
A
divisive
and
patchwork
response
is
actually
resulting
in
a
particularly
divisive
and
patchwork,
old-growth
forests
that
are
left
in
this
province,
which
are
diminishing
by
the
day.
G
The
minister
talks
about
an
immediate
moratorium,
which
is
not
what
the
panel
recommended
recommended
a
six-month
work
with
deadline
for
deferral
and
when
the
minister
says
she
asked
the
panel
to
advise.
That
is
exactly
what
they've
done.
What
I've
pointed
out
in
my
question,
honorable
speaker,
is
that
the
government
has
not
responded
to
that
advice
that
was
given
and
that
promise
that
was
made
by
the
premier
during
the
september
election
campaign
that
all
recommendations
of
that
panel's
report
would
be
followed
by
this
government.
G
My
question
again
is
to
the
minister
of
forest
lands
natural
resource
operations.
We
can't
afford
years
of
delay
on
this
anymore.
When
will
she
be
fulfilled?
The
promise
that
was
made
to
implement
the
old
growth
panel
recommendations,
beginning
with
immediate
interim
protections
in
our
high
risk
old
growth
forest.
H
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
I'd
like
to
correct
some
inaccuracies
from
the
member.
We
have
taken
some
important
first
steps
when
it
comes
to
taking
action
to
protect
old
growth
and
implement
the
recommendations
from
the
report
the
independent
panel
recommended
we
involve
indigenous
governments
and
organizations
within
the
first
six
months
of
releasing
the
report,
and
we
have
done
that
and
continue
to
engage
with
indigenous
governments
and
organizations
on
this.
The
panel
also
recommended
we
take
immediate
action
to
protect
ecosystems
at
very
high
risk.
H
We
have
also
done
that,
for
example,
over
a
hundred
and
seventy
thousand
hectares
of
old
growth
in
the
clayquatz
sound
about
a
thousand
hectares
of
old
growth
in
stockpile
creek,
almost
ten
thousand
hectares
in
upper
southgate
river.
This
coastal
rainforest
is
home
to
wildlife
in
multiple
species
of
salmon,
and
that
is
just
to
name
a
few.
H
We
have
also
initiated
action
on
two
other
recommendations
aimed
at
improving
public
information
and
compliance,
and
while
we
have
taken
these
important
first
steps,
as
recommended
by
the
panel
within
six
months,
we
know
there
is
much
more
work
to
do
and
we
are
dedicated
to
continuing
in
this
important
work
with
government
to
government
and
discussions
with
indigenous
leaders
talking
to
our
partners
in
labor
industry,
environmental
organization
and
communities.
We
have
taken
those
first
initial
steps
and
there
is
more
to
do
and
we
are
committed.
H
A
The
last
time
we
approved
1.5
billion
dollars
without
knowing
how
it
would
be
spent.
The
premier
used
that
to
craft
his
own
election
platform
and
then
never
even
got
that
money
out
the
door.
We've
seen
nothing,
but
a
botched
small
business
recovery
grant
delayed,
coveted
rebate
program
and
little
in
the
way
of
any
accountability
from
this
government.
I
I
We've
been
here
in
this
very
hybrid
style,
of
doing
the
people's
work
and
recognizing
how
important
it
is
to
support
people
and
that's
exactly
what
we've
been
doing
this
entire
year.
I
want
to
thank
the
members
opposite
for
their
collaboration
and
we
are
still
in
the
pandemic
we're
going
to
continue
to
support
people
here
in
british
columbia,
we're
going
to
continue
to
support
business
in
british
columbia
because
that's
what
they
need
from
their
government.
Mr
speaker,.
A
A
When
the
ndp
government
presented
the
infamous
budget
budget,
the
premier
should
know
this
all
too
well.
He
was
working
in
the
ministry
of
finance
at
that
time.
The
now
health
minister
was
the
principal
secretary
for
ndp
glenn
clark
premier
of
the
time,
and
this
premier's
chief
of
staff
was
also
working
back
then
in
clan
clark's
office
seems
the
same.
A
Players
are
back
on
the
field
and
history
is
now
repeating
itself,
so
will
the
premiere
admit
he's
adv
he's
in
violation
of
the
purpose
of
the
financial
administration
act
by
asking
for
another
13
billion
dollars,
without
even
showing
anybody
how
that
money
is
going
to
be
spent?
Minister
of
finance
well,.
I
Mr
speaker,
well
back
in
the
90s,
I
was
raising
some
small
babies
and
it
was
a
very
busy
time
for
me,
so
I
don't
know
what
the
member's
referring
to.
I
wasn't
here
in
this
place,
but
again,
mr
speaker,
I
want
to
be
very
clear.
We
have
been
in
a
pandemic.
I
I
J
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
the
premier
has
indeed
bungled
his
coveted
recovery
rebate.
He
has
completely
botched
the
small
business
recovery
grant
program,
he's
delayed
the
budget
and
quarterly
reports
blaming
that
on
an
election
which
he
called,
and
now
he
doesn't
seem
to
care
about
bc's
budget
transparency
laws.
So
my
question
is
this:
how
are
we
supposed
to
give
the
premier
a
blank
check
for
13
billion
dollars
with
no
budget
and
no
spending
plan.
I
You
very
much,
mr
speaker.
Well,
the
the
members
opposite
will
know
full
well
that
we
do
interim
supply
every
single
spring
that
this
and
that,
mr
speaker
and
mr
and
mr
speaker,
given
the
the
state
of
affairs
around
this
pandemic,
it's
absolutely
critical
that
we
continue
to
do
the
work
that
british
columbians
depend
on
us,
which
is
to
be
there
for
them
to
make
sure
that
their
supports
are
there,
and
in
fact,
mr
speaker,
the
member
opposite
mentioned
the
the
bc
recovery
benefit.
I
Well,
I'm
very
happy
to
rise
in
this
house,
mr
speaker,
and
and
point
out
that
2.3
million
people
have
received
a
recovery
benefit.
They
have
received
the
recovery
and
mr
speaker,
that
amounts
to
well
over
a
billion
dollars,
and
not
only
that,
mr
speaker,
that's
a
billion
dollars.
That's
going
into
the
local
economies,
mr
smith,.
I
I
want
to
tell
members
the
story
about
what
really
means
for
communities
around
this
province,
so
I
heard
from
someone
when
they
a
friend
of
mine,
whose
mother
75
years
old
was
anxious
about
going
online.
She
went
online,
she
got
her
recovery
benefit
within
three
or
four
days,
and
then
she
did
a
zoom
call
with
two
of
her
elderly
friends
and
they
were
making
plans
about
where
they
were
going
to
go
in
their
community
to
spend
their
recovery
benefit.
I
J
Well,
mr
speaker,
the
premier
has
delayed
the
budget
he's
delayed
the
quarter.
Quarterly
reports
he's
expanded
the
use
of
of
special
warrants.
He
hasn't
released
the
telus
contract,
which
we've
been
calling
for
all
week.
He
hid
a
critical
long-term
care
report
during
the
recent
provincial
election,
and
now
the
premier
wants
to
spend
13
billion
dollars
without
a
budget
and
no
spending
plan,
no
details,
mr
speaker,
so
my
question
again
to
the
premier.
Why
is
he
bit
by
bit
manipulating
bc's
budget
process
and
why
does
he
no
longer
care
about
bc's
budget
transparency
laws?
A
I
You
very
much,
mr
speaker.
Well,
I
think
british
columbians
know
exactly
how
much
this
government
cares
about
them.
That's
why
we
have
been
delivering
for
them.
That's
why
we
have
recovery
benefits.
That's
why
we
have
business
recovery
opportunities.
It
is
why
we
are
you
know,
making
sure
that
we
have
robust
plans
in
place
to
get
the
vaccinations
into
people's
arms.
Mr
speaker,
british
columbians
know
very
much
how
much
their
their
government
cares
about
them.
C
Thanks
honorable
speaker,
well,
as
we've
heard,
there's
another
anniversary
taking
place
this
spring,
it
was
25
years
ago
that
the
most
notorious
example
of
budgetary
manipulation
and
chicanery
took
place.
The
ndp
budget
budget,
the
finance
minister,
says
ancient
history,
except
except
it
was
the
history
of
the
premier.
It
was
the
history
of
the
health
minister,
the
history
of
the
premier's
chief
of
staff,
members.
C
C
C
I
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well
certainly
the
member
is
is
is
trying
to
spin
a
narrative
that
is
so
far
from
reality
that
I
think
british
colombians
should
be
embarrassed
at
the
official.
I
Opposition
is
a
pandemic
still
honorable
member,
we
just
spoke
about
that
today,
recognizing
the
sacrifices
and
the
challenges
that
so
many
british
colombians
have
endured
for
12
months,
the
sacrifices
that
they
have
made
by
going
to
work
by
taking
care
of
our
children
by
caring
for
our
aging
parents
by
making
sure
there's
groceries
there
for
us
when
we
need
them.
Mr
speaker,
and
just
like
everybody
else,
has
really
been
challenged
to
accommodate
this
change.
There
has
been
some
changes
as
a
result
of
the
pandemic.
I
Here
before
this
house,
we
are
in
an
unprecedented
time
there's
a
tremendous
amount
of
work
that
needs
to
go
into
making
sure
that
british
columbians
continue
to
get
the
supports,
that
they
need
and
that's
why
we're
delivering
the
budget.
On
april
20th,
honorable
member,
you
will
see
a
budget
that
will
detail
exactly
how
we
will
move
forward,
continuing
to
protect
british
columbians
and
build
a
road
for
economic
recovery.
C
The
reputation
as
a
leader
in
canada,
not
a
leader,
the
leader
for
transparent
and
responsible
budgeting.
Mr
speaker
talk
talk,
talk
about
talk
about
fiscal
sleight
of
hand,
and
I'm
I'm
waiting
for
the
minister
to
tell
me
what
part
of
what
I'm
about
to
say
is
inaccurate.
The
premier
and
the
finance
minister
are
actually
asking
the
house
to
agree
to
this.
Mr
speaker,
they
are
asking
the
house
to
agree
that
last
year's
pre-pandemic
budget
pre-pandemic
budget
will
be
deemed
to
be
this
year's
budget.
C
They
will
deem
it
to
be
this
year's
budget,
mr
speaker,
so
that
they
can
spend
13
billion
dollars.
Now,
if
anything
I
have
just
said
is
inaccurate,
the
minister
can
stand
up
and
rebut
it.
The
ndp,
mr
speaker,
must
be
the
only
government
in
the
entire
world
in
the
entire
world,
using
a
pre-pandemic
2020
budget
as
the
basis
for
spending
authority
over
a
year
later
in
the
midst
of
a
pandemic
plagued
economy.
Mr
speaker,
why
is
the
ndp
is
my
question?
I
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker.
Well,
the
member
opposite.
What
is
mentions
transparency?
Well,
I
seem
to
recall
that
there
was
an
icbc
document
and
pages
got
torn
out
and
wasn't
that
sort
of
when
they
were
on
this
side
of
the
house
or
something
about
that.
So
I
don't
think
that
the
folks
over
on
the
other
side
can
say
much
about
transparency.
Mr
speaker,
what
british
colombians
need
to
know?
What
british
columbians
need
to
know
is
that
we
have
demonstrated
our
commitment
as
a
government
to
be
there
for
them.
I
We
have
brought
in
supports
we've
brought
in
services.
We
have
been
taking
care
of
businesses
and
people
their
health
care
needs.
We
have
been
there
for
them,
mr
speaker,
we're
going
to
continue
to
be
there
for
them
and
I'm
very
proud
of
what
our
government
has
done
and
what
we're
going
to
keep
doing.