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From YouTube: DECEMBER 9 2020 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
D
D
I
thank
the
representative,
children,
youth
report
and
her
team
for
all
of
the
work
that
again
in
such
difficult
circumstances
has
been
completed,
and
I
thank
the
families.
Thank
you
for
sharing
your
stories.
Thank
you
for
taking
the
time.
Thank
you
for
taking
part,
and
my
heart
goes
out
to
you.
I
share
the
concerns
of
the
representative
for
too
long
the
system
has
been
extremely
fragmented
and
that's
why?
D
Member
you
will
have
seen
in
my
mandate
letter
that
the
premier
has
asked
me
to
move
forward
with
a
framework
for
supporting
families
with
children
and
youth
with
support
needs
already.
I
have
instructed
ministry
staff
to
move
forward
with
the
recommendation
related
to
an
advisory
panel,
and
I've
already
asked
them
to
accelerate
work
towards
implementing
the
framework.
C
Thank
you
very
much,
honourable
speaker,
and,
and
I
I
appreciate
the
compassion
and
the
caring
in
the
minister's
answer.
But
what
I
didn't
hear
was
an
answer
to
the
question.
The
answer,
in
fact
the
minister
provided,
will
provide
little
comfort
and
certainly
no
direct
support
that
is
desperately
needed
by
these
families.
C
C
The
report
and
families
across
the
province
are
calling
for
immediate
action
to
meet
these
urgent
needs.
An
advisory
committee
is
one
step,
but
today
we
need
the
government
to
respond
to
the
critical
needs
of
these
families.
Will
the
minister
commit
to
the
extension
of
pandemic
related
benefits
until
the
fall
of
2021.
D
D
You
will
know
that
some
measures
were
put
in
place
and
that
included
measures
like
increased
flexibility
of
use
of
benefits
that
families
have
told
us
has
actually
been
really
really
helpful
and
that
continues
through
until
march,
and
there
are
other
benefits
and
grants
that
are
that
are
being
announced
that
will
be
available
to
all
families,
depending
on
eligibility
criteria
across
the
whole
of
the
province.
This
is
really
important
work
and
we
have
to
get
it
right.
C
Well,
thank
you
very
much
and
the
report
is
painful
to
read.
Families
shared
their
most
personal
stories
about
the
impact
of
the
pandemic
on
their
families
and
what
needs
to
be
expedited
is
an
answer
to
these
families.
It
is
very
clear
that
an
election
during
a
pandemic
impacted
these
families
in
a
significant
way.
C
In
fact,
when
pandemic
related
benefits
for
children
and
youth
with
special
needs
expired
in
september,
there
was
no
recourse
for
them
for
months.
The
report
specifically
calls
on
this
government
to
extend
all
pandemic
related
benefits
and
processes
for
special
needs
families
until
the
fall
of
2021
so
again
to
the
minister.
C
C
D
And
the
member
will
know
because
the
member
was
actually
part
of
government
itself
when
cutbacks
were
made
to
this
ministry
and
to
families
such
as
these,
who
have
shared
their
very
powerful
and
and
worrying
stories
with
us
and
and
so
I'm
very
proud
to
be
part
of
a
government.
That's
actually
looking
at
changing
the
system
that
has
let
down
these
families.
For
so
very.
E
Thank
you
honorable
speaker.
One
of
the
respondents
to
the
survey
that
formed
the
basis
of
the
representative
for
children
and
youth
report
is
victoria.
O'connor
victoria
is
a
mother
of
twin
sons,
both
of
whom
are
non-verbal
and
have
been
diagnosed
with
autism.
This
is
what
victoria
said
about
her
experience
quote.
E
We
are
very
much
a
family
in
crisis.
I
just
sort
of
feel
like
it
doesn't
matter
how
bad
your
situation
is.
You're
still
going
to
have
to
jump
through
a
million
hoops
end
quote
to
government.
When
will
he?
When
will
you
implement
the
recommendations
in
the
report
so
that
parents
like
victoria,
can
get
the
support
that
they
so
desperately
need.
D
Thank
you,
honourable
speaker,
thank
you
to
the
member
for
the
question
and
thank
you
to
people
like
victoria,
who
has
shared
their
stories.
D
You,
honourable
speaker,
thank
you
again
to
the
member.
This
is
such
an
important
matter.
We
know
that
families
have
been
struggling,
they
were
already
struggling
because
the
system
was
so
fragmented
and
then
with
the
pandemic.
On
top
that
really
exacerbated
the
issues
for
many
families,
so
the
ministry
staff
and
services
really
pivoted
as
much
as
they
could
to
offer
support
and
services
and
to
provide
relief
as
far
as
possible
and
to
make
sure
that
we
heard
the
stories
and
were
able
to
create
that
flexibility,
which
is
what
families
were
asking
us
for.
D
It
is
really
important
that
we
actually
create
a
system-
that's
fair
and
that
supports
children
and
youth
with
the
needs
that
they
have
and
puts
them
at
the
center
of
the
system,
and
that's
the
work
that
we're
already
doing
that
is
recommended
by
the
representative
for
children
and
youth.
Another
recommendation
was
to
have
an
advisory
council
to
very
quickly
bring
together
stakeholders
and
families
and
advocates
we're
already
doing
that.
We've
already
acted
on
that
and
there
are
more
grant
programs
that
will
be
available
for
families
across
british
columbia.
D
F
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
we
know
that
the
kova
19
pandemic
is
affecting
people
in
many
ways,
and
we
are
also
at
this
moment
in
an
overwhelming
and
worsening
mental
health
crisis.
That's
been
called
a
shadow
pandemic.
The
overdose
emergency
is
continuing
at
a
horrifying
rate.
Domestic
violence
rates
are
up
and
people
are
more
isolated,
more
anxious
and
more
depressed
than
ever,
and
we
are
now
headed
into
the
highest
risk
season
of
the
year,
and
we
know
that
our
public
health
care
system,
as
currently
configured
despite
the
best
intentions,
cannot
adequately
respond
to
this
crisis.
F
G
G
Anybody
who's
watching
anybody
who
has
a
family
who
is
feeling
isolated
or
anxious.
Please
reach
out.
Since
yesterday's
questions
in
the
house.
I
have
been
able
to
confirm,
through
my
colleagues
in
within
the
mental
health
support
system,
that
the
online
supports
that
we
built
up
since
the
pandemic
started,
have
capacity,
we've
got
if
you
phone
811.
G
I'm
encouraged
by
the
direct
invitation
in
the
mandate
letter
that
the
premier
gave
me
to
expand
access
to
mental
health
supports
and
to
to
use
all
tools.
So
I
welcome
the
conversation
with
the
green
party.
The
the
tool
that
they
mentioned
is
certainly
one
of
the
ones
that
we
can
talk
about.
G
We
need
all
the
best
ideas
to
be
able
to
to
bring
relief
to
to
families
and-
and
maybe
I'll
just
finish,
mr
speaker,
by
saying
going
into
the
christmas
holiday
into
the
holiday
season
and
solstice,
where
the
hours
are
the
shortest
just
urge
all
of
us
to
to
reach
out,
especially
to
friends
and
those
who
are
isolated.
It's
going
to
be
a
difficult
time,
the
next
month
ahead
and
and
all
support.
All
the
support
that
we
can
give
as
individuals
for
our
communities
is
going
to
make
a
difference.
F
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
just
to
be
clear,
wasn't
it.
This
is
not
a
tool
of
the
bc
green
caucus.
This
is
a
tool
of
the
bc,
psychological
association
that
had
been
working
with
government
before
the
snap
election
and
had
been
creating
a
pathway
to
ensure
that
all
british
columbians
could
have
access
to
mental
health
care
through
the
provincial
billing
system,
and
so
I'm
going
to
hope
that
the
minister
can
respond
to
that,
as
well
as
the
bc.
F
It
was
closed
in
july,
and
so
my
additional
question
in,
in
addition
to
the
first
question,
which
I'm
hoping
I
can
still
get
an
answer
to,
honourable
speaker
is:
will
the
minister
also
commit
not
only
to
working
with
the
bc
psychologists
association
to
provide
mental
health
care
to
all
british
columbians,
but
to
ensure
that
this
psychological
first
aid
line
can
reopen
immediately
and
provide
evidence-based
psychological
care
to
anybody
who
needs
it,
particularly
as
we
go
into
this
most
stressful
time
of
the
year.
G
People
are
hurting
and,
although
we've
made
progress
pulling
together
a
mental
health
and
oh
and
overdose
a
system
together,
having
inherited
in
2017,
not
much
of
a
system
at
all,
we've
got
a
long
way
to
go
so
I'll,
say
again
to
the
member.
The
premier
asks
me
specifically
in
my
mandate
letter
to
continue
to
build
a
comprehensive
system
of
mental
health
and
addiction
support,
especially
to
support
people
through
covid19
invites
me
specifically
to
expand
access
to
counseling
using
new,
ehealth
and
other
virtual
technologies.
G
I've
confirmed
that
that
system
were
people
to
need
help
today,
tomorrow,
in
the
weeks
ahead,
both
our
811
line
and
the
government
coveted
site
are
the
best
way
to
access
that
and
I'd
be
very
happy
to
return
to
the
member.
With
an
update
on
on
the
specific
consultation
that
was
happening
back
in
september.
G
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
This
is
a
stressful
time
for
everyone,
but
especially
for
those
who
struggle
to
put
food
on
the
table
at
the
best
of
times.
In
his
first
major
policy
announcement,
the
new
minister
of
social
development
and
poverty
reduction
has
chosen
to
slash
disability
income
assistance
and
that's
awful
awful.
H
I
Well,
thank
you
very
much.
I
thank
the
member
for
peace
river
for
the
question
and
I'm
pleased
to
offer
a
response.
Quite
quite
clearly,
this
is
a
concern
to
everyone.
I
We
know
that
people
who
have
been
struggling
are
struggling
a
lot
during
this
pandemic
and
that's
why
our
government,
unlike
the
previous
government,
takes
poverty
reduction
very
seriously
in
this
specific
issue.
We
recognize
that
in
april
the
government
instituted
a
worker's
benefit,
since
that
was
not
open
to
people
on
income
or
disability
assistance.
I
The
government
decided
at
the
time
to
institute
a
supplement,
and
that
supplement
was
extended
until
the
end
of
this
month.
In
fact,
so
people
on
disability
or
income
assistance
or
seniors
receiving
the
supplement
will
in
fact
receive
the
full
300
crisis
supplement
in
addition.
So
what
we've
done
because
of
the
the
we've
we've
instituted
a
new
benefit
or
recovery
benefit
which
will
go
to
everyone,
including
people
on
disability
assistance
and
on
income
assistance?
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
it
certainly
doesn't
sound
like
this
government
is
taking
this
seriously.
A
cut
is
a
cut
from
300
a
month
down
to
a
hundred
and
fifty
dollars
less.
We
know
that
people,
low-income
people,
are
just
support
disproportionately
affected
by
this
pandemic
and
I'll
I'll
use.
A
quote
here.
Michael
richards
receives
disability
assistance,
and
he
had
this
to
say,
and
I
quote
today's
announcement
frustrates
me:
it
speaks
of
a
government
that
is
out
of
touch
with
the
realities
of
disability
and
poverty.
End
quote
so
again
to
the
premier.
I
Well,
I
could
just
reiterate
in
fact
that
you
know
this
is
a
government
that
not
only
increased
rates
as
soon
as
we
formed
government
in
2017
after
10
years
of
the
members
party,
ignoring
the
issue
completely.
Not
only
did
we
increase
it
in
2017,
we
increased
it
again.
So,
with
the
with
the
onset
of
the
pandemic
sure
this
has
definitely
caused
things
to
be
more
difficult
for
everyone,
and
especially
those
who
are
already
vulnerable.
I
That's
why
we
ensured
that
when
the
workers
benefit
was
not
made
available
to
people
on
assistance
that
we
instituted
a
supplement,
the
new
benefit.
The
recovery
benefit
is
open
to
3.7
million
british
columbians
and
considering
that
we've
not
only
done
that,
we've
not
only
brought
in
that
a
promise
that
we've
made
we've
also
kept
a
supplement,
albeit
at
a
reduced
rate,
150
for
january
february
and
march,
but
that
will
result
in
everyone
receiving
assistance
to
receive
more
than
the
otherwise
would
have.
A
A
This
is
incredibly
worrying
for
people
who
are
concerned
about
paying
their
bills
and
putting
food
on
the
table
when
the
government
is
actually
cutting
their
assistance
by
a
hundred
and
fifty
dollars
a
month.
Can
the
premier
please
explain
why
he's
clawing
back
a
hundred
and
fifty
dollars
a
month
from
vulnerable
people
in
the
middle
of
a
pandemic.
I
Well,
I
think
I
thank
the
member
for
her
question
and
I'm
not
sure
if
she
heard
my
previous
responses,
the
citizens
benefit.
The
recovery
benefit
that
was
announced
yesterday
will
be
a
benefit
to
3.7
million
british
columbians,
including
those
who
are
in
social
assistance
and
disability
assistance,
in
addition
to
that,
they
will
be
receiving
150
as
a
cri
as
a
supplement
to
that
amount.
So
I
don't
think
that
the
member
has
any
reason
to
be
so
cynical
with
her
approach.
I
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
and
this
is
not
how
the
member
has
characterized
the
situation
quite
clearly.
If
she's
done
them
calculations,
she
will
see
that
people
on
income,
assistance
and
disability
assistance
will
be
receiving
the
recovery
benefit,
as
well
as
a
supplement
of
150
above
the
rate
of
their
assistance.
I
J
Thanks,
mr
speaker,
we
are
obviously
in
the
midst
of
the
worst
health
crisis
in
our
province's
history.
The
good
news
is
that
we
also,
I
think,
are
on
the
verge
of
deploying
the
fruits
of
science
with
the
vaccines
that
are
coming
online.
Very
shortly.
J
This
house
will
likely
adjourn
next
week.
We
don't
know
when
it
will
reconvene
the
finance
minister
and
the
government
have
introduced
legislation
that
would
allow
it
to
remain
adjourned
until
the
end
of
april
next
year.
We
know
also,
mr
speaker,
that
there
will
be
a
host
of
issues
associated
with
the
distribution
of
the
vaccine,
who
better
to
assist
with
resolving
those
issues
than
the
members
and
the
talent
in
this
chamber.
K
Dr
henry,
in
this
case,
dr
brown
and
others
have
shared
briefings,
and
I
want
to
say
to
the
opposition
how
much
we've
appreciated
and
respect
their
approach,
which
has
been
to
keep
those
confidential
briefings
which
are
really
often
cabinet
level,
briefings
confidential
and
work
with
us
and
get
a
chance
to
ask
directly
to
opinion
to
the
leaders
of
this
effort,
the
the
appropriate
questions
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
do
that.
K
There's
a
new
health
critic
and
you
critic
for
long-term
care,
also
the
leader
of
the
opposition-
and
I
can
provide
him
with
my
personal
assurance
that,
as
we
go
through
this
period,
not
just
on
the
issue
of
vaccines
but
on
the
issues
related
to
provincial
health
orders
and
other
supports
and
other
responses
in
health
in
the
health
care
system,
we'll
continue
to
reach
out
every
day
or
close
to
every
day
to
opposition
critics
and
opposition
parties
to
have
their
voice
heard
in
the
process.
Their
suggestions
heard,
as
he
knows,
their
suggestions
frequently
adopted.
J
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
standing
committee
on
health
exists
for
a
reason
I
I
cannot
think
of
a
more
appropriate
time,
especially
in
the
aftermath
of
the
words
we
heard
from
the
the
premier
to
activate
the
talent
and
the
good
will
that
exists
on
that
committee
to
assist
with
the
challenge
that
lies
before
us,
and
surely
no
one
in
this
chamber
is
under
any
illusions
about
the
extent
of
that
challenge.
J
J
There
is
an
opportunity
here
to
breathe
life
into
that
word.
Those
words,
collaboration
and
cooperation
by
formally
activating
the
body
within
this
body
that
can
meet
throughout
and
provide
assistance
in
answering
those
questions.
This
chamber
will
adjourn
and
may
not
come
back
together
again
for
months
during
which
time
these
issues
will
be
front
and
center
for
british
colombians.
J
I
cannot
think
of
a
reason
why
the
government
or
the
premier
would
be
hesitant
about
accepting
the
invitation
to
act
to
to
activate
the
health
committee,
and
I
hope
the
premier
will
stand
here
today
or,
if
not
today,
tomorrow
indicate
his
willingness
to
do
so.
Minister
of
health.
K
Thank
you
very
much
and
thank
you
again
to
the
member
for
his
question.
I
think
the
work
that
we
have
done
together-
all
parties,
the
liberal
party
and
the
green
party,
the
previous
critics,
the
member
for
kelowna
lake
country,
the
member
for
calichen
and
the
current
critics,
the
member
for
clone
and
mission,
the
member
for
prince
george,
mount
robson
and
the
member
for
saanich
and
the
islands
have
worked
together
very
closely
on
this
and
other
issues.
K
I
think
we've
broken
new
ground
with
respect
to
the
work
we've
done
together
on
health,
professional
colleges
and
what
I
can
assure
the
member
is
certainly
his
suggestion.
I'm
sure
will
be
taken
into
account
by
the
premier
of
that,
but
that
in
the
coming
days
and
weeks
we
will
act
together
with
all
members
of
the
legislature
ensure
all
members
of
the
legislature's
voice
have
heard,
and
how
does
he
know
that?
Because
that
is
how
we've
acted
from
day.
K
One
of
this
pandemic,
and
that
has
been
reciprocated,
has
been
responded
to
positively
by
members
on
all
sides
of
the
house.
This
is
our
effort
collectively,
I
agree
with
them.
The
extraordinary
work
of
public
health
on
issues
of
vaccine
as
on
all
other
issues,
is
something
to
be
respected
and
supported,
and
we
need
the
support
of
all
voices
and
all
voices
in
the
legislature
for,
what's
going
to
be
a
remarkably
challenging
immunization
campaign
and
a
remarkably
important
one.
It's
not
just
immunization.