►
From YouTube: MARCH 17 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
for
weeks
now
we
have
been
asking
the
premier
to
respond
for
a
request
for
funding
to
support
hockey
teams
in
british
columbia.
In
fact,
we
know
they
will
not
survive.
We
are
very
thankful
that
there
is
a
return
to
play
in
process,
but
there
will
be
no
crowds
in
the
stands.
A
The
premier
had
this
to
say,
and
I
quote,
we
need
to
make
sure
we
provide
the
resources
to
keep
these
organizations
going
until
they
can
get
back
on
their
feet.
End
quote:
well,
the
premier
knows
that
these
organizations
desperately
need
help.
In
fact,
he
said
help
was
on
the
way
and
yet
they
are
still
waiting.
C
Premier,
thank
you,
whoops.
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
I
thank
thank
the
leader
of
the
opposition
for
a
question.
I
know
her
passion
for
this
subject
and
I
share
it.
We
were
delighted
to
announce
the
news
that
the
public
health
office,
dr
brian
emerson
and
dr
henry,
had
worked
through
the
details
of
putting
in
place
pods
so
that
the
bc
junior
hockey
league
could
have
an
abbreviated
season.
C
We're
also
mindful
of
the
fiscal
challenges
that
not
just
the
bchl,
the
whl
and
a
host
of
other
significant
sporting
organizations,
whether
it
be
the
western
lacrosse
association,
the
junior
football,
any
number
of
those
community
driven
initiatives
that
depend
on
getting
people
in
seats.
They
depend
on
business
sponsorships,
which
are
have
been
maintained
in
many
instances,
but
even
those
businesses
are
questioning
the
investment
in
an
organization
that
may
not
be
there
next
year.
So
we
absolutely
understand
this
we're
working
through
the
processes
of
government,
which
the
member
knows
very
very
well.
C
First
order
of
business
was
to
get
the
kids
back
on
the
ice.
Second,
order
of
business
is
to
make
sure
that
the
teams,
the
franchise
that
are
not
all
for-profit
businesses,
as
she
knows,
many
of
them
are
community
driven
and
many
of
them
are
not-for-profits,
and
we
need
to
make
sure
that
we
try
and
find
the
type
of
program
that
will
meet
the
needs
of
all
of
the
franchise,
not
just
those
that
are
businesses.
A
Well,
thank
you
very
much
and
thank
you
to
the
premier,
and
we
certainly
know
that
there
was
a
lot
of
celebrating
in
british
columbia
when
the
return
to
play
was
granted
and,
and
people
are
very
appreciative
that
so
yesterday
we
asked
about
the
status
of
the
funding
request
and
the
minister
of
jobs
replied,
and
I
quote:
there
are
grants
available
for
sports
teams
to
apply
for
end
quote,
but,
as
the
premier
just
pointed
out-
and
he
knows
well
bc
hockey.
A
League
teams,
like
the
prince
george,
spruce
kings,
the
powell
river
kings,
the
merit
centennials,
are
non-profit
organizations,
and
the
premier
himself
pointed
that
out.
So
what
does
that
mean
means
that
yesterday,
while
the
jobs
minister
was
busy
touting
an
application,
they
are
ineligible
for
that
minister's
grant
program
ineligible,
and
yet
he
stood
in
this
house
and
said
to
everyone.
Well,
they
can
just
apply.
A
Another
example
just
another
example
of
that,
so
you
know
the
members
can
mutter
all
they
want
on
the
other
side.
But
here's
what
the
jobs
minister
said
yesterday,
let's
just
let
those
sports
teams
apply.
Well,
sadly,
the
minister
doesn't
know
what's
going
on
in
his
own
ministry,
and
the
premier
needs
to
clarify
for
the
record
today.
He
can
either
clarify
the
jobs
minister's
comments
or
he
can
today
stand
up
and
specifically
tell
us
what
grant
program
that
non-profit
organizations
like
the
bc
hockey
league
like
the
pne,
like
festivals
across
british
columbia.
C
Thank
you,
honourable
speaker.
Well,
I
think
the
the
leader
of
the
opposition
answered
her
own
question
and
I
said
in
my
response
to
her
first
question
that
there
are
not
the
same
apples
in
this
basket.
There
are
apples,
they're
orange
there
are
pears,
the
member,
the
the
member
knows
this
full.
Well,
as
does
the
minister
responsible,
those
those
franchise
that
are
for-profit
businesses,
those
franchises
that
are
for-profit
businesses
should
apply
for
the
grants
that
are
available
to
them.
C
What
I
said
in
my
response
to
her,
and
which
I
think
was
abundantly
clear
yesterday,
is
there
are
other
franchise
operations
that
are
not
for-profit
businesses
and
that
will
require
that
will
require
a
different
tool,
a
different
solution
to
the
challenge.
We
want
to
make
sure
that
all
of
the
franchise
have
access
to
the
resources
that
they
will
need.
We
want
to
make
sure
it's
fair
and
it's
equitable,
those
that
are
for-profit.
C
Businesses
have
programs
that
they
should
have
already
applied
to
and
those
that
are
not
we'll
see
what
the
balance
is
at
the
end
of
the
day
will
make
sure
that
they're
kept
whole
as
well.
That's
the
objective,
honorable
speaker
and
again
one
of
the
challenges
I
think
the
opposition
is
having.
Is
they
can't
take
yes
for
an
answer?
C
We
understand
the
challenges.
We
understand
the
challenges.
These
programs
did
not
exist
12
months
ago.
They
did
not
exist
12
months
ago.
Not
everyone
is
the
same
and
that's
why
we
need
to
make
sure
that
we
do
this
in
an
equitable
way
that
ensures
that
the
franchise
in
merit
gets
the
same
access
to
dollars
as
the
franchise
in
penticton.
D
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Only
in
ndp
line
would
it
make
sense
to
tell
organizations
to
go
and
apply
for
a
grant
program
which
they're
not
eligible,
for
and
and
and
with
all
due
respect
to
the
premier.
He
is
likely
hearing
from
the
same
organizations
that
we
are
not
to
mention
countless
businesses
around
this
province
that
have
been
waiting
for
almost
a
year
now
for
support
from
this
government.
Mr
speaker,
yesterday
we
asked
we
asked
what
kinds
of
supports
non-profit
organizations
like
science
world
and
the
vancouver
aquarium
and
others
could
expect.
D
The
minister
responsible
replied-
and
I
quote:
well,
I'm
a
member
of
science
world
end
quote
well,
mr
speaker,
science
world
is
gonna,
need
more
than
130
bucks
out
of
the
minister's
pocket
in
order
to
keep
their
lights
on.
So
my
question
to
to
the
minister
is
this:
is:
is
130
bots
the
level
of
funding
that
he
believes?
Organizations
like
science,
world
and
the
vancouver
aquarium
need
to
survive,
or
is
he
prepared
to
step
up
today,
not
two
days
from
now,
not
30
days
from
now?
D
E
E
I
don't
understand
why
they're
so
angry
at
the
success
that
we
collectively
are
having
here
in
british
columbia.
Honorable
speaker,
I
shared
with
the
members
that
there
are
some
businesses,
the
some
sports
teams
that
operate
like
businesses,
they've
applied
and
some
have
already
received
the
money,
as
the
premier
has
noted,
some
of
them
are
not
for
profits,
and
I've
said
yesterday
as
well.
Minister
of
tourism
and
arts.
E
Culture
has
continued
to
engage
with
them
to
find
solutions
for
the
not-for-profits,
but
the
sports
organizations
that
are
running
like
businesses
have
applied
and
some
have
actually
received
the
money.
So
the
minister,
the
opposition
leader,
will
be
pleased
to
hear
that
that
being
said
today,
we
expanded
a
launch
online
program.
Honorable
speaker,
fantastic
program.
We
had
put
12
million
dollars
towards
that.
Originally,
we
said
such
an
increase
in
demand.
E
We
increased
it
by
30
million
dollars
today
on
normal
speaker-
and
I
know
the
member
for
kamloops
when
it
was
announced,
said:
oh,
this
is
not
needed.
That
was
this
position.
This
is
not
needed,
and
so
honorable
speaker,
just
as
we
are
adapting
our
programs
to
adjust
to
the
needs
of
businesses
throughout
bc.
It's
nice
to
see
that
the
member
is
adjusting
his
views
on
the
needs
of
programs
in
bc
as
well.
D
Well,
thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker.
I'm
not
I'm
not
the
one
that
is
expressing
the
anger
about
it.
Taking
a
year
for
this
government
to
deliver
programs,
it's
it's
small
businesses,
it's
it's
mid-size
businesses,
it's
non-profit
organizations,
it's
organizations
like
science,
world
and
the
vancouver
aquarium,
rodeos,
all
kinds
of
organizations
that
are
waiting
and
waiting
and
waiting
for
this
government
to
deliver.
Mr
speaker,
the
the
only
thing
that's
that
comprehensive
about
about
the
minister's
recovery
program
is
how
is
is
how
bungled
and
how
comprehensive
his
bungling
of
this
program?
D
Actually
is.
That's,
that's
that's
the
reality.
The
minister
also
claimed
yesterday.
The
minister
also
claimed
yesterday
that
there
was
money
available
for
theaters,
made
a
big
deal
about
this
yesterday,
theaters
that
can
apply
to
to
a
program
to
build
infrastructure,
but
news
flash
to
the
minister.
The
program
is
closed.
D
It's
closed.
It's
not
it's
not
taking
applications
anymore.
So
there's
there's
no
money
left
for
for
performing
arts
organizations,
but
mr
speaker,
that
same
program
that
same
program
had
enough
money
to
give
the
city
of
vancouver
six
hundred
and
forty
five
thousand
dollars
to
build
a
toilet.
D
So
my
no
no,
we
all
agree
on
the
importance
of
public
washrooms,
mr
speaker,
but
645
thousand
dollars
for
a
toilet.
Is
it
gold-plated?
So
my
question
to
the
minister
would
be
this:
why
was
spending
over
half
a
million
dollars
on
a
toilet,
more
important
than
grants
for
struggling
performing
arts
venues
that
are
barely
hanging
on.
E
E
B
E
Who
danny
devito
is
honorable
speaker?
We
have
the
highest
per
capita
supports
in
all
of
canada
for
business
and
people
honestly
we're
so
proud
of
that
99.4
percent
of
jobs
return
10
straight
months
of
job
increase,
leading
the
country
honorable.
This
is
something
we
should
all
be
proud
of.
E
Honorable
speaker,
we've
cut
property
taxes,
deferred
others
to
reduce
pressure.
We've
prohibited
commercial
evictions,
we
put
in
tax
subsidies
for
businesses
to
hire
and
rehire
employees.
E
We've
provided
a
25
reduction
to
liquor
pricing
for
restaurants
and
guess
what
we
made
it
permanent
going
forward,
we're
allowing
restaurants
we're
allowing
restaurants
to
be
able
to
sell
liquor,
which
they've
been
asking
for
for
a
long
time.
Arnold
speaker,
we've
made
so
many
adjustments
to
our
programs.
We've
made
so
much
support
available.
That's
why
we're
having
success
in
bc
right
now
on
speaker
and
we're
well
positioned
to
have
a
very
strong
economic
recovery.
F
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
our
government
is
strongly
committed
to
implementing
the
14
recommendations
from
the
old
growth
report,
and
the
first
report,
of
course,
is
to
engage
the
full
involvement
of
indigenous
leaders
and
organizations,
and
our
ministry
is
doing
that,
and
I
would
be
happy
to
reach
out
to
the
member
and
to
the
to
the
to
the
leader,
to
the
chief
and
and
talk
to
them
about
their
issues,
because
we
know
how
important
this
work
is.
It's
it's.
F
This
is
chief
randy
cook
makwala
of
the
mount
gilla
first
nation.
He
says,
and
I
quote,
collaboration
between
first
nations.
Governments
will
be
key
to
moving
forward
bc.
Timber
sales
continues
to
high
grade
and
target
ancient
culturally
significant
red
and
yellow
cedar
old
growth,
forests
in
mountain
taguila
territory,
in
both
the
great
bear
rainforest
and
on
vancouver
island.
F
He
has
a
question,
honourable
speaker
to
the
minister
of
forest
lands
natural
resource
operations.
He
asks.
Will
the
minister
tell
bc
timber
sales
to
cease
all
logging
of
old
growth
forests
to
show
that
bc
is
a
leader
in
ending
the
unethical
practice
of
old
growth
logging?
And
please
could
you
start
with
my
territory
where
bc,
timber
sales
and
companies
like
lamar
lake
logging,
are
destroying
culturally
modified
trees
and
the
last
of
our
sacred
trees
of
life?
The
great
cedar
tree.
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
there
are
thousands
of
hectares.
Excuse
me,
of
protected
old
growth,
trees
across
bc.
There's
in
clayquatsound,
there's
170
000
hectares,
crystalline,
creek,
there's
over
9
900
hectares,
there's
almost
600
hectares
in
quesam
in
kampalu
valley
has
5
000
hectares
and
I
could
go
on.
There
are
hundreds
of
thousands
of
hectares
of
old
growth,
forests
that
have
been
protected
and
we
are
committed
to
working
with
indigenous
governments
on
additional
areas
of
old
growth,
deferrals
and
protections.
H
Yeah,
thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
what's
clear
by
the
minister
of
forests
response.
H
Is
that
they're
getting
it
wrong
they're
getting
it
wrong,
because
you
can't
consult
about
trees
that
are
already
cut,
and
the
minister
when
asked
a
direct
question
about
about
an
indigenous
leader,
randy
cook
in
north
island,
starts
to
rattle
off
in
about
other
areas
that
are
protected,
that
are
not
in
the
territories
that
we're
talking
about
kodi
new
chat,
la
nation,
hereditary
and
band
council
chief
jordan,
michael
newchatlet
nation,
is
fed
up
with
the
bc
government
and
logging
companies
gaslighting
our
people.
H
H
When
will
the
premier,
the
minister
of
forests
and
the
attorney
general
honor,
the
rights
and
title
of
the
new
chatlac
nation
and
stop
prioritizing
western
forest
products,
profits
over
the
health
of
the
environment,
wild
salmon
and
my
people's
cultural
heritage
in
the
old
growth
forest
island?
End
quote,
mr
speaker,
my
question
is
to
the
minister
of
indigenous
relations
and
reconciliation.
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
again
we
are
committed
to
government
to
government
discussions
with
indigenous
nations
in
this
province
as
the
number
one
recommendation
from
the
old
growth
report,
and
I
will
remember
the
I
will
remind
the
member
that
the
old
growth
report
was
written
by
two
illustrious
foresters
in
this
province.
Al
gorey
and
gary
merkel
and
gary
merkel
is
a
member
of
the
taltan
nation,
and
we
know
that
we
need
to.
We
need
to
have
done.
G
What
we
have
done
is
those
14
recommendations
where
we
deferred
over
100
thousands
of
hectares
of
old
growth
forests.
But
we
also
know
that
we
did
that
in
discussion
with
indigenous
nations,
and
we
have
more
to
do.
We
don't
deny
that
we
have
more
to
do
and
we
will
be
reaching
out
to
indigenous
nations
and
we
will
be
reaching
out
to
them
on
a
government
government
basis
to
discuss
those
important
to
have
those
important
discussions
about
their
land,
about
where
they,
the
nations
that
want
to
be
involved
in
forestry.
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
I
think
whoever's
making
the
decisions
about
who's.
Answering
these
questions
just
put
indigenous
nations
on
notice
as
to
the
rank
and
file
of
where
the
minister
of
indigenous
relations
and
reconciliation
stands
in
the
grand
scheme
of
things
of
this
government,
because
my
question
was
not
about
forests.
My
question
was
what
it
was.
H
What
was
about
what
the
minister
of
indigenous
relations
and
reconciliations
has
done
to
advance
this
conversation,
a
question
specific
to
that
minister,
a
ministry
in
which
I
hold
to
high
esteem,
mr
speaker,
grand
chief,
stuart
phillip,
president
of
the
union
of
bc.
Indian
chiefs,
has
also
called
for
an
immediate
protections
to
create
space
for
proper
consultation,
and
he
said
to
have
good
faith
conversations.
We
must
quote
put
away
the
power
saws.
H
End
quote:
ubc
ic
has
written
a
letter
to
this
government
explaining
why
adequate
funding
is
a
critical
component
of
reconciliation
and
a
shift
away
from
old
growth
logging.
I
quote
with
a
lack
of
critical
and
accessible
funding,
combined
with
the
government's
overwhelming
influence
resulting
in
indigenous
dependency
on
old
growth,
logging,
jobs
and
revenues.
H
First,
nations
communities
are
unable
to
exercise
their
right
title
and
rights
to
freely
pursue
their
economic
options
consistent
with
the
protection
of
old
growth,
forests
and
indigenous
self-determination.
End
quote:
to
quote
the
letter
again
quote:
conservation
financing
is
vital
to
support
and
advance
sustainable
economic
self-determination
in
first
nations
communities
to
ensure
that
an
equivalent
economic
alternative
to
old
growth
logging
is
available
for
these
communities.
End
quote
again.
My
question
is
to
the
minister
of
indigenous
relations
and
reconciliation.
I
I
I
have
the
greatest
respect
for
grand
chief,
stuart
phillip
and
aware
of
the
correspondence
that
the
member
refers
to
and,
of
course,
will
continue
to
be
involved
as
a
member
of
the
executive
council
in
the
decision
making
respecting
this
critically
important
file,
we
are
playing
a
supportive
role
across
government
and
will
continue
to
do
so.
I
thank
the
member
for
his
question.
I
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker.
For
over
three
years
the
premier
has
been
fighting
a
legal
battle
to
hide
a
list
of
files
on
his
computer.
The
government
lawyers
tried
every
argument
imaginable
to
suggest
that
providing
a
screenshot
or
a
list
of
files
was
too
hard
and
too
complicated.
Well,
good
news.
The
premier
lost
the
office
of
information
and
privacy.
Commissioner
has
dismissively
ruled
quote,
while
human
effort
is
required
to
provide
a
list
of
files,
for
example
the
pushing
of
buttons
and
entering
commands,
etc.
I
C
Premiere,
thank
you.
Oliver
speaker
the.
If
the
member
wants
to
see
access
to
a
computer,
that's
rarely
turned
on
he's.
Welcome
to
it,
but
it's
the
it's.
The
the
constant
fishing
expeditions
by
the
official
opposition,
not
not
to
not
not
to
not
to
elevate
awareness
or
understanding
of
the
critical
issues
facing
british
colombians,
but
to
keep
the
people
in
the
basement
busy
with
the
foi
requests.
You
can
come
and
take
a
look
at
my
computer
right
after
question
period.
I'm
happy
to
let
you
take
all
the
pictures
that
you
want.
I
Government
lawyers
spent
over
three
years
delaying
and
blocking
the
information.
Now
they
seek
to
defy
the
ruling
by
choosing
the
most
difficult
means
possible
of
providing
those
records
by
applying
a
trumped
up
fee.
I
have
an
invoice
for
twenty
seven
hundred
dollars
for
an
estimated
ninety
hours
of
work
to
produce
a
record
if
they're
going
to
charge
us
that
I
shudder
to
what
they
think
they
would
charge
the
press
are
the
basic
computer
functions
beyond
the
capabilities
of
the
premiere
staff
is
nothing
more
than
an
attempt
to
block
access.
C
Well,
thank
you,
honourable
speaker,
and
I
think
it
was
a
tactical
move
by
the
official
opposition
to
put
up
a
rookie
mla,
because
the
because
the
schedule,
the
schedule
that
he
refers
to
was
not
created
by
me.
It
was
not
created
by
the
attorney
general.
It
was
created
by
the
bc
liberals.
In
fact,
in
fact,
it
was
approved
by
the
former
finance
minister,
who
proudly
said
I
don't
use
emails.
J
Well
well,
thank
you,
mr
speak.
Speaker
sticking
with
the
st
patrick's
day
theme
it's
going
to
take
a
lot
more
than
the
luck
of
the
irish
to
allow
the
premiere
to
wiggle
out
of
this
one.
This
is
what
the
premier
said
three
years
ago,
and
I
quote,
I
set
a
very
high
standard.
I
am
disappointed
that
we
are
not
always
meeting
that
standard,
but
I
remain
committed
to
ensuring
that
we're
doing
our
level
best
to
be
open
to
be
transparent
and
to
have
the
best
practices
when
it
comes
to
freedom
of
information.
J
C
C
He
wasn't
here
when
the
former
premier's
office
had
someone
responsible
for
freedom
of
information
who
used
who
used,
yellow
post-its,
who
use
yellow
post-its
to
track
information
coming
in
and
out
of
the
office.
We
are
doing
everything
we
can
to
meet
the
public's
expectation
about
access
to
their
information.
B
C
J
J
Oh
sorry,
this
is
what
the
privacy
commissioner
had
to
say
quote.
Between
april
1st
2017
and
march
31st
2020
government
failed
to
comply
with
legislative
timelines
in
thousands
of
cases
and
over
900
files
remain
unanswered,
with
no
legal
authority
to
delay
responding.
End
quote
this
is
a
deliberate
attempt
by
the
ndp
to
conceal
government
records
from
british
columbians.
When
will
the
premier
stop
fighting
the
release
of
public
information.
K
K
This
request
that
was
put
forward
requires
90
hours
of
staff
time
and
will
take
developing
two
computer
programs
designing
and
developing
two
computer
programs
to
process
this
request.
This
is
a
broad
sweeping
request.
That's
asking
for
screenshots
of
devices
which
aren't
typically
government
records.
They
historically
have
not
been
under
the
previous
government.
They
are
not
historically
records
that
our
government
has
kept
over
the
past
three
years
there
has
been
a
250
percent
increase
in
foi
requests
from
political
parties.
K
Imagine
that
honorable
speaker,
250
increase
from
political
parties
that
have
cost
the
bc
taxpayers
43
million
dollars,
so
when
applying
that
fee
of
2700
is
entirely
appropriate
to
design
and
develop
two
computer
programs
to
actually
generate
records
that
don't
currently
exist
is
an
entirely
appropriate
use
of
the
fee.
We
are
being
open
and
transparent
with
british
columbians.
Last
year
we
released
1.86
million
pages
in
responses
to
foi
requests,
and
our
response
time
is
86
compared
to
the
previous
government.
79,
so
we
are
going
to
continue
to
be
transparent.
Honorable
speaker,
thank
you.