►
From YouTube: MARCH 15 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
It
seems
unimaginable
that
the
premier
and
his
government
wouldn't
do
everything
possible
to
ensure
that
this
badly
needed
facility
moves
forward,
but
a
recent
decision
has
made
it
virtually
impossible
for
the
project
as
designed
to
move
forward
in
a
recent
letter
to
the
government.
Karissa
county
family
services
says,
and
I
quote,
we
are
in
the
midst
of
a
tragedy
for
indigenous
health
and
well-being.
C
End
quote,
chief
carina
louie
has
written
to
the
minister
of
mental
health
and
addictions,
and
I
quote
this
decision
fails
to
uphold
your
government's
commitment
to
address
the
opioid
crisis
on
an
urgent
basis.
End
quote
so
to
the
premier.
Why
has
his
government
failed
to
support
the
creation
of
this
60-bed
treatment
facility
designed
to
provide
support
to
first
nations,
who
are
significantly
impacted
by
the
opioid
crisis?.
D
British
columbia.
Thank
you,
honourable
speaker,
and
I
thank
the
member
for
her
question
and
I
share
with
her
my
sadness
and
disappointments
at
the
escalating
cost
of
overdose
deaths
here
in
british
columbia,
not
just
in
her
community
but
in
fact,
in
every
community.
Honorable
speaker,
kobit
19
has
made
it
even
more
difficult
for
us
to
deal
with
this
scourge
this
this
epidemic
within
our
communities.
D
We
find
people
are
using
by
themselves
because
of
the
restrictions
that
are
in
place
as
a
result
of
covid.
We've
closed
the
borders
with
our
federal
partners,
which
has
led
to
even
more
toxicity
in
the
drug
supply
and
that's
why
we're
looking
at
a
range
of
options?
Certainly
the
option
that
the
member
raised
about
making
sure
that
there
are
treatment
and
other
capacities
within
communities
is
among
our
top
priorities,
but
also
dealing
with
the
safe
supply.
D
The
member
knows
full
well
from
her
time
in
government,
there's
a
multi-faceted
approach
to
addressing
this
issue,
compounded,
as
I
said,
by
kobed,
but
our
commitment
and
resolve
is
as
strong
as
it
has
ever
been.
I
certainly
will
be
prepared
to
work
with
the
member
to
to
talk
to
the
the
community
in
in
prince
shores
to
find
a
way
forward.
I'm
not
aware
that
the
project
has
been
stopped.
C
But
what
I
am
concerned
about
is
that
there
is
a
lack
of
action
and
support
on
behalf
of
this
government
related
to
a
very
specific
project,
absolutely
desperately
needed
and
brought
forward
by
the
carriers,
accounting
family
services
group.
This
is
what
the
letter
from
chief
lewin
says,
and
I
quote:
the
province
stands
in
the
way
end
quote,
and
the
government
didn't
just
stand
idly
by,
while
the
ability
to
build
this
treatment
facility
was
denied,
they
actually
participated
in
the
process.
C
Page
five
of
the
decision
to
block
the
project
is
very
clear,
and
I
quote:
government
staff
submitted
comments.
Identifying
concerns.
End
quote
seventeen
1726
people
died
from
an
overdose
in
2020,
but
the
only
comments
on
record
from
this
government
are
not
to
support
the
project,
a
desperately
needed
60-bed
treatment
facility.
Will
the
premier
commit
today
to
find
a
way
to
ensure
that
the
project
moves
forward
so
that
the
carrier?
Second,
a
family
services,
can
provide
desperately
needed
indigenous
health
services.
D
Thank
you
ronald
speaker
and
again
I
thank
the
member
for
her
persistence
on
this
issue
in
her
community
and
it
affects
not
just
the
people
that
she
represents,
but
all
british
columbians
and-
and
I
I
have
not
seen
the
document
that
the
member
refers
to.
I
know
the
minister
of
mental
health
and
addictions
is
at
the
ready
to
answer
subsequent
questions
from
the
opposition.
D
Suffice
it
to
say
on
my
part
to
honorable
speaker
again,
I
I
make
the
overture
to
the
to
the
member
who
I
have
worked
together
with
since
2005
that
I
I
will
be
prepared
to
meet
with
her
this
afternoon
to
look
at
the
details
of
this
application
to
see
what
steps
we
can
take
to
move
this
forward.
If
we
are
going
to
turn
back
the
the
increase
in
opioid
deaths,
which
we've
seen
since
the
pandemic
started,
we're
going
to
need
to
do
it
together.
D
D
E
You've
already
worked
with
the
carrier,
family
security,
family
services
and
reviewing
this
proposal
and
it's
a
specific
proposal
for
a
specific
issue.
Yes
we're
in
covent,
but
I'm
sure
by
now
this
house
knows
that
the
issues
that
first
nations
face
isn't
just
because
of
covet.
It
just
didn't
materialize.
Over
the
last
year
this
this
has
been
going
on
for
the
last
40
50
years.
E
First
nations
people
represent
just
three
percent
of
the
population,
but
sixteen
percent
of
the
overdose
deaths
chief
corinna
lewin-
and
I
quote,
has
said
this.
The
steps
taken
by
this
government
to
address
the
opioid
crisis
are
not
enough
and
they
exclude
first
nations
supporting
and
healing
their
own
people.
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
that
the
overdose
crisis
has
lost
so
many
lives
in
british
columbia.
It
is
a
tragedy
that
it
is
hit.
First,
nations
indigenous
people
disproportionately
is
a
tragedy.
It's
an
embarrassment
for
our
country
and
a
work
that
is
long
overdue,
something
that
our
government
has
taken
up
and
is
working
in
partnership
with
first
nations
to
to
overcome.
F
We
are
counting
on
as
part
of
the
provincial
overdose
response
and
addictions,
treatment
and
recovery
working
directly
with
first
nations
health
authority.
To
that
end,
we've
got
a
20
million
dollar
commitment
to
two
new
and
six
replacement
healing
and
treatment
centers.
We
were
counting
on
the
carrier,
sakani
proposal
being
one
of
them.
F
Last
week
on
the
ninth
of
march,
I
met
with
chief
karina
louie.
I
expressed
to
her
that
I
shared
absolutely
her
disappointment
that
the
agricultural
land
commission,
an
independent
body,
had
rejected
the
non-farm
use
on
alr
land
of
the
use
that
was
proposed.
That's
an
independent
body.
This
is
not
an
ndp
government
decision.
The
ndp
government
decision
was
to
fund
the
treatment
and
recovery
centers.
F
The
agricultural
land
commission
made
a
different
decision,
believing
that
is
protecting
farmland,
but
we're
not
leaving
that
there,
I'm
working
with
my
counterparts
and
cabinet
I've,
given
my
commitment
to
chief
lee
karina
lewin
that
we
will
pursue
this
further.
Our
investment
in
carrier
secanti
family
services
remains.
We
are
highly
reliant
on
them
as
a
deliverer
of
services
right
now,
all
across
bc's
northwest
and
we're
determined
to
continue
to
do
the
work
with
first
nations
health
authority
and
with
indigenous
leadership,
to
make
sure
that
we're
designing
treatment
services
to
prevent
and
overcome
the
overdose
crisis.
E
E
E
E
E
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
I
share
the
members
a
dismay
at
the
decision
that
the
agricultural
land
commission
made
about
uses
of
agricultural
land
land
in
the
alr.
I
have
given
my
word
when
I
met
last
week
with
the
chief
of
the
carrier
county
first
nation,
that
I
will
do
what
I
can.
We
are
partners.
We
are
investors
in
this
addiction
and
treatment
and
recovery
healing
center.
We
were
counting
on
them
being
able
to
proceed
with
its
development
that
the
independent
agricultural
land
commission
made
a
decision
based
on
different
criteria.
F
G
Speaker,
I
heard
the
minister
of
forest
response
to
my
colleague
last
week
and
frankly,
it
was
like
groundhog
day.
The
premier
thinks
british
columbians
will
accept
his
minister
simply
recycling.
The
previous
minister's
talking
points
from
2017
on
old
growth.
He's
mistaken,
mr
speaker,
premier
committed
during
the
snap
election
to
implement
all
of
the
old
growth
panel's
recommendations,
including
the
panel's
call
to
immediately
halt
logging
in
the
most
endangered
old
growth
forest
ecosystems.
G
G
The
only
step
taken
so
far,
a
set
of
deferrals
announced
in
september
include
very
little
of
the
grandest
high
productivity.
Old
growth
stands
at
the
heart
of
this
debate.
These
are
the
monumental
trees
that
tower
high
above
you,
the
majestic
forests
that
provide
homes
for
so
many
species,
including
endangered
species.
Mr
speaker,
my
question
is
to
the
minister
of
forests
lands
natural
resource
operations.
G
H
Remember
in
september,
we
collaborated
with
indigenous
governments
and
protected
old
growth
in
nine
different
areas
across
bc,
and
that
was
one
of
the
recommendations
that
the
panel
put
forward.
The
very
first
recommendation
was
to
make
sure
that
we
are
working
with
indigenous
nations
across
the
province
and
that's
what
we
did.
That's
our
first
step.
There
is
more
action
to
come
and
we
will
be
doing
this.
We
also
brought
in
a
special
tree
regulation,
so
a
thousand
to
fifteen
hundred
of
those
special
trees.
H
The
member
referenced
will
be
protected,
so
we
are
moving
ahead
to
protect
all
growth
forests
in
this
province.
We
are
moving
away
from
the
divisive
actions
of
the
past
government
to
make
sure
that
we
are
working
together.
We
are
working
with
indigenous
nations,
we
are
working
with
communities,
we
are
working
with
corporations
with
labor
with
environmental
organizations
and
communities
who
are
dependent
on
for
the
forest
industry
to
ensure
we
can
move
forward
in
this
province.
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
unfortunately,
while
the
talking
continues,
the
logging
continues
and
those
trees.
Those
monumental
trees
are
the
ones
that
are
being
cut
first,
mr
speaker,
because
they're
the
ones
that
the
forestry
industry
sees
as
the
most
valuable
they're,
the
ones
that
they
want
access
to.
So
while
we
talk
in
this
place,
we
log
and
those
trees
are
the
ones
that
are
following
first,
mr
speaker,
this
government
is
getting
a
failing
grade
from
the
lack
of
action
so
far
on
old
growth,
from
both
environmental
groups
that
the
minister
talked
about
and
conservationists.
G
G
Scientists
have
run
the
numbers
and
have
shown
that
this
government
has
an
interim
given
interim
protections
to
less
than
one
percent
of
the
remaining
high
productivity.
Big
tree
stands
left
in
our
province,
so
the
clear
cutting
is
continuing
in
critical
old
growth
stands
across
british
columbia
and
right
under
our
nose
with
the
direct
approval
of
this
premier
and
his
minister.
G
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
well.
The
member
just
his
numbers
are
inaccurate.
So
let's
just
clarify
a
few
things
in
in
this
province.
There
are
95
million
hectares
of
land.
Of
that
57
million
hectares
is
forested,
57
million
hectares
of
that
57
million
hectares,
13.7
million
hectares
is
old
growth
forests
and
of
that
10
million
hectares
is
protected.
That
leaves
3.7
million
hectares
that
may
be
harvested
may
be
harvested.
Mr
speaker,
I
didn't
say
harvested
may
be
harvested.
Also.
There
is
the
tree,
the
special
tree
regulation.
H
So
if
someone
goes
into
a
stand
and
sees
a
special
tree,
the
tree,
the
very
tree,
the
member
references
they
are
to
protect
that
tree,
and
that
is
includes
over
a
thousand
to
fifteen
hundred
trees
in
our
province.
We
are
committed
to
following
the
recommendations
of
the
old
growth
report
and
I
wanna
thank
the
members.
I
wanna
thank
al
gourley
and
gary
merkel
for
the
work
they
did.
The
very
you
know
thoughtful
work.
H
They
did
as
professional
foresters
and
gary
is
a
member
of
the
talltown
nation
and
to-
and
we
are
moving
forward
to
make
sure
that
we
have
that
government-to-government
discussion
with
indigenous
nations
and
that's
one
of
the
reasons
we
could
defer
those
nine
areas
with
that
critical
old
growth
forest
and
that
right
off
the
bat,
because
there
were
those
discussions
with
the
indigenous
nations
who
were
affected
so
that
is
critically
important
to
us.
We
are
moving
forward.
We
are
making
sure
that
we
have
the
government
to
government
discussions
with
the
the
first
nations.
H
We
are
looking
at
what
other
old
growth
forests.
We
can
defer
we're,
also
working
with
the
companies
with
labor
with
environmental
groups
and
those
communities
who
are
dependent
on
old
growth
forests
in
this
province.
It
is
not
either
or
it
is
making
sure
that
we
have
a
sustainable,
well-managed
forest
industry,
while
also
protecting
oak
roads.
I
I
F
F
The
the
increase
in
investments
of
all
sorts
of
support
for
people
in
interior
health
is
something
that
we
have
funded
as
a
government
pathways
has
been
a
critical
part
of
that
they've
provided
been
providing
service
in
pintectin
for
almost
20
years
now,
a
very
valued
member
of
the
community,
and
we're
really
grateful
for
their
work
as
a
contractor
of
interior
health.
So
interior
health
tells
us
that
they
are
now
shifting
their
substance,
use
counseling
to
a
different
form
of
instead
of
external
contract,
they're
bringing
it
in-house.
F
They
assure
us
that,
when
the
existing
contract
with
pathways
ends
may
31st
that
there
will
be
no
disruption
in
service
for
people
that
are
reliant
on
it,
they
say
that
this
will
better
support
people
on
the
whole
continuum
of
care,
not
just
counseling
but
treatment
as
well,
and
that
it
will
also
help
provide
services
more
broadly
in
the
whole
south
okanagan,
not
just
in
not
only
in
penticton
interior
health,
as
all
the
health
authorities
are
making
their
own
decisions
about
addictions,
mental
health
and
health
delivery.
They
start
and
stop
contracts.
F
I
I
They
included
people
like
cindy
ramsey,
whose
family
member
is
among
the
thousands
of
clients
who
receive
life-saving
treatment
from
pathways.
She
says
I
quote:
I
have
to
question
this
decision
now
during
this
time
of
coved,
when
people
are
isolated,
addictions
are
going
up
and
this
is
just
one
more
nail
in
the
coffin.
I
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
where
the
bc
liberal
government
failed
to
invest
in
mental
health
and
addictions
treatment
our
government
is,
and
the
health
authorities
are
the
ones
that
deliver
the
service.
Here
is
some
of
what
is
newly
available
under
our
ndp
government,
with
interior
health,
to
help
people
with
mental
health
and
addictions
treatment
in
interior
health
alone.
This
is
what
is
new
and
available.
F
We
just
this
month,
added
10
new
government
funded
youth
treatment
beds.
They've
come
online
they're,
helping
people
right
now.
Also,
this
month,
five
new
innovative,
integrated
treatment
teams
are
beginning
to
see
clients
throughout
the
southern
interior,
kamloops
cranbrook,
west,
kelowna,
anderby
and
salmon
arm
areas
all
have
these
new
teams
that
are
helping
people
get
addiction,
support,
beating
back
stigma
that
couldn't
get
it
before.
We
just
opened
a
new
urgent
primary
care
center
in
penticton,
it's
opening
at
the
end
of
march.
F
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Pathways
is
low
barrier.
It
offers
a
continuum
of
care
that
can
last
that
can
last
years
as
well
as
a
drop-in
center,
that
anyone
off
the
streets
can
come
in
to
see
them.
This
is
not
the
case
in
an
urgent
care
center.
People
in
penticton
will
be
losing
access
to
these
drop-in
services,
which
interior
health
says
will
no
longer
be
offered.
A
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
When
the
existing
contract
external
contract
ends
on
may
31st,
interior
health
assures
us
there
will
be
no
disruption
and
continuity
of
care
for
people
that
need
it.
We
are
adding
a
multitude
of
ways
of
more
and
more
services
for
people
to
be
able
to
overcome
stigma
have
services
that
meet
them
where
they
are
at.
F
This
is
an
unprecedented
expansion
in
access
to
addictions,
treatment,
support
beyond
anything.
British
colombia
has
ever
seen,
and
the
need
is
deeper
than
anything
british
colombia
has
ever
seen.
The
loss
of
life
from
the
overdose
crisis
has
meant
that
we
have
accelerated
british
columbia's
response
enormously.
F
We
have
more
than
200
government
funded
treatment,
beds
in
interior
health,
we've
added
foundry
locations,
peer-led
for
young
people
and
young
adults
in
kelowna
and
penticton
to
support
young
people
with
mental
health
and
addiction
issues
in
every
way.
There
are
more
services
available
and
designed
by
people
that
need
the
services
most.
A
Having
access
to
a
drop-in
center
and
being
able
to
meet
people
where
they're
at
is
such
an
important
piece
of
supporting
the
mental
health
of
our
communities,
the
families
who
have
benefited
from
pathways
disagree
with
this
government
julie,
gull,
says
quote:
interior
health
will
not
be
able
to
meet
the
same
level
of
care.
That
pathways
does
end
quote
or
kim
rowe
who
says
quote
the
service.
The
pathways
provides
is
priceless.
It
is
not
a
model
that
can
be
copied
by
interior
health.
End
quote:
when
is
the
premier?
F
The
service
that
pathways
has
provided
for
almost
20
years
in
penticton
is
is
appreciated
and
at
a
contract
level.
Interior
health
has
decided
not
to
renew
the
contract,
which
was
known
a
couple
months
ago.
The
contract
will
run
until
the
end
of
may
and
interior
health
says
this
is
going
to
represent
once
the
services
are
brought
in
house
and
expanded.
That
will
represent
an
expansion
of
treatment
services
for
people
in
the
region.
F
Frankly,
it's
dangerous
for
the
opposition
to
suggest
that
there
are
not
treatment
options
for
people.
There
are
expanded
in
every
parts
of
the
province,
more
options
for
addictions,
treatment
and
support
and
recovery
than
there
have
ever
been
before
the
need
is
deeper
than
it
has
ever
been
before,
but
but
please
anybody
that
is
watching.
If
you
need
support,
whether
it's
virtual
or
in
person,
you
can
look
at
gov.bc.ca,
covid19
mental
health
and
addiction
supports.
F
There
is
a
great
range,
much
of
it,
designed
for
people
with
lived
and
living
experience,
so
that
we
can,
as
the
member
says,
meet
people
where
they
are
at
information
publicly
made
available
from
interior
health
says
that
on
a
medical
basis,
there
is
not
going
to
be
any
reduction
in
care
for
people
in
need.
There
will
be
an
expansion,
and
I
hope
the
member
will
get
behind
that
message
from
our
health
authority
and
let
people
know
that
help
is
there
for
them.